Method and system for accumulating marginal discounts and applying an associated incentive upon achieving one of a plurality of thresholds
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for customer promotion at a retail store comprising:
- sequentially receiving signals indicative of respective bar codes of a plurality of items in a customer order;
accumulating the price of each item;
generating a first signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold;
in response to the first signal, determining a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulating all unapplied marginal discounts, the marginal discounts for application to the customer order;
generating a second signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum; and
in response to the second signal, applying a price reduction to the customer order.
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Abstract
A method for customer promotion includes sequentially receiving signals indicative of respective bar codes of a plurality of items in a customer order. The price of each item is accumulated. A marginal discount associated with each item processed is generated. This marginal discount is generated in response to a signal that indicates the accumulated price exceeds a predetermined threshold. Unapplied marginal discounts are accumulated for application to the customer order. A discount is applied to the customer order in response to a signal that is generated that indicates the accumulated discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for customer promotion at a retail store comprising:
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sequentially receiving signals indicative of respective bar codes of a plurality of items in a customer order;
accumulating the price of each item;
generating a first signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold;
in response to the first signal, determining a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulating all unapplied marginal discounts, the marginal discounts for application to the customer order;
generating a second signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum; and
in response to the second signal, applying a price reduction to the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for customer promotion at the point-of-sale comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; and
a computer program encoded on the computer-readable medium, the computer program operable, when executed on a computer, to sequentially receive signals indicative of the respective prices of a plurality of items in a customer order and accumulate the price of each one of the plurality of items;
determine that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold and in response, generate a first signal;
in response to the first signal, determine a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulate all unapplied marginal discounts; and
determine that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum and in response apply a price reduction to the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computerized system for customer promotion comprising:
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a storage medium;
a processor coupled to the storage medium; and
a computer program encoded on the computer-readable medium, the computer program operable, when executed on the processor to sequentially receive signals indicative of the respective prices of a plurality of items in a customer order and accumulate the price of each one of the plurality of items;
determine that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold and in response, generate a first signal;
in response to the first signal, determine a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulate all unapplied marginal discounts; and
determine that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum and in response apply a price reduction to the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for customer promotion of a retail store comprising:
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sequentially receiving, at a remote computer at a location remote from the retail store on a substantially real-time basis, signals indicative of respective bar codes of a plurality of items in a customer order;
accumulating, by the remote computer, the price of each item;
generating, by the remote computer, a first signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold;
in response to the first signal, determining, by the remote computer, a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulating all unapplied marginal discounts, the marginal discounts for application to the customer order;
generating, by the remote computer, a second signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum; and
in response to the second signal, applying a price reduction to the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for customer of a retail store, the system comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; and
a computer program encoded on the computer-readable medium, the computer program operable, when executed on a computer, to sequentially receive, at a location remote from the retail store on a substantially real-time basis, signals indicative of the respective prices of a plurality of items in a customer order and accumulate the price of each one of the plurality of items;
determine that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold and in response, generate a first signal;
in response to the first signal, determine a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulate all unapplied marginal discounts; and
determine that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum and in response initiate application of a price reduction to the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system comprising a remote computer coupled to a retail store, the remote computer located remote from the retail store, the remote computer comprising:
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a storage medium;
a processor coupled to the storage medium; and
a computer program encoded on the storage medium, the computer program operable, when executed on the processor, to detect at the remote computer substantially real-time sequential signals indicative of the respective prices of a plurality of items in a customer order of the retail store and accumulate the price of each one of the plurality of items;
determine that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold and in response, generate a first signal;
in response to the first signal, determine a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulate all unapplied marginal discounts; and
determine that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum and in response initiate application of a price reduction to the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for customer promotion at a retail store comprising:
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sequentially receiving signals indicative of respective bar codes of a plurality of items in a customer order;
accumulating the price of each one of the plurality of items;
generating a first signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated prices exceeds a predetermined threshold;
in response to the first signal, determining a marginal discount associated with each item processed subsequent to the generation of the first signal and accumulating all unapplied marginal discounts, the marginal discounts for application to the customer order, the value of the marginal discount being dependent on the price of the item and otherwise independent of the identity of the item;
generating a second signal indicating that a sum of the accumulated marginal discounts exceeds a predetermined minimum; and
in response to the second signal, applying a price reduction to the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification