Intelligent clearing network

• US 20090099929A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Clearing Network Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Clearing Network Incorporated
• Inventors: Millett, Matt, Schulte, Brian, Thibedeau, Richard B., Oakley, Gary, Skelton, Michael, Robertson, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system for redeeming coupons, promotions, or incentives comprises a network through which a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal communicates, through a POS controller, with an Intelligent Clearing Network (ICN) server. One or both of the POS terminal and POS controller are installed with POS bridge software. The ICN server is configured to run a real time software application while in communication with the POS terminal, wherein the POS terminal transmits coupon transaction information including universal product codes to the ICN server via the network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an Intelligent Clearing Network (ICN) network;

a point-of-sale (POS) terminal;

a POS controller;

an ICN server,

wherein the POS terminal transmits first coupon and/or incentive related information at the POS terminal to the POS controller for redemption and validation via the network at the ICN server, the first coupon and/or incentive related information including universal product codes contained in a transaction.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the ICN server is a coupon and/or incentive processing server, further comprising a retailer'"'"'s POS controller through which the POS terminal is communicatively coupled to the ICN network and the ICN coupon and/or incentive processing server via ICN POS bridge software installed on the POS controller and the POS terminal.

3. A system as in claim 2, further comprising a manufacturer'"'"'s server communicatively coupled to the ICN server.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein the first coupon related information includes information regarding a consumer'"'"'s transaction at the POS terminal including at least one of date, time, store, lane, total dollar amount spent, customer ID, and universal product codes.

5. A system as in claim 3, wherein the first coupon related information comprises a control number provided through a downloaded coupon or coupon card.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein the first coupon and/or incentive related information is consumer identification information.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein the ICN server transmits second coupon and/or incentive related information to the POS controller via the ICN network.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein the second coupon and/or incentive related information is GS1 coupon code.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein the second coupon and/or incentive related information includes an application identifier, a product number system character, manufacturer offer code, expiration date, and household identifier.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein the server is coupled to a centralized database that provides second coupon and/or incentive related information when the server receives first coupon and/or incentive information.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein the server tabulates raw data of at least one of coupon and incentive processing transactions for a manufacturer.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein the server provides the tabulated data to the manufacturer in real time in the form of a report.

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein the network is the World Wide Web.

14. A system as in claim 1, wherein the network is an internet.

15. A system as in claim 7, wherein the POS terminal transmits third coupon and/or incentive related information to the POS controller through the ICN POS bridge software upon successful redemption of a coupon.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein the third coupon related information comprises identification information from the product purchased and the GS1 coupon code of the second coupon related information and retailer identification information.

17. A system as in claim 16, the third coupon related information being used by the server to generate a report to the manufacturer whose product was purchased through redemption of the coupon code.

18. A system as in claim 1, wherein the ICN POS bridge software installed on the POS controller transmits second coupon and/or incentive related information to the ICN POS bridge software installed on the POS terminal.

19. A system as in claim 1, wherein the network is a virtual private network.

20. A system as in claim 1, wherein the network is a high speed dedicated communication line.

21. A system as in claim 7, wherein the POS controller transmits third coupon related information to the ICN server through the ICN POS bridge software upon successful redemption of a coupon and/or incentive.

22. A system as in claim 2, wherein the ICN POS bridge software comprises a configurable software suite that is physically installed and controls POS behavior based on information sent and received to and from the ICN server.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein the POS data bridge software is configurable for each unique retailer.

24. A system as in claim 3, further comprising an originating financial institution server coupled to the retailer server.

25. A system as in claim 24, further comprising a secure file transfer protocol server which receives debit and credit information from the retailer server and provides automated clearing house processing to the originating financial institution.

26. A system as in claim 25, wherein the secure file transfer protocol server provides the processed debit and credit information to the originating financial institution.

27. A system as in claim 3, further comprising a file transfer protocol server in communication with the ICN server.

28. A system as in claim 27, wherein the redemption data stored in the ICN database is provided to the file transfer protocol server and stored in a central billing database of the file transfer protocol server.

29. A system as in claim 28, the file transfer protocol server comprising an automated clearing house processing system configured to generate reports for at least one financial institution.

30. A system as in claim 1, wherein when the universal product codes corresponding to the first coupon and/or incentive related information are trigger universal product codes, coupon related information corresponding to target universal product codes is transmitted by the ICN coupon and/or incentive processing server to the POS terminal.

31. A system as in claim 30, wherein at least one of the target universal product codes corresponds to a product that at least one of the trigger universal product codes corresponds to.

32. A system as in claim 31, wherein at least one of the target universal product codes corresponds to a product that none of the trigger universal product codes corresponds to.

33. A method for processing at least one of coupons and incentives, comprising:

reading first coupon or incentive related information from a terminal, the first coupon or incentive related information including universal product code information;

transmitting the first coupon or incentive related information through a network to a coupon and/or incentive processing server for validation and redemption;

if the coupon and/or incentive processing server validates the first coupon related information, transmitting second coupon related information through the network to the terminal.

34. A method as in claim 33, further comprising, if the terminal validates the second coupon or incentive related information, redeeming a corresponding coupon or incentive and transmitting coupon or incentive redemption information to the coupon processing server.

