Electronic marketing apparatus and method

• US 5,962,831 A
• Filed: 08/21/1992
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Retail Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Retail Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Byrley, Frank D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US07/933,960
• Time in Patent Office: 2,601 Days
• Field of Search: 235/449, 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 902/27, 364/408
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

An apparatus for processing consumer transactions and recording them on a consumer'"'"'s magnetic stripe card is disclosed, having a magnetic stripe reader, a magnetic stripe encoder, a printer and an account processing station. In one arrangement, a plurality of such apparatus are operatively connected to a master accounting station through an automatic communication system. A method for processing consumer transactions and a method for producing a promotional game are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for processing selected transactions, comprising in combination:

a master accounting station including recording means for recording and updating information with respect to specific accounts;

a plurality of account processing stations;

a plurality of magnetic stripe cards, wherein one or more cards represents an account;

a plurality of magnetic stripe readers capable of reading information encoded on the plurality of magnetic stripe cards, with at least one of the magnetic stripe readers operatively connected to each of the plurality of account processing stations;

a plurality of magnetic stripe encoders capable of encoding information onto the plurality of magnetic stripe cards, with at least one of the magnetic stripe encoders operatively connected to each of the plurality of account processing stations;

wherein each of the plurality of account processing stations receives information from its respective at least one reader and sends processed information to its respective at least one encoder; and

an automatic communication system operable for the automatic transmission of information from the plurality of account processing stations to the master accounting station, wherein an account processing station transmits information read from a magnetic stripe card to the master accounting station if that information meets a first predetermined condition regarding transactions since transaction information was last transferred to the master accounting station, and wherein any transaction is processed entirely off-line from the master accounting station if that information does not meet the first predetermined condition, and the result of the transaction is encoded onto the magnetic stripe card by the associated at least one magnetic stripe encoder.

2. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a tangible medium of expression and a plurality of printers capable of printing human readable messages onto the tangible medium, with at least one of the printers operatively connected to each of the plurality of account processing stations, wherein the account processing station transmits a message to its respective printer for printing of a human readable message onto the tangible medium if information read from the magnetic stripe card meets a second predetermined condition.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the automatic communication system is also operable for the automatic transmission of information from the master accounting station to the plurality of account processing stations and wherein the account processing station transmits a message to its respective printer for printing of a human readable message onto the tangible medium in response to the transmission of certain information from the master accounting station regarding status of a card or account with respect to the receipt of a prize or premium.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the automatic communication system is also operable for the automatic transmission of information from the master accounting station to the plurality of account processing stations and wherein the account processing station sends information to its respective magnetic stripe encoder for encoding onto the magnetic stripe card in response to the transmission of certain information from the master accounting station.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein the magnetic stripe card creates a magnetic field of between 2000 and 3500 oersted.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein the magnetic stripe card creates a magnetic field of between 2600 and 2800 oersted.

7. A method for processing consumer transaction information, comprising in combination the steps of:

storing the information to be processed on a card suitable for storing information regarding a particular consumer and suitable for being easily carried by the consumer;

reading the information from the card;

processing locally the information which has been read from the card;

automatically communicating the information from the card for further processing remotely if the information meets a first predetermined condition regarding transactions since transaction information was last communicated for further processing

processing any transaction requested by the consumer entirely locally if that information does not meet the first predetermined condition; and

storing the processed information onto the card.

8. A method for producing a promotional game based upon information about transactions of a consumer, comprising in combination the steps of:

storing information about previous transactions on a card suitable for storing information regarding a particular consumer and suitable for being easily carried by the consumer;

adding information about each new transaction of the consumer to the information already stored on the card;

reading the original information and the information about any new transactions from the card;

processing locally the original information and the information about any new transactions;

automatically communicating the information from the card for further processing remotely if the information meets a first predetermined condition regarding transactions since transaction information was last communicated for further processing;

processing any transaction requested by the consumer entirely locally if that information does not meet the first predetermined condition; and

indicating to the consumer if the processed information meets a second predetermined condition regarding status of the consumer with respect to the receipt of a prize or premium.

9. A system for processing selected transactions, comprising in combination:

a master accounting station including recording means for recording and updating information with respect to specific accounts;

a plurality of account processing stations;

a plurality of cards suitable for storing information, wherein one or more cards represents an account;

a plurality of readers capable of reading information encoded on the plurality of cards suitable for storing information, with at least one of the readers operatively connected to each of the plurality of account processing stations;

a plurality of encoders capable of encoding information onto the plurality of cards suitable for storing information, with at least one of the encoders operatively connected to each of the plurality of account processing stations;

wherein each of the plurality of account processing stations receives information from its respective at least one reader and sends processed information to its respective at least one encoder; and

an automatic communication system operable for the automatic transmission of information from the plurality of account processing stations to the master accounting station, wherein an account processing station transmits information read from a card suitable for storing information to the master accounting station if that information meets a first predetermined condition regarding transactions since transaction information was last transferred to the master accounting station, and wherein any transaction is processed entirely off-line from the master accounting station if that information does not meet the first predetermined condition, and the result of the transaction is encoded onto the card suitable for storing information by the associated at least one encoder.

10. A system according to claim 9 further comprising a tangible medium of expression and a plurality of printers capable of printing human readable messages onto the tangible medium, with at least one of the printers operatively connected to each of the plurality of account processing stations, wherein the account processing station transmits a message to its respective printer for printing of a human readable message onto the tangible medium if information read from the card suitable for storing information meets a second predetermined condition.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein the automatic communication system is also operable for the automatic transmission of information from the master accounting station to the plurality of account processing stations and wherein the account processing station transmits a message to its respective printer for printing of a human readable message onto the tangible medium in response to the transmission of certain information from the master accounting station regarding status of a card or account with respect to the receipt of a prize or premium.

12. A system according to claim 9 wherein the automatic communication system is also operable for the automatic transmission of information from the master accounting station to the plurality of account processing stations and wherein the account processing station sends information to its respective encoder for encoding onto the card suitable for storing information in response to the transmission of certain information from the master accounting station.

13. A method for processing consumer transaction information, comprising in combination the steps of:

storing the information to be processed regarding a particular consumer on a magnetic stripe card suitable for being easily carried by the consumer;

reading the information from the card;

processing locally the information which has been read from the card;

automatically communicating the information from the card for further processing remotely if the information meets a first predetermined condition regarding transactions since transaction information was last communicated for further processing;

processing any transaction requested by the consumer entirely locally if that information does not meet the first predetermined condition; and

storing the processed information onto the card.

14. A method for producing a promotional game based upon information about transactions of a consumer, comprising in combination the steps of:

storing information about previous transactions regarding a particular consumer on a magnetic stripe card suitable for being easily carried by the consumer,

adding information about each new transaction of the consumer to the information already stored on the card;

reading the original information and the information about any new transactions from the card;

processing locally the original information and the information about any new transactions;

automatically communicating the information from the card for further processing remotely if the information meets a first predetermined condition regarding transactions since transaction information was last communicated for further processing;

processing any transaction requested by the consumer entirely locally if that information does not meet the first predetermined condition; and

indicating to the consumer if the processed information meets a second predetermined condition regarding status of the consumer with respect to the receipt of a prize or premium.