U.S. patent application number 11/752685 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-20 for system and method for networked loyalty program.
This patent application is currently assigned to AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.. Invention is credited to Fauziah Ariff, Raymond R. Ferrell, Mark Haines, Theodore S. Voltmer.
Application Number | 20070219869 11/752685 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37395119 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070219869 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Haines; Mark ; et
al. |
September 20, 2007 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NETWORKED LOYALTY PROGRAM
Abstract
The present invention provides a system for implementing a
purchaser incentive program on a network-wide level. The system
associates SKU and UPC data on a network level to provide consumers
with a purchasing environment that is both convenient and
cost-efficient. The association of SKU and UPC data at a network
level also provides consumers with the ability to analyze their own
purchase data for a variety of purposes, including analyses
relating to the consumer's spending behaviors or patterns for
example. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the
association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates a
network-wide search for an item that a consumer desires to purchase
under terms or conditions that are selected by the consumer and are
therefore perceived to be optimal by that consumer. In accordance
with another aspect of the invention, the association of UPC and
SKU data by the system facilitates data analysis by a consumer
based upon any of several factors, including items purchased,
prices for those items, retailer ID, SKU number, UPC, manufacturer
ID, and/or the like. The system may compile any of the above data
across multiple entities for the purpose of data analysis, such as
analyses which may be employed in consumer budgeting for
example.
Inventors: |
Haines; Mark; (Madison,
NJ) ; Ferrell; Raymond R.; (West Orange, NJ) ;
Ariff; Fauziah; (New York, NY) ; Voltmer; Theodore
S.; (Caldwell, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES CO., INC.;c/o SNELL & WILMER,
L.L.P.
ONE ARIZONA CENTER
400 E. VAN BUREN STREET
PHOENIX
AZ
85004-2202
US
|
Assignee: |
AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED
SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
New York
NY
10285-4900
|
Family ID: |
37395119 |
Appl. No.: |
11/752685 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10010947 |
Nov 6, 2001 |
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|
11752685 |
May 23, 2007 |
|
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09836213 |
Apr 17, 2001 |
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10010947 |
Nov 6, 2001 |
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60279817 |
Mar 29, 2001 |
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60246208 |
Nov 6, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0207 20130101;
B01J 23/8913 20130101; G06Q 30/0601 20130101; B01J 37/0205
20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101; B01J 23/6562 20130101; G06Q 40/12
20131203; G06Q 30/0241 20130101; B01J 37/0226 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/014 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1. A method for purchasing items, said method comprising: obtaining
a retailer item identifier associated with a first item;
transmitting said retailer item identifier to a remote processor,
wherein said retailer item identifier is associated with a
manufacturer item identifier; transmitting search criteria to said
remote processor, wherein said search criteria is related to a
feature associated with said first item, thereby causing said
remote processor to search retailers based on at least one of: said
retailer item identifier, said manufacturer item identifier, and
said search criteria to determine a retailer who offers to sell
said first item; and, pre-authorizing said remote processor to
automatically purchase said first item.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing searching of
retailers based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who
offers to sell a second item which includes said feature.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing searching of
retailers based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who
offers to sell a second item which includes said feature; and,
pre-authorizing said remote processor to automatically purchase
said second item.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing searching of
retailers based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who
offers to sell a second item which includes said feature when said
first item does not meet certain purchase criteria.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing searching of
retailers based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who
offers to sell a second item which includes said feature when said
first item does not meet certain purchase criteria, wherein said
purchase criteria comprises at least one of: availability,
features, price, quantity, retailer, retailer location, consumer
rating, extra fees, quality, and shipping time.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a
confirmation indicating that said pre-authorized purchase
transaction has been completed.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said search criteria comprises at
least one of: availability, features, price, quantity, retailer,
retailer location, consumer rating, extra fees, quality, and
shipping time.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a conversion
of said retailer item identifier to a manufacturer item identifier
at the remote processor.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting search
criteria to said remote processor comprises causing said remote
processor to obtain previously submitted search criteria from
memory.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a retailer
who offers to sell said first item.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a retailer
who offers to sell said first item prior to transmitting said
pre-authorization to said remote processor.
12. A method for a remote processor to purchase items, said method
comprising: receiving, at a remote processor, a retailer item
identifier associated with a first item, wherein said retailer item
identifier is associated with a manufacturer item identifier;
receiving search criteria wherein said search criteria is related
to a feature associated with said first item; searching retailers
based on at least one of: said retailer item identifier, said
manufacturer item identifier, and said search criteria to determine
a retailer who offers to sell said first item; and, purchasing said
first item based on a pre-authorization to purchase.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising searching retailers
based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who offers to
sell a second item which includes said feature.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising searching retailers
based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who offers to
sell a second item which includes said feature; and, purchasing
said second item based on a pre-authorization to purchase.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising searching retailers
based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who offers to
sell a second item which includes said feature when said first item
does not meet certain purchase criteria.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising searching retailers
based on said search criteria to determine a retailer who offers to
sell a second item which includes said feature when said first item
does not meet certain purchase criteria, wherein said purchase
criteria comprises at least one of: availability, features, price,
quantity, retailer, retailer location, consumer rating, extra fees,
quality, and shipping time.
17. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a
confirmation indicating that said pre-authorized purchase
transaction has been completed.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein said search criteria comprises
at least one of: availability, features, price, quantity, retailer,
retailer location, consumer rating, extra fees, quality, and
shipping time.
19. The method of claim 12, further comprising converting said
retailer item identifier to a manufacturer item identifier.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of receiving search
criteria comprises obtaining previously submitted search criteria
from memory.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of and claims priority to
U.S. patent application No. 10/010,947, filed Nov. 6, 2001 and
entitled "System and Method for Networked Loyalty Program"; which
application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-part of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/836,213, filed Apr. 17, 2001
and entitled "System and Method for Networked Loyalty Program",
which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 60/279,817, filed Mar. 29, 2001 and entitled
"System and Method for Networked Incentive Awards Program"; which
application also claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/246,208, filed Nov. 6,
2000 and entitled "Virtually Complete Purchasing". This application
hereby incorporates by reference each of these prior applications
in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to purchaser
incentive programs and, more specifically, to the capture of
retailer item identifiers and the matching of such retailer item
identifiers with corresponding manufacturer item identifiers to
facilitate, for example, a network-wide search for an item based
upon a consumer's search criteria, as well as an analysis by a
consumer of the consumer's purchase data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Incentive award programs have been developed in a variety of
industries to promote customer loyalty. Generally, such programs
reward customers for repeat business with the same merchant or
service provider by accumulating reward points which can then be
redeemed in a plurality of ways, including exchanging the reward
points for additional goods and services that may be selected from
an approved list or a redemption catalog, for example. The reward
points are usually calculated using a predetermined formula or
ratio that relates a customer's purchase volume (i.e., in terms of
money value or some other volume parameter) to a certain number of
reward points. For example, reward points may be issued on a
one-for-one basis with each dollar that a customer spends on
particular goods and services.
[0004] One well-known example of a customer incentive program is a
"frequent flyer" program which rewards airlines passengers with
"mileage points" based upon the distances that the passengers fly
with a particular airline. The mileage points may then be redeemed
for free airfare or free car rentals. Other incentive award
programs are designed to induce usage of particular financial
instruments, such as credit cards or debit cards, by accumulating
reward points or dollar value points based upon the volume of
purchases made using the particular financial instrument.
[0005] These types of programs may be designed such that customers
of the financial institution accumulate reward points which can be
redeemed for selected goods or services or, alternatively, such
that customers accumulate points which have a dollar value which
can be applied toward a credit or debit balance, depending on
whether the instrument is a credit or debit instrument, for
example.
[0006] These and other similar incentive award programs are
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,774,870 and 6,009,412, issued to
Thomas W. Storey and assigned to Netcentives, Inc., both of which
are hereby incorporated by reference to the extent that they
describe an automated rewards system. For more information on
loyalty systems, transaction systems, electronic commerce systems,
and digital wallet systems, see, for example: the Shop AMEX.TM.
system as disclosed in Ser. No. 60/230,190 filed Sep. 5, 2000; the
MR as Currency.TM. and Loyalty Rewards Systems as disclosed in Ser.
No. 60/197,296 filed on Apr. 14, 2000, Ser. No. 60/200,492 filed
Apr. 28, 2000, and Ser. No. 60/201,114 filed May 2, 2000; a digital
wallet system as disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 09/652,899 filed Aug.
31, 2000; a stored value card as disclosed in Ser. No. 09/241,188
filed on Feb. 1, 1999; a system for facilitating transactions using
secondary transaction numbers as disclosed in Ser. No. 09/800,461
filed on Mar. 7, 2001; and also in related provisional applications
Ser. No. 60/187,620 filed Mar. 7, 2000, Ser. No. 60/200,625 filed
Apr. 28, 2000, and Ser. No. 60/213,323 filed May 22, 2000; all of
which are herein incorporated by reference. Other examples of
online membership reward systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,774,870, issued on Jun. 30, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,412,
issued on Dec. 29, 1999, both of which are hereby incorporated by
reference. A further example of a loyalty and reward program may be
found at the AIR MILES.RTM. Web site (www.airmiles.ca), which
describes a loyalty program offered by The Loyalty Group, a
privately held division of Alliance Data Systems of Dallas, Tex.,
and which is hereby incorporated by reference. Additional
information relating to smart card and smart card reader payment
technology is disclosed in Ser. No. 60/232,040, filed on Sep. 12,
2000, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,742,845, 5,898,838 and 5,905,908, owned
by Datascape; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Information on point-of-sale systems and the exploitation of
point-of-sale data is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,457, issued
on Nov. 3, 1998 to O'Brien et al., which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0007] Portions of each of the above-described programs may be used
to induce customer loyalty to particular merchants or service
providers who directly provide goods or services to the consumer.
In other words, these prior art frequency awards programs provide a
means for retail businesses, financial institutions, and others in
direct contact with the customers they service to provide
incentives to their customers to encourage repeat and/or volume
business. However, these programs do not sufficiently address the
similar needs of businesses that are further up in the distribution
chain, such as manufacturers, to promote volume purchases by
customers based upon, for example, brand loyalty independent of the
retail source for the purchase. Additionally, the prior art
programs do not provide a means for monitoring, tracking, and/or
analyzing consumer and product data across distribution channels
for a particular manufacturer and/or the variety of goods which
that manufacturer places into the stream of commerce for ultimate
sale to consumers by a retailer.
[0008] Generally, before a product arrives at a retail
establishment for sale to a consumer, the product travels through a
distribution chain which originates with the manufacturer. The
manufacturer typically sells its products to a wholesaler who in
turn sells those products to various retailers. Most modern
retailers implement some form of computerization or electronic
technology in their day-to-day operations. This technology
typically consists of using point-of-sale (POS) systems for
automating checkout procedures, assisting sales personnel, and the
like. POS systems generally include one or more automated check-out
terminals which are capable of inputting or sensing and
interpreting a symbol or other indicia related to the product, such
as a Universal Product Code (UPC), generally comprising a
machine-readable bar code coupled with a human-readable UPC number,
that is printed on a label or tag which is placed on each item of
merchandise to be purchased. The manufacturer may assign and mark
each product that it sells with a UPC. Conventionally, once the
product reaches the retailer, the retailer further identifies each
product with a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number or code as well as
other information for identifying a specific item or style of
merchandise. The retailer's SKU number may be either an entirely
different number used to identify each product (e.g., by style) or
a modified version of the manufacturer's UPC number, derived,
perhaps, by adding a SKU number to the UPC number, for example.
[0009] A POS terminal, a kiosk terminal, or a sales person's
hand-held terminal might be coupled to a store computer system,
such as a network server or some other store platform host, which
is able to recognize and process UPC and/or SKU information which
has been manually keyed-in or sensed and interpreted by a device,
such as a barcode reader, coupled to the terminal. The computer
system typically includes a database which stores information
relating to the retailer's product inventory, such as stocked
merchandise, a UPC and/or SKU number for each item of merchandise,
and various types of merchandise identification information, such
as price, inventory, style, color, size, etc., which is associated
with each UPC and/or SKU number. When a customer purchases an item
of merchandise, store personnel frequently use an automated
terminal to read the barcode markings which are attached to the
item. A computer interprets the UPC and/or SKU number comprised by
the barcode, accesses the database to determine the price for each
item, and maintains a running total of the total transaction
price.
[0010] One problem that results from the independent identification
schemes of the manufacturer and the retailers is that there is no
way for the manufacturer to track the quantity of any particular
product that each retailer sold. For example, even if a
manufacturer obtains all of the SKU numbers representing items
purchased from
[0011] Retailer 1 and Retailer 2 by consumers, the manufacturer has
no means for determining which SKU number corresponds to the
manufacturer's UPC, since the UPC's and SKU numbers of the various
retailers are not tracked and matched.
[0012] In view of the foregoing, a need exists for an incentive or
loyalty program which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method which provides a
universal customer incentive program that networks various levels
of the product distribution chain, such as manufacturers,
wholesalers, and retailers, to provide incentives to consumers to
purchase products not only from a particular merchant or group of
merchants but also from particular manufacturers, who are not
necessarily related to the specific merchant who sells the
manufacturer's products to the consumer. Additionally, a need
exists for a system and method for gathering data which associates
particular consumer purchasing behaviors and specific products or
product criteria across a manufacturer's distribution channels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention provides a system for implementing a
purchaser incentive program on a network-wide level. The system
associates SKU and UPC data on a network level to provide consumers
with a purchasing environment that is both convenient and
cost-efficient. The association of SKU and UPC data at a network
level also provides consumers with the ability to analyze their own
purchase data for a variety of purposes, including analyses
relating to the consumer's spending behaviors or patterns for
example. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the
association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates a search
which may be network-wide for an item that a consumer desires to
purchase under terms or conditions that are selected by the
consumer and are therefore perceived to be optimal by that
consumer. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates data
analysis by a consumer based upon any of several factors, including
items purchased, prices for those items, retailer ID, SKU number,
UPC, manufacturer ID, and/or the like. The system may compile any
of the above data across multiple entities for the purpose of data
analysis, such as analyses which may be employed in consumer
budgeting for example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Additional aspects of the present invention will become
evident upon reviewing the non-limiting embodiments described in
the specification and the claims, in conjunction with the
accompanying figures, wherein like numerals designate like
elements, and wherein:
[0015] FIGS. 1-3 are schematic block diagrams illustrating
exemplary incentive systems in accordance with various aspects of
the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary central
rewards mechanism in accordance with the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary rewards
server in accordance with the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
capturing and processing POS SKU data in accordance with the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
associating SKU data and UPC data in accordance with the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an
exemplary virtual purchasing system in accordance with the
invention;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary virtual
purchaser in accordance with the invention;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
conducting a network-wide search for an item in accordance with the
invention;
[0023] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
facilitating the purchase of an item located through the process of
FIG. 10;
[0024] FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary
consumer purchasing analysis system in accordance with the
invention;
[0025] FIG. 13 is flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
obtaining a record of a consumer's purchasing activities; and
[0026] FIG. 14 is flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
analyzing a consumer's purchasing activities.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The following disclosure presents and describes various
exemplary embodiments in sufficient detail to enable those skilled
in the art to practice the invention, and it should be understood
that other embodiments may be realized without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the following detailed
description is presented for purposes of illustration only, and not
of limitation, and the scope of the invention is defined solely by
the appended claims.
[0028] The present invention may be described herein in terms of
functional block components and various processing steps. It should
be appreciated that such functional blocks may be realized by any
number of hardware and/or software components configured to perform
the specified functions. For example, the present invention may
employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory
elements, processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, and
the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the
control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.
Similarly, the software elements of the present invention may be
implemented with any programming or scripting language such as C,
C++, Java, COBOL, assembler, PERL, or the like, with the various
algorithms being implemented with any combination of data
structures, objects, processes, routines, or other programming
elements. Further, it should be noted that the present invention
may employ any number of conventional techniques for data
transmission, signaling, data processing, network control, and the
like. For a basic introduction to cryptography, please review a
text written by Bruce Schneider which is entitled "Applied
Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, And Source Code In C,"
published by John Wiley & Sons (second edition, 1996), which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
[0029] It should be appreciated that the particular implementations
shown and described herein are illustrative of the invention and
its best mode and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of
the present invention in any way. Furthermore, the connecting lines
shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to
represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical
couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that
many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical
connections may be present in a practical incentive system
implemented in accordance with the invention.
[0030] Communication between participants in the system of the
present invention is accomplished through any suitable
communication means, such as, for example, a telephone network,
public switch telephone network, intranet, Internet, extranet, WAN,
LAN, point of interaction device (e.g., point of sale device,
personal digital assistant, cellular phone, kiosk terminal,
automated teller machine (ATM), etc.), online communications,
off-line communications, wireless communications, satellite
communications, and/or the like. One skilled in the art will also
appreciate that, for security reasons, any databases, systems, or
components of the present invention may consist of any combination
of databases or components at a single location or at multiple
locations, wherein each database or system includes any of various
suitable security features, such as firewalls, access codes,
encryption, de-encryption, compression, decompression, and/or the
like.
[0031] It further will be appreciated that users may interact with
the system via any input device such as a keyboard, mouse, kiosk,
personal digital assistant, handheld computer (e.g., Palm
Pilot.RTM.), cellular phone, and/or the like. Similarly, the
invention could be used in conjunction with any type of personal
computer, network computer, workstation, minicomputer, mainframe,
or the like, running any operating system, such as any version of
Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 95, MacOS,
OS/2, BeOS, Linux, UNIX, or the like. Moreover, although the
invention may be described herein as being implemented with TCP/IP
communications protocols, it will be readily understood that the
invention could also be implemented using IPX, Appletalk, IP-6,
NetBIOS, OSI, or any number of existing or future protocols.
Moreover, the system contemplates the use, sale, or distribution of
any goods, services, or information over any network having similar
functionality described herein.
[0032] Each participant or user of the system of the present
invention, including purchasers, retailers, manufacturers, and a
third-party providers, may be equipped with a suitable computing
system to facilitate online communications and transactions with
any other participant. For example, some or all participants may
have access to a computing unit in the form of a personal computer,
although other types of computing units may be used, including
laptops, notebooks, handheld computers, set-top boxes, kiosk
terminals, and the like. Additionally, other participants may have
computing systems which may be implemented in the form of a
computer-server, a PC server, a networked set of computers, or any
other suitable implementations which are known in the art or may
hereafter be devised.
[0033] The computing systems may be connected with each other via a
data communications network, as described more fully above. For
example, the network may be a public network, which is assumed to
be insecure and open to eavesdroppers. In one embodiment, the
network is embodied as the Internet. In this context, the computers
may or may not be connected to the Internet at all times. For
instance, the consumer's computer may employ a modem to
occasionally connect to the Internet, whereas the retailer
computing system, the manufacturer computing system, and the
central rewards mechanism might maintain a permanent connection to
the Internet. It is noted that the network may be implemented as
other types of networks, such as an interactive television (ITV)
network.
[0034] The retailer's computer system may also be interconnected to
a third-party provider via a second network, referred to as a
payment network. The payment network represents existing
proprietary networks that presently accommodate transactions for
credit cards, debit cards, and other types of financial instruments
or banking cards. The payment network is a closed network that is
assumed to be secure from eavesdroppers. Examples of the payment
network include the American Express.RTM., VisaNet.RTM., and the
Veriphone.RTM. networks.
[0035] As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art,
the present invention may be embodied as a method, a data
processing system, a device for data processing, and/or a computer
program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may
take the form of an entirely software embodiment, an entirely
hardware embodiment, or an embodiment combining aspects of both
software and hardware. Furthermore, the present invention may take
the form of a computer program product on a computer-readable
storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied
in the storage medium. Any suitable computer-readable storage
medium may be utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROM, optical
storage devices, magnetic storage devices, and/or the like.
[0036] The present invention is described below with reference to
block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods, apparatus
(e.g., systems), and computer program products according to various
aspects of the invention. It will be understood that each
functional block of the block diagrams and the flowchart
illustrations, and combinations of functional blocks in the block
diagrams and flowchart illustrations, respectively, can be
implemented by computer program instructions. These computer
program instructions may be loaded onto a general purpose computer,
special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing
apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions which
execute on the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in
the flowchart block or blocks.
[0037] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other
programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular
manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable
memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction
means which implement the function specified in the flowchart block
or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded
onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to
cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer
or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented
process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer
or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the
functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
[0038] Accordingly, functional blocks of the block diagrams and
flowchart illustrations support combinations of means for
performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for
performing the specified functions, and program instruction means
for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood
that each functional block of the block diagrams and flowchart
illustrations, and combinations of functional blocks in the block
diagrams and flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by either
special purpose, hardware-based computer systems which perform the
specified functions or steps, or suitable combinations of special
purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0039] As used herein, the terms "user" and "participant" shall
interchangeably refer to any person, entity, charitable
organization, machine, hardware, software, or business who accesses
and uses the system of the invention, including consumers,
retailers, manufacturers, and third-party providers. Participants
in the system may interact with one another either online or
off-line.
[0040] As used herein, the term "online" refers to interactive
communications that take place between participants who are
remotely located from one another, including communication through
any of the networks or communications means described above or the
like.
[0041] The term "manufacturer" shall include any person, entity,
charitable organization, machine, software, hardware, and/or the
like that manufactures, distributes, or originates a product or
service which may ultimately be offered to a consumer directly or
indirectly through a retailer. The term "manufacturer" may also
include any party that generates and/or provides manufacturer item
identifiers.
[0042] The term "retailer" shall include any person, entity,
charitable organization, machine, software, hardware, and/or the
like that that offers a product or service to a consumer. As used
herein, the term "retailer" is used interchangeably with the term
"merchant". Moreover, in this context, a retailer or merchant may
offer or sell, either online or off-line, products and/or services
made or supplied by at least one manufacturer.
[0043] As used herein, the phrases "network level" and
"network-wide level" shall refer to a system that includes more
than one retailer and at least one manufacturer.
[0044] As used herein, the terms "purchaser", "customer",
"consumer", and "end-user" may be used interchangeably with each
other, and each shall mean any person, entity, charitable
organization, or business which uses a consumer ID to participate
in the present system.
[0045] A "consumer ID", as used herein, includes any device, code,
or other identifier suitably configured to allow the consumer to
interact or communicate with the system, such as, for example, a
rewards card, charge card, credit card, debit card, prepaid card,
telephone card, smart card, magnetic stripe card, bar code card,
transponder, authorization/access code, personal identification
number (PIN), Internet code, other identification code, and/or the
like. Additionally, a "consumer ID" may comprise any form of radio
wave, electronic, magnetic, and/or optical device capable of
receiving (uploading) and/or transmitting (downloading) data to
and/or from itself to a second device which is capable of
interacting and communicating with such forms of consumer ID.
[0046] "Consumer enrollment data" may comprise any of the
following: name; address; date of birth; social security number;
email address; gender; the names of any household members; survey
data; interests; educational level; and/or any preferred brand
names. A consumer may register to participate in the present system
by any methods known and practiced in the art. For example, a
consumer may be enrolled automatically (e.g., if the consumer holds
an existing consumer account with the system administrator), over
the phone, at the point of sale (e.g., through a paper application
or a verbal interview), through the mail, or through instant
enrollment online. Upon enrollment, the consumer receives a
consumer ID that is associated with a consumer account.
[0047] In an exemplary aspect, "consumer enrollment data" may also
comprise a transaction card number for charging any fees that may
be associated with participation in the system and/or for
facilitating the purchase of goods and services through the virtual
purchasing system described below. In this context, a "transaction
card number" may include any device, code, or suitable financial
instrument representing an account with a financial institution,
such as a bank, a card issuer, and/or the like, wherein the device,
code, or other suitable financial instrument has a credit line or
balance associated with it, and wherein the credit line or balance
is in a form of financial tender having discrete units, such as
currency. Moreover, a "transaction card number", a "transaction
card", or a "card", as used herein, includes any device, code, or
financial instrument suitably configured to allow the cardholder to
interact or communicate with the system, such as, for example, a
charge card, credit card, debit card, prepaid card, telephone card,
smart card, magnetic stripe card, bar code card,
authorization/access code, personal identification number (PIN),
Internet code, other identification code, and/or the like.
[0048] A "consumer profile", as used herein, shall refer to any
data used to characterize a consumer and/or the behavior of a
consumer. In the context of a commercial transaction, "a consumer
profile" shall be understood to include, for example, the time and
date of a particular purchase, the frequency of purchases, the
volume/quantity of purchases, the transaction size (price), and/or
the like. Additionally, in other transactional contexts, the term
"consumer profile" shall also be understood to include non-purchase
behaviors of a consumer, such as consumer enrollment data, visiting
a Web site, referrals of prospective participants in the system,
completion of a survey or other information gathering instrument,
and/or the like. For instance, a participating online consumer may
earn rewards points automatically through a triggering event, such
as visiting a Web site, completing an online survey, or clicking on
a banner advertisement for example. Off-line, a participating
consumer may earn rewards points by completing a task or showing
their consumer ID to the cashier and triggering the cashier to
provide a "behavior" ID which may be input (e.g., by scanning a bar
code on a paper survey for example) into the POS terminal. Further,
any aspects of the consumer profile may be used in the context of
data analysis.
[0049] A "third-party provider" may comprise any additional
provider of goods and/or services to a consumer. Specifically, a
"third-party provider" includes any party other than the particular
manufacturer and retailer who is involved in a transaction with a
consumer. A third-party provider may include, for example, a
financial institution, such as a bank or an issuer of a financial
instrument (such as a credit card or a debit card). A third-party
provider may also include a provider of goods and services which
are offered as awards to consumers in exchange for a requisite
number of reward points.
[0050] Though the invention may generically be described with
reference to a series of transactions which transfer a good or
service from an originating party to an intermediary party and a
subsequent transaction which transfers the good or service from the
intermediary party to an end-user of that good or service, for
convenience and purposes of brevity and consistency, the present
disclosure generally refers to the originating party as a
"manufacturer", the intermediary party as a "retailer", the
end-user as a "consumer", and a good or service as a "product" or
"item". However, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill
in the art that the retailer need not provide a product or item to
a consumer in exchange for monetary currency. While this often may
be the case, the present disclosure is not so limited and includes
transactions which may be gratuitous in nature, whereby the
retailer transfers a product or item to a consumer without the
consumer providing any currency or other value in exchange. It is
further noted that additional participants, referred to as
third-party providers, may be involved in some phases of the
transaction, though these participants are not shown. Exemplary
third-party providers may include financial institutions, such as
banks, credit card companies, card sponsoring companies, or issuers
of credit who may be under contract with financial institutions. It
will be appreciated that any number of consumers, retailers,
manufacturers, third-party providers, and the like may participate
in the system of the present invention.
[0051] As used herein, the term "UPC" and the phrase "manufacturer
item identifier" shall refer to any symbol or indicia which
provides information and, in an exemplary embodiment, shall refer
to any number, code, or identifier assigned by a manufacturer and
associated with an item, including any type of goods and/or
services, ultimately offered to a consumer or other end-user.
Colloquially, a UPC is sometimes referred to as a SKU number.
However, as used herein, the term "SKU"and the phrase "retailer
item identifier" shall refer to any symbol or indicia which
provides additional information and, in an exemplary embodiment,
shall refer to any number, code, or identifier assigned by a
retailer and associated with an item, including any type of goods
and/or services, offered to a consumer or other end-user.
[0052] "Purchase data", as used herein, comprises data relating to
the offer of any item to a consumer or other end-user. Purchase
data may include any of the following: an item purchased, an item
price, a number of items purchased, a total transaction price, a
payment vehicle, a date, a retailer ID, a store ID, an employee
identifier, a retailer item identifier, a manufacturer ID, a
manufacturer item identifier, a loyalty identifier, and/or the
like.
[0053] "Retailer ID" or "retailer identifier", as used herein,
comprises any symbol, indicia, code, number, or other identifier
that may be associated with a retailer of any type of goods and/or
services offered to a consumer or other end-user. A retailer ID may
also include or be associated with a "store ID", which designates
the location of a particular store.
[0054] A "manufacturer ID" or "manufacturer identifier" comprises
any symbol, indicia, code, number, or other identifier that may be
associated with a manufacturer of any type of goods and/or services
ultimately offered to a consumer or other end-user.
[0055] An "award" or "reward" may comprise any quantity of
products, services, coupons, gift certificates, rebates, reward
points, bonus points, credits or debits to a financial instrument,
any combination of these, and/or the like.
[0056] "Data analysis", as used herein, shall be understood to
comprise quantitative and qualitative research, statistical
modeling, regression analyses, market segmentation analyses,
econometrics, financial analyses, budgeting analyses, and/or the
like. Such analyses may be used to predict consumer behaviors
and/or correlate consumer profiles, retailer data, manufacturer
data, and/or product or service data. Such analyses may also be
used to monitor a consumer's personal finances by enabling a
consumer to track their spending behaviors and patterns, as an
individual or as part of a family, organization or other group.
[0057] The system of the present invention associates or maps
manufacturer UPC data and retailer SKU data on a network level to
reward consumers and/or to analyze the data for a variety of
business purposes, such as market segmentation analyses and/or
analyses relating to consumer spending behaviors or patterns for
example. Rather than simply capturing transactions at a Record of
Charge (ROC) level, that is, recording consumer purchases in a
general fashion by designating purchase categories (such as
"clothing", "electronics", or "hardware" for example), the system
identifies the particular item purchased (such as "jeans",
"stereo", or "hammer" for example) as well as its corresponding
manufacturer. By matching or associating the retailer SKU and the
manufacturer's UPC, the system permits the standardization of goods
and/or services codes at the network level. This standardization
not only permits a record of both the specific item purchased and
its manufacturer, regardless of the particular retailer involved in
the transaction, but it permits the mapping of multiple consumers,
multiple goods and/or services, multiple retailers, and/or multiple
manufacturers to advantageously cross-market goods and services to
consumers.
[0058] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the
association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates
implementation of an incentive or loyalty program by providing a
universal rewards currency which may be "spent" by participants who
have earned rewards and accepted by the other participants in the
multi-tiered network created by the system. The network may
comprise any number of participants, including consumers, retailers
(and any of their employees), manufacturers, third-party providers,
and the like. Each of these categories of participants may be
considered a tier in the network, and each participant within the
various tiers may design and implement an independent rewards
scheme within the context of the universal environment provided by
the system. For example, Manufacturer 1 may produce and assign a
UPC to Item X. Item X may subsequently be offered for sale by both
Retailer 1 and Retailer 2. Retailer 1 and Retailer 2 may then each
assign an independent SKU number to Item X to facilitate their own
tracking, inventory, and pricing schemes. A consumer may then
purchase Item X from both Retailer 1 and Retailer 2.
[0059] Since the system is capable of processing, associating, and
quantifying a variety of data, including consumer data, employee
data, retailer data, manufacturer data, SKU number data
corresponding to Item X, and UPC data assigned by Manufacturer 1,
for example, this data can then be used by the manufacturer, the
retailer, the system administrator, and/or a third-party provider
to provide rewards to consumers, employees, retailers, etc. For
example, a manufacturer may provide frequency-based incentives,
such as every 10.sup.th purchase of a particular item will be
discounted by 50% for example, independent of and/or in addition to
any incentives offered by the specific retailer involved in the
transaction. Additionally, the manufacturer may provide sales
incentives to the employees of retailers independent of and/or in
addition to any employee incentive programs that the retailers may
choose to implement.
[0060] Since rewards, which may be in the form of rewards points,
may be earned across the various tiers in the network, rewards may
also be used or spent across the various tiers in the network.
Thus, any rewards points that an employee, for example, may earn by
promoting a particular manufacturer's line of products, may be
"spent" by that employee on goods or services provided by any
participant in the network, not merely at the retailer who employs
that employee. Likewise, any rewards points earned by a consumer
may be spent on goods or services offered by any participant in the
network.
[0061] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates data
analysis on a network level based upon several factors, including
any of the following: consumer ID, consumer profile, retailer ID,
SKU number, UPC, manufacturer ID, and/or the like. The system may
compile any of the above data across multiple participants for the
purpose of data analysis, such as analyses which may be employed in
strategic planning and marketing for example. The system of the
invention may be used to compile, analyze, and report data in a
manner which would inform any or all network participants that, for
example, a specific consumer (1) has made multiple purchases of
particular manufacturers' products; (2) has spent Q dollars over a
certain time period; (3) at specific multiple retailers; and (4) of
the purchases made, R dollars went towards the purchase of Product
1, S dollars went towards the purchase of Product 2, and T dollars
went towards the purchase of Service 1. Moreover, the system may be
used to compile, analyze, and report data that enable a retailer, a
manufacturer, and/or a third-party provider to create a variety of
targeted marketing promotions, such as, for example, (1) marketing
Product 1 offered by Manufacturer 1 to consumers who purchase
Product 2 offered by Manufacturer 2; (2) marketing Product 1
offered by Manufacturer 1 and sold by Retailer X to consumers who
purchase Product 2 offered by Manufacturer 2 at Retailer Y; and/or
(3) marketing Product 1 offered by Manufacturer 1 and sold by
Retailer X to consumers who purchase Product 2 offered by
Manufacturer 2 at Retailer Y five times a year. It will be
appreciated that these are but a few of the many possible
applications for data gathered and generated by the system of the
present invention.
