Systems and Methods to Provide a User Interface to Control an Offer Campaign

• US 20190325469A1
• Filed: 07/01/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Mark, Stan, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 10,956,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

In one aspect, a computer implemented method is provided for the provision, on a computing apparatus, of a user interface configured via a portal to permit a merchant to define an offer campaign. The offer has a plurality of milestones required to be met in order to provide a benefit to a user. The computing apparatus may be further configured to associate the offer with a user, detect the progress of the user toward the milestone, and transmit a message to the user regarding the user'"'"'s progress toward the milestone.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

storing, in a data warehouse of a computing apparatus, a set of event records for an offer campaign, the set of event records comprising a first event record and a second event record, wherein;

the computing apparatus comprises;

a processor configured on an electronic payment processing network, the processor coupled with the data warehouse;

a communication portal coupled with the processor and the data warehouse, wherein the communication portal is connected to communicate outside the electronic payment processing network; and

a rule engine configured to be controlled by the set of event records stored in the data warehouse;

each respective record of the event records has a plurality of event data fields, including;

a first field to specify an event type,

at least one second field to specify conditions related to events of the event type, and

a third field to specify an identifier of the respective event record;

the second event record further having;

a fourth field specifying the identifier of the first event record, wherein the rule engine is configured to not detect a second event associated with the second event record before a first event associated with the first event record identified in the fourth field is detected, and

a fifth field specifying a message;

in response to detecting the first event based on the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record, invoking, by the rule engine, a first predefined module corresponding to the event type specified in the first field of the first event record; and

in response to detecting the second event based on the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record and detecting the first event associated with the first event record based on the identifier of the first record specified in the fourth field of the second event record, invoking, by the rule engine, a second predefined module corresponding to the event type specified in the first field of the second event record; and

in response to a determination that the second event record has been processed and at least one of the conditions is satisfied, instructing, by the rule engine in accordance with the second event record and the second predefined module, the communication portal to transmit the message of the fifth field of the second event record to a first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule engine is configured to use predefined modules, including the first predefined module and the second predefined module, in the computing apparatus to control operations of the processor and the communication portal in response to events in the computing apparatus according to event types specified in the event records, the predefined modules corresponding to processing the events of the event types respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the communication portal, a first user interface;

receiving, in the first user interface, first input from a merchant, the first input including the set of event records defining the offer campaign, wherein;

the event type specified in the first field of the second event record is associated with a transaction;

at least one of the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record is associated with at least one transaction attribute; and

the message specified in the fifth field of the second event record is associated with a benefit offered by the merchant.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing, by the communication portal, a second user interface;

receiving, in the second user interface, second input from the merchant, the second input adjusting a scale of the offer campaign to a first scale via identifying the first scale.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second event comprises a transaction in a consumer account of a first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer campaign includes at least one rule to attach an offer of the benefit to a consumer account of the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the communication portal, the message to the first user in real time as the processor processes a transaction associated with the second event.

8. A non-transitory computer-storage medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus to at least perform a method, the method comprising:

storing, in a data warehouse of the computing apparatus, a set of event records for an offer campaign, the set of event records comprising a first event record and a second event record, wherein;

the computing apparatus comprises;

a processor configured on an electronic payment processing network, the processor coupled with the data warehouse;

a communication portal coupled with the processor and the data warehouse, wherein the communication portal is connected to communicate outside the electronic payment processing network; and

a rule engine configured to be controlled by the set of event records stored in the data warehouse;

each respective record of the event records has a plurality of event data fields, including;

a first field to specify an event type,

at least one second field to specify conditions related to events of the event type, and

a third field to specify an identifier of the respective event record;

the second event record further having;

a fourth field specifying the identifier of the first event record, wherein the rule engine is configured to not detect a second event associated with the second event record before a first event associated with the first event record identified in the fourth field is detected, and

a fifth field specifying a message;

in response to detecting the first event based on the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record, invoking, by the rule engine, a first predefined module corresponding to the event type specified in the first field of the first event record; and

in response to detecting the second event based on the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record and detecting the first event associated with the first event record based on the identifier of the first record specified in the fourth field of the second event record, invoking, by the rule engine, a second predefined module corresponding to the event type specified in the first field of the second event record; and

in response to a determination that the second event record has been processed and at least one of the conditions is satisfied, instructing, by the rule engine in accordance with the second event record and the second predefined module, the communication portal to transmit the message of the fifth field of the second event record to a first user.

