KR20070089114A - Output method for mobile coupons by using digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for outputting a mobile coupon with a digital camera is provided to enable a user to conveniently obtain/use the mobile coupon by using a mobile terminal embedded with the digital camera and enable a coupon provider to easily check the user obtaining the mobile coupon. A coupon menu is output in the mobile terminal(600). If the user selects the mobile coupon by using the coupon menu, it is checked whether the selected coupon is stored in the mobile terminal. If the selected coupon is stored in the mobile terminal, the stored mobile coupon is extracted and output(635). If the selected coupon is not stored in the mobile terminal, location information of a server storing the selected coupon is checked(625). The selected coupon is requested from the corresponding server by using the checked location information(630). The mobile coupon received from the server storing the selected coupon is output.

Description

 Output Method for Mobile Coupons by Using Digital Camera}

1 is a simple basic block diagram of a system for providing a pattern image wireless coupon service to a wireless terminal through a pattern image and a digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal.

2 is a simple exemplary view of FIG.

3 is a simple exemplary view of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a simple flowchart of a step in which a pattern image generation system on a wired or wireless Internet generates a pattern image providing a pattern image coupon and outputs the pattern image to a coupon providing screen of a client via a coupon provider.

FIG. 5 is a simple flowchart illustrating a process of generating and storing a wireless coupon that can be used in a store on or offline by analyzing coupon generation information encoded and included in a pattern image.

6 is a simple flowchart illustrating a step of outputting a wireless coupon generated and stored by a pattern image coupon agent mounted on a wireless terminal to a wireless terminal and using the wireless coupon collection system.

<Description of main parts of drawing>

100: pattern image generation system 105: coupon provider

110: mobile communication system 115: wireless terminal

120: wireless coupon collection system

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for outputting a coupon in a wireless terminal includes outputting a coupon menu and checking whether the selected coupon is stored in the wireless terminal when the user selects the coupon using the output coupon menu. If the selected coupon is present in the wireless terminal, if the selected coupon is present in the wireless terminal, and extracts the coupon stored in the wireless terminal, and if the selected coupon does not exist in the wireless terminal, to check the location information of the server where the selected coupon is stored And requesting the selected coupon from the coupon storage server on the communication network and outputting the coupon provided from the coupon storage server on the communication network by using the location information of the identified coupon storage server.

At present, the rapid development of wireless networks and wireless Internet based on mobile communication and personal communication system (PCS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), personal digital cellular (PDC), personal handyphone system (PHS), PDA Wireless online services, such as wireless networks and wireless Internet, and existing offline services work together by portability and mobility included in handheld-based wireless terminals including personal digital assistants and smart phones. Various additional services are provided. Among them, the most representative online / offline interworking wireless service is a wireless coupon providing service for receiving coupons wirelessly and using them at stores on and offline, and a wireless ticket issuing service for receiving wireless tickets and using them at service businesses on and offline. It is a service.

Existing wireless coupons are electronic coupons that are provided to wireless terminals through wireless networks and wireless Internet, and offer discount services at the stage of purchasing products or using services in online / offline stores by downloading barcode-type coupons to wireless terminals. To receive.

The wireless coupon is a bar code type that includes information encoded on the screen of the wireless terminal, compared to an offline paper coupon used for printing on paper or an existing internet coupon provided with a coupon printed on the paper. By outputting the coupon, compared to the existing coupons is a coupon processed by automating the recovery step of the coupon.

However, although the portion of the wireless coupon system automating the collection of coupons compared to the existing coupons is quite positive, the process of issuing the wireless coupon is not very different from the Internet coupons on the existing wire. That is, the method for issuing a wireless coupon up to now has a user who wants to be provided with a wireless coupon, such as an internet coupon on an existing wire, to access a wireless coupon provider through a wireless terminal and to be provided through an interface provided by the wireless coupon provider. It depends on how you select and download the coupon.

In the existing wireless coupon issuing system as described above, since the method of providing a coupon is complicated and difficult, rather than issuing a selective coupon corresponding to a specific product, it is mainly providing a discount coupon as a membership authentication code for a wireless terminal user. Therefore, the wireless coupons to date remain at a uniform discount benefit function for the subscribers of the mobile carrier rather than an event promotion function through the coupon corresponding to the product.

Of course, some wireless terminal users who are active in the use of wireless coupons often access the wireless coupon provider through the wireless terminal and receive a coupon corresponding to the product. In most cases, only membership discount coupons are used.

