IDENTIFIER-BASED COUPON DISTRIBUTION

• US 20120209686A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Horowitz, Steven M., Boehle, Jason, Pattan, Bipin
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• 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 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A client device detects a QR code (or NFC tag). The client device decodes the QR code. The client device determines that the data encoded within the QR code includes a URL. Based on the URL, the client device sends a first request to a first server identified by the URL. In response to the first request, the client device receives from the first server data configured to cause the client device to display, to a user of the client device, at least one of: a video or an interactive web page. Responsive to the data encoded in the QR code, the client device sends to a coupon server: identification data associated with a user of the client device, and a request for the coupon server to distribute a digital coupon for an offer associated with an identifier encoded within the QR code to an account associated with the user.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

at a client device, detecting a Quick Response (QR) code;

at the client device, decoding the QR code to identify data encoded within the QR code;

at the client device, determining that the data encoded within the QR code includes a uniform resource locator (URL);

based on the URL, the client device sending a first request to a first server identified by the URL;

in response to the first request, the client device receiving from the first server data configured to cause the client device to display, to a user of the client device, at least one of;

a video or an interactive web page;

responsive to the data encoded in the QR code, the client device sending to a coupon server;

identification data associated with a user of the client device, and a request for the coupon server to distribute a digital coupon for an offer associated with the QR code to an account associated with the user.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the request for the coupon server to distribute the digital coupon includes at least a portion of the URL.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

the client device receiving from the first server confirmation of at least one of;

the user has completed viewing of the video, or the user has completed the interactive web page;

wherein the client device sends the request to the coupon server responsive to the client device receiving the confirmation.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

the client device selecting the offer to request based at least on an identifier encoded within the QR code.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

receiving, at the client device, from the coupon server an indication of which digital coupon was added to the account;

displaying, at the client device, information about the digital coupon to the user.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

configuring a client device to call a coupon management application upon receipt of data that matches predefined criteria;

receiving, at the coupon management application executing on the client device, a call that includes first data that matches the predefined criteria;

receiving, at the coupon management application, from a first server, confirmation data indicating that a user of the client device has participated in a prerequisite activity for obtaining a coupon;

responsive to receiving the confirmation data, the coupon management application sending to a coupon server;

identification data associated with the user of the client device, and a request for the coupon server to distribute a coupon for an offer associated with the first data to the user.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the first data is one of:

at least a portion of the confirmation data, or data that is communicated from the first server in association with the confirmation data.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

responsive to the call, and based on the first data, the coupon management application instructing the client device to send a request to the first server to conduct the prerequisite activity.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the first data is data that was decoded from one of:

a Near Field Communication (NFC) signal, an RFID signal, a QR code, a digital image, or an audio signal.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

the coupon management application selecting the offer to request based at least on one of;

the first data, or the confirmation data.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

the coupon management application including, with the request, data to assist the coupon server in selecting the offer, the data including at least one of;

current location data for the user, or data returned from the first server.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

the coupon management application selecting the offer to request based on at least one of;

current location data for the user, data returned from the first server, historical data indicating other coupons associated with the account, historical data indicating items purchased in transactions involving the user, historical data indicating items added to a shopping list at the client device, or data indicating coupons used by other users in a same location as the user.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

receiving, at the coupon management application, from the coupon server, an indication of a digital coupon that was added to an account associated with the user in response to the request from the coupon management application;

the coupon management application displaying, at the client device, information about the digital coupon to the user.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the first server is the coupon server.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the first data is a uniform resource identifier (URI).

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the predefined criteria include at least one of:

a protocol identifier, or a portion of a uniform resource locator (URL).

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein the identification data is at least one of:

a client identifier, a session identifier, or a user identifier.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:

a client device sending a first request to a first server;

responsive to the first request, the first server returning to the client device at least one of;

an interactive web page, or a video;

the client device sending to a coupon server;

identification data associated with a user of the client device, and a second request for the coupon server to distribute a coupon for an offer associated with a first identifier to the user;

the coupon server identifying a specific offer based on the first identifier;

the coupon server distributing the coupon by performing at least one of;

storing a digital coupon for the specific offer in an account associated with the user;

or sending a message to the user with instructions for generating a print coupon for the specific offer;

the coupon server returning to the client device, for display at the client device, information about the distributed coupon and the specific offer.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18,

wherein the one or more instructions are a URL;

wherein the URL specifies at least the location of the first server and instructions to include in the request to the first server.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

the first server detecting an event, the event being one of;

the user successfully completing the interactive web page, or the user fully watching the video;

responsive to the first server detecting the event, the first server sending confirmation data to the client device;

the client device sending the second request to the coupon server responsive to the confirmation data.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

calling a coupon management application at the client device, wherein the coupon management application is separate from a standard web browser of the client device;

the coupon management application of the client device sending the identification data and the second request to the coupon server.