ITMI990090A1 - EQUIPMENT TO PROVIDE DISCOUNT VOUCHES WITH SELECTIVELY PRINTED RIMS AROUND FAVORITE PRODUCTS - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION of the industrial invention having as title:

"EQUIPMENT FOR DISPENSING DISCOUNT VOUCHERS WITH SELECTIVELY PRINTED RIMS AROUND PRE-WOUNDED PRODUCTS"

DESCRIPTION

Cross References To Related Patent Applications The present invention relates to commonly assigned U.S. Patent Nos. 4 723 212, 4 910 672, 5 173 851 and 5 612 868, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to any transaction in which a receipt is printed.

Based on the details of the transaction, a discount coupon or so-called "coupon" or other similar incentive is printed from the transaction device. The coupon or other similar incentive has a security element such as a hem or watermark, while the receipt has no such security element.

In a specific embodiment, the present invention generally relates to point-of-sale computer systems of the type used in retail stores to record sales transactions. More particularly, the invention relates to point-of-sale systems or so-called "point-of-sale systems" adapted to manipulate coupons or discount coupons with or without hems. Most point-of-sale systems have terminals that are able to read a code printed on each product package and thereby determine the piece from an internal archive stored in a store or warehouse control unit. Products are coded through a series of parallel lines, in accordance with a convention known as the "Universal Product Code" or Universal Product Code.

Background Discussion

As any grocery seller knows, many manufacturers distribute discount coupons or similar incentives for their products or through the mail, printing them in newspapers or magazines, now packing them in similar or related product packages. When a customer presents a coupon or discount coupon at the time of purchasing an appropriate product, typically the store or warehouse control unit operating the terminal will scan the coupon, and the discount will be subtracted from the customer's receipt. While the method or system described above is useful in increasing the speed and accuracy of the transaction, the transaction is not limited to such a process or system.

Although a plurality of different processes can be used to redeem or "rebate" coupons or other incentives at a retail location, a very significant drawback associated with coupons is the distribution systems. More specifically, most coupons or discount vouchers for a particular product are distributed to a person who already buys the same product or a similar product. From a commercial point of view, this is contrary to the usual goal of any sales campaign which is to increase the number of customers buying a particular product, adding new customers. People who have already purchased a product are of course not new customers. Also, people who collect coupons or coupons from newspapers and postal items typically fall into a very small group. First, such people are part of a group who are motivated to collect coupons of any kind, usually for economic reasons. More importantly, customers who collect and "redeem" a particular coupon usually already had some prior knowledge of the product, ie they are likely not "new" customers.

Various other strategies are employed to reach "new" customers. These include bulk mailings of free product samples, coupons or discount coupons, and large "media" advertising. Free samples of certain types of products cannot be conveniently mailed, however, and many potential new customers can still ignore mailing. Similarly, mass media advertising may not be able to reach a potential new customer, or convince them to try a new product, particularly if the customer is already relatively satisfied with a competing product.

Ideally, what is required from a commercial point of view is some way to get an eye-catching coupon or coupon for a selected product, or other similar incentive, into the hands of a customer employing some other product.

In addition, security regarding the authenticity of the redeemable discount coupon or other similar incentive is of prime importance to sellers and manufacturers. Currently, standard and similar coupons, especially black and white ones, are susceptible to duplication by photocopying, and to be

you to people printing similar-looking coupons, and subsequently exploiting the similarity for the rebate. Thus, the cost of a promotional campaign by a retailer and / or a manufacturer can be quite high.

Ideally, what is required commercially is some way to produce a coupon or coupon or other similar incentive that is not easily duplicated or discounted, and to deliver those incentives into the hands of consumers purchasing a product. some other product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus, and a related method, for printing a discount voucher or coupon or other similar incentive at a transaction terminal. In general terms, the apparatus according to the invention comprises means for identifying an initiated transaction and means for printing a discount voucher or coupon or other similar incentive having a hem with or without a watermark. The incentive or hem coupon is printed in response to the nature of the transaction, i.e. products purchased or not purchased, offered at the cashier for payment, or a credit or debit card, etc. The hem color can be a color

-any. Other non-initiating transactions may result in the printing of coupons or other similar non-edged incentives. Furthermore, in both situations, the receipt or receipt of the transaction can be printed without a hem by the same printer that printed the coupons and other similar incentives having hems.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, and a related method, for printing a redeemable discount coupon at a point of sale terminal. In general terms, the apparatus of the invention comprises means for identifying a product triggering or initiating the issuing of a coupon in a customer's order, means for associating the initiating product with a certain quantity of coupons and means for automatically printing at least one coupon. discount coupon having a hem. The coupon with a hem is printed in response either "(1) to the purchase of a certain product or (2) that the customer did not purchase a certain product or (3) that other aspects initiate or excite the release. have been satisfied with the order coupon, such as type of offer or amount, use of loyalty cards, etc. Other unsolicited coupons can be printed for products purchased or not purchased, which have no hem.

More specifically, the means for identifying a starter product include (1) an item file with a starter field contained within each record of each product and (2) means for checking the starter field as each purchase of each product is processed. The means for associating the initiating product with at least one coupon release include a coupon index record archive (1) to which access is obtained by means of an item code and (2) which contains for each initiating product at least one connection with a store of coupon quantities. Each coupon quantity store record contains details of a coupon quantity, including its value, validity period, and a code identifying the product family to which the coupon quantity is applicable. The means for printing coupons include (1) means for determining a printing priority and (2) a printing device adapted to reproduce a bar-type code in a uniform product code format.

A "negative" coupon is a coupon that is printed in response to a customer's failure to purchase a selected starter item. A "multiple-trigger" or so-called "multiple-trigger" coupon is a coupon that is printed in response to the purchase of more than one triggering item in a single transaction. A multi-starter coupon category is the so-called "large user" or "heavy user" type, in which a customer who purchases many items is compensated with a coupon or discount voucher whose value is chosen to depend on the total number of items purchased. . Another category of coupon with multiple starts is a so-called coupon of the "trade event" type or associated with a commercial event, the printing of which is conditioned by the fact that the customer has purchased a multiplicity of items in a group of commercial products. Trade groups can be defined by a product manufacturer or by the store-warehouse.

