System and method for analyzing coupon redemption data

• US 6,230,143 B1
• Filed: 11/11/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valassis Communications Incorporated (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Original Assignee: Valassis Communications Incorporated (MX Holdings One LLC)
• Inventors: Simons, Peter J., Ray, William J., Morgan, Glenn S., Bennett, Andrew F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayes, John W.
• Application Number:
  US09/189,548
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14, 705/16, 705/22, 705/26, 705/27, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A system and method for analyzing coupon redemption data, includes a parallel adaptive, self-arborizing network having a database component with a database containing consumer and client information, an extract module program that retrieves information from the database based on a set of user or computer designed criteria, an editor program which formats the information extracted from the database to be generated on a coupon or flyer to create a data template including at least one two dimensional bar code containing consumer and coupon information from the database, and a printing tool for encoding the data template on a coupon page. The system further includes a data recovery system, including at least one scanning device provided at the point of sale terminal adapted to read the two dimensional bar codes on the coupons and a store and forward system that stores the data collected by the scanning device at the point of sale terminal. The data redemption system includes a data accumulator that retrieves redeemed coupon information from the store and forward system in the retail client'"'"'s store, which is transferred to a database analysis component of the parallel adaptive network via an Internet or similar modem communications transfer. The database analysis component of the parallel adaptive network analyzes the consumer and client information from the redeemed coupon data to determine consumer purchasing trends. The database analysis component learns from the analysis of consumer purchasing trends to define a modified set of coupon printing criteria based on the analysis.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing coupon redemption data, the system comprising:

a parallel adaptive self-arborizing network, the parallel adaptive network including a database component having a database containing consumer and client data;

an extract module in communication with the database component, wherein the extract module retrieves the consumer and client data from the database in response to a first set of program objectives;

a zone editor for creating at least one redeemable coupon, wherein the zone editor creates a data template including at least one machine readable code containing both consumer and client data extracted from the database by the extract module;

a data recovery system, the data recovery system including at least one point of sale terminal and a store and forward system, wherein the at least one point of sale terminal scans the at least one machine readable code of the at least one redeemable coupon to retrieve consumer and client data, wherein the store and forward system is in communication with the at least one point of sale terminal to retain the consumer and client data from the at least one redeemable coupon;

a data accumulator in communication with the database component of the parallel adaptive network, wherein the data accumulator receives consumer and client data transmitted by the data recovery system to upload into the database; and

a redemption data analysis component of the database of the parallel adaptive network, wherein the redemption data analysis component of the database conducts an analysis of the consumer and client data retrieved from the store and forward system to determine current consumer purchasing trends and predict future consumer purchasing activity, wherein the redemption data analysis component of the database is capable of continuous learning based on the consumer and client data retrieved from the at least one data recovery system, wherein;

the at least one machine readable code generated by the zone editor is a two-dimensional bar code containing information as to an offer made via the coupon as well as the extracted consumer and client data to be scanned into the data recovery system for transmission into the database component of the parallel adaptive network,

the consumer data extracted from the database to create the two-dimensional bar code comprises at least one of a consumer name, a consumer mailing address and a consumer purchasing trend; and

the information as to the offer, the client and the consumer contained in the two-dimensional bar code makes the coupon unique.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the redemption data analysis component of the consumer and client data comprises components for:

performing a consumer profile routine to review consumer and client data to verify existing consumer and client data in the database;

analyzing the consumer and client data from the at least one redeemable coupon to determine consumer purchasing behaviors over a selected group of consumers;

analyzing the consumer and client data from the at least one redeemable coupon to determine consumer purchasing trends within a defined consumer purchasing level;

performing a dead client routine to remove data for the at least one consumer that did not redeem the at least one redeemable coupon;

generating at least one report to detail the analysis of the consumer and client data;

adapting the data redemption analysis component to learn future consumer purchasing activities based on the results of the at least one report; and

creating a second set of program objectives based on the at least one report to generate at least one second redeemable coupon to be distributed to a consumer for redemption.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the redemption data analysis component of the parallel adaptive network further includes a computer attached to the database component to allow for manual intervention in the redemption data analysis.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the redemption data analysis component of the parallel adaptive network further comprises an output device for generating the at least one transaction report of the consumer and client data from the at least one redeemed coupon.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the zone editor tags a corresponding record to the at least one coupon in the database component of the parallel adaptive network as distributed to the consumer.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an output device for generating the data template on the at least one document to create the at least one redeemable coupon.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the zone editor further comprises a system for creating a distilled page format containing both the consumer and client data in the data template and a coupon template containing a coupon design, wherein the distilled page format is digitally overprinted on the at least one document to create the at least one redeemable coupon.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a component for manually entering demographic information about the at least one consumer at the time of the redemption of the at least one coupon into the at least one point of sale terminal.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the consumer and client data is transmitted directly from the at least one data recovery system to the data accumulator component of the parallel adaptive network, wherein the at least one data recovery system is in communication with the data accumulator on the Internet.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the consumer and client data is transmitted directly from the store and forward system to the data accumulator component of the parallel adaptive network, wherein the store and forward system and the data accumulator communicate by a direct dial modem transfer.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the store and forward system and the data accumulator communicate through a direct Internet connection for real time transfer and analysis of the coupon redemption data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the client data extracted from the database to create the two-dimensional bar code comprises at least one of:

a client name, the type of client business, the client'"'"'s geographic location and at least one product description.

13. A method of distributing a coupon for redemption and analysis of redemption data, comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of consumers for receipt of a redeemable coupon and providing an identification of the selected consumer;

extracting at least one additional item of analyzable information about a trait of the selected consumer from a database of information regarding the plurality of consumers;

extracting data defining a selected coupon offer from a database of coupon offers;

compiling a coupon message comprising the identification of the selected consumer, the at least one additional item of analyzable information, and the data defining the selected coupon offer;

encoding the coupon message into a two-dimensional bar code;

compiling the two-dimensional bar code with other data to form a unique redeemable coupon; and

distributing the unique redeemable coupon to the selected consumer.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein the encoding step forms a two-dimensional bar code comprising:

a substantially centralized finder structure;

a symbol descriptor adjacent to the finder structure; and

a plurality of blocks of data carrying the coupon message.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein the two-dimensional bar code formed in the encoding step comprises an Aztec bar code.

16. A method as in claim 13, wherein the at least one additional item of information about a trait of the selected consumer comprises a name of the selected consumer, a mailing address of the selected consumer or a purchasing trend of the selected consumer.

17. A method as in claim 13, wherein the coupon message further comprises client data comprising a client name, type of client business, client geographic location or a product description.

18. A method as in claim 13, wherein the selecting of the one consumer is based at least in part on prior purchase history of the one consumer.

19. A method of distributing a coupon for redemption, comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of consumers for receipt of a redeemable coupon and providing an identification of the selected consumer;

extracting data defining a selected coupon offer from a database of coupon offers;

compiling a coupon message comprising the identification of the selected consumer and the data defining the selected coupon offer;

encoding the coupon message into a two-dimensional bar code comprising a substantially centralized finder structure and a plurality of blocks of data carrying the coupon message;

compiling the two-dimensional bar code with other data to form the redeemable coupon; and

distributing the redeemable coupon to the selected consumer.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein the two-dimensional bar code formed in the encoding step further comprises a symbol descriptor adjacent to the finder structure and a reference grid for use in location of individual data blocks with respect to the finder structure during subsequent redemption scanning of the two-dimensional bar code.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein the two-dimensional bar code comprises an Aztec bar code.

22. A method as in claim 20, further comprising extracting at least one additional item of information about a trait of the selected consumer from a database of information regarding the plurality of consumers, wherein the compiling step includes the at least one additional item of information in the coupon message.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein the at least one additional item of information comprises a name or a mailing address or a purchasing trend of the selected consumer.

24. A method as in claim 20, further comprising extracting at least one item of information regarding a client from a database of client information, wherein the compiling step includes the at least one item of information regarding the client in the coupon message.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the at least one item of information regarding the client comprises a client name, type of client business, client geographic location or a product description.

26. A method as in claim 20, wherein the selecting of the one consumer is based at least in part on prior purchase history of the one consumer.