Electronic Coupon Distribution System

• US 20100042490A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Boal, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US12/603,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.220
• 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 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• 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 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method of secure electronic couponing is disclosed which includes a main server system, and a client system interconnected by a distributed computer network, such as the Internet. Coupon data and advertising data are encrypted to thereby reduce the likelihood that such data may be misused, such as by unauthorized duplication. In addition, the client system is identified by a user identification that is allocated and associated with user information collected from the user of the client system. The user information is indicative of one or more demographic characteristics of the user without being sufficiently personal to specifically identify the user, thus preserving privacy. An icon is provided which, when flashing, alerts the user to the fact that new coupons are available.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, coupon data indicating a coupon;

receiving, at the computing device, in association with the coupon data, distribution instructions for the coupon;

the computing device receiving input indicating a request to output the coupon;

in response to the input, the computing device determining whether the coupon may be outputted based at least on the distribution instructions;

if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, the computing device causing one of;

a) the coupon being printed based on the coupon data;

or

b) the coupon being redeemed electronically based on the coupon data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if it is determined that the coupon may be not outputted, the computing device refusing to allow printing of the coupon or electronic redemption of the coupon

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution instructions includes data indicating a number of times the coupon may be outputted.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to each of a first two or more requests to output the coupon, the computing device determining that the coupon may be outputted based on the distribution instructions,

in response to each of a second one or more requests to output the coupon, the computing device refusing to allow printing or electronic redemption of the coupon based on the distribution instructions.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the computing device stores data indicating the number of times the coupon has been printed or electronically redeemed, wherein determining whether the coupon may be outputted is further based on the data indicating the number of times the coupon has been printed or electronically redeemed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution instructions include restrictions based on one or more of:

a state in which a user associated with the computing device resides, a zip code in which a user associated with the computing device resides, an expiration date, an item to which the coupon is limited, and a discount amount to which the coupon is limited.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, a) the coupon is printed based on the coupon data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, b) the coupon is redeemed electronically based on the coupon data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution instructions are received in the coupon data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupon data is a data structure comprising at least one or more textual or numeric fields and one or more images, both of which specify information about the coupon.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting first instructions which, when executed by a client, cause the client to request a coupon from a server;

receiving, from the client, the request;

in response to the request, sending coupon data to the client, the coupon data indicating the requested coupon;

further in response to the request, sending, in association with the coupon data, distribution instructions indicating how the coupon is to be distributed;

wherein the first instructions, when executed by the client, further cause the client to determine whether or not to allow a user to output the coupon based on the distribution instructions;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices, wherein the one or more computing devices includes the server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the client, further cause:

if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, the client causing the coupon to be printed based on the coupon data;

if it is determined that the coupon may be not outputted, the client refusing to allow printing of the coupon.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the client, further cause:

if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, the client causing the coupon to be redeemed electronically based on the coupon data;

if it is determined that the coupon may be not outputted, the client refusing to allow electronic redemption of the coupon.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the distribution instructions include data indicating a number of times the coupon may be outputted.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the client, further cause:

in response to each of a first two or more requests by the user to output the coupon, the client determining that the coupon may be outputted based on the distribution instructions;

in response to each of a second one or more requests by the user to output the coupon, the client refusing to allow printing or electronic redemption of the coupon based on the distribution instructions.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the client, further cause the client to store data indicating the number of times the coupon has been printed or electronically redeemed, wherein determining whether the coupon may be outputted is further based on the data indicating the number of times the coupon has been printed or electronically redeemed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the distribution instructions include restrictions based on one or more of:

a state in which a user associated with the client resides, a zip code in which a user associated with the client resides, an expiration date, an item to which the coupon is limited, and a discount amount to which the coupon is limited.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first instructions are instructions for a client-based software application, wherein transmitting the first instructions comprises one of:

transmitting an installer for the software application to the client or transmitting the installer to a host from which it may be downloaded by the client.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the distribution instructions are sent in the coupon data.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the coupon data is a data structure comprising at least one or more textual or numeric fields and one or more images, both of which specify information about the coupon.

21. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:

receiving, at a computing device, coupon data indicating a coupon;

receiving, at the computing device, in association with the coupon data, distribution instructions for the coupon;

the computing device receiving input indicating a request to output the coupon;

in response to the input, the computing device determining whether the coupon may be outputted based at least on the distribution instructions;

if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, the computing device causing one of;

a) the coupon being printed based on the coupon data;

or

b) the coupon being redeemed electronically based on the coupon data.

22. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of, if it is determined that the coupon may be not outputted, the computing device refusing to allow printing of the coupon or electronic redemption of the coupon

23. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein the distribution instructions includes data indicating a number of times the coupon may be outputted.

24. The one or more storage media of claim 23, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause performance of:

in response to each of a first two or more requests to output the coupon, the computing device determining that the coupon may be outputted based on the distribution instructions;

in response to each of a second one or more requests to output the coupon, the computing device refusing to allow printing or electronic redemption of the coupon based on the distribution instructions.

25. The one or more storage media of claim 23, wherein the computing device stores data indicating the number of times the coupon has been printed or electronically redeemed, wherein determining whether the coupon may be outputted is further based on the data indicating the number of times the coupon has been printed or electronically redeemed.

26. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein the distribution instructions include restrictions based on one or more of:

a state in which a user associated with the computing device resides, a zip code in which a user associated with the computing device resides, an expiration date, an item to which the coupon is limited, and a discount amount to which the coupon is limited.

27. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein, if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, a) the coupon is printed based on the coupon data.

28. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein, if it is determined that the coupon may be outputted, b) the coupon is redeemed electronically based on the coupon data.

29. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein the distribution instructions are received in the coupon data.

30. The one or more storage media of claim 21, wherein the coupon data is a data structure comprising at least one or more textual or numeric fields and one or more images, both of which specify information about the coupon.