METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMBINED TIME AND LOCATION BASED OFFERS
First Claim
1. A method for distributing a time- and location-based offer to a consumer, comprising:
- storing, in a coupon database, a plurality of coupon data entries, wherein each coupon data entry includes data related to a coupon and includes at least a location identification and a time threshold;
storing, in a location database, a plurality of location data entries, wherein each location data entry includes data related to a location and includes at least a location identifier and at least one geographic position;
receiving, by a receiving device, a location notification from a mobile communication device, wherein the location notification includes at least an entry time and a geographic location;
identifying, in the location database, a specific location data entry, wherein one of the at least one geographic position included in the specific location data entry is in proximity to the geographic location;
identifying, in the coupon database, at least one coupon data entry, wherein the location identification of each of the at least one coupon data entry corresponds to the location identifier of the specific location data entry;
calculating an elapsed time based on the amount of time passed since the entry time included in the location notification; and
distributing, to a consumer associated with the mobile communication device, each coupon related to each of the at least one coupon data entry when the elapsed time meets or exceeds the included time threshold,wherein the calculating and distributing steps are performed until the receiving device receives an indication that the mobile communication device is not in proximity of the geographic location.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for distributing a time- and location-based offer to a consumer includes: storing coupons and locations, each location including at least one geographic position; receiving a location from a device at an entry time; identifying a specific location where the included geographic position is in proximity to the location of the device; identifying at least one stored coupon corresponding to the specific location; calculating an elapsed time based on the amount of time passed since the entry time; and distributing, to a consumer and/or the device, the at least one stored coupon when a time threshold for the coupon is met or exceeded by the elapsed time, where the calculating and distributing are performed until the device has left the geographic position. Coupons may also be distributed based on aggregated time at a location or category of locations, or aggregated time of a group of consumers.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method for distributing a time- and location-based offer to a consumer, comprising:
-
storing, in a coupon database, a plurality of coupon data entries, wherein each coupon data entry includes data related to a coupon and includes at least a location identification and a time threshold; storing, in a location database, a plurality of location data entries, wherein each location data entry includes data related to a location and includes at least a location identifier and at least one geographic position; receiving, by a receiving device, a location notification from a mobile communication device, wherein the location notification includes at least an entry time and a geographic location; identifying, in the location database, a specific location data entry, wherein one of the at least one geographic position included in the specific location data entry is in proximity to the geographic location; identifying, in the coupon database, at least one coupon data entry, wherein the location identification of each of the at least one coupon data entry corresponds to the location identifier of the specific location data entry; calculating an elapsed time based on the amount of time passed since the entry time included in the location notification; and distributing, to a consumer associated with the mobile communication device, each coupon related to each of the at least one coupon data entry when the elapsed time meets or exceeds the included time threshold, wherein the calculating and distributing steps are performed until the receiving device receives an indication that the mobile communication device is not in proximity of the geographic location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method for distributing a time- and location-based offer to a consumer, comprising:
-
storing, in a coupon database, a plurality of coupon data entries, wherein each coupon data entry includes data related to a coupon and includes at least a location identification and a time threshold; storing, in a location database, a plurality of location data entries, wherein each location data entry includes data related to a location and includes at least a location identifier and at least one geographic position; receiving, by a receiving device, a location notification from a mobile communication device, wherein the location notification includes at least an entry time and a geographic location; receiving, by the receiving device, an exit notification from the mobile communication device, the exit notification including at least an exit time; calculating, by a processing device, an elapsed time based on the received entry time and exit time; identifying, in the location database, a specific location data entry, wherein one of the at least one geographic position included in the specific location data entry is in proximity to the geographic location; identifying, in the coupon database, at least one coupon data entry, wherein the location identification of each of the at least one coupon data entry corresponds to the location identifier of the specific location and the calculated elapsed time meets or exceeds the time threshold; and distributing, to a consumer associated with the mobile communication device, each coupon related to each of the at least one coupon data entry. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for distributing time- and location-based activity, comprising:
-
