Method and apparatus for selling subscriptions to periodicals in a retail environment

• US 6,542,874 B1
• Filed: 05/05/1998
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jindal, Sanjay K., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson, Jeffrey D.
• Application Number:
  US09/073,082
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/23, 705/17, 235/375, 235/381
• US Class Current: 705/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

A retail subscription system receives one or more subscription cards indicating that subscriptions to periodicals were sold. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and to codes on the subscription cards, and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution if the codes are determined valid.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a subscription to a periodical from a retail subscription system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a completed subscription card indicating that a subscription to a periodical was sold, the subscription card containing subscription information and a code that indicates a merchant from which the subscription was sold;

comparing the code contained on the subscription card with codes stored in a database;

determining that the code contained on the subscription card is valid if the code contained on the subscription card matches at least one of the codes stored in the database; and

transmitting subscription information from the subscription card to a fulfillment house to initiate the subscription if the code on the subscription card is determined valid.

2. The method according to claim 1,further comprising

storing the subscription information from the subscription card into a database.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subscription information contains data indicating whether the sale of the subscription included distribution of a single issue of the periodical.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an indication of an amount owed to the retail subscription system from the merchant, the amount owed being approximately equal to the cost of subscription.

5. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for initiating a subscription to a periodical from a retail subscription system, the computer usable medium comprising;

a receiving module configured to receive a completed subscription card indicating that a subscription to a periodical was sold, the subscription card containing subscription information and a code that indicates a merchant from which the subscription was sold;

a comparing module configured to compare the code contained on the subscription card with codes stored in a database;

a determining module configured to determine that the code contained on the subscription card is valid if the code contained on the subscription card matches at least one of the codes stored in the database; and

a transmitting module configured to initiate transmission of subscription information from the subscription card to a fulfillment house to initiate the subscription if the code on the subscription card is determined valid.

6. A system for initiating a subscription to a periodical from a retail subscription system, comprising:

means for receiving a completed subscription card indicating that a subscription to a periodical was sold, the subscription card containing subscription information and a code that indicates a merchant from which the subscription was sold;

means for comparing the code contained on the subscription card with codes stored in a database;

means for determining that the code contained on the subscription card is valid if the code contained on the subscription card matches at least one of the codes stored in the database; and

means for transmitting subscription information from the subscription card to a fulfillment house to initiate the subscription if the code on the subscription card is determined valid.

7. A system for initiating a subscription to a periodical from a retail subscription system, comprising:

a receiving component configured to receive a completed subscription card indicating that a subscription to a periodical was sold, the subscription card containing subscription information and a code that indicates a merchant from which the subscription was sold;

a comparing component configured to compare the code contained on the subscription card with codes stored in a database;

a determining component configured to determine that the code contained on the subscription card is valid if the code contained on the subscription card matches at least one of the codes stored in the database; and

a transmitting component configured to transmit subscription information from the subscription card to a fulfillment house to initiate the subscription if the code on the subscription card is determined valid.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a storing component configured to store the subscription information from the subscription card into a database.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the subscription information contains data indicating whether the sale of the subscription included distribution of a single issue of the periodical.