Viral distribution and tracking of electronic coupons

• US 9,092,783 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Guday, Shai, Abel, Miller Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sittner, Matthew T
• Application Number:
  US12/580,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user

Abstract

Distributing and tracking electronic coupons based on proximity. Upon detecting recipients proximate to a computing device, one or more electronic coupons are selected and transmitted to the detected recipients. The transmittal occurs via a wireless connection in some embodiments. Coupon properties associated with the transmitted coupons are adjusted (e.g., values decreased, expiration conditions modified, location of transmittal, etc.). Distribution data for the transmitted coupons is stored to maintain a distribution history.

Claims

1. A system for automated viral distribution of electronic coupons between users, said system comprising:

a memory area associated with a mobile computing device of a first user, said memory area storing a plurality of electronic coupons, each of said electronic coupons having one or more coupon properties associated therewith; and

a processor associated with the mobile computing device, said processor being programmed to;

detect a recipient computing device of a second user proximate to the mobile computing device of the first user, wherein neither the first user nor the second user is a merchant or a vendor;

in response to detecting the recipient computing device, automatically select at least one of the electronic coupons stored in the memory area, said selection being based on context-based subject matter filters associated with the detected recipient computing device, the context-based subject matter filters identifying interests of the second user associated with the detected recipient computing device;

transmit the selected coupons to the detected recipient computing device while the detected recipient computing device is proximate to the mobile computing device; and

adjust at least one of the coupon properties associated with the selected coupon stored in the memory area based at least on the transmittal of the selected coupon.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to select said at least one of the electronic coupons based on the first user of the mobile computing device, the second user associated with the detected recipient computing device, and a location of the proximity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a downstream recipient redeems one or more of the transmitted electronic coupons, wherein the processor is further programmed to notify a coupon service of the redemption of said one or more of the transmitted electronic coupons, and wherein each user involved in transmitting the redeemed electronic coupon receives a reward.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to adjust the at least one of the coupon properties by adjusting a value of the selected coupon to zero, and wherein the processor is further programmed to remove the selected coupon from the memory area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupon properties comprises one or more of the following:

a value, a redemption quantity limit, an expiration date, and a distribution location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to transmit the selected coupons to the recipient computing device if the recipient computing device has opted-in to receive the selected coupons.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for viral distribution and tracking of the electronic coupons from the mobile computing device to the recipient computing device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting the coupon properties based on the transmittal of the selected coupon from the mobile computing device to the recipient computing device.

9. A method for automated sharing of electronic coupons between users, said method comprising:

identifying, by a computing device, one or more recipients, wherein at least one of the identified recipients is proximate to a user, said computing device being associated with the user and said computing device being capable of distributing electronic coupons to the identified recipients, wherein neither the user nor the identified recipients is a merchant or a vendor;

in response to identifying the one or more recipients, automatically selecting at least one electronic coupon associated with the computing device, said selected coupon having one or more coupon properties associated therewith, said selecting being based on context-based subject matter filters associated with the identified recipients, the context-based subject matter filters identifying interests of the identified recipients;

providing the selected coupon to the identified recipients; and

adjusting at least one of the coupon properties of the selected coupon associated with the computing device based at least on said providing the selected coupon.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the selected coupon comprises providing the selected coupon to the identified recipients while the identified recipients are proximate to the user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the selected coupon comprises notifying a coupon service of the identified recipients, wherein the coupon service transmits the selected coupon to the identified recipients, the coupon service transmitting the selected coupon being distinct from the computing device that identified the one or more recipients.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, a notification from at least one of the identified recipients, said notification indicating redemption of the selected coupon.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting at least one of the coupon properties comprises one or more of the following:

decreasing a value associated with the selected coupon, and adjusting an expiration condition for the selected coupon.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising rewarding the user of the computing device, in response to the notification, for providing the redeemed coupon.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying a coupon service of said providing and said adjusting.

16. One or more computer storage media storing computer-executable components for automated sharing of electronic coupons, said components comprising:

an interface component that when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to receive, from a mobile computing device of a user, identification of one or more recipient computing devices proximate to the mobile computing device, wherein neither the user nor the identified recipients is a merchant or a vendor;

a coupon component that when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to automatically select, in response to the identification of the one or more recipient computing devices, at least one electronic coupon, said selected coupon having one or more coupon properties associated therewith, wherein the interface component distributes the coupon selected by the coupon component to the identified recipients;

an expiration component that when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to adjust at least one of the coupon properties of the selected coupon responsive to said distributing; and

a track component that when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to store distribution data associated with the selected coupon, said distribution data identifying at least the mobile computing device, said one or more recipient computing devices, and the coupon properties associated with the electronic coupon, the coupon properties including redemption suggestions created dynamically based on the distribution data accumulated by the track component, the redemption suggestions being based on a previous distribution location of the electronic coupon.

17. The computer storage media of claim 16, wherein the track component further generates a distribution history for the selected coupon based on the stored distribution data, the distribution history indicating dates, times, and locations of distribution of the selected coupon.

18. The computer storage media of claim 16, wherein the coupon component selects the electronic coupon based on preferences of users associated with the recipient computing devices identified by the interface component.

19. The computer storage media of claim 18, wherein the preferences include privacy settings and subject matter filters.

20. The computer storage media of claim 16, wherein the coupon component selects the at least one electronic coupon by selecting at least one advertisement and wherein the redemption suggestions are based on one or more of the following:

distribution locations of the electronic coupon, shopping behaviors of users of the recipient computing devices, campaign life cycle, and vendor/merchant preferences.