FR2823885A1 - Free telephone unit reward system having operator purchased telephone units distributor transferred managing credit/debit and allowing telephone unit reward when unit level reaches set value. - Google Patents

Abstract

The purchase reward allocation management system has a purchaser (Ai) having an account with an operator (Oi). A number of telephone units are purchased from the operator. The units are transferred to a distributor (Di) and the credit/debit managed. A computer memory manages telephone units bought from different operators as well as reward units until the number of telephone units reaches a set value, crediting the account with the operator with the value of the reward level.

Description

electronic. - The present invention is in the field of techniques for

  marketing and its subject is a process for allocating purchase bonuses, in the form of free telephone units, primarily with the aim of loyalizing the customers of a distributor, and incidentally modeling the purchases of a gifted customer , by taking advantage of modern means of information technology and telematics. The mother idea of the invention is based on immateriality

  telephone units as purchase bonuses.

  We know by FR 2 797 078 (FRANCE TELECOM) a process for managing the payment of parking taxes, validation coupon

  and terminal for verifying this payment; we also know by the demand in-

  ternationale WO 0063859 of the same applicant a payment system for

  the use of software; one can refer to these publications to know an en-

  The remote technical environment of the invention According to the invention, a method of distributing to a buyer (Ai) purchase premiums in the form of free telephone units (UT), the said buyer having an account (Cai) with a less telephone operator (Oi), the

  said process being implemented by a manager G. is characterized in its general

  reality in that it comprises the following operations consisting of / a: a) the purchase by G from said telephone operator (Oi) of a plurality of telephone units (UT); b) - the sale by G to at least one distributor (Di) of a plurality of UT c) - the storage in debited credit preferably in a computer memory G1 of the quantities of telephone units purchased from the different operators ( Oi) and those obtained as purchase bonuses by a customer (Ci) at at least the distributor (Di), until the number of UT reaches a certain value (Vai), d) - credit with the operator Oi the Cai account of the quantity Vai

  - telephone units obtained by the buyer Ai.

  In the process, or in other words the procedure, described above, the manager has an interface role between two markets: the market for

  telephone operations on the one hand, and the general market of products and services.

  It also has, as explained below, a role as an analyst of buyers' purchasing procedures, analyzes of which it can pass on the results.

  both to buyers and distributors with the agreement of buyers.

  Preferably, the allocation of the UTs to each buyer Ai at the manager G is effected by periodic transfer by telematic means, from Di to G; advantageously the periodic transfer by telematic means, from Di

  to G is accompanied by the list of purchases made during the period consi-

  while the manager periodically informs the buyer Ai of the purchases made from the various distributors Di, with the indication of the UTs acquired as a bonus from each of the latter, and in the event that the value Vai has been reached,

  the number of free telephone units whose account has been credited to the operator

rator Oi.

  The procedure, or process, described above is proposed for operations by computer, which has the advantage of processing quickly and at low cost a large number of information, however this procedure is not exclusive of the implementation other ways; for example, the storage of UTs at manager G can be effected by transmission, from Di to G.

  "paper" documents, such as cash vouchers, "smart" memory cards, etc.

  It was considered above that the proceedings were aimed at

  a purchase premium but it can be applied in the event that Di is any of-

  freur (Dg) of free telephone units, which gives any person

  (Pi), which does not especially have the quality of buyer, but which has a Cai account, a do-

  cument "paper" called "good-phone" recognized by G and representing free UT in the telephone network of Oi, the credit operation with the manager G being

  therefore made from the "paper" document that constitutes the "bontélaphone".

  It was also considered that it is the distributor who informs the manager of the purchases made by the buyer with a view to crediting the

  account of the latter with the manager; however in a variant of the process

  lasts, each item has a unique masked code that can be displayed by "scratching" with indication of the use of the code for the buyer with an account

  with a telephone operator, and it is up to the buyer to transfer

  put the code to the manager, where the unique code can only be used (validated) once to open and / or credit a telephone unit account with this

  latest; after which the procedure applies as indicated above.

  The invention will be better understood and details in detail

  rising will appear in the description which will be made in relation to the figure of the

  inique sheet attached which illustrates the process in a form in which the

  information transfers are mainly processed by computer and telemati-

than.

  In the figure, an organization G says manager or

  core "interface", buys a number of telephone units from telephone operators (31, 02, .. Oi, .. On); then he offers them to various distributors of products or services D1, D2, .. Di, ... Dn, who themselves will offer them as a purchase bonus to their buying customers A1, A2 ... Ai, .. .Year. In the case of the figure, the first establishment of a receipt, or other invoice, to a given customer is operated with the indication of a customer code GDiAi, called loyalty. It is at the same time indicated to the buyer that an account of free telephone units is open to him with the manager and credited with such quantity of telephone units, and periodically, weekly for example, information collected during establishment of the receipt, such as list of products purchased, date, and customer code, etc. are transferred by lematic way to G. G opens a customer account in a computer memory with the code GDiAi and credits (e, f), or increments, the telaphonic units acquired through the act of purchase . If the same buyer makes purchases from another Di distributor, a similar operation is repeated and at the same time united

  tees from the same customer are accumulated on a gay buyer global account.

  When the camul (g) of the Gai account has reached a certain value Vai the manager G credits this value (for example 100 telephone units) to the operator of client A on his account; this unit credit appears when billing telephone costs, and decreases the

GDiAi account.

  We note that according to the process, all the management of free bonus units is the responsibility of the manager. We also observe that in the example it is assumed that a buyer Ai has an account with only one telephone operator; in the event that he has one or more accounts with one or more operators, which for the process poses no impossibility of management, he will simply have to agree with the manager on how the units acquired

  its will be distributed among the different operators.

  According to a variant in which the buyer has been allocated a smart card acting as a buffer memory, and in which, thanks to a reader-recorder with which the distributors are equipped for this purpose, the so-called debited storage of UT is operated in the buffer memory of the card held by the buyer; it is therefore up to the latter to periodically transfer to the

  manager the information contained in the card.

Claims (2)

  1.- Process for managing the allocation, implemented by a manager G. to a buyer (Ai) of purchase premiums in the form of free telephone units, the said buyer having an account (Cai) with a at least telephone operator (Oi), characterized: in that it comprises the sequence of operations consisting of / a: - the management of the purchase by G from said telephone operator (Oi) a plurality of units telephone (UT); b) - the management of the transfer by G to at least one distributor (Di) of a plurality of UT c) - the management of the debited storage in a computer memory G1 of the quantities of telephone units purchased from different operators (Oi) and those obtained as purchase bonuses by a customer (Ci) from at least the distributor (Di), until the number of UT reaches a certain value (Vai), d ) - credit the operator Ci with the account Cai of the quantity Vai of telephone units obtained by the buyer Ai; 2.- Method according to claim 1, characterized: in that the storage of UTs at the manager G is carried out by periodic transfer by telematic means, from Di to G 3.- Method according to claim 2, characterized: in that transfer periodically by telematic means, from Di to G is accompanied by the list of purchases made during the period considered, and in that the manager periodically informs the buyer Ai of the purchases made at the various Di distributors, with the indi cation of the UTs acquired as a bonus from each of these, and in the event that the Vai value has been reached, the number of free telephone units whose account has been credited to the operator Oi 4.- Method according to the claim 1, characterized: in that the storage of the UTs at the manager G is effected by the transmission, from Di to G. of "paper3 'S documents. Process according to claim 1, characterized: in that the d it debit / credit storage of UT is   operated in the buffer memory of the card held by the buyer to which   wishes to periodically transfer to the manager the information contained in the map.   6.- Method according to claim 1, characterized: in that Di is any provider (Dg) of free telephone units, which gives to any person (Pi), who does not specially have the quality of buyer, but who has a Cai account with a telephone operator Oi, a "paper" document known as a "telephone check" recognized by G and representing free TUs in the telephone network of Oi, and in that the credit transaction with the manager G