WO2002005172A2

WO2002005172A2 - Method and system for rewarding desired consumer behavior with isp service

Info

Publication number: WO2002005172A2
Application number: PCT/US2000/023409
Authority: WO
Inventors: Penny Barrick; Norm Andrea
Original assignee: Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-07-07
Filing date: 2000-08-25
Publication date: 2002-01-17
Also published as: WO2002005172A8; CA2414366A1; AU2000270757A1; ZA200005790B; EP1364320A2; JP2004510220A; ITMI20002381A1; PT102555A; AU2000270757A8

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for rewarding desired consumer behavior with ISP service is disclosed. A host computer tracks a purchase history of a consumer, the purchase history corresponding to at least one purchase of the consumer. The host copmuter determines whether the consumer qualifies to receive free Internet service from an ISP based on the consumer's purchase history and causes a store computer to deliver to teh consumer a reward, redeemable for the free service, if the consumer qualifies to receive the free service. Offline and online purchase histories of consumers may be used to target offers for free ISP service. According to another aspect of the invention, the store computer delivers an offer 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. The host computer then determines whether the consumer has met the condition, and the store computer delivers the reward to teh consumer if the consumer has met the condition. In alternative embodiments, Web servers perform portions of the processing.

Description

Method and System for Rewarding Desired Consumer Behavior with ISP Service

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

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.

Discussion of the Background

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). An ISP, also called an access provider or service provider, supplies Internet connectivity services to individuals, businesses, and other organizations. Typically, an ISP charges a fee for such services.

Recent technological developments have enabled consumers to receive promotions from manufacturers and retailers over the Internet. These promotions include coupons, incentives, advertisements, and offers for encouraging desired consumer behavior. An example of an online promotions service is the ValuePage provided by Supermarkets Online, Inc. Methods and systems for interrelating offline purchases in a store with the delivery of online promotions are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,970,469 and 6,014,634, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. These systems utilize database networking and Internet communications techniques to provide consumers with online information relating to promotions of products and/or retailers.

The design and implementation of various methods of database networking and Internet communications are described in Liu et al, "Managing Internet Information Services," O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1994; Comer, "Internet Working with TCP/IP Volume I: Principles, Protocols, and Architecture," 2^nd ed., Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1991; Comer and Stevens, "Internet Working with TCP/IP Volume II: Design, Implementation, and Internals," Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1991; Comer and Stevens, "Internet Working with TCP/IP Vol. Ill: Client-Server Programming and Applications," Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1993; Khoshafian et al, "A Guide to Developing Client/Server SQL Applications," Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc.; Hamilton et al, "JDBC Database Access with Java, A Tutorial and Annotated Reference," Addison- Wesley Pub. Co., 1997; and Francis et al, "Professional Active Server Pages 2.0," Wrox Press Ltd., 1998; each of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Despite the proliferation of Internet related couponing services and other online promotion services, no service provides promotions or incentives to create a focused nexus between Internet access service to households and the offline purchase behavior of consumers at retail locations. Further, there are no promotions designed to encourage consumers without Internet access to use online services for promoting products and retailers and designed to induce desired offline consumer behavior.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, 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.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method, system, and computer program product for offering varying amounts of free ISP service, based on the individual purchase histories of consumers.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel method, system, and computer program product for inducing use of online promotion services by consumers with Internet access as well as consumers without Internet access.

These and other objects are achieved by providing a novel method, system, and computer program product for rewarding desired consumer behavior with ISP service. The method, on which the system and computer program product are based, 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.

According to another aspect of the invention, 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 then determines whether the consumer has met the condition, and the reward is delivered to the consumer if the consumer has met the condition. In this manner, 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. Preferably, the condition requires that a consumer use an online promotion service, which may require the consumer to purchase Internet accessibility from an ISP. As a result, 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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

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; and

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.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to Figure 1 thereof, there is shown a computerized system for rewarding consumers with ISP service for demonstrating loyalty or other desired behavior with respect to a retailer or brand. 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. Preferably, 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. In one embodiment, 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. Additionally, techniques for collecting consumer purchase information and for storing such information in databases, such as the global database 103 and the UPC database 113, are described in other patents owned by Catalina Marketing and/or Catalina Marketing International. Each patent owned by Catalina Marketing and/or Catalina Marketing International is 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. In alternative embodiments, 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. According to an embodiment of the present invention, targeted research invitations are pπnted 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. 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.

If there are multiple POSs 115 within the retail store 105, then 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. Alternatively, 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 VII™ 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.

It is to be understood that the system in Figure 1 is for exemplary purposes only, as many variations of the specific hardware and software used to implement the present invention will be readily apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art. For example, the functionality of the store computer 107 and the store controller 111 may be combined in a single device. An another example, the store database 109 and the UPC database 113 may be combined into a single database. These implementations and other implementations of retail computer systems are described in greater detail in one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,723,212; 4,910,672; 5,612,868; and 6,026,370, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. To implement these variations as well as other variations, a single computer (e.g., the computer system 601 of Figure 6) may be programmed to perform the special purpose functions of two or more of any of the devices shown in Figure 1. On the other hand, 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. The data structures shown in Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are stored in the global database 103, the store database 109, and/or any other suitable storage device(s) or medium(s). 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. 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. Preferably, 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. For example, a CID may be a cookie stored on the consumer's computer 123 and that identifies the consumer's computer or Web browser software. As used herein, 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.

Preferably, 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. For example, 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. According to one embodiment, 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. However, a marketing research organization, advertising agency, or other entity may supply the information used to generate standardized classification criteria tables for different goods and services. The classification criteria table 205 also includes a field 210 for storing offers, rewards, or other promotions corresponding to each classification. In the example above, 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), and 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. When consumers are provided with offers requiring them to accumulate a certain number of points to receive a reward, the total points of each consumer and/or household are stored in the field 221 for each corresponding CID in the field 219. Using the points table 217, the host computer 101 or another computer, such as the store computer 107, may determine whether a consumer qualifies for a reward.

Figure 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. However, 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. 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. In the exemplary field 315, 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. According to one embodiment, 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.

Accordingly, it can be seen that promotions, rewards, offers, advertisements and/or coupons may be flexibly tailored to include or exclude any information, as desired. Thus, it is to be understood that 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.

Figure 4A is a flowchart explaining how purchase histories are tracked, how consumers are classified into spending categories, and how consumers are rewarded. In step 401 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. Alternatively, 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.

In 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. In step 405, information of the current purchase and the consumer's CID are stored in the store database 109. Then, in step 407 the purchase information and the consumer's CID are sent to the host computer 101. In 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. Preferably, steps 401, 403, and 405 are performed for each consumer during every purchase transaction at the POS 115. According to one embodiment, 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.

In 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. Next, in 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^rds 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.

In 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. In place of an offer, rewards (e.g., the reward 301 in Figure 3A) may be stored in the field 210, determined in step 413, and delivered to the consumer in step 415. In this case, the consumer is not required to meet a condition to receive the free ISP service. In another embodiment both offers and rewards are stored in the field 210.

According to one embodiment, 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. In this example, "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. Thus, moderate shoppers have an incentive to become heavy shoppers and receive greater amounts of free ISP service. In this embodiment, the rewards may be conveniently printed out at the printer 117 in step 415 in response to receiving the customer's CID in step 401. Figure 4B is a flowchart for explaining how online purchase histories of consumers are tracked. In step 417 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. In 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. In step 425 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. In step 427 the consumer uses the computer 123 to register with a server, such as the promotions server 127. During registration, 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. Additionally, 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.

In step 429 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.

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. In a preferred embodiment, 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.

In 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.

In 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. In the present example, 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. In one embodiment, the host computer 101 keeps track of points for each consumer in the points table 217 in the global database 103.

Figure 5 is a flowchart for explaining how a consumer who has received an offer may receive free ISP service. In step 501 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. According to one embodiment, 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. Alternatively, the scanner 121 scans the consumer's CID to identify the consumer and determine which promotions the consumer is participating in, or eligible for.

In 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. According to one embodiment, 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. If the consumer has met the conditions of any offer, then 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.

Thus, 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. In this embodiment, 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. In alternative embodiments, the consumer is rewarded with the reward 301 at the computer 123 and the reward is printed out or redeemed electronically, or the reward 301 is printed out by the printer 117 at the POS when the consumer is identified at the POS by the store computer 107, based on the consumer's CID. 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.

All or a portion of the invention may be conveniently implemented using conventional general purpose computers or microprocessors programmed according to the teachings of the present invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the computer art. Appropriate software can be readily prepared by programmers of ordinary skill based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art.

Figure 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. In addition, 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. 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)). Other removable media devices (e.g., a compact disc, a tape, and a removable magneto-optical media) or 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). The computer system 601 may additionally include a compact disc reader, a compact disc reader- writer unit, or a compact disc juke box, each of which may be connected to the same device bus or another device bus.

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. In addition, 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.

As stated above, 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. Stored on any one or on a combination of computer readable media, 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.

The term "computer readable medium" as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to processor 605 for execution. A computer readable medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non- volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. 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.

Common forms of 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. For example, 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). For example, communication interface 619 may be a network interface card to attach to any packet switched local area network (LAN). As another example, 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. In any such implementation, 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. For example, 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). 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.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method comprising: tracking a purchase history of a consumer, the purchase history corresponding to at least one purchase of a consumer; determining whether the consumer qualifies to receive free Internet access from an Internet service provider, based on the consumer's purchase history; and delivering to the consumer a reward, redeemable for the free access, if the consumer qualifies to receive the free service.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: classifying the consumer into a spending category, based on the purchase history of - the consumer; and awarding an amount of the free Internet service corresponding to the spending category into which the consumer is classified.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of tracking comprises tracking offline purchases of the consumer, the offline purchases including the at least one purchase of the consumer.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of tracking comprises tracking the online purchases of the consumer, the online purchases including the at least one purchase of the consumer.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reward is points and the method further comprises the steps of: tracking the points awarded to the consumer; and awarding the consumer with the free service in response to the consumer redeeming the points.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of electronically delivering to the consumer Internet service provider software for the free service, in response to the consumer redeeming the reward.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: delivering to the consumer an offer to receive the free Internet access, based on the consumer's purchase history, the offer including a condition that the consumer must meet to qualify to receive the reward.

8. A method comprising: delivering to a consumer an offer including 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; determining whether the consumer has met the condition; and delivering the reward to the consumer, if the consumer has met the condition.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the reward includes points, the condition specifies a number of points necessary to receive the reward, and the method further comprises the step of awarding the consumer with the free service when the consumer redeems the number of points necessary to receive the reward.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of tracking the points awarded to the consumer.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the condition specifies an online grocery store to be used by the consumer to receive points.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the condition specifies a personal Web page service to be used by the consumer to receive points.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of: sending to the consumer a personal Web page; and receiving identifying information of the personal Web page; wherein the step of delivering the reward to the consumer comprises: delivering the reward to the consumer in response to receiving identifying information of the personal Web page.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of delivering the offer to the consumer comprises printing the offer at a point of sale.

15. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of delivering the offer to the consumer comprises electronically delivering the offer to a computer of a consumer.

16. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a computer system, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer system to perform the method recited in any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A system comprising: a memory having embodied therein information of a promotion; and a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to: track a purchase history of a consumer, the purchase history corresponding to at least one purchase of a consumer; determine whether the consumer qualifies to receive free Internet access from an

Internet service provider, based on the consumer's purchase history; and deliver to the consumer a reward, redeemable for the free access, if the consumer qualifies to receive the free service.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to: classify the consumer into a spending category, based on the purchase history of the consumer; and award an amount of the free Internet service corresponding to the spending category into which the consumer is classified.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to track offline purchases of the consumer, the offline purchases including the at least one purchase of the consumer.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to track the online purchases of the consumer, the online purchases including the at least one purchase of the consumer.

21. A system according to claim 17, wherein the reward is points and the processor is further configured to: track the points awarded to the consumer; and award the consumer with the free service in response to the consumer redeeming the points.

22. A system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to electronically deliver to the consumer Internet service provider software for the free service, in response to the consumer redeeming the reward.

23. A system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to deliver to the consumer an offer to receive the free Internet access, based on the consumer's purchase history, the offer including a condition that the consumer must meet to qualify to receive the reward.

24. A system comprising: a memory having embodied therein information of a promotion; and a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to: deliver to a consumer an offer including 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; determine whether the consumer has met the condition; and deliver the reward to the consumer, if the consumer has met the condition.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the reward includes points, the condition specifies a number of points necessary to receive the reward, and the processor is further configured to award the consumer with the free service when the consumer redeems the number of points necessary to receive the reward.

26. A system according to claim 25, the processor is further configured to track the points awarded to the consumer.

27. A system according to claim 25, wherein the condition specifies an online grocery store, to be used by the consumer to receive points.

28. A system according to claim 25, wherein the condition specifies a personal Web page service to be used by the consumer to receive points.

29. A system according to claim 28, the processor is further configured to: send to the consumer a personal Web page; receive identifying information of the personal Web page; and deliver the reward to the consumer in response to receiving identifying information of the personal Web page.

30. A system according to claim 24, further comprising a printer located at a point of sale and coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the printer to print the offer.

31. A system according to claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to electronically deliver the offer to a computer of a consumer.

32. A system comprising: means for tracking a purchase history of a consumer, the purchase history corresponding to at least one purchase of a consumer; means for determining whether the consumer qualifies to receive free Internet access from an Internet service provider, based on the consumer's purchase history; and means for delivering to the consumer a reward, redeemable for the free access, if the - consumer qualifies to receive the free service.

33. A system according to claim 32, further comprising: means for classifying the consumer into a spending category, based on the purchase history of the consumer; and means for awarding an amount of the free Internet service corresponding to the spending category into which the consumer is classified.

34. A system according to claim 32, wherein the means for tracking comprises tracking offline purchases of the consumer, the offline purchases including the at least one purchase of the consumer.

35. A system according to claim 32, wherein the means for tracking comprises tracking the online purchases of the consumer, the online purchases including the at least one purchase of the consumer.

36. A system according to claim 32, wherein the reward is points and the system further comprises: means for tracking the points awarded to the consumer; and means for awarding the consumer with the free service in response to the consumer redeeming the points.

37. A system according to claim 32, further comprising means for electronically delivering to the consumer Internet service provider software for the free service, in response to the consumer redeeming the reward.

38. A system according to claim 32, further comprising means for delivering to the consumer an offer to receive the free Internet access, based on the consumer's purchase history, the offer including a condition that the consumer must meet to qualify to receive the reward.

39. A system comprising: means for delivering to a consumer an offer including 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; means for determining whether the consumer has met the condition; and means for delivering the reward to the consumer, if the consumer has met the condition.

40. A system according to claim 39, wherein the reward includes points, the condition specifies a number of points necessary to receive the reward, and the system further comprises means for awarding the consumer with the free service when the consumer redeems the number of points necessary to receive the reward.

41. A system according to claim 40, further comprising means for tracking the points awarded to the consumer.

42. A system according to claim 40, wherein the condition specifies an online grocery store to be used by the consumer to receive points.

43. A system according to claim 40, wherein the condition specifies a personal Web page service to be used by the consumer to receive points.

44. A system according to claim 43, further comprising: means for sending to the consumer a personal Web page; and means for receiving identifying information of the personal Web page; wherein the means for delivering the reward to the consumer comprises: means for delivering the reward to the consumer in response to receiving identifying information of the personal Web page.

45. A system according to claim 39, wherein the means for delivering the offer to the consumer comprises means for printing the offer at a point of sale.

46. A system according to claim 39, wherein the means for delivering the offer to the consumer comprises means for electronically delivering the offer to a computer of a consumer.