Electronic coupon communication system

• US 5,855,007 A
• Filed: 11/15/1995
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: News America Marketing Properties LLC (News Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gene A. Rosov, Neboisa Jovicic
• Inventors: Rosov, Gene A., Jovicic, Neboisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KALINOWSKI, ALEXANDER G
• Application Number:
  US08/559,777
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 348/13, 348/522
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

An electronic coupon communication system for generating and redeeming unique product discount coupons over public computer networks such as the Internet. The system comprises a first Internet node, an Internet coupon server and an Internet coupon notification center. The Internet coupon server generates a unique Internet coupon using a coupon generation process. The Internet coupon server accepts an on-line selection of one of the available unique Internet coupons from a user of the Internet node and transmits the coupon back to the user'"'"'s printing device or e-mail storage. It then records the transaction in its coupon database and notifies the transaction to the Internet Coupon Notification Center. The Internet Coupon Notification Center subsequently records the transaction. Furthermore, a coupon redemption center can electronically verify coupon validity and record coupon redemption by communicating with the Internet Coupon Notification Center.

Claims

1. An electronic computer coupon communication system, comprising:

(a) a network node for selecting, receiving and printing electronic coupons over a public computer network such as the Internet, said node including;

(1) a display coupled to a control processing unit for displaying at least one electronic coupon;

(2) a memory for storing electronic coupons received through electronic transmission from an Internet Coupon Server, which memory permits browsing on said display;

(3) a user input device coupled to said central processing unit to permit a user to make an on-line selection of one of a plurality of electronic coupons collectively stored in said Internet Coupon Server'"'"'s memory;

(b) said Internet Coupon Server being coupled to the Internet Coupon Notification Center, said Internet Coupon Server comprising;

(1) a memory for storing electronic coupons received from an Internet Coupon Server'"'"'s supplier;

(2) a central processing unit for generating and transmitting electronic coupons and for recording and transmitting electronic coupon transactions;

(3) an Internet Coupon Notification Center Gateway for enabling communication with said Internet Coupon Notification Center;

(c) an Internet Coupon Notification Center, including;

(1) means for recording serial numbers of coupons generated by an Internet Coupon Server;

(2) means for recording and updating transactions pertaining to redeemed electronic coupons; and

(d) an electronic coupon, comprising;

(1) a plurality of digital representations of product image and uniform product bar code;

(2) a plurality of digital representations of indicia identifying discount information, product title, coupon owner'"'"'s title, redemption specification, uniform product code, expiration date, coupon serial number, user'"'"'s name, user'"'"'s identification number, user'"'"'s Internet address and user'"'"'s personalized message.

2. The electronic computer coupon communication system of claim 1, wherein said Internet Coupon Server further comprises:

means for storing electronic coupon elements;

means for generating electronic coupons;

means for storing a collection of electronic coupons;

means for recording coupon transmission;

means for transmitting information about coupon transactions; and

means for recording user data.

3. The electronic computer coupon communication system of claim 1, wherein said Internet Coupon Server, utilizes a method of operation comprising the steps of:

generating a new electronic coupon with a unique serial number upon the beginning of an on-line session with an Internet node;

transmitting said selected electronic coupon over a public computer network; and

recording the transmission in said coupon data base.

4. A method of generating a desired coupon in an electronic coupon communication system, comprising the steps of:

selecting an electronic coupon by a user of a computer network node during an on-line session with a computer network Coupon Server;

selecting a coupon from said computer network Coupon Server;

generating a new coupon at the beginning of an on-line session;

receiving a user selection of the electronic coupon during the on-line session from said computer network Coupon Server to said computer network node;

transmitting the electronic coupon to the user'"'"'s computer network node during the on-line session;

displaying said electronic coupon on a display device on said computer network;

generating an optional request message for requesting said electronic coupon to be sent electronically;

transmitting said optional request message corresponding to the selection of the electronic coupon request message including the electronic mail address of destination;

arranging a coupon data base update in response to said electronic coupon transmission, for recording the transaction, including the user'"'"'s identification number and coupon serial number;

changing the coupon serial number in coupon data base;

sending a message to the coupon'"'"'s Internet Coupon Notification Center, said message comprising the coupon serial number and the user'"'"'s identification number; and

verifying the validity of an electronic coupon at a redemption center by accessing said Internet Coupon Notification Center'"'"'s coupon generation database and

an electronic coupon, comprising;

(1) a plurality of digital representations of product image and uniform product bar code;

(2) a plurality of digital representations of indicia identifying discount information, product title, coupon owner'"'"'s title, redemption specification, uniform product code, expiration date, coupon serial number, user'"'"'s name, user'"'"'s identification number, user'"'"'s Internet address and user'"'"'s personalized message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said electronic coupon generation process includes:

taking coupon indicia and digital representations of graphical images in said coupon data base;

coupling said coupon indicia with said user indicia in said user data base; and

placing said coupon indicia in a browsing memory to represent an electronic coupon.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said redemption center records the redemption of coupons by sending a message to said computer network Coupon Notification Center'"'"'s redemption data base.

7. A computerized electronic coupon generating system having an arrangement for recording and analyzing data relative to said coupon, over a public computer network, comprising:

means for selecting an electronic coupon by a user of a computer network;

means for generating an electronic coupon at the initiation of a session on a public computer network;

means for receiving the selection of an electronic coupon of the user during a session on a public computer network;

means for transmitting electronic coupons to the user'"'"'s computer system during a session on a public computer network;

means for displaying electronic coupons on he user'"'"'s computer system;

means for generating an optional request message for requesting electronic coupons to be sent electronically;

means for transmitting an optional request message corresponding to the selection of the electronic coupon, including the electronic mail address of destination;

means for arranging a coupon data base update for recording the transaction in response to an electronic coupon transmission including recording the user'"'"'s identification number and coupon serial number;

means for sending a message to a computer network notification center, said message including said coupon'"'"'s serial number and the user'"'"'s identification number so as to thus record and provide an analytical base for said electronic coupon generation system;

means for verifying the validity of an electronic coupon at a redemption center by accessing the Internet Coupon Notification Center'"'"'s coupon generation data base; and

an electronic coupon, comprising;

(1) a plurality of digital representations of product image and uniform product bar code;

(2) a plurality of digital representations of indicia identifying discount information, product title, coupon owner'"'"'s title, redemption specification, uniform product code, expiration date, coupon serial number, user'"'"'s name, user'"'"'s identification number, user'"'"'s Internet address and user'"'"'s personalized message.

8. The computerized electronic coupon generating system as recited in claim 7, also including:

means for taking coupon indicia and digital representations of graphical images in said coupon data base;

means for coupling said coupon indicia with said user indicia in said user data base; and

means for placing coupon indicia in a browsing memory to represent an electronic coupon.

9. The computerized electronic coupon generating system as recited in claim 8, also including:

means for recording the redemption of coupons by said redemption center by sending a message to said computer network Coupon Notification Center'"'"'s data base.