9. The non-transitory computer-storage medium of claim 8, wherein the rule engine is configured to use predefined modules, including the first predefined module and the second predefined module, in the computing apparatus to control operations of the processor and the communication portal in response to events in the computing apparatus according to event types specified in the event records, the predefined modules corresponding to processing the events of the event types respectively.

10. The non-transitory computer-storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further instruct the computing apparatus to:

provide, by the communication portal, a first user interface;

receive, in the first user interface, first input from a merchant, the first input including the set of event records defining the offer campaign, wherein;

the event type specified in the first field of the second event record is associated with a transaction;

at least one of the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record is associated with at least one transaction attribute; and

the message specified in the fifth field of the second event record is associated with a benefit offered by the merchant;

provide, by the communication portal, a second user interface;

receive, in the second user interface, second input from the merchant, the second input adjusting a scale of the offer campaign to a first scale via identifying the first scale.

11. The non-transitory computer-storage medium of claim 8, wherein the second event comprises a transaction in a consumer account of a first user.

12. The non-transitory computer-storage medium of claim 8, wherein the offer campaign includes at least one rule to attach an offer of the benefit to a consumer account of the first user.

13. The non-transitory computer-storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further instruct the computing apparatus to:

transmit, by the communication portal, the message to the first user in real time as the processor processes a transaction associated with the second event.

14. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured on an electronic payment processing network;

a data warehouse coupled with the processor, the data warehouse storing a set of event records for an offer campaign, the set of event records comprising a first event record and a second event record; and

a communication portal coupled with the processor and the data warehouse, wherein the communication portal is connected to communicate outside the electronic payment processing network; and

a rule engine configured to be controlled by the set of event records stored in the data warehouse, wherein;

each respective record of the event records having a plurality of event data fields, including;

a first field to specify an event type,

at least one second field to specify conditions related to events of the event type, and

a third field to specify an identifier of the respective event record;

the second event record further having;

a fourth field specifying the identifier of the first event record, wherein the rule engine is configured to not detect a second event associated with the second event record before a first event associated with the first event record identified in the fourth field is detected, and

a fifth field specifying a message;

in response to detecting the first event based on the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the first event record, the rule engine is configured to invoke a first predefined module corresponding to the event type specified in the first field of the first event record; and

in response to detecting the second event based on the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record and detecting the first event associated with the first event record based on the identifier of the first record specified in the fourth field of the second event record, the rule engine is configured to invoke a second predefined module corresponding to the event type specified in the first field of the second event record; and

in response to a determination that the second event record has been processed and at least one of the conditions is satisfied, instructing, by the rule engine in accordance with the second event record and the second predefined module, the communication portal to transmit the message of the fifth field of the second event record to a first user.

15. The computing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the rule engine is configured to use predefined modules, including the first predefined module and the second predefined module, in the computing apparatus to control operations of the processor and the communication portal in response to events in the computing apparatus according to event types specified in the event records, the predefined modules corresponding to processing the events of the event types respectively.

16. The computing apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the communication portal is configured to provide a first user interface, and wherein the first user interface is configured to receive first input from a merchant, the first input including the set of event records defining the offer campaign, wherein;

the event type specified in the first field of the second event record is associated with a transaction;

at least one of the conditions specified in the at least one second field of the second event record is associated with at least one transaction attribute; and

the message specified in the fifth field of the second event record is associated with a benefit offered by the merchant.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the communication portal is configured to provide a second user interface, and wherein the second user interface is configured to receive second input from the merchant, the second input adjusting a scale of the offer campaign to a first scale via identifying the first scale.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second event comprises a transaction in a consumer account of a first user.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the offer campaign includes at least one rule to attach an offer of the benefit to a consumer account of the first user.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the communication portal is configured to transmit the message to the first user in real time as the processor processes a transaction associated with the second event.