Systems, Methods, and Apparatus for Receiving Promotion Information by a Mobile Device

• US 20100222026A1
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dragt, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.100
• 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 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus receiving promotion information by a mobile device are provided by certain embodiments of the invention. According to one embodiment, an information carrying tone may be received at a mobile device from a tone transmission device, wherein the information carrying tone includes at least one location identifier associated with promotion information. A tone processing application of the mobile device may further provide for processing the information carrying tone to extract at least one location identifier, and to transmit, to an information source, an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone. Also according to various aspects, following transmission of the indication, promotional information can be received by the mobile device for subsequent processing and utilization, such as an activation confirmation or a redeemable promotion.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a promotion at a mobile device, comprising executing computer-executable instructions performed by one or more processors for:

receiving an information carrying tone at a mobile device from a tone transmission device, wherein the information carrying tone comprises at least one location identifier associated with promotion information;

processing, by a tone processing application, the information carrying tone to extract the at least one location identifier; and

transmitting, to an information source, an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional promotion information responsive at least in part to transmitting the indication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of:

an SMS message, an email, an audio message, or a website address.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional information comprises a request for information from an operator associated with the mobile device, and further comprising transmitting a response to the request for information to an information source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request for information is presented to the operator, and further comprising generating the response based at least in part on input received from the operator responsive to the request for information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the response is generated at least in part by the tone processing application based at least in part on data stored in memory of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one of an activation confirmation or a redeemable promotion at the mobile device responsive at least in part to transmitting the indication.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a request for confirmation data input at the mobile device from an operator associated with the mobile device, wherein the confirmation data is based at least in part on the operator perceiving a confirmation message presented to the operator, and wherein the confirmation data indicates that the operator perceived selected content; and

transmitting the confirmation data to an information source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request for confirmation data input is generated at least in part by the tone processing application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the request for confirmation data input is received from an information source responsive at least in part to transmitting the indication.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the confirmation message is presented to the operator by one of:

a television broadcast, a radio broadcast, Internet content, a public announcement system, or an advertisement display, and wherein the confirmation data is entered into the mobile device by the operator via a user interface upon the operator perceiving the confirmation message.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the confirmation data is transmitted to the mobile device by a tone transmission device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected content comprises at least one of:

a television broadcast, a radio broadcast, Internet content, a predefined event, or a predefined activity.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the promotion for redemption in association with a payment transaction conducted by an operator associated with the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting the promotion comprises at least one of:

displaying information associated with the promotion on a display of the mobile device;

transmitting an information carrying tone associated with the promotion to a transaction terminal;

transmitting an information carrying tone associated with an account to the transaction terminal, wherein the promotion has been associated with the account;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with the promotion to the transaction terminal;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with an account to the transaction terminal, wherein the promotion has been associated with the account;

transmitting an information carrying tone associated with the promotion to a kiosk for printing a paper instrument;

transmitting the information carrying tone associated with the account to the kiosk for printing the paper instrument;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with the promotion to the kiosk for printing the paper instrument;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with an account to the kiosk for printing the paper instrument.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying information associated with the promotion on the display of the mobile device further comprises displaying at least one of:

an image of a coupon, displaying a barcode, displaying an access code, displaying an authorization code, or displaying a password.

17. A mobile device for receiving a promotion, comprising:

at least one input device operable to receive an information carrying tone at a mobile device from a tone transmission device, wherein the information carrying tone comprises at least one location identifier associated with promotion information;

at least one network interface operable to receive and transmit data over a network; and

at least one processor operable to execute computer-executable instructions to;

receive the information carrying tone from the tone transmission device;

process the information carrying tone to extract the at least one location identifier; and

transmit, to an information source via the at least one network interface, an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to receive additional promotion information, via the at least one network interface, responsive at least in part to transmitting the indication.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the additional information comprises a request for information from an operator associated with the mobile device, and wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to transmit, to the information source via the at least one network interface, a response to the request for information, wherein the response is based at least in part on at least one of:

input received from the operator, or data stored in memory of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the additional information comprises a request for confirmation data, and wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to transmit the confirmation data, to the information source via the at least one network interface, wherein the confirmation data is based at least in part on at least one of:

input received from the operator, data stored in memory of the mobile device, or data extracted from an information carrying tone transmitted from a tone transmission device.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive at least one of an activation confirmation or a redeemable promotion, via the at least one network interface, responsive at least in part to transmitting the indication; and

store at least one of the activation confirmation or the redeemable promotion in memory of the mobile device.

22. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to display information associated with the promotion for redemption.

23. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the information displayed comprises at least one of:

an image of a coupon, a barcode, an access code, an authorization code, or a password.

24. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to transmit an information carrying tone to a transaction terminal for redemption, wherein the information carrying tone is associated with at least one of:

the promotion, or an account associated with the promotion.

25. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to transmit a radio frequency signal to a transaction terminal for redemption, wherein the radio frequency signal is associated with at least one of:

the promotion, or an account associated with the promotion.

26. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause a paper instrument be printed via a printing device for redemption.

27. A computer program product for processing promotion information, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable code adapted to be executed to:

receive an information carrying tone at a mobile device from a tone transmission device, wherein the information carrying tone comprises at least one location identifier associated with promotion information;

process the information carrying tone to extract the at least one location identifier; and

transmit, to an information source, an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone.