US6282516B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process, system and computer readable medium for in-store printing of discount coupons and/or other purchasing incentives in various departments within a retail store
Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corp
•
Filing: 1999-06-01
•
Granted: 2001-08-28
•
Expires: 2019-06-01
Abstract
Abstract A system, process and computer readable medium for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store including an incentive processor including a network controller and a database for storing shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers; a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout the departments of the retail store, each incentive distributor of the plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; and a network, coupling the network controller to network interface devices of the plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between the incentive processor and the plurality of incentive distributors. Each card reader device and each scanner device of the plurality of incentive distributors is configured to detect a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively. The card device and the key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein, and the unique consumer identifier is detected by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of the plurality of incentive distributors and transmitted via a network interface of the respective incentive distributor over the network to the network controller coupled to the incentive processor. The incentive processor is configured to generate the purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from the respective incentive distributor and a location of the respective incentive distributor determined from the unique address thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 John A. Giuliani
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 23:27
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/20; G06Q20/202; G06Q20/209; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/387; G06Q30/0207; G06Q30/0224; G06Q30/0238; G06Q30/0239; G07; G07G; G07G1/00; G07G1/0036; G07G1/12; G07G1/14; G07G5/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
356 words
A system for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, comprising: an incentive processor including a network controller and a database for storing shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers; a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; and a network, coupling said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors; wherein each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors is configured to detect a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively; said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein, and said unique consumer identifier is detected by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors and transmitted via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor; said incentive processor is configured to generate said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof; the system further comprising: a point-of-sale processor; at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device for reading said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein; and a point-of-sale network coupling said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; wherein said point-of-sale processor transmits said shopping histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
356 words
A system for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, comprising: an incentive processor including a network controller and a database for storing shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers; a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; and a network, coupling said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors; wherein each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors is configured to detect a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively; said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein, and said unique consumer identifier is detected by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors and transmitted via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor; said incentive processor is configured to generate said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof; the system further comprising: a point-of-sale processor; at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device for reading said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein; and a point-of-sale network coupling said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; wherein said point-of-sale processor transmits said shopping histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein said network controller comprises a wireless Ethernet network controller, said wireless network comprises a wireless Ethernet network, and each network interface device of said plurality of incentive distributors comprises a wireless Ethernet network interface device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein one of said printing device, network interface device, card reader device and scanner device, of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors, is one of attached to and integral with said respective incentive distributor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
349 words
A process for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, comprising: storing in a database shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers via an incentive processor including a network controller; providing a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; coupling via a network said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors; detecting via each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively; said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein; detecting said unique consumer identifier by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors; transmitting said unique consumer identifier via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor; generating via said incentive processor said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof; providing a point-of-sale processor; reading via at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein; coupling via a point-of-sale network said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; and transmitting via said point-of-sale processor, histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
349 words
A process for distributing purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, comprising: storing in a database shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers via an incentive processor including a network controller; providing a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; coupling via a network said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors; detecting via each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively; said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein; detecting said unique consumer identifier by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors; transmitting said unique consumer identifier via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor; generating via said incentive processor said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof; providing a point-of-sale processor; reading via at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein; coupling via a point-of-sale network said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; and transmitting via said point-of-sale processor, histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The process of claim 4 , wherein said network controller comprises a wireless Ethernet network controller, said wireless network comprises a wireless Ethernet network, and each network interface device of said plurality of incentive distributors comprises a wireless Ethernet network interface device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The process of claim 4 , wherein one of said printing device, network interface device, card reader device and scanner device, of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors, is one of attached to and integral with said respective incentive distributor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
378 words
A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having a computer program embedded in said computer storage medium for causing a computer to distribute purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, said computer program performing the steps of: storing in a database shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers via an incentive processor including a network controller; providing a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; coupling via a network said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors; detecting via each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively; said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein; detecting said unique consumer identifier by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors; transmitting said unique consumer identifier via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor; generating via said incentive processor said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof; providing a point-of-sale processor; reading via at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein; coupling via a point-of-sale network said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; and transmitting via said point-of-sale processor said shopping histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
378 words
A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having a computer program embedded in said computer storage medium for causing a computer to distribute purchasing incentives throughout departments of a retail store, said computer program performing the steps of: storing in a database shopping histories of consumers associated with respective unique consumer identifiers via an incentive processor including a network controller; providing a plurality of incentive distributors located throughout said departments of said retail store, each incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors having a unique address, and including, a processor, a printing device, a network interface device, and one of a card reader device and a scanner device; coupling via a network said network controller to network interface devices of said plurality of incentive distributors, for effecting two-way communications between said incentive processor and said plurality of incentive distributors; detecting via each card reader device and each scanner device of said plurality of incentive distributors a card device passed therethrough or key tag device scanned therein, respectively; said card device and said key tag device having a unique consumer identifier encoded therein; detecting said unique consumer identifier by a card reader or scanner device of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors; transmitting said unique consumer identifier via a network interface of said respective incentive distributor over said network to said network controller coupled to said incentive processor; generating via said incentive processor said purchasing incentives based on a shopping history of a consumer associated with a detected unique consumer identifier received from said respective incentive distributor and a location of said respective incentive distributor determined from said unique address thereof; providing a point-of-sale processor; reading via at least one point-of-sale cash register including a card reading device said respective unique consumer identifiers from card devices having said unique consumer identifiers encoded therein; coupling via a point-of-sale network said point-of-sale processor, said at least one point-of-sale cash register and said incentive processor and effecting two-way communications therebetween; and transmitting via said point-of-sale processor said shopping histories of consumers to said incentive processor for storage in said database based on purchases of said consumers associated with said respective unique consumer identifiers at said least one point-of-sale cash register via said card reading device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein said network controller comprises a wireless Ethernet network controller, said wireless network comprises a wireless Ethernet network, and each network interface device of said plurality of incentive distributors comprises a wireless Ethernet network interface device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein one of said printing device, network interface device, card reader device and scanner device, of a respective incentive distributor of said plurality of incentive distributors, is one of attached to and integral with said respective incentive distributor.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-08-27 | 2005-02-26 | 2005-08-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-08-27 | 2009-02-26 | 2009-08-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-08-27 | 2013-02-26 | 2013-08-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |