Increase Value of Consumer Coupons

• US 20140278878A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carolina Coupon Clearing Inc
• Original Assignee: Hopster, Inc. (Inmar Investment Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Wiegand, Brian Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 10,032,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

Web page data is generated for rendering coupons, for a currency of value available to a user for increasing a value of the coupons and for one or more activities that can be used to increase the currency of value. When at least one of the activities has been completed by the user, the currency of value is increased by an amount specified by the activity that has been completed. A selection is received of a coupon whose value is to be increased. Additional web page data is generated to including dollar amounts to which the coupon may be increased. When the user selects one of the dollar amounts, a number of the currency of value is determined corresponding to the selected dollar amount. The value of the coupon is increased by the selected dollar amount. The currency of value available to the user are decreased by the number of the currency of value corresponding to the dollar amount.

Claims

1. A method to increase a value of a coupon, the method comprising:

on a first electronic computing device, generating web page data to be rendered on a second electronic computing device, the web page data including information for rendering a plurality of coupons on the second electronic computing device, the web page data also including information for a currency of value available to a user to increase a value of one or more of the plurality of coupons, the web page data also including information for one or more activities that can be used to increase the currency of value available to the user;

when at least one of the activities has been completed by the user, increasing the currency of value available to the user by an amount specified by the activity that has been completed;

receiving a selection of a coupon whose value is to be increased;

generating additional web page data to be rendered on the second electronic computing device, the additional web page data including dollar amounts to which the coupon may be increased;

receiving at the first electronic computing device, an indication that the user has selected one of the dollar amounts to increase the value of the coupon;

determining a number of the currency of value corresponding to the selected dollar amount;

increasing the value of the coupon by the selected dollar amount; and

decreasing the currency of value available to the user by the number of the currency of value corresponding to the dollar amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupons rendered on the first electronic computing device are determined by an identity of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more activities that can be used to increase the available currency of value are determined by an identity of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the points available for the user based on marketing demographics for the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the marketing demographics comprise one or more of an age, sex, purchase history, buying data, social profile and location of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the currency of value available for the user based on redeeming a coupon at a specific retailer location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page data further comprises information to render a graphic that can be used to adjust a value of a coupon.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the graphic displays the points available to the user when the dollar amount is selected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page further comprises information for rendering one or more value quests for a product, each value quest comprising a plurality of activities which, when successfully completed, results in a bonus coupon for the product for the user.

10. A method implemented on an electronic computing device for increasing a value of a coupon, the method comprising:

rendering a user interface on the electronic computing device, the user interface providing a display of a plurality of coupons available to a user, the user interface also providing a display of a plurality of activities that can be used to increase a currency of points that can be used to increase a value of a coupon, the user interface also providing a display of an amount of points available to the user to increase a value of the plurality of coupons;

receiving a selection of a coupon to be increased in value;

after the selection of the coupon is received, rendering a graphic on the user interface for increasing the value of the coupon;

receiving a selection of a dollar amount to which the value of the coupon is to be increased; and

when the selection of the dollar amount is received, rendering a change in the amount of points available to the user, the change in the amount of points corresponding to the dollar amount.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the graphic on the user interface for increasing the value of the coupon includes a display mechanism that displays a plurality of specific dollar amounts for the coupon and also displays the points available to the user after each specific dollar value is selected.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the dollar amount can be incremented by the selection of one area on the user interface and decremented by the selection of another area on the user interface, the dollar amount being incremented or decremented each time the corresponding area on the user interface is selected.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising, after receiving a selection of the coupon, receiving a selection of an area of the coupon designated for increasing the value of the coupon, the graphic on the user interface being rendered after the selection of the area of the coupon designated for increasing the value of the coupon is received.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of activities that can be used to increase the points available to the user include watching a video for a product, signing up for newsletter for a product, liking the product on a social networking website, following the product on a social networking website and redeeming a coupon at a specific retailer location.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of activities that can be used to increase the value of a coupon include sharing the coupon with a friend.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the user interface further provides a display of a specific set of activities for each of a plurality of products that can be used to obtain a bonus coupon for a product when the specific set of activities for the product are completed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface further provides a summary of a status of the specific set of activities for the plurality of products, the summary indicating a value of points available for completing the specific set of activities, the summary also indicating a status of how many activities in each specific set of activities have been completed.

18. A computer-readable data storage memory comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing unit of an electronic computing device, cause the processing unit to:

render a user interface on the client computer, the user interface providing a display of a plurality of coupons available to a user, the user interface also providing a display of a plurality of activities that can be used to increase a currency of points that can be used to increase a value of a coupon, the user interface also providing a display of an amount of points available to the user to increase a value of the plurality of coupons;

receive a selection of a coupon to be increased in value;

after the selection of the coupon is received, render a graphic on the user interface for increasing the value of the coupon;

receive a selection of a dollar amount to which the value of the coupon is to be increased; and

when the selection of the dollar amount is received, render a change in the amount of points available to the user, the change in the amount of points corresponding to the dollar amount.

19. The computer-readable data storage memory of claim 18, wherein the graphic on the user interface for increasing the value of the coupon includes a display mechanism that displays a plurality of specific dollar amounts for the coupon and also displays the points available to the user after each specific dollar amount is selected.

20. The computer-readable data storage memory of claim 18, wherein the user interface further provides a display of a specific set of activities for each of a plurality of products that can be used to obtain a bonus coupon for a product when each of the specific set of activities for the product are completed.