UNLOCKING COUPON OFFERS

• US 20130030895A1
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Eichstaedt, Matthias, Goel, Deepak, Bopardikar, Sunil Keshav
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.22
• 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 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving an indication that a user selected social network data that is displayed, on a client device, concurrently with offer data that indicates a coupon offer; wherein prior to receiving the indication, the user of the client device is incapable of accessing the coupon offer; in response to receiving the indication that the user selected the social network data, allowing the user to access the coupon offer, and causing a message to be sent to each user of a plurality of users that are identified, in a social network, as connected to the user, wherein the message includes data about the coupon offer or a coupon provider that initiated the coupon offer; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication that a user has selected social network data that is displayed, on a client device, concurrently with offer data that indicates a coupon offer;

wherein prior to receiving the indication, the user of the client device is incapable of accessing the coupon offer;

in response to receiving the indication that the user selected the social network data;

allowing the user to access the coupon offer;

causing a message to be sent to each other user of a plurality of other users that are identified, in a social network, as connected to the user, wherein the message includes data about the coupon offer or a coupon provider that initiated the coupon offer;

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer comprises (a) causing a coupon code to be sent to the client device, wherein the coupon code is required to redeem the coupon or (b) allowing the user to cause a coupon that corresponds to the coupon offer to be printed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a user node that is associated with the user to be linked, within the social network, with a coupon node that is associated with the coupon offer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to allowing the user to access the coupon offer:

determining whether a user node that is associated with the user is already linked, within the social network, with a coupon node that is associated with coupon offer;

wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer is performed only in response to determining that the user node is not linked, within the social network, with the coupon node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to allowing the user to access the coupon offer:

identifying inventory data that indicates whether there is sufficient inventory associated with the coupon offer;

wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer is performed only in response to determining, based on the inventory data, that there is sufficient inventory associated with the coupon data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to allowing the user to access the coupon offer:

determining whether the user has accessed the coupon offer more than a particular number of times;

wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer is performed only in response to determining that the user has not accessed the coupon offer more than the particular number of times.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the indication:

receiving, from a first coupon provider that initiated the coupon offer, input that selects a first template of a plurality of message templates, wherein the first message template dictates what type of information will be in the message or how the message will be formatted;

receiving, from the first coupon provider, first content that is to be included in the message;

storing association data that associates the first content with the first message template and the first coupon provider.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein causing the message to be sent comprises:

identifying, based on the association data, the first content and the first message template;

sending, to a social network provider that provides the social network, a link message that includes the first content and that is formatted according to the first message template.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, from a second coupon provider that is different than the first coupon provider, second input that selects a second message template of the plurality of message templates;

receiving, from the second coupon provider, second content that is to be included in a second message;

storing second association data that associates the second content with the second message template and the second coupon provider.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the social network is a first social network that is provided by a first social network provider, the method further comprising:

receiving a second indication that a second user selected second social network data that is displayed, on a second client device, concurrently with the second offer data that indicates a second coupon offer;

wherein the second social network data is associated with a second social network that is different than the first social network and is provided by a second social network provider that is different than the first social network provider;

wherein prior to receiving the second indication, the second user of the second client device is incapable of accessing the second coupon offer;

in response to receiving the second indication;

allowing the second user to access the second coupon offer;

causing a second message to be sent to each user of a second plurality of users that are identified, in the second social network, as connected to the second user, wherein the second message includes data about the second coupon offer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupon offer is a first coupon offer, the coupon provider is a first coupon provider that is different than a second coupon provider, the method further comprising:

receiving a second indication that a second user selected second social network data that is displayed, on a second client device, concurrently with second offer data that indicates a second coupon offer;

wherein a second coupon provider that is different than the first coupon provider initiated the second coupon offer;

wherein prior to receiving the second indication, the second user of the second client device is incapable of accessing the second coupon offer;

in response to receiving the second indication that the second user selected the second social network data;

allowing the second user to access the second coupon offer;

causing a message to be sent to each user of a plurality of users that are identified, in a social network, as connected to the user, wherein the message includes data about the second coupon offer or the second coupon provider.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a indication that a user is willing to be associated, in a social graph that is maintained by a social network provider, with an offer provider in exchange for an offer provided by the offer provider;

wherein prior to receiving the indication, the user is incapable of accessing the offer;

in response to receiving the indication, determining whether a previous indication was received that indicated that the user was willing to be associated with the offer provider;

in response to determining that the previous indication was not received;

allowing the user to access the offer;

causing a message to be sent to each of a plurality of users that are identified, in the social graph, as being connected to the user, wherein the message indicates that the user is associated with the offer provider;

