Systems, methods, and apparatus for receiving promotion information by a mobile device

• US 8,577,346 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dragt, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, ALEXANDER J.
• Application Number:
  US12/396,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/412.1, 455/466, 455/456.2, 455/3.04, 455/3.01, 709/217, 725/32, 705/14.64, 705/14.1, 705/3, 705/4, 705/5, 705/6
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• 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 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus receiving promotion information by a mobile device are provided by certain embodiments of the invention. According to one embodiment, an information carrying tone may be received at a mobile device from a tone transmission device, wherein the information carrying tone includes at least one location identifier associated with promotion information. A tone processing application of the mobile device may further provide for processing the information carrying tone to extract at least one location identifier, and to transmit, to an information source, an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone. Also according to various aspects, following transmission of the indication, promotional information can be received by the mobile device for subsequent processing and utilization, such as an activation confirmation or a redeemable promotion.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a promotion at a mobile device, the method comprising executing computer-executable instructions performed by one or more processors for:

receiving, by a microphone associated with a mobile device from a tone transmission device, an information carrying tone, wherein the information carrying tone comprises at least one location identifier associated with stored promotion information for the promotion;

processing, by a tone processing application executed by the mobile device, the information carrying tone to extract the at least one location identifier;

transmitting, by the mobile device to an information source utilizing the extracted at least one location identifier, an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone;

transmitting, by the mobile device to the information source, confirmation data indicating that an operator of the mobile device has perceived selected content associated with an event tied to the promotion, wherein the confirmation data facilitates the activation of the promotion, and the confirmation data comprises a unique code or identifier; and

receiving, by the mobile device based at least in part upon the information source processing the indication and the confirmation data, the promotion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a promotion comprises receiving a redeemable promotion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the promotion comprises receiving the promotion via at least one of a short message service (SMS) message or an email.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device, a request for information from the operator associated with the mobile device, and

transmitting, by the mobile device to the information source, a response to the request for information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request for information is presented to the operator, and further comprising:

generating, by the mobile device, the response based at least in part on input received from the operator responsive to the request for information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the response is generated at least in part by the tone processing application based at least in part on data stored in memory of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the mobile device to the operator, a request for confirmation data input, wherein the confirmation data is generated utilizing the confirmation data input.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the request for confirmation data input is generated at least in part by the tone processing application.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the request for confirmation data input is received from the information source responsive at least in part to transmitting the indication.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the confirmation data input is received based upon the user perceiving a confirmation message associated with the selected content, wherein the confirmation message is presented to the operator by one of:

a television broadcast, a radio broadcast, Internet content, a public announcement system, or an advertisement display, and wherein the confirmation data is entered into the mobile device by the operator via a user interface upon the operator perceiving the confirmation message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation data is transmitted to the mobile device by the tone transmission device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected content comprises at least one of:

a television broadcast, a radio broadcast, Internet content, a predefined event, or a predefined activity.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the promotion for redemption in association with a payment transaction conducted by the operator.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein presenting the promotion comprises at least one of:

displaying information associated with the promotion on a display of the mobile device;

transmitting an information carrying tone associated with the promotion to a transaction terminal;

transmitting an information carrying tone associated with an account to the transaction terminal, wherein the promotion has been associated with the account;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with the promotion to the transaction terminal;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with an account to the transaction terminal, wherein the promotion has been associated with the account;

transmitting an information carrying tone associated with the promotion to a kiosk for printing a paper instrument;

transmitting the information carrying tone associated with the account to the kiosk for printing the paper instrument;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with the promotion to the kiosk for printing the paper instrument;

transmitting a radio frequency signal associated with an account to the kiosk for printing the paper instrument.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying information associated with the promotion on the display of the mobile device further comprises displaying at least one of:

an image of a coupon, a barcode, an access code, an authorization code, or a password.

16. A mobile device for receiving a promotion, the mobile device comprising:

at least one input device operable to receive an information carrying tone output by a tone transmission device, the information carrying tone comprising at least one location identifier associated with stored promotion information for the promotion;

at least one network interface operable to receive and transmit data over a network; and

at least one processor operable to execute computer-executable instructions to;

receive the information carrying tone from the tone transmission device;

process the information carrying tone to extract the at least one location identifier;

direct transmission, to an information source via the at least one network interface and based at least in part upon the at least one location identifier, of an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone;

direct transmission, to the information source via the at least one network interface, of confirmation data indicating that an operator of the mobile device has perceived selected content associated with an event tied to the promotion, wherein the confirmation data facilitates the activation of the promotion, and the confirmation data comprises a unique code or identifier,

wherein the promotion is received by the mobile device based at least in part upon the information source processing the indication and the confirmation data.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the promotion comprises a redeemable promotion.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a request for information from the operator associated with the mobile device, and

direct transmission, to the information source via the at least one network interface, of a response to the request for information, wherein the response is based at least in part on at least one of;

input received from the operator, or data stored in memory of the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

direct a presentation of a request for confirmation data input;

receive the confirmation data input; and

generate the confirmation data utilizing the confirmation data input.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to display information associated with the promotion for redemption.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the information displayed comprises at least one of:

an image of a coupon, a barcode, an access code, an authorization code, or a password.

22. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to direct transmission of an information carrying tone to a transaction terminal for redemption, wherein the information carrying tone is associated with at least one of:

the promotion, or an account associated with the promotion.

23. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to direct transmission of a radio frequency signal to a transaction terminal for redemption, wherein the radio frequency signal is associated with at least one of:

the promotion, or an account associated with the promotion.

24. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause a paper instrument be printed via a printing device for redemption.

25. A computer program product for processing promotion information, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable code adapted to be executed by one or more processors to:

receive an information carrying tone at a mobile device from a tone transmission device, wherein the information carrying tone comprises at least one location identifier associated with stored promotion information for a promotion;

process the information carrying tone to extract the at least one location identifier;

transmit, to an information source utilizing the extracted at least one location identifier, an indication responsive to receiving the information carrying tone;

transmit, to the information source, confirmation data indicating that an operator of the mobile device has perceived selected content associated with an event tied to the promotion, wherein the confirmation data facilitates the activation of the promotion, and the confirmation data comprises a unique code or identifier; and

receiving, based at least in part upon the information source processing the indication and the confirmation data, the promotion.