Self-checkout coupon sharing

• US 8,180,670 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Prorock, Thomas J., Rogers, David T., Rockwell, Julia P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Alvin L
• Application Number:
  US12/132,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system for processing coupons by a self checkout system, where the self checkout system includes at least one self checkout station coupled to a server. In a first aspect, a self checkout system includes a server for managing the self checkout system and at least one self checkout station coupled to the server, where the self checkout station includes a scanner for scanning at least one item for purchase by a customer, a coupon reader for receiving a coupon from the customer, and a coupon manager. The coupon manager attempts to validate the coupon against the at least one item scanned by the customer, and if the coupon fails to validate, the coupon manager stores the coupon in a coupon pool at the server such that the stored coupon can be utilized at a subsequent sales transaction.

Claims

1. A self checkout system comprising:

a server; and

at least one self checkout station coupled to the server, wherein the at least one self checkout station comprises;

a scanner for scanning at least one item for purchase by a customer;

a coupon reader for receiving a coupon from the customer, wherein the coupon is a paper coupon that is fed into a coupon reader of the at least one self checkout stations; and

a coupon manager for validating the coupon against the at least one item scanned by the customer, wherein the coupon manager is operable to;

allows the customer to choose whether to store the coupon that has not been validated against the at least one item scanned by the customer;

if the customer chooses to store the coupon that has not been validated against the at least one item scanned by the customer, convert the paper coupon into an electronic coupon;

collect tracking information related to the coupon and storing the tracking information in a file at the server;

transmit the electronic coupon from the one self checkout station to the server;

destroy the paper coupon after the paper coupon has been converted into an electronic coupon;

store the electronic coupon into one of two coupon pools at the server if the coupon fails to validate against the at least one item, wherein one coupon pool is a global pool having coupons stored in the global pool are accessible by all customers, wherein the other coupon pool is a personal pool that is associated with the customer such that coupons stored in the personal pool are accessible only by the customer, wherein the tracking information comprises the coupon pool in which the coupon is stored, wherein the stored electronic coupon can be utilized at a subsequent sales transaction, wherein the global pool allows the second customer to search the global pool for a coupon that validates against an item scanned by the second customer during the subsequent sales transaction, wherein the global pool allows a second customer in the subsequent sales transaction to utilize the coupon, wherein a value of the coupon is deducted from a price of the item if the coupon and the item are validated, and wherein the personal pool allows the customer to access the global pool, select at least one coupon in the global pool, and transfer the selected coupon to a personal account at the server; and

allow the customer to search one or more of the global pool and the personal pool for coupons that can be applied to any scanned items by the customer.

2. The self checkout system of claim 1 wherein the coupon manager is further operable to:

receive the tracking information in the file by an item manufacturer;

access the global pool at the server by the item manufacturer;

select at least one coupon in the global pool;

analyze the tracking information for the selected coupon;

modify the selected coupon by modifying a price of the item based on the analysis and by modifying an expiration date of the selected coupon; and

implement the modified price immediately via an electronic shelf label associated with the item.

3. A computer-readable storage medium including program instructions for processing coupons by a self-checkout system, the program instructions which when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to execute a method comprising:

receiving a coupon from a customer, wherein the coupon is a paper coupon that is fed into a coupon reader of the at least one self-checkout stations;

attempting to validate the coupon against at least one item scanned by the customer;

allowing the customer to choose whether to store the coupon that has not been validated against the at least one item scanned by the customer;

if the customer chooses to store the coupon that has not been validated against the at least one item scanned by the customer, converting the paper coupon into an electronic coupon;

collecting tracking information related to the coupon and storing the tracking information in a file at the server;

transmitting the electronic coupon from the one self-checkout station to the server,

destroying the paper coupon after the paper coupon has been converted into an electronic coupon;

storing the electronic coupon into one of two coupon pools at the server if the coupon falls to validate against the at least one item, wherein one coupon pool is a global pool having coupons stored in the global pool are accessible by all customers, wherein the other coupon pool is a personal pool that is associated with the customer such that coupons stored in the personal pool are accessible only by the customer, wherein the tracking information comprises the coupon pool in which the coupon is stored, wherein the stored electronic coupon can be utilized at a subsequent sales transaction, wherein the global pool allows the second customer to search the global pool for a coupon that validates against an item scanned by the second customer during the subsequent sales transaction, wherein the global pool allows a second customer in the subsequent sales transaction to utilize the coupon, wherein a value of the coupon is deducted from a price of the item if the coupon and the item are validated, and wherein the personal pool allows the customer to access the global pool, select at least one coupon in the global pool, and transfer the selected coupon to a personal account at the server;

allowing the customer to search one or more of the global pool and the personal pool for coupons that can be applied to any scanned items by the customer.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 further comprising program instructions for:

receiving the tracking information in the file by an item manufacturer;

accessing the global pool at the server by the item manufacturer;

selecting at least one coupon in the global pool;

analyzing the tracking information for the selected coupon;

modifying the selected coupon by modifying a price of the item based on the analysis and by modifying an expiration date of the selected coupon; and

implementing the modified price immediately via an electronic shelf label associated with the item.