Third-party provider method and system

• US 8,175,519 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Transactions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: SF IP Properties 62 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Luis M., Lopez, Kermit D.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/082,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 235/376, 235/383, 235/380, 379/114.01, 379/114.1, 379/114.21, 455/3.06, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 705/14.1, 705/14.64, 705/64, 705/65, 705/75
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• 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 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing negotiable economic credits through, or at the request of, a hand held device in association with a third-party provider communicative with the hand held device and/or a point of sale. At least one negotiable economic credit can be transferred from a third-party provider communicative with the hand held device to the hand held device and/or point of sale. The negotiable economic credit can be stored within a memory of the hand held device and/or point of sale for retrieval and processing at a point of sale associated with a retail establishment and/or by a hand held device. The negotiable economic credit can be associated with a security module for protecting the privacy of the negotiable economic credit. A user profile can be compiled for utilization during the retrieval of the negotiable economic credit.

Claims

1. A hand held device, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless controller configured to transmit and receive data through a wireless data communication network;

and a memory, configured to store at least instructions executable by the processor to perform functions, wherein the functions include;

requesting at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller;

receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller;

storing the at least one negotiable economic credit;

retrieving the at least one negotiable economic credit;

sending the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller; and

after sending the at least one negotiable economic credit, receiving via the wireless controller a message indicating a negotiable economic credit was utilized.

2. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

responsive to the message indicating the negotiable economic credit was utilized, deleting the stored negotiable economic credit that was utilized.

3. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes an electronic coupon.

4. The hand held device of claim 3, wherein requesting the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller comprises accessing a coupon database via the wireless controller.

5. The hand held device of claim 4, wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller comprises receiving the electronic coupon via the wireless controller from the coupon database.

6. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes a product-specific negotiable economic credit.

7. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes a vendor-specific negotiable economic credit.

8. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller comprises receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller as part of an electronic coupon book.

9. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes electronic currency.

10. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein sending the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller comprises sending a plurality of negotiable economic credits via the wireless controller.

11. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store a profile comprising one or more preferences;

wherein requesting the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller comprises transmitting the profile via the wireless controller; and

wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller comprises receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit based on the profile.

12. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store a profile comprising one or more preferences;

and

wherein the functions further comprise;

configuring the profile using the hand held device.

13. The hand held device of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store a profile comprising one or more preferences;

and

wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller comprises;

receiving a first negotiable economic credit;

determining whether the first negotiable economic credit matches at least one preference of the one or more preferences; and

in response to determining that the first negotiable economic credit does match the at least one preference, storing the first negotiable economic credit.

14. The hand held device of claim 13, wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless controller further comprises:

receiving a second negotiable economic credit;

determining whether the second negotiable economic credit matches at least one preference of the one or more preferences; and

in response to determining that the second negotiable economic credit does not match the at least one preference, filtering out the second negotiable economic credit.

15. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable storage medium having software stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform functions comprising:

requesting at least one negotiable economic credit;

receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit;

storing the at least one negotiable economic credit;

retrieving the at least one negotiable economic credit;

sending the at least one negotiable economic credit; and

after sending the at least one negotiable economic credit, receiving a message indicating a negotiable economic credit was utilized.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the functions further comprise:

responsive to the message indicating the negotiable economic credit was utilized, deleting the utilized negotiable economic credit.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes an electronic coupon.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes electronic currency.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein requesting the at least one negotiable economic credit comprises transmitting a profile;

and

wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit comprises receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit based on the profile.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit comprises:

receiving a first negotiable economic credit;

determining whether the first negotiable economic credit matches at least one preference indicated in a profile; and

in response to determining that the first negotiable economic credit does match the at least one preference, storing the first negotiable economic credit.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit further comprises:

receiving a second negotiable economic credit;

determining whether the second negotiable economic credit matches the at least one preference indicated in the profile; and

in response to determining that the second negotiable economic credit does not match the at least one preference, filtering out the second negotiable economic credit.

22. A method, comprising:

requesting at least one negotiable economic credit using a hand held device;

receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit at the hand held device;

storing the at least one negotiable economic credit in a memory of the hand held device;

retrieving the at least one negotiable economic credit from the memory of the hand held device;

sending the at least one negotiable economic credit using the hand held device; and

after sending the at least one negotiable economic credit, receiving, at the hand held device, a message indicating a negotiable economic credit was utilized.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

responsive to the message indicating the negotiable economic credit was utilized, deleting the negotiable economic credit that was utilized from the memory.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes an electronic coupon.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one negotiable economic credit includes electronic currency.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein requesting the at least one negotiable economic credit comprises transmitting a profile stored in the memory of the hand held device;

and

wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit comprises receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit based on the profile.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

configuring a profile using the hand held device.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit comprises:

receiving a first negotiable economic credit;

determining whether the first negotiable economic credit matches at least one preference indicated in a profile; and

in response to determining that the first negotiable economic credit does match the at least one preference, storing the first negotiable economic credit.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit further comprises:

receiving a second negotiable economic credit;

determining whether the second negotiable economic credit matches the at least one preference; and

in response to determining that the second negotiable economic credit does not matches the at least one preference, filtering out the second negotiable economic credit.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

means for requesting at least one negotiable economic credit;

means for receiving the at least one negotiable economic credit;

means for storing the at least one negotiable economic credit;

means for retrieving the at least one negotiable economic credit;

means for sending the at least one negotiable economic credit; and

means for, after sending the at least one negotiable economic credit, receiving a message indicating a negotiable economic credit was utilized.