Computerized credit information system coupon coding

• US 20040024638A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: William R. Restis
• Original Assignee: William R. Restis
• Inventors: Restis, William R.
• Application Number:
  US10/209,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20040024638A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• 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

Abstract

The present invention teaches a device allowing the use of the credit card information system, presently used to convey only credit, identification, and transaction total amount information, to convey details of the products sold and further to re-convey coupon information to the retailer. The primary server continues to serve its normal role as an arbiter or communicator between the retailer'"'"'s computer system/POS terminal and those large computers used to verify transaction information, i.e. receiving and retransmitting packets of data between other computers which handle processing of the information. Database maintenance and access, transaction processing, coupon UPC matching and tranmission and other tasks are carried out by the coupon server. The additional information which needs to be sent and retransmitted is the product identifier (for example, a UPC code). Since UPC codes are also used for coupon information, this functions in both directions. Price adjustment based upon coupons is still carried out normally at the register.

The software necessary to carry out the operation at the POS station/register level may be implemented in parallel to the retailer'"'"'s normal transaction applications (the software the usually handles sales, returns and other POS transactions). In one embodiment, this may be implemented at the level of COM hooks which capture and route or reroute information as needed for the operation of the invention.

Claims

1. A computerized coupon marketing device;

the device comprising;

a) a card having stored thereon consumer identification information;

b) a remote coupon server computer having stored thereon coupon information, the coupon information being associated with the consumer identification information;

c) a point of sale station able to read information from the card;

d) a credit information system connecting the point of sale device and the remote coupon server computer;

e) the point of sale device transmitting to the coupon server computer via the credit information system the consumer identification information read from the card by such point of sale station;

f) the coupon server computer transmitting to the point of sale station via the credit information system the coupon information associated with the consumer identification information.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the point of sale station is able to display the coupon information received from the coupon server computer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the point of sale station is able to print the coupon information received from the coupon server computer.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the point of sale station is able to alter a price of items sold based upon the coupon information received from the coupon server computer.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

g) a coupon information entry module allowing entry of coupon information into the remote coupon server computer.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the card is magnetically encoded.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the point of sale station is selected from the group consisting of:

credit card readers, optical scanners, cash registers, cash registers comprising credit card readers, cash registers comprising optical scanners and combinations thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the credit information system further comprises:

h) at least one primary server.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the credit information system further comprises:

i) credit information transmission protocols.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the consumer identification information is in the form of a Universal Product Code.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupon information is in the form of Universal Product Codes.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second card, wherein the second card is a retailer membership card having a Universal Product Code identifying the card holder.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupon server further contains a retailer membership card Universal Product Code associated with the consumer identification information on the coupon card.

14. The device of claim 13, the coupon server further transmitting to the point of sale station via the credit information system the retailer membership card Universal Product Code associated with the consumer identification information

15. A computerized coupon marketing method of coupon marketing comprising the steps of:

a) issuing a card having stored thereon consumer identification information;

b) providing a remote coupon server computer having stored thereon coupon information, the coupon information being associated with the consumer identification information;

c) using a point of sale station to read information from the card;

d) transmitting from the point of sale device to the coupon server computer via a credit information system the consumer identification information when the consumer identification information is read from the card by such point of sale station;

e) transmitting from the coupon server computer to the point of sale station via the credit information system the coupon information associated with the consumer identification information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the time of reading of the card is a time of sale.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the time of reading of the card is before a time of sale.