Store solutions

• US 8,464,929 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Besecker, Bret Joseph, Parsons, Jay, Ramachandran, Anantha Narayanan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Application Number:
  US13/229,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/375, 235/472.03, 235/380, 235/385, 705/27, 705/10, 705/14, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• 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 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods that time correlate input at a point of entry of consumer data of least two identifications for products, prescriptions, vouchers, or codes, uses positive correlation determinations for triggering output of predetermined information. The time correlation of identifications may be used to build a time correlation database, and thereafter use that database for targeted communications. Related inventions include an intelligent Y cable or the like to filter data transmitted from a scanner at a point of entry of consumer data, and a novel POS CS configured to receive bar codes that would otherwise cause the POS CS to enter an error condition.

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Claims

1. A system for outputting a coupon, comprising:

a local marketing computer, said local marketing computer comprising;

at least one memory configured to store data;

at least one input configured to receive identification codes;

at least one output configured to output identification codes, wherein the at least one output comprises a printer; and

at least one processor programmed to;

receive a plurality of identification codes via the at least one input, the plurality of identification codes comprising a product identification via the at least one input;

store in the at least one memory the plurality of identification codes received via the at least one input and a time of receipt of each of the plurality of identification codes;

identify a voucher identification associated with the product identification;

communicate the voucher identification via the at least one output;

receive a second identification;

determine whether the second identification comprises the voucher identification;

identify a coupon associated with the voucher identification when the second identification comprises the voucher identification;

determine whether a time of receipt of the second identification code is within a predetermined time of a time of receipt of the product identification code; and

communicate the coupon when the time of receipt of the second identification code is within the predetermined time of a time of receipt of the product identification code.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

sequentially retrieve based upon time of receipt, the plurality of identification codes time until the product identification code is reached or until a time between a time of receipt of a sequentially retrieved identification code and the time of receipt of the voucher identification exceeds a predetermined time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory is configured to store a voucher output triggering lookup table that stores in association with each voucher identification code at least one product identification code;

wherein the at least one processor is programmed to perform a look up in the voucher triggering lookup table to identify the voucher identification based on the product identification.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the voucher identification is communicated to a cellular telephone having a cellular telephone number and wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to receive from the cellular telephone the voucher identification.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the voucher identification is wirelessly received from the cellular telephone.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one memory is configured to store an association of the cellular telephone number and product identification in a time correlation history database.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the time correlation history database stores an association of the product identification and a time of receipt of the product identification.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the time of receipt of the product identification corresponds to a time of receipt of a cellular telephone signal or the time of receipt of the product identification.

9. A computer implemented method for outputting a coupon, the method being implemented in a computer that includes one or more processors programmed to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, a plurality of identification codes via the at least one input, the plurality of identification codes comprising a product identification;

storing, by the one or more processors in at least one memory, the plurality of identification codes received via the at least one input and a time of receipt of each of the plurality of identification codes;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a voucher identification associated with the product identification;

communicating, by the one or more processors, the voucher identification via at least one output comprising a printer;

receiving, by the one more processors, a second identification;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the second identification comprises the voucher identification;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a coupon associated with the voucher identification when the second identification comprises the voucher identification;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether a time of receipt of the second identification code is within a predetermined time of a time of receipt of the product identification code; and

communicating, by the one or more processors, the coupon when the time of receipt of the second identification code is within the predetermined time of a time of receipt of the product identification code.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein communicating the voucher identification comprises:

identifying, by the one or more processors, a cellular phone; and

communicating, by the one or more processors, the voucher identification to the cellular phone.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein receiving the second identification comprises:

receiving, by the one or more processors, the second identification via a keypad entry.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein receiving the second identification comprises:

receiving, by the one or more processors, the second identification via a scanner device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein receiving the second identification comprises:

receiving, by the one or more processors, the second identification via an input device separate from an input device of a point of sale system.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein communicating the voucher identification comprises:

displaying, by a display, the voucher identification.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein communicating the voucher identification comprises:

printing, by a printer, the voucher information.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein communicating the coupon comprises:

printing, by a printer, the coupon.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein communicating the coupon comprises:

communicating, by the one or more processors, a benefit of the coupon.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein identifying the voucher identification comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, that an end of transaction for a purchase transaction associated with the received product identification has occurred, wherein the voucher identification is identified based on the end of transaction determination.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein determining that the end of transaction has occurred comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, that a predetermined time interval has elapsed since an identification has been received.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein determining that the end of transaction has occurred comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, that a particular sequence of product identifications has been received.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein communicating the voucher identification comprises:

communicating, by the one or more processors, the voucher identification after a delay period after the voucher identification is identified.