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

• the present invention relates generally to the use of a computer system, and more specifically to a method and system for rewarding consumers with free ISP service for exhibiting desired loyalty to a retailer and/or brand.
• An increasing number of households have at least one computer for accessing the Internet.
• Most home computers do not connect directly to the Internet; they access the Internet through an Internet service provider (ISP).
• ISP Internet service provider
• An ISP also called an access provider or service provider, supplies Internet connectivity services to individuals, businesses, and other organizations.
• an ISP charges a fee for such services.
• one object of the present invention is to provide a novel method, system, and computer program product for rewarding desired consumer behavior with free ISP service.
• the method includes tracking a purchase history of the consumer, the purchase history corresponding to at least one purchase of a consumer; determining whether the consumer qualifies to receive free Internet service from an ISP based on the consumer's purchase history; and delivering to the consumer a reward, redeemable for the free service, if the consumer qualifies to receive the free service. If the at least one purchase of a consumer is an offline purchase, then the consumer's offline purchase history is used to determine whether the consumer is to receive the free Internet service. Moreover, consumers with larger purchase histories may be targeted for the free Internet service, and thus, more likely to begin using online promotion services to receive coupons and other offers.
• an offer is delivered to a consumer.
• the offer includes a reward redeemable for free Internet service from an Internet service provider and a condition that must be met by the consumer in order for the consumer to receive the reward.
• a computer determines whether the consumer has met the condition, and the reward is delivered to the consumer if the consumer has met the condition.
• free ISP service is rewarded to consumers based on their future actions (i.e., by meeting the condition) as well as their current and/or past purchases, if desired.
• the condition requires that a consumer use an online promotion service, which may require the consumer to purchase Internet accessibility from an ISP.
• the reward of free ISP service becomes more relevant to the consumer.
• Such a condition also encourages the use of specified online promotion services, which in turn, may encourage desired consumer behavior with respect to specified products and/or retailers.
• Figure 1 is a computerized system for rewarding desired consumer behavior with ISP service, according to an embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2 A is a purchase history table 201 for associating identification information of consumers and/or households with their respective purchase histories;
• Figure 2B is a classification table for associating behavioral classifications of consumers with purchase history criteria for each classification and with offers and rewards for each classification;
• Figure 2C is an offer table for associating various offers and rewards with identifying information of consumers
• Figure 2D is a points table for associating a running total of points with identifying information of consumers
• Figure 3A is an exemplary reward for free ISP service
• Figure 3 B is an exemplary offer for free Internet service
• Figure 3 C is an exemplary coupon with coupon identifying information
• Figure 4A is a flowchart for explaining how offline purchase information of a consumer is tracked and how a consumer is classified and rewarded, based on the consumer's offline purchase history, according to an embodiment of the invention
• Figure 4B is a flowchart for explaining how online purchases of a consumer are tracked, according to an embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 4C is a flowchart explaining how consumers may be rewarded with free ISP service over the Internet, according to an embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 5 is a flowchart showing how a consumer is rewarded with free ISP service, according to an embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a computer system programmed to perform one or more of the special purchase functions of the present invention.
• the system of Figure 1 includes a host computer 101, a global database 103, and one or more retail stores 105.
• Each retail store 105 includes one or more of the following: a store computer 107, a store database 109, a store controller 111, a UPC database 113, and a point of sale (POS) 115.
• POS point of sale
• each POS includes a printer 117, a terminal 119, and a scanner 121.
• the system of Figure 1 also includes one or more computers associated with a consumer (e.g., consumer's computer 123), the Internet 121, an online retailer server 125, and a promotions server 127.
• the host computer 101 is any suitable workstation, server, or other device, such as the computer system 601 of Figure 6, for communicating with the store computer 107 and for storing information in and retrieving information from the global database 103. According to one embodiment, the host computer 101 also communicates with the promotions server 125 and the online retailer server 125. In a preferred embodiment, the host computer 101 and the store computer 107 communicate over a standard telephony network; however, any suitable communications medium may be used.
