Method of and system for managing promotions for purchase transactions over a network

• US 7,599,850 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2000
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Laor, Raviv
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber; Eric W
• Assistant Examiner(s): VAN BRAMER, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US09/595,677
• Time in Patent Office: 3,396 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics

Abstract

A system for managing promotions over a network includes a promotion server system having a computer processor and associated datastore, the datastore containing data representative of terms and statistics of one or more item promotions, and a commercial server system including a computer processor, the commercial server system being selectively coupleable to the promotion server system over the network. The promotion server system includes promotion code for transferring, to the commercial server system, the data representative of the terms and statistics of the promotions.

Claims

1. A system for managing promotions over a network comprising:

a promotion server system including a computer processor and associated datastore, said datastore containing data representative of terms and statistics of one or more item promotions and electronic tokens;

a commercial server system including a computer processor and associated commercial datastore, said commercial datastore containing data representative of terms and statistics of one or more item promotions and electronic tokens, said commercial server system being selectively coupleable to said promotion server system over said network; and

a client server system including a computer processor and associated client datastore, said client datastore containing data representative of terms and statistics of one or more item promotions and electronic tokens, said client server system being selectively coupleable over said network to (1) said promotion server system and to (2) said commercial server system;

wherein said commercial server system further includes a script for generating a website frame having a predetermined signature, such that an electronic token uniquely corresponds to said predetermined signature;

wherein said commercial server system distributes said website frame over said network to said promotion server system;

wherein said client server system connects to said promotion server system over said network;

wherein said promotion server system transmits said electronic token from said website frame over said network to said client server system; and

wherein said promotion server system transmits over said network to said commercial server system coupon information associated with the client received from said electronic token.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said promotion server system further includes authorization code for enabling said commercial server system to accept or decline one or more of said promotions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said promotion server system further includes accounting code for providing, to said commercial server system, said statistics of said promotions, said statistics including data representative of one or more of the number of promotions redeemed and the value of the redeemed promotions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said promotion data is transferred to said commercial server system in the form of screen display data.

5. A system for managing promotions over a network comprising:

an promotion server;

a retailer'"'"'s commercial server;

a consumer'"'"'s client computer;

wherein said advertiser'"'"'s promotion server;

said retailer'"'"'s commercial server; and

said consumer'"'"'s client computer are operably connected to the Internet, and are structured and programmed so that;

said consumer'"'"'s client computer can request from said retailer'"'"'s commercial server a promotion; and

said retailer'"'"'s commercial server responds to requests from said consumer'"'"'s client computer for said promotion by automatically obtaining from said promotion server promotion authorization data for said promotion, and said retailer'"'"'s commercial server determines from said authorization data whether to accept or decline said promotion.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said retailer'"'"'s commercial server selecting a promotion accounting report option, wherein said promotion server transfer transfers screen display data to said retailer'"'"'s commercial server system that provides said retailer'"'"'s commercial server system with statistics that include the dollar value of promotions redeemed by said consumer'"'"'s client computer.

7. A computer network implemented method for managing promotions over a network comprising:

providing an promotion server;

providing a retailer'"'"'s commercial server;

providing a consumer'"'"'s client computer;

wherein said advertiser'"'"'s promotion server;

said retailer'"'"'s commercial server; and

said consumer'"'"'s client computer are operably connected to the Internet, and are structured and programmed so that;

said consumer'"'"'s client computer can request from said retailer'"'"'s commercial server a promotion; and

said retailer'"'"'s commercial server responds to requests from said consumer'"'"'s client computer for said promotion by automatically obtaining from said promotion server promotion authorization data for said promotion, and said retailer'"'"'s commercial server determines from said authorization data whether to accept or decline said promotion.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

said retailer'"'"'s commercial server selecting a promotion accounting report option, wherein said promotion server transfer transfers screen display data to said retailer'"'"'s commercial server system that provides said retailer'"'"'s commercial server system with statistics that include the dollar value of promotions redeemed by said consumer'"'"'s client computer.