Wireless communication-enabled promotions and commercial transactions

• US 9,443,248 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Shafi, Naji Shaheimi, Sami, Saad B, Steckler, Alejandro, Jeyakumar, Ashwin Raju
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US13/349,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 705/44, 705/64
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

Coupons and other promotions can be enabled using mobile computing devices with Near Field Communication (NFC) or other wireless communication capabilities. For example, a mobile device user can collect a coupon displayed during a cable TV show by tapping his NFC mobile device to a peripheral device in wireless communication with a cable TV receiver. Collected coupons can be stored in a coupon database at the mobile device. Coupons can be redeemed by tapping an NFC mobile device to an NFC point of sale terminal. Coupons can also be collected from advertisements in audio media and web pages, and can be collected at a mobile device from media displayed at the mobile device. Coupons can have time-based, location-based or other usage restrictions. Collecting information stored in NFC tags affixed to items in a scavenger hunt list can unlock downloadable content.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving user input at a mobile computing device, the user input indicating a request to collect coupon information that is associated with a coupon notice presented by the mobile computing device, the coupon notice being an indication that a coupon or promotion associated with a commercial entity is available for collection or retrieval by the mobile computing device, the coupon notice being presented on a display of the mobile computing device or in an audio format for playback by the mobile computing device, and the coupon notice identifying the coupon or promotion offered as a benefit when the coupon or promotion is provided to the commercial entity;

in response to the user input associated with the coupon notice presented by the mobile computing device, receiving the requested coupon information at the mobile computing device, the coupon information including additional information related to the coupon or promotion that allows a user of the mobile computing device to receive the benefit when the coupon information is provided to the commercial entity;

altering the coupon or promotion by restricting usage of the coupon or promotion based on one or more usage restrictions configured at least in part by the user input, after the coupon information has been received at the mobile computing device; and

transmitting via a wireless communication, the coupon information from the mobile computing device to a point of sale terminal associated with the commercial entity, while the mobile computing device is in a proximity of the point of sale terminal, in order for the user to receive the benefit as restricted by the one or more usage restrictions from the commercial entity after the coupon information is transmitted to the point of sale terminal, while the mobile computing device and the point of sale terminal are both at a location of the commercial entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the coupon information is responsive to the receiving user input at the mobile computing device indicating a request to collect the coupon information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the coupon information occurs before the receiving user input at the mobile computing device indicating a request to collect the coupon information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the coupon information at the mobile computing device in a device coupon database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more usage restrictions are indicated in the received additional information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting the coupon information occurs if the one or more usage restrictions are satisfied.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more usage restrictions comprises a location-based restriction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the location-based restriction comprises a plurality of geographical coordinates defining one or more geographical regions.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more usage restrictions comprises a time-based restriction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the time-based restriction indicates that the coupon information is redeemable within a predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined time period begins upon receipt of the coupon information at the mobile computing device.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more usage restrictions comprises a goods or services restriction identifying the goods or services for which the coupon or promotion can be used.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether the one or more usage restrictions are satisfied.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data associated with a plurality of additional coupon notices;

displaying the plurality of additional coupon notices at a display of the mobile computing device;

receiving user input indicating selection of at least one of the additional coupon notices; and

receiving additional coupon information associated with the at least one selected additional coupon notice.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing the additional coupon information in a device coupon database at the mobile computing device; and

transmitting the additional coupon information from the mobile computing device to a second point of sale terminal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of additional coupon notices comprises coupon notices previously output at the media computing device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is NFC-enabled, and the transmitting the coupon information to the mobile computing device is performed using NFC technology.

18. A mobile computing device comprising:

a processor;

a display;

one or more input devices;

a memory storing computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile computing device to carry out a method, the method comprising;

receiving user input via the one or more input devices, the user input indicating a request to collect coupon information that is associated with a coupon notice presented by the mobile computing device via the display, the coupon notice being an indication that a coupon or promotion associated with a commercial entity is available for collection or retrieval by the mobile computing device, the coupon notice being presented on a display of the mobile computing device or in an audio format for playback by the mobile computing device, and the coupon notice identifying the coupon offered as a benefit when the coupon is provided to the commercial entity;

in response to the user input, retrieving the requested coupon information at the mobile computing device, the coupon information including additional information related to the coupon or promotion that allows a user of the mobile computing device to receive the benefit when the coupon information is provided to the commercial entity;

altering the coupon or promotion by restricting usage of the coupon or promotion based on one or more usage restrictions indicated by the user input, prior to the user receiving the benefit associated with the coupon; and

transmitting via a wireless communication, the coupon information from the mobile computing device to a point of sale terminal associated with the commercial entity, while the mobile computing device is in a proximity of the point of sale terminal, to allow the user to receive the benefit from the commercial entity after the coupon information is wirelessly transmitted to the point of sale terminal, while the mobile computing device and the point of sale terminal are both at a geographic location of the commercial entity.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the mobile computing device is NFC-enabled, and the receiving the coupon information at the mobile computing device is performed using NFC.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for enabling a mobile computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving user input at the mobile computing device, the user input indicating a request to collect coupon information that is associated with a coupon notice presented by the mobile computing device, the coupon notice being an indication that a coupon or promotion associated with a commercial entity is available for collection or retrieval by the mobile computing device, the coupon notice being presented on a display of the mobile computing device or in an audio format for playback by the mobile computing device, and the coupon notice identifying the coupon or promotion offered as a benefit when the coupon or promotion is provided to the commercial entity;

in response to the input, receiving the requested coupon information for storage at the mobile computing device, the coupon information including additional information related to the coupon notice that allows a user of the mobile computing device to receive the benefit when the coupon information is provided to the commercial entity;

altering the coupon or promotion by restricting usage of the coupon or promotion based on one or more usage restrictions specified at least in part by the user input; and

transmitting via a wireless communication, the coupon information from the mobile computing device to a point of sale terminal associated with the commercial entity, while the mobile computing device is in a proximity of the point of sale terminal, in order for the user to receive the benefit from the commercial entity after the coupon information is transmitted to the point of sale terminal, while the mobile computing device and the point of sale terminal are both proximately located at a geographic location of the commercial entity.