System for accessing promotion information and for generating redeemable coupons therefrom

• US 6,237,145 B1
• Filed: 08/14/1996
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prio, Inc. (Avantax, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InfoSpace, Inc. (Blucora Incorporated)
• Inventors: Narasimhan, Ashok, David, Bernard, Raman, Vas
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/696,705
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/10, 348/13, 348/460, 348/473, 348/552, 348/2, 348/553, 455/3.1, 455/5.1, 455/5.2, 455/6.2, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 235/381, 235/385, 186/52, 186/55, 186/56, 705/14
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• 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: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18

Abstract

A system for accessing and displaying promotion information and for generating redeemable coupons based on at least one of the accessed promotions stores promotion information records each of which includes an electronic coupon offer and information in connection with a product/service a merchant sells. The system also stores a user profile for a system user which includes user preference information. The stored records are presented according to a hierarchical menu structure. The user navigates menus to select promotion information records for presentation. The user electronically clips the coupon offer of the presented record and the electronic clipped coupon is stored. At the merchant, the electronic clipped coupon is accessed and reviewed, and a paper coupon corresponding to the electronic clipped coupon is selectively generated for redemption by the merchant.

Claims

1. A system for accessing promotion information and for generating redeemable coupons therefrom, the system comprising:

promotion information record storing means for storing a plurality of promotion information records, each promotion information record including an electronic coupon offer in connection with a product/service offered for sale by a merchant and information relating to the product/service being promoted,

user profile storing means for storing a user profile for a system user, the user profile including user preference information based on preferences of the user, the user having a unique system identifier;

presentation means for presenting the stored promotion information records to the system user according to a hierarchical menu structure, the hierarchical menu structure including a main menu and a plurality of hierarchically linked sub-menus, each sub-menu including a plurality of choices, where the user navigates the hierarchical menu structure to select promotion information records for presentation;

repudiation means for allowing the user to selectively prevent the presentation means from presenting predefined types of stored promotion information records to the user;

electronic coupon clipping means for allowing the user to electronically clip the coupon offer of a presented promotion information record, the electronic clipped coupon offer being stored in an electronic clipped coupon database in connection with the user profile for the user; and

paper coupon generating means located at a merchant including means for entering the unique system identifier of the user, means for accessing the electronic clipped coupon offer from the electronic clipped coupon database, means for allowing the user to review the electronic clipped coupon offer, and means for generating for the user a paper coupon corresponding to the electronic clipped coupon offer, the paper coupon being redeemable by the merchant.

2. A method of operating a computer system for accessing and redeeming coupons, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying coupon information on a consumer computer;

enabling the selection on said consumer computer of a specified coupon associated with said coupon information;

transmitting an electronic version of said specified coupon from said consumer computer to a central computer;

electronically invoking said specified coupon at said central computer in response to a transaction at a merchant location;

logging, through a reconciliation provider, a system fee to a merchant in connection with said transaction; and

crediting, through said reconciliation provider, a consumer for an amount associated with said specified coupon in response to said transaction.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising identifying a unique ID card associated with said consumer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising identifying a credit card associated with said consumer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said logging step includes the step of logging said system fee to said merchant when said transaction is reconciled with said credit card.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said crediting step includes the step of crediting said consumer when said transaction is reconciled with said credit card.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising identifying a debit card associated with said consumer.