Retail store efficiently configured to distribute electronic coupons at multiple product locations

• US 6,105,002 A
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sterling Global Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Softcard Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Powell, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/940,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/383, 705/10, 705/14, 705/17, 705/23, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• 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 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A system for creating, dispensing, and redeeming electronic discount coupons in a store. The system includes a "smart card", product stations adjacent to selected products in the store, and a checkout station in the checkout area. To create an electronic coupon, the customer inserts the card into the product station adjacent to an product the customer wishes to purchase, and the product station then writes an electronic coupon onto the card. The customer thus shops throughout the store collecting electronic coupons for products of interest. Upon completion of shopping, the customer redeems the electronic coupons at the checkout area, by inserting the card into the checkout station. During checkout, when UPC data matches data stored on the card, the customer is credited with the value of the corresponding coupon. Periodically, the electronic coupon data is transferred to a remote clearing house.

Claims

1. A method of operating a store and a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store including

a plurality of first areas each including

a shelf,

a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product,

a respective interface supported by the shelf, and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, the interface including a sender for transferring signals to the plurality of cards, and

a checkout area including an electromagnetic detector, spatially removed from the plurality of first areas, the method comprising the steps, performed for each interface, of:

recording a respective first signal in the interface;

causing the respective first signal to correspond to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface;

detecting, in the interface, a card in the plurality of cards, the detecting step being performed after completion of the recording step; and

causing the sender to transfer the recorded first signal whenever the detecting step detects a qualified card in the plurality of cards, and further comprising the steps, performed after the card, in the plurality of cards, is carried to the checkout area, of

receiving, in a computer, signals corresponding to pricing information from the memory of the card, in the plurality of cards, carried to the checkout area;

generating, in the electromagnetic detector, a second signal corresponding to a product;

receiving, in the computer, the second signal; and

determining, in the computer, a price depending on whether the second signal corresponds to one of the received signals corresponding to pricing information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer is located in the card and the method further includes the step of sending the second signal to the card.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the steps of

reading a third signal identifying a person:

generating a fourth signal by processing the first, second, and third signals; and

sending the fourth signal out of the store.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each interface includes a battery for powering the interface and has no external wires connecting the interface to another device, and the step of causing the sender to transfer the recorded first signal is performed while powering the interface from the battery.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the interface in each first area includes an electronic memory and the recording step includes the step of writing the first signal into the electronic memory.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the interface in each first area includes a random access memory and the recording step includes the step of writing the first signal into the random access memory.

7. A store configured to process a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store comprising:

a plurality of first areas each including

a shelf,

a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product,

a respective interface supported by the shelf, and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, the interface including

a storage device that stores a respective first signal, the first signal corresponding to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface,

a detector that detects, at a time when the respective first signal is in the storage device, a qualified card in the plurality of cards,

a sender that sends the stored first signal to the card whenever the detector detects the card;

a checkout area, spatially removed from the plurality of first areas, the checkout area including

a receiver for receiving signals corresponding to pricing information from the memory of the card, in the plurality of cards,

an electromagnetic detector for generating a second signal corresponding to a product,

a receiver for receiving the second signal, and

a price determiner for determining a price depending on whether the second signal corresponds to one of the received signals corresponding to pricing information.

8. The store of claim 7 wherein each the storage device, in each of the plurality of interfaces, includes an electronic memory.

9. The store of claim 7 wherein each the storage device, in each of the plurality of interfaces, includes a random access memory.

10. The store of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of cards further includes a card electrical contact and each of the plurality of interfaces further includes and interface electrical contact and the sender, in each interface, includes a contact for sending a current from the interface electrical contact to the card electrical contact.

11. The store of claim 7 wherein each interface includes a battery for powering the interface and has no external wires connecting the interface to another device.

12. The store of claim 7 further including:

a reader for reading a third signal identifying a person; and

a generator for generating a fourth signal by processing the first, second, and third signals.

13. A method of operating a store and a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store including

a plurality of first areas each including

a shelf,

a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product,

a respective interface supported by the shelf, and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, the interface including a sender for transferring signals to the plurality of cards,

the method comprising the steps, performed for each interface, of:

recording a respective first signal in the interface;

causing the respective first signal to correspond to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface;

detecting, in the interface, a card in the plurality of cards, the detecting step being performed after completion of the recording step; and

causing the sender to transfer the recorded first signal whenever the detecting step detects a qualified card in the plurality of cards.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the interface in each first area includes an electronic memory and the recording step includes the step of writing the first signal into the electronic memory.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the interface in each first area includes a random access memory and the recording step includes the step of writing the first signal into the random access memory.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein each interface includes a battery for powering the interface and has no external wires connecting the interface to another device, and the step of causing the sender to transfer the recorded first signal is performed while powering the interface from the battery.

17. A store configured to process a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store comprising:

a plurality of first areas each including

a shelf,

a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product,

a respective interface supported by the shelf, and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, the interface including

a storage device that stores a respective first signal, the first signal corresponding to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface,

a detector that detects, at a time when the respective first signal is in the storage device, a qualified card in the plurality of cards,

a sender that sends the stored first signal to the card whenever the detector detects the card.

18. The store of claim 17 wherein each the storage device, in each of the plurality of interfaces, includes an electronic memory.

19. The store of claim 17 wherein each the storage device, in each of the plurality of interfaces, includes a random access memory.

20. The store of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of cards further includes a card electrical contact and each of the plurality of interfaces further includes and interface electrical contact and the sender, in each interface, includes a contact for sending a current from the interface electrical contact to the card electrical contact.

21. A system for operating with a store and a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store including

a plurality of first areas each including

a shelf,

a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product,

a checkout area spatially removed from the plurality of first areas, the system comprising:

a plurality of interfaces each supported by the shelf in a respective one of the first areas, and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product in the respective one of the first areas, such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, each interface including

a sender for sending signals to the plurality of cards, and

means for recording a respective first signal,

means for detecting a card in the plurality of cards, after the means for recording has recorded the respective first signal, and

means for causing the sender to send the first signal from the recording means, whenever the detecting means detects a qualified card in the plurality of cards, the first signal corresponding to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface;

means for receiving, in a computer, signals corresponding to pricing information from the memory of the card, in the plurality of cards, carried to the checkout area;

an electromagnetic detector for generating a second signal corresponding to a product;

means for receiving, in the computer, the second signal; and

means for determining, in the computer, a price depending on whether the second signal corresponds to one of the received signals corresponding to pricing information.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the computer is located in the card.

23. The system of claim 21 further including

means for reading a third signal identifying a person;

means for generating a fourth signal by processing the first, second, and third signals; and

means for sending the fourth signal out of the store.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein each interface includes a battery for powering the interface and has no external wires connecting the interface to another device.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for recording includes an electronic memory.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for recording includes a random access memory.

27. A system for operating with a store and a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store including

a plurality of first areas each including

a shelf,

a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product,

a checkout area including an electromagnetic detector, spatially removed from the plurality of first areas, the system comprising:

a plurality of interfaces each supported by the shelf in a respective one of the first areas, and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product in the respective one of the first areas, such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, each interface including

a sender for sending signals to the plurality of cards, and

means for recording a respective first signal,

means for detecting a card in the plurality of cards, after the means for recording has recorded the respective first signal, and

means for causing the sender to send the first signal from the recording means, whenever the detecting means detects a qualified card in the plurality of cards, the first signal corresponding to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the means for recording includes an electronic memory.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the means for recording includes a random access memory.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein each interface includes a battery for powering the interface and has no external wires connecting the interface to another device.