Conditional electronic coupon distribution method and system

• US 7,769,634 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Kin K., Shankaranarayanan, Nemmara K., Luo, Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, James W
• Application Number:
  US12/214,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20080255954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1, 705/14.13, 705/14.21, 705/14.46, 705/14.48, 705/14.55, 705/14.58
• US Class Current: 705/14.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A conditional e-coupon distribution method distributes e-coupons predefined by sellers to mobile users only if the number of mobile users requesting such e-coupons equals or exceeds a threshold. The method receives a request to browse e-coupons from a mobile user. The method receives the location of the mobile user and determines a plurality of sellers local to the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from the local sellers. The method receives a request for a particular e-coupon from a seller and authorizes the provision of said e-coupon to the mobile user. At the end of a processing cycle, the mobile user receives the requested e-coupon if all conditions, such as a period of time and threshold, have been met. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein allows for storage of the method.

Claims

1. An e-coupon distribution method for distributing e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile electronic device of a user to browse at least one e-coupon;

receiving location information for the requesting mobile electronic device;

determining at least one seller local to the location of the mobile electronic device and at least one corresponding e-coupon available from said at least one seller;

sending e-coupon availability data to the mobile electronic device in response to the user request;

receiving a request from the mobile electronic device for at least one e-coupon of a seller from among those identified in the e-coupon availability data sent to the mobile electronic device;

determining whether to provide said requested seller'"'"'s e-coupon to the mobile electronic device in response to the request by

determining the number of pending mobile requests for the seller'"'"'s e-coupons during a processing cycle;

calculating an initial threshold number of requests for the processing cycle based at least in part on the advertising cost associated with the distribution of the c-coupon, the seller'"'"'s profit margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon and estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, so that the threshold number of distributed c-coupons will provide the minimum estimated number of redemptions necessary to make expected returns from redeemed e-coupons greater than advertising costs,

authorizing the provision of said e-coupon when the number of pending mobile requests during the processing cycle is equal to or greater than the threshold number; and

sending said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device upon authorization.

2. An e-coupon distribution method for distributing e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, comprising:

(i) maintaining a mobile user profile and seller profile data in database memory;

(ii) receiving a request for at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user;

(iii) receiving location information for the requesting mobile electronic device;

(iv) determining a seller local to the location of the mobile electronic device;

(v) determining an initial threshold number of user requests for the seller'"'"'s e-coupons by making a calculation based at least in part on the seller'"'"'s profit margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, the advertising fee charged for the distribution of the e-coupon, and estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, so that the threshold number of distributed e-coupons will provide the minimum estimated number of redemptions necessary to make expected returns from redeemed e-coupons greater than the advertising fee;

(vi) determining whether the number of pending requests for said e-coupon is greater than or equal to the initial threshold; and

(vii) when the number of pending requests for said e-coupon is greater than or equal to the initial threshold, sending said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device.

3. An e-coupon distribution system for distributing e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, comprising:

a memory for storing mobile user profile data and seller profile data;

a profile proxy server to receive a request to browse at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user;

said profile proxy server to receive a location of the requesting mobile electronic device;

said profile proxy server to determine a at least one seller local to the location of the mobile electronic device and at least one corresponding e-coupon available from said sellers;

said profile proxy server to send e-coupon availability data to the mobile electronic device in response to the user request;

said profile proxy server to receive a request from the mobile electronic device for at least one e-coupon of a seller from among those identified in the e-coupon availability data sent to the mobile electronic device;

a commerce server to receive said request from said profile proxy server;

said commerce server to log said request in said mobile user profile and said seller profile;

said commerce server to determine whether to provide said requested seller'"'"'s e-coupon to the mobile electronic device in response to the request by

determining the number of pending user mobile requests for the seller'"'"'s e-coupons during a processing cycle;

calculating an initial threshold number of requests for the processing cycle based at least in part on the advertising cost associated with the distribution of the e-coupon, the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon, and estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, so that the threshold number of distributed e-coupons will provide the minimum estimated number of redemptions necessary to make expected returns from redeemed e-coupons greater than the advertising cost;

at the end of the processing cycle, said commerce server to authorize the provision of said e-coupon when the number of pending mobile requests during the processing cycle is equal to or greater than the threshold number; and

said commerce server to send said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device responsive to said authorizing step.

4. A computer program product for use with an output device, said computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium for causing a distribution of e-coupons redeemable for value in the purchase of goods or services from a seller, said computer program product having;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to maintain mobile user profile and seller profile data in database memory;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a request to browse at least one e-coupon from a mobile electronic device of a user;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a location of the requesting mobile electronic device;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine a plurality of sellers local to the location of the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from said sellers;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to provide e-coupon availability data to the mobile electronic device in response to the user request;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a request from the mobile electronic device for at least one e-coupon of a seller from among those identified in the e-coupon availability data sent to the mobile electronic device;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to log said request for an e-coupon of a seller in said mobile user profile and said seller profile;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine whether to provide said requested seller'"'"'s e-coupon to the mobile electronic device in response to the request by

determining the number of pending user mobile requests for the seller'"'"'s e-coupons during a processing cycle;

calculating an initial threshold number of requests for the processing cycle based at least in part on the advertising cost associated with the distribution of the e-coupon, the seller'"'"'s margin for the goods or services associated with the e-coupon and estimated rates of e-coupon redemption, so that the threshold number of distributed e-coupons will provide the minimum estimated number of redemptions necessary to make expected returns from redeemed e-coupons greater than the advertising cost;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer, at the end of the processing cycle, to authorize the provision of said e-coupon when the number of pending mobile requests during the processing cycle is equal to or greater than the threshold number; and

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to provide said e-coupon to the mobile electronic device responsive to said authorizing step.