Patent EP0173835A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0173835A2
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EP
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Method and apparatus for dispensing discount coupons
Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corp
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Filing: 1985-07-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-07-17
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus, and a corresponding method, for creating a discount coupon in response to the purchase of a product other than the one to which the coupon applies. A record pertaining to each item purchased is examined to determine whether the item is intended to trigger the creation of a coupon. If it is, at least one associated coupon deal record is retrieved, and a coupon becomes a candidate for printing, subject to a maximum number of coupons per transaction. The apparatus also validates coupons presented for redemption, scanning a list of purchased products to determine whether any falls into the same product group specified on the coupon, and also determining whether the coupon date is valid.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Mindrum
- 👤 George Off
- 👤 Michael C. Scroggie
- 👤 Michael R. O'brien
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:14
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/387; G07; G07F; G07F9/00; G07F9/02; G07G; G07G1/00; G07G1/0036; G07G1/12; G07G1/14; G07G1/145; G07G5/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
Apparatus for printing a redeemable coupon in a retail store, in response to the purchase of an item, the system comprising: a plurality of terminals at customer checkout locations, each having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order; a store controller with which the terminals can communicate, the store controller having access to an item record file containing price and other information for each product item; means for identifying in the customer order a triggering product, which has been preselected to trigger printing of a coupon; means for associating the triggering product with at least one coupon deal; and means for automatically printing at least one discount coupon for a product to which the coupon deal applies.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
Apparatus for printing a redeemable coupon in a retail store, in response to the purchase of an item, the system comprising: a plurality of terminals at customer checkout locations, each having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order; a store controller with which the terminals can communicate, the store controller having access to an item record file containing price and other information for each product item; means for identifying in the customer order a triggering product, which has been preselected to trigger printing of a coupon; means for associating the triggering product with at least one coupon deal; and means for automatically printing at least one discount coupon for a product to which the coupon deal applies.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the means for identifying the triggering product includes a trigger field in each record of the item record file.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the means for automatically printing includes means for printing in optically scannable barcode form.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the means for automatically printing includes: means for printing high-priority coupons during a sales transaction; and means for printing low-priority coupons only after a preselected point is reached in the sales transaction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim, wherein the means for automatically printing includes: means for printing on the coupon a code identifying the triggering product.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim, and further including: means for inhibiting coupon printing based on the occurrence of any of a number of preselectable conditions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim, and further including: means for initiating printing of a default coupon if no other coupons are created in the transaction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
8: Apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim, wherein: each triggering product can generate a plurality of coupon deals; and each coupon deal can be triggered by any of a plurality of triggering products.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim, including means for redeeming a coupon printed by the means for automatically printing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the means for redeeming the coupon includes: validation means, for validating the coupon with respect to its date and the item to which it pertains; and means for automatically applying a discount to the customer order.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, and further including: means for optionally initiating printing of another coupon different from-the one presented for redemption.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
124 words
For use in a retail store point-of-sale system having a plurality of terminals at customer checkout locations, each with means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order, and a store controller with which the terminals can communicate, the store controller having access to an item record file containing price and other information for each product item, a method for printing a redeemable coupon in response to the purchase of an item, the method comprising the steps of: identifying in the customer order a triggering product, which has been preselected to trigger printing of a coupon; associating the triggering product with a coupon deal; and automatically printing at least one discount coupon for a product to which the coupon deal applies.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
124 words
For use in a retail store point-of-sale system having a plurality of terminals at customer checkout locations, each with means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order, and a store controller with which the terminals can communicate, the store controller having access to an item record file containing price and other information for each product item, a method for printing a redeemable coupon in response to the purchase of an item, the method comprising the steps of: identifying in the customer order a triggering product, which has been preselected to trigger printing of a coupon; associating the triggering product with a coupon deal; and automatically printing at least one discount coupon for a product to which the coupon deal applies.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein: the step of identifying the triggering product includes retrieving a trigger field in each record of the item record file.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as set forth in claim 12 or 13, and further including: redeeming a coupon printed by the step of automatically printing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of redeeming the coupon includes: validating the coupon with respect to its date and the item to which it pertains; and automatically applying.a discount to the customer order.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: the step of automatically printing includes printing a portion of the coupon in optically scanable bar-code form.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as set forth in any one of claim 12 to 16, wherein the step of automatically printing includes: printing high-priority coupons during a sales transaction; and printing low-priority coupons only after a preselectedpoint is reached in the sales transaction.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
27 words
A method as set forth in any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the step of automatically printing includes: printing a code identifying the triggering product.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in any one of claims 12 to 18, and further including: inhibiting coupon printing based on the occurrence of any of a number of preselectable conditions.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in any one of claims 12 to 19, and further including: initiating printing of a default coupon if no other coupons are created in the transaction.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
24 words
An apparatus or method according to any preceding claim, wherein the product to which the coupon .deal applies is different from the triggering product.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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