Therefore, in order to restore the coupon's original function through event promotion in addition to the membership discount, the wireless coupon can be automatically accessed in addition to the method of downloading and accessing coupons for various products and services from various wireless coupon providers through the wireless network and the wireless Internet. A simple way to be provided should be presented.

An object of the present invention to compensate for the above problems is the step of outputting a pattern image containing the coupon generation information on the coupon providing screen of the client, and the pattern image output on the coupon providing screen is mounted on the wireless terminal Recognizing through a digital camera, and extracting the coupon generation information included in the recognized pattern image through the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal and the store on or offline with reference to the extracted coupon generation information It provides a wireless coupon providing method using a digital camera mounted on a wireless terminal, characterized in that it comprises a step of generating a wireless coupon available in the step and outputting the generated wireless coupon to a wireless terminal.

The present invention relates to a service method and system for providing a wireless coupon through a digital camera mounted on a wireless terminal, wherein the pattern image generation system on the wired / wireless internet generates a pattern image including coupon generation information to provide a coupon provider. And outputting the coupon image to the client's coupon providing screen, and recognizing the pattern image output on the coupon providing screen through a digital camera mounted in the wireless terminal, and encoding the included pattern image through the pattern image coupon agent. Extracting the generated information to generate and store a wireless coupon that can be used in an on-offline store, and outputting and using the extracted wireless coupon to the wireless terminal.

In the present invention, the pattern image is a generic term for an image in which a series of information is encoded and included in a pattern form. In particular, the pattern image is an image in which coupon generation information necessary for generating a wireless coupon usable in a wireless terminal is encoded and included in a pattern form. The pattern image is output on the coupon providing screen of the coupon provider and recognized by the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal, and the coupon generation information encoded and encoded through the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal can be extracted. Contains an image of a kind.

Typical pattern images include black and white bars, such as Universal Product Code (UPC), CODEBAR, MSI, Code 39, Korea Article Number (KAN), Japan Article Number (JAN), etc. 1-dimensional bar code that satisfies the above, a two-dimensional bar code that represents the black and white bars in a grid form on a two-dimensional plane, and a three-dimensional bar code that represents the black and white bars in three-dimensional solid, etc. There are gray codes that express a mixture of colors and color codes that are represented by color colors. Accordingly, the pattern image of the present invention includes all kinds of encoded images that can be recognized through a digital camera mounted on a wireless terminal, and the pattern image of the present invention is not limited to a specific pattern image provided by a specific pattern or an encoding method. Do not.

Hereinafter, the features of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following drawings and descriptions are for representative methods among various methods for properly describing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited only to the following drawings and descriptions.

According to the present invention, a system for providing a pattern image wireless coupon service may be variously reduced or expanded according to the method proposed by the present invention. In particular, the mobile communication system necessary for the existing wireless coupon service may be reduced and excluded according to the function of the pattern image generation system, the coupon provider, and the wireless terminal in the pattern image wireless coupon service according to the present invention. Of course, the mobile communication system bears some of the functions of the pattern image generation system, the coupon provider, and the wireless terminal, so that the mobile communication system can overcome the load and system limitations of the pattern image wireless coupon service proposed by the present invention. It can also be extended to provide functionality. Features of the present invention as described above will be described through the following examples.

1 is a simple basic block diagram of a system for providing a pattern image wireless coupon service to a wireless terminal 115 through a pattern image and a digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115.

The pattern image generation system 100 is a system for generating a pattern image in which coupon generation information is encoded according to the method proposed by the present invention to the coupon provider 105, and according to the coupon service method proposed by the present invention. In the form of an independent server system on the server, in the form of a server and a software module included in the mobile communication system 110, or in the form of a server and a software module included in the coupon provider 105,

That is, the pattern image generation system 100 of the present invention is not limited to the location on the wired or wireless Internet, and is mounted at a location optimized for implementing the corresponding service among various methods proposed by the present invention.

The pattern image generation system 100 generates a pattern image in which the coupon generation information is encoded in the step of generating the pattern image and outputs the pattern image to the coupon providing screen of the client through the coupon provider 105. In the step of using the wireless coupon through the wireless terminal 115 serves to recover the wireless coupon through the wireless coupon collection system 120.

In addition, in the step of generating the pattern image, the pattern image generation system 100 may generate personalized pattern images by receiving member information of the user of the wireless terminal 115 from the coupon provider 105 in the pattern image. . Member information included in the pattern image in the process is included in the coupon in the step of generating the wireless coupon by the wireless terminal 115.

