Identifier-based coupon distribution

• US 9,727,889 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Horowitz, Steven M., Boehle, Jason, Pattan, Bipin
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US15/400,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20170116636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 235375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• 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 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• 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 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A client device detects a QR code (or NFC tag). The client device decodes the QR code. The client device determines that the data encoded within the QR code includes a URL. Based on the URL, the client device sends a first request to a first server identified by the URL. In response to the first request, the client device receives from the first server data configured to cause the client device to display, to a user of the client device, at least one of: a video or an interactive web page. Responsive to the data encoded in the QR code, the client device sends to a coupon server: identification data associated with a user of the client device, and a request for the coupon server to distribute a digital coupon for an offer associated with an identifier encoded within the QR code to an account associated with the user.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:

at a first server;

receiving, at an address associated with the first server, a first request from a client device, wherein the address is obtained by the client device by decoding information associated with a consumer product;

responsive to the first request, returning media to the client device,

requiring a user of the client device to participate in a prerequisite activity involving the media;

at a coupon server;

receiving from the client device a second request to distribute a coupon, wherein the second request includes offer identification data obtained by the client device by decoding information associated with the consumer product;

identifying at least one coupon for the consumer product based on the offer identification data; and

distributing the at least one coupon for the consumer product to the client device based on verification of participation in the prerequisite activity involving the media using the client device.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the address includes a URL specifying:

at least the location of the first server, and instructions for what to include in the first request to the first server.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

the first server detecting an event comprising completing participation in the prerequisite activity; and

responsive to the first server detecting the event, the first server sending confirmation data to the client device to enable the client device to send the second request to the coupon server.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

calling a coupon management application at the client device, wherein the coupon management application is separate from a standard web browser of the client device, and wherein the coupon management application of the client device sends the second request to the coupon server.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1,

wherein the media comprises at least one of:

an interactive web page, a video, and a server address;

wherein the prerequisite activity comprises at least one of a set of one or more interactions with the interactive web page, watching the video, and accessing content at the address associated with the first server.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein verifying participation comprises at least one of:

receiving confirmation by the coupon server from another server associated with the prerequisite activity, directly verifying participation when the coupon server is the first server or otherwise resides on the same computing device as the coupon server, and receiving verification data from a coupon management application running on the client device.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the consumer product is decoded by the client device by scanning a Quick Response (QR) code.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

at the coupon server, providing an indication to the client device that the at least one coupon has been provided.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

at the coupon server, providing instructions to a coupon management application executing on the client device to update a set of one or more coupons previously saved in association with one or more of the user'"'"'s loyalty cards.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

at the coupon server, providing instructions to a coupon management application executing on the client device to update a shopping list to include one or more consumer products related to the at least one coupon.

11. A method comprising:

at a first server;

receiving a request from a client device for a coupon for a consumer product associated with a first identifier decoded by the client device from a signal detected from the consumer product;

responsive to the request, sending media to the client device;

requiring participation in a prerequisite activity involving the media using the client device;

at a coupon server;

receiving from the client device, a second request to distribute a coupon for the consumer product, wherein the coupon is associated with identification data for a user of the client device;

identifying a specific coupon for the consumer product based on the identification data;

distributing, based on verification of participation in the prerequisite activity involving the media using the client device, the coupon by performing at least one of;

storing a digital coupon in an account associated with the user and sending a message to the user with instructions for generating a coupon; and

sending, for rendering at the client device, information about the coupon.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, at the first server, an event comprising completing participation in the prerequisite activity;

responsive to detecting the event, sending confirmation to the client device;

wherein sending confirmation data to the client device causes the client device to send the second request to the coupon server.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising

detecting, at the first server, an event comprising completing participation in the prerequisite activity;

responsive to detecting the event at the first server, sending, from the first server, confirmation data to the client device to cause the client device to send the second request to the coupon server.

14. The method of claim 11,

wherein the media comprises at least one of:

an interactive web page, a video, and a server address;

wherein the prerequisite activity comprises at least one of a set of one or more interactions with the interactive web page, watching the video, and accessing content at the server address.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising verifying participation in the prerequisite activity involving the media using the client device, wherein verifying participation comprises at least one of:

receiving confirmation at the coupon server from another server associated with the prerequisite activity,

directly verifying participation when the coupon server is the first server or otherwise resides on the same computing device as the coupon server, and

receiving verification data from a coupon management application running on the client device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the signal is a Quick Response (QR) code.