Method and system for allocating and redeeming incentive credits between a portable device and a base device
First Claim
1. A method for allocating and redeeming incentive credits, said method comprising the steps of:
- coupling a customer-carried, portable storage device to a first base device, said storage device having an incentive credit total stored thereon,conducting an off-line transaction between a customer and a first provider using said first base device to derive a first transaction amount;
deriving an incentive code for said first transaction amount;
processing said incentive code with a customer incentive code stored in said portable storage device and a program incentive code stored in a provider storage device, to derive an incentive rate;
applying said incentive rate to said first transaction amount to derive said incentive credit amount;
incrementing said incentive credit total stored on said storage device by said incentive credit amount to derive a new incentive credit total;
storing said new incentive credit total onto said storage device;
coupling said storage device to a second base device;
conducting a second off-line transaction between the customer and a second provider using said storage device and said second base device to derive a second transaction amount;
applying, by said second base device, at least a portion of said new incentive credit total to said second transaction to reduce said second transaction amount;
subtracting the portion of the new incentive credit total applied from said new incentive credit total to derive a reduced incentive credit total; and
storing said reduced incentive credit total onto said storage device.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A customer incentive system involving a plurality of service or merchandise providers comprises a customer-carried, portable device (74), a provider device (76), and a base device (72). To earn incentive credits, the customer enters into a transaction with one of the providers participating in the incentive system (70). A transaction amount is derived from the transaction and, based on this amount, an incentive credit amount is computed. The base device (72) performs this computation by deriving an incentive code and cross-referencing this incentive code with all customer incentive codes stored on the customer-carried device (74) and incentive program codes stored on the provider device (76) to derive an incentive rate. This incentive rate is applied to the transaction amount to derive the incentive amount. The incentive amount is stored on the customer-carried device (74). To redeem the incentive credits stored on the customer-carried device (74), the customer enters into a second transaction with the same provider or another participating provider. A second transaction amount is derived from this transaction and the customer may choose to redeem some or all of the incentive credits stored on the customer-carried device (74) to lower the transaction amount. When incentive credits are redeemed, they are subtracted from the incentive amount on the customer-carried device (74). By using a customer-carried device (74), transactions may be conducted off-line. Thus, no concurrent communications link with a central authority is needed.
874 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for allocating and redeeming incentive credits, said method comprising the steps of:
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coupling a customer-carried, portable storage device to a first base device, said storage device having an incentive credit total stored thereon, conducting an off-line transaction between a customer and a first provider using said first base device to derive a first transaction amount; deriving an incentive code for said first transaction amount; processing said incentive code with a customer incentive code stored in said portable storage device and a program incentive code stored in a provider storage device, to derive an incentive rate; applying said incentive rate to said first transaction amount to derive said incentive credit amount; incrementing said incentive credit total stored on said storage device by said incentive credit amount to derive a new incentive credit total; storing said new incentive credit total onto said storage device; coupling said storage device to a second base device; conducting a second off-line transaction between the customer and a second provider using said storage device and said second base device to derive a second transaction amount; applying, by said second base device, at least a portion of said new incentive credit total to said second transaction to reduce said second transaction amount; subtracting the portion of the new incentive credit total applied from said new incentive credit total to derive a reduced incentive credit total; and storing said reduced incentive credit total onto said storage device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for allocating and redeeming incentive credits, said method comprising the steps of:
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coupling a customer-carried, portable storage device to a base device, said storage device having an incentive credit total stored thereon representing previously earned incentive credits; conducting an off-line transaction between a customer and a provider using said base device to derive a transaction amount; applying by said base device at least a portion of said incentive credit total to said transaction amount to reduce said transaction amount by a discounted amount; updating said incentive credit total by subtracting the portion of said incentive credit total applied from said incentive credit total; deriving an incentive code for said transaction amount; processing said incentive code with a customer incentive code stored in said portable storage device and an incentive program code stored in a provider storage device to derive an incentive rate; applying said incentive rate to said transaction amount to derive said incentive credit amount updating said incentive credit total by incrementing said incentive credit total by said incentive credit amount; and storing said incentive credit total, as updated, onto said storage device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for allocating and redeeming incentive credits, said system comprising:
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a customer-carried portable device comprising a customer memory having a customer incentive program code stored therein; a first base device for coupling to and operating with said portable device, said first base device comprising a first customer interface, a first base processor coupled to said first interface, and a base memory coupled to said first base processor and having at least one incentive code stored therein, said first base processor conducting a first off-line transaction with a customer via said first interface to derive a first transaction amount; a provider device coupled to said first base device, said provider device comprising a provider memory having at least one incentive program code stored therein, wherein said first base processor computes an incentive credit amount by retrieving said incentive code from said base memory, retrieving said customer incentive code from said customer memory, retrieving said incentive program code from said provider memory, processing said incentive code with said customer incentive code and said incentive program code to derive an incentive rate, and applying said incentive rate to said first transaction amount to derive said incentive credit amount, and wherein said first base sends said incentive credit amount to said portable device for storage within said customer memory; and a second base device for coupling to and operating with said portable device after said portable device is decoupled from said first base device, said second base device comprising a second customer interface and a second base processor coupled to said second interface, said second base processor conducting a second off-line transaction with the customer via said second interface to derive a second transaction amount, said second base processor applying at least a portion of said incentive credit amount stored in said customer memory to said second transaction amount to reduce said second transaction amount by a discounted amount. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for allocating and redeeming incentive credits, said system comprising:
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a customer-carried portable device comprising a customer memory having an incentive credit total stored therein representing incentive credits earned in previous transactions and a customer incentive code stored therein, and a customer processor coupled to said customer memory, said customer processor, in response to receiving an incentive credit redeemed amount, subtracting said redeemed amount from said incentive credit total to update said incentive credit total stored in said customer memory, said customer processor, in response to receiving an incentive credit amount, adding said incentive credit amount to said incentive credit total to update said incentive credit total; a base device operatively coupled to said portable device said base device comprising a customer interface, a base processor coupled to said interface, and a base memory coupled to said base processor and having at least one incentive code stored therein, said base processor conducting an off-line transaction with a customer via said interface to derive a transaction amount, said base processor applying at least a portion of said incentive credit total, referred to as said incentive credit redeemed amount, to said transaction amount to reduce said transaction amount by a discounted amount, said base processor sending said incentive credit redeemed amount to said customer processor for updating said incentive credit total; and a provider device coupled to said base device, said provider device comprising a provider memory having at least one incentive program code stored therein, wherein said base processor computes said incentive credit amount by retrieving said incentive code from said base memory, retrieving said customer incentive code from said customer memory, retrieving said incentive program code from said provider memory, processing said incentive code with said customer incentive code and said incentive program code to derive an incentive rate, and applying said incentive rate to said transaction amount to derive said incentive credit amount, and wherein said incentive credit amount represents incentive credits earned in said off-line transaction, and wherein said base processor sends said incentive credit amount to said customer processor for further updating said incentive credit total. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A base device for operating with a customer-carried portable device to allocate and redeem incentive credits, said portable device comprising a customer memory having an incentive credit total stored therein representing incentive credits earned in previous transactions, and for operating with a provider device, said provider device comprising a provider memory having an incentive code stored therein, said base device comprising:
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portable device interface for coupling to said portable device; provider device interface for coupling to said provider device; customer interface; and a base processor coupled to said portable device interface, said customer interface, and said provider device interface, said base processor conducting an off-line transaction with a customer via said customer interface to derive a transaction amount, said base processor receiving from the customer via said customer interface an indication of a selected portion of said incentive credit total, referred to as the incentive credit redeemed portion, to apply to said transaction amount, said base processor receiving from said provider device via said provider device interface the incentive code, said base processor applying said incentive credit redeemed portion and said incentive code to said transaction amount to reduce said transaction amount by a discounted amount, said base processor sending said incentive credit redeemed portion to said portable device via said portable device interface, said base processor further, computing an incentive credit amount based on said transaction amount and said incentive code, said incentive credit amount representing incentive credits earned in said off-line transaction, said base processor sending said incentive credit amount to said portable device via said portable device interface.
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Specification