System and method for distributing information through cooperative communication network sites

• US 8,700,453 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Scroggie, Michael C., Rochon, David A., Banker, David W., Gardenswartz, Will
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US13/550,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• 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 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy

Abstract

Information pertaining to products made by manufacturers and sold to consumers through retailers, is distributed to consumers through a communication network that connects consumer communication nodes to a cooperative network site having an accumulation of information about manufacturer product offers and retailer special deals. A consumer can obtain selected items of this information without knowledge of how to reach the cooperative network site, by simply logging in to a manufacturer network site or to a retailer network site. At a manufacturer site, the consumer can obtain a list of local retailers carrying the manufacturer offers and can then select from among the offers and receive complete details of the selected offers. At a retailer site, the consumer can obtain a list of manufacturer offers available at the retailer stores in the consumer'"'"'s area, and can then select from among the available offers and receive their complete details.

Claims

1. A method for distributing product offers and other information to consumers over a communication network, the method being implemented on a processor programmed by one or more computer program instructions, the method comprising:

causing, by the processor, first information related to a plurality of manufacturer offers to be stored in a database associated with a cooperative communication network site;

causing, by the processor, second information related to a plurality of retailer special deals to be stored in the database associated with the cooperative communication network site;

receiving, by the processor, a request associated with a consumer communication node that is communicably coupled to a retailer network site, a manufacturer network site, or another independently administered site; and

providing, by the processor, at least a portion of the first information related to the plurality of manufacturer offers from the database and at least a portion of the second information related to the plurality of retailer special deals from the database in response to the request such that the portion of the first information and the portion of the second information are both presented to the consumer communication node, wherein the portion of the first information and the portion of the second information are transmitted to the consumer communication node while the consumer communication node is communicably coupled to the retailer network site, the manufacturer network site, or the other independently administered site but without regard to which one of the retailer network site, the manufacturer network site, or the other independently administered site that the consumer communication node is communicably coupled.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the request is received from the manufacturer network site, and wherein the request comprises information that indicates a geographic location, the method further comprising:

identifying, based on the geographic location, retailers that individually offer at least one retailer special deal that relates to a manufacturer offer;

providing a geographically limited list of the identified retailers;

receiving a selection of at least a first retailer from the consumer through the manufacturer network site; and

transmitting the at least one retailer special deal offered by the first retailer to the manufacturer network site.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the request is received from the manufacturer network site, and wherein the request comprises information that indicates a geographic location, the method further comprising:

identifying, based on the geographic location, retailers that individually offer at least one retailer special deal that relates to a manufacturer offer;

providing a geographically limited list of the identified retailers;

receiving a selection of at least a first retailer from the consumer through the manufacturer network site; and

linking the consumer directly to a retailer network site of the first retailer to view available offers.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the request is received from the retailer network site, the method further comprising

providing a list of manufacturer offers available at a retailer that is associated with the retailer network site;

receiving a selection of a manufacturer offer from the consumer through the retailer network site; and

transmitting information associated with the selected manufacturer offer to the retailer network site.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein providing the list of manufacturer offers includes:

obtaining consumer preference information previously established by the consumer; and

including in the provided list of manufacturer offers at least some manufacturer offers that are specific to the consumer based on the consumer preference information.

6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein providing the list of manufacturer offers includes:

receiving an identification code used by the consumer in making purchases;

using the consumer identification code to retrieve information pertaining to the consumer'"'"'s prior shopping behavior; and

including in the provided list of manufacturer offers at least some manufacturer offers that are specific to the consumer based on the retrieved information pertaining to the consumer'"'"'s prior shopping behavior.

7. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein providing the list of manufacturer offers includes:

obtaining consumer-identifying data;

retrieving information based on the consumer-identifying data; and

including in the provided list of manufacturer offers at least some manufacturer offers that are specific to the consumer based on the retrieved information.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein retrieving information includes retrieving demographic information pertaining to the consumer.

9. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein retrieving information includes retrieving customer profile information previously provided by the consumer.

10. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein retrieving information includes retrieving prior purchasing behavior information based on prior store visits by the consumer.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a postal code associated with the consumer; and

customizing the provided information based on the postal code.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a postal code associated with the consumer; and

customizing the provided information based on the postal code.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes at least a first coupon from a first manufacturer that relates to a particular item of the first manufacturer, and wherein the second information includes at least a first retailer special deal related to the particular item, wherein the first retailer offers for sale the particular item.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the first information and the portion of the second information is together or separately transmitted to the consumer communication node.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes at least a first coupon from a first manufacturer that relates to a particular item of the first manufacturer, wherein the first retailer offers for sale the particular item.

13. A system for distributing product offers and other information to consumers over a communication network, the system comprising:

a processor programmed with one or more computer program instructions configured to;

cause first information related to a plurality of manufacturer offers to be stored in a database associated with a cooperative communication network site;

cause second information related to a plurality of retailer special deals to be stored in the database associated with the cooperative communication network site;

receive a request associated with a consumer communication node that is communicably coupled to a retailer network site, a manufacturer network site, or another independently administered site; and

provide at least a portion of the first information related to the plurality of manufacturer offers from the database and at least a portion of the second information related to the plurality of retailer special deals from the database in response to the request such that the portion of the first information and the portion of the second information are both presented to the consumer communication node, wherein the portion of the first information and the portion of the second information are transmitted to the consumer communication node while the consumer communication node is communicably coupled to the retailer network site, the manufacturer network site, or the other independently administered site but without regard to which one of the retailer network site, the manufacturer network site, or the other independently administered site that the consumer communication node is communicably coupled.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first information includes at least a first coupon from a first manufacturer that relates to a particular item of the first manufacturer, and wherein the second information includes at least a first retailer special deal related to the particular item, wherein the first retailer offers for sale the particular item.