GB2457097A - Providing coupons to wireless devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of providing a coupon from host computer system 20 to wireless devices 26A, 26B, 26C comprises the steps of (i) generating a coupon for storage on the host system, (ii) targeting the coupon to a selected group of wireless devices, and (iii) distributing the coupon to the selected wireless devices. In a preferred embodiment the method includes a further step of associating each coupon with a limited use hyperlink, such that use of a given hyperlink is recorded as a redemption for the associated coupon. Users of the selected group of devices may be instructed to present the coupon at a point of sale (POS) 56, with a merchant at the POS being instructed to use the associated hyperlink. A description of the coupon may be provided, together with a hyperlink for reporting discrepancies between the coupon and the description. The wireless devices may be selected based on demographic characteristics, such as geographical location, age or gender of user, and the coupons may be distributed during a defined time period. The wireless devices may be mobile handsets, and the host system 20 may communicate with the wireless devices via the internet 22 and or wireless network 24.

Description

COUPON SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS DEVICES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

100011 This invention generally pertains to a system and method for providing coupons to wireless devices.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

100021 Existing systems for providing coupons or other promotional material to wireless devices such as mobile phones do not permit the advertiser/distributor of the coupon to precisely target the coupon to the correct person at the correct place and the correct time.

[00031 One way of providing coupons to wireless devices is to publish them on selected pages of what is often referred to as the Mobile Internet or Mobile Web. A Mobile Web site comprises specially formatted Internet sites offering services such as news, weather, and entertainment for wireless devices, including cellular phones that can access the Internet via the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) or other means. A Mobile Web page displayed on the wireless device is often referred to as a WAP page. Some more recently developed mobile devices are configured to display conventional Web pages.

10004] When placing promotions or coupons using some current advertising networks, an advertiser can opt to place the promotion within certain categories of Mobile Web sites and pages (for example, entertainment, sports, news, community, etc). These promotions are not, however, distributed in a manner that is sensitive to the time or day, or to the location and demographics of the user, although they may be limited by the advertiser to certain carriers, phone manufacturers or countries. This limitation results in advertising that is skewed toward mobile services and products such as ring tones, games and mobile content (news, sports, lifestyle magazine) rather than actual products and services pertinent to and/or in the geographic vicinity of the user of the wireless device. For convenience the user of the wireless device may hereafter be referred to as a mobile end user or MEU.

[0005J Electronically delivered coupon systems exist for distributing coupons to an MEU's wireless device or handset. These systems, however, usually require for redeeming the coupons special hardware or applications that must be installed on the MEU's handset, or at the point of redemption. Also, many of the electronically delivered coupons are merely short messages utilizing conventional short message service (SMS) technology and thus amenable to unauthorized sharing or duplication, In any event, special hardware systems required for redeeming electronic coupons rely on investment in infrastructure (such as bar-code readers) and complex point-of sale integration for carrying out the redemption. This makes such electronic coupon systems very expensive.

(0006j The present invention is directed to an innovative system and method for providing a coupon from a host computer system to a wireless device. In accord with the invention, the coupon is generated by an advertiser, and the advertiser can target the coupon to all wireless devices of a selected group of a plurality of wireless devices. The group may be selected based upon the geographic location andlor demographic characteristics of the MEUs.

100071 Delivery of a coupon to a particular MEU is recorded by the host computer system so that, if desired, the advertiser can prohibit the same MEU from being delivered additional coupons for the same campaign. Where the mechanism used to advertise the campaign allows, the advertiser can also thus prohibit the MEU from seeing further advertisements for the campaign.

[00081 In one embodiment each coupon has associated with it a limited-use hyperlink that, when activated ("clicked") effects redemption of the coupon and provides the host computer system an indication of the coupon redemption. The limited-use may be established, for example, as a single use. The limited-use link, therefore, permits the advertiser to prevent unauthorized re-use of the coupon.

[0009] Preferably, the limited-use hyperlink is clicked by a merchant at a point of sale (PUS), thereby effectively enabling the POS activity to be reported to the host computer system, but without the need for expensive PUS system integration.

