WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COUPONING TECHNIQUE

• US 20080097855A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: RISSANEN, Jussi
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

An electronic couponing technique includes transferring coupon information, which may include a coupon ID (identification) to a first portable terminal and storing same therein. The portable terminal displays a representation of the transferred coupon information on a display thereof. The stored coupon information may be transferred from the portable terminal to another terminal for redemption. The stored coupon information may also be transferred from the portable terminal to another portable terminal. Various schemes may be used to transfer the coupon information including a Bluetooth low-range radio link or an optical bar code scanner scanning an optical bar code or an infrared link or a wireless link from the portable terminal. The Internet or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) may also be used in transferring the coupon information to and from the various terminals.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

first communication means for wirelessly receiving coupon information including coupon identification (ID) and sharing the coupon information with at least one other mobile terminal;

a memory for storing data, including the coupon and coupon ID information;

a display for displaying a visual representation of the coupon and coupon ID information;

second communication means wirelessly receiving promotions from a terminal granting discounts at a retail outlet;

a processor executing software matching coupon information to promotions; and

a transfer unit wirelessly transferring matched coupon information to the terminal via the second communication means and receiving a discount after validation of the transferred coupon information in the terminal.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising:

The transfer unit transferring at least part of the stored coupon information including the coupon ID number to at least one second portable terminal so as to permit the mobile device and users of said at least one second portable terminal to redeem said coupon information or coupon ID number in different transactions.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the coupon ID number serves as an alternate to the coupon information.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the coupon information is stored in textual or visual/audio representation.

5. A point-of-sale (POS) terminal comprising:

coupon information including coupon ID contained within the POS terminal and related to promotions granting discounts at a retail outlet;

a communication interface wirelessly transferring promotions from the POS terminal, upon request, to a mobile terminal sharing coupon information with at least one other mobile terminal;

the POS terminal wirelessly receiving requests via the communication interface for discounts from mobile terminals sharing coupon information; and

the POS terminal validating requests and granting discounts via the communication interface to the requesting mobile terminals sharing coupon information.

6. The POS terminal of claim 5 further comprises redemption information generated by the POS terminal from the validated requests and discounts for reporting to a coupon issuer.

7. The POS terminal of claim 5 further comprising a coupon service server linked to the POS terminal and storing updated coupon information received from a coupon issuer

8. The POS terminal of claim 5 wherein the coupon information in the mobile terminal is electronically transferred to the POS terminal.

9. A computer readable medium containing program instructions, executable in a computer system, for acquiring discounts in a retail outlet, comprising:

program instructions for wirelessly receiving coupon information including coupon identification (ID) and sharing the coupon information with at least one other mobile terminal from a first communication means;

program instructions for storing data, including the coupon and coupon ID information in a memory;

program instructions for displaying a visual representation of the coupon and coupon ID information in a display;

program instructions for wirelessly receiving promotions from a terminal granting discounts at a retail outlet via a second communication means;

program instructions for executing software matching coupon information to promotions in a processor; and

program instructions for wirelessly transferring matched coupon information to the terminal via the second communication means and receiving a discount after validation of the transferred coupon information in the terminal.

10. The medium of claim 9 further comprising:

programming instructions for wirelessly transferring coupon information from the terminal to the first portable terminal and wirelessly transferring coupon information from the first portable terminal to another mobile terminal.

11. A method, comprising:

wirelessly receiving coupon information including coupon identification (ID) and sharing the coupon information with at least one other mobile terminal from a first communication means;

storing data, including the coupon and coupon ID information in a memory;

displaying a visual representation of the coupon and coupon ID information in a display;

wirelessly receiving promotions from a terminal granting discounts at a retail outlet from a second communication means;

executing software matching coupon information to promotions in a processor; and

wirelessly transferring matched coupon information to the terminal via the second communication means and receiving a discount after validation of the transferred coupon information in the terminal.

12. A method, comprising:

storing coupon information including coupon ID within a point-of-sale terminal (POS) and related to promotions granting discounts at a retail outlet;

wirelessly transferring promotions from the POS terminal, upon request, to a mobile terminal via a communication interface for sharing the coupon information with at least one other mobile terminal;

the POS terminal wirelessly receiving requests via the communication interface for discounts from mobile terminals sharing coupon information; and

the POS terminal validating requests and granting discounts via the communication interface to the requesting mobile terminals sharing coupon information.