Coupon validation using radio frequency fingerprinting

• US 8,595,070 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Barnes, James D., Distler, Peter H., McMullen, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bekerman, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US11/779,045
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/26, 705/14.1, 705/14.38, 705/14.64, 705/14.58, 705/75, 705/14.65, 455/456, 455/466
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method is provided for coupon validation. A coupon is downloaded to a mobile device. The mobile device is used to determine a radio frequency fingerprint comprising cell tower data and cell sector data. The coupon is associated with the radio frequency fingerprint. Whether the radio frequency fingerprint matches a radio frequency fingerprint specified for redemption is determined. Redemption of the coupon is enabled in response to a determination that the radio frequency fingerprint matches the radio frequency fingerprint specified for redemption.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for coupon validation, comprising:

downloading a coupon to a mobile device;

determining with a location engine stored in a non-transitory computer readable media and executed by a processor on the mobile device a download radio frequency fingerprint comprising cell tower data and cell sector data at approximately where the coupon was downloaded to the mobile device;

associating the coupon downloaded to the mobile device with the download radio frequency fingerprint;

determining whether the associated download radio frequency fingerprint matches at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint for the coupon, wherein the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint for the coupon comprises a radio frequency fingerprint of a valid location for downloading the coupon; and

enabling redemption of the coupon in response to a determination that the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a radio frequency fingerprint for the mobile device indicates the mobile device is in a location for coupon downloading; and

downloading the coupon in response to a determination that the radio frequency fingerprint for the mobile device indicates that the mobile device is in the location for coupon downloading.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling redemption of the coupon in response to a determination that the download radio frequency fingerprint does not match the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint specified for redemption.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download radio frequency fingerprint comprises a time associated with when the download radio frequency fingerprint was determined.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download radio frequency fingerprint comprises an identifier for the mobile device.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the location for coupon downloading is associated with the download radio frequency fingerprint for the mobile device.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the location for coupon downloading is not associated with the download radio frequency fingerprint for the mobile device.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a current radio frequency fingerprint matches the download radio frequency fingerprint associated with the coupon downloaded to the mobile device; and

displaying the coupon on a user interface in response to determining that the current radio frequency fingerprint matches the download radio frequency fingerprint.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

Downloading a second coupon on a computer and transferring the second coupon to the mobile device.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download radio frequency fingerprint further comprises at least one of cell tower signal amplitude, cell tower signal phase, cell sector frequencies, and pseudo noise phase measurement data.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint is based on one of a duration of time, a user request, and a communication from a point of sale device.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint is associated with at least one of a business location of a business that issued the coupon and an other location associated with the business that issued the coupon.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the valid download radio frequency fingerprint based on both the download radio frequency fingerprint and the valid download radio frequency fingerprint having at least one common cell tower.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

purging the coupon if a time for using the coupon is expired.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint is a determination made by a point of sale device.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint is a determination made via a communication server associated with the mobile device.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint is performed by one of the mobile device, a redemption server, and a point of sale device.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the coupon is issued by a business and the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint is specified by the business as a radio frequency fingerprint associated with where the business made the coupon available for downloading.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint is based on whether a degree of confidence score calculated based on a comparison of the download radio frequency fingerprint and the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint exceeds a threshold score.

17. A system for coupon validation, comprising:

a mobile device configured to download a coupon; and

a location engine stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by a processor on the mobile device to determine a download radio frequency fingerprint comprising cell tower data and cell sector data for a location of the mobile device approximately where the coupon was downloaded, the location engine associating the coupon downloaded to the mobile device with the download radio frequency fingerprint,

a non-transitory computer readable storage on the mobile device configured to store the coupon and the associated download radio frequency fingerprint;

wherein the mobile device is programmed to determine whether the associated download radio frequency fingerprint matches at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint specified for redemption and the mobile device is further programmed to promote redemption of the coupon in response to a determination that the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint specified for redemption.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a server in communication with the mobile device, wherein the location engine is further operable to store the coupon and the download radio frequency fingerprint on the server.

19. A computer implemented method for coupon validation, comprising:

receiving at a first mobile device a coupon and a download radio frequency fingerprint from a second mobile device, wherein the download radio frequency fingerprint comprises cell tower data and cell sector data at approximately where the coupon was downloaded to the second mobile device;

storing the coupon and the download radio frequency fingerprint on a non-transitory computer readable media on the first mobile device;

determining, with a processor, whether the download radio frequency fingerprint matches at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint specified for redemption; and

enabling redemption of the coupon in response to a determination that the download radio frequency fingerprint matches the at least one valid download radio frequency fingerprint specified for redemption.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining with a processor on the first mobile device another radio frequency fingerprint comprising cell tower data and cell sector data at approximately where the coupon was received by the first mobile device from the second mobile device; and

associating the coupon with the other radio frequency fingerprint.