Color printer technology

• US 8,964,244 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Mount, Jeffrey, Greenfield, Steve, Kavis, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudolph, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURLESON, MICHAEL L
• Application Number:
  US12/758,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 400/621, 705/1, 235/381, 345/790
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6097 depending on the characteristics of the output medium, e.g. glossy paper, matt paper, transparency or fabrics

Abstract

The invention provides a method of printing at a POS of register receipts and marketing information in which the required network bandwidth and quantity of ink are both reduced. SVG files are used to specify communications, associated modified image objects are stored locally to the POS, and associated modified image objects are modified version of original objects in which color values are replaced with other color values that result in the same print image, but with printing of less ink.

Claims

1. A method of communicating marketing information from a central computer to a first local computer of a first retail store, the central computer having one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions, which when executed, cause the central computer to perform the method, the method comprising:

determining, by said central computer, marketing information to be provided to a customer;

determining, by said central computer, an association between the customer and the first retail store based on purchase history information that indicates that the customer has previously shopped at the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, the first retail store that should receive the marketing information based on the determined association between the customer and the first retail store;

storing, by said central computer, an association of one or more marketing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files that correspond to the marketing information, a customer identification that identifies the customer, and a retail identification that identifies the first retail store, wherein the one or more marketing SVG files comprise a first image object,

wherein the one or more marketing SVG files when rendered causes a coupon to be printed via the first local computer of the first retail store;

communicating, by said central computer, the one or more marketing SVG files and the first image object to said first local computer of the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, a second image object not previously transmitted to said first local computer of the first retail store, wherein the second image object is to be included with the one or more marketing SVG files; and

communicating, by said central computer, said second image object to said first local computer.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the central computer, one or more second marketing SVG files not previously transmitted to said first local computer; and

transmitting from said central computer to said first local computer one or more second marketing SVG files not previously transmitted to said first local computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first local computer comprises a Point of Sale (POS) computer, a POS terminal, and a POS color printer.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing an SVG code library in an incentive computer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in an incentive computer, SVG files in association with customer identifications; and

storing, in said incentive computer, image objects in association with SVG files.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in an incentive computer, a customer identification read by said POS terminal;

determining, in said incentive computer, an SVG file associated with said customer identification;

rendering, in said incentive computer, said SVG file to a marketing communication image file; and

transmitting, from said incentive computer to a POS color printer, said marketing communication image file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more marketing SVG files comprise a vector location and size for the first image object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image object comprises a new version of the first image file such that the second image file replaces the first image object within the one or more marketing SVG files.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image file comprises a new image file different from the first image file.

10. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing, by the central computer, product purchase information of the customer; and

applying, by the central computer, one or more targeting criteria to the product purchase information of the customer, wherein the determined marketing information is based on application of the one or more targeting criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, by said central computer, an image object library, wherein the image object library is configured to store;

a plurality of image objects, the plurality of image objects comprising the first image object and the second image object, and

information relating to a subset of the plurality of image objects associated with the retail store.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing, by said central computer, in said image object library, information related to whether the first image object is associated with the retail store; and

storing, by said central computer, in said image object library, information related to whether the first image object has been transmitted to the retail store.

13. A system of communicating marketing information from a central computer to a first local computer of a first retail store, the system comprising:

a central computer remote from a first retail store, the central computer comprising one or more physical processors configured to;

determine an association between a customer and the first retail store based on purchase history information that indicates that the customer has previously shopped at the first retail store;

determine marketing information to be communicated to the customer at the first retail store;

identify the first retail store that should receive the marketing information based on the determined association between the customer and the first retail store;

store an association of one or more marketing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files that correspond to the marketing information, a customer identification that identifies the customer, and a retail identification that identifies the first retail store, wherein the one or more marketing SVG files comprise a first image object,

wherein the one or more marketing SVG files when rendered causes a coupon to be printed via the first local computer of the first retail store;

identify a second image object not previously transmitted to said first local computer of the first retail store, wherein the second image object is to be included with the one or more marketing SVG files; and

communicate said second image object to said first local computer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said first local computer comprises a Point of Sale (POS) computer, a POS terminal, or a POS color printer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said first local computer further comprises an incentive computer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said incentive computer is configured to store an SVG code library.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said incentive computer is configured to store:

(i) SVG files in association with one or more customer identifications; and

(ii) image objects in association with SVG files.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said incentive computer is configured to:

(i) receive a customer identification read by said POS terminal;

(ii) determine an SVG associated with said customer identification;

(iii) render said SVG to a marketing communication image file; and

(iv) transmit said marketing communication image file to said POS color printer.

