Method and apparatus for receiving, marking and retaining discount coupons

Claim 1

Apparatus for receiving and marking record members, comprising: a secure structure having a plurality of side walls, and first and second end surfaces; a slot in one of said end surfaces to receive record members; a pair of cooperating, counter-rotating cylinders disposed in the secure structure in proximity to the slot to receive the record member therebetween and transport it past said cylinders into the interior of the secure structure; means for driving said cylinders; and marking means on at least one of said cylinders in the secure structure to mark said record member.

Claim 16

A system for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons, comprising: a storage device for receiving, marking and storing discount coupons, said storage device including an input closure which is operable to admit record members which have been determined to be discount coupons and also including a slot, a pair of cooperating counter-rotating cylinders disposed in said storage device in proximity to said slot for transporting a discount coupon inserted into the storage device through said slot, and marking means on at least one of said cylinders to mark said discount coupon; a scanner for scanning encoded data associated with discount coupons to sense data from a record member and to determine whether or not said record member is a discount coupon, said scanner being coupled to said storage device to open the input closure when a discount coupon is sensed, and to transmit data relating to said discount coupon to said storage device; and a point of sale terminal coupled to said storage device to receive said data relating to said sensed discount coupons therefrom to enable the amounts of said discount coupons to be used to reduce the amount charged for purchase of merchandise to which the coupons are related.

Claim 17

A system for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons, comprising: a storage device for receiving, marking and storing discount coupons, said storage device including an input closure which is operable to admit record members which have been determined to be discount coupons and also including a slot, a pair of cooperating counter-rotating cylinders disposed in said storage device in proximity to said slot for transporting a discount coupon inserted into the storage device through said slot, and marking means on at least one of said cylinders to mark said discount coupon; a scanner for scanning encoded data associated with discount coupons to sense data from a record member and to determine whether or not said record member is a discount coupon, said scanner being coupled to said storage device to open the input closure when a discount coupon is sensed, and to transmit data relating to said discount coupon to said storage device; and a point of sale terminal coupled to said storage device to receive said data relating to said sensed discount coupons therefrom to enable the amounts of said discount coupons to be used to reduce the amount charged for purchase of merchandise to which the coupons are related.

Claim 22

A system for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons, comprising: a scanner for scanning encoded data associated with merchandise to be purchased and with discount coupons for said merchandise; a storage device for receiving, marking and storing discount coupons, said storage device including a slot and a pair of cooperating, counter-rotating cylinders disposed in said storage device below said slot for transporting a discount coupon inserted into the storage device through said slot, said storage device also including marking means on at least one of said cylinders for marking discount tickets which have been received; and a point of sale terminal coupled to said storage device and to said scanner, to enable the amounts of said discount coupons to be used to reduce the amount charged for purchases of merchandise to which the coupons are related.

Claim 23

A system for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons, comprising: a scanner for scanning encoded data associated with merchandise to be purchased and with discount coupons for said merchandise; a storage device for receiving, marking and storing discount coupons, said storage device including a slot and a pair of cooperating, counter-rotating cylinders disposed in said storage device below said slot for transporting a discount coupon inserted into the storage device through said slot, said storage device also including marking means on at least one of said cylinders for marking discount tickets which have been received; and a point of sale terminal coupled to said storage device and to said scanner, to enable the amounts of said discount coupons to be used to reduce the amount charged for purchases of merchandise to which the coupons are related.

Claim 28

A system for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons, in a retail establishment, comprising: a storage device for receiving, marking and storing discount coupons, said storage device having an input closure which opens to admit record members which have been determined to be discount coupons; a scanner for scanning encoded data associated with discount coupons to sense data from a record member and to determine whether or not said record member is a discount coupon, said scanner being coupled to said storage device to open the input closure when a discount coupon is sensed, and to transmit data relating to said discount coupon to said storage device; coupon file manager means coupled to said storage device and containing files of data for all merchandise in the retail establishment for checking data from the sensed discount coupons against said merchandise data to determine if data from the sensed discount coupons corresponds to merchandise data; and a point of sale terminal coupled to said storage device to receive data relating to discount coupons which has been determined by said coupon file manager means to relate to merchandise in the retail establishment to enable the amounts of said discount coupons to be used to reduce the amount charged for purchase of merchandise to which the coupons are related.

Claim 29

A system for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons, in a retail establishment, comprising: a storage device for receiving, marking and storing discount coupons, said storage device having an input closure which opens to admit record members which have been determined to be discount coupons; a scanner for scanning encoded data associated with discount coupons to sense data from a record member and to determine whether or not said record member is a discount coupon, said scanner being coupled to said storage device to open the input closure when a discount coupon is sensed, and to transmit data relating to said discount coupon to said storage device; coupon file manager means coupled to said storage device and containing files of data for all merchandise in the retail establishment for checking data from the sensed discount coupons against said merchandise data to determine if data from the sensed discount coupons corresponds to merchandise data; and a point of sale terminal coupled to said storage device to receive data relating to discount coupons which has been determined by said coupon file manager means to relate to merchandise in the retail establishment to enable the amounts of said discount coupons to be used to reduce the amount charged for purchase of merchandise to which the coupons are related.

Claim 36

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps; (a) scanning discount coupons tendered with merchandise items by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons; (b) determining if coupon data is available from the scanner; (c) if step (b) is not true, returning to step (a); (d) if step (b) is true, determining whether the coupon data relates to a discount coupon; (e) is step (d) is not true, causing coupon data to be manually input by use of a point of sale terminal; (f) if step (d) is true, activating a coupon acceptor to receive the sensed coupon; (g) following step (f), determining whether the coupon has been received in the coupon acceptor; (h) if step (g) is not true, disabling the scanner; (i) if step (g) is true, enabling the scanner to sense merchandise data from a code associated with said merchandise tendered with a discount coupon; (j) sending scanned data to the point of sale terminal; and (k) retaining the used coupon in the coupon acceptor.

Claim 37

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps; (a) scanning discount coupons tendered with merchandise items by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons; (b) determining if coupon data is available from the scanner; (c) if step (b) is not true, returning to step (a); (d) if step (b) is true, determining whether the coupon data relates to a discount coupon; (e) is step (d) is not true, causing coupon data to be manually input by use of a point of sale terminal; (f) if step (d) is true, activating a coupon acceptor to receive the sensed coupon; (g) following step (f), determining whether the coupon has been received in the coupon acceptor; (h) if step (g) is not true, disabling the scanner; (i) if step (g) is true, enabling the scanner to sense merchandise data from a code associated with said merchandise tendered with a discount coupon; (j) sending scanned data to the point of sale terminal; and (k) retaining the used coupon in the coupon acceptor.

Claim 41

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps: (a) scanning discount coupons tendered with merchandise items by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons; (b) determining if coupon data is available from the scanner; (c) if step (b) is not true, returning to step (a); (d) if step (b) is true, transmitting the decoded coupon data to a point of sale terminal; (e) determining, in the point of sale terminal, whether the decoded data comprises an acceptable coupon code; (f) if step (e) is not true, returning to step (a); (g) if step (e) is true, determining whether the item purchased corresponds to the coupon scanned; (h) if step (g) is not true, determining that the coupon is not accepted, denying access of the coupon to the coupon acceptor, and providing an indication that the coupon is invalid; (i) if step (g) is true, providing access to the coupon acceptor to enable the coupon to be placed therein; (j) determining whether the coupon has been properly placed within the coupon acceptor; (k) if step (j) is not true, disabling the scanner; (l) if step (j) is true, enabling the scanner to perform a further scanning operation; and (m) retaining the coupon in the coupon acceptor.

Claim 42

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps: (a) scanning discount coupons tendered with merchandise items by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons; (b) determining if coupon data is available from the scanner; (c) if step (b) is not true, returning to step (a); (d) if step (b) is true, transmitting the decoded coupon data to a point of sale terminal; (e) determining, in the point of sale terminal, whether the decoded data comprises an acceptable coupon code; (f) if step (e) is not true, returning to step (a); (g) if step (e) is true, determining whether the item purchased corresponds to the coupon scanned; (h) if step (g) is not true, determining that the coupon is not accepted, denying access of the coupon to the coupon acceptor, and providing an indication that the coupon is invalid; (i) if step (g) is true, providing access to the coupon acceptor to enable the coupon to be placed therein; (j) determining whether the coupon has been properly placed within the coupon acceptor; (k) if step (j) is not true, disabling the scanner; (l) if step (j) is true, enabling the scanner to perform a further scanning operation; and (m) retaining the coupon in the coupon acceptor.

Claim 47

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor, a coupon file manager and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps: (a) scanning discount coupons tendered with merchandise items by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons; (b) determining if coupon data is available from the scanner; (c) if step (b) is not true, returning to step (a); (d) if step (b) is true, transmitting the decoded coupon data to a coupon file manager; (e) determining, in the coupon data manager, whether the decoded data comprises an acceptable coupon code; (f) if step (e) is not true, activating the point of sale terminal for entry of merchandise data not including a discount coupon for processing of a transaction pertaining to the item and then returning to step (a); (g) if step (e) is true, determining whether the item purchased corresponds to the coupon scanned; (h) if step (g) is not true, providing an indication that the coupon is invalid and returning to step (a); (i) if step (g) is true, providing access to the coupon acceptor to enable the coupon to be placed therein; (j) determining whether the coupon has been properly placed within the coupon acceptor; (k) if step (j) is not true, disabling the scanner; (l) if step (j) is true, enabling the scanner to perform a further scanning operation; and (m) retailing the coupon in the coupon acceptor.

Claim 48

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor, a coupon file manager and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps: (a) scanning discount coupons tendered with merchandise items by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons; (b) determining if coupon data is available from the scanner; (c) if step (b) is not true, returning to step (a); (d) if step (b) is true, transmitting the decoded coupon data to a coupon file manager; (e) determining, in the coupon data manager, whether the decoded data comprises an acceptable coupon code; (f) if step (e) is not true, activating the point of sale terminal for entry of merchandise data not including a discount coupon for processing of a transaction pertaining to the item and then returning to step (a); (g) if step (e) is true, determining whether the item purchased corresponds to the coupon scanned; (h) if step (g) is not true, providing an indication that the coupon is invalid and returning to step (a); (i) if step (g) is true, providing access to the coupon acceptor to enable the coupon to be placed therein; (j) determining whether the coupon has been properly placed within the coupon acceptor; (k) if step (j) is not true, disabling the scanner; (l) if step (j) is true, enabling the scanner to perform a further scanning operation; and (m) retailing the coupon in the coupon acceptor.

Claim 52

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor having a closure means and cylinder drive means having marking means thereon, and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps: (a) scanning a record member tendered with a merchandise item by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons and to determine whether the record member is a proper discount coupon; (b) opening the closure means of the coupon acceptor to enable the coupon acceptor to receive the sensed record member if it is a proper discount coupon; (c) operating the cylinder drive means to drive and mark the coupon after it has been received into the coupon acceptor; and (d) retaining the used coupon in the coupon acceptor.

Claim 53

A method for utilizing, marking and retaining discount coupons in a retail establishment, utilizing a system comprising a scanner, a coupon acceptor having a closure means and cylinder drive means having marking means thereon, and a point of sale terminal, comprising the following steps: (a) scanning a record member tendered with a merchandise item by a scanner to decode information coded on the coupons and to determine whether the record member is a proper discount coupon; (b) opening the closure means of the coupon acceptor to enable the coupon acceptor to receive the sensed record member if it is a proper discount coupon; (c) operating the cylinder drive means to drive and mark the coupon after it has been received into the coupon acceptor; and (d) retaining the used coupon in the coupon acceptor.