35. A method as in claim 34, further comprising when the coupon or incentive processing server receives the coupon or incentive redemption information, deactivating the corresponding coupon or incentive.

36. A method as in claim 35, further comprising when the coupon and/or incentive processing server storing processed coupon information corresponding to the coupon or incentive redemption information in a database and making that information available in real time as reports to a manufacturer through a web portal.

37. A method as in claim 36, further comprising the coupon and/or incentive processing server transmitting processed coupon information corresponding to the coupon or incentive redemption information to a manufacturer'"'"'s server.

38. A method as in claim 37, further comprising biometrically identifying a user the terminal as a part of validating.

39. A method as in claim 37, further comprising the retailer server transmitting debit and credit information corresponding to the redeemed coupon or incentive information to a secure file transfer protocol server.

40. A method as in claim 39, wherein the secure file transfer protocol server provides an automated clearing house processing of billing information corresponding to the debit and credit information and places the processed billing information in a file.

41. A method as in claim 40, wherein the secure file transfer protocol server transmits the file to an originating financial institution.

42. A method as in claim 36, wherein clearing the processed coupon or incentive information comprises debiting a promotion sponsor in an amount of coupons or incentives dispensed, intelligent clearing network rate, and retailer credit rate;

holding funds by the intelligent clearing network and storing clearing rate total debited from the promotion sponsor; and

crediting a retailer with a value of the coupons or incentives dispensed and a credit rate.

43. A method as in claim 36, wherein clearing the processed coupon or incentive information comprises

requesting by an automated clearing house redemption data from the coupon or incentive processing server.

44. A method as in claim 43, wherein clearing the processed coupon or incentive information comprises requesting, by an automated clearing house server, redemption data from the coupon or incentive processing server.

45. A method as in claim 44, wherein the redemption data received by the automated clearing house server is reported to an originating financial institution.

46. A method as in claim 33, wherein when the universal product codes corresponding to the first coupon or incentive related information are trigger universal product codes, coupon or incentive related information corresponding to target universal product codes is transmitted by the ICN coupon or incentive processing server to the POS terminal.

47. A method as in claim 46, wherein at least one of the target universal product codes is corresponds to a product that at least one of the trigger universal product codes corresponds to.

48. A method as in claim 47, wherein at least one of the target universal product codes corresponds to a product that none of the trigger universal product codes corresponds to.

49. A method as in claim 33, wherein the first coupon or incentive related information also comprises a control code obtained by a customer who visits a web site to select from at least one coupon, promotion, or incentive.

50. A computer readable medium storing computer code for processing coupons and/or incentives across a network, comprising:

computer code for transferring first coupon and/or incentive related information including universal product code information from a terminal across the network;

computer code for receiving, interpreting, and comparing the first coupon and/or incentive related information at a coupon and/or incentive processing server;

if a coupon and/or incentive code is validated, computer code for retrieving coupon and/or incentive codes and any corresponding target universal product codes triggered by the validation of the coupon and/or incentive codes from a centralized database;

computer code for transmitting the retrieved coupon and/or incentive codes to the terminal via the network; and

computer code for redeeming the coupon and/or incentive codes.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50, further comprising computer code for notifying the coupon and/or incentive processing server of successful coupon and/or incentive redemptions.

52. A computer readable medium storing computer code for processing coupons across a network, comprising:

computer code for permitting a user to download and print out a coupon accessed via the world wide web, the coupon having first coupon related information;

computer code for transferring the first coupon related information including universal product code information from a terminal across the network;

computer code for receiving, interpreting, and comparing the first coupon related information at a coupon processing server;

if a coupon code is validated, computer code for retrieving coupon codes and any corresponding target universal product codes triggered by the validation of the coupon codes from a centralized database;

computer code for transmitting the retrieved coupon codes to the terminal via the network; and

computer code for redeeming the coupon codes.

53. The computer readable medium of claim 52, further comprising computer code for notifying the coupon incentive processing server of successful coupon and/or incentive redemptions.

54. A point of sale (POS) terminal comprising:

a first interface configured to receive information regarding a transaction to purchase at least one product;

a second interface configured to receive information from and transmit information to a retailer server;

a processor; and

a memory for storing a point of sale bridge software configured to redeem a manufacturer coupon and/or incentive contained in a promotion request message received through the second interface, the processor configured to receive information from the first interface and to receive and transmit information through the second interface and configured to execute the point of sale bridge software.

55. A point of sale terminal as in claim 54, wherein the first interface is configured to communicate with a universal product code reading device.

56. A point of sale (POS) retailer server comprising:

a first interface for receiving information from and transmitting information to a point of sale terminal;

a second interface for receiving information from and transmitting information to an intelligent clearing network server via a network;

a processor; and

a memory configured to store a point of sale bridge software configured to format a promotion request message and send the promotion request message in real time to an intelligent clearing network server promotion redemption real time service, the processor being configured to receive and transmit information through the first and second interfaces and configured to execute the point of sale bridge software.

57. An Intelligent Clearing Network (ICN) server comprising:

a processor;

an interface configured to permit communications over a network;

an ICN database, wherein the processor of the ICN server is configured to control the execution of an ICN promotion manager application, an ICN database application, and an ICN promotion redemption service and is configured to receive and transmit data and commands through the interface.