EP1287467A1 - Procede et systeme de distribution de coupons electroniques sur un reseau apres l'execution d'une operation d'achat - Google Patents

Procede et systeme de distribution de coupons electroniques sur un reseau apres l'execution d'une operation d'achat

Info

Publication number
EP1287467A1
EP1287467A1 EP01933134A EP01933134A EP1287467A1 EP 1287467 A1 EP1287467 A1 EP 1287467A1 EP 01933134 A EP01933134 A EP 01933134A EP 01933134 A EP01933134 A EP 01933134A EP 1287467 A1 EP1287467 A1 EP 1287467A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
promotional
network
item
items
server
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP01933134A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Raviv Laor
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Catalina Marketing International Inc
Original Assignee
Catalina Marketing International Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Catalina Marketing International Inc filed Critical Catalina Marketing International Inc
Publication of EP1287467A1 publication Critical patent/EP1287467A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method of and system for distributing electronic coupons over a network and more specifically to a method of and system for determining whether an item selected by a client from an e-tail server is associated with a promotion and, if it is, providing an electronic coupon to the client either for the selected item or for an item other than the selected item.
  • This system enables the store to provide to a customer, who may not normally purchase the secondary item, an incentive for purchasing the secondary item, simply because the customer purchased the particular item that was linked to the secondary item.
  • the system thus potentially creates a new customer for the secondary item. While this system is in use in the so-called “brick and mortar” outlets, there is no such system which enables an online retail store to provide coupons to customers for items in this manner.
  • the invention is directed to a method of and system for distributing electronic coupons over a network in which the electronic coupons may be redeemable at a later date.
  • An e-tail server includes a plurality of items for sale and has access to a promotional server that includes an inventory of certain of the items and promotional linking code for linking items to promotional terms that define an electronic coupon.
  • a client system is coupled to the e-tail server system over the network to initiate a purchase transaction by selecting one or more items from the items for sale.
  • the system determines whether the items selected by the client system are linked to promotional data defining an electronic coupon and if so, an electronic coupon is generated from the promotional data and provided to the client system.
  • the electronic coupon is generated after the completion of the purchase transaction, for redemption in a future purchase transaction.
  • the electronic coupon can represent a promotion either for the selected item or for an item other than the selected item.
  • the system for distributing electronic coupons over a network such as the internet includes an e-tail server system having a computer processor and associated memory, the e-tail server system offering a plurality of items for sale, a promotional server including a database having an inventory of certain of the plurality of items for sale, the certain items being promotional items, and promotional linking code for linking the promotional items to promotional data that define an electronic coupon.
  • a client system includes a computer processor and associated memory, the client system being selectively coupleable to the e-tail server system over the network to initiate a purchase transaction by selecting an item from the plurality of items for sale.
  • a searching device searches the database to determine whether the selected item is a promotional item linked to promotional terms by the promotional linking code
  • electronic coupon generating means provides screen display data to the client system for items linked to the promotional terms, the screen display data being representative of the electronic coupon defined by the promotional terms.
  • the link determining means may determine whether the selected item is linked to promotional terms by the promotional linking code after the purchase transaction is consummated.
  • the electronic coupon may represent a promotion for the selected item or for an item other than the selected item.
  • the promotional server may be included in the e-tail server system.
  • the plurality of items for sale may be products and/or services.
  • the system for distributing electronic coupons over a network such as the internet includes an e-tail server system including a computer processor and associated memory, the e-tail server system offering at least one item for sale, a database including an inventory of the at least one promotional item offered for sale by the e-tail server system, the at least one promotional item being linked to electronic coupon data that defines an electronic coupon for a secondary item and a client system including a computer processor and associated memory.
  • the client system is selectively coupleable to the e-tail server system over the network for the purpose of initiating a purchase transaction, the client system initiating the purchase transaction by selecting one of the at least one item for sale.
  • a search device searches the database after the purchase transaction is consummated to determine if the selected item is a promotional item in the inventory and, if the selected item is a promotional item, retrieves the electronic coupon data for the secondary item that is linked to the selected item.
  • Coupon generating means provides screen display data from the electronic coupon data to the client system, the screen display data being representative of an electronic coupon for the secondary item.
  • the database may be located on the e- tail server.
  • the client system may be a personal computer, an interactive television system, a personal digital assistant or a cellular telephone.
  • the method of distributing electronic coupons over a network such as the internet includes the steps of establishing a connection over the network between an e-tail server system including items for sale and a client system, the client system initiating a purchase transaction by selecting one of the items for sale, and consummating the purchase transaction.
  • the e-tail server system accesses a promotional server including an inventory of certain of the items for sale and links to promotional terms for the items, the promotional terms defining an electronic coupon, the promotional server determines whether the selected item is linked to the promotional terms.
  • Screen display data is provided to the client system for items linked to the promotional terms, the screen display data being representative of the electronic coupon.
  • the electronic coupon may represent a promotion for the selected item or a promotion for an item other than the selected item.
  • the screen display data may be provided to the client system directly from the promotional server over the network and the screen display data may be provided by the promotional server to the e-tail server system client system over the network, and the e-tail server system may provide the screen display data to the client system over the network.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system for distributing electronic coupons in accordance with the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method of distributing electronic coupons in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a more detailed diagrammatic view of the system of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the system of FIG. 1 ;
  • FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of yet another embodiment of the system of FIG. 1.
  • the present invention is directed to a method of and system for distributing electronic coupons over a network.
  • An electronic coupon is essentially a token, issued by or under the authority of the issuer for the benefit of the recipient.
  • the recipient receives the electronic coupon and subsequently redeems it for the prescribed benefit at some later point in time.
  • the electronic coupon enables or modifies an anticipated transaction such as by providing a discount in the price of goods or services provided by the issuer or the issuer's agent.
  • the distribution of electronic coupons is determined based on the products or services purchased by the recipient. If a particular product or service selected by the recipient for purchase is a promotional item, an electronic coupon is distributed to the recipient.
  • the electronic coupon need not be for an item which is the same as or related to the promotional item.
  • FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a system 100 for distributing electronic coupons in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • the system 100 includes client system 110, server system 120 and server system 130 all connected to a common communications channel 160.
  • the client system 110, server system 120 and server system 130 can each be a personal computer such as an IBM PC or IBM PC compatible system or an APPLE® MacINTOSH® system or a more advanced computer system such as an Alpha-based computer system available from Compaq Computer Corporation or SPARC® Station computer system available from SUN Microsystems Corporation, although a main frame computer system can also be used.
  • the communications channel 160 is a TCP/IP-based network such as the Internet or an intranet, although almost any well known LAN, WAN or VPN technology can be used.
  • the client system 110 is an IBM PC compatible system operating a Microsoft Windows® operating system
  • server system 120 and server system 130 are configured as web servers providing access to information such as web pages in HTML format via the HyperText Transport Protocol (http).
  • the client system 110 includes software to allow viewing of web pages, commonly referred to as a web browser, thus being capable of accessing web pages located on server system 120 and server system 130.
  • client system 110 can be any wired or wireless device that can be connected to a communications network, such as an interactive television system, such as WEBTV, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cellular telephone.
  • a communications network such as an interactive television system, such as WEBTV, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cellular telephone.
  • server system 120 is an e-tail server offering a plurality of items for sale over the Internet and server 130 is a promotional server that includes an inventory of the promotional items offered for sale by the e-tail server 120, promotional terms that define electronic coupons and promotional linking code for linking the promotional items in the inventory to the promotional terms that define the electronic coupons.
  • the items offered for sale by the e-tail server 120 can be products and/or services.
  • server system 120 includes web server software that is adapted to produce an electronic coupon or a book of electronic coupons that is transferred to the client system 110 in the form of a cookie that is stored in memory at the client system.
  • the electronic coupon is a data structure which can include any or all of the following information elements: data representative of an electronic coupon serial number or identification number data representative of a unique key that can be used to validate or authenticate the coupon data representative of the vendor that authorized the coupon and will redeem the coupon data representative of the nature of the discount or access provided by the coupon data representative of the server or entity that issued the coupon.
  • the electronic coupon can be issued as part of an electronic coupon book.
  • the coupon book can include data representative of a version number for the electronic coupon book and data representative of a serial number or identification number for the electronic coupon book.
  • the electronic coupon contains all the information necessary to redeem the coupon.
  • the electronic coupon identifies the grantor (i.e., the party or vendor that will redeem the electronic coupon), the nature of the discount or benefit provided and a unique serial number or other data structure that permits the electronic coupon to be authenticated or validated.
  • a server redeeming this type of electronic coupon can obtain all the information necessary to redeem from the electronic coupon.
  • the server can even include the software necessary to authenticate or validate the electronic coupon.
  • the electronic coupon book includes a unique serial number or identification number and data structure useful for authenticating or validating the electronic coupon book.
  • the actual content of the electronic coupon book can be determined for example, by visiting a website which reads the coupon book serial number and provides the user with listings of the coupons available.
  • a benefit to this configuration is the organization that issues the electronic coupon book can add vendors even after the electronic coupon book has been issued. Thus, if a vendor signs up with the organization that issues electronic coupon books after a particular coupon book has been issued to a client, the vendor can be added to the electronic coupon book at a later date.
  • the server that intends to redeem the electronic coupon must connect to an authentication server which will authenticate or validate the coupon book and indicate the nature of the benefit of the electronic coupon to the server requesting authentication/validation.
  • Another benefit of this configuration is that the coupons are relatively tamper proof due to the authentication and validation facilities. In many prior art systems, coupons could be copied and/or altered by the user with relative ease; in the absence of validation/authentication schemes, few reliable methods for detection of such counterfeits exist.
  • the promotional linking code can be programmed into the promotional server through the e-tail server, thereby enabling the e-tail website to program its own, in- house, promotions such as "in store” coupons. Additionally, the promotional linking code can be programmed into the promotional server by one or more of the producers of the goods or providers of the services that are available for sale on the e-tail website associated with the e-tail server 130, thereby enabling the producers of the goods or providers of the services to promote particular goods or services.
  • FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram 200 of a method of distributing electronic coupons in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 FIG. 1
  • the client system 110 After establishing a connection with the e-tail server 130 over the communications channel 160, initiates a purchase transaction by selecting one or more items offered for sale by the e-tail server. This selection is typically carried out by the client "placing" the selected item into an online “shopping cart” for purchase, or in any other manner known in the art.