Briefly, in relation to the negative coupon printing feature, the system of the invention includes (1) a plurality of terminals at customer checkpoints, each having means for reading product codes on items purchased in a customer's order. , (2) a store control unit with which terminals can; communicate, the store control unit having access to an item registration file containing price and other information for each product-item, (3) means for storing the terms of at least a quantity of coupons in which the printing of a discount coupon for a selected product will be initiated or triggered by a customer's failure to purchase at least one staring product, (4) means for identifying staring products in the customer's order (5) means for associating products initiate you with a quantity of coupons, and (6) means for automatically printing at least one discount coupon having a hem, according to the to the amount of coupons and without the customer's intervention or participation except the customer's failure to have purchased starter products.

Printing a coupon having a hem or no hem is made using paper having a thermally activatable or chemically treated dye-treated hem that is capable of changing color upon selective application of heat to produce a hemming profile around the coupon. for products from preferred manufacturers or suppliers. The system of the present invention can therefore print coupons at a control station having a hem or the like around preferred products in response to purchasing a product from a competing supplier and / or failing to purchase products from preferred suppliers. If you want the coupon to be printed not to have a hem, then heat is not applied to the paper in the hem region, and the printer therefore prints a coupon with a white hem. Also, no hem is printed when the receipt is printed. This arrangement permits the use of a paper roll without having to repeatedly change between paper rolls having a hem and paper rolls having no hem.

The invention also comprises the steps of (1) identifying a starter product from among a sequence of products purchased by a customer, (2) associating the starter product with at least a quantity of coupons, and (3) automatically printing a readable coupon to machine having a hem for the customer. More specifically, the step of associating the initiating product with a quantity of coupons includes the steps of (1) accessing a registration of the coupon indices by means of an item-product code of the initiating product, the registration of the product indices containing one or more coupon search elements; then (2) access a coupon quantity record via each of the coupon search elements in the coupon index record. Each coupon quantity record contains all the information needed to print a coupon either having a hem or no hem, and the only remaining steps in creating the coupon are extracting the coupon information from the coupon quantity recording and printing of the coupon.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the present invention represents a significant advance in the field of retail point of sale systems. In particular, the invention provides a technique for creating discount coupons or other similar incentives that may or may not have edges depending on the purchase or non-purchase of some products or other starting or exciting elements on the same printer designed to print the receipts. or customer receipts.

Printing a coupon or other similar incentive having a hem or no hem is made using paper having a hem. Heat-activated or chemically treated dye, which will change color upon the selective application of heat to produce an outline or profile around coupons for products from preferred manufacturers or suppliers. This facility allows a single paper feed to produce coupons or incentives with or without a hem, as well as any standard customer receipt format. Since any number of chemicals can be impregnated into the paper material, any color scheme can be generated for any number of product formats.

The purchase or non-purchase of products that initiate the creation of the coupon having a hem highlights the preferred product presented on the discount coupon, thus attracting the attention of the customer. Also, the hem makes it more difficult for a person to (1) photocopy the coupon or incentive or (2) make a similar copy of the coupon or incentive using a printer. Thus, the use of a hem provides security for the retailer and manufacturer against redemption of coupons, unauthorized or other similar incentives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete evaluation of the invention and many of the associated advantages thereof will be readily obtained as it is better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating the apparatus of a point-of-sale computer system for use in a retail store or warehouse; Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating inter-relationships between the main files employed in the apparatus of the invention; Figure 3 is a simplified flowchart illustrating the functions performed in a general wait loop of the terminal program;

Figure 4a is a simplified flowchart illustrating the functions performed at a control terminal during coupon creation;

Figure 4b is a simplified flowchart illustrating the functions performed in processing queued coupon print requests during coupon creation;

Figure 4c is a simplified flowchart illustrating additional functions performed in the input processing, for processing negative coupon quantities and coupon quantities relating to multi-start items;

Figure 4d is a simplified flowchart illustrating the functions performed in Figure 4c in determining whether multiple start coupon quantities have been satisfied;

Figure 5a illustrates a coupon having a hem along the preformed edges of the printer paper;

Figure 5b illustrates a coupon having a rim surrounding the coupon text;

Figure 6 illustrates a coupon without a hem; Figure 7a illustrates an incentive having a hem along the preformed edges of the printer paper;

Figure 7b illustrates an incentive having a rim surrounding the incentive text;

Figure 8 illustrates a coupon having a hem and a watermark;

Figure 9 illustrates a coupon having a plurality of edges; And

Figure 10 illustrates a transaction device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS General

Referring now to the drawings for illustrative purposes, in which like reference numerals indicate identical or corresponding parts throughout the various views, the present invention relates to point of sale systems for recording sales transactions involving the creation of discount vouchers or coupons or other similar ones. incentives having edges or not having edges.

Figure 1 broadly illustrates the components of such a system. In each store or warehouse where the invention is to be employed, there is a store or warehouse point-of-sale unit, indicated by the reference numeral 10, and there are a plurality of control terminals 12, each having an optical scanner associated 13. Associated with the control unit 10 there are a plurality of files, indicated by 14. The files are used by the control unit 10 to provide information to the terminals 12. In a type of point of sale system, the files 14 contain a record for each product in the store or warehouse, and then are used to access price information or other information concerning the product.

Control unit 10 is coupled to a retailer's central computer 16, as indicated by line 18. Line 18 may be a telephone line or some other communications link. The retailer's central computer 16 controls communications with all store control units 10, in the various stores or warehouses of the retailer, and is responsible for generating various accounting reports, as indicated by 20. The central computer 16 of the retailer or of the vendor has an associated database 22 of various records relating to the operations of all of the vendor's stores or warehouses.

Point-of-sale systems of the general type described above are not normally equipped to manipulate coupons or discount vouchers, except that the control devices at the terminals 12 are able to scan the presented coupon which must be discounted or redeemed by a receipt from the customer. However, according to the present invention, at least one of the control terminals 12 has associated with it a thermally activatable coupon printer 24, and the system includes means, which will be described, for identifying a "initiating" or "priming" product among the items. listed in the customer receipt. A starter product is a product that has been selected for start-up or to be an element in the initiation of printing a coupon. Typically, however, each control terminal has a thermally operable printer integrally assembled with it. The thermally operable printer can print both types of coupons and the transaction receipt.

