APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A COUPON PROGRAM

• US 20080065488A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Schwagmann, Norbert, Schmidt, Andreas, Eckert, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/854,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• 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: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A data processing arrangement having a memory device which stores at least one rule specifying at least one coupon and specifying an aim which a user has achieved when the at least one coupon has been allocated to the user, a first communication interface which receives data containing information about the at least one rule, and a second communication interface which receives a request for information about the rule and sends the requested information in response to the request.

Claims

1. A user terminal, comprising:

a memory device configured to store a rule specifying an event whose occurrence indicates that an electronic coupon is to be allocated to a user of the user terminal; and

a coupon allocation device configured to, upon the occurrence of the event, generate an electronic coupon which is allocated to the user of the user terminal.

2. The user terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a mobile electronic appliance.

4. The user terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event is reading of an electronic advertising message by the user of the user terminal.

5. The user terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein the advertising message is an advertising SMS message or an advertising MMS message.

6. The user terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coupon allocation device is an SMS client unit or an MMS client unit.

7. The user terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event is the user terminal being located close to a particular location.

8. The user terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electronic coupon may be generated only within a perdetermined time period.

9. A user terminal, comprising:

a memory means for storing a rule specifying an event whose occurrence indicates that an electronic coupon is to be allocated to a user of the user terminal; and

a coupon allocation means for, upon the occurrence of the event, generating an electronic coupon which is allocated to the user of the user terminal.

10. A method of operating a user terminal, comprising:

storing a rule specifying an event whose occurrence indicates that an electronic coupon is to be allocated to a user of the user terminal; and

upon the occurrence of the event, generating an electronic coupon which is allocated to the user of the user terminal.

3. The user terminal as claimed in claim 12, wherein the user terminal is a mobile radio subscriber appliance or a PDA.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

publishing a status of the user within a coupon program.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the event is reading of an electronic advertising message by the user of the user terminal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the event is the user terminal being located close to a particular location.

14. A communication arrangement comprising:

a server unit configured to provide definitions of various coupon programs in a form of one or more rules; and

a user terminal, comprising;

a receiver configured to receive from the server unit a rule specifying an event whose occurrence indicates that an electronic coupon is to be allocated to a user of the user terminal;

a memory device configured to store the rule; and

a coupon allocation device configured to, upon the occurrence of the event, generate an electronic coupon which is allocated to the user of the user terminal.