PROVIDING, STORING, REDEEMING, AND MANAGING PROMOTIONS

• US 20130132183A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Reuben, Gorti, Sreenivasa, Mullis, Karen
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing, storing, redeeming, and managing promotions. A promotion service can be called to save, manage, or redeem promotions. The promotion service can be called to generate or provide promotions based upon contextual information. The promotion service also can be accessed to save promotions as well as to view or redeem saved promotions. In some implementations, the promotions can be stored in a promotion locker or other data storage device that is accessible to the promotion service. Promotions can be redeemed at a point of sale such as a web site or a physical retailer. In one contemplated embodiment, a user accesses the promotion service via a smart phone, and a bar code or other information associated with the promotion is displayed on the smart phone in response to a user request.

Claims

1. A method for providing a promotion, the method comprising:

receiving, at a promotion service, a request to provide the promotion to a device in communication with the promotion service;

determining, at the promotion service, an identity associated with the request and a context associated with the request;

selecting, at the promotion service, the promotion from a plurality of promotions, the promotion being selected to provide to the device based, at least partially, upon the identity and the context; and

providing the promotion to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a web server operating in communication with the promotion service, and wherein the identity comprises identifying information associated with a user device accessing the web server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the web server hosts a web page accessed by the user device, wherein the context comprises content of the web page, and wherein selecting the promotion comprises selecting the promotion based upon a relevance of the promotion to the content of the web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity comprises determining a user associated with the request, and wherein the context comprises a market and shopping history associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the shopping history comprises a promotion redemption history associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity comprises determining an identity associated the device

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotion comprises a command embedded in the promotion, and wherein the command comprises code for calling the promotion service to store the promotion.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the promotion service, a request to store the promotion, the request being associated with a user account;

determining if the user account associated with the identity is entitled to the promotion; and

storing the promotion in response to determining that the user account is entitled to the promotion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining if the user account is entitled comprises:

determining if the promotion service has previously stored the promotion for the user account;

determining that the user account is entitled to the promotion in response to determining that the promotion service has not previously stored the promotion; and

determining that the user account is not entitled to the promotion in response to determining that the promotion service has previously stored the promotion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the promotion service, a request to access stored promotions;

determining an identity associated with the request to access the stored promotions;

searching a promotion locker account associated with the identity for the stored promotions; and

responding to the request with the stored promotions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the request for promotions comprises receiving a request from a user to view a promotion locker account.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the request for promotions comprises receiving a request from a partner site for promotions associated with a user, and wherein determining the identity comprises receiving information identifying a user, the information being received from the partner site.

13. A method for redeeming a promotion, the method comprising:

storing, at a data storage device in communication with a promotion service, the promotion, the promotion being stored with data identifying a user account;

receiving, at the promotion service, a request to redeem the promotion, the request being received from a user device in communication with the promotion service;

determining, at the promotion service, an identity of a user account associated with the request;

accessing the user account to obtain promotions associated with the user account; and

providing the promotions in response to the request, the promotions comprising the promotion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the identity of the user account comprises:

obtaining information identifying the user device;

reviewing a list of user devices associated with a user account; and

determining that the user device is included in the list associated with the user account.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information identifying the user device comprises mobile subscriber information associated with the user device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the identity of the user account comprises:

receiving information identifying the user account, the information being obtained via a user interface presented at the user device, the user interface comprising a field for entering the information; and

determining, based upon the information, the identity of the user account.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, at a promotion service, a request for the promotion for presentation to the user device;

determining, at the promotion service, a context associated with the request;

selecting, at the promotion service, the promotion from a plurality of promotions, the promotion being selected to provide to the user device based, at least partially, upon the identity and the context;

providing the promotion for presentation to the user device;

receiving a storage request from the user device, the storage request comprising a request to store the promotion in the user account; and

storing the promotion in response to receiving the storage request.

18. A computer storage medium comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer at least to:

receive, from a web server, a request for a promotion for presentation with a web page hosted by the web server;

determine a context associated with the request, the context comprising content of the web page;

select the promotion from a plurality of promotions, the promotion being selected based, at least partially, upon the context;

respond to the request with the promotion, the promotion comprising executable code for requesting storage of the promotion in a user account with information identifying the promotion;

receive a storage request comprising a request to store the promotion in the user account; and

store the promotion in response to receiving the storage request.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining the context comprises determining a user associated with the request, a market within which the user is located, and a shopping history associated with the user, wherein the shopping history comprises a promotion redemption history associated with the user.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer at least to:

receive a request to access stored promotions;

determine an identity associated with the request to access the stored promotions;

search a promotion locker account associated with the identity to identify stored promotions;

respond to the request with the stored promotions.