DISCOUNT AND/OR LOYALTY REWARD SYSTEM AND RETAIL APPARATUS THEREFOR

• US 20090265445A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mobilize Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Mobilize Systems Limited
• Inventors: McGuiness, Matthew James, Lewis, Marc
• Application Number:
  US12/495,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265445A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• 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 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• 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 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

Discount and/or loyalty reward system is arranged to provided discounts to users on the basis of user ids communicated from a user agent to a point of sale terminal. The point of sale terminal requests a list of discounts applicable to the received user id from a discount administration system. The discounts in the returned list are then applied where appropriate to the user'"'"'s purchases.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A discount administration apparatus comprising:

a WAN interface;

a mobile communication network interface;

a database containing data linking, directly or indirectly, a user id to one or more product ids and associated discount amounts; and

processing means,

wherein the processing means is configured for sending said user id to a communication user agent via the mobile communication network interface and for responding to a request message, containing said user id, received via the WAN interface, by generating a response message containing product ids and discount amounts linked to said user id in the database, and sending the response message to the source of the request message via the WAN interface.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the mobile communication network interface is an interface to a messaging service of a communication user agent network.

34. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the processing means is configured to be responsive to a further message, containing said user id and a product id, from said source to remove the link between said user id and the product id in the database.

35-37. -37. (canceled)