CUSTOMER PRE-SELECTED ELECTRONIC COUPONS

• US 20100010964A1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morea, Dominic, Skowronek, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 9,824,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Embodiments presented herein generally relate to novel systems and methods for managing electronic coupons. In embodiments, the user uploads one or more coupons into a mobile device. While shopping, the mobile device receives communications from one or more NFC sensors/transmitters associated with one or more products in one or more product displays. The mobile device can determine from information in the communication to which product the communication applies. The mobile device can then search for one or more uploaded coupons that apply to the one or more products. In embodiments, the mobile device alerts the user when one or more of the coupons apply.

Claims

1. A method for managing electronic coupons with a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a near field sensor/transmitter, the communication associated with a product display;

determining an identifier associated with the communication;

locating a coupon in a database of the mobile device, the coupon associated with the identifier; and

alerting a user of the mobile device that the database contains the coupon for a product in the product display.

2. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising parsing the communication to extract the identifier.

3. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising scanning one or more coupons in the database for the identifier.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the user interacts with the mobile device;

if the user interacts with the mobile device, receiving a signal from the user interface device associated with the coupon; and

if the user does not interact with the mobile device, ending the alert.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the user interaction includes the user requesting a location of a product related to the coupon.

6. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the user interaction includes the user acknowledging the alert for the coupon.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more coupons from a merchant server; and

storing the one or more coupons in the database of the mobile device.

8. A mobile device comprising:

an NFC component, the NFC component operable to communicate with an NFC sensor, the NFC component operable to receive a communication associated with a product;

a processor in communication with the NFC component, the processor operable to determine a coupon associated with the product, the processor operable to send a signal to alert a user that the coupon is available for the product; and

a user interface in communication with the processor, the user interface operable to receive the signal from the processor, the user interface operable to display an alert associated with the coupon for the user.

9. The mobile device as described in claim 8, further comprising:

a database in communication with the processor, the database operable to store one or more coupons,

wherein the processor operable to determine a product identifier for a product in a product display from the communication, the processor operable to determine one or more coupons in the database associated with the product identifier.

10. The mobile device as described in claim 9, the database comprising:

a product identifier field, wherein the product identifier field operable to allow the processor to associate one or more coupons with one or more products associated with the product identifier;

a coupon information field, wherein the coupon information field operable to provide information to the user interface for display for the user; and

a coupon identifier field, wherein the coupon identifier field operable to allow the processor to associate one or more coupons associated with the coupon identifier with one or more products.

11. The mobile device as described in claim 8, further comprising:

a database, the database comprising;

an identifier field, wherein the identifier field operable to allow the processor to associate one or more coupons with one or more products associated with the identifier;

a product description field, the product description field operable to allow the processor to associate one or more coupons with one or more products associated with the product description; and

a rules field, the rules field operable to allow the processor to determine if the NFC component should respond to the communication.

12. The mobile device as described in claim 8, further comprising:

a database in communication with the processor, the database operable to receive user preferences for one or more products,

wherein the processor is operable to receive information about a product, the processor operable to determine if the product is included in the user preferences, if the product is included in the user preferences, the processor operable to send a signal to the NFC component to receive a coupon from the NFC sensor, the NFC sensor/transmitter operable to receive a coupon associated with the product included in the user preferences, if the product is not part of the user preferences, the processor operable to end the communication with the NFC sensor.

13. The mobile device as described in claim 12, further comprising:

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory operable to store one or more instructions executable by the processor to execute one or more software modules, the instructions comprising;

instructions to execute an NFC application to receive message to an NFC sensor/transmitter application, the NFC sensor/transmitter application providing an identifier for a product in a product display;

instructions to execute a mobile wallet application, the mobile wallet application operable to receive the identifier, the mobile wallet application operable to search a coupon database for the identifier, the mobile wallet application operable to identify a coupon associated with the identifier; and

instructions to execute a user interface application, the user interface application operable to alert the user about the coupon identified by the mobile wallet application.

14. The mobile device as described in claim 12, wherein the mobile wallet application operable to search a user preferences database for the identifier, the mobile wallet application operable to identify a product in the user preferences database, the mobile wallet application operable to request the NFC application to request a coupon associated with the product from the NFC application, NFC application operable to request the coupon, the NFC application operable to receive the coupon.

15. The mobile device as described in claim 8, wherein the NFC component is an RFID device, and wherein the NFC sensor is an RFID sensor.

16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon one or more instructions, executable by a computer system, the instructions causing the computer system to execute a method for managing electronic coupons, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a communication from a near field sensor, the communication associated with a product display;

instructions for parsing the communication to extract a product identifier from the communication;

instructions for determining a product associated with the product identifier;

instructions for retrieving one or more preference rules associated with one or more products;

instructions for determining if one or more of the preference rules applies to the product associated with the product identifier;

if one or more preferences rules do apply, instructions for receiving a coupon associated with the product associated with the product identifier; and

instructions for alerting a user of the mobile device that a coupon is available for the product associated with the product identifier.

17. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein receiving the coupon comprises:

instructions for requesting the coupon from the near field sensor;

instructions for receiving the coupon from the near field sensor; and

instructions for storing the coupon in a database.

18. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein determining if one or more of the preference rules applies comprises:

instructions for searching a preference rules database for the product identifier; and

if the product identifier is found, instructions for reading the preference rule.

19. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the preference rule is a shopping list.

20. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein, in response to the alert, the user accepts the coupon.

21. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 20, wherein, in response to the user accepting the coupon, the user interface displays a location for the product.