[0010] The coupon displayed to the MEU is also provided with a description of the coupon as well as a link for reporting to the host system an inconsistency between the description and the coupon. This provides a way for the advertiser and operator of the host system to monitor the quality or relevance of the distributed coupons and react accordingly, such as by modifying or ending the promotion.

[0011] Inasmuch as the coupons are generic WAP or Web pages, they can be made available to indexing by search engines or the like and distributed within, for example, the results provided by third-party search engines. In this regard, the coupon will be identified in the results as a call-to-action banner or textual description of the coupon offer and made available when the MEU activates the banner or text description.

(0012J Other features and advantages of the present invention will become evident upon review of the entire specification, drawings, and claims of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram of a system for carrying out the generation, targeting, and distribution of coupons to selected wireless devices, as well as redemption of those coupons in accordance with the present invention.

100141 Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the steps involved in initiating an advertising campaign or promotion, including the generation of a coupon.

100151 Figs. 3 -6 are flow charts illustrating alternative techniques for delivering coupons to mobile end users (MEUs).

10016] Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the steps involved with coupon redemption and reporting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

100171 One preferred system for carrying out the generation, targeting, distribution and redemption of coupons to selected wireless devices in accordance with the present invention is diagrammed in Fig. I and includes a host computer system 20. The host system 20 can be a conventional server with associated control software, and includes adaptors for access to the Internet 22, including the Internet sites (hereafter referred to collectively as the Mobile Web) specially designed for access and viewing by wireless devices such as cell phones and PDAs.

For brevity, the generation, targeting, distribution and redemption of coupons will be referred to as a campaign.

100181 The system diagram of Fig. I also illustrates a wireless network 24 that, in this embodiment, comprises a conventional wireless phone network and associated subscriber phones. For the purposes of this discussion, the subscriber phones, which are assigned to individual users, will hereafter be referred to as mobile end users or MEUs. A representative group of three MEUs 26A, 26B and 26C is illustrated in Fig. 1.

(0019J An advertiser (that is, one charged by an entity with initiating a campaign in accord with the present invention) has Internet access to the host system 20 via, for example, a computer 30. In this regard, the host system 20 includes several software program modules for controlling the host system and facilitating the generation, targeting, distribution and redemption of coupons as explained more fully below.

100201 Coupon Generation (00211 The coupon generation process (see Fig 1 and the steps shown in the flow chart of Fig. 2) commences when the advertiser logs into the host system 20 to access the present coupon system via a web interface [501]. The advertiser can then opt to create a new campaign, which includes creating a name for the campaign (for reporting purposes) and then inputting the specific promotional message and the precise target and locations for the coupon.

[00221 To create a campaign the advertiser will first generate a coupon by inputting the text-based content of the coupon, which is the actual offer and terms. Relevant point-of-sale (POS) information such as cash register discount codes or instructions to the seller (such as how to redeem the coupon) may also be input. Features such as campaign-specific bar codes may be added. The advertiser can optionally add an image or video to the coupon. If the advertiser wishes to place the coupon within local search results and/or embed coupons inside third-party services and applications, the advertiser is instructed to create a call-to-action banner (text andlor images) or text description of the coupon that will be displayed for enticing the MEU to retrieve for viewing the actual coupon as discussed more fully below. [502]

[0023] The advertiser then selects specific targeting criteria [503] applicable to the coupon.

Such targeting criteria include: a) precise geographic location (or bounded geographical area) for the campaign; b) age, gender and other desired levels of demographic segmentation; c) specific mobile services or WAP or Web sites; d) specific mobile networks; e) specific handsets; f) campaign date window (that is, start or launch date, and end date); g) valid days of the week that the campaign must run; and h) valid start and end times per day; which would allow the advertiser to limit, for example, the coupon distribution to after-school hours, weekends, etc. 100241 The advertiser then selects a particular type of coupon offer being generated [504].

These types can include: a) Mobile Web exclusive; b) a free gift; c) a gift available with purchase; d) a discount on purchase; or e) an informational coupon.

100251 The coupon type selection step is followed by the advertiser specifying a category to which the coupon relates. Examples of such categories include entertainment, food & drink, clothing, homeware, medical etc. [505] 100261 The advertiser establishes the total budget of the campaign using a combination of overall budget limits; maximum number of coupon deliveries or views ("impressions"); or maximum number coupon redemptions. The advertiser can also decide whether a single MEU will be able to view the same coupon more than once. This decision results in a limited-use hyperlink being associated with the coupon to control the distribution and redemption as discussed more filly below. For shorthand, the establishment by the advertiser of the number of permitted uses of a particular coupon can be referred to as the "kill rules." [506] 100271 Once the coupon generation and overall campaign set up is complete, the advertiser can, prior to launching the campaign, obtain previews of how the coupon will display on specific mobile phones or other wireless devices.

100281 Logic built into the above-noted software module automatically builds a rate card from a pricing database in response to the criteria, categories, etc, selected by the advertiser for the specific campaign. Preferably, the rate card is generated "on the fly" so that the advertiser can immediately ascertain the cost of particular selections and, if need be, adjust accordingly rather than wait until all such selections have been input. Specifically, as the advertiser selects the distribution criteria for the coupon, the cost per impression / per click / per action is displayed on-screen in response to those selections. [507] 100291 Once a campaign is fully configured and loaded on the host system 20 (that is, the coupon is generated and targeting information is established), the advertiser is free to launch the campaign, provided that there is available in the advertiser's account monetary credit for at least the maximum campaign cost. If not, the advertiser is invited to deposit funds into the account using a standard shopping cart or other fund transfer processes.

[0030J If credit is sufficient or when payment is ultimately received, the launched campaign is scheduled to run automatically at the frequency and time(s) selected. The actual campaign cost is tallied on the host system as coupons are delivered, clicked and redeemed (as described more fully below). Any residual funds from terminated campaigns of from those that end before utilizing the full budget amount are stored as credit for the advertiser.

[508, 509, 510] 100311 Advertiser's can opt to view live, real-time statistics of the campaign [511] and can opt to pause or terminate campaigns at any time [51 GA-C]. At the end of the campaign [512], a final campaign report is created [513] and available to the advertiser.

(00321 Coupon Delivery: Generally (00331 Coupons can be delivered to the MEU or to a local search user in a variety of ways.

For example, coupons can be provided to opt-in marketing lists, those lists comprising MEUs that have opted-in to be contacted about specific products and services.

[00341 Coupons can also be embedded into location-based services and applications such as navigation and mapping software, friend finders, and directory services.

100351 Coupons can also be shown in search results and sent to the MEU for later use.

100361 Coupons can be pushed to any website, mobile website, service or application via XML or similar feeds. Coupons can also be delivered by mechanisms like SMS, MMS or WAP push. In this regard, the coupon Web/Wap page link can be sent to the MEU's device, and the MEU can then activate the coupon from within the messages by opening the link in the message. By delivering the coupon in this manner, the advertiser can ascertain precisely which MSISDN is the recipient of which coupon. Such delivery also offers an advantage to the MEUs in that they have on their device a record of the coupon outside of their Web/Wap browser, which record they can access at will. In any event, the system does not rely on a specific coupon delivery mechanism, and the delivery and redemption of coupons can be adapted to any electronic delivery protocol or mechanism supported by a mobile computing device. By way of examples, four different approaches to coupon delivery are described next.

100371 Delivery of coupon to a particular MEU is recorded by the host computer system so that the advertiser can, if desired, prohibit subsequent delivery of any coupon for the same campaign to the same MEU. In addition if the mechanism used to advertise the campaign allows, the advertiser can prohibit the MEU from seeing further advertisements for the campaign.

(00381 Coupon Delivery: MEU's Location Provided 100391 The wireless network 24 (Fig. 1) to which an MEU subscribes oftentimes includes location-aware services that utilize the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other techniques for apprizing the network of the particular MEU's location. For example, an MEU such as shown at 26A in Fig. 1 may be part of a location-aware wireless network. That MEU 26A may, in addition to permitting the system to track the location of the wireless device, elect to receive on the device otherwise unsolicited location-based information. Such an election, known as "opting-in" places the MEU on an opt-in list. The list identifies MEUs by their MSISDN number or similar unique identifier. Some corresponding demographic information can also be stored. The mobile service is then entitled to send to the listed opt-in MEUs promotions or information according to the MEU's opt- in preferences. MEUs may opt in to (establish preferences for) a particular value proposition. For example, an MEU might opt-in as a result of a prompt such as "Would you like to receive information about happy hours near you at 5:00 PM every day?" or "Would you like to receive information about Toyota test drives near you?" 100401 The opt-in list of location-aware MEUs can be employed to carry out the coupon service of the present invention. For example, (see Fig. 3), an MEU that opts-in to receive location-based coupons [101] is added to the opt-in list [102]. The opt-in list is provided upon request to the host system 20 by the wireless network 24 [103]. The host system also receives from the wireless network frequent updates that identifS' the current location of the MEUs on the opt-in list. [104] The coupon distribution software module of the host system correlates the categories and preferences corresponding to the opt-in list with the categories etc that are selected by the advertiser for the particular campaign. This correlation thus identifies the coupons that are relevant to a particular user. The above-noted "kill rules" are consulted to eliminate otherwise available coupons that have been previously provided to and/or redeemed by the MEU by the maximum amount permitted by the kill rules. [104A] (Fig. 3).

[0041J Accordingly, MEUs on the opt-in list and located within the vicinity of an advertiser-selected location during the advertiser-selected campaign time receive from the host system (via the wireless network) valid coupons that are delivered directly to the MEUs handsets, as described above, via SMS, MMS, WAP-push or similar push based mechanisms.

MEU's might also opt in to receive promotions and coupons relevant to certain locations, even if they are not actually in the location at the time it is distributed. For example, the opt-in may effectively request: "send me shopping coupons around 5th Avenue, Manhattan, every Saturday morning" even though the MEU is residing in New Jersey.

[00421 As an alternative, and with reference to Fig. 4, the handsets of the MEU's of the opt-in list can be equipped to provide directly to the host system location information to thereby permit the host system to serve relevant coupons via WAP push (or equivalent technical mechanisms) directly to MEU's without embedding them into a third party service [201 -204].

100431 Coupon Delivery Embedded within a Location-Aware Service [00441 Fig. 1 illustrates a third-party location-aware service provider 40, which may comprise a location-aware Mobile Web application for MEUs (such as MEU 26B, Fig. 1), to allow the MEU to make location-specific notes about a particular site (such as a restaurant).

The notes can be accessed by other MEUs of the application when those other MEUs enter the geographic vicinity of the note(s). The noted information can be accessed on the wireless device or on the service's WEB or WAP pages.

100451 As indicated in the flow chart of Fig. 5, the host system of the present invention provides that third party service 40 with an API in order to permit that service to pull location specific coupons from those stored on the host system by the advertisers. The service provider 40 first sends the host system 20 the unique identifier of the MEU (usually an MSISDN), plus any demographic characteristics such as, for example, age and gender. The appropriate coupon is then delivered to the service provider and embedded in the service provider's application or WEB/WAP pages. The above-noted "kill rules" are consulted to prevent delivery of coupons that have been previously provided to and/or redeemed by the MEU up to the maximum number permitted by the kill rules. [301 -302A] 10046) For example, an MEU using the location-aware service 40, may receive a coupon advertisement (or call.to-action banner) reading "Get a free coffee near you!" inside the service provider application. [3033 When the MEU clicks the link or otherwise chooses view the coupon associated with the advertisement, [304) the coupon is displayed within the page or application being currently used, or sent, such as via a WAP push message, to the handset [305]. In both cases, the offer is provided with a limited-use hyperlink for redeeming the coupon. The limited-use hyperlink is an important component for implementing the kill rules for each particular coupon, as discussed more fully below.

(0047J Location Specific Coupon Delivery within Local Search Results 100481 The third-party service provider 40 illustrated in Fig. 1 may be a Web or Mobile Web-based search engine. Consequently, since the coupons provided by the present system are generic Web/WAP pages, they are available for indexing and thereby included in search results in what can be referred to as "search result coupons." Additionally, search words can be purchased from search engines to ensure search result coupons are prominently displayed for all relevant local search results (Fig. 6) [601 -604]. In this instance, when an MEU clicks on a search results coupon (that is, a banner or text description advertising the availability of the actual coupon) listed in a search engine's results, the user is taken to a Web/WAP page and asked to provide their mobile number [605] so that the MEUs MSISDN may be correlated by the host system to specific available coupons. The kill rules are then consulted [606] and, if available, a valid coupon is delivered to the MEU's mobile phone via SMS, WAP push or similar mobile delivery mechanism [607].

10049) Coupon Display and Redemption 100501 The MEU 26C (the wireless device being shown relatively enlarged in Fig. 1) receives by any of the means discussed above, a coupon 50, which appears on the display 52 of the wireless device. The format of the coupon is that selected by the advertiser as discussed above. As illustrated in Fig. 1 and the flow chart of Fig. 7, the MEU 26C views the coupon [401], the display of which [402] includes content of the coupon 50 as generated by the advertiser (e.g., "FREE 12 OZ COFFEE") as well as instructions 54 for redeeming the coupon. Such instructions preferably identify a merchant at a point of sale (POS) 56, as well as a map [403] for locating the POS 56. Other information such as images, addresses etc can be included in the coupon. The coupon may also include information relevant to the POS staff, such as which code to use on the POS register or similar staff instruction.

100511 Additionally, a quality control mechanism is associated with the coupon, in the form of a feedback hyperlink 58 (generically labeled "Report" in Fig. I). That link 58 may comprise a brief textual description of what the coupon should be and an invitation for the MEU to click the link if the description is inconsistent with the coupon itself (e.g., "Free Gift" Clicking the link provides the administrator of the host system and the advertiser with a report of the inaccuracy of the coupon so that the campaign can be corrected or halted, depending upon the outcome of a review of the defective coupon vis-à-vis the intended campaign. [405, 405A, 405B] In short, this quality control mechanism serves to validate the relevancy of the promotion and flag promotions that are not relevant or that are deceptive.

An MEU viewing a coupon can, at a glance, see what the offer is, where and how to redeem it, and, if necessary, report the coupon as inaccurate or deceptive in some way.

[00521 The advertiser effectively controls the redemption of the coupon by requesting the merchant at the POS 56 (and to whom the coupon is presented by the MEU [404]) to click or otherwise actuate a limited-use hyperlink 60 (Fig. I) in the course of carrying out the offer made in the coupon [407 -409]. Typically, the kill rules will be implemented with a single- use hyperlink. Thus, activation of the link thus "kills" the coupon so that it may not be re-used. Suitable indicia for showing that the coupon has been redeemed (hence, no longer usable) may be provided on the display 52 of the wireless device, preferably without completely obscuring the original coupon offer, which both the MEU and merchant may care to review. Alternatively, a second attempt to click the redeem link will produce an error message such as "Sorry! This offer has been previously redeemed." 100531 Actuation of the limited-use link 60 also provides the coupon/redemption information to the host system 20 for recordkeeping, billing, and other statistical purposes.

The kill rules associated with the link prevent reuse of a coupon. A separate mechanism prevents a MEU (as identified by the MSISDN) from receiving more than the allotted number of coupons for a particular campaign. In this regard, each coupon has an associated cryptographically secure unique key (coupon code) which is recorded in the host system alongside the MEU's MSISDN. Before issuing a coupon via any of the aforementioned mechanisms, the MEU's MSISDN is cross referenced against this database. This check is used to ensure that only one coupon is issued per promotion per MEU.

[00541 It will be appreciated that the coupon display and redemption technique just described, in addition to greatly improving response by delivering more of the correct coupons to the specifically targeted individuals, also permits the accumulation of tracking statistics for impressions, clicks and POS actions-without the need for any costly additional hardware, mobile software or POS integration.

100551 If an MEU wishes to see additional coupon offers, there is provided in the system an option to view other coupons pertinent to nearby locations [406, 406A].

[00561 Recording. Billing & Reporting Mechanisms [00571 Each incident of a promotion is displayed to an MEU or embedded in a third party service is recorded as an impression and the advertiser billed accordingly. When an MEU is provided with a coupon or views the actual coupon offer graphic or text banner, this is recorded as a "click" and the advertiser billed accordingly. When the "redeem" link 60 is clicked, this is recorded as "redemption" and the advertiser billed accordingly. All clicks on all links are recorded for reporting purposes.

[00581 Additional security options may be included for those advertisers that wish it. For example 1. A unique barcode for the offer can be displayed in the WAP coupon for those advertisers that have barcode equipment. Also, a unique code can be displayed on the coupon which must be validated at the POS using software that speaks to the coupon vendor to verify the code as valid, whether that software be integrated with the vendor POS mechanisms or provisioned independently. Where it is unfeasible that software that communicates with the coupon vendor be installed at the POS, alternate verification mechanisms will be implemented including but not limited to: varying coupon color according to a predetermined scheme whereby a particular color is associated with a particular day; encoding the unique coupon code in the form of a sequence of natural language words which can be verified by telephone; and, for low volume coupon runs, the vendor can be provided with a list of valid coupon codes to be verified against. While the foregoing description was made in the context of a preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that modifications to that embodiment may be made without departure from the invention as claimed.

Claims (20)

1. A method of providing a coupon from a host computer system to a wireless device, comprising the steps of: generating a coupon for storage on the host system; targeting the coupon to all wireless devices of a selected group of a plurality of wireless devices; associating with each coupon a limited-use hyperlink; and distributing the coupons to the selected group of wireless devices.

2. The method of claim I including the step of recording as a redemption for each coupon the use of the associated hyperlink.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of instructing users of the selected group of wireless devices to present the coupon at a point of sale.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of instructing a merchant at the point of sale to use the associated hyperlink.

5. The method of claim I further comprising the step of providing with the coupon a description of the coupon as well as a link that is operable for reporting to the host system an inconsistency between the description and the coupon.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributing step includes the step of selecting the group of wireless devices to be those assigned to users having a predetermined demographic characteristic.

7. The method of claim I wherein the distributing step includes the step of selecting the group of wireless devices to be those in the vicinity of a predetermined geographical location.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the distributing step includes providing the coupon to a third-party service for distribution from that service to the selected group of wireless devices.

9. The method of claim I wherein the distributing step includes the steps of selecting the group of wireless devices to be those assigned to users who have opted to receive promotions via a wireless service; and pushing the coupon to the selected group of wireless devices.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributing step includes the step of defining a time period during which the coupons are delivered to the selected group of wireless devices.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the defining step includes limiting the time period to a selected number of hours per day less than 24 hours.

12. The method of claim I wherein the distributing step includes availing the coupon for indexing by a search engine that is accessible to any user and that can then be distributed to the selected group of wireless devices.

13. A method of providing a coupon from a host computer system to a wireless device, comprising the steps of: generating a coupon for storage on the host system; targeting the coupon to all wireless devices of a selected group of a plurality of wireless devices; and distributing the coupons to the selected group of wireless devices.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the distributing step includes the step of selecting the group of wireless devices to be those assigned to users having a predetermined demographic characteristic.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the distributing step includes the step of selecting the group of wireless devices to be those within a predetermined geographical location.

16. The method of claim 13 including the steps of: associating with each coupon a limited-use hyperlink; and recording as a redemption for each coupon the use of the associated hyperlink

I 7. An electronic coupon redemption system comprising: a host computer system; a wireless device; and a coupon displayed on the wireless device and including a limited-use hyperlink that, when used, provides to the host computer system an indication that the hyperlink has been redeemed.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the coupon further displays instructions for directing the user of the wireless devices to present the coupon at a point of sale.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the coupon further displays instructions for directing a merchant at the point of sale to use the limited-use hyperlink.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the coupon further displays a hyperlink for reporting to the host computer system an inconsistency between the description and the coupon.