The files 14 associated with the store control unit 10 include an item registration file 30, a coupon search or scanning file 32, and a coupon annotation file 34. The item registration file 30 is a standard price file used in point-of-sale systems, except that it includes a start-up identifier, which constitutes an additional one-bit field. There is also room in the posting of items for two fields known as family group codes. A family group code is a three-digit or three-digit number assigned by the product manufacturer to identify the product as belonging to a particular product group. A single product can belong to (1) two of these groups or (2) more than two of these groups if an extended recording format is employed. As will be discussed in more detail below, household group codes are employed in the coupon validation process, where a coupon presented for redemption or rebate is examined for validity in relation to a particular customer receipt. For example, a particular coupon may be valid for a family group comprising all the different sizes of a product package.

In the coupon creation process, archives 14 are employed as illustrated in simplified form in Figure 2. The coupon search or review file 32 includes records of two types: coupon index records, indicated by 40, and records. instructions of coupon quantities, indicated by 42. When a product in a customer's purchase transaction is revealed as a initiating item, by revealing the initiation identifier 43 in the registration 44 of the items for that product, the system is able to locate a coupon index record corresponding to the initiating product, as indicated by arrow 45. Coupon index record 40 contains an item code (i.e. there is a unique coupon index record for each initiating product), and it contains as well as at least one coupon search or review number (CLU). The CLU provides a link to at least one record 42 of coupon quantity, as indicated by arrows 46. This structure allows a particular initiating product to initiate printing of one or more coupons having edges 94, as shown in Figure 5a , which may belong to different product groups, and allows different starter products to initiate the printing of a coupon having a hem 94 for a single product group. Each coupon quantity record 42 contains the details of a particular coupon quantity, including the discount value, the validity dates of the quantity, a message to be printed on the coupon, and various numbers or counts recording the activity of the coupon quantity. coupon.

Archives formats

The coupon search archive or "look-up" includes two types of registration: the registration of the CIR coupon indexes and the registration of the coupon quantity (CDR). Both types of registration begin with a six-byte key having the following format:

The X field indicates the type of registration. For example, if X = 00, the posting could be a coupon index record, and, if X = 01, the posting could be a ^ of the coupon quantity. The five-byte data field is different for each of the two record types, as will be apparent from the following formats. The registration format of coupon indices can be as follows:

The item code contains the Uniform Product Code for the product, in binary form. The sixth byte identifies the record as a coupon index record. The CLU # provides a link between a starter product and a particular record of coupon quantity. To enable the purchase of a product to trigger more than one quantity of coupons, a coupon index record may contain additional CLU # fields and identifier fields, following the format shown above. Therefore, the purchase of a product can trigger the printing of more than one coupon.

The individual bits in the identifier field of the coupon index record have the following meanings, where bit 7 is the most significant bit and bit 0 is the least significant bit:

Bit 7 - Annotation only (printing inhibited),

Bit 6 - High priority coupon,

Bit 5 - Applicable minimum remainder due,

Bit 4 - Start Bit,

Bits 3-0 - Sequence of starting articles no, (1-9).

The trigger bit or "trigger bit" is a copy of the trigger bit contained in the article registration. However, the posting of items may have its starter bit reset during routine maintenance, and the starter bits in the coupon index record are copied into the posting of items on a regular (such as daily) basis. The annotation identifier - only is used to prevent printing, and it can be used to monitor the number of coupons that would have been created by the use of a particular initiating product. The high priority identifier allows printing coupons immediately upon disclosure of the initiating product in a customer order. For a low priority coupon, printing is postponed until the entire order has been processed. The identifier relating to the minimum change due allows printing to be inhibited unless a minimum change due is not reached by the user's order. Finally, the sequence number of the initiating items is a digit or digit that can be used to identify the initiating product in cases where the same quantity of coupons is triggered by the purchase of different products. The starter item sequence number is printed on the coupon that is created, and can therefore be used after coupon redemption to create an appropriate annotation record allowing analysis of which starter items have resulted in coupon discount sales.

It should be noted that the coupon index record has a length of nine to fifteen bytes. The start-up identifier in the first byte of the registration identifier is the only one used - i.e. the start-up bit in identifier bytes for any additional CLUs are not used. The CLU # field can be cleared to denote that the initiating product is no longer linked to a particular coupon quantity.

Each coupon quantity record contains the details of a coupon that must be printed. The format is as follows:

The field of values contains the discount amount of the coupon and the manufacturer code is a number that uniquely identifies the manufacturer of the products for which the coupon allows you to obtain a discount. Each coupon quantity refers either (1) to a discount on a particular product or (2) to a discount on any product of a product family, the codes of the family being assigned by the manufacturer. A discount could be applied, for example, to all formats or sizes of a product, or to any group of related products.

The expiration date (exp.date) contains a number indicative of the expiry date of the coupon. This can be a validity period in days from the coupon print date, or it can represent the number of days from some fixed time reference. The start and end dates (start date and end date) are also measured in number of days from the same reference, module 1000, and they indicate the period during which the quantity of coupons extend, i.e. the period during which the coupons will be printed.

The continuity CLU field (CLU cont.) Can be used to trigger the printing of another coupon when the original one is redeemed. The field is zero if there is no such chained coupon quantity. The "lengths" fields are four fields of one byte each defining the length of a line of text in the offer description and in the advertisement that follows.

The "counts" fields are four fields separated by two bytes to record counts of the total number of coupons launched, the total number of printed coupons, the total number of redeemed coupons, and the total number of erroneously redeemed coupons. Counts are used for coupon usage analysis purposes, in both coupon creation and coupon redemption phases.

The flag field of the coupon quantity registration contains only three significant bits of information. Specifically, the identifier bits have the following meanings, when set to a state of one:

Bit 7 - annotation only (printing inhibited),

Bit 6 - free coupon (no charge for the item)

Bit 5 expiration date of the validity period.