Of course, the pattern image generation system 100 may generate a uniform pattern image for an unspecified number by including only coupon information directly provided by the coupon provider 105 without including the member information. However, when generating a pattern image to be provided to the wireless terminal 115 without including the member information as described above, the mobile communication system 110 or the mobile terminal 115 in the step of generating a wireless coupon from the pattern image , Personal information chips such as a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal identification module (UIM), a universal subscriber module (USIM), and an integrated circuit (IC) chip such as a credit card installed in the wireless terminal 115 Personal information of the coupon user may be included in the corresponding wireless coupon through subscriber information obtained from the subscriber.

In the present invention, the coupon generation information is information that the pattern image generation system 100 includes in the pattern image, and the coupon information provided by the coupon provider 105 according to the pattern image generation method proposed by the present invention is the coupon generation information as it is. The location information on the wired / wireless internet where the coupon information provided by the coupon provider 105 is actually stored may be coupon generation information. In some cases, the location information of the wireless coupon generated from the coupon information may be coupon generation information. Can be

The coupon provider 105 is a server system interworking with the pattern image generation system 100 among all websites on the Internet where event promotion is performed, such as an internet shopping mall or an internet homepage such as a restaurant or fast food restaurant. The generation system 100 outputs the pattern image generated by encoding the coupon generation information to the client through the Internet website.

The pattern image including the coupon generation information to be output to the client by the coupon provider 105 is recognized by the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115 of the coupon user, the pattern recognized by the wireless terminal 115 as described above The encoded coupon generation information included in the image is extracted and processed by the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 and used to generate the wireless coupon.

In the present invention, the coupon information is information, such as the name of the product, the discount amount, the discount rate, and the expiration date of the coupon, and the coupon-related information provided by the coupon provider 105 to the pattern image generation system 100. , The information returned to the coupon provider 105 and the pattern image generation system 100 through the wireless coupon collection system 120.

The coupon providing screen is a website where an event promotion is carried out on the Internet, that is, a coupon provider 105 provides a coupon encoded with a pattern image to a client, as shown in FIG. 1 through a web browser mounted on the client. It is inserted and printed directly on the advertisement provided through the Internet such as a banner advertisement displayed on a web browser to promote a pattern image or a promotion of an event or a banner advertisement displayed on a P2P application, shareware, and freeware. The pattern image may be a coupon providing screen presented by the present invention.

In addition, the pattern image output on the coupon providing screen according to the present invention is generated by the pattern image generation system 100 and then provided to the client through the coupon providing screen, the coupon provider 105 In the step of providing a coupon providing screen to the client, there is a case of generating and providing a pattern image including the member information of the corresponding client. However, according to the present invention, in any of the method for generating and providing the pattern image, the personal information of the coupon user may be included in the wireless coupon when the wireless terminal 115 generates the wireless coupon from the pattern image.

The wireless terminal 115 analyzes and extracts a digital camera capable of recognizing a pattern image provided by the coupon provider 105 through a coupon providing screen, and coupon generation information encoded and encoded in the recognized pattern image as described above. Handheld-based mobile communication terminal is equipped with a pattern image coupon agent, etc. that can generate a wireless coupon.

The digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115 is a device that can acquire an image of a subject outside the wireless terminal 115 in the form of a digital image and store the image in a digital storage medium. The image of the subject is divided into bitmaps. Is a device for recording the luminance of a digital amount. In the present invention, the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115 acquires a pattern image image, records it on a digital storage medium provided by the wireless terminal 115, and then causes the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 to be used. A request is made to generate a wireless coupon from coupon generation information encoded and included in the recognized pattern image.

The pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 analyzes the pattern image image obtained from the digital camera, and extracts and processes the coupon generation information included in the pattern image to generate a wireless coupon. As an application, it is mounted in the form of software inside the wireless terminal 115, or in the form of a chip for pattern image analysis. In the present embodiment, the pattern image coupon agent extracts the corresponding coupon generation information from the pattern image image including the coupon generation information, and then generates the extracted coupon generation information as a wireless coupon that can be used by the corresponding wireless terminal 115. Play a role.

According to the present embodiment, the wireless coupon generated by the wireless terminal 115 by extracting the coupon generation information from the pattern image is a wireless barcode coupon, which is the most common wireless coupon at present.

However, the wireless coupon proposed by the present invention is not limited to the wireless barcode coupon as in the case of FIG. For example, when the wireless terminal 115 provides a sound type coupon, the coupon generation information extracted from the pattern image is generated as a wireless sound coupon by the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115. .

That is, the wireless coupon presented in the present invention is not limited to a specific wireless coupon, and includes all kinds of wireless coupons that the wireless terminal 115 can provide. However, coupon generation information necessary for generating the corresponding coupon is obtained from the coupon providing screen provided by the coupon provider 105 to the client through the digital camera mounted in the wireless terminal 115.

The wireless coupon collection system 120 processes the wireless coupons provided through the wireless terminal 115 to selectively extract the coupon information, and then extracts the extracted coupon information from the pattern image generation system 100 or the coupon on the wired or wireless Internet through the network. The system for transmitting to the provider 105 includes a credit authorization terminal (CAT), a point of sales terminal, a kiosk, or the like, which can recover a wireless coupon.

In particular, the wireless coupon collection system 120 is equipped with an interface for obtaining a wireless coupon output to the wireless terminal 115. For example, when the wireless coupon is output on the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen of the wireless terminal 115 in the form of a barcode as shown in FIG. 1, the wireless coupon collection system 120 is output to the LCD of the wireless terminal 115. It is equipped with a barcode reader that can recognize barcodes. If the wireless coupon output to the wireless terminal 115 is a sound coupon, the wireless coupon collection system 120 is equipped with a device that can recognize the sound coupon. In addition, if the wireless coupon supports short-range wireless communication including infrared ray communication, radio frequency (RF) communication, Bluetooth (Blue Tooth), wireless LAN (WiFi), Wi-Fi (WiFi), etc. The system 120 is equipped with a short range wireless communication device capable of obtaining a wireless coupon from the wireless terminal 115.

The mobile communication system 110 collectively refers to a mobile communication company providing a wireless network and a wireless Internet service for the wireless terminal 115 and mobile communication devices implemented in the mobile communication company. The service method may be excluded from the pattern image coupon providing system.

That is, the pattern image generation system 100 generates a pattern image including the member information, the pattern image is output on the coupon providing screen through the coupon provider 105, and the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115 is used. In the case of being recognized through the self-generated wireless coupon by the pattern image coupon agent, the mobile communication system 110 in the process of providing a coupon because the pattern image wireless coupon system proposed by the present invention as shown in Figure 2 can be reduced May not be used.

In addition, even when using the wireless coupons through the pattern image wireless coupon system proposed by the present invention, because it can be reduced and service the pattern image wireless coupon system proposed by the present invention as shown in Figure 2 wireless coupon recovery system 120 Coupon information recovered to the pattern image generation system 100 and the coupon provider 105 through) may be provided without directly passing through the mobile communication system 110.

The characteristics of the present invention as described above, the coupon provider 105 on the wired and wireless Internet to provide a pattern image wireless coupon proposed by the present invention can provide a wireless coupon system independently without being dependent on the mobile communication system (110). Present the way.

On the other hand, when the pattern image generation system 100 generates a pattern image including only coupon generation information without including the member information, the mobile communication system 110 uses the wireless terminal 115 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The pattern image coupon agent mounted in the may be used to provide the wireless terminal 115 subscriber information in the step of generating a wireless coupon.

In addition, the pattern image generation system 100 does not generate a pattern image including the coupon generation information, and generates the pattern image by including location information in which the coupon information necessary for the wireless terminal 115 to generate the wireless coupon is stored. Alternatively, without generating a wireless coupon in the wireless terminal 115, the pattern image generation system 100 generates and stores a wireless coupon that can be downloaded from the wireless terminal 115 and immediately used as a wireless coupon, and then stores the location information. In the case of including the generated pattern image, the pattern image wireless coupon system according to the present invention may be extended as shown in FIG.

For example, when the pattern image generation system 100 includes location information on the coupon information necessary for the wireless terminal 115 to generate the wireless coupon in the pattern image, the coupon information may be the pattern image generation system 100 or the coupon. The location of the coupon information may be stored in the provider 105, and the pattern image generated by the pattern image generation system 100 is encoded. In addition, when the pattern image generation system 100 generates a wireless coupon immediately used in the wireless terminal 115, the wireless coupon is stored in the coupon D / B 305 of the wireless coupon server 300, generating a pattern image The pattern image generated by the system 100 includes encoded location information on the coupon D / B 305 in which the wireless coupon is stored.

Of course, even when the pattern image generation system 100 directly generates a pattern image including coupon information and provides the pattern image to the wireless terminal 115 through the coupon provider 105 and the coupon providing screen, the wireless terminal 115 In the step of generating and storing the wireless coupon from the pattern image, the wireless coupon is stored in the coupon D / B 305 of the wireless coupon server 300 without storing the wireless coupon inside the wireless terminal 115, and then the corresponding wireless coupon is stored. If the wireless coupon is downloaded and used through the wireless coupon location information stored in the wireless terminal 115 in the using step, the pattern image wireless coupon system proposed by the present invention may be extended as shown in FIG.

That is, the pattern image wireless coupon system of the present invention includes the autonomy that the coupon provider 105 may include or exclude the mobile communication system 110 according to a method selected from the pattern image coupon service method proposed by the present invention. It can provide an opportunity to explode the coupon market.

FIG. 4 is a simple flowchart of a step in which the pattern image generation system 100 on the wired / wireless internet generates a pattern image providing a pattern image coupon and outputs the pattern image to the coupon providing screen of the client via the coupon provider 105.

In the method of generating a pattern image including the coupon generation information, the pattern image generation system 100 receives the pattern image coupon in the pattern image according to whether the pattern image including the personalized coupon generation information is encoded and included. There is a method of generating a pattern image including the member information of the coupon user, and a method of uniformly generating a pattern image without including the member information, directly encoding the coupon generation information according to the method for providing a pattern image wireless coupon to the wireless terminal 115 Generating a pattern image, a method of generating the location information storing the coupon information necessary for generating the wireless coupon by the wireless terminal 115 in the pattern image, and the pattern image generating system 100 by the wireless terminal Generating a wireless coupon that can be used by the 115 in advance to the coupon D / B ( After storing the information stored in the 305, the location information for accessing the wireless coupon is encoded into a pattern image and generated.

Since the pattern image generation system 100 generates the personalized pattern image coupon by including the member information in the pattern image, since the client and the wireless terminal 115 to receive the pattern image are encoded and included in the pattern image, Although the process of generating, issuing, using, and retrieving coupon creation information included in the pattern image can be tracked, the client and wireless terminal 115 user information to be provided with the pattern image is provided at the step of generating the pattern image. Should be.

On the other hand, when the pattern image generation system 100 does not include the member information in the pattern image and generates the pattern image coupon for the unspecified majority, the pattern image generation system generates the pattern image for the unspecified majority, thereby generating a plurality of pattern images. May be distributed to a coupon user, but the creation and issuing stage of the coupon cannot be tracked through the coupon provider 105. However, even when the member information is not included in the step of generating the pattern image, the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 includes the user information of the wireless terminal 115 in the step of generating the wireless coupon. You can track the use and withdrawal of coupons.

In addition, the pattern image coupon generated by the pattern image generation system 100 directly encoding and generating coupon generation information in the pattern image is generated by the wireless terminal 115 that recognizes the pattern image through the pattern image coupon agent. Extract and generate your own wireless coupon. In the case of the wireless coupon system as described above, the pattern image generated by the pattern image generation system 100 is output on the client coupon providing screen via the coupon provider 105 and recognized through the wireless terminal 115 equipped with a digital camera. There is a feature that can be performed independently without via mobile communication until the process of generating a wireless coupon.

On the other hand, in the image coupon generated by the pattern image generation system 100 including the location information where the coupon generation information is stored in the pattern image, the wireless terminal 115 that recognizes the pattern image generates the coupon through the pattern image coupon agent. After confirming the location on the wired or wireless Internet where the information is stored, accessing the location to download the coupon information, and generates the wireless coupon through the coupon information. In the case of the wireless coupon system as described above, the process of outputting the pattern image generated by the pattern image generation system 100 to the client coupon providing screen via the coupon provider 105 is not via mobile communication. In order to perform a process of downloading coupon information by recognizing a pattern image through a digital camera mounted on the mobile terminal, the mobile communication system 110 may be used.

In addition, the pattern image generation system 100 generates a wireless coupon that can be directly used in the wireless terminal 115 and stores in the coupon D / B of the wireless coupon server after the pattern image coupon containing the wireless coupon location information The wireless terminal 115 that recognizes the pattern image checks the location on the coupon D / B 305 of the wireless coupon server 300 in which the wireless coupon that is readily available through the pattern image coupon agent is stored and approaches the corresponding location. Download and use the wireless coupon directly. In the case of the wireless coupon system as described above, the process of outputting the pattern image generated by the pattern image generation system 100 to the client coupon providing screen via the coupon provider 105 is not via mobile communication. In order to perform a process of downloading a wireless coupon from the wireless coupon server 300 by recognizing a pattern image through a digital camera mounted on the mobile camera, the mobile communication system 110 may be used.

Hereinafter, a process in which the pattern image generation system 100 on the wired / wireless internet generates the above-described pattern image proposed by the present invention and outputs the pattern image to the coupon providing screen of the client via the coupon provider 105 will be described. However, the flowchart and description of FIG. 4 is a brief description of a process of selecting and generating a specific method from the various methods described above, and the method of generating a pattern image according to the present invention combines two or more of the various methods described above. Includes all methods of creating a combination.

In order for the pattern image generation system 100 to generate the pattern image proposed by the present invention, a request for generating a pattern image from the coupon provider 105 must be performed (400). In general, when the coupon provider 105 requests the pattern image generation system 100 to generate a pattern image, the coupon provider 105 needs a pattern image coupon for an unspecified number and the coupon user provides the coupon image. Requesting 105 to provide a personalized pattern image coupon.

The pattern image for the unspecified majority is generated once and then provided to the coupon provider 105 to be uniformly provided to the unspecified plurality of coupon users. On the other hand, a pattern image coupon for a specific coupon user is provided by the pattern image generation system 100 in real time when there is a coupon user requesting a personalized pattern image coupon from the coupon provider 105.

Therefore, when the coupon provider 105 requests the pattern image generation system 100 to generate the pattern image, the pattern image generation system 100 may request an individual such as member information of the coupon user to the pattern image coupon requested by the coupon provider 105. In operation 405, the personalized pattern image coupon may be generated including the information information.

If the coupon provider 105 can provide personal information such as member information of the coupon user in the step of requesting the pattern image generation to the pattern image generation system 100 (410), the pattern image generation system 100 As a result, a personalized pattern image including personal information of the coupon user may be generated. Accordingly, the pattern image generation system 100 receives the coupon information and the coupon user personal information to be provided to the coupon user who is to receive the pattern image from the coupon provider 105 (415). In the step of generating the pattern image by the pattern image generating system 100, the personal information of the provided coupon user is encoded and included in the pattern image.

On the other hand, if the coupon provider 105 cannot provide the personal information of the coupon user in the step of requesting the pattern image generation (420), the pattern image generation system 100 may generate a pattern image for an unspecified number. have. Therefore, the pattern image generation system 100 receives only coupon information necessary for generating the pattern image from the coupon provider 105 (425). Of course, in the above case, the personal information of the coupon provider 105 is not included in the pattern image in the step of generating the pattern image by the pattern image generating system 100.

When the coupon generation information to be included in the pattern image is transferred to the pattern image generation system 100 through the above process, the pattern image generation system 100 converts the coupon generation information that directly processes the coupon information from the transferred information into the pattern image. It is determined whether to include or to include in the pattern image coupon generated information processing the location information that stores the coupon information (430).

If the pattern image generation system 100 does not include the coupon generation information in which the coupon information is directly processed in the pattern image (435), the pattern image generation system 100 may determine that the coupon information transmitted from the coupon provider 105 is not included. In operation 440, the pattern image including the coupon generation information obtained by processing the stored location information is generated. The location information on the coupon information included in the pattern image through the above process is used as reference information for the wireless terminal 115 to access the coupon information stored on the wired or wireless Internet.

On the other hand, if the pattern image generation system 100 intends to generate a pattern image including coupon generation information directly processed coupon information (445), the pattern image generation system 100 is a coupon delivered from the coupon provider 105 The information is processed to determine information to be directly included in the actual pattern image (450).

If the pattern image generation system 100 intends to generate a pattern image including coupon generation information directly processed from the coupon information provided from the coupon provider 105 (455), the pattern image generation system 100 is a coupon provider. After the process of encoding the coupon information provided from (105) is processed into coupon generation information and included in the pattern image to generate a pattern image that can be used as a pattern image coupon (460).

On the other hand, if the pattern image generation system 100 does not directly process the coupon information provided from the coupon provider 105 in the pattern image (465), the pattern image generation system 100 is a wireless terminal through the coupon information ( In step 115, a wireless coupon that can be used immediately is generated (470), stored in the coupon D / B 305 of the wireless coupon server 300 (475), and location information for accessing the wireless coupon on a wired or wireless Internet. After the encoding process is processed into coupon generation information to be included in the pattern image to generate a pattern image that can be used as a pattern image coupon (480).

The pattern image generated through the above process is transmitted to the coupon provider 105 (485), the coupon provider 105 outputs the pattern image to the coupon user through the coupon providing screen for providing the client (490) ).

FIG. 5 recognizes a pattern image output on the coupon providing screen through a digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115, and analyzes coupon generation information encoded and included in the recognized pattern image through a pattern image coupon agent. It is a simple flow chart for creating and storing wireless coupons that can be used in stores on and offline.

According to the present invention, after the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 generates a wireless coupon, a predetermined time difference may be required until the step of using the wireless coupon. Therefore, the wireless coupon generated by the pattern image coupon agent is stored in the storage space on the wireless terminal 115 and the wired and wireless Internet. That is, the wireless coupon generated by the pattern image coupon agent may be stored in the wireless terminal 115, and there is not enough storage space in the wireless terminal 115, or the wireless coupon server intends to store the generated wireless coupon in a wireless coupon server. In this case, the wireless coupon generated by the pattern image coupon agent is stored in the coupon D / B 305 of the wireless coupon server 300 that is linked to the wired and wireless Internet and the mobile communication system 110.

Of course, if the pattern image generation system 100 previously generated the wireless coupon in the step of generating the pattern image, the wireless coupon is downloaded by the pattern image coupon agent in the step of generating the wireless coupon wireless terminal 115 It may be stored internally, or may be stored and used as it is in the coupon D / B 305 of the wireless coupon server 300.

Hereinafter, the pattern image output on the coupon providing screen is recognized through the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115 through FIG. 5, and the information included in the pattern image is encoded and interpreted by the pattern image coupon agent. A process of generating and storing wireless coupons that can be used in stores online and offline will be briefly described. 5 is a brief description of a process of selecting and processing a specific method among the various methods described above, and the method for processing a pattern image coupon according to the present invention combines two or more of the various methods described above. This includes all methods used in combination.

When the coupon user photographs the pattern image output to the coupon providing screen included in the web browser or banner advertisement of the client through the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115 (500), The pattern image photographed as described above is temporarily stored in the wireless terminal 115, and the validity of the pattern image is confirmed by the pattern image coupon agent mounted in the wireless terminal 115 (505).

In the above process, the validity verification process as the pattern image proposed by the present invention means that the image image information recognized by the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal 115 takes the form of an image used by the present invention as a pattern image. To make sure. The pattern image used in the present invention includes a one-dimensional barcode arranged with black and white bars, a two-dimensional barcode representing the black and white bars in a grid on a two-dimensional plane, and a three-dimensional barcode representing a black and white bar in three dimensions. In addition, the black and white bar may be expanded to include a gray code expressing a mixture of black and white and a color code represented by a color color.

If the pattern image image information input and stored in the wireless terminal 115 through the process is not valid (510), the pattern image coupon agent deletes the image image information (515), and then the pattern image through the digital camera. The process of capturing and temporarily storing the digital storage medium in the wireless terminal 115 is repeated.

On the other hand, if the validity of the pattern image input as described above satisfies the conditions as the pattern image proposed by the present invention is confirmed (520), the pattern image coupon agent is photographed as described above is given for the image processing An algorithm is corrected (525) and the corrected pattern image is analyzed to determine whether coupon generation information can be extracted according to the method of the present invention (530).

If the pattern image coupon agent cannot extract coupon generation information according to the method proposed by the present invention from the corrected pattern image (535), the pattern image coupon agent deletes the image image information (515), and then digitally. The process of taking a pattern image through a camera and temporarily storing the pattern image in a digital storage medium inside the wireless terminal 115 is repeated.

On the other hand, if the pattern image corrected through the process can extract the coupon generation information according to the method proposed by the present invention (540), the pattern image coupon agent generates a pattern image to generate a wireless coupon proposed by the present invention In operation 545, the system 100 extracts coupon generation information that is encoded and included in the pattern image.

When the coupon generation information that the pattern image generation system 100 encodes and includes in the pattern image is extracted through the above process, the pattern image coupon agent is generated from the extracted coupon generation information. The wireless coupon is generated according to the characteristics of the coupon generation information included through the process (550).

In the present invention, the process of the wireless terminal 115 to recognize the pattern image of the coupon providing screen through the digital camera, and to generate the wireless coupon through the pattern image coupon agent, the pattern image generation system 100 through the process of Figure 4 It depends on how you generate the pattern image.

For example, if the pattern image generation system 100 generates a pattern image including the member information, the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 checks the validity of the pattern image through the corresponding member information and the member information. It may include generating a wireless coupon. Of course, even when the pattern image generation system 100 generates the pattern image without including the member information, the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 is obtained from the mobile communication system 110. ) The wireless coupon including the coupon user information may be generated through the subscriber information.

In addition, for example, if the pattern image generation system 100 generates a pattern image including coupon generation information directly processed coupon information, the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 is obtained from the pattern image Wireless coupons may be generated through the coupon generation information. On the other hand, if the pattern image generation system 100 generates a pattern image including the location information where the coupon information is stored, the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 accesses the location of the coupon information on the wired / wireless Internet. After obtaining the coupon information to generate a wireless coupon. Of course, if the pattern image generation system 100 previously generated a wireless coupon available in the wireless terminal 115 through the coupon information and stored in the coupon D / B of the wireless coupon server, and includes the corresponding location information in the pattern image, The pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 may download and use the wireless coupon in the step of using the wireless coupon.

When the wireless coupon proposed by the present invention is generated through the above process, the pattern image coupon agent determines a location for storing the wireless coupon (555).

If the pattern image coupon agent determines to store the generated wireless coupon in the wireless terminal 115 (560), the wireless coupon generated as described above is stored in the wireless terminal 115 (565). On the other hand, if the pattern image coupon agent determines to store the generated wireless coupon in the coupon D / B (305) of the wireless coupon server 300 (570), the generated wireless coupon is the wired and wireless Internet and mobile communication system ( It is transmitted to the wireless coupon server 300 that is linked with the 110 and stored in the coupon D / B (305).

As described above, when the wireless coupon is stored in the wireless coupon server 300 interworking with the wireless terminal 115 and the wired / wireless internet or the mobile communication system 110, the pattern image coupon agent may immediately output the wireless coupon. A wireless coupon output menu is generated (580).

FIG. 6 is a simple flowchart illustrating the steps of outputting the wireless coupon generated and stored by the pattern image coupon agent mounted on the wireless terminal 115 to the wireless terminal 115 and using the wireless coupon recovery system 120.

When the coupon user selects a wireless coupon to be used currently through the wireless coupon output menu generated through the process as shown in FIG. 5 (600), the pattern image coupon agent selects the wireless coupon selected by the coupon user in the wireless terminal 115. It is determined whether there exists or is stored in the coupon D / B (305) of the wireless coupon server 300 on the wired or wireless Internet (605).

If the wireless coupon selected as described above is stored in the wireless terminal 115 (610), the pattern image coupon agent extracts the wireless coupon stored in the wireless terminal 115 (615). On the other hand, if the selected wireless coupon is stored in the wireless coupon server 300 linked with the wired / wireless internet and the mobile communication system 110 (620), the pattern image coupon agent of the wireless coupon server 300 corresponding to the selected wireless coupon The coupon D / B 305 extracts the storage location (625), and accesses the coupon D / B 305 of the wireless coupon server 300 based on the extracted location information, and the actual wireless coupon is wireless terminal 115. Download to (630).

The pattern image coupon agent wirelessly downloads the wireless coupon extracted from the wireless terminal 115 or the wireless coupon downloaded from the wireless coupon server 300 linked with the wired / wireless internet and the mobile communication system 110 through the above process. Output to the terminal 115 (635).

When the wireless coupon is output to the wireless terminal 115, the coupon user is satisfied to use the wireless coupon. Therefore, the coupon user transmits the coupon information output to the wireless terminal 115 through the wireless coupon collection system 120, the wireless coupon collection system 120 transmits the coupon information to the pattern image generation system 100 through the network ) Or collects the issued wireless coupon by transferring it to the coupon provider 105 (640).

According to the present invention, the pattern image generation system on the wired and wireless Internet generates a pattern image including the coupon generation information and outputs the pattern image on the client offer screen, through the digital camera mounted on the wireless terminal By recognizing and extracting the coupon generation information encoded and included in the recognized pattern image through the pattern image coupon agent, generating a wireless coupon that can be used in on- and off-line stores by outputting and using the wireless coupon to the wireless terminal, There is an advantage that it is more convenient to obtain and use the coupon, the coupon provider has the advantage of being able to grasp the user to obtain the coupon, and when and where the coupon is used to easily check the information.

Claims (2)

In the coupon output method in a wireless terminal, Outputting a coupon menu; When the wireless terminal user selects a coupon using the output coupon menu, checking whether the selected coupon is stored in the wireless terminal; If the selected coupon is present in the wireless terminal, extracting and outputting the coupon stored in the wireless terminal, and if the selected coupon is not present in the wireless terminal, checking location information of a server in which the selected coupon is stored; Requesting the selected coupon from the coupon storage server on the communication network by using the location information of the identified coupon storage server; Outputting a coupon provided from the coupon storage server on the communication network; Coupon output method in a wireless terminal comprising a. The method of claim 1, And storing the position information of the server in which the coupon is stored in advance in the memory.

Images