Method and system for processing car wash vouchers

• US 6,402,030 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DRB Systems LLC (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: DRB Systems LLC (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Summers, Steven E., James, Rondall P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US09/694,695
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/375, 705/413
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/20 for washing or drying articles, e.g. clothes, motor cars
• 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

Abstract

A system and methodology are provided for providing car wash services according to a voucher code. The system obtains the voucher code from a voucher and determines whether the voucher code is expired or has been previously used. Based on the validity determination, car wash services are selectively provided according to desired wash service information obtained from the voucher code, as well as additional or upgraded services desired by a car wash customer at the time the voucher is presented. The system determines the validity of a voucher code by accessing a network or chain management system which maintains a database of voucher code usage information, thus allowing a determination at any site in the network or chain of whether the voucher has expired or has been previously used. The system further provides the capability of obtaining voucher code usage reports from any site in the chain.

Claims

1. A method for processing a car wash voucher code in a multi-site car wash system, comprising:

receiving the voucher code from a user interface;

determining the validity of the voucher code;

selectively providing at least one car wash service according to the validity of the voucher code; and

sending information relating to the voucher code to a network management system having a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises one of a keypad and a barcode reader, and wherein receiving the voucher code from the user interface comprises reading the code from the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the voucher code comprises sale date information and wherein determining the validity of the voucher code comprises:

determining a latency value for the voucher code based on the sale date information;

comparing the latency value for the voucher code with a latency threshold;

selectively expiring the voucher code and refusing car wash services if the latency value for the voucher code is greater than the latency threshold; and

selectively providing at least one car wash service according to the voucher code if the latency value for the voucher code is less than or equal to the latency threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein expiring the voucher code comprises providing an indication to the user interface that the voucher code has expired, and wherein sending information relating to the voucher code to a network management system comprises:

providing an indication in the network management system database that the voucher code has expired if the latency value for the voucher code is greater than the latency threshold; and

providing an indication in the network management system database that the voucher code has been used if the latency value for the voucher code is less than or equal to the latency threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the validity of the voucher code further comprises:

obtaining information from the network management system database related to the voucher code;

determining whether the voucher code has been previously used according to the information from the network management system database related to the voucher code;

selectively invalidating the voucher code and refusing car wash services if the voucher code has been previously used; and

selectively providing at least one car wash service according to the voucher code if the latency value for the voucher code is less than or equal to the latency threshold and the voucher code has not been previously used.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein invalidating the voucher code comprises providing an indication to the user interface that the voucher code has been previously used, and wherein sending information relating to the voucher code to a network management system comprises:

providing an indication in the network management system database that another usage of the voucher code has been attempted if the voucher code has been previously used; and

providing an indication in the network management system database that the voucher code has been used if the latency value for the voucher code is less than or equal to the latency threshold and the voucher code has not been previously used.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining information from the network management system database comprises receiving a message from the network management system via one of E-mail and a continuous connection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a message from the network management system includes a replication packet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the validity of the voucher code comprises:

obtaining information from the network management system database related to the voucher code;

determining whether the voucher code has been previously used according to the information from the network management system database related to the voucher code;

selectively invalidating the voucher code and refusing car wash services if the voucher code has been previously used; and

selectively providing at least one car wash service according to the voucher code if the voucher code has not been previously used.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein invalidating the voucher code comprises providing an indication to the user interface that the voucher code has been previously used, and wherein sending information relating to the voucher code to a network management system comprises:

providing an indication in the network management system database that another usage of the voucher code has been attempted if the voucher code has been previously used; and

providing an indication in the network management system database that the voucher code has been used if the voucher code has not been previously used.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the voucher code further comprises information related to at least one desired car wash service, further comprising:

receiving information from the user interface relating to at least one additional car wash service;

selectively providing the at least one desired car wash service based on the voucher code according to the validity of the voucher code; and

selectively providing the at least one additional car wash service according to the information from the user interface relating to at least one additional car wash service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the voucher code further comprises information related to at least one desired car wash service, wherein selectively providing at least one car wash service comprises providing the information related to the at least one desired car wash service to a car wash control system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sending information relating to the voucher code to a network management system comprises providing an indication in the network management system database that the voucher code has been used.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the voucher code is encrypted, further comprising decrypting the voucher code according to a decryption code.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein sending information relating to the voucher code to the network management system comprises sending a replication packet to the network management system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein sending information relating to the voucher code to the network management system comprises sending a message to the network management system via one of a continuous connection and E-mail using an ISP with store and forward capability.