When bit 5 is set, the expiration date indicates the number of days beyond the print date that the coupon must remain valid. If bit 5 is not set, then the expiration date indicates the number of days beyond a preselected reference date that the coupon must remain valid.

The coupon annotation repository is a sequential repository where a new registration is written each time a coupon is printed and a coupon is redeemed. The format of the record archive record is as follows:

The store or warehouse number field contains a related store number. A value of 01 indicates a local shop and a value of 02 indicates a support shop. This code is not critical to the invention, and it refers to the use of a back-up store control unit (at another store) for validation or control check-out operations. The terminal number indicates the control post or "check-stand" where the transaction took place. The code field

functions has the following possible meanings:

F1 (hexadecimal) creation of coupons

F2 redemption

F3 shop support procedure

ticket

The identifiers (flag) field has the following meanings:

30 (hex free coupon

40 no ransom sale

20 chained continuity (if creations), or

manually entered coupon value (if redemption) 10 redemption canceled

OF code reasons

The low four bits of the identifier field

they are used to register a relative region

to the non-printing or the lack of redemption of cou-

pon. The various reasons can, for example, be

the following, where the four-digit value o

digit represents the binary state of the field.

A Print Coupons

0000 printed

1000 printing inhibited, in the whole store

1001 Inhibited print at this exit

1010 printing inhibited for this CLU #

1011 printing inhibited for this article

0100 usable to access the coupon index registration 0101 unable to access the coupon quantity registration 0010 transaction below the threshold

0001 CLU # duplicated,

1100 printing disabled by the operator.

B. Failure to redeem

0000 normal redemption

0001 article not in order

0010 expiration date expired

0100 adaptation only in the manufacturer number

1000 accepted (validation disabled)

The date / time of the transaction is recorded in the form MMDDHH, where MM is the harvest, DD is the day of the month and HH is the time of day. The CPN # field is used to record the entire set of data read from a printed coupon, and the UPC # field records (1) the code of the starting products in the case of coupon creations and (2) the code of the purchased products in the case of redemptions or allowances.

General information on Hardware and Software

The hardware employed in the present invention is conventional for point-of-sale systems. Various manufacturers provide point-of-sale housing, and the invention is not limited to any particular configuration. By way of example, the invention is currently implemented using the 4690 Store Program of Business Machines Corporation (IBM). The store or warehouse control unit 10 is an IBM 4690 and the terminals 12 are IBM 4693 terminals. The IBM 4693 terminal incorporates a user receipt station which can be used to print the aforementioned types of coupons or incentives and receipts. .

IBM provides a software operating system for use in controlling operations in the described hardware. The operating system is called the IBM 4690 Store System. The IBM 4690 Store System is a universal or so-called "generai, purpose machine" that can be used in many retail environments. In this particular environment, the IBM 4690 Store System operates in accordance with a specific software application, i.e. the IBM 4690 Supermarket Application. Communication between the terminals and the store control unit is achieved using a plurality of communication protocols, such as so-called ethernet.token ring or store loop.

All these aspects of the hardware of the software of the invention are well known and well defined in the commercial literature and in the technical literature of IBM. For more information, a useful starting point is the publication (SC30-3517-04), published by IBM. Dept. E35, P.O. Box 12195. Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709.

The printer hardware employed in the present invention can be any conventional printer capable of printing on heat-activated heat-sensitive paper. The thermally operable printer 24 includes a fixed segment print head which contains individual heating segments. The fixed segment print head extends across the width of the paper. Each heating segment can be heated independently so that the chemicals or dyes present in the paper can be thermo-activated. Data from the registration of coupon quantities is used to format the physical segment print head of the thermally operable printer. Heating segments of the fixed segment print head of the thermally operable printer 24 located in a central region of the print head print the details of the particular coupon quantity or incentives from the registration 42 of the coupon quantity. Heating segments located near the outer edges of the fixed segment print head print the coupon hem. Such printer hardware is manufactured, for example, by IBM as a thermal printer model number 4116.

The paper that is used to create the coupon contains a thermally activatable chemical reagent dye which, when subjected to the heat of the thermal printer, changes the color of the paper from the original base color of the paper itself. In this case, the coupon and hem color details are the same color. Typically, a chemical agent capable of producing a color upon activation is embedded in this paper. By using this card the coupon 94 can have a hem 95 as shown in Figure 5a. Depending on the formatting of the printer, the coupon 94 may have a hem 106 as shown in Figure 5b. Coupon 94, as shown in Figure 5b, can only be created when a single chemical or dye is embedded in the paper, since the rim surrounds the coupon text and is thus activated by the same chemical dye. Incentives 97 printed in accordance with this process are shown in Figures 7a and 7b as having hems 107, 108, respectively.

A different chemical or dye can be impregnated into the hem region of the paper, such that the resulting coupon has a hem or border of one color and the coupon details have another color. The hem color can be any color. Typically, the color of the dye or the activatable or activated chemical agent producing the coupon details is the color black, and the color of the activated dye or chemical agent producing the rim or border is the color red. The use of such a card provides coupons 94 such as those represented in Figure 5a and incentives 97 such as those represented in Figure 7a. This paper is manufactured, for example, by Ludlow Technical and is marked with CMC II thermal roll. Conventional software is used to control or operate the printer.

Coupon creation

The coupon creation functions performed by the terminals 12 and by the control unit 10 are illustrated in Figures 3, 4a and 4b. Figure 3 illustrates a "general wait state" of the terminal, in which the terminal software cyclically checks to determine if any processing is required. Once the treatment is initiated at a certain stage, a return is performed to the general waiting state, as will be further explained below. However, the coupon printing may precede the receipt printing, or the receipt printing may precede the coupon printing. Creating the coupons as described below is a preferred embodiment, but the invention is not limited to that embodiment.

The first illustrated block of the general wait state asks whether there is input data to be processed, as indicated at 50. The input data typically takes the form of an input from a barcode scanner device, but can also include keyboard input by the terminal operator. If there is input data to process or process, the terminal departs from the general wait state and enters an input program sequence, as indicated by 51. If there is currently no input data to process, the The next test, placed in block 52, is to determine whether a requested response has been received by the control unit 10. As will be described below, each of the terminals 12 frequently makes requests to the control unit 10 regarding access to archives. The requesting program re-sends control to the general wait state, to wait for the response to arrive. If a reply has been received, then control is transferred to a reply return point as indicated by 53.