  • payment is rendered and the purchase transaction is consummated in the typical fashion, step 212.
  • the e-tail server 130 Upon consummation of the purchase transaction, the e-tail server 130 provides information identifying each of the purchased items to the promotional server 130 over the communications channel 160, step 214. Such identifying information can be the Universal Product Code (UPC) for each item, or any other identification indicia supplied by the e-tail website or by the manufacturers or providers of the items.
  • the promotional server 130 determines whether any of the purchased items are promotional items by searching its inventory of the promotional items offered for sale by the e-tail server 120 to determine if any of the purchased items are in the promotional item inventory and are therefore linked to promotional data by the promotional linking code. If none of the items purchased are promotional items, no electronic coupons are generated and the transaction is completed.
  • the promotional server 130 determines that one or more of the purchased items are promotional items linked to the promotional data by the promotional linking code, electronic coupons are provided to the client system 110 for each of the promotional items, step 218.
  • the electronic coupons are then stored in memory on the client system 110 for use in a future purchase transaction.
  • the e-tail server 110 provides instructions 220 to the promotional server for generating promotional links between a promotional item and a promotion. These instructions include identification information for the promotional item and the promotional data which defines the electronic coupon.
  • the promotional data can either define an electronic coupon that is redeemable for a discount on a secondary item, which may or may not be related to the promotional item, or for a discount for the promotional item itself.
  • the promotional server 130 then constructs the promotional linking code that links the promotional item to the promotional data.
  • a producer or provider of items 250 can provide instructions 252 to the promotional server 130, for the purpose of linking promotional items with promotional data for certain of its items, as described above.
  • a user operating a client system 110 establishes a connection 254 to the e-tail server 120 over the communication channel 160 for the purpose of initiating a purchase transaction.
  • the user selects one or more of the items offered for sale by the e-tail server 120, typically by placing the items into a "shopping cart" on the e-tail server website.
  • the client system 110 then consummates the purchase transaction by sending payment information 256 to the e-tail server 120.
  • e-tail server 120 establishes a connection 258 to the promotional server 130 and provides the identifying information of the items purchased by the client 110 to the promotional server 130.
  • Promotional server 130 searches its database 230 to determine whether any of the purchased items are promotional items in the inventory that are linked to promotional data.
  • promotional server 130 If one or more of the purchased items are promotional items, promotional server 130 generates an electronic coupon for each promotional item based on the promotional data supplied by the e-tail server 120 or the producer/provider 250.
  • the electronic coupon for each of the promotional items is then provided to the client 110 in the form of screen display data.
  • the electronic coupons can be provided from the promotional server 130 to the e-tail server 120 via connection 260 and then to the client 110 by the e-tail server 120 via connection 262.
  • the electronic coupon can be transmitted directly to the client 110 by the promotional server 130 via connection 264.
  • the electronic coupon is then stored in the memory of the client 110 for use in a subsequent purchase transaction.
  • the e-tail server 120 detects the electronic coupon stored in the memory of the client system 110.
  • the e-tail system then authenticates the electronic coupon and modifies the purchase transaction accordingly.
  • the electronic coupon contains the information necessary to authenticate the electronic coupon
  • the electronic coupon can be authenticated and redeemed by the e- tail server.
  • the e-tail server can access the promotional server that issued the coupon to obtain the information necessary for authenticating the coupon.
  • the electronic coupon may be redeemable for a discount on the purchased product in order to encourage repeat business, or for a discount on a secondary item in order to create new customers for an item.
  • the secondary item may or may not be related to the promotional item.
  • an electronic coupon for pasta sauce could be linked to the purchase of a pasta product, thus promoting a particular brand of pasta sauce to a client who is most likely intending to buy pasta sauce.
  • the electronic coupon could be unrelated to the purchased item, such that the promotion is for an item that the client may not have considered purchasing, thus potentially creating a new customer for the item.
  • a plurality of e-tail servers may be coupled to the promotional server in order to distribute electronic coupons to clients of the e-tail servers.
  • a second e-tail server 140 is coupleable to the promotional server 130 over communications network 160 for the purpose of defining promotional items in the manner described above.
  • the client 110 can access either e-tail server 120 or e-tail server 140 for the purpose of carrying out a purchase transaction over the communication channel 160 and either or both of the e-tail servers can access the promotional server 130.
  • the promotional server can be accessed through any number of e-tail servers.
  • the inventory of items for sale and the associated promotional data and promotional linking code are stored in a database server system on the e-tail server.
  • e-tail server 150 is coupleable to client 110 over communications network 160.
  • E-tail server 150 includes a database server system 152 which, as described above, includes an inventory of promotional items, promotional data defining electronic coupons and promotional linking code for linking the promotional items to the promotional data.
  • the e-tail server 150 defines promotions locally within database server system 152.
  • the client system 110 establishes a connection with e-tail server 150 over the communications network 160 for the purpose of initiating a purchase transaction.
  • the e-tail server searches database server system 152 to determine if any of the items purchased by the client system are listed in the inventory as promotional items. If one or more of the items is in the inventory of database server system 152, an electronic coupon for each of the items, as defined by the promotional data linked to the promotional item by the promotional linking code, is transmitted to the client system 110 by the e-tail server 150 over the communications network 160.
  • the present invention provides a system for distributing electronic coupons over a network after the consummation of a purchase transaction.
  • the promotional server After the client system selects and purchases items from an e-tail server system, the promotional server searches its database of promotional items to determine whether any of the purchased items are promotional items. If any of the purchased items are promotional items, the promotional server provides electronic coupons to the client, the electronic coupons being defined by the promotional data linked to the promotional item in the promotional server database.

