Data structure and architecture for processing transaction data

• US 20060282348A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Mount, Jeff, Greenfield, Steven J., Byerly, Baxter, Clack, James B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A reduced PID tag set specification represents POS transaction data in a manner that is largely retail store product specification independent. A reduced PID tag set specification is a tagged format specification in which a number of PID tags in the tagged format specification is less than the number of PIDs for products contained in RS POS CSs PID specification. In a preferred embodiment, there is only one tag set defined for identifying product identification datum as such. As a result, the product descriptions of all of the product identifications that exist in a retailer'"'"'s product identification specification are lost when saving the same data in the preferred reduced PID tag set specification. However, saving the retailer'"'"'s transaction data in a reduced PID tag set specification moots the need to know the retailer'"'"'s product identification specification in order to receive, store, organize, and, to a certain extent, process the retailer'"'"'s transaction data.

Claims

22. A method of using a network CS comprising:

storing in a first RS CS database of a first RS CS a RS PID specification, wherein said RS PID specification includes at least an association between product identifications and descriptions of corresponding products having said product identifications; and

storing in said first RS CS database first RS CS transaction data for a first set of transactions;

storing in a central CS database of a central CS transaction data for said first set of transactions in a reduced PID tag set specification;

wherein said reduced PID tag set specification specifies a number of PID tags identifying products in the tagged format specification that is less than the number of PIDs for products contained in RS POS CSs PID specification.

1. A network CS comprising:

a central CS including a central CS database;

at least a first RS CS including a first RS CS database, for at least accounting for inventory in a first RS;

wherein said first RS CS database stores a RS PID specification, wherein said RS PID specification includes at least an association between product identifications and descriptions of corresponding products having said product identifications; and

wherein said first RS CS database stores first RS CS transaction data for a first set of transactions;

wherein said central CS database stores transaction data for said first set of transactions in a reduced PID tag set specification;

wherein said reduced PID tag set specification specifies a number of PID tags identifying products in the tagged format specification that is less than the number of PIDs for products contained in RS POS CSs PID specification.

2. The network CS of claim 1 wherein a number of PID tags identifying products reduced PID tag set specification is one.

3. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes a tag set for specifying CID.

4. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes a tag specifying product category.

5. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes a tag specifying vertical.

6. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes at least one tag specifying at least one of department, manufacturer, retailer product categorization, size, weight, and existence of discounts.

7. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes at least one tag specifying at least one of “

private label”

;

“

not house brand”

;

“

first manufacturer ID”

;

“

second manufacturer ID”

, . . . ;

“

first product category”

;

“

second product category”

, . . . ;

“

physical product instead of service”

;

“

service, not physical product”

;

“

high volume product”

;

“

frequently discounted product”

; and

“

seasonal product”

.

8. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes at least one tag specifying at least one of “

member of retailer'"'"'s shopper program”

;

“

not a member of retailers shopper program”

;

categorizations of the shopper based upon the retailers analysis of transaction data for the transaction data associated with the CID such as;

“

frequent shopper”

;

“

high spending amount per transaction shopper”

;

“

regular shopper”

;

“

irregular shopper”

;

“

responds to questionnaire”

;

“

frequent promotions user”

;

“

price sensitive shopper”

;

“

repeat purchase of first brand”

;

“

repeat purchaser of second brand”

;

. . . ;

“

repeat purchase of first specified brand in first specified category”

; and

“

repeat purchase of second specified brand in second specified category”

.

9. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes at least one tag specifying at least one of VID;

RID;

RSID;

SID;

RSNID;

TID; and

transaction date and time.

10. The network CS of claim 1 further comprising a DTD defining said reduced PID tag set specification.

11. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said reduced PID tag set specification includes at least one tag specifying at least one of transaction delimiter;

PID;

rebate identification;

transaction dollar amount, RID, SID, RSNID, and CID.

12. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said central CS stores in association with said first RS CS an RID and a RSID, and said first set of transactions stored in said reduced PID tag set specification in said central CS database is associated with said RID and said RSID.

13. The network CS of claim 1 further comprising a code module for converting said first RS CS transaction data for a first set of transactions from said RS PID specification to said reduced PID tag set specification.

14. The network CS of claim 13 wherein said code module resides in said RS CS.

15. The network CS of claim 13 wherein said code module resides in said central CS.

16. The network CS of claim 1 further comprising code for identifying correlations in said first set of transactions indicative of a first probability of purchase or non purchase of a particular product in a second time period based upon purchase or non purchase of one or more products in a prior first time period.

17. The network CS of claim 16 further comprising code for identifying CIDs whose transaction data in said first set of transactions indicate said first probability, and code for associating with said CIDs reward data.

18. The network CS of claim 17 further comprising code for transmitting said reward data in association with said CIDs to said first RS CS.

19. The network CS of claim 1 wherein central CS database stores rules for processing transaction data originating from said first RS CS.

20. The network CS of claim 1 further comprising a network interface enabling an owner of said first RS set up and implement processing rules on transaction data stored in said central CS database in said reduced tag set specification.

21. The network CS of claim 20 wherein said processing rules depend at least in part upon values of data within said PID tags.

23. The network CS of claim 1 further comprising an analysis configuration module operable to provide retailers GUI and/or scripts access to instruct the central CS to perform the following actions:

(a) define trigger criteria and rewards criteria inter alia based upon PID, and

(b) define trigger data and rewards data inter alia based upon PID;

(c) define rewards data associations with trigger criteria and trigger data; and

(d) define constraints between items (a)-(c); and

(e) define, transmit to, and receive instructions for transmitting and receiving data, including transaction data, trigger data, and rewards data, to and from said central CS.

24. The method claim 23 further comprising code for identifying CIDs whose transaction data in said first set of transactions indicates said first probability, and code for associating with said CIDs reward data.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising code for transmitting said reward data in association with said CIDs to said first RS CS.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising implementing processing rules on transaction data stored in said central CS database in said reduced tag set specification.

27. The method claim 26 wherein said processing rules depend at least in part upon values of data within said PID tags.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing retailers GUI and/or scripts access to instruct said central CS to perform the following actions:

(a) define trigger criteria and rewards criteria inter alia based upon PID, and

(b) define trigger data and rewards data inter alia based upon PID;

(c) define rewards data associations with trigger criteria and trigger data; and

(d) define constraints between items (a)-(c); and

(e) define, transmit to, and receive instructions for transmitting and receiving data, including transaction data, trigger data, and rewards data, to and from said central CS.

23-1. The method of claim 22 further comprising identifying correlations in said first set of transactions indicative of a first probability of purchase or non purchase of a particular product in a second time period based upon purchase or non purchase of one or more products in a prior first time period.