The response return point sequentially follows the point in the program from which the archive access request was made to the control unit.

If no response has been received from the control unit 10, then the next question asked in the general waiting state is whether a so-called time-out or preselected time period has been completed, as indicated by 54. As will be described, a time-out is initiated after each coupon printing request, to ensure that the coupon printing function does not completely occupy the time of the terminal printer. In the apparatus currently employed to implement the invention, coupons are printed in a separate station of the printer, but using a print head shared in common by other printing stations. In this way, separate printed documents can be generated at the separate stations, but the single printhead behaves in. actually as a single printer. Printing too many coupons can preclude or restrict the printing of a customer receipt. When the time-out has been completed, a return is made to the program that initiated the time-out, as indicated in 55. If the time-out is not yet complete, then control is transferred again to the beginning of the loop of general waiting state.

In the entry processing stages, represented in Figure 5a, only the purchase and coupon creation functions are shown. If the entry involves redemption or rebate of coupons, as determined in block 58, then control is transferred to the redemption or rebate processing functions (not shown). Otherwise, the first step or the first phase of the input processing is to obtain the entry of the product code to the terminal, as indicated in block 60. Then a request is made to the control unit 10 for the registration of the corresponding articles to the entry product code. The request for this registration, as indicated at 61, is one of a plurality of these requests made to the control unit during the input process. In each case, after the request has been transmitted to the control unit 10, a return is made to the general wait state represented in Figure 3, to await the return of the response from the control unit. When the response is received, the wait state cycle of Figure 3 transfers control back to the input sequence, at a point immediately following block 61.

Thereafter, as indicated at 62, a print request is issued to start printing a line on the customer receipt. The print request results in the storage of printable data in a print queue. A function of the system software associated with the terminal is (1) to take printable information from the print queue on a first-infirst-out basis, and (2) to print it using the terminal's printer .

Up to this point in the entry processing, the functions performed are conventional functions that take place regardless of whether any coupon creation should occur. In the next step, indicated by 63, a check is made to determine if the start flag is set in the item registration being processed. If the start flag is set, then the control unit 10 is requested to register the indices of the corresponding coupons, as indicated at 64. If this is a normal start arrangement, as described in U.S. Patent 4 723 212, then the coupon look-up or look-up number (s) (which and or which are stored in the coupon index record) is / are placed as a coupon request in a coupon queue, as indicated at 65, together with the identifiers associated with each coupon look-up number in the coupon index record. If the item is a product in a multiple-trigger coupon quantity, and if the item is not also the subject of a separate normal starting provision, then the step of storing a coupon request in the coupon queue will be bypassed.

Regardless of whether this is a "normal" starter product coupon starter or "negative" coupon starter, or one of multiple starters, the occurrence of the starter product is preserved in a starter item list for this transaction , for use at the end of the transaction in processing negative and multiple starts, whereby a coupon (or a coupon having a hem or a coupon having no hem) will be printed.

One of the identifiers associated with coupon index registration is, of course, the print priority identifier, and this determines where the coupon request will be placed in the coupon queue. High priority coupons are placed behind any already queued high priority coupons, and in front of any low priority items, while low priority items are placed at the bottom or end of the coupon queue. After entering a coupon request in the coupon queue, a return to the general waiting state is implemented, as indicated by 66.

If a product being processed has no coupon starter identifier, as determined in block 63, there is still a possibility that a coupon must be printed during the current transaction. The memory has the option to print a standard coupon with no hem if no other coupon is printed in a transaction - usually as long as a minimum purchase requirement is met. Also, negative coupons and multiple starters or grafts having hems must be handled at the end of the transaction. First, a check is performed, in block 67, to determine if the transaction has advanced to the point at which the change due has been recorded on the terminal - that is, when all items have been entered and processed. If the point corresponding to the change due has not been reached, then control is transferred to block 66 to return to the general waiting state. If the otherwise due point has been reached, control is subsequently transferred to an additional processing program 67.1 illustrated in Figure 4c. This supplemental processing program, which will be discussed later, manipulates negative coupons and multi-start coupons. When the additional processing has been completed, a return to block 68 is performed, which asks the question as to whether any coupon was actually printed during the entire transaction. If the answer is no, then a non-rimmed store standard coupon is stored in the coupon queue, as indicated in block 69, before performing a return to general wait state. Entry processing proceeds in the manner depicted in Figure 4a, coupon requests being placed in the coupon queue when corresponding starters are detected in the transaction. The process by which coupon requests are removed from the coupon queue is illustrated in Figure 4b.

The supplementary processing of starting articles is represented functionally in Figure 4c. First, as shown in block 70.1, access is obtained to a list of initiating articles registered for this particular transaction. Then, as indicated in block 70.2, the question is asked whether any negative coupon quantity is in effect. If so, the list of starter or starter items or items is examined, in block 70.3, to determine if any negative starter items were not purchased during this particular transaction. The absence of a negative starting item from the list determines the storage of the coupon request, in block 70.4. If there are no negative coupon quantities, as determined in block 70.2, or if the terms of a negative starting quantity are not met, as determined in block 70.3, or after storing a coupon request, in block 70.4, control is transferred to block 70.5, which determines whether multiple starting quantities are in effect. If there is none, then an exit is made from that processing program as indicated in 70.6. If at least one multi-start quantity is in effect, then the terms of the quantity are examined, as indicated in block 70.7, which is expanded in Figure 4d. If the quantity terms are met, then a coupon request is stored in the coupon queue, as indicated in block 70.8, and control is transferred back to block 70.5 to control additional multiple start coupon quantities. If the terms of the quantity of multiple start coupons are not met, then block 70.8 is bypassed. It is to be understood that a plurality of multiple start coupon quantities may be in effect simultaneously in a particular store. This will require multiple steps through the logic of Figure 4c. In other words, exit from the processing program, in 70.6, is only implemented after returning to block 70.5 to determine if any further amount of multiple starts still remains to be processed.

In determining whether the terms of a multiple start quantity have been met, it is first determined, in block 71.1 (Figure 4d), whether a trade event quantity is in effect. If so, then the list of initiating items for this transaction is scanned to determine compliance with the quantity conditions. A trade event quantity can involve the purchase of any predetermined number of items in a predefined trade product group. If the terms of the quantity of trade events are satisfied, as indicated in block 71.3, then the affirmative output is fetched from the processing program, as indicated in 71.4. Otherwise, the negative output from the program is assumed, as indicated by 71.5. If no amount of trade events are in effect, then a simpler form of multi-start coupon is assumed to be in effect. The starter item list is scanned, in block 71.6, to accumulate a count of the number of starter items purchased, or the total dollar amount purchased or spent, as desired. If the requirements are met, as determined in block 71.7, then the affirmative output (71.4) is assumed or taken. Otherwise, the negative output (71.5) is taken.

After the completion of the input processing, as described with reference to Figures 4a, 4c, and 4d, a return to the general wait state is always carried out, as indicated by 66 in Figure 4a. Processing of the coupon queue proceeds in accordance with the flow chart of Figure 4d. After a return from a timeout, from the general wait state, the coupon queue is first checked, as represented in 72, to determine if there is any pending coupon request to be processed. If there are any, then the next question asked, in block 73, is whether the remainder due has been reached in the transaction. If this has not been achieved, then the only coupons eligible for printing are high priority coupons. This is determined in block 74. If there are no items or items in the coupon queue, or if there are only low priority items and the point has not been reached, then control is transferred to block 75, which selects a period of zero or near zero time-out. Then, in block 76, the time-out is started and the return is implemented to the general waiting state. Control will then be swiftly transferred back from the general wait state to check the condition of the coupon queue once again.

If the change or change-due point has been reached, as determined in block 73, then the next test, in block 77, is to determine whether the end of the transaction has been reached - that is, whether the terminal operator has received payment for the sale and closed the transaction in preparation for the start of a new one. If this is not the case, then control is transferred to the next step, in block 78, to select the next raw item in the coupon queue. If the end of the transaction has been reached, however, then an annotation-only identifier is set, in block 79, before passing to block 78. Control also passes to block 78 if a coupon creation request is detected in block 74 high priority.

At this point, a coupon creation candidate will have been selected from the coupon queue, but it will still be subjected to a plurality of further tests before an actual print request is made to print the coupon. First, in block 80, a check is performed to determine whether the same coupon has already been printed in this transaction. Only one coupon of the same lookup or coupon search number is normally allowed for each transaction. Subsequently, if there has been no previous coupon of the same type, then a check is carried out in block 81 to determine whether a minimum purchase threshold has been reached. For each coupon quantity, there is an option to prevent coupon printing if a designated total purchase minimum (store-wide) is not reached. If the response obtained from block 81 is negative, then control is transferred to block 75, to exit the general waiting state, but without removing the coupon request from the coupon queue. The next time the coupon is processed, the total purchased amount is checked again. If the coupon is never printed, because the threshold purchase quantity is not reached by the end of the transaction, then an annotation record is created for the coupon.

In block 82, a check is performed on the count or total number of coupons printed for this transaction. If the number exceeds a maximum set for this particular control terminal, then no further coupon printing is allowed. In addition, printing is not allowed if a printing inhibit identifier has been set, as determined in block 83. If printing is inhibited, or if the maximum coupon count is reached, or if the coupon has already been printed, then the annotation identifier is usually set, as indicated in block 84, before proceeding to the next step represented in block 85, in which the complete registration of the quantity of coupon, corresponding to the entry of the currently processed coupon queue, is requested by control unit 10.

Next, if the annotation-only identifier is not set, as determined in block 86, then in block 86.1 a determination is made as to whether the coupon quantity requires instant redemption, i.e. the application of a discount without printing of a coupon. If instant redemption is not required, then the coupon is formatted for printing, as indicated in block 87, using the information obtained from recording the coupon quantities. Then, a print request is issued, as indicated in block 88, to place the printable data that must appear on the coupon in the print queue. This data will include barcode data which will result in the printing of a coupon with relevant information encoded in the form of barcodes. If instant redemption is required, as determined in block 86.1, then a discount is applied directly to the customer receipt as indicated in block 88.1, and blocks 87 and 88 are bypassed to avoid printing a coupon. The discount amount may depend on the number of initiating items (in quantity or multi-starter coupon operations) or other predefined factors for coupon quantity or operation.

Data from the record of coupon quantities (such as the identifier, as described above) is employed to format the thermally operable printer 24 to print a hem 95 around the preferred coupon 94 as shown in Figure 5. Preferably, the hem 95 of the coupon having a hem 94 is colored red in order to attract the eye of the customer. The coupon quantity registration identifier activates the thermal capacities of the thermally operable printer 24 to create the hem around the coupon. Other coupons printed by the thermally operable printer 24 have no hem and appear as coupon 96 as shown in Figure 6. Coupon 96 is printed following the request made in block 69 of Figure 4a. In this way, block 69 does not transmit the necessary formatting information to the thermally operable printer 24 so as to print a hem around the coupon. The thermally operable printer 24 is adapted to print a hem around the preferred coupon 94 because the printer paper contains a dye or thermally activatable chemistry border which changes in color upon selective application of heat to produce a hem around the 94 coupons of favorite products.

The next step, indicated in block 89, is to prepare an annotation record of the coupon creation or, in the case of soy-annotation situations, to create an annotation record of a coupon request that did not result in printing a coupon. coupon. The annotation-only flag is checked again in block 90 after the annotation step of block 89. If the annotation-only flag is set, then control is transferred to block 75 to set a zero time-out and then to return to the general waiting state. If the annotation only identifier is not set (i.e. the coupon must be printed), then a short delay (e.g. 6 seconds) or time-out is selected, in block 92, before returning to the general waiting state via the block 76. This delay or time-out ensures that the printer will not be fully occupied with the coupon printing function, but will be free for the next period of time to print other material as portions of the customer receipt.

