Electronic transaction system with entitlement and promotion engines

• US 9,361,620 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leisure Pass Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Leisure Pass Group Limited
• Inventors: Evans, Darran, Truman, Amanda, Leitch, Victor, Macdonald, Alasdair, McRobb, Ken, Robb, David, Saunders, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Ravetti, Dante
• Application Number:
  US13/650,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/16, 705/21, 705/59, 705/71, 380/44, 380/262, 380/278, 380/279
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A system for selling and administering the redemption of travel site access and other privileges to consumers has a computer connected to the Internet that pushes and pulls data to and from a database including site and privilege data, such as, description, cost, purchases, access code, privilege redemption and promotion data. The consumer may purchase access to sites and goods over the Internet and are provided with an access code which can be presented to the consumer in a variety of forms in accordance with the consumer'"'"'s preference. In one embodiment, the code is sent to a mobile phone or computer. Optionally, the mobile device can communicate with a point of sale device to allow access to a given site. The mobile device may also be used to send promotions, such as discounts, to the consumer, which may be programmatically selected and sent based upon logistical, empirical, timing and marketing criteria. Point of sale devices and human representatives may facilitate non-technical consumer use by conducting selected functions, such as the sale and redemption of privileges and the communication of promotions.

Claims

1. A method for selling site-related privileges to consumers having access to a mobile communication device, comprising:

storing, by a computer, data pertaining to a plurality of attraction sites having a geographic location and associated available privileges, within a database in a digital data storage device accessible by the computer;

wherein the data also includes privilege identification data, privilege cost data, and promotional data;

querying, by the computer, a consumer to select privileges to purchase;

wherein the selected privilege cost is reflected in the stored privilege cost data;

determining, by the computer, that the consumer elects to purchase a privilege;

based on a determination, that the consumer elects to purchase a privilege, recording the purchased privilege data as a completed purchase pertaining to the privileges purchased by the consumer, within the database;

creating, by the computer, access data;

wherein the created access data is used by the consumer to access purchased privileges;

associating, by the computer, the created access data with the recorded privilege purchase data;

storing, by the computer, the associated access data with the recorded privilege purchase data within the database;

transmitting, by the computer, the created access data to the consumer;

wherein the created access data is used by the consumer to redeem purchased privileges;

determining, by the computer, that the consumer requests to redeem the privileges that he has purchased;

based on a determination that the consumer requests to redeem the privileges that he has purchased, querying the consumer for his transmitted access data;

receiving, by the computer, the queried transmitted access data;

acquiring, by the computer, from the database, the associated access data with the recorded privilege purchase data;

determining, by the computer, that the queried transmitted access data is valid;

based on a determination that the queried transmitted access data is valid, redeeming the consumer purchased privileges by granting access to the consumer purchased privileges;

wherein the access to the consumer purchased privileges is without further costs or performance requirements;

creating, by the computer, redemption data;

wherein the redemption data indicating that the consumer has received the purchased privileges;

recording, by the computer, the created redemption data in the database;

creating, by the computer, a criteria value that identifies consumers to whom the stored promotional data will be sent to;

wherein the criteria value comprises a value for space/time proximity between a consumer and a site;

verifying, by the computer, the existence of the created criteria value before communicating the stored promotional data to the consumer;

determining, by the computer, sites associated with privileges that are be promoted by the promotional data;

calculating, by the computer, a distance and travel time between the consumer at the location of redemption and the determined sites associated with privileges that are be promoted by the promotional data;

wherein the calculating thereby defines a space/time proximity of the consumer to the sites;

identifying, by the computer, without reference to phone location data, those consumers who are within the created criteria value for space/time proximity to a site at which the redemption occurs;

determining, by the computer, that the consumer is within the created criteria value for space/time proximity of a site capable of being promoted by the promotional data;

identifying, by the computer, the consumer that qualifies under the space/time proximity criteria for receiving promotional data; and

communicating, by the computer, at least some portion of the promotional data applicable to at least one additional privilege of the plurality of available privileges to the consumer by sending the promotional data associated therewith to the consumer'"'"'s mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating, by the computer, at least some portion of the promotional data includes communicating a financial incentive to purchase the at least one additional available privilege.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the financial incentive is a discount capable of being applied to a cost of the purchase of the at least one additional available privilege benefiting the consumer to whom the promotional data is sent and further comprising the step of calculating, by the computer, a reduced price for the at least one additional available privilege purchased by the consumer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating, by the computer, at least some portion of the promotional data to the consumer is timed relative to the time of redemption of a given purchased privilege.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer executes a scenario of travel through space/time when the consumer visits a plurality of sites to redeem purchased privileges, the consumer having a capacity to travel through space/time in executing a given scenario of site visits, and wherein the step of creating, by the computer, a criteria value includes ascertaining logistical compatibility of an additional site with a given scenario of purchased privilege redemption, such that visiting the additional site would not require the consumer to exceed the capacity of the consumer to travel through space/time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of relating the promotional data to at least some instances of privilege data in the database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional data sent to the mobile communication device is communicable to a point of sale device to allow the consumer to receive a benefit conferred by the promotional data.