System and method for electronic coupon management

• US 5,903,874 A
• Filed: 06/27/1996
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Leonard, Timothy Mark, Mumford, Gregory Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US08/671,188
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/1, 705/23, 705/16, 379/144, 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• 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 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A system and method for managing and redeeming a promotional coupon for goods and services. The system provides a link between an operator console and a remote database server having one or more coupon files, each of which contains a plurality of coupon records. A customer telephones the operator and discloses an encrypted coupon number from the coupon issued to the customer. The encrypted coupon number is used to access the relevant coupon record in a coupon file on the remote database server. The status of the coupon is transmitted back to the operator console. If the coupon is valid, the operator console provides the goods or services requested by the customer. The operator console subsequently sends a command to the coupon file to change the status of the coupon in the coupon record.

Claims

1. A coupon management system for remotely managing and redeeming a promotional coupon comprising:

an operator console for receiving a telephonic request from a customer to redeem the promotional coupon, wherein said telephonic request includes a unique coupon number that is printed on the promotional coupon; and

a primary database server, comprising;

one or more coupon files, each of said coupon files including one or more coupon records, each of said coupon records comprising a stored coupon number and a stored status code associated with a particular issued coupon;

a message receiver for receiving request and change messages from said operator console and for returning a coupon status to said operator console; and

a coupon status means for retrieving a matched coupon record corresponding to the promotional coupon, wherein said stored status code in said matched coupon record matches said unique coupon number from said telephonic request and for returning to said operator console said coupon status that indicates the promotional coupon is available if said coupon status means determines;

said matched coupon record indicates an available status; and

a current day and time is within a day and time restriction of the promotional coupon.

2. The coupon management system according to claim 1, wherein said operator console is connected to said primary database server via a local area network.

3. The coupon management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a promo file having one or more promotional records, each promotional record representing a type of promotional coupon issued to a customer and including one or more promotional characteristics describing when a promotional coupon is valid;

a promotional record means for requesting from said promo file a promotional record corresponding to the promotional coupon, wherein a type of promotional coupon included in said promotional record equals a type of the promotional coupon, and for retrieving said day and time restriction of the promotional coupon from said promotional record; and

a download handler for receiving promo and coupon tables and loading said promo and coupon tables into said coupon files and said promo file.

4. The coupon management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a secondary database server that is a copy of said primary database server.

5. The coupon management system according to claim 4, comprising:

said primary database server further comprising;

a synchronizer for sending and receiving synchronization information and transaction records to and from said secondary database server; and

said secondary database server further comprising;

a synchronizer for sending and receiving synchronization information and transaction records to and from said primary database server.

6. The coupon management system according to claim 4, wherein said primary database server is connected to said secondary database server via a local area network.

7. A method for remotely redeeming a promotional coupon using a telephone, comprising the steps of:

creating a plurality of coupon files within a database, each of said coupon files comprising a plurality of coupon records, each of said coupon records comprising a stored coupon number and a stored status code associated with a particular issued coupon;

issuing the promotional coupon to a customer, the promotional coupon having a unique coupon number printed thereon, said unique coupon number corresponding to one of said coupon records;

receiving, at an operator console, a telephonic request from a customer to redeem the promotional coupon, said telephonic request including said unique coupon number;

retrieving a matched record from said database, wherein said stored coupon number in said matched record matches said unique coupon in said telephonic request;

reading said stored status code from said matched coupon record;

determining whether a current day and time is within a day and time restriction associated with the promotional coupon, if said stored status code indicates an available status;

returning a coupon status indicating the coupon is available to said operator console, if said current day and time is within said day and time restriction of the promotional coupon.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

changing said stored status code in said matched record to a read lock status, if said current day and time is within said day and time restriction of the promotional coupon; and

changing said stored status code in said matched record to indicate a used condition after said promotional coupon is redeemed by said customer.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining a maximum number of uses for the promotional coupon, said maximum number of uses representing a maximum number of times that the promotional coupon can be redeemed by said customer;

updating a usage counter after said customer uses the promotional coupon, said usage counter representing a number of times that the promotional coupon has been redeemed;

comparing said usage counter to said maximum number of uses;

changing said stored status code of said matched record to indicate a used condition, if said usage counter exceeds said maximum number of uses; and

changing said stored status code of said matched record to indicated an available status, if said usage counter does not exceed said maximum number of uses.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a promo file having one or more promotional records, each promotional record representing a type of promotional coupon issued to a customer and including one or more promotional characteristics describing when a promotional coupon is valid;

requesting from said promo file a promotional record corresponding to the promotional coupon, wherein a type of promotional coupon included in said promotional record equals a type of the promotional coupon; and

retrieving said day and time restriction of the promotional coupon from said promotional record.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a plurality of secondary coupon files as a backup to said plurality of coupon files; and

updating said secondary coupon files each time said coupon files are updated.

12. A coupon management system for remotely managing and redeeming a promotional coupon for goods and services, comprising:

an operator console for receiving a request from a customer to use the promotional coupon including a unique coupon number;

a primary database server located remotely from said operator console, comprising;

one or more coupon files, each coupon file including one or more coupon records, each coupon record corresponding to a promotional coupon issued to a customer and including a unique coupon number for the promotional coupon and a coupon status representing a status of the promotional coupon;

a message receiver for receiving request and change messages from said operator console and for returning a coupon status to said operator console; and

a coupon status means for retrieving from a coupon file a coupon record corresponding to the promotional coupon, wherein a unique coupon number included in said coupon record equals said unique coupon number of the promotional coupon, and for returning to said operator console said coupon status of Available if said coupon status means determines;

said coupon status of said coupon record is Available, and

a current day and time is within a day and time restriction of the promotional coupon;

a promo file having one or more promotional records, each promotional record representing a type of promotional coupon issued to a customer and including one or more promotional characteristics describing when a promotional coupon is valid;

a promotional record means for requesting from said promo file a promotional record corresponding to the promotional coupon, wherein a type of promotional coupon included in said promotional record equals a type of the promotional coupon, and for retrieving said day and time restriction of the promotional coupon from said promotional record; and

a download handler for receiving promo and coupon tables and loading said promo and coupon tables into said coupon files and said promo file.

13. The coupon management system according to claim 12, wherein said operator console is connected to said primary database server via a local area network.

14. The coupon management system according to claim 12, further comprising a secondary database server that is a copy of said primary database server.

15. The coupon management system according to claim 14, wherein said primary database server further comprises:

a synchronizer for sending and receiving synchronization information and transaction records to and from said secondary database server; and

said secondary database server further comprises;

a synchronizer for sending and receiving synchronization information and transaction records to and from said primary database server.

16. The coupon management system according to claim 14, wherein said primary database server is connected to said secondary database server via a local area network.