SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL BONUS POINT MANAGEMENT

• US 20140257961A1
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ZIMMERMANN, Klaus, Bordewieck, Aurel
• Granted Patent: US 10,387,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.31
• 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

Abstract

A system for managing an account includes a tag element representing a value, a mobile device adapted to determine the value when being located in proximity of the tag element, and adapted to access a network, and a server adapted to communicate with the mobile device via the network and adapted to access to a database, the database being adapted to store the account, the account being related to the mobile device (102) and to the tag element; wherein the mobile device is further adapted to communicate the determined value to the server, and wherein the server is further adapted to add the communicated value to the account.

Claims

1. A system for managing an account, including

a tag element representing a value,

a mobile device adapted to determine the value when being located in proximity of the tag element, and adapted to access a network, and

a server adapted to communicate with the mobile device via the network and adapted to access a database, the database being adapted to store the account, the account being related to the mobile device and to the tag element;

wherein

the mobile device is further adapted to communicate the determined value to the server, and wherein

the server is further adapted to add the communicated value to the account.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the tag element is a near field communication element, and/or wherein

the value of the tag element is determinable by the mobile device through radio frequency communication within a range of 4 cm or less around the tag element.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the tag element is adapted to represent the value in a passive communication mode by modifying a radio frequency field depending on the value and/or in an active communication mode by providing a further radio frequency field depending on the value.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the database is adapted to store a plurality of accounts related to the mobile device, wherein each of the plurality of accounts is related to a predetermined group of account providers, the predetermined group including at least one account provider, and wherein

the account for storing the value is determined depending on the mobile device and on the tag element.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the database is adapted to store rules for

transferring a value from the account to a further account,

exchanging values between the account and the further account,

buying and/or selling values with respect to the account, and/or

joining the account and the further account, and wherein

the server is adapted to modify the account and/or the further account in accordance with the rules upon a request communicated by the mobile device.

6. The system according to claim 1, further including

a further mobile device;

wherein

the mobile device and the further mobile device are adapted to communicate with each other when being located in mutual proximity,

the mobile device is adapted to transmit first information to the further mobile device, the first information being related to the account and/or to an account provider of the account, and wherein

the mobile device and/or the further mobile device is adapted to send, upon transmission of the information, second information to the account provider and/or to the server, the second information being related to at least one of

the mobile device,

the first information and

a request for storing a further account related to the further mobile device and to the account provider in the database.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile device and/or the server is adapted to determine, based on at least one of

a random or pseudo-random determination process,

a total value of the account,

the value determined by the mobile device,

a setting specifying a preference of an account user, and

a request issued by the mobile device,

whether a rewarding action is to be performed, the rewarding action including displaying, at the mobile device, a message relating to a reward and/or modifying the account in accordance with the reward.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile device is adapted to send, to the server, feedback data relating to an interaction with an account provider of the account, and wherein

the server is adapted to perform, based on the feedback data, a rewarding action.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the tag element further includes an optical, machine-readable representation of the value.

10. A server for use in a system for managing an account, the server including

a network interface adapted to communicate over a network with a mobile device related to the account,

a database access interface adapted to provide access to a database in which the account is stored, and

a processor adapted to receive, from the mobile device and via the network interface, a value represented by a tag element, to generate a request for adding the value to the account, and to transmit the request to the database via the database access interface.

11. A mobile device for use in a system for managing an account, the mobile device including

a tag reader adapted to receive, when being located in proximity of a tag element, a data signal representing a value of the tag element,

a network interface adapted to communicate with a server, and

a processor adapted to determine the value based on the data signal and to communicate the determined value via the communication interface to the server.

12. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein

the tag reader is further adapted to communicate, when being located in proximity of a further mobile device, with the further mobile device.

13. A method for managing an account, including

determining, using a tag reader of a mobile device, a value represented by a tag element located in proximity of the tag reader,

transmitting the determined value from the mobile device to a server, and

adding, in a database accessible by the server, the determined value to the account, the account being related to the mobile device and to the tag element.

14. A computer program including computer-program instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

determining, using a tag reader of a mobile device, a value represented by a tag element located in proximity of the tag reader,

transmitting the determined value from the mobile device to a server, and

adding, in a database accessible by the server, the determined value to the account, the account being related to the mobile device and to the tag element.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including the computer program of claim 14.

16. A system for managing an account, including

a tag element representing a value and including tag identification data identifying a provider of the tag,

a mobile device adapted to determine the value and the tag identification data when being located in proximity of the tag element, and adapted to access a network,

a server adapted to communicate with the mobile device via the network and adapted to access a database in which the account is stored;

wherein

the mobile device is further adapted to communicate to the server the determined value together with the tag identification data and together with device identification data identifying the mobile device, and wherein

the server is further adapted to determine the account based on the tag identification data and on the device identification data and to add the communicated value to the account.