E-couponing
First Claim
1. A method of handling electronic coupons, the method comprising:
- accessing information indicating association of an electronic coupon with an account of a user of an electronic coupon system, the account including information identifying a first retail entity associated with the user and a second retail entity associated with the user, wherein the second retail entity is different than the first retail entity;
transmitting information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to a first computer system associated with the first retail entity, wherein receipt of the information indicating association of the electronic coupon by the first computer system causes the first computer system to associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity upon presentation of a first user identifier;
transmitting information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to a second computer system associated with the second retail entity, wherein the second computer system is different from the first computer system and receipt of the information indicating association of the electronic coupon by the second computer system causes the second computer system to associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity upon presentation of a second user identifier;
receiving, from the first computer system, information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity; and
in response to receiving, from the first computer system, the information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at the retail store associated with the first retail entity, transmitting cancellation information for the electronic coupon to the second computer system associated with the second retail entity, wherein receipt of the cancellation information by the second computer system causes the second computer system to cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon by the user such that the user is prevented from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Handling electronic coupons includes accessing information indicating association of an electronic coupon with an account of a user that identifies multiple retail entities associated with the user. Information indicating association of electronic coupons with the user'"'"'s account may be transmitted to respective computer systems associated with the multiple retail entities. The computer systems may associate electronic coupons with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupons at a retail store upon presentation of a user identifier. When the user redeems an electronic coupon, cancellation information for the electronic coupon may be transmitted to the computer systems of other retail entities associated with the user. Receipt of the cancellation information may cause the respective computer systems to cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon such that the user is prevented from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the corresponding retail entity.
194 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of handling electronic coupons, the method comprising:
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accessing information indicating association of an electronic coupon with an account of a user of an electronic coupon system, the account including information identifying a first retail entity associated with the user and a second retail entity associated with the user, wherein the second retail entity is different than the first retail entity;
transmitting information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to a first computer system associated with the first retail entity, wherein receipt of the information indicating association of the electronic coupon by the first computer system causes the first computer system to associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity upon presentation of a first user identifier;
transmitting information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to a second computer system associated with the second retail entity, wherein the second computer system is different from the first computer system and receipt of the information indicating association of the electronic coupon by the second computer system causes the second computer system to associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity upon presentation of a second user identifier;
receiving, from the first computer system, information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity; and
in response to receiving, from the first computer system, the information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at the retail store associated with the first retail entity, transmitting cancellation information for the electronic coupon to the second computer system associated with the second retail entity, wherein receipt of the cancellation information by the second computer system causes the second computer system to cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon by the user such that the user is prevented from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. At least one computer readable medium storing one or more computer programs, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions for:
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accessing information indicating association of an electronic coupon with an account of a user of an electronic coupon system, the account including information identifying a first retail entity associated with the user and a second retail entity associated with the user, wherein the second retail entity is different than the first retail entity;
transmitting information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to a first computer system associated with the first retail entity, wherein receipt of the information indicating association of the electronic coupon by the first computer system causes the first computer system to associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity upon presentation of a first user identifier;
transmitting information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to a second computer system associated with the second retail entity, wherein the second computer system is different from the first computer system and receipt of the information indicating association of the electronic coupon by the second computer system causes the second computer system to associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity upon presentation of a second user identifier;
receiving, from the first computer system, information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity; and
in response to receiving, from the first computer system, the information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at the retail store associated with the first retail entity, transmitting cancellation information for the electronic coupon to the second computer system associated with the second retail entity, wherein receipt of the cancellation information by the second computer system causes the second computer system to cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon by the user such that the user is prevented from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An electronic coupon system comprising:
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an application server;
a messaging hub;
a first computer system associated with a first retail entity; and
a second computer system associated with a second retail entity, wherein;
the second computer system is different from the first computer system and the second retail entity is different than the first retail entity, the application server is configured to;
maintain an account for a user of the electronic coupon system, the account including information associating the first retail entity and the second retail entity with the user, and associate an electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account;
the messaging hub is configured to;
access information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account;
transmit information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to the first computer system associated with the first retail entity, and transmit information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account to the second computer system associated with the second retail entity, the first computer system is configured to receive the information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account and, upon receipt, associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity upon presentation of a first user identifier, the second computer is configured to receive the information indicating association of the electronic coupon with the user'"'"'s account and, upon receipt, associate the electronic coupon with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity upon presentation of a second user identifier, the first computer system is further configured to transmit information to the messaging hub indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the first retail entity, the messaging hub is further configured to;
receive the information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at the retail store associated with the first retail entity, and in response to receiving, from the first computer system, the information indicating that the user has redeemed the electronic coupon at the retail store associated with the first retail entity, transmit cancellation information for the electronic coupon to the second computer system associated with the second retail entity, and the second computer system is further configured to receive the cancellation information for the electronic coupon and, upon receipt, cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon by the user to prevent the user from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the second retail entity.
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Specification