storing, in an entity database, a plurality of entity data entries, wherein each entity data entry includes data related to an entity and includes at least a time threshold and an activity identification; storing, in an activity database, a plurality of activity data entries, wherein each activity data entry includes data related to an activity and includes an activity identifier and at least one geographic position; storing, in a consumer database, a plurality of consumer data entries, wherein each consumer data entry includes data related to a consumer and includes at least a consumer identifier, an activity indicator, and an aggregated time; receiving, by a receiving device, an activity notification, wherein the activity notification includes at least a consumer identification, an elapsed time, and a geographic location; identifying, in the activity database, a specific activity data entry, wherein the geographic location corresponds to one of the at least one geographic positions included in the specific activity data entry; identifying, in the consumer database, a specific consumer data entry, wherein the consumer identification corresponds to the consumer identifier included in the specific consumer data entry and wherein the activity identifier of the specific activity data entry corresponds to the activity indicator included in the specific consumer data entry; updating the aggregated time in the specific consumer data entry based on the elapsed time included in the activity notification; identifying, in the entity database, a specific entity data entry, wherein the activity identifier of the specific activity data entry corresponds to the activity identification included in the specific entity data entry and the updated aggregated time meets or exceeds the time threshold included in the specific entity data entry; and transmitting, to the entity related to the specific entity data entry, at least the consumer identifier included in the specific consumer data entry. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. A system for distributing a time- and location-based offer to a consumer, comprising:
-
a coupon database configured to store a plurality of coupon data entries, wherein each coupon data entry includes data related to a coupon and includes at least a location identification and a time threshold; a location database configured to store a plurality of location data entries, wherein each location data entry includes data related to a location and includes at least a location identifier and at least one geographic position; a receiving device configured to receive a location notification from a mobile communication device, wherein the location notification includes at least an entry time and a geographic location; a processing device configured to identify, in the location database, a specific location data entry, wherein one of the at least one geographic position included in the specific location data entry is in proximity to the geographic location, identify, in the coupon database, at least one coupon data entry, wherein the location identification of each of the at least one coupon data entry corresponds to the location identifier of the specific location data entry, and calculate an elapsed time based on the amount of time passed since the entry time included in the location notification; and a transmitting device configured to transmit, to a consumer associated with the mobile communication device, each coupon related to each of the at least one coupon data entry when the elapsed time meets or exceeds the included time threshold, wherein the processing device is configured to perform the calculating and distributing until the receiving device receives an indication that the mobile communication device is not in proximity of the geographic location. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A system for distributing a time- and location-based offer to a consumer, comprising:
-
a coupon database configured to store a plurality of coupon data entries, wherein each coupon data entry includes data related to a coupon and includes at least a location identification and a time threshold; a location database configured to store a plurality of location data entries, wherein each location data entry includes data related to a location and includes at least a location identifier and at least one geographic position; a receiving device configured to receive a location notification from a mobile communication device, wherein the location notification includes at least an entry time and a geographic location, and receive an exit notification from the mobile communication device, the exit notification including at least an exit time; a processing device configured to calculate an elapsed time based on the received entry time and exit time, identify, in the location database, a specific location data entry, wherein one of the at least one geographic position included in the specific location data entry is in proximity to the geographic location, and identify, in the coupon database, at least one coupon data entry, wherein the location identification of each of the at least one coupon data entry corresponds to the location identifier of the specific location data entry and the calculated elapsed time meets or exceeds the time threshold; and a transmitting device configured to transmit, to a consumer associated with the mobile communication device, each coupon related to each of the at least one coupon data entry. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A system for distributing time- and location-based activity, comprising:
-
an entity database configured to store a plurality of entity data entries, wherein each entity data entry includes data related to an entity and includes at least a time threshold and an activity identification; an activity database configured to store a plurality of activity data entries, wherein each activity data entry includes data related to an activity and includes an activity identifier and at least one geographic position; a consumer database configured to store a plurality of consumer data entries, wherein each consumer data entry includes data related to a consumer and includes at least a consumer identifier, an activity indicator, and an aggregated time; a receiving device configured to receive an activity notification, wherein the activity notification includes at least a consumer identification, an elapsed time, and a geographic location; a processing device configured to identify, in the activity database, a specific activity data entry, wherein the geographic location corresponds to one of the at least one geographic positions included in the specific activity data entry, identify, in the consumer database, a specific consumer data entry, wherein the consumer identification corresponds to the consumer identifier included in the specific consumer data entry and wherein the activity identifier of the specific activity data entry corresponds to the activity indicator included in the specific consumer data entry, update the aggregated time in the specific consumer data entry based on the elapsed time included in the activity notification, and identify, in the entity database, a specific entity data entry, wherein the activity identifier of the specific activity data entry corresponds to the activity identification included in the specific entity data entry and the updated aggregated time meets or exceeds the time threshold included in the specific entity data entry; and a transmitting device configured to transmit, to the entity related to the specific entity data entry, at least the consumer identifier included in the specific consumer data entry. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
-
Specification