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

• US 7,509,268 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jindal, Sanjay K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson, Jeffrey D
• Application Number:
  US09/998,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,700 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• 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 system comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a POS controller, a retail subscription system. The POS terminal allows a cashier to enter subscription sales data into the POS controller. The POS controller maintains databases on available subscriptions and produces databases containing data relating to subscriptions sold to customers. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution.

Claims

1. A system for establishing a subscription to a periodical, comprising:

a request receiving component configured to receive a request to purchase an issue of a periodical;

an offering component configured to offer to sell a subscription of the periodical at a subscription rate;

an acceptance receiving component configured to receive an acceptance to the offer to sell the subscription; and

a component configured to record a sale of the issue of the periodical by a retailer as an issue of the subscription.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an information receiving component configured to receive information indicating that a subscription is available for the periodical.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a payment receiving component configured to receive payment for the sale of the subscription.

4. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to purchase an issue of a periodical;

offering to sell a subscription of the periodical at a subscription rate;

receiving an acceptance to the offer to sell the subscription; and

recording, via a controller, a sale of the issue of the periodical by a retailer as an issue of the subscription.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving information indicating that a subscription is available for the periodical.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving payment for the sale of the subscription.

7. A computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to:

receive a request to purchase an issue of a periodical;

offer to sell a subscription of the periodical at a subscription rate;

receive an acceptance to the offer to sell the subscription; and

record a sale of the issue of the periodical by a retailer as an issue of the subscription.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions configured to direct the processor to receive information indicating that a subscription is available for the periodical.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions configured to direct the processor to receive an indication of payment for the sale of the subscription.