EP1166221A1

EP1166221A1 - Method and device for processing and displaying coded data stored in a smart card

Info

Publication number: EP1166221A1
Application number: EP01907657A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Thierry Sert; Pierre-Philippe Cormeraie
Original assignee: Welcome Real Time SA
Current assignee: Welcome Real Time SA
Priority date: 2000-01-20
Filing date: 2001-01-19
Publication date: 2002-01-02
Also published as: HK1043214A1; CN1486470A; WO2001054005A1; FR2804228B1; CA2365280A1; BR0105176A; ZA200108449B; CN1317652C; JP2003521045A; FR2804228A1; AU780166B2; MXPA01009457A; JP4727889B2; US20030052864A1; AU3557101A

Abstract

The invention concerns a device (1) and a method for processing information derived from coded data stored in a smart card (2), corresponding to operations associated with at least a user-loyalty developing programme aimed at a tradesman. The device comprises reading means (3), read/write storage means (5, 6), computing means (6, 7) and data display means (8, 9). The smart card memory comprises several data registers (15) respectively assigned to several different tradesmen and/or corresponding to several loyalty developing programmes, comprising files concerning the behaviour of the card bearer with the tradesman/tradesmen concerned. The computing means (6, 7, 8) include means for homogeneously formatting the data derived from the registers, the display means (8, 9) being designed to display the data homogeneously as well. Means (10) are also provided for a user of the device to browse through the stored data to obtain display of the data.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING AND DISPLAYING ENCODED INFORMATION STORED IN A CHIP CARD

The present invention relates to a device for processing and displaying information obtained from coded data stored in a smart card, corresponding to operations associated with at least one loyalty program of a user with at least one merchant, of the type comprising means for reading data coded in the memory of the chip card, storage means for reading / writing data, calculation means and data display means.

It also relates to a method implementing such a device.

It finds a particularly important although not exclusive application in the field of verifying the content of data stored in smart cards, in particular loyalty or bank cards, presented at the time of payment by a card holder at a shopkeeper, for example in a store or supermarket, at a petrol station, or at a car dealer, to obtain advantages determined according to the recency, the frequency, or the amount of the purchase made by the user from the menu .

We already know devices that display the amount of points contained in a loyalty card, chip, or on a payment terminal or electronic keychain.

However, such devices have drawbacks. They do not allow the consumer, user of the card, to freely read the information coded on different types of card.

They also do not offer the consumer a clear, understandable and immediate vision of the advantages and cumulative points present on the card, and this for each of the programs and / or merchants concerned.

In other words, with such devices it is not possible to obtain and display in real time all the information present on cards of different types, used by different traders.

The user is therefore obliged to memorize his position for each of the programs and / or to keep the receipts issued during the transactions, which necessarily leads to errors and oversights.

The present invention aims to provide a device and a method which respond better than those previously known to the requirements of practice, in particular in that it makes it possible to read in a smart card and to display in real time and in a homogeneous graphic form on the one hand, the content of the various electronic loyalty programs issued by several traders, and on the other hand the position on a specific date of the holder of the smart card for each of these different programs.

With the invention, the consumer accesses the information with a user-friendly and easy-to-understand display system, for example based on a gauge, graduations, a unit of measurement and an associated qualitative state.

Furthermore, a single hardware device is necessary to access in real time all the information stored on several different types of cards, relating to different loyalty programs.

The '' consumer no longer has to memorize his position in each program or even store paper tickets. As for the merchant, he inherits all the advantages of the systems known from the prior art, while increasing his chances of loyalty to the consumer. To this end, the invention proposes in particular a device for processing and displaying information obtained from coded data stored in a smart card, corresponding to operations associated with at least one program for the loyalty of a user with at least one merchant, the device comprising means for reading data encoded in the memory of the chip card, storage means for reading / writing data, calculation means and data display means, characterized in that, the memory of the smart card comprising several data registers respectively assigned to several different merchants and / or corresponding to several loyalty programs, said registers comprising files, known as Behavior files, concerning the behavior of the card holder with the merchant (s) concerned, the calculation means include means for formatting data from the registers in a homogeneous manner, the display means being arranged to display also homogeneously said information corresponding to said data thus formatted, and in that it further comprises means of navigation in the data stored by a user of the device to obtain the display of said information.

By means of navigation is meant any tactile or vocal means, for example a keyboard, a touch screen, a voice recognition system, an infrared remote control, etc. In advantageous embodiments, use is made of one and / or the other of the following arrangements:

- the means for formatting the data and displaying the information coded in such a way homogeneous comprise means for displaying a graduated trough;

the display means of a graduated gauge include means for calculating and interpreting the data stored in the card to update them dynamically as a function of the data corresponding to at least one loyalty program, said calculation means being arranged for:

- calculate for said program the number of intervals corresponding to the gauge as a function of a predetermined unit of measurement of said program,

- calculate the constant size of each interval, - display the limits of said gauge and a so-called qualitative state previously associated with said gauge,

- calculate the distance between two graduations of the gauge corresponding to an interval, - calculate the level of the gauge according to the data in the behavior file,

- and display said gauge level.

- the navigation means include a touch screen; - the device is a mobile phone;

- the device is a satellite decoder;

- the device is a personal digital assistant, for example of the type sold by the company American US Robotics under the name Palm

Pilot;

the device comprises: means for entering the data of the coded information stored in the chip card in an intermediate storage memory and for displaying the information obtained from said data, means for storing coded data corresponding to one or more several loyalty programs for a user with several merchants, means for comparing the data entered in said intermediate memory and data stored in said information storage means, and means for processing the results of these comparisons to display updated information. The invention also provides a method of implementing the device described above.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of embodiments given by way of nonlimiting example. The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows a general diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the invention. - Figure 2 is a general flowchart showing an embodiment of the processing method according to the invention.

- Figure 3 shows an example of application of a device according to an embodiment of the invention with touch screen.

- Figure 4 is an example of a screen showing the display of a gauge with the device of Figure 3. Figure 1 shows a diagram of device 1 allowing the holder of a multi-application card 2 to view so homogeneous content of different loyalty programs.

A loyalty program is a program containing emission rules, types of rewards, messages associated with promotional programs, which is stored on an electronic card or in an electronic point counter. It implements loyalty mechanisms, such as for example the accounting of the recency of visits, the frequency of visits or the amount of purchases made by a consumer, or a combination of these mechanisms. The multi-application card 2 is of the smart card type, for example manufactured by the French company Schlumberger.

The hardware device 1 is for example an improved mobile phone, a satellite decoder with card reader, personal digital assistant or "organize" in English terminology. It can also be a payment terminal, a personal computer with card reader, an electronic kiosk, an interactive terminal such as an ATM, etc.

The main thing is that it can be programmable to perform the functions of storage, information and display of the data stored on the user's card.

The device comprises a set of software modules ensuring the functions of reading and interpreting the data corresponding to loyalty information contained in the card and of distributing the interpreted information for display, in a homogeneous form integrating a gauge, graduations, a unit of measurement and an associated qualitative state.

More specifically, the device 1 comprises means 3 readers of the smart card 2 4 connected to a circuit 5 of read / write interface known in itself, means 6 interpreters, converting the data read by the reader into a presentation homogeneous which will then be processed by a main application module 7 interface with a display and navigation interface module 8.

The means 6 interpreters, and the modules 7 and 8 are arranged to allow presentation and display in a graphically homogeneous manner, and identically with regard to navigation by the user in the various programs and for the various traders. These means are for example microprocessors programmed by an algorithm described more precisely with reference to FIG. 2.

The module 8 is connected to the display means 9, for example an LCD screen, which can be a touch screen, the navigation means 10 then being integrated into the display means.

In the embodiment more particularly described here, the device 1 is arranged to communicate via a protocol interface 11 and a communication module 12 (modem), with a server 13, located remotely, of updated information (of PC type or mini computer ...) and provided with the necessary software.

We know that loyalty programs are different in terms of the objectives to be achieved, a restaurant chain not having the same objectives or the same constraints as a supermarket chain, a furniture seller or a network of cinemas .

Likewise, the loyalty techniques used to meet these objectives are different.

They can be based on an accumulation of loyalty points, on an accounting of the number of visits, on an accumulation of proof of purchases, etc. Also the mechanism used will be different. For example, the acquisition of loyalty benefits can be based on fixed or proportional rules such as the frequency of visits, the amount of purchases, the recency between two visits, or a combination of several of these factors,

Finally, the emission rules and the content of the programs will vary endlessly, for example: - "1 point for every 10 FF spent",

"Bonus of 20 points from 200 FF of purchases",

"A meal offered for 450 FF of purchase" "A meal offered for 450 FF spent during the month",

"Free coffee if you come back within 10 days",

"10% reduction on the total of your purchases made during your last 10 visits".

We will now describe the organization of the data files and the methods for carrying out a processing and a uniform display according to the invention. Description of the files contained on the card:

In the embodiment more particularly described here, and in order to allow this processing and this homogeneous display, the information contained in the card are distributed in 4 different files: the Card file: it contains the description information of the card, and in particular: - the number of the card, the name of the card (or an identifier allowing to recover it), the expiration date, the Holder file: it contains information describing the holder of the card, such as: the name of the holder, "- an identification number of the holder (such as a bank number), - information demographic, such as date of birth, address, ... biometric information, such as the size of the holder, ... the Points file: it stores the cumulative loyalty points acquired by the card holder at one or several merchants, the RFM file: it stores the history of the purchasing behavior for each of the merchants frequented by the card holder. It is structured in records, each record containing the information specific to the program (s) of follower. lity of a merchant (or of several when the loyalty program is common to several merchants).

Each record contains: an identification number of the loyalty program, the type of loyalty program carried out by this merchant, the expiration date of the loyalty program, - the date of the last visit made to this merchant, the number of visits made to this merchant, the cumulative amount of purchases made at this merchant.

FIG. 2 shows a general flowchart of processing for the homogeneous formatting of the information, their homogeneous display and easy navigation by a user enabling him to obtain the information sought.

The user inserts at 14 a chip card 2 into the device 1, the validity of which is tested at 13.

If the card is valid, the detector device reads the carrier file (step 14), searches for 15 the name of the carrier, displays it at 16, then reads the card file (step 17). If no carrier name is found, test 15 gives direct access to step 17. Then, we test in 18 the existence of a name or a bank identifier. If found, the name of the bank is displayed at 19.

Reading of the RFM file is then carried out (step 20) either via the display step 19, or directly in the case where no bank is identified following the test 18.

If the parameters sought are present (step 21), the LCD screen displays the list at 22, namely and in particular the name of the merchant, his logo, address, expiration date, etc.

In the case where the parameters sought are not present, an interrogation (step 23) of a server entirely located remotely is, for example and if necessary, carried out.

Once the display has been made, the loyalty program to be displayed is selected (step 24).

This selection step is followed by a step (25) of searching for the parameters of the loyalty program.

If these parameters are present or identified (test 26), there is display (step 27 see below) of the type of program and of the measurement units allowing the homogeneous presentation of these parameters.

Loyalty program display (step 27)

Display gauge and indicate the program unit of measure (# of visits or cumulative amount of purchases); Place the explicit graduation marks on the gauge, according to their values;

Next to each graduation mark, place the text corresponding to the qualitative status associated with the graduation mark;

Fill in the gauge according to the number of visits or cumulative amount entered in the card of the bearer.

If the parameters are not present, an interrogation at 28 of a remote server is, for example and if necessary, carried out.

The display of the program is then followed by a step 29 of calculating the number of intervals and the size of each of these intervals, then of a display at 30 of the bounds and of the associated qualitative state.

Then a calculation of the size of the gauge and its display according to the invention are carried out at 31.

The return to the menu (step 32) before a test 33 to continue viewing is then performed.

If the user decides not to leave, he then returns (link 34) to step 24 of selecting the loyalty program described above.

We will now detail below the content of the steps of the embodiment of the invention more particularly described here, showing the algorithm for dynamically updating and displaying information. A. Search and display of general information (steps 14 to 19): reading the card holder file: name of the holder - card file reading: name (or bank identifier date and time ...

B. Search by reading the card's RFM file or loyalty programs present in the card (steps 20 to 23):

The RFM file is structured in records which contain the information specific to each loyalty program present in said RFM file of the card holder. Each record is characterized by an identification number.

For each of the identified programs:

1. Search for general information about the loyalty program (interrogation of the remote server if necessary): - name of the chain address validity date of the program graphic logo of the merchant ...

2. Display of the list of loyalty programs and general information specific to each of them. C. Program selection and display (steps 24 to 31)

1. Search for loyalty program parameters (interrogation of the remote server if necessary):

- type of program (frequency, amount, points, ...)

- units of measurement (number of visits, FF, number of points, etc.) - number of scenarios

- bounds of each scenario

- qualitative state in each scenario (example: message label or coupon) ... giving for example a state of the type: - Graduation 1: value and qualitative state,

Graduation 2: value and qualitative state,

Graduation 3: value and qualitative state,

Graduation 4: value and qualitative state.

2. Display of the gauge and parameters. We give for example below a representation in pseudocode for loyalty program based on the frequency of visits: either lower bound (i), the value of the lower bound of the scenario (i) - or upper bound (i), the value of the upper bound of the scenario (i) associated qualitative state (i), the message relating to the execution of the scenario (i) size graduation (i), the size between two graduations on the inter alle corresponding to the scenario (i) Calculation of the number of intervals: Start

If lower bound (1) = 0 then number intervals = number of scenarios otherwise number intervals = number of scenarios + 1

Finsi Fin

Calculation of the constant size of each interval: Size of each interval = total size e / number of intervals

Display of the terminals and the associated Qualitative state (two cases depending on whether the first lower terminal is zero or not): Start

If lower bound (1) = 0 Then for i = 1 with number of scenarios display lower bound of scenarios (i) display associated qualitative state (i) end for Otherwise lower bound of scenarios (0) = 0 associated qualitative state (0 ) = empty for i = 0 to number of scenarios to display qualitative state of scenarios (i) to display associated qualitative state (i) end for Finsi End

Calculation of the size between two graduations on each interval:

beginning If lower bound (1) = 0 Then lower bound (number of scenarios + 1) = upper bound (number of scenarios) for i = 1 to number of scenarios graduation size (i) ≈ size of each interval / (lower bound (i + 1) lower bound (i)) end for Otherwise lower bound (0) = 0 lower bound (number of scenarios + 1) ≈ upper bound (number of scenarios for i = 0 to number of scenarios size graduation (i) ≈ size of each interval / (lower bound (i + 1) lower bound (i)) end for Finsi End

Calculation of the size and display of the gauge: Let nb visits, the value of the number of visits stored in the card Start i = 1 level = graduation size (i) as long as i less than "nb visits" level = level + size ( i + 1) i = i + 1 End while

Display End level

The description of the parameters contained in the terminal is also for example the following. Campaign parameters: identification number of the loyalty program name of the loyalty program - validity of the program: daily, weekly, monthly, limited (from date to date), annual, infinite type of program: frequency, amount, recency - frequency accepted : all visits are taken into account or one visit per day only rules for issuing benefits, presented in the form of reward scenarios including: minimum and maximum limits for activating the scenario, loyalty rewards. Advantageously, the graduated gauge includes an associated qualitative state dynamically updated, resulting from a calculation and an interpretation of the information contained on the close-up card with the descriptive information of the merchant's loyalty program, the calculation rules involved in the construction of the gauge being: 1. Calculation of the number of intervals

2. Calculation of the constant size of each interval

3. Display of the terminals and the associated qualitative status . Calculation of the size between two graduations on each interval

5. Calculation of the size and display of the level of the bucket. FIG. 3 shows an example of a device with a card according to the invention.

It is an “organize” device 40 of the type sold under the brand name “Palm pilot” by the American company • US ROBOTICS with liquid crystal screen.

The smart card 41 is introduced, for example on the side, into the card reader of the device, a screen 42 LCD for navigation displayed and allowing after interrogation by touch keys 43 on the LCD screen, to see the screen appear. 44 with 45 gauge.

An example of a display system will now be described with reference to FIG. 4.

The objective to be achieved here is to increase the amount of purchases in the 50 brand. To do this, the loyalty technique used is the accounting of the number of visits.

The mechanism used is the acquisition of loyalty benefits based on proportional rules linked to the amount of purchases made up to a cut-off date.

The emission rules and the content of the program are for example: a drink offered from 15 FF of purchases, (line 51) a t-shirt offered from 40 FF of purchases, (line 52) - 20% discount on a selection of records from 75 FF d 'purchases, (line 53) a meal offered at the store restaurant from 120 FF of purchases, (line 54). A 55 gauge allows direct visualization of the thresholds corresponding to the advantages.

Information 56 on the validity, on the name of the merchant 57 and of the navigation means 58 (return to the main menu 59 and / or of progress 60 towards the other merchants or programs) are here provided directly on the screen 61 which is touch.

Other objectives can be sought, such as increasing the frequency of monthly visits and / or the average basket.

We will now describe the ^' operation of the invention in the context of a particular example with reference to Figure 1.

When a card holder 2 wishes to take cognizance of the content of his smart card, it suffices to insert it into the integrated card reader or connected to the device 1.

From this moment, the means 6 Interpreters access the information contained in the card 2, via the circuit 5 Read / Write Interface. When the information contained on the card is exhaustive, the means 6 Interpreters distribute this data to the Main Application Module 7. When the information contained on the card is partial, the means 6 Interpreters obtain the missing information by means of a remote interrogation of the Information Server 20 via the Communication Module 13 and the Protocol Interface 11.

The means 6 Interpreters then reconcile the Information on the card with that coming from the Server, then distribute it to the Main Application Module. After receiving this data, the Main Application Module 7 performs their formatting and transmits it to the display means 10 for viewing. These data can then be consulted by the wearer by means of the Tool or Navigation means 10.

As is obvious and as also follows from the above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments more particularly described. On the contrary, it embraces all variants.

Claims

1. Device (1) for processing and displaying information obtained from coded data stored in a smart card (2), corresponding to operations associated with at least one loyalty program for a user with at least one merchant, the device comprising means (3) for reading data encoded in the memory of the chip card, means (5, 6) for storage for reading / writing data, means (6, 7) calculation and resources

(8, 9) for displaying data, characterized in that, the memory of the chip card comprising several registers (5) of data respectively assigned to several different merchants and / or corresponding to several loyalty programs, said registers comprising files, called Behavior files, concerning the behavior of the card holder with the merchant (s) concerned, the means (6, 7, 8) of calculation include means for formatting the data from the registers in a homogeneous manner, the display means (8, 9) being arranged to also display homogeneously said information corresponding to said data thus formatted, and in that it further comprises means (10) for navigation in the data stored by a user of the device to obtain the display of said information.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (6, 7, 8) for formatting the data and for displaying (9) information coded in a homogeneous manner comprise means for displaying a gauge graduated.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the display means of a 'graduated gauge include means for calculating and interpreting the data stored in the card to update them dynamically according to the data corresponding to at least one loyalty program, said calculation means being arranged for:

- calculate for said program the number of intervals corresponding to the gauge as a function of a predetermined unit of measurement of said program, - calculate the constant size of each interval,

display the limits of said gauge and a so-called qualitative state previously associated with said gauge, calculate the distance between two graduations of the gauge corresponding to an interval,

- calculate the level of the gauge according to the data in the behavior file,

- and display said gauge level.

4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the navigation means comprise a touch screen (42).

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the elements of a portable telephone.

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises the elements of a satellite decoder.

7. Device any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises the elements of a personal digital assistant.

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises:

means (3) for entering the coded data stored in the smart card in an intermediate storage memory and for displaying this information obtained from said data,

means for storing coded data corresponding to one or more user loyalty programs with several merchants,

means of comparison between the data entered in said intermediate memory and data stored in said information storage means,

- means for processing the results of these comparisons to display updated information.

9. Method for processing and displaying information obtained from coded data stored in a smart card, corresponding to operations associated with at least one program for retaining a user with at least one merchant, in which is read (14, 17, 20) the data encoded in the memory of the chip card, and it is stored in a memory for reading / writing data, characterized in that, the memory of the chip card comprising several registers respectively assigned to several different merchants and / or corresponding to several loyalty programs, said registers comprising files, known as Behavior files, concerning the behavior of the card holder with the merchant (s) concerned, ) an algorithmic processing determined to format information from the registers in a homogeneous manner, and said information is displayed (30, 31) thus m ises also shaped homogeneously.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that one navigates in the data stored for obtain the display of information corresponding to the merchant and / or loyalty program sought.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the coded information is displayed in the form of a graduated gauge.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the information obtained from the coded data is updated dynamically as a function of the data corresponding to at least one loyalty program, said update comprising the following steps: one calculates ( 29) for said program the number of intervals corresponding to the gauge as a function of a predetermined unit of measurement of the loyalty program, the constant size of each interval is calculated (29), the limits of said gauge are displayed (30) and a so-called qualitative state previously associated with said gauge, the distance between two graduations of the gauge corresponding to an interval is calculated (31) - the gauge level is calculated (31) as a function of the data in the behavior file, and we display (31) the said level of the gauge.

13. Method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that coded data stored in the smart card are introduced into an intermediate storage and display memory of the information obtained from said data, - said data information is compared to coded data corresponding to one or more user loyalty programs with several merchants, and we process the results of these comparisons to display updated information.