Electronic coupon system
First Claim
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1. A data processing system for issuing coupons, comprising:
- a server for generating master coupons at locations attributable to different merchants and for establishing locations attributable to customers for receiving coupons;
a network connection allowing customers to access master coupons at said merchant locations and for the copying of master coupons at locations as customer coupons;
a server for copying the customer coupon as a child coupon for another customer to provide a shared benefit of the customer coupon to the another customer with the child coupon; and
wherein said customer coupons have a benefit which varies in accordance with properties defined by the master coupon; and
the data processing system modifies the benefit of the customer coupon in response to sharing a benefit of the copied customer coupon with the child coupon.
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Abstract
A system for issuing electronic coupons. A master coupon is provided by a service which may be copied by customers and placed into their individual electronic wallets. The coupons may have a variable benefit or value which may be established by a variety of parameters. The parameters include a set time period, certain action by the customer, the purchase of specific items, the purchase of specific dollar values, or external parameters such as the score in a baseball game. The coupons may be transferred or recopied by the customer as desired. The customer may gain additional benefits by recopying the coupons to others.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A data processing system for issuing coupons, comprising:
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a server for generating master coupons at locations attributable to different merchants and for establishing locations attributable to customers for receiving coupons;
a network connection allowing customers to access master coupons at said merchant locations and for the copying of master coupons at locations as customer coupons;
a server for copying the customer coupon as a child coupon for another customer to provide a shared benefit of the customer coupon to the another customer with the child coupon; and
whereinsaid customer coupons have a benefit which varies in accordance with properties defined by the master coupon; and
the data processing system modifies the benefit of the customer coupon in response to sharing a benefit of the copied customer coupon with the child coupon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of issuing electronic coupons comprising:
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making a master coupon available at an accessible electronic site;
accessing said master coupon;
providing a customer coupon for a customer;
establishing a benefit associated with said customer coupon wherein the benefit is based on properties defined by said master coupon;
sharing the benefit of said customer coupon with another customer by copying said customer coupon as a child coupon for said another customer, with said child coupon inheriting the benefit associated with said customer coupon; and
modifying the benefit of said customer coupon in response to the sharing of the benefit of the customer coupon with the child coupon. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A coupon system comprising:
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a data processing system which issues a master coupon, a customer coupon and a child coupon, and wherein;
the master coupon comprises a first indicator describing at least one business at which the master coupon can be redeemed, a second indicator describing a time period during which the master coupon is valid, a third indicator describing at least one additional parameter which effects validity of the master coupon, and a fourth indicator describing a benefit of the master coupon to a redeemer, with the benefit being variable and depending on at least one event occurring after issuance of the master coupon; and
the customer coupon comprises a copy of the master coupon reserved for another customer at a reserved site; and
whereinthe data processing system enables the child coupon to be copied from the customer coupon and to share a benefit between the customer coupon and the child coupon; and
the customer coupon has a benefit which the data processing system modifies by sharing the benefit with the child coupon. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of issuing and redeeming coupons, comprising the steps of:
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making a master coupon available at an electronic site;
copying said master coupon for a customer as a customer coupon in a wireless terminal;
establishing a benefit associated with said customer coupon wherein the benefit is based on properties defined by said master coupon;
sharing the benefit of said customer coupon with another customer by copying said customer coupon as a child coupon for said another customer with the child coupon inheriting the benefit associated with the customer coupon;
modifying the benefit of the customer coupon in response for the benefit sharing with the child coupon;
presenting said wireless terminal at a business for redeeming said customer coupon with the modified benefit; and
connecting said wireless terminal with a point of sale device at said business to redeem said coupon with the modified benefit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification