WO2009078594A2

WO2009078594A2 - The structures and methods for using all discount coupons available with one unique temporary identification number or credit card under the network which uses internet protocols

Info

Publication number: WO2009078594A2
Application number: PCT/KR2008/006902
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jongsub Moon
Original assignee: Jongsub Moon
Priority date: 2007-11-24
Filing date: 2008-11-21
Publication date: 2009-06-25
Also published as: KR20090053876A; WO2009078594A3; WO2009078594A4

Abstract

Customers saves coupons to a server which called as coupon service server. The coupon is representd as an electrical data. This is issued by the company which makes the item corresponds the coupon. The collected coupons are used in retail store. The store connects to the coupon service server when the customer pays the money for the putchasing items with a identification card. The identification card can be either a printed temporary card or a memvership card. When the identification card submitted to the casher, the available coupons are searched with the identification number. That is, with only one identification number(customer number), all matching coupons are processed together. After all, customer doesn't need to bring all printed coupons to a retail store in order to consume the coupons.

Description

THE STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR USING ALL

DISCOUNT COUPONS AVAILABLE WITH ONE UNIQUE

TEMPORARY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER OR CREDIT CARD

UNDER THE NETWORK WHICH USES INTERNET

PROTOCOLS Technical Field

[1] This invention is a business model. Hence, it uses all existing technologies of internet programming, database management and secure communication on the internet. In this system, four parties are involved, which are coupon service servers, coupon providing servers, retail stores and customers. These parties constitutes this system. Background Art

[2] The required software programming tecnologies are

[3] 1. Internet application programming using Java, ASP, and/or HTML.

[4] 2. Database access.

[5] 3. Accounting management programming.

[6] 4. Computer Server management Programming.

[7] 5. Secure communication protocols.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[8] Customers have to bring a bundle of paper's coupon in order to get the redeemed price when they purchase the goods. They sometimes forget to bring coupons. They would go through the rough time to match all the coupons with the purchased merchandise. Unfortunately, they found it that some coupons are expired. The company who issued coupons dosn't know how many coupons are issued, who will use the coupons, amd how many coupons will be used in the future among issued. The store which accepts coupons make efforts to process all printed coupons and save them on the side. There can be too many tedious works.

[9] This invention resolves the above described problemss. With using combined procedures of internet communication, database access and secure communication between four parties, that is, a coupon service server, a coupon providing server, a retail store and the customer which uses coupon, the problems are solvede and give great advanathes to all attending parties. Technical Solution

[10] Secure communication between servers(100,101 and 103) is indispensable. The secure communication can be established via Virtual Private Network(VPN) or securite communication scheme described in figure 8. In figure 8, authentication(602, 603 and 604) between the two servers should be established before exchange secure datagram. During authentication process, a session keys(603 and 604) for encoding and decoding should be exchanged. Using these keys, secret messages are sent and decoded. This scheme is widely adopted. Any other well known security scheme may also be used. At the end of communication, the secret communication is released(605,606).

[H]

[12] (1) procedures to collect discount coupons.

[13]

[14] Figure 2 shows the procedure collecting coupons. In figure 2, a customer(206) log in the coupon service server(200) through internet(208). The server provides a repository to each customer based on DBMS system(207). The customer searches discount coupons on the server's homepage directly or from a company's server(201, 202, 203 and 204) on which discount coupons are provided. Usually the company's servers are linked(211, 212, 213 and 214) with the coupon discount server(200). For selected coupons, the customer can deposit them to his repository. The protocols between these three attending parties(650, 651, and 652) are shown in the figure 9. Communication sequences are followed through the numbers(653~659) in the figure.

[15]

[16] The data structure of each coupon in the coupon service server is shown as below.

The structure can be little modified, added or deleted by service by service.

[17]

[18] (1) Customer's Identification number, (2) Item characteristics such as it's name, model, and barcode number, (3) Barcode number of the item, (4) discount amount, (5) Coupon's expiration date, (6) Coupon's unique number, (7) The store's identification of the coupon used, (8) The date and time of the coupon used, (9) The identifiction of the coupon providing company, and (10) special notes such as maximum number of item to be purchased or buy one get one.

[19]

[20] Coupon's unique number(6) is uniquely generated by the coupon providing company.

This number should also be registered in the server of the coupon providing company. A unique number is assigned to each coupon, not to each item. Hence, the coupon providing company can control the number of coupon issued. This is different from when a paper coupons are issued. If the coupon is printed on a paper, the coupon can be duplicated. So, the company doesn't know how many coupons are issued. Two diffenrent companys may produce the same coupon's number because each the coupon providing companies use their own generating system of coupon. To prevent this case, the coupon service server assigns a unique code(number) to each coupon providing company. Therefore, the combination of the preassigned company code and coupon's number is a unique number. Store's identification^) and date and time(8) are assigned at the time when the customer uses this coupon at some store.

[21]

[22] (2) Procedures to issue a temporary identification card or a membership card.

[23]

[24] Figure 3 shows the procedure of a customer to get a temporary identification card or membership card from the coupon service server. The customer(701), of course, should have been a member of the coupon service server(701). In the figure, if a customer(701) requests a temporary card, the coupon service server(700) issues a temporary identification card to the customer. The customer may use this card for a limited time. The information of the card including a unique temporary number is either printed on any blank paper of the customer's printer(706) or sent to the customer's cellular phone with the form of ID barcode or 2D barcode(705). The printed information is different from each printing time. Also, a membership card(708) can be issued from the coupon service server for a long time use. Like any other widely used membership card, membership number, member's name and expiration date is printed on the card. A credit card can be used if the credit card company allows to use this system instead of a temporary card or membership card. In this case, the credit card server must stores mapping table(A DBMS) between credit card number and membership number of the coupon service server for each customer. The temporary number on the temporary card plays an important role in this system. The temporary number is recorded in the DBMS of the coupon service server(700) whenever it is issued and, it acts as a primary key for each memeber. A database table of each customer with this primary key consists of following fields.

[25]

[26] Primary Key: Temporary number

[27] Attributes: Customer's Identification number + expiration date of this number+ the authentication number + customer's repository's name + Coupon Service server's Identification

[28]

[29] Where, the repository's name means a specified folder of pre-assigned only to this temporary number by the user. This folder name may be made by the user(customer) himself. Into the folder, the customer adds the coupons for useing with this temporary number. If the customer doesn't specify the folder name, the coupon service server admits the user to use all the folders he owns in his repository with this temporary number. The expiration date in this table is specified by the customer. The authentication number also may be specified by the customer. This number is asked by the cashier of a store in order to validate whether the customer is the owner of the coupon when the customer has submited the temporary card. If the authentication number is not specified at the table, a random number is automatically generated by the coupon service server and sent to the customer to cellular phone, PDA or some other communication device when he was asked to reply the authentication number by the cashier.

[30]

[31] Because the authentication number and expiration date is set by the customer, even though the customer lost his temporary card, the coupons cannot be used by others without knowing the authentication number.

[32]

[33] (3) The procedures for the customer to use coupons

[34] Figure 4 shows whole diagram when a customer uses the temporary card or membership card at a store. When a customer submits the card(725, 726 or 729) to the cashier, the cashier's register(722) sends the related information(temporary identification number) of the card to a store's server(730), the store's server sends this information to the coupon service server(720). Then, the coupon service server sends the coupon's information of the customer to the store's server back. At this time, the store's server may also connect to the coupon providing company and check whether the received coupon information from the coupon service server are genuine. Finally, based on the received coupon information, the cashier automatically discounts the price of the corresponding merchandise.

[35]

[36] Detail procedures between store's server and coupon service server are displayed in the figure 10 and figure 11. Either one of two protocols may be used. The same index number in both figures is same function.

[37]

[38] Step (751): Information of either temporary card or membership card is sent to the coupon service server through store's server.

[39] Step (752): The coupon service server asks the authentication number to the holder of this card via casher's register.

[40] Step (753): The customer inputs the memorized number which he stored on the coupon service server or the received number from the coupon service server through his cellular phone or a communication device. This input number is sent back to the coupon service server in order for the server to verify the customer.

[41] Step (754): The coupon service server sends the result of comparing the stored authentication number with the received number, i.e. "Yes" or "No" to the store's server. At the cashier's register, if the received signal is "No", the card is no longer valid. If the card is valid, either

[42] (a) in figure 10,

[43] Step (755): The store's server sends the list of items ringed up to the coupon service server.

[44] Step (756): The coupon service server searches all matched coupons with the received list and sends the list to the store's server.

[45] or

[46] (b) in figure 11,

[47] Step (755-1): The coupon service server sends all available coupon information of the customer to the store's server. The store's server finds all coupons which are corresponded to the customer's merchandises.

[48] Step (757): The store's server(730) sends the result of being used coupons to the coupon service server as well as the store's server calculates to discount the prices.

[49]

[50] In both cases,

[51] Step (758): The coupon service server records all necessary information for the used coupon such as the store name and used date, etc. At the saem time, the store's server records all necessary information for the used coupon such as the coupon service server's identification, date id used, the coupon identification number, etc.

[52]

[53] When a credit card used, instead of figure 4, figure 13 is adopted for whole relationship between parties. The difference between them is that store's server is connected to an external credit card server to retrieve a customer's identification number. If the customer is a member of the coupon service server and the credit card server has a database for the customer's identification with the credit card number, then, the a credit card number can used to retrieve the membership number from the credit card server's database when the customer uses the credit card. Following procedures are added to the head of either the figure 10 or the figure 11.

[54] Step (801): A credit card's information is sent to the credit card server when a customer handed it in.

[55] Step (802): The credit card server retrieves the membership number from its own database system. Then the credit card server sends the membership number to the coupon service server.

[56] Step (803): If the coupon service server reply to the credit card server as "Yes", the processes continue, otherwise this process stop.

[57] Step (804): the credit card server requests the item's list to the store's server.

[58] Step (805): The store's server replies the item list of the customer. [59] Step (806): The credit card server send the list to the coupon service server.

[60] Step (807): After the coupon service server matches the coupon with the list, it sends the result to the credit card sever.

[61] Step (808): The credit card server send the result to the coupon server server.

[62] Step (809): The credit card server subtracts the amount of the coupons after it receives the signal "o.k" from the store's server. [63] Step (810): The credit card server also sends the O.K signal to the coupon service server. [64]

[65] (4) The procedure to clear accounts between the parties.

[66] Only three parties, that is, the coupon service server, the coupon providing company and store's server are engaged in the process which settle accounts up. [67]

[68] (a) Between the coupon providing company and store's server.

[69] Figure 5 shows the relationship between the coupon providing company(300) and store's server(301). When starting clearing the account balance, [70] (1) The store's server sends the used coupon list and its own identification via network. The coupon's identification was already stored on the store's server. [71] (2) The coupon providing server requests the list of the used coupons (306) which are used in the store to the coupon service server(307), and it receives. [72] Then, the coupon providing server compares both list of coupon and send the result of comparaing to the store's server.. [73]

[74] (b) Between the coupon providing company and the coupon service server.

[75] The figure 6 shows the procedures to clear accounting between these two parties.

After clearing the account between the coupon providing company and the store's server, the coupon providing company(850) extracts information about the coupon service server(852) from the list of used coupon. Then, [76] connecting(853) with the coupon service server,

[77] either

[78] (1) the coupon providing company sends the information of the used coupons which were stored the coupon service server to the coupon service server, or [79] (2) the coupon service server sends the information of the used coupons which came from the company to the other server. [80] In either case, one server can validate whether the used coupons was genuine or not.

If it is correct, the two parties clear the accounting with their contracted regularities. [81] [82] (c) Between the coupon service server and the store's server [83] Figure 7 shows the necessary information between three parties in order to authenticate servers with the used coupons. With the unique number of each used coupon, two parties are authenticated with the other party's intercession.

[84] When a customer uses coupons he collected and ,however, necessary coupons are not exist at his repository, the necessary coupons can be exchange between coupon service servers. In figure 15, the diagram between servers is shown.

Advantageous Effects

[85] Several advantages emerges from the view of each attending parties.

[86] From the view of customer,

[87] (1) The customer doesn't need to bring the paper coupons.

[88] (2) The customer doesn't need to search the needed coupons from the a mixed bundle of coupons. The invention automatically searches the exact coupons with the customer's card.

[89] (3) The user can earn maximally economical profit without his effort.

[90]

[91] From the view of the store,

[92] (4) The store can get information of which items are hot from the customer's usage's pattern. That is, the store can get a lots of information for managing customer relationship (CRM).

[93] (5) In case that the coupon service server is operated by the store which sells merchandise, the store can advertise very effective snf economically.

[94] And also, it earns a good image brand of the store as the store puts temptation with coupons.

[95] (6) Cashier saves the labor to process many paper's coupons. The cashier doesn't need to store the coupon's paper.

[96] (7) The clearance of the account payable and receivable is very simple because it is processed by computers vis network automatically.

[97]

[98] From the view of coupon providing company,

[99] (8) The company gets vary useful information about customer's taste from which and when coupons are used by a specified range of customer. That is, the company gets good opportunity to anaylse market. Brief Description of Drawings

[100] Figure 1 is a representative figure for this invention. A brief relationship between attending parties is drawn. Figure 2 is to explain the relationship between the coupon service server and the coupon providing company. Figure 3 shows the procedures for the customer to get a temporary card from the coupon service server. Figure 4 shows the procedures between the store's server and the coupon service server when a customer uses his temporary card or membership card with the purpose of using the stored coupons. Figure 5 shows the relationship of clearing account between the store's server and the coupon providing server. Figure 6 is the relationship between the store's server and the coupon service sever for clearing account receivable and payable. Figure 7 is the data flow diagram when verifying the coupon's usuage and clearing account among the coupon service server. The figure 8 shows the general secure communication scheme between two computers. In this invention, the two computers can be the coupon service server and store's server, the store's server and the coupon providing company or the coupon providing company and the coupon service server. Figure 9 is the protocol that a customer collects discount coupons from the coupon service server or from the coupon providing server through the service server. Figure 10 and 11 are two protocols with which the store's server gets the customer's list of coupon available from the coupon service server. Figure 12 is a figure of case that a credit card server is used for accessing the list of coupon from the service server. Figure 13 is the data flow diagram among the coupon service server, the coupon providing company, credit card server and store's server when a credit card is submitted for using coupons. Figure 14 is the protocol between a credit card sever, coupon service server and the store's server when a credit card is submitted at a store. Figure 15 is the relationship between coupon service servers. That is, coupons can be exchanged among coupon service servers. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[101] Figure 1 is a figure for best mode. That is, each party is an independent component. In this case, benefits are shared all round. Mode for the Invention

[102] The coupon service server and the retail store can be identical. If the store like walmart may operates a coupon service server directly. In this case, the customer collects coupons from the store and uses them at the same store. Moreover the retail store also may provide the coupons which the store made, In this case, all attending parties except customer are identical. Therefore, the following five cases can be generated; (1) the coupon service server and the store can be identical, (2) the coupon service server and the coupon providing company can be identical, (3) the coupon service server and the store can be identical, (2) the coupon providing company and the store server can be identical, (4) all three parties are identical and (5) last, all attending parties are different. Industrial Applicability

[103] This invention is used for industrial application only. There can be so many benefits for industry. Each attending parties, the coupon proving company, the coupon service server, the store, the credit card company and the customer gets benefit all round.

Claims

[1] In the environment that the coupon service server, the coupon providing company, the user and the store's server or the credit card server which is linked from the store's server are connected by internet, (a) the procedures of which a customer collects coupons from the coupon providing company via coupon service server, (b) the procedures which issues the temporary card with a unique number to the customer's printer or a communication device such as cellular phone, (c) the procedures of which a customer uses the temporary card or membership card, (d) the procedures of which all available discount coupons are searched in the database of coupon service server by commands from far aparted store's server with only one temporary card or member card, (e) the procedures of which the store's server clears the account receivable and payable with the coupon providing company, (f) if necessary, the procedures of which a store's server clears the account receivable and payable with the coupon service server, (g) if necessary, the procedures of which a coupon service server clears the account receivable and payable with the coupon providing company.

[2] In the section (a) of Claim 1, the method to make a coupon number. That is, a coupon number is made at the right time when a customer receives the coupon from the coupon providing company and the number is unique by each company. Because the company assigns a unique number for each coupon on demand, the company can controls the number of coupon.

[3] At the (b) of claim 1, the method to assign the expiration date for a temporary card. That is, a expiration is assigned or modified by the user.

[4] At the (b) of claim 1, the method to assign the authentication number. That is, the authentication number is made by the user or generated by the coupon service server at the time of the customer uses.

[5] At the (b) of claim 1, the method to issue both a temporary card for a limited time use with a unique identification number to retrieve multiple coupons and a membership card for long-time use.

[6] At the (b) of claim 1, the kinds od media for printing a temporary card. That is, a paper and screen of a personal communication device such as cellular phone or PDA are used for the media.

[7] At the (b) of claim 1, the method to represent a unique identification number on a temporary card. That is, the number is remarked as one dimensional barcode or two dimensional barcode.

[8] At the (d) of claim 1, the procedures (protocols) to match all discount coupons stored on the coupon service server from the store's server. That is, (1) a customer's identification number is sent to the coupon service serer, (2) the coupon service server searches all coupons available for the identification number, (3) then, the server sends all list of coupons matched to the store's server, (4) the store's server then searches all items with matched coupons, (5) finally, the store's server processes to reddem the price and sends the results to the coupon service server.

[9] At the (f) of claim 1, with this system, the coupon providing company and the store can get the information of the customer by analyzing the used coupons.

[10] The procedures to authenticate the used coupons among the coupon service server, the coupon providing company and the store's server. For the store and the coupon providing company to authenticate each other, the store matches the coupon's unique number which was generated from the coupon providing company and the coupon providing company matches the store information, in which the coupon used. Both information are come from the coupon service server.

For the coupon service server and the coupon providing company to authenticate each other, they checks whether the store's information is the same or not. When a customer uses the coupon, both the coupon service server and the coupon providing company get the store's informations at the same time.

[11] At the (d) of claim 1, the procedures with a credit card instead of membership card or temporary card which search coupons available on the coupon service server and then, reduce costs for paying. That is, the protocols that a credit card server retrieves the membership number which correspods the credit card number, than, sends it to the coupon service servers and sends all necessary information to the coupon service server and receives the result from the coupon service server.

[12] At the (b) of claim 1, when the coupon matched with a item is not exist in the customer's repository, the procedures which exchange coupons between coupon service servers.