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système de distribution de coupons électroniques sur un réseau comprenant un système serveur de commerce de détail électronique (e-tail) (120) servant à offrir au moins un article à vendre, une base de données (230) comportant au moins un article promotionnel relié à un coupon électronique pour un article secondaire, un système client (110) sélectivement couplable au serveur e-tail de manière à lancer une opération d'achat, un dispositif de recherche servant à effectuer une recherche dans la base de données (230) après l'exécution de l'opération d'achat de manière à déterminer si l'article acheté est un article promotionnel et, si tel est le cas, à récupérer le coupon électronique pour l'article secondaire relié à l'article promotionnel, ainsi qu'une unité d'affichage destinée à afficher le coupon électronique associé à l'article secondaire pour le système client.
EP01933134A 2000-05-09 2001-05-07 Procede et systeme de distribution de coupons electroniques sur un reseau apres l'execution d'une operation d'achat Withdrawn EP1287467A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US20298900P 2000-05-09 2000-05-09
US202989P 2000-05-09
US57327900A 2000-05-18 2000-05-18
US573279 2000-05-18
PCT/US2001/014677 WO2001086552A1 (fr) 2000-05-09 2001-05-07 Procede et systeme de distribution de coupons electroniques sur un reseau apres l'execution d'une operation d'achat

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1287467A1 true EP1287467A1 (fr) 2003-03-05

Family

ID=26898209

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01933134A Withdrawn EP1287467A1 (fr) 2000-05-09 2001-05-07 Procede et systeme de distribution de coupons electroniques sur un reseau apres l'execution d'une operation d'achat

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1287467A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2003533779A (fr)
AU (1) AU2001259581A1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2408277A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2001086552A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7593862B2 (en) 1999-07-07 2009-09-22 Jeffrey W. Mankoff Delivery, organization, and redemption of virtual offers from the internet, interactive-TV, wireless devices and other electronic means
DE10255163A1 (de) * 2002-11-27 2004-06-09 Deutsche Telekom Ag Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Betreiben von Rabatt- und/oder Zugabesystemen
JP2009532752A (ja) * 2006-03-31 2009-09-10 ユー−マーケティング インテレクチュアル プロパティーズ プライベート リミテッド 買い物方法及びシステム
JP5221601B2 (ja) * 2010-06-30 2013-06-26 楽天株式会社 注文受付装置、注文受付方法、プログラム、ならびに、情報記録媒体

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5173851A (en) * 1984-07-18 1992-12-22 Catalina Marketing International, Inc. Method and apparatus for dispensing discount coupons in response to the purchase of one or more products
US5832457A (en) * 1991-05-06 1998-11-03 Catalina Marketing International, Inc. Method and apparatus for selective distribution of discount coupons based on prior customer behavior
US6055513A (en) * 1998-03-11 2000-04-25 Telebuyer, Llc Methods and apparatus for intelligent selection of goods and services in telephonic and electronic commerce
US6041309A (en) * 1998-09-25 2000-03-21 Oneclip.Com, Incorporated Method of and system for distributing and redeeming electronic coupons

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO0186552A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2003533779A (ja) 2003-11-11
AU2001259581A1 (en) 2001-11-20
WO2001086552A1 (fr) 2001-11-15
CA2408277A1 (fr) 2001-11-15

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