System and method for inverted promotions

• US 7,225,143 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DS-IQ Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Concept Shopping, Inc. (DS-IQ Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kepecs, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US09/558,945
• Time in Patent Office: 2,589 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method of extending promotional discounts and special prices on items for sale to identified consumers. After the identification of a consumer by a unique identifier; a selected item is promoted with a discount or special price to the identified consumer. The discount or special price is granted upon a purchase of the item by the identified consumer prior to the withdrawal or termination of the promotion to the identified consumer. The withdrawal or termination of the promotion is held in abeyance upon an acknowledgment of the promotion by the identified consumer. In other words, the identified consumer must take specific action to prevent a promotional discount from being withdrawn. This inverted promotion provides for greater incentives for the consumer to provide information about his or her purchasing habits.

Claims

1. A method of extending promotional discounts on items for sale to consumers performed by at least one computer network system, comprising:

identifying, using the at least one computer network system, a consumer by a unique identifier;

promoting a first selected item with a discount or special price to said identified consumer, wherein the discount or special price is granted upon purchase of said first selected item by said identified consumer within a predetermined time period;

determining, using the at least one computer network system, whether said identified consumer has made an acknowledgement of said promoting within the predetermined time period, said acknowledgement not including an attempt by said identified consumer to purchase said first selected item; and

prolonging, using the at least one computer network system, the promoting beyond the predetermined time period upon determining that said identified consumer has made the acknowledgement of said promoting within the predetermined time period.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said discount or special price comprises a free sample.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said discount or special price comprises a reduction in price for a plurality of items.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said discount or special prices comprises points that can be accumulated and redeemed for related or unrelated items or cash in the future.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said promoting comprises sending mail to said identified consumer and wherein said predetermined time period commences when said direct mail is to reach said identified consumer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said promoting comprises posting a notice of said discount or special price for said first selected item on a kiosk at a location selling said item;

and said determining comprises determining if a visit to said kiosk within the predetermined time period by said identified consumer has been recorded.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising passing a store loyalty card associated said unique identifier of said identified consumer through a reader at said kiosk to initiate recording of said visit to said kiosk.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein in response to passing said card loyalty card through said reader, said kiosk generates a printed list of discounts or special prices to said identified consumer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said promoting comprises posting a notice of said discount or special price for said first selected item via a computer network accessible at a location selling said first selected item;

and said determining comprises determining if said first selected item has been scanned within the predetermined time period at said location by a scanning device, wherein said scanning device displays said discount or special price of said first selected item.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said promoting comprises posting a notice of said discount or special price for said first selected item via a computer network accessible at a location selling said first selected item;

and said determining comprises determining if said identified consumer has walked past an audio device at said location with a store loyalty card, wherein said audio device voices said discount or special price of said first selected item.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifying comprises identifying said consumer with a limited direct identification.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said identifying comprises identifying said consumer with a store loyalty card.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said discount or special price comprises a free sample.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said discount or special price comprises a reduction in price for a plurality of items.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said discount or special prices comprises points that can be accumulated and redeemed for related or unrelated items or cash in the future.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said promoting comprises sending mail to said identified consumer and wherein said predetermined time period commences when said direct mail is to reach said identified consumer.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said promoting comprises posting a notice of said discount for said first selected item on a kiosk at a location selling said first selected item;

and said determining comprises determining if a visit to said kiosk within the predetermined time period by said identified consumer has been recorded.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said promoting comprises posting a notice of said discount or special price for said first selected item via a computer network accessible at a location selling said first selected item.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing an audio device at said location selling said first selected item, wherein said audio device voices said notice of said discount or special price of said first selected item when said identified consumer walks past said audio device at said location with a store loyalty card.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein purchase of said first selected item by said identified consumer is by credit or debit card.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising promoting a second selected item with a discount or special price to said identified consumer, wherein the discount or special price for the second selected item is granted upon purchase of said second selected item by said identified consumer.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said promoting of said second selected item is performed upon said acknowledgment of said promoting of said first selected item by said identified consumer.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said identifying comprises identifying said consumer with a limited direct identification and wherein the discount or special price of said second selected item is granted upon purchase of said second selected item by said consumer using full direct identification of said consumer.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said identifying comprises identifying said consumer with a limited direct identification and wherein the discount or special price of said second selected item is granted upon purchase of said second selected item by said consumer using only limited direct identification of said consumer.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said identifying comprises identifying said consumer with a full direct identification and wherein the discount or special price of said second selected item is granted upon purchase of said second selected item by said consumer using full direct identification of said consumer.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said identifying comprises identifying said consumer with a full direct identification and wherein the discount or special price of said second selected item is granted upon purchase of said second selected item by said consumer using only limited direct identification of said consumer.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said first selected item is associated with a plurality of discounts or special prices including said discount or special price that is granted upon purchase of said first selected item by said identified consumer.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said plurality of said discounts or special prices is used to ensure said identified consumer does not receive a discount or special price that said identified consumer is not entitled to receive.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said plurality of discounts or special prices is used to facilitate customer service by issuing the best possible promotion given to any customer on a specific item when a system implementing claim 1 is not functioning.

30. The method of claim 1 further comprising organizing said promoting according to a logical layout pattern.

31. The method of claim 1 further comprising withholding said promoting from consumers who have not received or acted upon notifications of past promotions.

32. The method of claim 1 further comprising promoting said first selected item with said discount or special price to a plurality of consumers.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising promoting said first selected item with said discount or special price to said plurality of consumers based on limited direct identification.

34. The method of claim 1 whereby said promoting further comprises accompanying said discount or special price with additional factual information other than discounts or prices.

35. The method of claim 1 whereby said promoting is accomplished by selecting one or more notification mechanisms based on the cost of said notification mechanisms and the customer'"'"'s history of interacting with different notification mechanisms.

38. The method of claim 18 further comprising scanning said first selected item at said location by a scanning device, wherein said scanning device displays said discount or special price of said first selected item.

36. A method of extending promotional discounts on items for sale to consumers, comprising:

identifying a consumer by a unique identifier;

promoting a first selected item with a discount or special price to said identified consumer;

wherein the discount or special price is granted upon purchase of said first selected item by said identified consumer within a predetermined time period;

determining whether said identified consumer had made an acknowledgement of said promoting within the predetermined time period, said acknowledgement not including an attempt by said identified consumer to purchase said first selected item; and

prolonging the promoting beyond the predetermined time period upon determining that said consumer has made the acknowledgement of said promoting within the predetermined time period; and

wherein said identifying, promoting, withdrawing, determining and prolonging are performed by a computer network system.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said promoting comprises posting a notice of said discount or special price for said first selected item on a webpage.