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

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

receiving an indication that a user has selected social network data that is displayed, on a client device, concurrently with offer data that indicates a coupon offer;

wherein prior to receiving the indication, the 3user of the client device is incapable of accessing the coupon offer;

in response to receiving the indication that the user selected the social network data;

allowing the user to access the coupon offer;

causing a message to be sent to each other user of a plurality of other users that are identified, in a social network, as connected to the user, wherein the message includes data about the coupon offer or a coupon provider that initiated the coupon offer;

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

14. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer comprises (a) causing a coupon code to be sent to the client device, wherein the coupon code is required to redeem the coupon or (b) allowing the user to cause a coupon that corresponds to the coupon offer to be printed.

15. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause causing a user node that is associated with the user to be linked, within the social network, with a coupon node that is associated with the coupon offer.

16. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to allowing the user to access the coupon offer:

determining whether a user node that is associated with the user is already linked, within the social network, with a coupon node that is associated with coupon offer;

wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer is performed only in response to determining that the user node is not linked, within the social network, with the coupon node.

17. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to allowing the user to access the coupon offer:

identifying inventory data that indicates whether there is sufficient inventory associated with the coupon offer;

wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer is performed only in response to determining, based on the inventory data, that there is sufficient inventory associated with the coupon data.

18. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to allowing the user to access the coupon offer:

determining whether the user has accessed the coupon offer more than a particular number of times;

wherein allowing the user to access the coupon offer is performed only in response to determining that the user has not accessed the coupon offer more than the particular number of times.

19. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to receiving the indication:

receiving, from a first coupon provider that initiated the coupon offer, input that selects a first template of a plurality of message templates, wherein the first message template dictates what type of information will be in the message or how the message will be formatted;

receiving, from the first coupon provider, first content that is to be included in the message;

storing association data that associates the first content with the first message template and the first coupon provider.

20. The one or more storage media of claim 19, wherein causing the message to be sent comprises:

identifying, based on the association data, the first content and the first message template;

sending, to a social network provider that provides the social network, a link message that includes the first content and that is formatted according to the first message template.

21. The one or more storage media of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

receiving, from a second coupon provider that is different than the first coupon provider, second input that selects a second message template of the plurality of message templates;

receiving, from the second coupon provider, second content that is to be included in a second message;

storing second association data that associates the second content with the second message template and the second coupon provider.

22. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein the social network is a first social network that is provided by a first social network provider, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

receiving a second indication that a second user selected second social network data that is displayed, on a second client device, concurrently with the second offer data that indicates a second coupon offer;

wherein the second social network data is associated with a second social network that is different than the first social network and is provided by a second social network provider that is different than the first social network provider;

wherein prior to receiving the second indication, the second user of the second client device is incapable of accessing the second coupon offer;

in response to receiving the second indication;

allowing the second user to access the second coupon offer;

causing a second message to be sent to each user of a second plurality of users that are identified, in the second social network, as connected to the second user, wherein the second message includes data about the second coupon offer.

23. The one or more storage media of claim 13, wherein the coupon offer is a first coupon offer, the coupon provider is a first coupon provider that is different than a second coupon provider, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

receiving a second indication that a second user selected second social network data that is displayed, on a second client device, concurrently with second offer data that indicates a second coupon offer;

wherein a second coupon provider that is different than the first coupon provider initiated the second coupon offer;

wherein prior to receiving the second indication, the second user of the second client device is incapable of accessing the second coupon offer;

in response to receiving the second indication that the second user selected the second social network data;

allowing the second user to access the second coupon offer;

causing a message to be sent to each user of a plurality of users that are identified, in a social network, as connected to the user, wherein the message includes data about the second coupon offer or the second coupon provider.

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

receiving a indication that a user is willing to be associated, in a social graph that is maintained by a social network provider, with an offer provider in exchange for an offer provided by the offer provider;

wherein prior to receiving the indication, the user is incapable of accessing the offer;

in response to receiving the indication, determining whether a previous indication was received that indicated that the user was willing to be associated with the offer provider;

in response to determining that the previous indication was not received;

allowing the user to access the offer;

causing a message to be sent to each of a plurality of users that are identified, in the social graph, as being connected to the user, wherein the message indicates that the user is associated with the offer provider;

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