Systems and methods for providing a user incentive program using smart card technology

• US 8,489,452 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Rajkumar, Warner, Shannon L, Black, Marc R, Mellas, Lisa, Mazour, James L, Salters, Michael D, Berg, Glenda L, Bailey, Ann Elizabeth, Greeder, Michael T
• Primary Examiner(s): Janvier, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, MICHAEL H
• Application Number:
  US10/675,231
• Time in Patent Office: 3,578 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.1, 705/14.3, 705/14.22, 705/14.23, 705/14.35, 705/14.38, 705/14.57, 705/14.25, 705/14.36, 705/14.49, 705/14.5, 705/14.58
• US Class Current: 705/14.38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a loyalty and rewards system that implements a user incentive program using smart card technology are provided. A loyalty system allows a user to systematically search, identify, store, and redeem electronic coupons and rebates associated with products from a large number of providers and manufactures. The loyalty system also integrates the activities associated with the user incentive program (e.g., coupon collection, storage, and redemption, etc.), with existing payment methods (e.g., charging a credit card, etc.) using smart card technology. Thus, the loyalty system allows the user to obtain savings and otherwise participate in the user incentive program without adding time consuming and tedious processing that is normally associated with coupon and rebate programs.

Claims

1. A method for providing a loyalty and rewards system that implements a user incentive program for targeted marketing of retail locations openings, the method comprising:

using a central processor unit of the loyalty and rewards system to identify one or more retail locations that are of interest to a user by identifying a new retail location that is new to the user near at least one of a living area and a shopping area of the user based on a home address of the user and a shopping history of the user, the retail location comprising goods available for customer inspection and purchase;

using a display screen of a computer at a location of the user to inform the user that the new retail location identified by the central processor unit has opened since the user'"'"'s last access to the system, wherein using the central processor unit to identify and using the display screen to inform the user occurs in response to the user signing into the loyalty and rewards system via the computer; and

presenting a personalized electronic coupon associated with the new retail location to the user via the computer, wherein the computer is located remotely from and is in communication with the central processor; and

wherein the personalized electronic coupon is specific to the new retail location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using the central processor unit to identify the one or more retail locations that are of interest to the user comprises identifying the new retail location based on retail location profiles associated with the one or more retail locations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the retail locations profiles include layout information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the central processor unit to identify the one or more retail locations that are of interest to the user comprises identifying a retail location of a kiosk maintaining the computer with which the user is interacting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using the central processor unit to identify the one or more retail locations comprises identifying one or more retail locations that the user frequents.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the central processor unit to identify the new retail location comprises providing an opportunity for the user to specify one or more retail locations that are of interest to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the opportunity for the user to specify the one or more retail locations that are of interest to the user comprises providing an opportunity for the user to search for the one or more retail locations that are of interest to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the personalized electronic coupon associated with the new retail location to the user comprises providing an opportunity for the user to download the personalized electronic coupon associated with the new retail location to a smart card associated with the user.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to using the central processor unit of the loyalty and rewards system to identify one or more retail locations that are of interest to the user, identifying the user from information stored on a smart card associated with the user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, after presenting the personalized electronic coupon associated with the new retail location to the user, enabling the user to add the personalized electronic coupon to the smart card.

9. A method for providing a loyalty and rewards system that implements a user incentive program using smart card technology, the method comprising:

providing an opportunity for a user to specify a first retail location to a computer that is locally positioned with respect to the consumer based on a home address of the user and a shopping history of the user and is in communication with a remote processor;

using the remote processor to identify a new, second retail location near the first retail location that is new to the user, the first and second retail locations comprising goods available for customer inspection and purchase;

using a display screen of the computer to inform the user that the new, second retail location identified by the remote processor has opened since the user'"'"'s last access to the system and to present an electronic coupon specific to the new, second retail location;

generating a shopping list of electronic coupons using the remote processor for retail products available at the first retail location;

sorting the shopping list of electronic coupons according to an order the user would logically encounter each product in the first retail location;

identifying on the shopping list of electronic coupons a location of each electronic coupon-related product on a map of the first retail location; and

presenting the shopping list of electronic coupons to the user via the computer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the opportunity for the user to specify the first retail location comprises providing an opportunity for the user to select the first retail location from a list.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the opportunity for the user to specify the first retail location comprises automatically choosing a default retail location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the default retail location is a retail location previously selected by the user.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the opportunity for the user to specify the first retail location comprises selecting a retail location of a kiosk maintaining the computer with which the user is interacting.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein sorting the shopping list according to the order the user would logically encounter each product in the first retail location comprises sorting the shopping list of electronic coupons based on a physical location of products corresponding to the electronic coupons.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein sorting the shopping list according to the order the user would logically encounter each product in the first retail location comprises sorting the shopping list of electronic coupons based on layout description information associated with the first retail location.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein sorting the shopping list according to the order the user would logically encounter each product in the first retail location comprises sorting the shopping list of electronic coupons based on layout maps associated with the first retail location.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein sorting the shopping list according to the order the user would logically encounter each product in the first retail location comprises sorting the shopping list of electronic coupons based on overhead department signs in the first retail location.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises providing an opportunity for the user to print the shopping list sorted by a layout of the first retail location.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the shopping list of electronic coupons for retail products available at the first retail location comprises mapping electronic coupons for the first retail location that are available in the loyalty and rewards system but have not yet been identified by the user.

19. A loyalty rewards system for targeted marketing of new retail location openings, the system comprising:

a central means for identifying one or more new retail locations that are of interest to a user near at least one of a living area and a shopping area of the user based on a home address of the user and shopping history of the user, the new retail locations being physical or virtual locations that include retail products for sale;

means for informing the user that the identified one or more new retail locations have recently opened, wherein the means for informing informs the user in response to the user signing into the loyalty rewards system; and

means for presenting personalized electronic coupons associated with the identified one or more new retail locations to the user;

wherein the personalized electronic coupons are specific to the identified one or more new retail locations.