TWM586403U - A discount pricing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A preferential pricing system includes a POS cash register and a management server. The POS cash register obtains the input card number and product information, and searches for the offer list including multiple preferential card numbers by entering the card number. When one of the preferential card numbers matches the input card number, it sends an inquiry message to the management server, and receives the management server response to the inquiry message and returns Corresponds to the input card number and calculates the checkout amount based on the product information and the returned offer count. This provides a simpler process for redeeming preferential products.

Description

Preferential pricing system

The present invention relates to a preferential pricing system, particularly a preferential pricing system that can simplify the redemption process and reduce the system burden.

Commercial competition among various industries is very fierce today. How to develop new products to attract consumers to generate transactional behaviors and thereby generate business opportunities has become the key to determining whether an enterprise or a merchant can continue to operate and survive. The traditional commodity transaction model is that consumers visit physical stores to buy the required goods, but with the rapid development of Internet technology, many virtual stores have been developed to provide consumers with a new and convenient consumption that was originally restricted by the region. way.

In order to provide good advertising benefits or to serve special members, stores usually provide some preferential or free products to specific members, but when checking a lot of member information and preferential content, it often causes a huge burden on the pricing system.

In addition, in order for members to redeem preferential products at different branches, the pricing system must also calculate member information and promotional content on a remote server, which not only causes a burden on the system, but also spends too much time transmitting data.

In one embodiment, a preferential pricing system includes a management server and a POS cash register. The management server stores at least one offer detail, and the offer detail includes a plurality of offer card numbers and offer counts corresponding to respective offer card numbers. The management server can respond to the input card number in the query message, and return the preferential count of the preferential card number corresponding to the input card number. The POS cash register includes a communication module, a storage module, an input module, and a processing module. Communication module communication connection management server. The storage module stores an offer list, and the offer list includes a plurality of offer card numbers. The input module obtains an input card number and at least one product information. The processing module is connected to the communication module, the storage module and the input module. The processing module inputs the card number corresponding to the discount card number in the search discount list. When one of the discount card numbers matches the input card number, the processing module sends a query message to the management server through the communication module. The management server obtains the preferential count corresponding to the preferential card number of the input card number according to the query message, and obtains the returned preferential count to the POS register. The processing module calculates the checkout amount based on the product information and the offer count returned.

In one embodiment, a preferential pricing system includes a management server and a POS cash register. The management server stores at least one offer detail, and the offer detail includes a plurality of offer card numbers and offer counts corresponding to respective offer card numbers. The management server can respond to the input card number in the query message, and return the preferential count of the preferential card number corresponding to the input card number. The POS cash register includes a communication module, a storage module, an input module, and a processing module. Communication module communication connection management server. The storage module stores an offer list, and the offer list includes a plurality of offer card numbers. The input module obtains the input card number. The processing module is connected to the communication module, the storage module and the input module. The processing module inputs the card number corresponding to the discount card number in the search discount list. When one of the discount card numbers matches the input card number, the processing module sends a query message to the management server through the communication module. The management server obtains the preferential count corresponding to the preferential card number of the input card number according to the query message, and obtains the returned preferential count to the POS cash register. The processing module displays the returned offer count based on the returned offer count.

Through any of the embodiments, the relevant information about the preferential activities that the POS register needs to be stored can be reduced, the amount of data transmission between the POS register and the management server can be reduced, thereby greatly reducing the system consumption of the POS register and reducing the POS. Transmission time required to exchange event information between the cash register and the management server.

The detailed features and advantages of the new model are described in detail in the following embodiments. The content is sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art to understand and implement the technical content of the new model. Anyone skilled in related arts can easily understand the purpose and advantages of this new type.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a preferential pricing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The preferential pricing system of this embodiment includes a management server 10 and a POS (Serviced Endpoint Sales System) cash register 20. The management server 10 stores preferential details, and the preferential details include a plurality of preferential card numbers and a preferential count corresponding to the respective preferential card numbers. For example, a merchant organizes a discount event to provide two free bottles of fresh milk to eligible members. The multiple discount card number refers to the qualified member card number, and the discount count is two.

Continue with reference to Figure 1. The POS cash register 20 includes a communication module 21, a storage module 25, a display module 23, an input module 24, and a processing module 22. The processing module 22 is connected to the communication module 21, the storage module 25, the display module 23 and the input module 24.

The communication module 21 communicates with the management server 10. Here, the communication connection may be implemented through a wide area network (WAN) or a local area network (LAN). In some embodiments, the communication module 21 may support a network connection unit of technologies such as WIFI, GSM, GPRS, 3G, 4G, near field communication, ZigBee, Bluetooth, WLAN, etc., and is not limited to the above examples.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In order to explain the system and its operation method in detail, please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 together. The storage module 25 stores an offer list, and the offer list includes at least a plurality of offer card numbers. The input module 24 obtains an input card number and at least one item of product information (step S100). In one embodiment, the product information includes a product name, a product amount, and a product number. In some embodiments, the input module 24 may be implemented via a barcode reader, an RFID reader, a physical keyboard, a virtual keyboard, or the like, or any combination thereof. Here, the POS cash register 20 may be installed in a store, or may be installed at any place by using a self-service POS cash register 20. In some embodiments, the storage module 25 may be any type of fixed or removable random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and flash memory. (Flash Memory) or similar or a combination of the above.

Under normal operation (checkout mode), the processing module 22 searches for the discount card number in the discount list by entering the card number (step S110), confirms whether one of the discount card numbers matches the input card number (step S120), and selects according to the search result Send a query message.

In one embodiment, when one of the discount card numbers matches the input card number, the processing module 22 sends a query message to the management server 10 through the communication module 21 (step S130). The management server 10 obtains the preferential count corresponding to the preferential card number of the input card number according to the query message, and obtains the returned preferential count to the POS cash register 20. In some embodiments, the management server 10 may receive the query message and respond to the input card number (or the discount card number corresponding to the input card number) in the query message to obtain the discount count corresponding to the discount card number corresponding to the input card number from the discount details, and Returns the count of offers received. For example, the inquiry message includes a card number message (that is, a concession card number that matches the entered card number) and an inquiry request. After receiving the query message, the management server 10 can know the specific card number to be queried from the query message (that is, enter the card number or a preferential card number that matches the input card number), and respond to the query request to search for the details of the offer with the specific card number to find and obtain Offer count corresponding to the offer card number that matches a specific card number. Then, the management server 10 forms the return count into a return packet for return to the POS register 20. In other words, the processing module 22 can receive the return packet with the preferential count returned by the management server 10 through the communication module 21 and obtain the preferential count therefrom (step S140).

The processing module 22 calculates the settlement amount based on the product information and the returned preferential count (step S150). In some embodiments, the processing module 22 may be implemented by a central processing unit (CUP), an integrated circuit (IC), a microprocessor (microprocessor), or a chip (chip).

In some embodiments, the offer list may include an activity code to facilitate differentiation when multiple offers are held at the same time. Here, the activity code is a number attached to the management server 10 to facilitate management of each preferential activity, and the activity codes for various preferential activities are unique codes and are not repeated.

In some embodiments, the activity code may be associated with the item number of the item. In one embodiment, the storage module 25 stores at least two or more offer lists, and each offer list includes a respective activity code. In one embodiment, the processing module 22 searches for the discount card number in the discount list with the corresponding activity code by inputting the card number and the product information. In an embodiment, the processing module 22 compares all the benefit lists stored in the storage module 25 after obtaining the input card number and product information.

For example, the query message sent by the processing module 22 includes a card number message (that is, a discount card number that matches the input card number), an activity code, and a query request. After receiving the inquiry message from the POS register 20, the management server 10 obtains the specific card number (ie, the activity code and the input card number or a discount card number that matches the combination of the activity code and the input card number) from the inquiry message. Then, the management server 10 can respond to the query request to obtain the offer details corresponding to the activity code with the activity code to be queried and search for the offer details with the activity code by a specific card number, so as to find and obtain an offer card number that matches the specific card number Corresponding offer count.

In some embodiments, the activity code may be set in the discount card number, that is, the discount card number may include card number data and an additional activity code. Here, the processing module 22 compares the input card number with the card number data in each preferential card number in order to find out the preferential card number whose card number data matches the input card number. In one embodiment, multiple discount card numbers in the same discount list may have the same activity code or different activity codes.

For example, the discount card number of the discount list can be as follows:

Table I
Serial number Concession card number 01 081716998200033309T8 02 571715301700660509T8 03 711317456200000209T8 04 711317456400000109T8

In some embodiments, the discount card number is a plurality of bits including a simple number and / or an English letter. In one embodiment, the discount card number may not have too many messages (that is, consist of simple numbers and / or English letters). For example, the discount card number is 20 digits of information, where the first 16 digits are the card number information and the last 4 digits are the activity code. In this way, excessive resources of the storage module 25 are avoided, and comparison and searching are performed more quickly.

The POS register 20 further includes a display module 23, and the display module 23 is connected to the processing module 22. In some embodiments, the display module 23 may have an input function at the same time. For example, the display module 23 having an input function may be implemented by a touch screen 26.

In an implementation, the display module 23 and the input module 24 may be a single existing component, that is, the operation of the display module 26 and the operation of the input module 24 are performed by a single component at the same time. In one implementation, the display module 23 and the input module 24 may be two separate components. In an exemplary embodiment, the POS cash register 20 can have two physical components, and the two physical components respectively implement the operation of the display module 23 and the operation of the input module 24. In an exemplary embodiment, the POS cash register 20 can have two physical elements, and one of the two physical elements realizes all operations of the display module 23 and part of the operations of the input module 24, and the other physical element implements input The other part of the module 24 operates.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a query screen of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a query screen of a touch screen according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The following uses the display module 23 as a touch screen 26 as an example.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, in some embodiments, when the processing module 22 confirms that the input card number matches one of the discount card numbers in the discount list, the processing module 22 controls the touch screen 26 to display an inquiry button 260 (step S121), as shown in FIG. 3. When the query button 260 is enabled, the processing module 22 executes the sending of the query message. That is, according to the operation of the query button 260, a query message is selectively sent to the management server 10 (step S131). Here, enabling can refer to pressing a query button 260 by a store clerk and / or a member, so that the query button 260 generates an operation signal to cause the processing module 22 to send a query message.

In some embodiments, when the discount card number does not match the input card number, the touch screen 26 does not display the query button 260, as shown in FIG. 4. In another embodiment, when the discount card number does not match the input card number, the touch screen 26 also displays an inquiry button 260, but the inquiry button 260 cannot be enabled (disabled).

For example, when inquiring whether the membership card is eligible for the preferential activity, the POS register 22 can switch to the inquiry mode. In the query mode, the input module 24 obtains the input card number from the membership card and provides it to the processing module 22. At this time, the processing module 22 controls the touch screen 26 for corresponding display, that is, the touch screen 26 display has an input card number field. The display screen of bit 261 and the input card number in the input card number field 261, and the processing module 22 searches for the discount card number in the discount list by inputting the card number and controls the touch screen 26 to selectively display the query button 260 according to the search result (ie It is determined whether there is a query button 260 in the display screen according to the search result). When one of the discount card numbers matches the input card number, the processing module 22 controls the touch screen 26 to display a display screen with an inquiry button 26. Conversely, when the discount card number and the input card number do not match, the processing module 22 controls the touch screen 26 not to display the display screen with the query button 26. In this way, according to whether the query button 260 is displayed on the touch screen 26, it can be quickly confirmed whether the membership card is eligible for the preferential activity. Therefore, without confirming to the remote management server 10, it is possible to quickly and directly confirm whether the membership card is eligible for the preferential activity.

Following the above example, if it is necessary to further confirm the content details of the preferential activity, the enabling query button 260 can be used to enable the processing module 22 to send an inquiry message.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a checkout screen of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. Continue with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In one embodiment, after the POS cash register 20 receives the returned preferential count, the touch screen 26 displays the returned preferential count 262 (step S141), as shown in FIG. 6. In one embodiment, in addition to displaying the discount count 262, the touch screen 26 also displays the corresponding product information field C / D (eg, event name, product name, product amount, etc. or a combination thereof) and redemption buttons. 264A / 264B. In one embodiment, after the POS cash register 20 receives the offer count 262 return, the touch screen 26 displays the returned offer count 262, the corresponding product information field C / D, and the redemption button in another independent window A. 264 / 264B.

In some embodiments, the offer list has an offer date and time limit. The POS cash register 20 includes a time module (not shown), and the time module provides a current time. The processing module 22 selects an offer list with a current time that matches its time limit from the stored offer list at the current time. The processing module 22 performs a comparison step of inputting the card number with one of the selected offer lists. For example, the promotion offers are available from January 1st to January 31st. If the current time is January 3, when the processing module 22 obtains the input card number, it searches for the discount card number in the discount list with the input card number. If the current time is February 1, when the processing module 22 obtains the input card number, it does not perform the operation of searching for the discount card number in the discount list by inputting the card number.

Continue to Figure 5. In one embodiment, the processing module 22 confirms whether the redemption button is enabled (step S142). If it is (ie, when the redemption button 264A is enabled), the processing module 22 calculates the billing amount based on the product information and the returned preference count 262 (step S150). In one embodiment, if not (that is, when the exchange button 264A is disabled), the processing module 22 calculates the settlement amount based on the product information (step S160).

In one embodiment, when the returned offer count 262 is zero, the displayed redemption button 264B is disabled, that is, it cannot be enabled. This is to prevent the store staff from making mistakes during the quick checkout operation, which leads to the wrong checkout amount.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a checkout screen of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. See Figures 6 and 7 for more details. Under the general operation (checkout mode) of the POS cash register 20, for example, a member intends to purchase commodity C and commodity D. The POS cash register 20 obtains product information by scanning the barcode on the product and obtains the input card number by scanning the membership card. The processing module 22 obtains the event code according to the product information, and searches for the discount card number in the corresponding discount list by using the obtained input card number and the event code. When one of the discount card numbers matches the input card number, the processing module 22 sends a query message and displays a window A according to the returned information to provide member confirmation. In window A, a redemption button 264A corresponding to the product information field D and a redemption button 264B of the product information field C, and a current offer count 262 corresponding to the product information field C and the product information field D are displayed. After that, the clerk can press the redemption button 246A in the window A to enable the redemption button 246A to confirm the product for redemption. Next, the processing module 22 performs conversion according to the number of products in the product information obtained by the input module 24 and the returned preferential count 262, and calculates the settlement amount accordingly. In this way, the entire redemption process of the preferential goods only needs to communicate with the management server 10 and the POS cash register 20 once, and the information contained in the returned packet is also very small.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, in an embodiment, when the redemption button 264A is enabled, the processing module 22 further sends a deduction message to the management server 10 so that the management server 10 updates the corresponding discount count 262 according to the deduction message (step S170). ). For example, the management server 10 receives the deduction message from the POS register 20 and knows the discount card number and the amount of the exchange from the deduction message. Then, the management server 10 uses the redeemed discount card number to find out the discount count corresponding to the matching discount card number in the discount details and subtracts the redemption amount from the found discount count 262. In another example, when the redemption button 264A is enabled, the processing module 22 deducts the redemption amount from the obtained discount count 262 to generate a new discount count 262 and sends a deduction with the new discount count 262 and the discount card number. Message to the management server 10. The management server 10 learns from the deduction message that the discount card number to be exchanged and its corresponding new discount count 262, and changes the discount count corresponding to the matching discount card number to the new discount count 262 in the discount details.

In one embodiment, the management server 10 generates another preferential list according to the updated preferential count 262, and transmits another preferential list to the POS register 20 (step S180).

In one embodiment, when the updated discount count 262 is zero, the management server 10 deletes the corresponding discount card number, and retains only the discount card number with a discount count that is not zero to generate another discount list.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to another embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments. In another operation (inquiry mode), the input module 24 obtains the input card number (S101), the processing module 22 searches the offer list by inputting the card number (S110), and the processing module 22 confirms whether one of the preferential card number and the input card number are Match (step S120). If it is (compare the input card number with the discount card numbers in all the discount lists in the storage module 25, as long as one of them matches), the display module 23 displays a query button 260 (S131). If not (the input card number does not match the discount card numbers in all the discount list in the storage module 25), the display module 23 displays a disqualification message (S144). The processing module 22 sends a query message to the management server 10 according to the operation of the query button 260 (step S132), and then the processing module 22 receives the discount counter 262 corresponding to the input card number returned by the management server 10 in response to the query message (step S140) . When receiving the postback offer count, the display module 23 displays the postback offer count 262 (step S143).

Although the above-mentioned embodiments are disclosed as above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person familiar with the similar technology can make some changes and retouches without departing from the spirit and scope of the new model. The scope of patent protection shall be determined by the scope of the patent application attached to this specification.

10‧‧‧Management Server

20‧‧‧POS Cash Register

21‧‧‧communication module

22‧‧‧Processing Module

23‧‧‧Display Module

24‧‧‧input module

25‧‧‧Storage Module

26‧‧‧Touch screen

260‧‧‧Query button

261‧‧‧Enter card number field

262‧‧‧Offer count

264A‧‧‧Exchange button

264B‧‧‧Exchange button

A‧‧‧window

C‧‧‧ Product Information Field

D‧‧‧ Product Information Field

S100‧‧‧ Get input card number and product information

S101‧‧‧Get input card number

S110‧‧‧Search for benefit list by entering card number

S120‧‧‧Confirm whether one of the discount card numbers matches the input card number

S130‧‧‧ sends a query message to the management server

S121‧‧‧Display query button

S131‧‧‧ sends an inquiry message to the management server according to the operation of the inquiry button

S140‧‧‧Receive the discount counter corresponding to the input card number returned by the management server in response to the query message

S141‧‧‧Displays the returned offer count, product information and redemption button

S142‧‧‧ Whether to enable redemption button

S143‧‧‧ Shows the count of returned offers

S144‧‧‧Displays disqualification message

S150‧‧‧ Calculates the billing amount based on the product information and the discount count returned

S160‧‧‧Account settlement based on product information

S170‧‧‧ Send a deduction message to the management server to update the offer count

S180‧‧‧Another offer list generated by the receiving management server according to the updated offer count

[FIG. 1] A block diagram of a preferential pricing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[FIG. 2] A flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[FIG. 3] A schematic diagram of a query screen of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[FIG. 4] A schematic diagram of a query screen of a touch screen according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[FIG. 5] A flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[FIG. 6] A schematic diagram of a checkout screen of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[FIG. 7] A schematic diagram of a checkout screen of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[FIG. 8] A flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to another embodiment of the present invention; and
[Figure 9] This is a flowchart of a preferential pricing method according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (10)

A preferential pricing system includes:
A management server stores details of an offer, which includes a plurality of offer card numbers and an offer count corresponding to each offer card number, and responds to an input card number in an inquiry message, and returns the offer card number corresponding to the input card number Count of this offer; and a POS cash register, including:
A communication module, which communicates with the management server;
A storage module stores a list of offers, and the list of offers includes the offer card numbers;
An input module to obtain the input card number and at least one product information; and a processing module to connect the communication module, the storage module and the input module, and search for the discount card numbers by the input card number;
Wherein, when one of the preferential card numbers matches the input card number, the processing module sends the query message to the management server through the communication module, and the management server obtains a query message matching the input card number according to the query message. The offer count corresponding to the offer card number and obtains the returned offer count to the POS cash register, and the processing module calculates a settlement amount based on the product information and the offered count returned. The preferential pricing system according to claim 1, wherein the POS cash register further includes a display module, and after the display module returns the discount count, the display module further displays the discount count, the product returned. Information and a redemption button. The preferential pricing system as described in claim 2, wherein the processing module calculates the settlement amount based on the product information and the offer count returned when the redemption button is enabled. The preferential pricing system as described in claim 3, wherein when the redemption button is not enabled, the processing module calculates the settlement amount based on the product information. The preferential pricing system according to claim 2, wherein when the returned counter counts to zero, the displayed redemption button is disabled. The preferential pricing system according to claim 2, wherein when the redemption button is enabled, the processing module further sends a deduction message to the management server, and the management server updates the discount count according to the deduction message. The preferential pricing system according to claim 6, wherein the management server generates another preferential list according to the updated preferential count, and transmits the other preferential list to the POS register. The preferential pricing system as described in claim 1, wherein when the preferential card numbers do not match the input card number, the processing module does not send the inquiry message and calculates the settlement amount based on the commodity information. A preferential pricing system includes:
A management server stores details of an offer, which includes a plurality of offer card numbers and an offer count corresponding to each offer card number, and responds to an input card number in an inquiry message, and returns the offer card number corresponding to the input card number Count of this offer; and a POS cash register, including:
A communication module, which communicates with the management server;
A storage module stores a list of offers, and the list of offers includes the offer card numbers;
An input module to obtain the input card number; and a processing module to connect the communication module, the storage module and the input module, and search for the preferential card numbers by the input card number;
Wherein, when one of the preferential card numbers matches the input card number, the processing module sends the query message to the management server through the communication module, and the management server obtains a query message matching the input card number according to the query message. The offer count corresponding to the offer card number and obtains the returned offer count to the POS register, and the processing module displays the offer count according to the offer count core returned. The preferential pricing system according to claim 9, wherein the POS cash register further includes a display module, and displays a query button when one of the preferential card numbers matches the input card number, and the processing module according to the query button The operation sends the query message to the management server.