19. A method of communicating marketing information from a central computer to a first local computer of a first retail store, the central computer having one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions, which when executed, cause the central computer to perform the method, the method comprising:

determining, by said central computer, marketing information to be provided to a customer;

determining, by said central computer, an association between the customer and the first retail store based on purchase history information that indicates that the customer has previously shopped at the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, the first retail store that should receive the marketing information based on the determined association between the customer and the first retail store;

storing, by said central computer, an association of one or more marketing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files that correspond to the marketing information, a customer identification that identifies the customer, and a retail identification that identifies the first retail store, wherein the one or more marketing SVG files comprise a first image object;

communicating, by said central computer, the one or more marketing SVG files and the first image object to said first local computer of the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, a second image object not previously transmitted to said first local computer of the first retail store, wherein the second image object is to be included with the one or more marketing SVG files,

wherein the second image object comprises a new version of the first image file such that the second image file replaces the first image object within the one or more marketing SVG files, and wherein the new version comprises a modified version of the first image object that uses less volume of one or more ink colors when printed than the first image object; and

communicating, by said central computer, said second image object to said first local computer.

20. A method of providing marketing information to a customer at a retail store based on Scalar Vector Graphics (SVG) files received from a central computer, the method being implemented on a computer having one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions, which when executed, cause the computer to perform the method, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the computer, purchase history information that comprises a customer identification that identifies a customer involved in a first transaction at the retail store;

providing, by the computer, the purchase history information to a central computer;

receiving, by the computer, from the central computer at least a first marketing SVG file that includes at least a first image object, wherein the retail store has been identified by the central computer to receive the first marketing SVG file based on the purchase history information related to the first transaction;

receiving, by the computer, from the central computer at least a second image object not previously received from the central computer;

including, by the computer, the second image object into the first marketing SVG file;

processing, by the computer, a second transaction with the customer after the first transaction;

determining, by the computer, the customer identification based on the second transaction; and

causing, by the computer, the marketing information to be provided to the customer based on the first marketing SVG file having the second image object and the determined customer identification based on the second transaction.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein causing the marketing information to be provided comprises:

generating, by the computer, a print file based on the first marketing SVG file; and

causing, by the computer, the print file to be printed along with register receipt information related to the second transaction.

22. The method of claim 20, the method further comprising:

causing, by the computer, an association between the customer identification that identifies the customer and the first marketing SVG file; and

identifying, by the computer, the first marketing SVG file based on the association and the obtained customer identification.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second image object is a new version of the first image object, the method further comprising:

replacing, by the computer, the first image object from the first SVG file with the second image object.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first image object is associated with a first image property, the method further comprising:

generating, by the one or more processors, a print file based on the first marketing SVG file and the first image property; and

causing, by the one or more processors, the print file to be printed.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second image object is associated with a second image property that is different than the first image property, and wherein generating the print file is based further on the second image property.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

maintaining, by said central computer, an image object library, wherein the image object library is configured to store;

a plurality of image objects, the plurality of image objects comprising the first image object and the second image object, and

information relating to a subset of the plurality of image objects associated with the retail store.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

storing, by said central computer, in said image object library, information related to whether the first image object is associated with the retail store; and

storing, by said central computer, in said image object library, information related to whether the first image object has been transmitted to the retail store.

