Apparatus and method for providing and/or for fulfilling subscription services
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- receiving a request to receive or pick-up, at a retail facility or a store pursuant to a subscription, a printed issue of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine;
processing information regarding the request with a processing device, wherein the processing device determines whether the subscription is active or not active or determines whether any issue or any issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the subscription; and
transmitting a message in response to the request, wherein the message contains an authorization or a denial of the request, and further wherein the message is transmitted to a point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-implemented method, including receiving a request to receive or pick-up a printed issue of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, at a retail facility or a store pursuant to a subscription, processing information regarding the request with a processing device, wherein the processing device determines whether the subscription is active or not active or determines whether any issue or any issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the subscription, and transmitting a message in response to the request, wherein the message contains an authorization or a denial of the request, and further wherein the message is transmitted to a point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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receiving a request to receive or pick-up, at a retail facility or a store pursuant to a subscription, a printed issue of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine; processing information regarding the request with a processing device, wherein the processing device determines whether the subscription is active or not active or determines whether any issue or any issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the subscription; and transmitting a message in response to the request, wherein the message contains an authorization or a denial of the request, and further wherein the message is transmitted to a point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
processing a request to create or initiate a subscription which allows for printed issues of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up at a retail facility or a store or to be received at a retail facility or a store or at another retail facility or another store, wherein the request is transmitted from a communication device or from a transaction device associated with the retail facility or the store, wherein the request contains information regarding a specified number of printed issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up or received at the retail facility or the store or at another retail facility or another store in or during a specified time period, wherein one or more of the printed issues can be skipped or foregone in or during the specified time period while ensuring that a subscriber is able to pick-up or receive all of the specified number of the printed issues at the retail facility or the store or at another retail facility or another store in or during the specified time period, wherein the request is processed with a processing device;
creating or initiating a subscription in response to the request; and
transmitting a message to the communication device or to the transaction device associated with the retail facility or the store, wherein the message contains information regarding the subscription which was created or initiated.- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
processing a request to create or initiate a subscription which allows for printed issues of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up at a retail facility or a store, or to be received at a retail facility or a store, wherein the request is transmitted from a communication device or from a transaction device associated with a retail facility or a store, wherein the request contains information regarding a specified number of printed issues of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up or received in or during a specified time period, and a retail facility or a store from which the printed issues can be picked-up or received, wherein the request is processed with a processing device;
creating or initiating a subscription in response to the request; and
transmitting a message to the communication device or to the transaction device associated with the retail facility or the store, wherein the message contains information regarding the subscription which was created or initiated.- View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
inputting or entering information regarding a request to receive or pick-up, at a retail facility or a store pursuant to a subscription, a printed issue of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, wherein the subscription is an existing subscription, and further wherein the information is input or entered into a point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store;
generating a request to receive or pick-up a printed issue of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, at the retail facility or the store pursuant to the subscription;
transmitting the request to a processing device;
receiving the request, wherein the processing device receives the request;
processing the information regarding the request with the processing device, wherein the processing device determines whether the subscription is active or not active or determines whether any issue or any issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the subscription;
transmitting a message in response to the request, wherein the message contains an authorization or a denial of the request, and further wherein the message is transmitted to the point-of-sale transaction device; and
providing information contained in the response via the point-of-sale transaction device.
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42. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a first request to receive or pick-up, at a retail facility or a store pursuant to a subscription, a printed issue of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine;
processing information regarding the first request with a processing device, wherein the processing device determines whether the first subscription is active or not active or determines whether any issue or any issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the first subscription;
transmitting a first message in response to the first request, wherein the first message contains an authorization or a denial of the first request, and further wherein the first message is transmitted to a first point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store;
receiving a second request to receive or pick-up a ticket or tickets to at least one of a sporting event, an entertainment event, a movie, a show, and a theater performance, at the retail facility or the store pursuant to a second subscription;
processing information regarding the second request;
determining whether the second subscription is active or not active or determining whether any ticket or any tickets remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the second subscription; and
transmitting a second message in response to the second request, wherein the second message contains information regarding an authorization or a denial of the second request, and further wherein the second message is transmitted to the first point-of-sale transaction device or to a second point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store.
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43. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a first request to receive or pick-up, at a retail facility or a store pursuant to a subscription, a printed issue of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine;
processing information regarding the first request with a processing device, wherein the processing device determines whether the first subscription is active or not active or determines whether any issue or any issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the first subscription;
transmitting a first message in response to the first request, wherein the first message contains an authorization or a denial of the first request, and further wherein the first message is transmitted to a first point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store;
receiving a second request to receive or pick-up at least one of a good or a service at the retail facility or the store pursuant to a second subscription;
processing information regarding the second request;
determining whether the second subscription is active or not active or determining whether any good or service or any goods or services remain to be fulfilled pursuant to the second subscription; and
transmitting a second message in response to the second request, wherein the second message contains information regarding an authorization or a denial of the second request, and further wherein the second message is transmitted to the first point-of-sale transaction device or to a second point-of-sale transaction device located at the retail facility or the store.
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44. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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processing a request to create or initiate a subscription which allows for printed issues of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up at a retail facility or a store or to be received at a retail facility or a store or at another retail facility or another store, wherein the request is transmitted from a communication device or from a transaction device associated with the retail facility or the store, wherein the request contains information regarding a specified number of printed issues of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up or received at the retail facility or the store or at another retail facility or another store in or during a specified time period, wherein one or more of the printed issues can be skipped or foregone in or during the specified time period while ensuring that a subscriber is able to pick-up or receive all of the specified number of the printed issues at the retail facility or the store or at another retail facility or another store in or during the specified time period, wherein the request is processed with a processing device; creating or initiating a subscription in response to the request; and transmitting a message to the communication device or to the transaction device associated with the retail facility or the store, wherein the message contains information regarding the subscription which was created or initiated and an authorization to allow for a first printed issue of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up or received at the retail facility or the store pursuant to the subscription which was created or initiated.
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45. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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processing a request to create or initiate a subscription which allows for printed issues of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up at a retail facility or a store or to be received at a retail facility or a store, wherein the request is transmitted from a communication device or from a transaction device associated with a retail facility or a store, wherein the request contains information regarding a specified number of printed issues of at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up or received in or during a specified time period, and a retail facility or a store from which the printed issues can be picked-up or received, wherein the request is processed with a processing device; creating or initiating a subscription in response to the request; and transmitting a message to the communication device or to the transaction device associated with the retail facility or the store, wherein the message contains information regarding the subscription which was created or initiated and an authorization to allow for a first printed issue of the at least one of a periodical, a newspaper, and a magazine, to be picked-up or received at the retail facility or the store pursuant to the subscription which was created or initiated.
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Specification