AU2014100826A4 - System and Method for Mobile Tracking - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of associating point-of-sale (POS) transactions with a plurality of active consumers in a system is provided, in which each active consumer carries at least one uniquely identifiable mobile communications device (104). The method comprises accessing a device location database (134) containing device location records (410), each of which comprises device location data (414) and corresponding time data (416) acquired by a mobile communications device of one of the plurality of consumers. A POS transaction database (136) is accessed to retrieve POS transaction records (400), each of which comprises transaction location data (402) and corresponding transaction time data (404). The device location records in the device location database are correlated with the POS transaction records in the POS transaction database based upon similarity of time and location data, so as to associate one or more of the POS transactions with a corresponding one or more of the uniquely identifiable mobile communications devices carried by the active consumers. 13 0 126 136 Figure 1

Description

1 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE TRACKING FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to business intelligence technology, and more particularly to retailer customer intelligence systems for tracking and, optionally, rewarding purchasing behaviour. The invention finds application in areas such as, for example, retailer business management, mobile couponing, marketing, and the operation of customer membership and loyalty schemes. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION [0002] Operators of businesses providing goods and services to consumers, such as retail businesses, increasingly desire intelligence about customer purchasing patterns and motivations in order to more-effectively manage and market their businesses, and prosper in a highly competitive environment. In particular, retail business operators generally wish to develop closer relationships with their customers, to encourage them to share personal information, and to target communications (e.g. promotions, advertisements and offers) at the most effective time and location. [0003] Retail customer loyalty schemes are the prevalent method by which retailers currently associate transactions with particular consumers in order to understand their purchasing behaviour, and to make offers on the basis of that behaviour. With the exception of niche areas, e.g. limited transaction schemes like coffee club cards, customer loyalty programs are expensive to operate, and require the member to identify themselves and to carry a card or other membership token for identification at the point-of-sale. [0004] With current card-based, or membership-number-based, loyalty schemes it is difficult to track customer purchase behaviour across different retailers, unless those retailers are willing to collaborate on a loyalty program.

2 [0005] Retailers that do not operate a loyalty program for their customers have records of transactions made but are unable to understand transaction level data as it relates to the behaviour of shoppers, and must resort instead to forms of survey or other small-scale research methods based upon subsets (typically less than five percent) of their customer base. In this case, the retailer is still unable to communicate offers and messages directly to individual consumers, and/or to monitor the impact of such offers on consumer behaviour. [0006] The increasing ubiquity of mobile communications devices is opening up new opportunities to address problems of existing customer loyalty programs and other business intelligence systems through the application of sophisticated technology. For example, mobile commerce is becoming increasingly prevalent, and there is a desire by businesses to enable mobile devices to replace other forms of customer communication and contact, such as rewards, offers and coupons. [0007] A number of mobile coupon applications and systems have been developed, such as Apple's Passbook system, however these are limited by an inability to easily associate the mobile device user with corresponding transaction records and specific shopping behaviour. Without integration of the mobile coupon system with each retailer's point-of-sale systems, which is often expensive and complex, offers and coupons cannot be made based on specific knowledge of an individual's behaviour, and cannot be validated easily to provide a discount or reward. [0008] With regard to limited transaction retail loyalty schemes typically of coffee retailers and cafes, there is a trend to the replacement of loyalty cards by mobile applications. In such schemes, the customer downloads an app to their mobile device, which is typically provided by a third-party retail loyalty program operator. The app enables the customer to scan a code, such as a barcode or QR code, at the point-of-sale when a purchase is made. In order to provide this opportunity, the retailer must sign up with the third-party loyalty program operator, which provides the retailer with their unique code for display at point-of-sale.

3 However, these schemes do not provide validation that an actual purchase was made by the customer, nor any system for recording a transaction involving multiple items of different values, and further require the customer to open the app and scan the code with every transaction. [0009] With regard to more typical customer loyalty programs, there is also a desire by retail operators and their customers for mobile devices to replace loyalty cards or other forms of separate customer membership identification. However, the most common retail point-of-sale systems cannot scan barcodes displayed on mobile devices for technical reasons relating to the laser scanning and mobile display technologies. These technical limitations also prevent offers, such as coupons, being presented in the form of barcodes or the like via mobile devices, for scanning at point-of-sale by retailers. [0010] A number of retailers have also used 'coupon at till' methods in order to present offers/coupons to customers at the point of transaction, in relation to the customer's immediate purchase record, and therefore avoiding the need for a customer loyalty scheme or knowledge of the customer's identity. However, this involves complex integration with the retailer's POS system, the retailer and customer handling paper coupons, and cannot be translated to a mobile-device based program without knowledge of the customer's contact details. 'Coupon at till' schemes are also only able to make offers to shoppers following a purchase and therefore require that shopper to make another shop to redeem the benefit. [0011] There is, therefore, an ongoing need for improved systems and methods employing widely deployed mobile technology for gathering retail customer intelligence, tracking consumer transactions, enhancing opportunities for effective marketing and reward redemption, and for increasing efficiencies in the operation of customer membership and loyalty schemes. The present invention seeks to address this need.

4 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012] In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of associating point-of-sale (POS) transactions with a plurality of active consumers in a system in which each active consumer carries at least one uniquely identifiable mobile communications device, the method comprising: accessing a device location database containing device location records, each of which comprises device location data and corresponding time data acquired by a mobile communications device of one of the plurality of consumers; accessing a POS transaction database containing POS transaction records, each of which comprises transaction location data and corresponding transaction time data; and correlating the device location records in the device location database with the POS transaction records in the POS transaction database based upon similarity of time and location data, so as to associate one or more of the POS transactions with a corresponding one or more of the uniquely identifiable mobile communications devices carried by the active consumers. [0013] Advantageously, embodiments of the invention enable information gathered by different mechanisms to be matched up in order to reconstruct consumer transaction histories. In particular, POS systems gather transaction information, along with associated time and location information, while a mobile device tracking system can be employed to gather time-at-location information of mobile devices carried by active consumers. By correlating information from these two separate sources, transactions are matched to consumers, without any requirement for the consumers to be known to the operators of retail POS systems, or to sign up for membership of any customer loyalty programs. In at least some embodiments, consumers have the option of remaining anonymous, since the unique associations between transactions and mobile communications devices may be maintained without any requirement to store personally identifiable information of each consumer.

5 [0014] A further advantage of embodiments of the invention is the ability to operate a consumer transaction history tracking system across multiple retailers, without any need for the retail businesses to cooperate with one another in the operation of the system. In appropriate circumstances, all subscribing retail businesses can obtain useful marketing intelligence, either explicitly or implicitly, gathered from consumers across an entire network of participating businesses. [0015] In embodiments of the invention, device location information included in the device location records is obtained by detecting proximity to POS terminals of mobile devices carried by active consumers. [0016] In accordance with some embodiments, proximity is detected by proximity detection apparatus located at the POS terminals. The proximity detection apparatus may comprise Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceivers. The BLE transceivers may be configured as beacons detectable by mobile devices, whereby the mobile devices may transmit device location information for storage within the device location database upon detecting proximity to a POS terminal. Alternatively, the BLE transceivers may be configured as receivers of beacons transmitted by the mobile devices, whereby the proximity detection apparatus and/or POS terminals may transmit device location information for storage in the device location database. Radio signal strength may be used for more accurate proximity detection. For example, the BLE Proximity Profile (PXP) enables ranging using the receiver Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). [0017] In embodiments of the invention, transaction information included in the transaction records is obtained by the POS terminals. [0018] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the mobile communications devices are configured with location information of predetermined areas associated with POS terminals, and the method comprises activating a proximity detection mechanism of each mobile device upon entry to one of the predetermined areas. The method may further comprise deactivating 6 the proximity detection mechanism upon exit from one of the predetermined areas. [0019] In embodiments of the invention, the method further comprises constructing a transaction history of each active consumer based upon the POS transactions associated with mobile communications devices carried by the active consumer. [0020] The method may further comprise analysing the transaction history of each active consumer to generate corresponding consumer preference hypotheses. The method may further comprise matching one or more available offers to the active consumer based upon the consumer preference hypotheses. Offer information may be transmitted to a mobile communications device carried by the active consumer, whereby the offer may be presented to the active consumer via the mobile communications device. The consumer may indicate acceptance of an offer by interaction with the mobile device, and the method may subsequently comprise receiving offer acceptance information from the mobile communications device carried by the active consumer. [0021] In some embodiments, offer redemptions may be processed in real-time at a time of purchase. This may require real-time communications between a POS terminal and an offer processing module. Where such communications are not practical, offer redemption may alternatively be processed 'off-line' subsequent to the time of purchase. Real-time redemptions may be based upon a current purchase (e.g. a 'buy one get one free' offer) or upon previous behaviour (e.g. a discount based upon an earlier purchase). Off line redemptions may occur via tracking of purchases to earn discounts, loyalty points, or the like, which may subsequently be cashed-out, e.g. to a consumer bank account, PayPal account, or other transaction account. [0022] In another aspect, the invention provides a system for associating POS transactions with a plurality of active consumers wherein each active consumer 7 carries at least one uniquely identifiable mobile communications device, the system comprising: a device location database containing device location records, each of which comprises device location data and corresponding time data acquired by a mobile communications device of one of the plurality of active consumers; a POS transaction database containing POS transaction records, each of which comprises transaction location data and corresponding transaction time data; and a processor configured to access the device location database and the transaction database, and to correlate the device location records in the device location database with the POS transaction records in the POS transaction database based upon similarity of time and location data, so as to associate one or more of the POS transactions with a corresponding one or more of the uniquely identifiable mobile communications devices carried by the active consumers. [0023] In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of operating a uniquely identifiable mobile communications device carried by an active consumer, the method comprising: monitoring a location of the mobile communications device; detecting proximity of the mobile communications device to a location of a POS terminal; and transmitting device location data and corresponding time data for storage in a device location record within a device location database, whereby information stored in the device location record is subsequently correlated with a POS transaction record stored in a POS transaction database, based upon similarity between the device location and time data in the device location records and transaction location and time data in the POS transaction record. [0024] The method may further comprise: configuring the mobile communications device with location information of predetermined areas associated with POS terminals; and 8 activating a proximity detection mechanism of the mobile device upon entry to one of the predetermined areas. [0025] The proximity detection mechanism may employ a Bluetooth transceiver of the mobile device, for example configured as a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) receiver, for detection of a BLE beacon associated with the POS terminal, or alternatively configured as a BLE beacon transmitter for transmitting unique identifying information of the mobile communications device to a BLE receiver associated with the POS terminal. [0026] The method may further comprise the mobile communications device receiving offer information via a data communications network interface. The offer information may be presented to the active consumer via a display of the mobile communications device, and the active consumer may be enabled to accept the displayed offer by interaction with the mobile communications device. An accepted offer may subsequently be redeemed by the consumer, for example at a point-of-sale, or subsequent to a point-of-sale transaction. [0027] The method may be implemented via an app downloadable from a remote server and installed upon the mobile communications device, the app comprising program instructions executable by a processor of the mobile communications device so as to implement steps and processes embodying the method. [0028] Further features and benefits provided by embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which is provided by way of example only in order to assist in the understanding of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as summarised in the preceding statements, and defined in the appended claims.

9 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0029] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like features, and wherein: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating general operation of an embodiment of the invention: Figure 3 is a block diagram of a software architecture embodying the invention; Figures 4(a) to 4(c) are schematic illustrations of database records according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 5(a) is a flowchart illustrating a general device location process embodying the invention; Figure 5(b) is a flowchart illustrating a detailed device location process embodying the invention; Figure 5(c) is a flowchart illustrating a transaction recording process embodying the invention; Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a correlation process embodying the invention; Figure 7 is a schematic representation of a consumer transaction history data structure embodying the invention: Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a preference analysis process embodying the invention; Figure 9(a) is a flowchart illustrating transmission of an offer according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 9(b) is a flowchart illustrating offer acceptance and redemption according to an embodiment of the invention Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a POS system for electronic redemption of offers according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a process of offer redemption at the point of sale using the POS system of Figure 10; and 10 Figure 12 illustrates a secure real-time POS verification and redemption process embodying the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0030] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 embodying the present invention. The system 100 employs one or more communications networks 102, such as the Internet, for messaging between different components of the system, each of which generally comprises one or more processing, computing and/or storage devices. In this specification, terms such as 'processor', 'computer', and so forth, unless otherwise required by the context, should be understood as referring to a range of possible implementations of devices or apparatus comprising a combination of hardware and software. This includes single-processor and multi-processor devices and apparatus, including cooperating hardware and software platforms that may be collocated or distributed. Hardware may include conventional personal computer architectures or other general purpose hardware platforms. Software may include commercially available operating system software in combination with various application and service programs. Alternatively, computing or processing platforms may comprise custom hardware and/or software architectures. For enhanced scalability, computing and processing systems may comprise cloud computing platforms, enabling physical hardware resources to be allocated dynamically in response to service demands. While these variations fall within the scope of the present invention, for ease of explanation and understanding the exemplary embodiments described herein are based upon single processor general-purpose computing platforms, and commonly available operating system platforms. [0031] The system 100 further comprises mobile devices, e.g. 104, each of which is, in normal operation of the system, carried by a consumer. A consumer carrying a device 104, having software embodying the invention installed and executing, is termed an 'active consumer'. The term 'mobile device' and similar terminology, except where otherwise required by the context, refers to a range of 11 portable wireless devices and products, including smartphones, tablets, wearable computing devices (e.g. smartwatches), and so forth. As is well-known, such devices run a range of widely deployed operating systems, including Apple's iOS, Google's Android, and variations on Microsoft's Windows operating systems. These examples are not intended to be exhaustive, and other mobile devices, such as those executing the BlackBerry operating system, may also be employed within embodiments of the invention. [0032] The system further includes point-of-sale (POS) terminals 107. POS terminals are generally computing systems executing software to manage and record sales transactions, and having various interfaces and peripherals for facilitating payments, including payments in cash, by credit or debit card, and/or via other payment systems, such as PayPal. POS terminals are also generally equipped with communications capabilities, enabling interactions with other systems accessible via the network 102. [0033] The system 100 also comprises wireless access points (WAPs), e.g. 105, enabling mobile devices 104 to communicate via the network 102. Each WAP 105 may be, for example, a Wi-Fi access point, or a cellular network access point supporting one or more mobile data communications protocols, such as GPRS, 3G or 4G/LTE protocols. [0034] One service accessible via the network 102 by mobile devices 104 is an 'app store' service 108. The app store service 108 comprises one or more server computers from which application software programs (i.e. 'apps') may be acquired and downloaded to a mobile device 104. The app store service 108 provides one mechanism whereby active consumers may obtain software apps embodying features of the present invention (as described in greater detail below) for installation and execution on mobile devices 104. [0035] Also included in the system 100 is an association processor 110 embodying features of the invention. As shown in Figure 1, the association 12 processor comprises a combination of conventional hardware, conventional operating software, and additional software components specifically configured to embody various features of the invention. Software components embodying features of the invention may be developed using any suitable programming language, development environment, or combinations of languages and development environments, as will be familiar to persons skilled in the art of software engineering. For example, suitable software may be developed using the C programming language, the Java programming language, the C++ programming language, and/or a range of languages suitable for the implementation of network or web-based services, such as JavaScript, HTML, PHP, ASP, JSP, and so forth. These examples are not intended to be limiting, and it will be appreciated that other convenient languages or development systems may be employed, in accordance with system requirements. [0036] The association processor 110 comprises a microprocessor 112. The microprocessor 112 is interfaced to, or otherwise operably associated with, a non-volatile memory/storage device 114. The non-volatile storage 114 may be a hard disk drive, and/or may include a solid-state non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM), flash memory, or the like. The microprocessor 112 is also interfaced to volatile storage 116, such as random access memory (RAM), which contains program instructions and transient data relating to the operation of the processor 110. [0037] In a conventional configuration, the storage device 114 maintains known program and data content relative to the normal operation of the association processor computer system 110. For example, the storage device 114 may contain operating system programs and data, as well as other executable application software necessary to the intended functions of the association processor 110. The storage device 114 also contains program instructions which, when executed by the microprocessor 112, instruct the association processor computer system 110 to perform operations relating to an embodiment of a mobile transaction tracking system according to the invention.

13 In operation, instructions and data held on the storage device 114 are transferred to volatile memory 116 for execution on demand. [0038] The microprocessor 112 is also operably associated with a network interface 118 in a conventional manner. The network interface 118 facilitates access to one or more data communications networks, such as the network 102 employed for communications between the association processor 110 and other components of the system 100, such as proximity sensing devices 106. [0039] In use, the volatile storage 116 includes a corresponding body 120 of program instructions configured to perform processing and operations embodying features of the present invention, comprising various components in the software architecture described below with reference to Figure 3. [0040] The proximity sensing devices 106, in the embodiment 100, similarly comprise a conventional computing platform architecture, including a microprocessor 122, non-volatile storage 124, volatile storage 126, and a network interface 128. The proximity sensing devices 106 may be designed as relatively compact units, with a high degree of integration of the components, e.g. in a 'system-on-chip' (SOC) configuration or similar. Programs and instructions, including operating system and applications programs, are stored on the non volatile storage device 124, and transferred to operating memory 126 for execution on demand. In particular, in operation a body of program instructions 130 may be executed by the microprocessor 102 of the proximity sensing device 106 to implement various features embodying the present invention. [0041] The proximity sensing device 106 is also integrated with and/or interfaced to a mobile device proximity detector 132. In various embodiments of the invention, the mobile device proximity detector 132 may take a variety of forms. For example, it may comprise a barcode or QR code scanner, or a near field communications (NFC) scanning device. In other embodiments, an audio based proximity detection scheme may be employed, in which the mobile device 14 proximity detector 132 comprises one or more speakers and/or microphones. In the embodiment described in greater detail below, the mobile device proximity detector 132 is a Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) transceiver, and in particular may be an iBeacon device. A BLE beacon enables a Bluetooth-enabled mobile device 104 to determine its own proximity to the beacon 132, based upon the presence and strength of the received signal. In an alternative arrangement, the Bluetooth enabled mobile device 104 provides a BLE beacon signal, and the proximity detector 132 acts as a BLE receiver which is able to detect the proximity of one or more mobile devices 104 according to the presence and strength of corresponding BLE beacon signals. Radio signal strength may be used for more accurate proximity detection. For example, the BLE Proximity Profile (PXP) enables ranging using the receiver Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). Notably, each mobile device 104 within the system 100 has one or more unique identifiers, which may be, for example, a device serial number, or a unique communications interface address or identifier, such as a Wi-Fi MAC address or a Bluetooth address. This identifier is used to uniquely identify each mobile device 104 within the system 100. [0042] Although the embodiments described below employ a BLE beacon 132 for mobile device proximity detection, alternative embodiments may not require the use of any proximity detector 132, associated with each proximity sensing device 106. For example, the precise location and proximity of each mobile device 104 to each proximity sensing device 106 could be determined via other location services, such as those based upon GPS, Wi-Fi network detection, or mobile cell site analysis. [0043] The system 100 further includes a device location database 134 and a transaction database 136. The contents and operation of these databases is described in greater detail below, for example with reference to Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 1, the device location database 134 and the transaction database 136 are located remotely from the proximity sensing devices 106 and the association processor 110, and are accessible via the network 102. However, the term 'database', and equivalent terminology, unless otherwise required by the 15 context, is intended to encompass a range of arrangements and implementations that will be known to persons skilled in the art of software engineering. For example, databases may be centralised or distributed. They may employ a range of architectures and data models, including flat-file architectures, and/or relational, associative, or object-oriented data models. The various databases discussed in the following further description of embodiments of the invention may exist as separate entities, or may be combined in a common database. The databases may be maintained in common storage, in separate storage (e.g. distinct remote or distributed databases), and may be stored locally to one or more of the other components within the system 100, or may be located separately and remotely from all other components. Various combinations of these arrangements also fall within the scope of the present invention. [0044] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram 200 which illustrates the general operation of an embodiment of the invention. In particular, the diagram 200 illustrates a method of proximity detection of a mobile device 104 carried by an active consumer. A proximity sensing device 106 is positioned at a known location, e.g. in proximity to a POS terminal 107. Surrounding the proximity sensing device 106 is a notional boundary or 'geofence' 202. The geofence 202 is a virtual 'barrier', within which a mobile device 104 is considered to be in general proximity to the proximity sensing device 106. The object of the arrangement 200 shown schematically in Figure 2 is then to determine when the device 104 comes within close proximity of the proximity sensing device 106, or more particularly to the associated BLE beacon 132. [0045] According to an embodiment of the invention, the mobile device 104 carried by an active consumer executes a mobile app which has been downloaded and installed, e.g. from the app store 108. The app is configured with a list of predetermined geofences, e.g. 202, which may be contained in an internal database and regularly updated via the network 102, to account for addition, removal, or movement of proximity sensing devices 106. The app is also configured to track the location of the mobile device 104, using existing location services provided by the mobile device operating system, and device 16 hardware, such as location services based on GPS and/or local wireless network visibility. Accordingly, the app is able to determine when the mobile device 104 carried by an active consumer enters the general vicinity of the proximity sensing device 106, as illustrated by the arrow 204 in Figure 2. [0046] Upon entry to the region within the geofence 202 the app executing on the mobile device 104 may perform one or more associated operations. In particular, it may activate a Bluetooth transceiver of the mobile device 104, in order to enable proximity detection with the BLE beacon 132. In one implementation, the mobile device 104 acts as a BLE beacon transmitter, which transmits a unique identifier of the device 104 via a Bluetooth interface. This unique identifier may be received by the BLE beacon receiver 132, when the device 104 is in close proximity, enabling the proximity sensing device 106 to identify the device 104, and to transmit corresponding location information to the association processor 110 and/or the device location database 134, as described in greater detail below with reference to Figures 5(a) and 5(b). Alternatively, the BLE beacon 132 may operate as the transmitter, and entry of the mobile device 104 within the geofence 202 causes the app to activate the Bluetooth receiver, to enable detection of proximity to the proximity sensing device 106 via the signal generated by the BLE beacon 132. The app executing on the mobile device 104 is then able to transmit corresponding proximity information to the association processor 110 and/or device location database 134. [0047] Once the mobile device 104 carried by the active consumer is within the geofenced region 202, subsequent events may follow one of two general courses. In one course of events, the active consumer may subsequently leave the vicinity of the proximity sensing device 106 without conducting any transaction, as indicated by the arrow 206. In this case, upon exiting the region enclosed by the geofence 202 the app executing on the mobile device 104 may deactivate the Bluetooth transceiver and/or perform other associated functions. [0048] In an alternative course of events, the active consumer carrying the mobile device 104 may pass within close proximity to the proximity sensing 17 device 106, as indicated by the arrow 208. If the proximity sensing device 106 is associated with a POS terminal 107, the consumer may conduct a transaction (e.g. a purchase) at the associated POS terminal. In this case, the active consumer, and mobile device 104, will spend a period of time in close proximity to the BLE beacon 132. This period of close proximity will be detected, and the corresponding proximity information transmitted, either by the mobile device 104 or the proximity sensing device 106, to the association processor 110 and/or the device location database 134. Additionally, if a transaction takes place, such as the purchase of one or more items, this will result in the generation of associated transaction data. Also associated with the transaction is a location, i.e. that of the proximity sensing device 106, and associated POS terminal 107, and a time of transaction. This information is transmitted, either in real-time following completion of the transaction, or at a subsequent time, as indicated by the arrow 210. Transaction information, and other communications, may occur between the proximity sensing device 106, the POS terminal 107, and the association processor 110 and/or the transaction database 136 via the network 102. In some embodiments, the proximity sensing device 106 and/or an associated POS terminal 107 may receive communications from the association processor 110 in the course of a transaction, such as communications relating to offers available to the active consumer carrying the mobile device 104, as discussed in greater detail below, particularly with reference to Figures 3, 8 and 9. [0049] Following completion of a transaction, the active consumer, and associated mobile device 104, will depart the region contained by the geofence 202, as indicated by the arrow 212. [0050] Figure 3 is a block diagram 300 illustrating an exemplary software architecture embodying the invention. The software architecture 300 comprises various components, which are shown and described in order to illustrate one possible implementation of the invention, however persons skilled in the art of software engineering will recognise that many alternative architectures are possible. It should be noted that the various functional blocks shown in the architecture 300 may execute on a single computing platform, or on multiple 18 computing platforms. For simplicity, it is assumed for present purposes that the various software components are executed by the association processor 110. [0051] Each functional block shown in the architecture 300 represents one or more software modules, configured to carry out associated actions and, where appropriate, to interact with relevant hardware components of the system 100. [0052] A communications block 302 is responsible for receiving and transmitting information between the association processor 110 and other components of the system 100, such as mobile devices 104, proximity sensing devices 106 and POS terminals 107. [0053] An event monitor 304 is responsible for monitoring certain communications, and other actions initiated within the system 100, and communicating relevant events to other software components within the architecture 300. A variety of different events may be configured, depending upon the specific implementation of the invention. In the exemplary embodiment described here, a number of events are configured, and implemented within the various software components executing within the system, including at the association processor 110, the proximity sensing device 106, the POS terminals 107 and the mobile devices 104. [0054] For example, when a mobile device 104 enters a region surrounded by a geofence 202, the app executing on the mobile device 104 may be configured to transmit corresponding location information, whereby the event monitor 304 generates a corresponding 'enter geofence' event. Similarly, when a mobile device 104 exits a geofenced region, an 'exit geofence' event may be generated by the event monitor 304. The event monitor 304 may also generate a corresponding event when proximity of a mobile device 104 to a POS terminal is notified. Events may also be generated when a mobile app is activated or deactivated on a mobile device 104, when a mobile device is located in close proximity to a proximity sensing device 106, when a transaction is in progress at a 19 POS terminal, when a transaction completes at a POS terminal 107, when new offers become available to an active consumer associated with a particular mobile device 104, and when an offer is accepted by an active consumer via interaction with the app executing on their mobile device 104. Other components within the software architecture 300 may listen for relevant events, and take corresponding actions, a number of which will be described below with reference to Figures 5, 6, 8 and 9. [0055] A component 306 is provided for updating the device location database 134. The component 306 may listen for relevant location events, such as 'enter geofence', 'exit geofence', and 'POS terminal proximity' events, receive corresponding event details via the communications interface component 302, and add the corresponding information to the device location database 134. Mobile devices 104 may transmit additional device location information to the updating component 306 upon request and/or as required. [0056] A further component 308 is provided to update the transaction database 136. Functions of the transaction database updating component 308 may be triggered by a 'transaction complete' event, or by the receipt of individual or bulk transaction data transmitted from the various POS terminals 107 within the system 100. Transaction information, including transaction place and time, is stored in the transaction database 136 by the updating component 308. [0057] The software architecture 300 also includes a correlator component 310. The function of the correlator component 310 is to identify associated transactions and device locations stored within the databases 134, 136. The operation of the correlator 310 is described in greater detail below, particularly with reference to Figure 6. The result of operations of the correlator 310 is consumer transaction information, which may be stored in a consumer transaction history database 312. The consumer transaction history database 312 may be collocated with the transaction database 136, with the device location database 134, with the association processor 110, or may be stored at a separate location.

20 [0058] A consumer preferences analyser 314 accesses the consumer transaction history database 312 in order to identify consumer preferences, as described in greater detail below with reference to Figure 8. [0059] Consumer transaction history, and consumer preferences identified by the preference analyser 314, may be accessed and used by an offer processor component 316, in order to generate new offers and incentives for presentation to consumers, as described in greater detail below with reference to Figure 9. [0060] Figures 4(a) to 4(c) show schematic representations of database records according to an exemplary embodiment. [0061] Figure 4(a) illustrates a transaction record structure 400. As described above, transaction records are typically generated by POS terminals 107. Each transaction record 400 comprises location data 402, a transaction time 404, and further transaction details 406. The location data 402 may comprise, for example, specific details of the associated POS terminal, such as a POS terminal identifier, and may include explicit location information, such as geo-location data (e.g. latitude and longitude) of the POS terminal. Alternatively, location information of individual POS terminals may be stored elsewhere, e.g. within other records of the location database 134, such that unique identifying information of the POS terminal may be used subsequently to look up a corresponding location. [0062] The time of the transaction 404 should be provided to a reasonably high-degree of accuracy, in order to facilitate correlation of transactions with mobile devices by the correlator component 310. Accordingly, each POS terminal 107 may include a clock which is maintained in synchronisation with a suitable time reference, such as via the Network Time Protocol (NTP). If NTP is not available, other forms of synchronisation or skew compensation may be employed. For example, a 'dummy' transaction may be completed at a known time each day to enable the actual time of all subsequent transaction at the POS 21 terminal 107 to be calculated based on an observed offset between a recorded time and the known time of the dummy transaction. [0063] Transaction details 406 may include information such as individual items purchased by the consumer along with prices, and any other relevant information about the transaction (e.g. any discounts received, offers redeemed, and so forth). [0064] Figure 4(b) illustrates an exemplary device location record structure 410. The device location record 410 includes a unique device identifier 412, location data 414, and an associated time 416. The location data 414 may comprise any convenient geo-location information, such as latitude and longitude, as obtained by the associated mobile device using its available location services. [0065] The time information 416 should again be reasonably accurate, in order to facilitate the operations of the correlator 310. Preferably, a clock maintained by the mobile device 104 is synchronised to a suitable time reference, such as via NTP. However, if this cannot be guaranteed then the app executing on the mobile device 104 may determine a time skew value, by comparing the local device time with a suitable time reference, such that an appropriate adjustment may be applied to the device time when transmitting device location information for storage within the device location database 134. [0066] Figure 4(c) shows an exemplary consumer record data structure 420. Consumer records may be stored in the transaction database 136, in the device location database 134, or in another database associated with the association processor 110, or maintained elsewhere within the system 100. Consumer records are used to maintain information about each active consumer within the system 100, and their associated mobile devices. [0067] As shown, the exemplary consumer record 420 comprises a unique consumer identifier 422, and consumer details 424. The consumer details may 22 include, for example, personal information such as the consumer's name and contact details, along with other information such as gender, age, and so forth. However, in some embodiments, consumers may have the option of remaining anonymous, and may not be required to provide personally-identifying information. So long as a consumer record can be associated with one or more mobile devices, access to the actual identity and personal data of the consumer is not essential to operation of the system 100. [0068] The consumer record 420 may further include consumer profile and preferences information 426. The consumer profile and preferences information 426 may include consumer interests as identified by the consumer, and may also include consumer interests and preferences as inferred by analysis of consumer transaction activity by the preference analyser component 314. [0069] The consumer record 420 may also include details of one or more consumer devices 428. Since a consumer may own, and carry, one or more different mobile devices, the consumer record structure 420 supports records for different devices. In this way, the correlator component 310 is able to associate transactions with specific active consumers, even if the consumer owns and carries different mobile devices from time to time. Such a system also allows new devices to be associated with a pre-existing customer record. [0070] Turning now to Figure 5, flowcharts are shown illustrating device location and transaction recording processes embodying the invention. [0071] Figure 5(a) is a flowchart 500 illustrating a general device location process. At step 502 the device is located, for example upon entering a geofenced region, exiting a geofenced region, or coming into close proximity with a proximity sensing device 106. At step 504, the associated location information, comprising at least a unique device identifier, location information, and an associated time, are transmitted for storage within the device location database 134, and possible further processing by the association processor 110.

23 Depending upon the type of location information, and the specific implementation of the system 100, the device location may be determined and transmitted by the mobile device 104 itself, by a POS terminal 106, or by a beacon or other locating apparatus within the system 100. [0072] At step 506, the device location is stored within a device location record 410 within the location database 134. [0073] Figure 5(b) is a flowchart 510 illustrating a detailed device location process embodying the invention. As noted above, the components of the system 100 actually responsible for determining device location, and transmitting the information for storage within the device location database 134, may depend upon specific implementation details. The flowchart 510 applies to all such implementations. [0074] At step 512, a device location check is performed. Typically, this check is conducted by the app executing on a mobile device 104, using location services provided by the device and/or operating system. A decision is then made, 514, as to whether the device is within a predefined area, i.e. a geofence. If not, control returns to step 512, for a further check to be performed at a subsequent time. However, if the device has entered a geofenced region, then any relevant communications interfaces are activated at step 516. For example, the app executing on the mobile device 104 may activate a Bluetooth interface, in order to act as either a BLE beacon, or BLE receiver, depending upon the system implementation. [0075] At step 518, location information is transmitted for storage within the device location database 134. [0076] At step 520, a further device location check is conducted. A decision is then made, 522, regarding whether the device is still within the predefined, geofenced area. If the device has exited the geofenced region, then any 24 communications facilities that are no longer required by the mobile device, such as a Bluetooth transceiver, are deactivated at step 524 in order to conserve power. Location information is then transmitted for storage in the device location database 134, at step 526. [0077] If the mobile device remains within the geofenced region, then at step 528 a check is performed for proximity to a proximity sensing device 106. A decision 530 is then made, depending upon the result of the proximity check. If the mobile device is not in close proximity to a POS terminal, then control returns to step 520, for a further location check at the subsequent time. However, if the mobile device is in close proximity to POS terminal, then at step 532 corresponding location information is transmitted for storage in the device location database 134, and/or for processing by the association processor 110. [0078] Figure 5(c) is a flowchart 540 illustrating a transaction recording process embodying the invention. The process 540 awaits completion of a transaction 542, at which time corresponding transaction details are stored. At the same time, or at a subsequent time, transaction information including time, location and additional transaction data are transmitted for storage within the transaction database 136, at step 544. At step 546, each such set of transaction information is stored in a corresponding transaction record 400. [0079] Figure 6 is a flowchart 600 illustrating a correlation process such as may be carried out by the correlator component 310 within embodiments of the invention. The purpose of the correlation process is to identify and associate transactions with active consumers, based on time and location data. [0080] At step 602, the correlator 310 accesses the device location database 134. At step 604, the correlator 310 accesses the transaction database 136. As will be appreciated, access to the device location and transaction databases 134, 136 may be simultaneous and/or continuous.

