Kiosk systems and methods for issuing a card storing electronic coupons, after receiving data about a customer

• US 6,243,687 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Softcard Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Softcard Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Powell, Ken R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US09/181,477
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/14, 705/1, 705/30, 705/400, 235/373, 235/383, 235/378, 380/25, 395/200.48, 395/200.57, 395/7, 395/10, 395/16, 395/17, 211/50, 221/1, 221/8, 221/36, 222/1, 700/2
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• 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 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A system for dispensing and redeeming electronic discount coupons in a store. A card-dispensing kiosk collects information from a customer and subsequently issues a “smart card” for storing electronic coupons. 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 product data corresponds to coupons stored on the card, the customer is credited with the value of the corresponding coupon.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of products;

a kiosk including

a holder for concurrently holding a plurality of portable cards each having a random access memory (RAM),

a receiver that receives a first signal characterizing a customer while a first card, from the plurality of portable cards, is in the kiosk,

a mechanism for ejecting the first card from the kiosk, after the receiver receives the first signal, the first card storing a respective second signal, and

a memory that stores an association between the first signal and the second signal;

a checkout area including

a card reader that receives a plurality of third signals from the RAM of the first card, each third signal corresponding to a product,

a product detector that receives a fourth signal corresponding to a product, and

a price determiner that determines a price depending on whether the fourth signal corresponds to one of the received third signals.

2. The kiosk of claim 1 further including a writer that writes one of the third signals into the RAM of the first card.

3. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first signal includes customer identification information.

4. The kiosk of claim 3 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

5. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

6. The kiosk of claim 1 wherein the first signal includes birth date, income, a past buying pattern, location, size of household, children in household, education, or job.

7. A kiosk comprising:

a holder for concurrently holding a plurality of portable cards each having a random access memory (RAM);

a receiver that receives a first signal characterizing a customer while a first card, from the plurality of portable cards, is in the kiosk;

a mechanism for ejecting the first card from the kiosk, after the receiver receives the first signal, the ejected first card storing a respective second signal, and storing third signals each corresponding to a product; and

a memory that stores an association between the first signal and the second signal.

8. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the first signal includes customer identification information.

9. The kiosk of claim 8 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

10. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

11. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the first signal includes birth date, income, a past buying pattern, location, size of household, children in household, education, or job.

12. The kiosk of claim 7 further including a writer that writes one of the third signals into the RAM of the first card.

13. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the kiosk further includes

a writer that writes one of the third signals into the RAM of the first card.

14. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the receiver includes a plurality of buttons.

15. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the receiver includes an interface for receiving the first signal from another card.

16. The kiosk of claim 7 wherein the kiosk further includes a sender that sends the respective second signal to the first card.

17. A kiosk comprising:

a holder for concurrently holding a plurality of portable cards each having a random access memory (RAM);

a receiver that receives a first signal characterizing a customer while a first card, from the plurality of portable cards, is in the kiosk;

an electronic display;

a selector that selects a plurality of products by detecting a selection of locations on the display;

a mechanism for ejecting the first card from the kiosk, after the receiver receives the first signal, the ejected first card storing a respective second signal, and storing third signals corresponding to the selected products; and

a memory that stores an association between the first signal and the third signal.

18. The kiosk of claim 17 herein the first signal includes customer identification information.

19. The kiosk of claim 18 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

20. The kiosk of claim 17 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

21. The kiosk of claim 17 wherein the first signal includes birth date, income, a past buying pattern, location, size of household, children in household, education, or job.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the kiosk further includes a sender that sends the respective second signal to the RAM of the first card.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the receiver includes a plurality of buttons.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the receiver includes an interface for receiving the first signal from another card.

25. In a system including a plurality of products, a kiosk, and a checkout area, a method of operating the system, the method comprising the steps, performed in the kiosk, of

concurrently holding a plurality of cards each having a random access memory (RAM);

receiving a first signal characterizing a customer while a first card, from the plurality of portable cards, is in the kiosk;

ejecting the first card from the kiosk, after the receiving step receives the first signal, the ejected first card storing a respective second signal; and

storing an association between the first signal and the second signal, and the steps, performed in the checkout area, of;

receiving a plurality of third signals from the RAM of the ejected first card, each third signal corresponding to a product;

receiving a fourth signal corresponding to a product; and

determining a price depending on whether the fourth signal corresponds to one of the received third signals.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving customer identification information.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving demographic information.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving demographic information.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving birth date, income, a past buying pattern, location, size of household, children in household, education, or job.

30. The method of claim 25 further including the step, performed in the kiosk, of writing one of the third signals into the RAM of the first card.

31. In a system including a plurality of products, a kiosk, and a checkout area, a method of operating the system, the method comprising the steps, performed in the kiosk, of

concurrently holding a plurality of cards each having a random access memory (RAM);

receiving a first signal characterizing a customer while a first card, from the plurality of portable cards, is in the kiosk;

selecting a plurality of products by detecting a selection of locations on a display;

ejecting the first card from the kiosk, after the receiving step receives the first signal, the ejected first card storing a respective second signal, and storing third signals corresponding to the selected products; and

storing an association between the first signal and the second signal, and the steps, performed in the checkout area, of

receiving the plurality of third signals from the RAM of the ejected first card;

receiving a fourth signal corresponding to a product; and

determining a price depending on whether the fourth signal corresponds to one of the received third signals.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving customer identification information.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving demographic information.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving demographic information.

35. The kiosk of claim 31 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving birth date, income, a past buying pattern, location, size of household, children in household, education, or job.

36. A kiosk comprising:

a holder for holding a plurality of cards each having a random access memory (RAM);

means for receiving a first signal characterizing a customer while a first card, from the plurality of portable cards, is in the kiosk;

means for ejecting the first card in the plurality of cards from the kiosk, after the receiver receives the first signal, the ejected first card storing a respective second signal, and storing a plurality of third signals each corresponding to a product; and

means for storing an association between the first signal and the second signal.

37. The kiosk of claim 36 wherein the first signal includes customer identification information.

38. The kiosk of claim 37 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

39. The kiosk of claim 36 wherein the first signal includes demographic information.

40. The kiosk of claim 36 wherein the first signal includes birth date, income, a past buying pattern, location, size of household, children in household, education, or job.

41. The kiosk of claim 36 further including a sender that sends one of the third signals the first card.