Method and system for creating site specific coupons at a plurality of remote locations which are controlled by a central office

• US 5,909,673 A
• Filed: 01/03/1996
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Southwest eFuel Network LLC (Southwest Environmental Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FFP Financial Services, L.P. (FFP Marketing Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Gregory, Edward M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASSOUAD, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US08/582,491
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 705/45, 705/1, 705/14, 705/15, 705/16, 705/17, 705/18, 705/21, 705/26, 705/30, 705/40, 705/42, 705/43, 705/44
• US Class Current: 705/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/305 using wired telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A central server at a home office is connected to remote processing stations at multiple remote sites such as convenience stores. The remote processing station is used to create and print various financial instruments which include money orders, payroll checks, vendor drafts, and gift certificates. The financial instruments are printed on blank paper using MICR toner in a standard laser printer, thereby eliminating the need for preprinted forms. Transaction logs are maintained and communicated to the central server where records for all locations are maintained. The central server also authorized payroll checks for the employees of the remote locations and sends authorization to the locations where the actual payroll checks are printed. Additionally, the system can be used to create and distribute site specific coupons to remote locations. A general coupon template is loaded onto the central server of the data processing system along with site specific information to be printed on each coupon. A particular remote processing station at a remote site can call in to the central server and download the general coupon template and the site specific information for that particular site. The remote processing station then combines the template with the site specific information and prints the site specific coupon.

Claims

1. A method for printing a site specific coupon at a remote site of a plurality of remote sites using a network comprising a central server at a home office and a processing station at each of the plurality of remote sites operatively connected to the central server, the processing stations including a printer having an internal memory, the method comprising the steps of:

a) loading a general coupon template and at least one site specific information file into the central server;

b) creating a location instruction file on the central server to instruct the processing station at the remote sites to retrieve the general coupon template and the at least one site specific information file designated for use at specific remote sites;

c) accessing the central server by the processing station at one specific remote site, wherein the processing station opens the location instruction file on the central server particular to the specific remote site to identify the general coupon template and the site specific information file for the specific remote site;

d) downloading by the processing station, the general coupon template and the site specific information file identified in the location instruction file to the processing station at the specific remote site;

e) combining the general coupon template and the site specific information file in the processing station to create the site specific coupon; and

f) printing the site specific coupon on blank paper utilizing the printer located at the specific remote site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of combining the general coupon template and the site specific information file further comprises the steps of:

e1) preloading the general coupon template into the internal memory of the printer from the remote processing station; and

e2) sending the site specific information to the internal memory of the printer from the remote processing station at the specific site after a command to print the site specific coupon has been received by the remote processing station therein.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of printing the coupon includes:

printing the coupon on a money order generated by the remote processing station at said specific site when printed by the printer at said specific site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the general coupon template is a complete coupon and the site specific information overwrites information already contained in the general coupon template.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the general coupon template is an incomplete coupon and the site specific information completes the general coupon template to form a complete site specific coupon.

6. A system for creating site specific coupons at a plurality of remote locations which are controlled by a home office comprising:

a) a central server at the home office, the central server storing a general coupon template, the central server also storing a site specific information file and a site instruction file for each of the plurality of remote locations;

b) a processing station at each of the plurality of remote locations connected to the central server by a communications device, the processing station reading the site information file and downloading the general coupon template and site specific information file designated for that remote location; and

c) a printer at each of the plurality of remote locations connected to the processing station and able to print the site specific coupons formed by the general coupon template and the site specific information file.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the general coupon template includes artwork, logos and general information, and wherein the site specific information file includes a discount amount, valid dates and times, and redemption locations.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the general coupon template is a complete coupon and the site specific information file overwrites information in the general coupon template to create the site specific coupon.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the general coupon template is a incomplete coupon and the site specific information file fills in information in the general coupon template to create the site specific coupon.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the site specific coupon is printed and distributed as part of a money order.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the printer prints the site specific coupon on blank paper.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein the system also includes means for creating payroll checks, money orders and vendor drafts for each of the plurality of remote locations.