28. A system of providing marketing information to a customer at a retail store based on Scalar Vector Graphics (SVG) files received from a central computer, the method comprising:

a local computer comprising one or more physical processors programmed by one or more computer program instructions to;

obtain purchase history information that comprises a customer identification that identifies a customer involved in a first transaction at the retail store;

provide the purchase history information to a central computer

receive, from the central computer at least a first marketing SVG file that includes at least a first image object, wherein the retail store has been identified by the central computer to receive the first marketing SVG file based on the purchase history information related to the first transaction;

receive from the central computer at least a second image object not previously received from the central computer;

include the second image object into the first marketing SVG file;

process a second transaction with the customer after the first transaction;

determine the customer identification based on the second transaction; and

cause the marketing information to be provided to the customer based on the first marketing SVG file having the second image object and the determined customer identification based on the second transaction.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the local computer is further programmed to:

generate a print file based on the first marketing SVG file; and

cause the print file to be printed along with register receipt information related to the second transaction, thereby causing the marketing information to be provided to the customer.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the local computer is further programmed to:

cause an association between the customer identification that identifies the customer and the first marketing SVG file; and

identify the first marketing SVG file based on the association and the obtained customer identification.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the second image object is a new version of the first image object, wherein the local computer is further programmed to:

replace the first image object from the first SVG file with the second image object.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the first image object is associated with a first image property, wherein the local computer is further programmed to:

generate a print file based on the first marketing SVG file and the first image property; and

cause the print file to be printed.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the second image object is associated with a second image property that is different than the first image property, and wherein generating the print file is based further on the second image property.

34. A method of communicating marketing information from a central computer to a first local computer of a first retail store, the central computer having one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions, which when executed, cause the central computer to perform the method, the method comprising:

determining, by said central computer, marketing information to be provided to a customer;

determining, by said central computer, an association between the customer and the first retail store based on purchase history information that indicates that the customer has previously shopped at the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, the first retail store that should receive the marketing information based on the determined association between the customer and the first retail store;

generating, by said central computer, the one or more marketing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files based on coupon data including one or more image files;

storing, by said central computer, an association of the one or more marketing SVG files that correspond to the marketing information, a customer identification that identifies the customer, and a retail identification that identifies the first retail store, wherein the one or more marketing SVG files comprise a first image object;

communicating, by said central computer, the one or more marketing SVG files and the first image object to said first local computer of the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, a second image object not previously transmitted to said first local computer of the first retail store, wherein the second image object is to be included with the one or more marketing SVG files; and

communicating, by said central computer, said second image object to said first local computer.

35. A method of communicating marketing information from a central computer to a first local computer of a first retail store, the central computer having one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions, which when executed, cause the central computer to perform the method, the method comprising:

determining, by said central computer, marketing information to be provided to a customer;

determining, by said central computer, an association between the customer and the first retail store based on purchase history information that indicates that the customer has previously shopped at the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, the first retail store that should receive the marketing information based on the determined association between the customer and the first retail store;

storing, by said central computer, an association of one or more marketing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files that correspond to the marketing information, a customer identification that identifies the customer, and a retail identification that identifies the first retail store, wherein the one or more marketing SVG files comprise a first image object;

communicating, by said central computer, the one or more marketing SVG files and the first image object to said first local computer of the first retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, a second image object not previously transmitted to said first local computer of the first retail store, wherein the second image object is to be included with the one or more marketing SVG files; and

communicating, by said central computer, said second image object to said first local computer;

determining, by said central computer, an association between the customer and a second retail store based on purchase history information that indicates that the customer has previously shopped at the second retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, the second retail store that should receive the marketing information based on the determined association between the customer and the second retail store;

storing, by said central computer, an association of one or more second marketing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files that correspond to the marketing information, a customer identification that identifies the customer, and a second retail identification that identifies the second retail store, wherein the one or more second marketing SVG files comprise a third image object;

communicating, by said central computer, the one or more second marketing SVG files and the third image object to a second local computer of the second retail store;

identifying, by said central computer, a fourth image object not previously transmitted to the second local computer of the second retail store, wherein the fourth image object is to be included with the one or more second marketing SVG files; and

communicating, by said central computer, said fourth image object to said second local computer.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein a first inventory of products available for sale at the first retail store is different from a second inventory of products available for sale at the second retail store.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein determining the marketing information to be provided to the customer at the first retail store comprises:

determining the marketing information to be provided to the customer based on the purchase history information of the customer associated with the first retail store and the inventory of products at the first retail store.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more SVG marketing files are different from the one or more second SVG marketing files.