Promotion method and system

• US 7,519,543 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Conlux Co., Ltd. (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Conlux
• Inventors: Yoshida, Hiroaki, Ota, Michihiro, Shinada, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson; Jeffrey D
• Application Number:
  US09/981,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,737 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

A promotion method and a system which can realize thoughtful promotion by facilitating changing settings such as the number of points issued for each commodity, a promotion period and the like without the necessity for changing settings of target automatic vending machines all at once. A commodity code peculiar to each commodity is added to point information, and a data center selectively adds the number of points of the point information of the specific commodity on the basis of the commodity code.

Claims

1. A promotion method comprising the steps of:

providing an automatic vending machine,

said automatic vending machine presenting point information related to predetermined points added with a commodity code particular to a commodity used to identify the commodity when a commodity is sold by an automatic vending machine to a user by a point issuing device provided in the automatic vending machine;

said automatic vending machine transmitting, to a center unit by the user, the point information presented by the point issuing device in the point information presenting step together with identification information of the user by the operation of a portable terminal carried by the user;

receiving, by the center unit, the point information transmitted by the user in the point information transmitting step and the identification information of the user;

selectively processing, by the center unit, points corresponding to point information containing a particular commodity code among the point information received in the receiving step;

totaling and managing, by the center unit, the points processed in the processing step and points corresponding to point information not containing the particular commodity code, in connection with the user identified by the identification information; and

providing a predetermined service corresponding to the points totaled and managed in the totaling and managing step to the user by referring to the points totaled and managed in the totaling and managing step.

2. The promotion method according to claim 1, wherein the point information presenting step comprises the step of presenting, to the user, point information including a commodity code corresponding to a column number of the automatic vending machine in which the commodity is stored.

3. The promotion method according to claim 1, wherein the point information presenting step comprises the step of presenting, to the user, point information including a commodity code corresponding to a serial number indicated on the commodity.

4. The promotion method according to claim 1, wherein the point information presenting step comprises the step of presenting, to the user, point information including a commodity code based on the information on a bar code related to and indicated on the commodity.

5. The promotion method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step comprises the step of comparing the commodity code included with the received point information with a previously stored particular commodity code and, when they agree with each other adding a predetermined point to the points corresponding to the point information containing the commodity code.

6. The promotion method according to claim 1, wherein:

the point information presenting step comprises the step of presenting, to the user, point information including the commodity code peculiar to the commodity for identifying the commodity and information of a date when the commodity is sold; and

the processing step comprises the step of adding predetermined points to points corresponding to the point information containing the commodity code, when the commodity code included with the point information agrees with a predetermined commodity code and the date information added to the point information is within a predetermined period.

7. A promotion system comprising:

point information issuing means provided in an automatic vending machine for presenting, to a user, point information related to a predetermined point which includes a commodity code peculiar to a commodity for identifying the commodity when the commodity is sold;

a center unit which stores and manages, in connection with the user, points corresponding to the point information presented by the point information issuing means;

communication means for transmitting the point information presented by the point information issuing means together with identification information of the user to the center unit;

point processing means provided in the center unit for translating the point information transmitted by the communication means and selectively processing points corresponding to the point information containing a particular commodity code among the translated point information;

totaling and managing means for totaling and managing the points processed by the point processing means and points corresponding to point information not containing the particular commodity code, in connection with the user identified by the identification information; and

service providing means for providing, to the user, a predetermined service corresponding to the points totaled and managed by the totaling and managing means by referring to the points totaled and managed by the totaling and managing means.

8. The promotion system according to claim 7, wherein the point information issuing means presents, to the user, point information including a commodity code corresponding to a column number of the automatic vending machine in which the commodity is stored.

9. The promotion system according to claim 7, wherein the point information issuing means presents, to the user, point information including a commodity code corresponding to a serial number indicated on the commodity.

10. The promotion system according to claim 7, wherein the point information issuing means presents, to the user, point information including a commodity code based on information on a bar code related to and indicated on the commodity.

11. The promotion system according to claim 7, wherein the point processing means compares the commodity code included with the received point information with a previously stored particular commodity code and, when they agree with each other, adds a predetermined point to the points corresponding to the point information including the commodity code.

12. The promotion system according to claim 7, wherein:

the point information issuing means presents, to the user, point information including the commodity code peculiar to the commodity for identifying the commodity and information of a date when the commodity is sold; and

the point processing means adds predetermined points to points corresponding to the point information containing the commodity code, when the commodity code included with the point information agrees with a predetermined commodity code and the date information added to the point information is within a predetermined period.