METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELLING SUBSCRIPTIONS TO PERIODICALS IN A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

• US 20070271114A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Walker, Jay, Jindal, Sanjay
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

A system comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a POS controller, a retail subscription system. The POS terminal allows a cashier to enter subscription sales data into the POS controller. The POS controller maintains databases on available subscriptions and produces databases containing data relating to subscriptions sold to customers. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution.

Claims

1-85. -85. (canceled)

86. A method, comprising:

receiving subscription information concerning a subscription to a periodical from a retail subscription system;

generating a record that includes the subscription information;

determining whether the sale of the subscription included distribution of a single issue of the periodical; and

initiating a subscription to the periodical that includes the normal number of subscription issues minus one if a single issue was distributed.

87. The method of claim 86, in which generating a record comprises at least one of creating the record if a subscriber record does not exist, and modifying an existing record with at least a portion of the subscription information if a subscriber record exists.

88. The method of claim 86, further comprising transmitting at least a portion of the subscription information to a publisher of the periodical.

89. A computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to:

receive subscription information concerning a subscription to a periodical from a retail subscription system;

generate a record that includes the subscription information;

determine whether the sale of the subscription included distribution of a single issue of the periodical; and

initiate a subscription to the periodical that includes the normal number of subscription issues minus one if a single issue was distributed.

90. The computer readable medium of claim 89, in which the instructions for generating a record comprises instructions configured to direct the processor to at least one of create the record if a subscriber record does not exist, and modify an existing record with at least a portion of the subscription information if a subscriber record exists.

91. The computer readable medium of claim 89, which further comprises instructions configured to direct the processor to transmit at least a portion of the subscription information to a publisher of the periodical.

92. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a communication device coupled to the processor; and

a data storage device operatively coupled to the processor and containing instructions configured to direct the processor to;

receive subscription information concerning a subscription to a periodical from a retail subscription system;

generate a record that includes the subscription information;

determine whether the sale of the subscription included distribution of a single issue of the periodical; and

initiate a subscription to the periodical that includes the normal number of subscription issues minus one if a single issue was distributed.

93. The apparatus of claim 92, wherein the data storage device further comprises at least one database.

94. The apparatus of claim 92, wherein the at least one database comprises at least one of a subscription database, an authentication code database, a sales database, and a subscriber database.

95. A method, comprising:

receiving a payment amount and subscription information from a customer at a point of sale terminal, wherein the payment amount is based on a subscription price for a periodical selected by the customer;

paying a fee for a single issue of the periodical to a wholesaler;

retaining a percentage of the payment amount; and

providing the subscription information and a balance of the payment amount to a retail subscription system to establish the subscription to the periodical.

96. The method of claim 95, further comprising providing a portion of the balance of the payment amount to a fulfillment house to provide periodicals according to the subscription.

97. A computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to:

receive a payment amount and subscription information from a customer at a point of sale terminal, wherein the payment amount is based on a subscription price for a periodical selected by the customer;

pay a fee for a single issue of the periodical to a wholesaler;

retain a percentage of the payment amount; and

provide the subscription information and a balance of the payment amount to a retail subscription system to establish the subscription to the periodical.

98. The computer readable medium of claim 97, in which the instructions for providing the subscription information and the balance of the payment amount comprise instructions configured to direct the processor to instruct the subscription system to provide a portion of the balance of the payment amount to a fulfillment house.

99. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a communication device coupled to the processor; and

a data storage device operatively coupled to the processor and containing instructions configured to direct the processor to;

receive a payment amount and subscription information from a customer at a point of sale terminal desiring to establish a subscription to a periodical, wherein the payment amount is based on a subscription price;

pay a fee for a single issue of the periodical to a wholesaler;

retain a percentage of the payment amount; and

provide the subscription information and a balance of the payment amount to a retail subscription system to establish the subscription to the periodical.

100. The apparatus of claim 99, further comprising at least one of an input device, a display device, a printer, and a clock coupled to the processor.

101. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the data storage device further comprises at least one database.

102. The apparatus of claim 101, wherein the at least one database comprises at least one of a product category database, a product class database, a product feature database, a product database, a seller database, a retailer database, an offer database, a supplemental offer database, an accepted offer database, and a settlement price database.