• the global database 103 is a file that includes records containing information for providing targeted research invitations.
• This information includes information of each purchase made by a consumer in the retail store 105.
• Such information may include, but is not limited to the shelf keeping unit (SKU), brand, size, weight, price, date and time of purchase, and consumer identifier (CID) of the consumer making the purchase, for example.
• SKU shelf keeping unit
• CID consumer identifier
• portions of this information are obtained from bar codes on purchase items, which are scanned by the scanner 121 during a transaction. These bar codes preferably contain UPC, JAN, or EAN information that identifies the SKU. Records in the global database 103 contain fields together with a set of operations for searching, sorting, recombining, and other database functions.
• the global database 103 may be implemented as two or more databases, if desired, and may be an aggregate of several databases storing consumer purchase data obtained from different sources such as the Internet, grocery stores, hardware stores, pet superstores, video stores, and restaurants, for example.
• One or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,832,457; 5,649,114; 5,430,644; and 5,592,560 describe techniques for collecting consumer purchase history information and for storing such information in databases such as the global database 103 and the UPC database 113, for example.
• U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,832,457; 5,649,144; 5,430,644; and 5,592,560 are incorporated herein by reference.
• the retail store 105 is generically referred to as a retail location and is a place where goods are kept for retail sale to consumers. As noted above, many retail stores 105 may be connected to the host computer 101.
• the store computer 107 may be implemented using the computer system 601 of Figure 6, for example, or any other suitable PC, workstation, server, or device.
• the store computer 107 cornmunicates with the host computer 101 . , stores and retrieves information in the store database 109, monitors data transmitted between the terminal 119 and the store controller 111 (i.e., transaction data), and controls the printer 117.
• the store database 109 is a file that includes records containing information for providing targeted research invitations in accordance with the present invention.
• the records in the store database 109 contain fields for associating bar codes with products in the retail store 105 (e.g., by using UPC, JAN, and/or EAN codes).
• the store database 109 also includes operations for searching, sorting, recombining, and other database functions.
• the store database 109 may be implemented as two or more databases, if desired. Periodically, (e.g., daily) sales transaction information stored in the store database 109 is retrieved by the store computer 107 and sent to the host computer 101, which uses the information to update the purchase history information stored in the global database 103.
• the store controller 111 is any computer or device for communicating with the terminal 119 and for using information stored in the UPC database 113 to carry out transactions at the POS 115.
• An exemplary store controller 111 is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,173,851, which is incorporated herein by reference.
• the UPC database 113 is a file that includes records containing information for carrying out transactions at the POS 115 by scanning bar codes printed on purchased items.
• the records in the UPC database 113 contain fields for associating bar codes with products and their corresponding prices.
• the UPC database 113 also includes operations for searching, sorting, recombining, and other database functions, and may be implemented as two or more databases, if desired.
• JAN and/or EAN codes may be used in place of, or in combination with, the UPC codes.
• the retail store 105 includes one or more POSs 115.
• the printer 117 at the POS 105 receives printing instructions from the store computer 107.
• targeted research invitations are p ⁇ nted by the printer 117 in response to receiving commands from the store computer 107.
• the terminal 119 may be implemented as a standard cash register and may include a screen, credit card reader, and numeric keypad, for example.
• the terminal 119 communicates with the store controller 111 and the scanner 121.
• the scanner 121 may be implemented as any conventional scanning device for reading product information such as an item code (e.g., UPC, EAN, or JAN) from bar codes or other indicia on the product.
• an item code e.g., UPC, EAN, or JAN
• Information read by the scanner 121 is transmitted to the store controller 111 via the terminal 119.
• the store controller 111 uses the scanned information and the information stored in the UPC database 113 to determine information of the transaction including the SKU, price, quantity, and date and time of the transaction, for example.
• each terminal 119 is preferably arranged on a loop with the store controller 111.
• the store computer 107 is located in front of the store controller 111 on the loop so that information transmitted from the terminals 119 to the store controller is monitored by the store computer 107.
• the Internet 121 includes networks and gateways for connecting unlimited computers, such as the host computer 101, the consumer's computer 123, the online retailer server 125, and the promotions server 127.
• any suitable communications network may be used in addition to, or in place of, the Internet 121.
• the consumer's computer 123 is a PC, laptop, personal data assistant (e.g. a Palm VIITM by Palm, Inc.), or palmtop, for example, that is associated with a consumer.
• the consumer's computer 123 is used by the consumer to make online purchases via the online retailer server 125 and to participate in online promotions, incentives, and offers via the promotions server 127.
• the online retailer server 125 is a computer for hosting an online shopping Web site, such as an online grocery store. Consumers may use their computers to access the online retailer server 125 via the Internet 121 and make purchases from the retailer associated with the online retailer server 125. Items purchased are delivered by mail, courier, or personal delivery. Thus, a consumer may order groceries from his or her computer 123 by accessing the server 125 over the Internet 121 and have the groceries delivered to the consumer's house for backdoor pickup.
• the promotions server 127 is a computer for hosting an online promotions Web site. Such promotions include online coupons, coupons that can be printed and redeemed in the store 105, information of different retailers and products, as well as any other desirable promotions, offers, incentives, and rewards. A consumer accesses the promotions server 127 with his or her computer 123 to participate in, and gather information of, various promotions.
• a single computer e.g., the computer system 601 of Figure 6
• two or more programmed computers may be substituted for any one of the devices shown in Figure 1.
• Principles and advantages of distributed processing, such as redundancy and replication, may also be implemented as desired to increase the robustness and performance of the system, for example.
• the present invention stores information relating to various consumers who shop at the retail store 105, the purchase histories of those consumers, targeted research invitations, and identifying information of the consumers, for example.
• This information is stored in one or more memories such as a hard disk, optical disc, magneto-optical disk, and/or RAM, for example.
• One or more databases such as the global database 103 and the store database 109, may store the information used to implement the present invention.
• the databases are organized using data structures (e.g., records, tables, arrays, fields, graphs, trees, and/or lists) contained in one or more memories, such as the memories listed above or any of the storage devices listed below in the discussion of Figure 6, for example.
• Figure 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D depict data structures used for implementing a system for rewarding desired consumer behavior with ISP service according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• the data structures are depicted in a relational format, using tables, whereby information stored in one column (i.e., field) of a table is mapped or linked to information stored in the same row (i.e., record) across the other column(s) of the table.
• These data structures are used by the host computer 101 and/or the store computer 107 to deliver offers, promotions, and rewards to consumers in accordance with the present invention.
• Figure 2A is a purchase history table 201 that includes a field 203 for storing consumer identifiers (CIDs) and a field 204 for storing a purchase history for each consumer or household identified in the field 203.
• CID consumer identifiers
• a CID is any identifier that is scanned, read, or otherwise entered into a computer or terminal to identify a consumer. Each consumer may have multiple CIDs.
• the CID is represented aj a bar code so that it can be quickly scanned at checkout by the scanner 117, although any other type of machine readable or non- machine readable implementations for storing or displaying identifications may be used, including magnetic strips, memory chips, and smart cards.
• Examples of CIDs include credit card numbers, debit card numbers, social security card numbers, driver's license numbers, checking account numbers, street addresses, names, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, frequent consumer card numbers, shopper card identifications (SCIDs), or shopper loyalty card numbers issued by the retail store 105, although any other suitable form of identification may be used.
• a CID may be a cookie stored on the consumer's computer 123 and that identifies the consumer's computer or Web browser software.
• a "cookie" is any block of data that includes identifying information (i.e., a cookie ID) for identifying a consumer's computer 123 or Web browser software to a server or remote computer.
• the field 204 is divided into several subfields for separately storing purchase data such as the location of the purchase, the SKU, the price of each item purchased, date and time of the transaction, and/or any other desired information of consumers' transactions.
• Figure 2B is a classification criteria table 205 that includes a field 207 for storing purchase history criteria for different classifications and a field 209 for storing the classifications.
• the classification criteria table 205 may contain three records with the field 207 respectively containing records corresponding to monthly average purchases of "less than 2 liters of Brand X soda," "between 2 and 5 liters of Brand X soda,” and “over 5 liters of Brand X soda.”
• the corresponding records in the field 209 are "light user,” “moderate user,” and "heavy user,” in this example.
• the information used to fill the classification criteria table 205 is provided by a manufacturer, advertiser, or retailer to establish purchase history criteria for different classifications to be used in delivering targeted offers for free ISP service.
• the classification criteria table 205 also includes a field 210 for storing offers, rewards, or other promotions corresponding to each classification.
• the first record in the field 210 could be empty, indicating that there is no offer for light users
• the second record in the field 210 could contain an offer requiring the consumer to increase his or her average monthly purchases of Brand X cola to receive a relatively small reward (e.g., one month of free ISP service)
• the third record in the field 210 could contain an offer requiring the heavy user to increase his or her average monthly consumption of Brand X cola to receive a relatively large reward (e.g., one year of free ISP service).
• This example uses current purchase levels by brand to target an offer for free ISP service; however, offers may also be targeted based on average purchase levels for all products at a given retail store or chain (e.g. a "moderate shopper" spends an average between $100 and $150 per month at ABC supermarkets for the last twelve months).
• Figure 2C is an offer table 211 including a field 213 for storing CIDs of consumers that qualify to receive offers, rewards, and other promotions, which are stored in the field 215 of the offer table 211. Accordingly, the offer table 211 stores and/or identifies targeted offers and promotions in the field 215 that are associated with specific consumers and/or households identified by the CIDs stored in the field 214. According to one embodiment, offer tables 211 are generated by the host computer 101, which sends one or more of the generated offer tables 211 to selected store computers 107 for storage in corresponding store databases 109.
• Figure 2D is a points table 217 including a field 219 for storing CIDs and a field 221 for storing points associated with each CID in the field 219.
• the host computer 101 or another computer, such as the store computer 107 may determine whether a consumer qualifies for a reward.
• FIG. 3A is an exemplary reward 301 for free ISP service, according to an embodiment of the invention.
• a reward 301 includes a field 303 designating the amount of ISP service (e.g., one month, one hundred hours, one year) as well as promotional information identifying the retailer and/or manufacturer providing the free ISP service (i.e., ABC Supermarkets), if desired.
• the reward 301 includes a field 305 identifying a user name and a field 307 identifying a password. The user name and password are used to register the free ISP service and may also be used to identify the consumer receiving the service as well as the particular reward 301.
• a field 309 includes instructions for receiving the free service. In this case, the instructions tell a consumer to dial a specific telephone number with their modem.
• these instructions may also include a uniform resource locator (URL), a Web site, an Internet protocol (IP) address, or any other information for contacting the ISP to provide the free service.
• URL uniform resource locator
• IP Internet protocol
• a field 311 on the reward 301 provides information for receiving customer support for receiving the free ISP service.
• Figure 3B is an exemplary offer 313 for free ISP service, according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the offer 313 includes a field 315 with instructions for participating in a promotion, in this case, an offer for free ISP service.
• the field 315 may be used to indicate what actions or conditions a consumer must fulfill to receive points, which accumulate and may be redeemed for varying amounts of free ISP service or other rewards.
• a user receives 100 points for purchasing over fifty dollars of groceries online from ABC Supermarkets.com, receives twenty-five points for presenting a printout of the consumer's personal Web page at an ABC supermarket's location, and receives one hundred points for purchasing over seventy-five dollars of groceries at ABC Supermarkets.
• the consumer uses Web browser software running on the consumer's computer 123 to retrieve his or her personal Web page from the promotions server 127.
• the consumer may also be rewarded for making online purchases from the online retailer server 125.
• a field 317 on the offer 313 identifies the number of points required to receive different amounts of ISP service.
• the field 319 of the offer 313 includes instructions for registering to enter the promotion so that points can be accumulated.
• Field 319 may also include information such as a URL or a telephone number, permitting a registered user to check how many points he or she has accumulated and/or redeem points for different rewards, including free ISP service.
• Figure 3C is an exemplary coupon 321 that may be delivered to a consumer's computer.
• the coupon 321 includes a field 323 with coupon information identifying the brand, size, and amount of discount for one or more products.
• the coupon 321 also includes a field 325 with machine readable information that can be used to identify the particular coupon (thereby preventing coupon fraud) as well as information about the consumer to whom- the coupon was sent (including the consumer's CID), the retail location(s) where the coupon may be redeemed, and/or any other desired information.
• the coupon 321 forms all or a portion of a consumer's personal Web page according to one embodiment.
• promotions, rewards, offers, advertisements and/or coupons may be flexibly tailored to include or exclude any information, as desired.
• the reward 301, offer 313, and coupon 321 are for exemplary purposes only as virtually an unlimited number of promotions may be created in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
• FIG. 4A is a flowchart explaining how purchase histories are tracked, how consumers are classified into spending categories, and how consumers are rewarded.
• a consumer's loyalty card is scanned by the scanner 121 during a transaction at the POS 115.
• the consumer's CID is read from the loyalty card and sent to the store computer 107 via the terminal 119.
• the consumer's CID is read into the terminal 119 by reading a magnetic strip on the loyalty card or by manually typing in the consumer's CID using a keypad on the terminal 119.
• step 403 the store computer 107 associates the consumer's CID with offline purchase information corresponding to the purchases made by the consumer in the current transaction.
• step 405 information of the current purchase and the consumer's CID are stored in the store database 109.
• step 407 the purchase information and the consumer's CID are sent to the host computer 101.
• step 409 the host computer 101 stores the purchase information in a purchase history table 201 in the global database 103.
• the host computer 101 uses the CID received from the store computer 107 to determine the proper record (i.e., the record corresponding to the consumer associated with the purchase information) in the purchase history table 201 in the global database 301 in which to store the purchase history information of the consumer's purchase.
• steps 401, 403, and 405 are performed for each consumer during every purchase transaction at the POS 115.
• step 407 is performed daily as the host computer 101 polls the store computer 107 for information in the store database 109 with which to update the purchase history table 201 in the global database 103.
• step 411 the host computer 101 classifies each consumer or household corresponding to a CID in the purchase history table 201 in the global database 103 into a spending category. This classification is based upon criteria established by a marketing agency, manufacturer, retailer, or other advertiser or entity, for example. As noted above, the criteria for each classification are stored in the classification criteria table 205 in the field 207, and corresponding classifications are stored in the field 209. Each classification in the field 209 corresponds to an offer or reward stored in the field 210.
• step 413 the host computer 101 determines an offer or reward for each consumer, based on the consumer's spending category or classification. The offers and rewa r ds are determined from the field 210 in which offers and rewards are stored for each classification in the field 209 and the corresponding purchase history criteria in the field 207.
• step 415 the host computer 101 delivers the offer for free ISP service to the consumer and stores the reward information of the offer to be used in the future to determine whether the consumer has met the conditions of the offer and is to be rewarded with free ISP service.
• rewards e.g., the reward 301 in Figure 3A
• the consumer is not required to meet a condition to receive the free ISP service.
• both offers and rewards are stored in the field 210.
• rewards for free ISP service are provided to consumers in step 415.
• the amount of the ISP service is based upon the consumers' offline purchase history. For example, if a consumer (or his or her household) is classified as a heavy shopper at ABC Supermarkets in step 411, then in step 415 the printer 117 automatically prints the reward 301 for one year of free ISP service.
• "heavy shopper at ABC Supermarkets” may correspond to the user purchasing at least two hundred dollars of groceries a month for the last 12 months at ABC Supermarkets.
• Another consumer classified as a "moderate shopper” one hundred dollars a month for the last three months) may only receive one month of free ISP service.
• FIG. 4B is a flowchart for explaining how online purchase histories of consumers are tracked.
• the online retailer server 125 receives online purchase information of the consumer along with the consumer's CID and/or other identifying information, such as an Internet cookie, for example. This information received by the online retailer server 125 may be sent from the consumer's computer 123 as part of an online purchase transaction (e.g. "backdoor pickup" of groceries ordered online and delivered to the consumer's house) over the Internet 121, according to one embodiment.
• an online purchase transaction e.g. "backdoor pickup" of groceries ordered online and delivered to the consumer's house
• step 419 the online retailer server 125 associates the identifying information of the consumer with the online purchase information. This information is stored in a database local to the online retailer server 125. Periodically, the online purchase information and identifying information stored in the database local to the online retailer server 125 is sent to the host computer 101 in step 423. Then, in step 409 ( Figure 4A) the host computer 101 stores the purchase information in the global purchase database 103 in association with the consumer's CID. Alternatively, step 421 may be skipped, and information may be sent directly to the host computer 101 from the consumer's computer 123 or the online retailer server 125.
• Figure 4C is a flowchart for explaining how offers to receive free ISP service may be delivered electronically to a consumer via the consumer's computer 123.
• the consumer is delivered an offer to participate in a free ISP service program.
• Such an offer preferably requires that the consumer register with the program.
• Such an offer may also appear as the offer 313 in Figure 3B, for example.
• the consumer uses the computer 123 to register with a server, such as the promotions server 127.
• the consumer provides registration information including the consumer's preferred retail stores, brands, geographic and other demographic information, as well as identifying information of the consumer such as the consumer's CID.
• the registration information is received and stored on the server 127.
• the server 127 may store an Internet cookie on the consumer's computer 123 so that the consumer's computer 123 is recognized each time the consumer uses his or her computer 123 to access a Web site corresponding to the server 127.
• One or more types of identifying information of the consumer may be stored in one or more fields of a table that can be used to identify a consumer based on the different identifying information of the consumer.
• the promotion server 127 receives identifying information of the consumer's personal web page when the consumer logs back into a Web site hosted by the promotion server 127 and/or provides identifying information that was linked to the consumer as a result of registration.
• the identifying information is preferably based on registration information such as the consumer's CID, name, e-mail address, user name, password, and/or a cookie that the promotions server 127 stores on the consumer's computer 123.
• the promotions server 127 links each such cookie with other identifying information of the consumer, so that the consumer is "recognized" when the consumer's computer 123 sends the cookie to the promotions server 127.
• the promotions server 127 In step 431 the promotions server 127 generates a personal Web page and delivers the personal Web page to the consumer.
• the personal Web page is customized based on the registration information provided to the promotion server 127 by the consumer's computer 123 in step 427.
• the personal Web page may also be delivered to the consumer's computer 123 automatically in response to receiving login information, a cookie, or other identifying information each time the consumer accesses the promotions server 127.
• consumers' personal Web pages include promotions, offers, and/or coupons (e.g., the coupon 321 of Figure 3C) that consumer may print out at a computer, such as the consumer's computer 123.
• step 433 the consumer is rewarded with points for accessing his or her personal Web page. Points accumulate and are redeemable for free ISP service. If desired, step 433 may be selectively skipped so that the consumer does not receive points for accessing his or her Web page more than once a month.
• step 435 if the consumer presents the coupon 321 in the store 105, the scanner 121 reads the bar code 325.
• the store computer 107 receives the bar code and rewards the consumer with points instead of real money, based on the items that the consumer purchases.
• the coupon 321 would entitle the consumer to 10 points (instead of ten cents) for purchasing a 2 oz. can of Brand X, 30 points for purchasing a 2 liter bottle of Brand Y, and 50 points for purchasing a 30 oz. box of Brand Z.
• the consumer may also be rewarded with points just for presenting the coupon 321 in the store 105, regardless of the consumer's purchases.
• the host computer 101 keeps track of points for each consumer in the points table 217 in the global database 103.
• FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining how a consumer who has received an offer may receive free ISP service.
• a computer such as the promotion server 127, online retailer server 125, host computer 101, and/or store computer 107 receives offer information from the consumer.
• the offer information is any information identifying the offer, such as the bar code 325 in Figure 3C, a string of alphanumeric characters unique to the offer, and/or any other identifying information.
• the scanner 121 scans the bar code 325, which identifies the coupon 321 as well as the consumer presenting the coupon 321 at the POS 115.
• the scanner 121 scans the consumer's CID to identify the consumer and determine which promotions the consumer is participating in, or eligible for.
• step 503 the computer (e.g. the host computer 101 or the store computer 107) determines whether the consumer has met the requirements to receive free service from an ISP.
• Step 503 is performed by using the identifying information of the offer received in step 501 to determine what the condition of the offer is. Additionally, the purchase history of the consumer, stored in the global database 103 and/or the store database 109, for example, may be compared with the conditions of the offer to determine whether the consumer meets the conditions.
• the host computer 101 checks the global database 103 to determine whether the consumer meets the conditions of any offer that has been delivered to the consumer.
• the consumer's CID is delivered to one or more of the online retailer server 125, promotion server 127, and the store computer 107, which receives the consumer's CID and automatically causes the consumer to be rewarded upon receipt of the consumer's CID in step 505.
• the consumer is automatically rewarded when the store computer 107, the promotion server 127, and/or the online retailer server 125 receives identifying information of the consumer.
• the host computer 101 determines whether the consumer has met the conditions of the offer and then sends information to the store computer 107, promotion server 127, and/or online retailer server 125 indicating that the consumers to be rewarded next time the consumer's identifying information is received. If the condition is a fixed number of points that the consumer must accumulate, the condition is checked by determining whether the consumer's points total in the field 221 of Figure 2D is at least equal to the minimum required points, according to one embodiment.
• Step 505 may also include the electronic delivery of ISP software (e.g., AOL 4.0) to the consumer's computer 123 over the Internet 121 from promotions server 127 or any other remote computer, such as a server maintained by the ISP.
• ISP software e.g., AOL 4.0
• FIG. 6 illustrates a computer system 601 upon which an embodiment according to the present invention may be implemented.
• Computer system 601 includes a bus 603 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor 605 coupled with bus 603 for processing the information.
• Computer system 601 also includes a main memory 607, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), flash RAM), coupled to bus 603 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 605.
• main memory 607 may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 605.
• Computer system 601 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 609 or other static storage device (e.g., programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), and electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM)) coupled to bus 603 for storing static information and instructions for processor 605.
• ROM read only memory
• PROM programmable ROM
• EPROM erasable PROM
• EEPROM electrically erasable PROM
• a storage device 611 such as a magnetic disk or optical disc, is provided and coupled to bus 603 for storing information and instructions.
• the computer system 601 may also include special purpose logic devices (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) or configurable logic devices (e.g., generic array of logic (GAL) or reprogrammable field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)).
• ASICs application specific integrated circuits
• GAL generic array of logic
• FPGAs reprogrammable field programmable gate arrays
• Other removable media devices e.g., a compact disc, a tape, and a removable magneto-optical media
• fixed, high density media drives may be added to the computer system 601 using an appropriate device bus (e.g., a small computer system interface (SCSI) bus, an enhanced integrated device electronics (IDE) bus, or an ultra-direct memory access (DMA) bus).
• SCSI small computer system interface
• IDE enhanced integrated device electronics
• DMA ultra-direct memory access
• the computer system 601 may additionally include a compact disc reader, a compact disc reader- writer unit, or a compact disc juke box,
• Computer system 601 may be coupled via bus 603 to a display 613, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user.
• the display 613 may be controlled by a display or graphics card.
• the computer system includes input devices, such as a keyboard 615 and a cursor control 617, for communicating information and command selections to processor 605.
• the cursor control 617 for example, is a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 605 and for controlling cursor movement on the display 613.
• a printer may provide printed listings of the data structures shown in Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D or any other data stored and/or generated by the computer system 601.
• the computer system 601 performs a portion or all of the processing steps of the invention in response to processor 605 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in a memory, such as the main memory 607. Such instructions may be read into the main memory 607 from another computer-readable medium, such as storage device 611. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in main memory 607. In alternative embodiments, hard- wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions. Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
• the system 601 includes at least one computer readable medium or memory programmed according to the teachings of the invention and for containing data structures, tables, records, or other data described herein.
• the present invention includes software for controlling the computer system 601, for driving a device or devices for implementing the invention, and for enabling the computer system 601 to interact with a human user, e.g., a consumer.
• Such software may include, but is not limited to, device drivers, operating systems, development tools, and applications software.
• Such computer readable media further includes the computer program product of the present invention for performing all or a portion (if processing is distributed) of the processing performed in implementing the invention.
• the computer code devices of the present invention may be any interpreted or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpreters, dynamic link libraries, Java classes, and complete executable programs. Moreover, parts of the processing of the present invention may be distributed for better performance, reliability, and/or cost.
• Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical discs, magnetic disks, and magneto-optical disks, such as storage device 611.
• Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory 607.
• Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 603. Transmission media also may also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications.
• Computer readable media include, for example, hard disks, floppy disks, tape, magneto-optical disks, PROMs (EPROM, EEPROM, Flash EPROM), DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, or any other magnetic medium, compact disks (e.g., CD-ROM), or any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, or other physical medium with patterns of holes, a carrier wave (described below), or any other medium from which a computer can read.
• Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying out one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 605 for execution.
• the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer.
• the remote computer can load the instructions for implementing all or a portion of the present invention remotely into a dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem.
• a modem local to computer system 601 may receive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal.
• An infrared detector coupled to bus 603 can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on bus 603.
• Bus 603 carries the data to main memory 607, from which processor 605 retrieves and executes the instructions.
• the instructions received by main memory 607 may optionally be stored on storage device 611 either before or after execution by processor 605.
• Computer system 601 also includes a communication interface 619 coupled to bus 603.
• Communication interface 619 provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link 621 that is connected to a local network (e.g., LAN 623).
• a local network e.g., LAN 623
• communication interface 619 may be a network interface card to attach to any packet switched local area network (LAN).
• communication interface 619 may be an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) card, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line.
• Wireless links may also be implemented.
• communication interface 619 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.
• Network link 621 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices.
• network link 621 may provide a connection through LAN 623 to a host computer 625 or to data equipment operated by a service provider, which provides data communication services through an IP (Internet Protocol) network 627 (e.g., the Internet 121).
• IP Internet Protocol
• LAN 623 and IP network 627 both use electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streams.
• the signals through the various networks and the signals on network link 621 and through communication interface 619, which carry the digital data to and from computer system 601, are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information.
• Computer system 601 can transmit notifications and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link 621 and communication interface 619.

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• 2000
  • 2000-08-25 WO PCT/US2000/023409 patent/WO2002005172A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-08-25 EP EP00959429A patent/EP1364320A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-08-25 CA CA002414366A patent/CA2414366A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-08-25 JP JP2002508705A patent/JP2004510220A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-08-25 AU AU2000270757A patent/AU2000270757A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-10-18 ZA ZA200005790A patent/ZA200005790B/xx unknown
  • 2000-11-03 IT ITMI20002381 patent/ITMI20002381A1/it unknown
• 2001
  • 2001-01-22 PT PT10255501A patent/PT102555A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation

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