System and method for distribution, redemption and processing of electronic coupons

• US 8,046,257 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Contactless Data Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Contactless Data Incorporated
• Inventors: Ohme, Karsten, Wane, Ismaila
• Primary Examiner(s): ALMATRAHI, FARIS S
• Application Number:
  US12/325,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/14.38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• 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 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

In a method of executing a transaction using an electronic coupon, coupon campaign information is provided to an engine. The coupon campaign information defines a discount value, a product family and a number of coupons to be distributed. Each coupon within the coupon campaign has a coupon identification (ID). Coupon publications are provided including a machine-readable portion that encodes coupon data describing the coupon campaign information. The coupon data is retrieved from the machine-readable portion of the coupon publication using a personal electronic device. The coupon data is used to retrieve a coupon ID that is stored in the personal electronic device. The coupon ID is transmitted to a point of sale (POS) system using the personal electronic device. The POS system communicates with the engine to verify a validity of the coupon ID. A discount is applied to a transaction in accordance with the discount value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of executing a transaction using an electronic coupon, comprising:

providing coupon campaign information to an engine, the coupon campaign information defining a discount value, a product family and a number of coupons to be distributed, each coupon within the coupon campaign having a coupon identification (ID);

providing coupon publications including a machine-readable portion, the machine-readable portion encoding coupon data describing the coupon campaign information;

retrieving the coupon data from the machine-readable portion of the coupon publication using a personal electronic device;

using the coupon data to retrieve a coupon ID from the engine, the coupon ID being stored in the personal electronic device;

using near-field communications (NFC) to transmit the coupon ID to a point of sale (POS) system using the personal electronic device, the personal electronic device being one of an NFC-enabled global system for mobile communications (GSM) station and an NFC-enabled code division multiple access (CDMA) phone, the personal electronic device operating a Java Card Applet for coupon management and a Java MIDlet for user interfacing, the POS system communicating with the engine to verify a validity of the coupon ID;

applying a discount to a transaction in accordance with the discount value; and

after the transaction is complete, modifying the coupon data on the personal electronic device to indicate a coupon associated with the coupon ID has been activated.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the coupon ID is encrypted by the engine using an encryption key.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the encryption key is stored on a hardware security module (HSM) in communication with the engine.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying a discount to a transaction in accordance with the discount value includes comparing the product family of the coupon campaign information to a product family of a product included in the transaction.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, including executing a financial exchange between a manufacturer of the product and a retailer executing the transaction to compensate the retailer for the value of the discount.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the coupon ID is represented using an Electronic Product Code (EPC) format including a 96-bit serial number.

7. A method of executing a transaction using an electronic coupon, comprising:

communicating with an engine using a personal electronic device to execute a coupon search, the engine storing coupon campaign information, the coupon campaign information defining a discount value, and a product family, each coupon within the coupon campaign having a coupon identification (ID);

selecting a coupon from a list of search results generated by the coupon search to retrieve coupon data from the engine, the coupon data including a coupon ID and being stored in the personal electronic device;

using near-field communications (NFC) to transmit the coupon data to a point of sale (POS) system using the personal electronic device to initiate a transaction, the personal electronic device being one of an NFC-enabled global system for mobile communications (GSM) station and an NFC-enabled code division multiple access (CDMA) phone, the personal electronic device operating a Java Card Applet for coupon management and a Java MIDlet for user interfacing, the POS system communicating with the engine to verify a validity of the coupon ID;

entering a personal identification number (PIN) into the POS to authorize the POS to modify the coupon data stored on the personal electronic device; and

after the transaction is complete, receiving an instruction from the POS to modify a status of the coupon data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the personal electronic device includes a cell phone.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the coupon ID is represented using an Electronic Product Code (EPC) format including a 96-bit serial number.

10. A computer program storage medium usable with a programmable computer processor and having a computer readable program code embodied therein, comprising:

computer readable program code which retrieves coupon data from a machine-readable portion of a coupon publication, the machine-readable portion of the coupon publication encoding coupon data describing coupon campaign information, the coupon campaign information defining a discount value, and a product family, each coupon within the coupon campaign having a coupon identification (ID);

computer readable program code which communicates with an engine to verify a validity of the coupon data;

computer readable program code which uses near-field communications (NFC) to transmit the coupon data to a point of sale (POS) system to initiate a transaction using a personal electronic device, the personal electronic device being one of an NFC-enabled global system for mobile communications (GSM) station and an NFC-enabled code division multiple access (CDMA) phone, the personal electronic device operating a Java Card Applet for coupon management and a Java MIDlet for user interfacing, the POS system communicating with the engine to verify a validity of the coupon ID; and

computer readable program code which, after the transaction is complete, receives an instruction from the POS to modify a status of the coupon data.

11. The computer program storage medium of claim 10, including computer readable program code which compares the product family of the coupon campaign information to a product family of a product included in the transaction.