Incentive Program Awarding Points Per-Mile-Driven

• US 20120245992A1
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas C. Leighton, Frank R. Pender, Heather Cornwell Gray
• Original Assignee: Douglas C. Leighton, Frank R. Pender, Heather Cornwell Gray
• Inventors: Pender, Frank R., Gray, Heather Cornwell, Leighton, Douglas C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to incentive programs awarding loyalty points based at least in part upon the number of miles driven in a motor vehicle. Reward points may be earned by having the vehicle serviced at authorized locations. At the time of servicing, the authorized location notes a current vehicle odometer reading, and the odometer reading is communicated to an administrator of the loyalty program. The odometer reading is used to calculate a number of miles driven since the last authorized servicing, and the number of mile driven is then converted into loyalty points to be credited to a consumer of the vehicle. Thus, incentives for servicing only at authorized locations are provided to the consumer.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method of providing an incentive to a possessor of a vehicle, the method comprising:

awarding, by a server computer operated by a loyalty program administrator, a reward based upon the number of miles driven in the vehicle.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the reward comprises one or more points accumulated in a loyalty account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the loyalty account is associated with a payment card.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the payment card is selected from the group comprising a credit card and a debit card.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the payment card is co-branded with an entity other than a manufacturer of the vehicle.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the payment card is co-branded with a manufacturer of the vehicle.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the number of miles driven is determined by a current reading of an odometer of the vehicle at only a location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the current odometer reading occurs during servicing of the vehicle.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the location authorized by the manufacturer comprises a dealership.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising imposing a limit on a maximum number of miles driven since a previous odometer reading.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein the vehicle is selected from the group comprising an automobile, a motorcycle, and a recreational vehicle.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein the possessor is selected from the group comprising an owner, a lessor, and a renter of the vehicle.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving, by the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator, the current odometer reading.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising calculating, by the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator, the number of miles driven since the previous odometer reading.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising converting, by the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator, the number of miles driven since the previous odometer reading into one or more points to be accumulated in the loyalty account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator receives the current odometer reading over a communications network.

42. The method of claim 35, further comprising accessing, by the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator, the odometer of the vehicle over a communications network.

43. A method for providing an incentive to a possessor of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server computer at a location authorized by a manufacturer of the vehicle, data related to a number of miles driven in the vehicle;

maintaining, on database operated by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, a record of total cumulative miles driven in the vehicle, including a previously recorded number of miles previously driven in the vehicle;

transmitting, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, the data to a server computer operated by a loyalty program administrator;

receiving, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, a reward based on the number of miles incrementally driven in the vehicle from the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator; and

providing, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, the reward to the possessor of the vehicle, wherein the reward includes one or more points to be credited to a loyalty program account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

imposing a limit on the number of incremental miles that is eligible for the reward.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising collecting, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, information relating to the number of incremental miles during servicing of the vehicle at the location authorized by a sponsor of the loyalty program.

46. A server computer comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium storing code capable of being executed by the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the server computer, data related to a number of miles driven in the vehicle;

maintaining, on database operated by the server computer, a record of total cumulative miles driven in the vehicle, including a previously recorded number of miles previously driven in the vehicle;

transmitting, by the server computer, the data to a server computer operated by a loyalty program administrator;

receiving, by the server computer, a reward based on the number of miles incrementally driven in the vehicle from the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator; and

providing, by the server computer, the reward to the possessor of the vehicle, wherein the reward includes one or more points to be credited to a loyalty program account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

47. The system of claim 46, the method further comprising:

imposing a limit on the number of incremental miles that is eligible for of the reward.

48. The system of claim 46, the method further comprising collecting, by the server computer, information relating to the number of incremental miles during servicing of the vehicle at a location authorized by a sponsor of the loyalty program.

49. A server computer for providing an incentive to a possessor of a vehicle, the server computer comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium storing code executable by the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

awarding, by the server computer, a reward based upon a current number of miles driven in the vehicle.

50. The server computer of claim 49, wherein the reward comprises one or more points accumulated in a loyalty account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

51. The server computer of claim 49, the method further comprising accessing and reading, by the server computer, an odometer of the vehicle to determine the current number of miles driven.

52. The server computer of claim 51, the method further comprising calculating, by the server computer, a number of miles driven since a previous odometer reading based on the current number of miles driven.

53. The server computer of claim 52, further comprising imposing a limit on a maximum number of miles driven since the previous odometer reading.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising converting, by the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator, the number of miles driven since the previous odometer reading into one or more points to be accumulated in the loyalty account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

55. A method comprising:

driving a vehicle a number of miles to a location authorized by a manufacturer of the vehicle;

receiving servicing from the location authorized by a manufacturer of the vehicle, wherein the servicing includes collecting data related to the number of miles driven in the vehicle; and

receiving a reward based upon the number of miles driven in the vehicle, wherein the reward is accumulated in a loyalty account associated with a possessor of the vehicle