An important aspect of coupon creation is that one of the fields printed on the coupon in barcode form is a sequential number of starting items obtained from the coupon index recorder identifiers. This number identifies the initiating or triggering product or article, and can be used to compile statistics relating the coupon printed to the articles that have initiated or interlocked its printing. The other data fields printed on the coupon in the form of a barcode include the coupon value, expiration date, manufacturer code and the code of the product family to which the coupon operation or quantity is applicable. Printed on the coupon in human readable form, there is the description of the offer and the advertisement, as well as some information also printed in the form of bar codes.

Archives maintenance

The maintenance of the archives of the control units used in the creation and redemption of coupons is carried out by means of a sequential maintenance file, which can be prepared in correspondence with a place distant from the store, and then processed in the control unit of the store to carry out the desired changes in the archives. Maintenance functions include (1) adding, canceling, canceling, or replacing coupon quantity registration and coupon index registrations, (2) enabling and disabling the trigger of coupon triggering by items, (3) enabling and disabling the printing of the coupon by means of articles; (4) copying the coupon via archive, and (5) retrieving the coupon counts. Other functions include (1) reorganizing the coupon search archive, (2) clearing the archive before a reload, and (3) adding or replacing system configuration data. This latter feature includes (1) enabling or disabling coupon creation by coupon quantity, (2) enabling or disabling printing via shop or checkout lane, (3) enabling or disabling coupon validation but continuing to annotate redemptions and redemption defects, (4) updating of a maximum of coupons per transaction, by means of exit-control lane and (5) updating of a transaction threshold.

The format of the maintenance archive can, for example, be the following:

Command 1 (one byte)

Data

Data

Data

End of data recording

Command 2

Data

End of data recording

End of document posting

Four commands require no associated data. These are the commands to reorganize the coupon search or look-up archive, create a carry-over annotation, report all coupon counts, and reset the coupon look-up search archive for a reload.

Specific formats for carrying out these maintenance commands are not critical to the present invention. Any desired programming solution can be employed to make changes to the control unit archives as desired. In another form of the invention, as shown in Figure 10, the components consist of at least a single standalone transaction device 104. The transaction device 104 contains a thermally operable printer, a transaction reader device such as for example a bar code reader and / or a credit card reader and associated controllers similar to those of the first embodiment so as to compare the details of a transition with stored start values so as to control the thermally operable printer for print a coupon or other similar incentive having a hem or not having a hem.

As in the previous embodiment, the coupon 94 can have a hem as shown in Figures 5a and 5b and the incentive 97 can have hems as shown in Figures 7a and 7b. Figure 6 illustrates a coupon 96 not having a hem. Figure 8 illustrates a coupon 98 having a hem and a watermark. Figure 9 illustrates a coupon 101 having a plurality of edges. The colored edges can have any color but, however, the colored edge of the coupon as shown in Figure 5b and the incentive edge as shown in Figure 7b is limited to the same color as that of the coupon text or incentive, respectively.

The transaction device 104 compares the details of the transaction with the stored start values. For example, a hemmed coupon or similar incentive may be printed in response to: a product purchased or not purchased, the dollar amount of the transaction, the number of products purchased, the form of payment (such as cash, credit card, of debit, etc.).

The thermally operable printer of the transaction device 104 also prints the receipt 105, which does not have a hem.

The printer paper, as in the previous embodiment, contains at least one thermally activatable dye or chemical agent which changes color upon selective application of heat to produce a hem of at least one color around the coupon or other similar incentive. The hem can be in any color. Multiple hems 102, 103 can be employed as shown in Figure 9. Additionally, a watermark 100 can be included with the hem 99 on coupon 98.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the previous teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be implemented differently from what is specifically described herein.

Claims (37)

