Process, system and computer readable medium for in-store printing of discount coupons and/or other purchasing incentives in various departments within a retail store

• US 6,282,516 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing International Incorporated (Catalina Marketing Corporation)
• Inventors: Giuliani, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US09/323,538
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/16, 705/18, 705/21
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• 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 30/0224 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A system, process and computer readable medium for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store including an incentive processor including a network controller and a database for storing shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers; a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout the departments of the retail store, each incentive distributor of the plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; and a network, coupling the network controller to network interface devices of the plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between the incentive processor and the plurality of incentive distributors. Each card reader device and each scanner device of the plurality of incentive distributors is configured to detect a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively. The card device and the key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein, and the unique consumer identifier is detected by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of the plurality of incentive distributors and transmitted via a network interface of the respective incentive distributor over the network to the network controller coupled to the incentive processor. The incentive processor is configured to generate the purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from the respective incentive distributor and a location of the respective incentive distributor determined from the unique address thereof.

Claims

1. A system for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, comprising:

an incentive processor including a network controller and a database for storing shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers;

a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; and

a network, coupling said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors;

wherein each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors is configured to detect a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively;

said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein, and said unique consumer identifier is detected by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors and transmitted via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor;

said incentive processor is configured to generate said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof;

the system further comprising;

a point-of-sale processor;

at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device for reading said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein; and

a point-of-sale network coupling said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween;

wherein said point-of-sale processor transmits said shopping histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said network controller comprises a wireless Ethernet network controller, said wireless network comprises a wireless Ethernet network, and each network interface device of said plurality of incentive distributors comprises a wireless Ethernet network interface device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said printing device, network interface device, card reader device and scanner device, of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors, is one of attached to and integral with said respective incentive distributor.

4. A process for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, comprising:

storing in a database shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers via an incentive processor including a network controller;

providing a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device;

coupling via a network said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors;

detecting via each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively;

said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein;

detecting said unique consumer identifier by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors;

transmitting said unique consumer identifier via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor;

generating via said incentive processor said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof;

providing a point-of-sale processor;

reading via at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein;

coupling via a point-of-sale network said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; and

transmitting via said point-of-sale processor, histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein said network controller comprises a wireless Ethernet network controller, said wireless network comprises a wireless Ethernet network, and each network interface device of said plurality of incentive distributors comprises a wireless Ethernet network interface device.

6. The process of claim 4, wherein one of said printing device, network interface device, card reader device and scanner device, of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors, is one of attached to and integral with said respective incentive distributor.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having a computer program embedded in said computer storage medium for causing a computer to distribute purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, said computer program performing the steps of:

storing in a database shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers via an incentive processor including a network controller;

providing a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device;

coupling via a network said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors;

detecting via each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively;

said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein;

detecting said unique consumer identifier by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors;

transmitting said unique consumer identifier via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor;

generating via said incentive processor said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof;

providing a point-of-sale processor;

reading via at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein;

coupling via a point-of-sale network said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; and

transmitting via said point-of-sale processor said shopping histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein said network controller comprises a wireless Ethernet network controller, said wireless network comprises a wireless Ethernet network, and each network interface device of said plurality of incentive distributors comprises a wireless Ethernet network interface device.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein one of said printing device, network interface device, card reader device and scanner device, of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors, is one of attached to and integral with said respective incentive distributor.