25 [0081] At step 606, the correlator 310 correlates device location and transaction records identified within the device location database 134 and transaction database 136. In particular, the function of the correlation step 606 is to identify specific transaction records 400 for which the location 402 and time 404 fields correspond with the location 414 and time 416 fields of a device location record 410 identified within the location database 134. Ideally, location and time data would exactly match. In practice, however, it is likely that location and time as determined by each mobile device 104 may differ from that of other mobile devices, and from that generated from proximity sensing devices 106. Accordingly, the correlation step 606 will typically employ heuristics, for example by identifying 'closest match' records, i.e. transaction and device location records that are closer in time and location to one another than to any other corresponding pairings, and/or by employing tolerances on times and locations in order to identify a match. The correlator 310 may be configured to employ adaptive heuristics, as it obtains additional practical information regarding similarity and/or difference between time and location information obtained by different mobile devices and POS terminals. [0082] At step 608, transaction records and device location records identified in the correlation step 606 are associated with one another. The corresponding device, identified in field 412 of the device location record 410 is identified within a consumer record 420, such that the transaction is then associated with a particular active consumer record 422. Additionally, information relating to device location records that cannot be identified with a corresponding transaction record may also be associated with the relevant consumer record 422. Such records may relate to proximity sensing devices 106 that are not associated with a POS terminal 107, or to events such as the active consumer making a inquiry at a point-of-sale that does not result in an immediate purchase. This data may reveal useful information about the interests and preferences of the consumer, and may be stored as a distinct record type, or as a specialised zero-dollar-value transaction having a type such as 'inquiry' or 'browsing'.

26 [0083] It should be noted, in view of the correlation step 606 performed within the process 600, that it may be convenient to maintain indexes of the location database 134 and transaction database 136 which are based on time and location. This would enable the correlator component 310 to more rapidly identify matching device location and transaction records. However, in other embodiments the correlator 310 may identify matching records by using appropriately structured database queries, and/or by exhaustive searching through all new records for matching pairs. The particular methods employed by the correlator 312 are not critical to the invention, however it is clearly desirable that they be reasonably efficient in terms of time and processing resource utilisation. [0084] Figure 7 shows a schematic representation 700 of a consumer transaction history data structure embodying the invention. Transaction history data structures 700 are constructed as a result of the association of transactions with active consumers, carried out by the correlator 310 via the correlation process 600. Once a transaction has been identified with a particular device, and the device with a particular consumer, clearly the transaction can then be associated directly with the consumer record 420. Over time, therefore, a list of transactions, including the location, time, and all other available details of each transaction, can be constructed. These consumer transaction history structures 700 may be stored in the consumer database 312. Transaction histories are then available for further analysis and use, for example by the preference analyser 314 and the offer processor 316. [0085] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a preference analysis process embodying the invention, such as may be carried out by the preference analyser 314. [0086] At step 802, the preference analyser accesses the consumer database 312. At step 804, a particular consumer record is opened. At step 806, the preference analyser then proceeds to analyse the consumer transaction history 700 associated with the open consumer record. From the analysis of the 27 consumer transaction history, the preference analyser is able to determine consumer preference hypotheses, at step 808. [0087] Many data mining and analysis methods may be employed in order to determine consumer preference hypotheses, and many of these will be known to relevantly skilled data analysts. The general principles for determining preference hypotheses are, however, not difficult to understand. The assumption is made that consumers' past purchasing, inquiry and browsing activities are indicative of their interests, preferences, and likely future purchasing choices. For example, a consumer who has frequently purchased coffee beans in the past is not only likely to purchase further coffee beans in the future, but may also be interested in related products, such as specialty coffee cups, coffee grinders, coffee machines, and related consumables such as milk and sugar. By applying these kinds of associations, the preference analyser 314 is able to build up preference hypotheses for each individual consumer over time. This enables a list of products, services, and categories to be associated with each consumer, which may be stored, for example, within the consumer preferences field 426 of the consumer record 420. At step 810, the preference analyser may attempt to match available offers to consumer preferences. For example, taking the hypothetical coffee connoisseur, a particular retail outlet may have a current discount offer available on a brand of coffee beans that the consumer has purchased in the past. Alternatively, a discount or other offer may be available on a new brand of coffee beans, as in incentive for consumers to trial the product. If the preference analyser 314 is able to identify one or more matching offers, a decision is made 812 to select those offers, and add them to the consumer's current profile information at step 814. Additionally, or alternatively, offers may be available that are independent of individual consumer preferences, such as general incentives to shop at a particular outlet in the form of broad-based discounts ('e.g. 10% off everything in-store for two weeks') or volume-based discounts (e.g. '10% off for purchases over $100'), Such offers may be added to the consumer's profile at step 814, or at any other convenient opportunity, independently of the outcome of preference analysis. In some embodiments, each offer has an associated status, which at this stage may be 'waiting'. This 28 means that the offer is yet to be viewed and accepted or rejected by the consumer. [0088] At step 816, the preference analyser updates the consumer's profile and preference information 426 with any new details arising from the analysis. [0089] Once offers have been identified and associated with a consumer, they must be presented to the consumer, and subsequently may be accepted or rejected, and/or may further be redeemed. [0090] Figure 9(a) shows a flowchart 900 illustrating transmission and presentation of an offer to a consumer. In accordance with the exemplary software architecture, the process illustrated by the process 900 is carried out by the offer processor 316. [0091] At step 902, the offer processor 316 is awaiting a trigger event. The trigger event may be, for example, activation of the app on the consumer's mobile device. Alternatively, or additionally, a trigger event may be the entry of a particular mobile device of an active consumer within the geofenced region corresponding with an outlet for which a current offer is available. [0092] Once a relevant trigger event is identified by the offer processor 316, the next step 904 is to identify the associated device, and thus consumer, so that the relevant consumer record 420 may be accessed to determine whether any offers are currently waiting. Decision step 906 directs control back to step 902 if there is no relevant offer waiting, or to step 908 if a relevant offer is identified within the consumer record 420. [0093] In particular, at step 908 details of the offer are transmitted to the consumer mobile device, typically via the installed app. The app may generate a notification, such as a sound, vibrating alert, or similar, to attract the consumer's 29 attention to the availability of a new offer. Meanwhile, at step 910, the status of the offer within the consumer record 420 may be changed to 'sent'. [0094] Figure 9(b) is a flowchart 920 illustrating a process of offer acceptance and redemption, which is also carried out by the offer processor 316. Assuming that the active consumer receives, reviews and accepts the offer transmitted at step 908 of the process 900, the offer acceptance message is received at step 922. The office status can then be updated to 'accepted', at step 924. At this stage, although the active consumer has expressed interest in the offer, it has not yet been redeemed. [0095] At some later time, the offer processor 316 receives a trigger event 926 associated with an offer redemption. The trigger event may be, for example, a 'transaction in progress' event for a transaction including the goods or services to which the offer applies. In this case, offer redemption may occur in real-time. Alternatively, the trigger event may be the identification of a completed transaction within the transaction database 136 pertaining to goods or services to which the offer applies. In this case, the offer may be redeemed by way of a cash-back transaction, or may have already been redeemed offline, for example by presenting a printed coupon, or on-screen redemption code via mobile device at the point-of-sale. [0096] At step 928 the offer processor 316 processes the offer redemption. In the case of a real-time redemption, this may include transmitting offer details to the POS terminal 107, so that the offer may be processed at completion of the transaction. In the case of a cash-back redemption, this may include the offer processor 316 initiating a funds transfer to a consumer account, details of which may be stored in the consumer record 420, or alternatively the offer processor 316 may issue a voucher or other redemption reward to the mobile device of the active consumer. Off-line redemptions (i.e. where real-time communication with the POS terminal 107 is not available) may occur via tracking of purchases to earn discounts, loyalty points, or the like, which may subsequently be cashed-out, 30 e.g. to a consumer bank account, PayPal account, or other transaction account. Additionally, the offer processor 316 may update the offer status to 'redeemed'. [0097] The processes of transmission, presentation, acceptance and redemption 900, 920 of an offer illustrated in Figures 9(a) and 9(b) enable secure presentation and redemption of offers based on communication between the POS terminal 107 and the offer processor 316. According to this embodiment, risk of fraudulent redemption is substantially avoided, because offers and redemptions are managed centrally, i.e. redeemable tokens of value are not transmitted to the consumer mobile device for redemption in real-time at the point-of-sale. Additionally, any requirement for two-way communication between consumer mobile device 104 and the POS terminal 107 and/or proximity sensing device 106 is avoided. [0098] In a further embodiment, however, two-way communication is enabled between the consumer mobile device 104, via the installed app, and the proximity sensing device 106, via specific programming 130. Cryptographic techniques (i.e. digital certificates, encryption and signing) are employed to secure communications and digital tokens of value to minimise risk of fraudulent redemption. Advantageously, this embodiment enables real-time notification of available offers in-store, and selection and redemption of offers at the point-of sale without continuous real-time communications between the offer processor 316 and the consumer mobile device 104, the POS terminal 107 or the proximity sensing device 106. Furthermore, it is possible to configure embodiments of the invention such that integration with hardware and/or software of a POS terminal is not required, and redemption of offers at the point-of-sale may be enabled for any POS terminal that operates in conjunction with a conventional bar code scanner or equivalent peripheral input device. [0099] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a POS system 1000 according to this further embodiment of the invention. The POS system 1000 comprises BLE beacon 132 associated with proximity sensing device 106 as in the previously-described embodiments. Additionally, the POS system 1000 31 comprises POS terminal 107 and a bar code scanner 1002, which is used to read product bar codes in a conventional manner. Bar code details read by the scanner 1002 are transmitted in to the POS terminal 107, which retrieves corresponding product details, including pricing, from a product database in a conventional manner. The proximity sensing device 106 and the scanner 1002 are connected to a common scanner input of the POS terminal 107 via a communications signal splitter/combiner 1004. Bar code details received from the scanner 1002 are transmitted via the splitter/combiner 1004 to the POS terminal 107. Additionally, however, the proximity sensing device 106 is able to interpose data that is indistinguishable from details read by the scanner 1002 ('simulated bar code details'), by transmitting similarly-encoded information via the splitter/combiner 1004. The POS terminal 107 receives and processes received details in the same manner, independently from (and, indeed, without knowledge of) the source of the details (i.e. the scanner 1002 or the device 106). [0100] Conventionally, a POS terminal 107 and associated product database can be configured to associate particular bar code details with redeemable offers, such as discounts. Accordingly, the POS system 1000 enables the proximity sensing device 106 to interpose offer redemption details, via simulated bar code details, between the scanner 1002 and the POS terminal 107. Offer redemption details may be based upon communications occurring at the point of sale between the proximity sensing device 106 and the consumer mobile device 104. [0101] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a process 1100 of offer redemption at the point of sale using the POS system 1000. It will be understood that the process 1100 may be carried out in conjunction with the device location process 510, and generally takes place when the consumer mobile device 104 is within the relevant geofenced area, i.e. between steps 514 and 524. [0102] Upon entry within the geofenced area (e.g. arrival at a store), relevant offers that may be available to the consumer are received and/or identified (step 1102) by the app executing on the mobile device 104. For example, offer details may be transmitted to the device 104 by the offer processor 316 in response to 32 an 'area entry' event generated by the event monitor. Alternatively, or additionally, the app may maintain a local store of available offer details from which any relevant offers may be identified upon entry to a relevant store area. At step 1104, the consumer is notified of the availability of offers, such as discounts, cash-back value, and so forth. Notification may be, for example, by way of a sound and/or vibrating notification. [0103] At step 1106, any available offer redemption options are presented by the app to the consumer, for example via a display of the mobile device 104. At the point of sale, e.g. when making a purchase, the consumer is able to make a redemption selection that is received by the mobile device 104 at step 108. For example, the consumer may have previously earned a percentage discount, and/or may have accumulated a cash-back value, and may thus be prompted to choose to redeem the discount, and/or to redeem some or all of the accumulated cash value, at the time of purchase. [0104] At steps 1110 and 1112 (details of which are described further below, with reference to Figure 12), a two-way (e.g. Bluetooth) communication is initiated between the mobile device 104 and the proximity sensing device 106, and the selected offer is verified and confirmed via communication between the devices. Redemption information is transmitted from the proximity sensing device 106 to the POS terminal 107, in the form of simulated bar code details which (from the perspective of the POS terminal) are equivalent to the same information obtained by scanning a bar code on a physical discount voucher, customer loyalty card, or other printed token. [0105] At step 1116, relevant offer details are updated on the mobile device 104 and/or by the offer processor, as required. For example, if the customer has redeemed a portion of an accumulated cash value, the mobile app may update a stored record to reflect the corresponding reduction in available value. [0106] At step 1118, the two-way communication channel is disconnected.

33 [0107] Figure 12 illustrates a secure real-time point-of-sale verification and redemption process 1200 embodying the invention, and provides further details of the steps 1110 and 1112 discussed above with reference to Figure 11. The process 1200 takes place as a series of communications between a back-end server process (which may be the offer processor 316 as shown, or an alternative processor within the system 300), the consumer mobile device 104, and the proximity sensing device 106. [0108] In this embodiment, the processor 316 also acts as a trusted certificate authority (CA) which can be used to verify digital certificates issued to other entities within the system, e.g. the consumer mobile device (or, more specifically, the app executing on the device) and the proximity sensing device 106. As will be appreciate by those skilled in the art, possession of the CA's certificate (which can be distributed and installed with the app on the mobile device 104, and with the software installed on the proximity sensing device 106) enables the validity of cryptographic credentials, such as public keys, issued by the CA to other entities to be verified. [0109] Upon entry to the relevant geofenced area (or, alternatively, at some earlier convenient time), the server processor 316 transmits (1202) configuration information and relevant digital certificates, including a digital certificate corresponding with the proximity sensing device 106, to the mobile device 104. Additionally, if required, the server processor 316 transmits any accumulated offer tokens associated with the area (e.g. a particular store) to the mobile device 104. At this point, if notification of available offers (step 1104) has not already occurred, a notification may be generated. [0110] The remaining steps in the process 1200 occur at the point of sale, in the event that the consumer decides to make a purchase and redeem an available offer. At step 1206, the mobile device 104 transmits a request to initiate two-way communications with the proximity sensing device 106 (this will typically require the consumer to execute a specific action to permit communication, such as enabling a setting, confirming an on-screen request, or 'tapping' the device on 34 a near-field communications transceiver). At step 1208, the proximity sensing device 106 transmits an acceptance, establishing two-way communications. [0111] The proximity sensing device then generates a session key, e.g. a random value that will be used as an identifying token throughout the communications. At step 1210, the proximity sensing device 106 transmits a digitally-signed copy of the session key, along with its own public key, to the mobile device 104. At 1212, the mobile device 104 app verifies the received public key against the proximity sensing device certificate(s) previously obtained from the trusted CA, and confirms that the session key was indeed signed using the private key corresponding with the received public key. [0112] Having thus established the identity and validity of the proximity sensing device 106, the mobile device 104 app transmits 1214 its own public key, along with a copy of offer details for redemption encrypted using the public key received from the proximity sensing device 106 (which can thus be decrypted only using the corresponding private key) and a copy of the session key signed with its own private key. [0113] At step 1216, the proximity sensing device verifies the received public key of the mobile device 104 app, confirms that the session key was signed using the corresponding private key, and decrypts the offer details for redemption. If successful, this enables the offer to be redeemed in the manner previously described, with reference to Figures 10 and 11. [0114] At step 1218 a result of the redemption process (i.e. success or fail) is transmitted back to the mobile device 104. At this point, a corresponding success or error message may be displayed to the consumer. At step 1220, the two-way communication is terminated. This may involve an actual disconnect request, or may be implicit in completion of the transaction following step 1218. Finally, in the event of a successful redemption, confirmation and any additional details of the redemption are transmitted (1222) from the mobile device 104 to the server 35 processor 316 and/or transmitted (1224) from the proximity sensing device 106 to the server processor 316. [0115] In summary, embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems which enable consumer behaviour to be monitored, and in particular transactions to be tracked and associated with specific consumers based upon proximity at the point-of-sale, and time of transaction. Transactions can be associated with specific consumers, without the need for the consumers to carry any additional loyalty or membership cards, and without the need for vendors to operate their own loyalty or membership programs. Embodiments of the invention are able to operate in real-time, providing features such as instantaneous transaction recording and offer redemption, or can operate in a partially offline manner, by processing transactions and associated proximity information in batches at a time subsequent to the actual transactions. [0116] Embodiments of the invention have the benefit that they are able to operate across vendors, rather than being tied to a particular vendor, or a specific membership or loyalty scheme. [0117] Systems embodying the invention can be used to monitor consumer behaviours for marketing purposes, for providing consumer incentives such as discounts and other offers on promoted products, and could even be used to operate a full loyalty program without the need to run a dedicated system within the retail organisation. [0118] Systems embodying the invention are convenient for consumers, most of whom now carry suitable mobile devices at most times, and are not required to take any further specific actions beyond downloading, installing and configuring a suitable app. Systems are also convenient for retailers, of any size, who are able to implement the proximity detection systems with minimal modification to their existing point-of-sale arrangements.

36 [0119] While particular embodiments and variations of the invention have been described herein, further modifications and alternatives will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts. Accordingly, the described embodiments should be understood as being provided by way of example, for the purpose of teaching the general features of the invention, but should be understood as not limiting of the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.

Claims (5)

1. A method of associating point-of-sale (POS) transactions with a plurality of active consumers in a system in which each active consumer carries at least one uniquely identifiable mobile communications device, the method comprising: accessing a device location database containing device location records, each of which comprises device location data and corresponding time data acquired by a mobile communications device of one of the plurality of consumers; accessing a POS transaction database containing POS transaction records, each of which comprises transaction location data and corresponding transaction time data; and correlating the device location records in the device location database with the POS transaction records in the POS transaction database based upon similarity of time and location data, so as to associate one or more of the POS transactions with a corresponding one or more of the uniquely identifiable mobile communications devices carried by the active consumers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein device location information in the device location records is obtained by detecting proximity to POS terminals of mobile devices carried by active consumers via one or more mobile device proximity detectors associated with the POS terminals, and the method comprises: activating a proximity detection mechanism of each mobile device upon entry to one of the predetermined areas; and deactivating the proximity detection mechanism upon exit from the predetermined area.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: matching an available offer to an active consumer; transmitting offer information associated with the available offer to a mobile communications device carried by the active consumer, whereby the offer may be 38 presented to the active consumer via the mobile communications device; and subsequently processing a redemption of the offer by the active consumer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein processing the redemption of the offer comprises processing the redemption via communication with the mobile communications device at a point-of-sale

5. A system for associating point-of-sale (POS) transactions with a plurality of active consumers wherein each active consumer carries at least one uniquely identifiable mobile communications device, the system comprising: a device location database containing device location records, each of which comprises device location data and corresponding time data acquired by a mobile communications device of one of the plurality of active consumers; a POS transaction database containing POS transaction records, each of which comprises transaction location data and corresponding transaction time data; and a processor configured to access the device location database and the POS transaction database, and to correlate the device location records in the device location database with the POS transaction records in the POS transaction database based upon similarity of time and location data, so as to associate one or more of the POS transactions with a corresponding one or more of the uniquely identifiable mobile communications devices carried by the active consumers. MIRADOR MARKETING PTY LTD SALSA INTERNET PTY LTD WATERMARK PATENT AND TRADE MARKS ATTORNEYS UIP1456AU00