CLAIMS 1. A system for printing a discount coupon or coupon redeemable in a retail store or warehouse, solely in response to the purchase of at least one preselected item or the non-purchase of at least one preselected item, the system comprising: (a) at least one terminal at a customer control position, said at least one terminal having means for reading product codes on items purchased in a customer order; (b) a shop control unit with which said at least one terminal can communicate, said shop control unit having access to. an article registration file containing price information and other information for each product-article; (c) means for storing the terms of at least one coupon quantity in which the printing of a discount coupon for a selected product will be initiated by the purchase or non-purchase of at least one starter product; (d) means of identifying the at least one initiating product in the customer's order; (e) means for associating the at least one starter product with the coupon quantity; And (f) means of automatically printing at least one discount coupon having a hem based on coupon quantity details and without customer intervention or participation except purchase or no-purchase of the at least one staring product . System according to claim 1, wherein the edge of the at least one discount coupon is red in color so as to attract the customer's eye more. The system according to claim 1, and further comprising means for printing at least one discount coupon not having a hem as set in the standard manner by the retail store without the intervention or participation of the customer except for the non-purchase of the 'at least one starter product. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nature of the discount provided by the coupon quantity depends on the number of starter products purchased. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nature of the discount provided by the coupon quantity depends on the dollar amount of the purchase. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nature of the discount provided by the coupon quantity is predefined differently for different selections of multiple starter products purchased. 7. For use in a retail store or warehouse point-of-sale system having (a) at least one terminal in a customer control position with means for reading product codes on items purchased in a a customer and (b) a store controller with which the terminal can communicate, the store controller having access to an item registration file containing price information and other information for each item produced, a process to print a redeemable coupon in response to the purchase of at least one initiating item or the non-purchase of at least one initiating item, the procedure comprising the steps of: (c) preselect a discounted product for which a discount coupon must be printed; (d) preselect at least one starter product, the purchase of which or the lack of purchase of which are expected to initiate the printing of a discount coupon, (e) store the terms of at least one coupon quantity related to the discount coupon to be printed; (f) identify the initiating or triggering product in the customer's order; (g) associate the initiating product with the previously stored terms of the coupon quantity; And (h) automatically print at least one discount coupon having a rim for the discount product, based on the coupon quantity details and without customer intervention or participation except in purchasing or failing to purchase the starter product. Method according to claim 7, wherein the step of automatically printing at least one discount coupon automatically prints the rim of the coupon in red so as to be more visible to the customer's eye. The method according to claim 7, and further comprising the step of printing at least one discount coupon not having a hem as set as standard by the retail store or warehouse without the intervention or participation of the customer except for do not purchase at least one starter product. The method of claim 7, and further comprising the step of determining the details of the coupon quantity based on the number of starter products purchased. The method of claim 7, and further comprising the step of determining the details of the coupon quantity based on the dollar amount of the purchase. 12. A system for generating, in a retail store or warehouse, a discount coupon, solely in response to a customer's action regarding the purchase of an item, the system comprising: (a) at least one terminal at a customer control position, said at least one terminal having means for reading product codes on items purchased in a customer's order; (b) a shop control unit with which said at least one terminal can communicate, said shop control unit having access to an item registration file containing price information and other information for each product item; (c) means of storing the terms of at least one coupon quantity in which the generation of a discount coupon for a product selected by a supplier will be triggered by a customer's action concerning the purchase of a starter product provided by a different supplier; (d) means of identifying the initiating product in the customer's order; (e) means of associating the starter product with the coupon quantity; And (f) means of automatically generating at least one discount coupon having a hem for a product other than the starter product, based on the details of the coupon quantity and without the customer's intervention or participation other than his action concerning the purchase of the starting product. System according to claim 12, wherein the rim of at least one discount coupon is red in color so as to attract the customer's eye more. 14. A system for generating, in a retail store or warehouse, a discount coupon, in response to the purchase of a plurality of preselected items or unselected items, the system comprising: (a) at least one terminal at a customer control position, said at least one terminal having means for reading product codes on items purchased in a customer order; (b) a shop control unit with which said at least one terminal can communicate, said shop control unit having access to an item registration file containing price information and other information for each product item; (c) means of storing the terms of at least one coupon quantity where the generation of a discount coupon for a selected product will be triggered or initiated by purchasing at least one initiated or triggered product: (d) means of identifying at least one starter or primer product in the customer's order; (e) means for associating the at least one starter product with the coupon quantity; And (f) means for automatically generating at least one discount coupon having a hem based on coupon quantity details and without customer intervention or participation except in purchasing the at least one starter or starter product. System according to claim 14, wherein the hem of the at least one discount coupon is red in color so as to be more visible to the customer's eye. 16. A system according to claim 14, and further comprising means for printing at least one discount coupon not having a hem as set as standard by the retail store or warehouse without the intervention or participation of the customer except not to purchase non-selected items. A system according to claim 14, wherein the nature of the discount provided by the coupon quantity depends on the number of starting or triggering products purchased. A system according to claim 14, wherein the nature of the discount provided by the coupon quantity depends on the dollar amount of the purchase. A system according to claim 14, wherein the nature of the discount provided by the coupon quantity is predefined differently for different selections of a plurality of purchased starter products. 20. For use in a retail store or warehouse point-of-sale system having a plurality of terminals at user control positions, each with means for reading product codes on items purchased in an order of a customer, and a shop control unit with which the terminals can communicate, the shop control unit having access to an archive of item registrations containing price information and other information for each product-item, a process for generate a discount coupon in response to the purchase of a plurality of starting items or non-starting items, the process comprising the steps of: (a) preselect a discounted product for which a discount coupon must be printed; (b) preselect at least one starter product whose purchase is expected to initiate the generation of a discount coupon; (c) store the terms of at least one coupon quantity related to the discount coupon to be generated; (d) identify at least one initiating product in the customer order; (e) associating the at least one starter product with the previously stored terms of the coupon quantity; And (f) automatically generate at least one discount coupon having a discounted product border, based on coupon quantity details and without customer intervention or participation except in purchasing the at least one starter product. Method according to claim 20, wherein the step of automatically printing at least one discount coupon automatically prints the rim of the coupon in red color so as to be more visible to the customer's eye. A method according to claim 20, and further comprising the step of printing at least one discount coupon not having a hem as set as standard by the retail store without the intervention or participation of the customer except not to purchase the starting product. 23. The method of claim 20 further including the step of determining the details of the coupon quantity based on the number of starter products purchased. 24. The method of claim 20 and further including the step of determining the details of the coupon quantity based on the dollar amount of the purchase. The method according to claim 20, wherein the nature of the discount provided by the coupon quantity is predefined differently for different selections of starter products or multiple starters purchased. 26. A system for printing a coupon or other similar incentive, exclusively in response to the details of the transaction, said system comprising: (a) a transaction terminal having means for reading transaction details; (b) early means of associating the details of the transaction with a coupon or incentive; And (c) second means of automatically printing a coupon or incentive having at least one hem based on the details of the transaction and without the customer's intervention or participation except to constitute a party to the transaction. A system according to claim 26, wherein the coupon or other similar incentive has a plurality of edges. A system according to claim 26, wherein the coupon or other similar incentive has a watermark. 29. A system according to claim 26, wherein the rim of the coupon or other similar incentive is red in color. A system according to claim 26, wherein the second means is sensitive to the source or type of credit card or debit card employed during the transaction. 31. A system according to claim 26, wherein said second means is sensitive to a dollar amount of the purchase. A system according to claim 26, wherein said second means is adapted to print a receipt not having a hem. 33. For use in a transaction system having (a) a transaction device with means for reading transaction details and (b) means for associating the transaction details with a coupon or incentive, a process of printing a coupon or incentive in response to the details of a transaction, said procedure comprising the steps of: (c) preselect a product or service for which a coupon or incentive is to be printed; (d) preselect a transaction detail that is expected to initiate the printing of a coupon or incentive; (e) store the terms of a coupon or incentive quantity to the coupon or incentive to be printed; (f) identify the details of the start-up or triggering of the customer's transaction; (g) associate the goodwill detail with the previously memorized terms of the quantity of coupons or incentives; And (h) automatically print a coupon or incentive having a hem for the product or service, based on the details of the transaction and without the customer's intervention or participation except to constitute a part of the transaction. 34. The method of claim 33, and further comprising the step of determining the details of the quantity of coupons or incentives on the source or quality of a credit card or debit card employed during the transaction. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of automatically printing the coupon or incentive automatically prints the rim of the coupon in red color. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of automatically printing the coupon or incentive automatically prints a plurality of hems. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of printing a watermark.