System and method for distributing coupons through a system of computer networks
DCFirst Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a plurality of portable cards;
a first computer network including a first plurality of computers, each having a respective first network address, the plurality of first computers including a first computer having means for sending a first signal including a first network address, an inter-network address corresponding to a computer on another network, and a signal corresponding to a product;
a second computer network including a second plurality of computers, each having a respective second network address;
means, responsive to the inter-network address from the first signal, for sending a second signal including a second network address and the signal corresponding to the product; and
means, responsive to the signal corresponding to the product from the second signal, for sending a card signal, to a portable card in the plurality of cards; and
means, spatially removed from the previous means, for reading the card signal from the portable card.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for dispensing and redeeming the electronic discount coupons. The system includes a personal computer (PC) having hardware and software for receiving an electronic coupon from the system of computer networks, translating the received coupon into a binary format, and sending the binary-formatted coupon to a card-writing device. The card-writing device writes the coupon data onto a portable customer card ("smart card") approximately the size of a credit card. Subsequently, the customer goes to the store with the card. Upon completion of shopping, the customer redeems the electronic coupons at the checkout area, by inserting the card into the checkout station. During checkout, the customer is credited with the value of a coupon when UPC data from a bar code reader corresponds to a coupon stored on the card.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a plurality of portable cards; a first computer network including a first plurality of computers, each having a respective first network address, the plurality of first computers including a first computer having means for sending a first signal including a first network address, an inter-network address corresponding to a computer on another network, and a signal corresponding to a product; a second computer network including a second plurality of computers, each having a respective second network address; means, responsive to the inter-network address from the first signal, for sending a second signal including a second network address and the signal corresponding to the product; and means, responsive to the signal corresponding to the product from the second signal, for sending a card signal, to a portable card in the plurality of cards; and means, spatially removed from the previous means, for reading the card signal from the portable card.
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2. In a system including a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, a store and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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a first computer; and a second computer, wherein the first computer includes circuitry for sending first signals to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to the second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of network addresses, each of the plurality of network addresses corresponding to a respective computer in a respective computer network, and wherein the second computer includes circuitry for receiving first signals, and wherein the system further includes; a plurality first processors, each located in one of the plurality of homes, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, for sending a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product; and a second processor, in the store, for receiving the card signal from a portable card in the plurality of cards. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a system including a store, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a method comprising:
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sending first signals from a first computer to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of network addresses, each of the plurality of network addresses corresponding to a respective computer in a respective computer network; receiving first signals, and the step, performed in one of the homes, of sending, responsive to a first signal received in the previous step, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, and the step of subsequently, moving the portable card to the store, and the step, performed in the store, of receiving the card signal from the portable card. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. In a system including a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, a store and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating a routing signal in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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a first computer; and a second computer, wherein the first computer includes circuitry for sending first signals to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to the second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of routing signals, each of the plurality of routing signals corresponding to a respective portion of a signal path between the first and second computers, and wherein the second computer includes circuitry for receiving first signals, and wherein the system further includes; a plurality first processors, each located in one of the plurality of homes, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, for sending a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product; and a second processor, in the store, for receiving the card signal from a portable card in the plurality of cards. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a system including a store, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating a routing signal in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a method comprising:
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sending first signals from a first computer to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of routing signals, each of the plurality of routing signals corresponding to a respective portion of a signal path between the first and second computers; receiving first signals, and the step, performed in one of the homes, of sending, responsive to a first signal received in the previous step, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, and the step of subsequently, moving the portable card to the store, and the step, performed in the store, of receiving the card signal from the portable card. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. In a system including a store, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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means for sending first signals from a first computer to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of network addresses, each of the plurality of network addresses corresponding to a respective computer in a respective computer network; means for receiving first signals; means for sending, responsive to a first signal received by the previous means, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, the means for sending being located in one of the homes; and means for receiving the card signal from the portable card in the store. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. In a system including a store, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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means for sending first signals from a first computer to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of routing signals, each of the plurality of routing signals corresponding to a respective portion of a signal path between the first and second computers; means for receiving first signals; means for sending, responsive to a first signal received by the previous means, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, the means for sending being located in one of the homes; and means for receiving the card signal from the portable card in the store. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. In a system including a first computer, a second computer, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, a store with a first receiver that receives signals from the plurality of portable cards, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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circuitry, in the first computer, that sends first signals to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to the second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of network addresses, each of the plurality of network addresses corresponding to a respective computer in a respective computer network, thereby enabling the second computer to receive first signals; and a plurality of home computers, each located in one of the plurality of homes, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, for sending a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. In a system including a store, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a method comprising:
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sending first signals from a first computer to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of network addresses, each of the plurality of network addresses corresponding to a respective computer in a respective computer network, thereby enabling the second computer to receive first signals; and
the step, performed in one of the homes, ofsending, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, and the step of subsequently, moving the portable card to the store, and the step, performed in the store, of receiving the card signal from the portable card. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. In a system including a first computer, a second computer, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, a store with a first receiver that receives signals from the plurality of portable cards, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating a routing signal in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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circuitry, in the first computer, that sends first signals to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to the second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of routing signals, each of the plurality of routing signals corresponding to a respective portion of a signal path between the first and second computers, thereby enabling the second computer to receive first signals; and a plurality of home computers, each located in one of the plurality of homes, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, for sending a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. In a system including a store, a plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating a routing signal in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a method comprising:
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sending, from a first computer, a first signal to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of routing signals, each of the plurality of routing signals corresponding to a respective portion of a signal path between the first and second computers, thereby enabling the second computer to receive first signals; and
the step, performed in one of the homes, ofsending, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, and the step of subsequently, moving the portable card to the store, and the step, performed in the store, of receiving the card signal from the portable card. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. In a system including a plurality of portable cards, a store with a first receiver that receives signals from the plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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means for sending first signals from a first computer to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of network addresses, each of the plurality of network addresses corresponding to a respective computer in a respective computer network, thereby enabling the second computer to receive first signals; and means for sending, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, the means for sending being located in one of the homes. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
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48. In a system including a plurality of portable cards, a store with a first receiver that receives signals from the plurality of portable cards, a plurality of homes, and a routing system for receiving a signal and generating network addresses in response to an inter-network address in the received signal, the routing system including a plurality of wide area communication links, a retail system comprising:
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means for sending first signals from a first computer to the routing system, each first signal including a signal corresponding to a product, and an inter-network address corresponding to a second computer, to cause the routing system to generate a plurality of routing signals, each of the plurality of routing signals corresponding to a respective portion of a signal path between the first and second computers, thereby enabling the second computer to receive first signals; and means for sending, responsive to a first signal received by the second computer, a card signal to a portable card in the plurality of cards, the card signal corresponding to the product, the means for sending being located in one of the homes. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
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Specification