17. A method of auditing car wash voucher code usage in a car wash system having a database including information relating to voucher code usage, a user interface, and a manager interface, the method comprising:

receiving a database query from the management interface;

obtaining a result set from the database according to the database query; and

selectively providing a report relating to voucher code usage to the management interface according to the result set.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a voucher code from the user interface, wherein the voucher code includes sale date information;

providing an indication in the database that the voucher code has been presented to the system;

determining a latency value for the voucher code according to the sale date information;

selectively providing an indication in the database that the voucher code has expired if the latency value for the voucher code exceeds a latency threshold;

determining whether the voucher code has been previously used; and

selectively providing an indication in the database that another usage of the voucher code has been attempted if the voucher code has been previously used;

whereby a report may be obtained indicating latency, expiration, and validity information associated with at least one voucher code.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the car wash system includes a plurality of car wash sites, wherein each car wash site has a site code associated therewith, and wherein the voucher code includes a sale site code;

further comprising;

obtaining the sale site code from the voucher code;

providing an indication in the database of the sale site code associated with the voucher code;

providing an indication in the database of a site code associated with the site at which the voucher code was presented; and

providing an indication in the database of the date on which the voucher code was presented;

whereby a report may be obtained indicating the sale site code, presentation site code, sale date, and presentation date information associated with at least one voucher code.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the voucher code further comprises information related to at least one desired car wash service, further comprising:

providing an indication in the database of the at least one desired car wash service associated with the voucher code;

whereby a report may be obtained indicating the desired car wash services associated with at least one voucher code.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

selectively providing an indication in the database of at least one additional car wash service provided in association with the at least one voucher code;

whereby a report may be obtained indicating the desired car wash services and any additional car wash services provided in association with at least one voucher code.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the car wash system includes a plurality of car wash sites, wherein each car wash site has a site code associated therewith, and wherein the voucher code includes a sale site code;

further comprising;

obtaining the sale site code from the voucher code;

providing an indication in the database of the sale site code associated with the voucher code;

providing an indication in the database of a site code associated with the site at which the voucher code was presented; and

providing an indication in the database of the date on which the voucher code was presented;

whereby a report may be obtained indicating the sale site code, presentation site code, sale date, and presentation date information associated with at least one voucher code.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the voucher code further comprises information related to at least one desired car wash service, further comprising:

providing an indication in the database of the at least one desired car wash service associated with the voucher code;

whereby a report may be obtained indicating the desired car wash services associated with at least one voucher code.

24. A car wash management system comprising:

a site management server including a communications interface operative to communicate with a network management system;

a user interface adapted to receive a voucher code from one of a customer and an attendant, and operative to send the voucher code to the site management server; and

a car wash control system adapted to receive car wash service information from the site management server and to provide control signals to a car wash;

wherein the site management server is operative to receive the voucher code from the user interface, to determine the validity of the voucher code, to selectively provide car wash service information to the car wash control system according to the validity of the voucher code, and to provide information relating to the voucher code to the network management system.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the voucher code includes sale date information, and wherein the site management server is adapted to determine a latency value for the voucher code based on the sale date information, to selectively refuse car wash services if the latency value is greater than a latency threshold, and to send an indication to the network management system that the voucher has expired.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the site management server is adapted to obtain prior use information associated with the voucher code from the network management system, to selectively refuse car wash services if the voucher code has previously been used, and to send an indication to the network management system that another usage of the voucher code has been attempted.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the user interface includes one of a barcode reader adapted to read the voucher code from a voucher, and a numeric keypad adapted to receive the voucher code from an operator.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the site management server is adapted to obtain prior use information associated with the voucher code from the network management system, to selectively refuse car wash services if the voucher code has previously been used, and to send an indication to the network management system that another usage of the voucher code has been attempted.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the network management system comprises a network management system database, the system further comprising a manager interface operatively connected to the site management server and adapted to obtain information via the site management server from the network management system database relating to a voucher code, and to present the voucher code information to a user, whereby the user may generate a query of the network management database according to voucher related information, and receive a report of voucher related information.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the site management server communications interface is operative to communicate with the network management system via one of WAN based file transfers, E-mail, FTP, and Internet pipes.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the network management system comprises information related to unused voucher codes.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the network management system comprises a network database including information relating to at least one voucher code, wherein the site management server further comprises a local database, and wherein the site management server is further operative to send and receive replication packets from the network management system, whereby the local database comprises the information relating to the at least one voucher code.

33. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a voucher code from a user interface;

determining the validity of the voucher code;

selectively providing at least one car wash service via a car wash control system according to the validity of the voucher code; and

sending information relating to the voucher code to a network management system having a database.