System and method for issuing and redeeming incentives on electronic data cards
First Claim
1. An apparatus for executing an incentive program based on electronic data card devices for providing incentives for non-purchase activity, comprising:
- an electronic data card application executable on a first computer and configured for accessing an electronic data card in response to establishing connectivity between said electronic data card and said first computer;
card identification means for identifying an electronic data card being accessed by said first computer which has been registered for use within a non-purchase incentive program;
activity registration means for registering browsing of a user to capture non-purchase on-line activities of the user in response to browsing performed within a computer application configured for user browsing of web sites;
incentive generation means for generating incentives for storage on the electronic data card being accessed in response to selected activity being registered by said activity registration means with regard to an issuing web site or location; and
usage data generation means for reporting usage data in response to registering information about incentive issuance and/or redemption.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for issuing, redeeming and monitoring incentive offers generated in response to qualifying on-line and off-line non-purchase activities. For example, an electronic data card is used to store electronic coupons issued by web sites (i.e., on-line) and/or off-line locations. In one embodiment activity registration is performed by programming integrated with, or coupled to, a web browser. Off-line activity is registered by a kiosk at a merchant location that generates an incentive offer, or a token which is later converted to an incentive offer, in response to conditions determined at the kiosk (e.g., entered by the user, clerk, and so forth). A loyalty server operates to aggregate information about the offers for reporting purposes, and can be optionally required for determining qualification for an incentive offer, providing security codes for participating incentive issuers, providing qualification of offers prior to issuance, and validating stored offers prior to redemption.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for executing an incentive program based on electronic data card devices for providing incentives for non-purchase activity, comprising:
-
an electronic data card application executable on a first computer and configured for accessing an electronic data card in response to establishing connectivity between said electronic data card and said first computer; card identification means for identifying an electronic data card being accessed by said first computer which has been registered for use within a non-purchase incentive program; activity registration means for registering browsing of a user to capture non-purchase on-line activities of the user in response to browsing performed within a computer application configured for user browsing of web sites; incentive generation means for generating incentives for storage on the electronic data card being accessed in response to selected activity being registered by said activity registration means with regard to an issuing web site or location; and usage data generation means for reporting usage data in response to registering information about incentive issuance and/or redemption. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An apparatus for executing a program of electronic non-purchase activity generated incentives for storage on an electronic data card within a plurality of said data cards associated with participating users of said incentive program, comprising:
-
(a) a first computer configured for communicating over an electronic network and adapted for reading and writing data from an electronic data card having memory configured for aggregating information about incentive offers; (b) incentive offer issuance programming operable on said first computer for, detecting the presence of an electronic data card having connectivity with said first computer, reporting activity arising from non-purchase actions performed within a web site context of a browser executing on said first computer from which incentives are offered, said reporting of activity comprising registering user browsing to capture non-purchase on-line activities of the user in response to browsing performed within a computer application configured for user browsing of web sites; generating an incentive offer from said first computer in response to select non-purchase activities matching on-line activity with the criterion for issuance of said on-line offer by a given web site configured by an incentive offer issuer for determining qualification for the offer and issuing the incentive, and storing said incentive offer received in response to non-purchase activity within said electronic data card; (c) incentive offer redemption programming operable on said first computer for, detecting the presence of an electronic data card having connectivity with said first computer, displaying available incentives stored on said electronic data card, detecting if any available incentives stored on said electronic data card are redeemable at a web site being accessed or within said first computer associated with a physical location, displaying redemption options and collecting user input on offers to be redeemed, and executing redemption of one or more incentives stored on said electronic data card and erasing or inactivating redeemed incentives; (d) a second computer configured for communicating over the electronic network with said first computer; and (e) programming operable on said second computer for aggregating information received from a plurality of said first computers about off-line and on-line activity. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of issuing, redeeming, and monitoring incentive offers which are generated for on-line non-purchase activity, said incentive offers are stored on an electronic data card, comprising:
-
accessing an electronic data card having memory configured for aggregating incentive offers retained in an electronic form; issuing incentive offers for storage on said electronic data card in response to matching on-line actions performed within a web site context of a browser with issuance criterion; said incentives generated in response to registering user browsing to capture non-purchase on-line activities of the user in response to browsing performed within a computer application configured for user browsing of web sites; redeeming incentive offers stored on said electronic data card in response to detecting if any available incentives stored on said electronic data card are acceptable for redemption upon submission to a web site; and generating usage data based on aggregating incentive offer issuance and redemption information. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification