التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
| العنوان: |
Electronic discount and rebate coupon system |
| Document Number: |
20060149627 |
| تاريخ النشر: |
July 6, 2006 |
| Appl. No: |
11/028393 |
| Application Filed: |
January 03, 2005 |
| مستخلص: |
A system that allows multiple discount and other coupon issuers to create and issuer electronic coupons to recipients on a single coupon card the recipient has. The coupon recipients benefit by not having to carry around one card for each coupon issuer, in addition, the recipient can access one coupon account online to see the entire available coupons on their card. |
| Inventors: |
Brown, Collie D. (Mount Vernon, NY, US) |
| Claim: |
1) A method for one or more entities to create, distribute and redeem electronic coupons through an electronic coupon system comprising: (a) an electronic coupon repository where said entities deposit electronic coupons they create; (b) a means where said deposited coupons are distributed to various accounts of consumers who have subscribed to said coupon system (c) Providing a means where consumers who subscribe to said electronic coupon system are assigned a coupon account at said coupon repository; (d) providing a means for identifying said recipient account including barcode key tags or plastic credit card like devices or any other suitable account identifying device that can be read by machine or human; (e) providing a means whereby said consumers may be notified by various means when coupons are deposited into their accounts including but not limited to email, direct mail, phone or website; (f) said electronic coupons 1) include but not limited to the following uses, as discounts, rebates, and gift certificates, and 2) consists of data elements including the issuer, expiration date, monetary value, other data representing coupon terms and conditions; (g) providing a means where said subscriber wishing to redeem said electronic coupons that are deposited in their account visits various entities including retail and online stores where said subscriber presents said identifying device to said redeeming entity thereby allowing said entities to identify and access the coupon account of said subscriber through various means to determine if there are any coupons that are redeemable and if there are said redeeming entity redeems the coupons (h) providing a means where said coupon repository notifies coupon issuers through various means whenever said issuers coupons are redeemed such that said entities can use said notification to make any necessary adjustments to current or future electronic coupon campaigns (i) said notification to said coupon issuers include information about the redeemer, the entity where said coupon was redeemed, date and time said coupon was redeemed or any other useful information to said issuers thereby allowing said entities to create electronic coupon campaigns by creating, distributing and redeeming said coupons electronically including quickly gather information about said coupons from the time said coupons are issued until said coupons have expired or are redeemed whereby said entities can use said information to make adjustments to ongoing or future electronic coupon campaigns. |
| Claim: |
2) The electronic coupon system of claim 1 wherein said electronic coupon issuers can make modifications to unredeemed coupons including canceling and or replacing said coupons as well as creating profiles of subscribers redeeming said coupons whereby said profiles are used as guides in current and or future electronic coupon campaigns. |
| Claim: |
3) The electronic coupon system of claim 1 wherein multiple coupon issuers do not need to compete for subscribers since all coupon issuers of said electronic coupon system have access to all subscribers of said coupon system whereby it is not necessary for said subscribers to have individual subscriptions to each issuers coupon system in order to receive coupons from said issuers. |
| Claim: |
4) The electronic coupon system of claim 1 wherein multiple electronic coupon systems may be combined into a single coupon system whereby consumers do not need to subscribe to multiple electronic coupon systems to receive coupons from multiple issuers thereby preventing the need for said consumers to carry multiple coupon account identifying devices. |
| Claim: |
5) The electronic coupon system of claim I wherein said electronic coupons may be used as an alternative to rebate coupons by offering an instant price reduction to a consumer that is between the full retail price and the full retail price minus the value of any rebate thereby allowing said consumer to choose between assuming the risk that said consumer may not fulfill the requirements of said rebate and therefore receives no discount and said consumer accepting an instant discount that is smaller than said rebate but said consumer assumes not risk of not receiving said instant discount whereby manufactures of said products can still receive an average price for a batch of said product that is between the full retail price and the full retail price minus any rebate. |
| Claim: |
6) The electronic coupon system of claim 1 wherein manufacturers and distributors of none store brand products that use said electronic coupon system to distribute coupons benefit from the quandry faced by subscribers of said coupon system who use price as a major deciding factor when purchasing a product who now has to consider similar none store brand products since a none store brand product with an electronic discount coupon could be less expensive than store brand products thereby increasing the likelyhood that said consumer will pruchase a none store brand product. |
| Claim: |
7) A method whereby a website or television channel or various electronic media displays a list of available discount or rebate coupons in tickertape format. |
| Claim: |
8) A method whereby a website or television channel or various electronic media displays a list of available discounts or rebates in tickertape format. |
| Claim: |
9) The electronic coupon system of claim 1 wherein coupon issuers can increase product sales and or brand loyalty in coupon system subscribers by providing a means where said subscribers can contact said coupon issuers through various means to request said issuers issue said subscribers electronic discount coupons to reduce the price of said issuers products thereby making it more competitive with a competitors product that is priced lower or is on sale at a lower price whereby said subscribers will be more willing to purchase said issuers products. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
705014/000 |
| Current International Class: |
06 |
| رقم الانضمام: |
edspap.20060149627 |
| قاعدة البيانات: |
USPTO Patent Applications |
