Method and apparatus for dispensing discount coupons

• US 5,612,868 A
• Filed: 02/09/1995
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing International Incorporated (Catalina Marketing Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing International Incorporated (Catalina Marketing Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Brien, Michael R., Scroggie, Michael C., Off, George W., Mindrum, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US08/386,205
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/405, 364/404, 235/375
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A system for generating, in a retail store, a printable discount coupon image solely in response to a customer'"'"'s action concerning the purchase of an item. The system includes at least one customer checkout terminal, a store controller, a file for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which a discount coupon image is generated upon the purchase of a triggering product. The system identifies the triggering product in the customer order, associates it with the coupon deal, and automatically generates data defining at least one discount coupon for a product, typically other than the triggering product, based on the details of the coupon deal, which are not communicated to the customer prior to processing the customer order.

Claims

1. A system for generating, in a retail store, data defining a discount coupon, solely in response to a customer'"'"'s action concerning the purchase of an item, the system comprising:

at least one terminal at a customer checkout location, having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order;

an item record file, with which the terminal can communicate, containing price and other information for each product item;

means for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the generation of a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered by a customer'"'"'s action concerning the purchase of a triggering product different from the one for which the coupon is generated;

means for identifying the triggering product in the customer order;

means for associating the triggering product with the coupon deal; and

means for automatically generating data defining at least one discount coupon for a product other than the triggering product, based on the details of the coupon deal and without the intervention or participation of the customer other than his or her action concerning the purchase of the triggering product.

2. For use in a point-of-sale system having at least one customer checkout terminal having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order, a method for generating data defining a discount coupon, comprising the steps of:

storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the generation of data defining a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered by a customer'"'"'s action concerning the purchase of a triggering product different from the one for which the coupon is generated;

identifying the triggering product in the customer order;

associating the triggering product with the coupon deal; and

automatically generating data defining at least one discount coupon for a product other than the triggering product, based on the details of the coupon deal and without the intervention or participation of the customer other than his or her action concerning the purchase of the triggering product.

3. A system for generating data defining a discount coupon in a retail store, solely in response to the purchase of an item, the system, comprising:

at least one terminal at a customer checkout location, each having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order;

a store controller with which the at least one terminal can communicate, the store controller having access to an item record file containing price and other information for each product item;

means for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the generation of data defining a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered by the purchase of a triggering product;

means for identifying the triggering product in the customer order;

means for associating the triggering product with the coupon deal; and

means for automatically generating data defining at least one discount coupon for a product other than the triggering product, based on the details of the coupon deal, which details are not communicated to the customer prior to processing the customer order.

4. A system for generating data defining a discount coupon in a retail store, solely in response to the purchase of one or more items, the system comprising:

at least one terminal at a customer checkout location, having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order;

an item record file, with which the at least one terminal can communicate, containing price and other information for each product item;

means for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the generation of data defining a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered by the purchase of a triggering product;

means for identifying the triggering product in the customer order;

means for associating the triggering product with the coupon deal; and

means for automatically generating data defining at least one discount coupon for a product other than the triggering product, based on the details of the coupon deal, which details are not communicated to the customer prior to processing the customer order.

5. For use in a point-of-sale system having at least one customer checkout terminal having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order, a method for generating data defining a discount coupon, comprising the steps of:

storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the generation of data defining a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered by a customer'"'"'s action concerning the purchase of a triggering product different from the one for which the coupon is generated;

identifying the triggering product in the customer order;

associating the triggering product with the previously stored terms of the coupon deal; and

automatically generating data defining at least one discount coupon for the discountable product, based on the details of the coupon deal, which details are not communicated to the customer prior to processing the customer order.

6. A system for generating data defining an image of a customer document containing at least one discount coupon in response to a customer'"'"'s purchase of an item, the system comprising:

at least one device for input of codes identifying items purchased by a customer;

a file containing price and other information pertaining to items available for purchase;

a storage device for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which generation of data defining a discount coupon will be triggered by the purchase of a triggering item associated with the item for which the coupon data are generated;

means for determining whether an item purchased by the customer is a triggering item and, if so, retrieving the terms of at least one coupon deal triggered by the purchase of the item; and

means for generating data defining a customer document that includes the terms of the at least one coupon deal retrieved by the means for determining.

7. A system as defined in claim 6, wherein:

the customer document consists of a single discount coupon.

8. For use in an automated system for recording product sales to a customer, a method for generating data defining a customer document that includes at least one discount coupon, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a storage device price and other information pertaining to available products;

storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the generation of data defining a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered by the purchase of a triggering product associated with the one for which the coupon data are generated;

inputting codes that identify products purchased by a customer;

identifying each triggering product purchased and associating the triggering product with the at least one coupon deal;

retrieving the terms of the coupon deal; and

automatically generating data defining a document, for the customer, that includes a discount coupon for a product associated with the triggering product, based on the terms of the coupon deal.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein:

the customer document consists of a single discount coupon.

10. A system for automatically generating data defining a customer coupon advising a customer in a store of a product discount, in response to the customer'"'"'s purchase of one or more preselected items, the system comprising:

at least one data input device for inputting to the system manufacturers'"'"' product identifying codes associated with items purchased by a customer;

a store controller with which the data input device can communicate, the store controller having access to a file containing price and other information for items available for purchase;

means for storing the terms of at least one discount deal, wherein generation of data defining the customer coupon will be triggered by the purchase of at least one triggering product;

means for identifying each triggering product purchased by the customer, by the product'"'"'s identifying code;

means for associating the triggering product with the discount deal; and

means for generating data defining the customer coupon automatically, without operator intervention, based on the details of the discount deal and without the intervention or participation of the customer other than in purchasing the triggering product.

11. A system for generating, in a store, data defining a discount coupon, in response to a customer'"'"'s action concerning the purchase of an item, the system comprising:

at least one terminal at a customer checkout location, having means for inputting product codes on purchased items in a customer order;

a store controller with which the at least one terminal can communicate, the store controller having access to a file containing price and other information for available items;

means for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the generation of data defining a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered by the customer'"'"'s action concerning the purchase of a triggering product associated with the product to which the discount coupon applies;

means for associating the triggering product with the coupon deal; and

means for automatically generating data defining at least one discount coupon for a product associated with the triggering product, based on the details of the coupon deal and without the intervention or participation of the customer other than his or her action concerning the purchase of the triggering product.

12. For use in a store point-of-sale system having at least one terminal at a customer checkout location, the terminal including means for reading manufacturers'"'"' source product codes on purchased items in a customer order, and a store controller with which the terminal can communicate, the store controller having access to a file containing price and other information for each available items, a method for automatically generating data defining a customer coupon advising the customer of a product discount, in response to the purchase of one or more preselected items, the method comprising the steps of:

preselecting at least one triggering product, the purchase of which is intended to initiate an automatic discount;

storing the terms of at least one discount deal relating the discount to be automatically applied;

identifying a triggering product in a customer order by the source code of the product;

associating the triggering product with the previously stored terms of the discount deal; and

automatically generating data defining the customer coupon without operator intervention, and without the intervention or participation of the customer other than in purchasing the triggering product.