[0062] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the
system administrator may allocate rewards points to participants in
the system. In one embodiment, participating retailers and/or
manufacturers may purchase points from the system administrator and
the points are then allocated to an account associated with the
retailer and/or manufacturer. In an alternate embodiment, the
system administrator may give or donate points to participating
retailers and/or manufacturers. The system administrator maintains
an account with each of the participating retailers and
manufacturers and tracks available points balances and/or balances
owing on a rolling basis. The points purchased by the retailers
and/or manufacturers may then be earned by and issued to consumers
in a manner that is predetermined by the retailer and/or
manufacturer involved in the transaction with the consumer. For
example, Retailer 1 may purchase 10,000 points from the system
administrator and then offer consumers 1 point for every $10
dollars spent in Retailer 1's store or, perhaps, some number of
points for every fifth transaction in the store. Moreover,
Manufacturer 1, who produces the product offered by Retailer 1, may
also purchase points from the system administrator. Thus, when a
consumer purchases Manufacturer 1's product at Retailer 1,
Manufacturer 1 may issue some number of points to the consumer. The
issuance of points, either by retailers or manufacturers, may be
based upon any selected criteria, including a points-for-dollars
ratio, a defined quantity of points per item or per transaction,
some combination of these, and/or the like.
[0063] The system administrator maintains an account for each
participating consumer and apprises the consumer of the points
totals and account activity. The consumer may review the total
number of points in the account either online or off-line, such as
through a periodic statement sent by the system administrator or
through the use of a communications network, such as the Internet,
for example. Points in the consumer's account are accumulated
across the multiple retailers and/or manufacturers participating in
the system. Thus, points earned by a consumer based upon
transactions with different retailers and/or manufacturers are
combined, resulting in a rapid accrual of points. The system
administrator offers a catalog of products and services, which may
be either online or off-line, from which consumers may select
rewards in exchange for accrued points. In this manner, consumers
advantageously earn points based upon their everyday purchases of
products and services, these points are accrued across retailers
and/or manufacturers, and points redemption takes place through a
single, universal catalog of rewards.
[0064] In accordance with the present invention, FIG. 1 is a
diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an incentive or
loyalty system 100. System 100 comprises a central rewards
mechanism 102; a plurality of retailer/merchant systems 104; and at
least one manufacturer 106. One skilled in the art will appreciate
that system 100 may comprise any number of retailer systems 104 and
any number of manufacturers 106.
[0065] The central rewards mechanism 102 manages the incentive or
loyalty program of the system 100. In an exemplary embodiment,
central rewards mechanism 102 receives, processes, and stores
manufacturer data, such as information regarding products and/or
services and UPC data, transmitted by manufacturers 106 who have
enrolled in the system 100. Manufacturers 106 may transmit data to
central rewards mechanism 102 in any form and by any means known in
the art, including any of the communications means described above.
The manufacturer data is stored by the central rewards mechanism
102 in database 103. Database 103 may be any type of database, such
as relational, hierarchical, object-oriented, and/or the like.
Common database products that may be used to implement database 103
include DB2 by IBM (White Plains, N.Y.), any of the database
products available from Oracle Corporation (Redwood Shores,
Calif.), Microsoft Access by Microsoft Corporation (Redmond,
Wash.), or any other database product. Database 103 may be
organized in any suitable manner, including as data tables or
lookup tables.
[0066] The central rewards mechanism 102 may receive and process
consumer ID information and purchase data from any of the retailer
systems 104. The central rewards mechanism 102 may also associate a
particular consumer ID with the purchase data and a corresponding
manufacturer item identifier. In one embodiment, the central
rewards mechanism 102 performs an analysis involving any of the
following: a consumer ID, purchase data, a points ratio, a consumer
profile, a retailer ID, and a manufacturer ID. The analysis may be
dependent upon an the association of the consumer IDs, the purchase
data, and the manufacturer item identifier. The analysis may
further comprise, for example, a calculation of rewards points
and/or other analyses for purposes of market segmentation,
determining consumer spending behavior, correlating spending
behavior and consumer demographics, and/or the like, as described
in greater detail above.
[0067] In one exemplary embodiment, the central rewards mechanism
102 stores and informs a consumer of the rewards points that have
been earned by a particular transaction as well as accumulated over
time. The number of rewards points calculated and awarded by the
central rewards mechanism 102 for a particular purchase may depend
upon a predetermined rewards ratio. The rewards ratio may be
determined by the retailer, the system administrator, the
manufacturer of the purchased item, and/or any other suitable
third-party. For example, if a participating consumer buys a
product from a retailer for $100 and if the retailer rewards ratio
is one reward point for each dollar of the purchase price (i.e.,
one-for-one), once the consumer's consumer ID is identified by the
system, the consumer is credited with a suitable number of rewards
points from the retailer, which, in this case, would be 100 points.
However, if the manufacturer also chooses to issue rewards points
for the item purchased, the manufacturer may select a points ratio
that is different from the retailer's selected ratio. In the
illustrated example, if the manufacturer's selected points ratio is
two-for-one, then the consumer will be awarded an additional 200
points from the manufacturer for this single $100 purchase. In this
manner, the system of the invention may provide "earn accelerators"
through which consumers may accumulate rewards points at a
comparatively rapid rate. In other words, a single purchase may
generate rewards points for a consumer from any or all of a
retailer, a manufacturer, and/or a third-party provider, and those
rewards points may be used as rewards currency by the consumer
throughout the network established by the system of the
invention.
[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, retailer system 104 comprises a
retailer terminal 108 and a retailer processor 110 in communication
with database 111. Retailer terminal 108 comprises any device
capable of identifying a consumer ID. Exemplary devices for
identifying a consumer ID may include: a conventional card reader
which recognizes a magnetic stripe or bar code associated with a
consumer ID; a biometric device; a smart card reader which
recognizes information stored on a microchip integrated with a
consumer ID; and any device capable of receiving or uploading
consumer ID data transmitted electronically, magnetically, or
optically; and/or the like. In one embodiment, retailer terminal
108 and retailer processor 110 are co-located at a retail store. In
another embodiment, retail terminal 108 and retailer processor 110
are remote from each other.
[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2,
retailer terminal 108 comprises a retailer POS terminal 112, such
as a cash register or an online retailer Web site, for example.
When a consumer ID is used at the time an item is purchased,
purchase data, including a SKU number, is input, sensed, or
otherwise recognized by terminal 108, and then the purchase data is
processed and stored by retailer processor 110. Retailer processor
110 comprises or is in communication with a suitable database 111
or other storage device for maintaining and storing purchase data
and any other suitable retailer information. Database 111 may be
any type of database, such as any of the database products
described above for example. Database 111 may be organized in any
suitable manner, including as data tables or lookup tables.
Purchase data that is stored in database 111 is available to the
retailer's local back office system (not shown) for inventory,
accounting, tax, data analysis, and other purposes. The captured
purchase data may include the item purchased, the item's unit
price, the number of items purchased, the date, the store location,
an employee ID, and any other information related to the purchase.
In an exemplary embodiment, retailer processor 110 may also
receive, process, and store manufacturer data, such as information
regarding products and/or services and UPC data, from manufacturers
106 who have enrolled in the system 100. The manufacturer data may
be stored in any suitable form, including data tables or lookup
tables.
[0070] In accordance with the exemplary embodiments illustrated in
FIG. 3, purchase data may also be transmitted to, and then
processed and stored by, a retailer regional processor 114 (or,
alternatively, a retailer national processor (not shown)) in
communication with database 115 for the purpose of further back
office and cumulative data analysis. Database 115 may be any type
of database, such as any of the database products described in
greater detail above for example. Database 115 may be organized in
any suitable manner, including as data tables or lookup tables. In
an exemplary embodiment, retailer processor 110 optionally may be
integrated with retailer regional processor 114 (illustrated by the
phantom lines encompassing Retailer Processor 1 and retailer
regional processor 114 within the system of Retailer/Merchant #2),
thereby forming a single device. In another embodiment, retailer
processor 110 and retailer regional processor 114 are separate
devices which may be either co-located with each other or remotely
located from one another. For example, in one embodiment, retailer
processor 110 and regional processor 114 are co-located at a
particular retail store. In another embodiment, retailer processor
110 is located at a particular retail store and retailer regional
processor 114 is remotely located at a regional office.
[0071] Regardless of the location of retailer regional processor
114, retailer regional processor 114 receives and processes similar
information from each of the retailer processors 110 associated
with each of the retail stores owned by the same retailer. Whether
the system 100 comprises a retailer regional processor 114 or a
retailer national processor may be a function of the number of
stores maintained by a particular retailer. That is, a larger
retailer who has numerous stores throughout the country, for
example, may choose to have a plurality of regional processors,
while a smaller retailer with a few stores scattered across the
country may be better served by a single, national processor. In
exemplary embodiments, the retailer regional processors 114 and/or
national processors communicate with a suitable database 115 or
other storage device which is configured to store and maintain
purchase data and any other suitable retailer information. In
another exemplary embodiment, retailer regional processor 114 may
receive, process, and store manufacturer data, such as information
regarding products and/or services and UPC data, from manufacturers
106 who have enrolled in the system 100. The manufacturer data may
be stored in any suitable form, including data tables or lookup
tables.
[0072] With momentary reference to FIG. 2, retailer terminal 108
may comprise a rewards terminal 116 through which a consumer may be
updated with regard to various aspects of the system. For example,
rewards terminal 116 may inform a consumer of the number of reward
points that they have accumulated from all system participants and
the types of awards that may be obtained using those reward points.
Moreover, rewards terminal 116 may suggest to the consumer various
awards for which the consumer is eligible based upon the rewards
points generated by the consumer's network-wide purchases. In this
context, network-wide purchases include any purchases of items
corresponding to retailers and/or manufacturers participating in
the system 100.
[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, rewards terminal 116 operates in
real-time. In this context, "real-time" means that reward points
are immediately, or nearly immediately, updated at the time
purchases are made and are therefore immediately redeemable by the
consumer at the a point of sale. Thus, for example, a consumer may
be informed by rewards terminal 116 at the point of sale that the
item being purchased by the consumer may be purchased using the
consumer's accumulated reward points, including points accumulated
on a network level. Points accumulated on a network level enable
consumers to accumulate points more rapidly than would be possible
if only a single retailer or group of retailers were issuing the
points. In one embodiment, rewards terminal 116 may update a
consumer's rewards points in real-time and, in response to the
consumer's particular points total, issue a coupon, a gift
certificate, and/or additional bonus points to the consumer.
[0074] In another exemplary embodiment, the system may operate in
batch mode, wherein points totals are calculated, stored, and
periodically updated for access by the retailer terminal 108,
including POS terminal 112 and/or rewards terminal 116. Thus, in
this embodiment, the consumer may be notified of available points
sometime after a purchase, or a suggestive sale may take place
after a purchase. The total point count or suggestive sale may take
into account points generated and accumulated as the result of
network-wide purchases.
[0075] In various alternate embodiments of the invention, retailer
terminal 108 may include a rewards terminal 116 but not a POS
terminal 112; a POS terminal 112 but not a rewards terminal 116; or
a POS terminal 112 in communication with a rewards terminal 116. In
alternate embodiments, where terminal 108 includes a POS terminal
112 and a rewards terminal 116, the two terminals 112 and 116 may
be variously implemented as separate terminals, integrated
terminals, or software within a device. In another embodiment,
where terminal 108 comprises a rewards terminal 116 but not a POS
terminal 112, terminal 108 may be a kiosk terminal located within a
retail store or some other remote terminal which is capable of
recognizing a consumer ID and communicating with the system 100. A
consumer may use independent rewards terminal 116 to do, for
example, any of the following: view accumulated reward points
totals; view potential awards which the consumer may obtain in
exchange for various numbers of points; select an award; redeem
rewards points for a selected award; request and/or receive a
reward points advisory statement; and/or view a directory of
participating retailers, manufacturers, and third-party
providers.
[0076] In another exemplary embodiment, system 100 further
comprises a consumer terminal 118. Consumer terminal 118 is any
remote terminal through which a consumer may access other aspects
of the system 100. Consumer terminal 118 may comprise any of the
input devices, computing units, or computing systems described
above. Further, consumer terminal 118 communicates with the system
100 through any of the communications networks described above. In
one embodiment, consumer terminal 118 permits a consumer to engage
multiple facets of the system 100 in an interactive online
communications environment. The interactive online environment made
available through consumer terminal 118 is an extension of the
network-level incentive award program and is implemented in
conjunction with other aspects of the system 100. In this context,
a consumer may use consumer terminal 118 for a variety of purposes.
In one embodiment, consumer terminal 118 may be used to communicate
with and receive information from the central rewards mechanism
102. For example, a consumer may use consumer terminal 118 to do
any of the following: enroll in the system; receive statements or
reports regarding accumulated reward points totals; receive bonus
details; view potential awards which the consumer may obtain in
exchange for various numbers of points; select an award; receive
redemption information; view points adjustments; redeem rewards
points for a selected award; request and/or receive a reward points
advisory statement; receive information regarding where and how
points were earned and/or how points were redeemed; receive
information regarding expiration dates for points earned; receive
information relating to any applicable fees; receive information
regarding marketing promotions; and/or view a directory of
participating retailers, manufacturers, and/or third-party
providers.
[0077] In another embodiment, consumer terminal 118 may be used to
interact with and/or make purchases and generate rewards points
from participating online retailers, as illustrated by the various
phantom lines in FIG. 1. The online retailer may then communicate
with the central rewards mechanism 102 to transmit and process a
consumer ID, purchase data, etc., as described above with reference
to retailer 104 of FIG. 1. Information communicated between the
online consumer, the online retailer, and the online central
rewards mechanism may include, for example, product or service
information, prices, availability of the product or service,
shipping information, rewards points information, available awards,
information regarding points ratios and points redemption, and/or
the like. In one embodiment, consumer terminal 118 operates in
real-time, as described above with respect to rewards terminal 116.
In another embodiment, the consumer terminal 118 may operate in
batch mode, as described above. In still a further embodiment,
consumer terminal 118 operates in a manner which includes aspects
of both real-time functionality and batch mode functionality.
[0078] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the
system 100 may comprise a rewards server 120 in communication with
a database 121, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Database 121 may be any
type of database, such as any of the database products described
above for example. Database 121 may be organized in any suitable
manner, including as data tables or lookup tables. In an exemplary
embodiment, rewards server 120 may be any hardware and/or software
that is configured to communicate with the central rewards
mechanism 102 and either the retailer processor 110 or the retailer
regional processor 114. In alternate exemplary embodiments, rewards
server 120 may be integrated with retailer system 104; rewards
server 120 may be integrated with central rewards mechanism 102; or
rewards server 120 may be separate from both retailer system 104
and central rewards mechanism 102. In a further embodiment, the
rewards server 120 may communicate with both a retailer national
processor (not shown) and the central rewards mechanism 102.
[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, rewards server 120 receives,
processes, and stores both manufacturer data and retailer data.
Manufacturer data may include descriptions of products and/or
services and UPC data transmitted from manufacturers 106 who have
enrolled in the system 100. The manufacturer data may be stored in
any suitable form, including data tables or lookup tables. Retailer
data may include descriptions of products and/or services and SKU
data transmitted from retailers 104 who have enrolled in the system
100. The retailer data may be stored in any suitable form,
including data tables or lookup tables.
[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the rewards server 120 performs
a plurality of functions that might otherwise be performed by the
central rewards mechanism 102. For example, since rewards
calculations require significant processing and memory resources,
performance of calculations processing by the rewards server 120 at
the regional level lessens the processing load on the central
rewards mechanism 102, thereby increasing the efficiency of the
central rewards mechanism 102. In an exemplary embodiment, each
retailer's region, which comprises a plurality of that retailer's
stores or outlets, accesses a rewards server 120 which acts as an
intermediary between the retailer regional processor 114 and the
central rewards mechanism 102. This configuration relieves the
processing, power, memory, and other requirements of the central
rewards mechanism 102. Moreover, each retailer is but one of many
retailers that may participate in the network level rewards
structure. Accordingly, a plurality of rewards servers 120 may be
in communication with the central rewards mechanism 102 as well as
each of the participating retailer regional processors 114, further
alleviating the processing burden and freeing up the resources of
the central rewards mechanism 102.
[0081] Implementations which include at least one independent
rewards server 120 are also advantageous because cost-effective
communications links may be used to facilitate communications with
the central rewards mechanism 102. Performance by the rewards
server 120 of many of the "intelligence functions" of the system
100, permits transmission of only particular forms of purchaser
information to the central rewards mechanism 102. In an exemplary
embodiment, data sent from the rewards server 120 to the central
rewards mechanism 102 may include the consumer ID and the total
number of rewards points earned by a consumer in a particular
transaction. In another exemplary embodiment, data transmitted by
the rewards server 120 to the central rewards mechanism 102 may
also include any pre-selected aspect of the consumer profile, any
pre-selected aspect of the purchase data, and/or any other
pre-selected data associated with a consumer, a retailer, a
manufacturer, and/or a third-party provider. Pre-selection of the
types of data transmitted by the rewards server 120 to the central
rewards mechanism 102 may be conducted by the system administrator,
a retailer, a manufacturer, and/or a third-party provider. Thus,
data which may be useful for purposes of data analysis but
unrelated to the rewards feature, such as the characteristics of
the particular item purchased for example, may not need to be
transmitted to the central rewards mechanism 102.
[0082] Exemplary functions performed by the rewards server 120 may
include the association of UPC and SKU data; manipulation of the
rewards criteria applicable in particular cases, which may further
depend upon the retailer, manufacturer, and/or third-party provider
involved in a specific transaction with a consumer; calculation of
rewards benefits earned by the consumer; filtration functions for
determining which data is transmitted from the rewards server 120
to the central rewards mechanism 102; and/or various types of data
analyses, as described above. In an exemplary embodiment, the
retailer system 104 houses, maintains, and updates the hardware
and/or software of the rewards server 120. In another embodiment,
rewards server 120 may be housed, maintained, and updated by the
system administrator.
[0083] In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, the system 100 permits an open payment system. Since the
invention generally provides that consumer participation in the
system is based upon a consumer ID, a purchaser may use any of
multiple payment vehicles (such as cash, check, charge card, credit
card, debit card, MasterCard.RTM., Visa.RTM., and/or the American
Express.RTM. Card for example) to make purchases at the various
retailers and still participate in the system. Thus, in one
embodiment, the consumer ID is independent of any particular
payment vehicle, such as a credit card for example.
[0084] However, alternate embodiments of the invention may be
implemented which associate a consumer ID with a particular payment
vehicle, such as a consumer's credit card account, charge card
account, debit card account, and/or bank account for example. In
this embodiment, the retailer conducting the transaction need only
participate in the system to the extent that the retailer provides
its SKU data to the system 100, such as to the rewards server 120.
In other words, when a consumer ID is associated with an instrument
(e.g., a credit card) from a third-party provider, the retailer
need not provide a rewards terminal or other terminal capable of
processing the consumer ID, since the third-party provider may
process the consumer ID as part of the payment transaction. Thus,
in this embodiment, rewards benefits may be earned by the consumer
on a network-wide level without the retailer's direct participation
in the rewards feature (notwithstanding the retailer's
participation in transmitting SKU data to the system). Moreover, it
will be appreciated that a single consumer ID may be associated
with multiple third-party payment vehicles, thereby allowing a
consumer to generate rewards points regardless of the particular
payment vehicle selected for a particular purchase.
[0085] With reference to FIG. 4, an exemplary central rewards
mechanism 402 includes a central processor 404 in communication
with other elements of the rewards mechanism 402 through a system
interface or bus 406. A suitable display device/input device 408,
such as a keyboard or pointing device in combination with a
monitor, may be provided for receiving data from and outputting
data to a user of the system. A memory 410, which is associated
with the rewards mechanism 402, includes various software modules,
such as an enrollment module 412 and an authentication module 414
for example. The memory 410 preferably further includes an
operating system 416 which enables execution by central processor
404 of the various software applications residing at enrollment
module 412 and authentication module 414. Operating system 416 may
be any suitable operating system, as described above. Preferably, a
network interface 418 is provided for suitably interfacing with
other elements of the incentive awards system, such as the elements
described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3.
[0086] Lastly, a storage device 420, such as a hard disk drive for
example, preferably contains files or records which are accessed by
the various software modules, such as enrollment module 412 and
authentication module 414. In particular, consumer data 422
comprises information received from a consumer upon registration
with the rewards mechanism 402. Consumer rewards 424 comprises data
corresponding to each consumer's rewards account. Consumer rewards
424 may include cumulative rewards points totals as well as
historical totals and rewards account activity over time. Retailer
records 426 comprises information received from the various
participating retailers. Manufacturer records 428 comprises
information received from the various participating manufacturers.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the storage device 420
and, therefore, consumer data 422, consumer rewards 424, retailer
records 426, and manufacturer records 428 may be co-located with
the rewards mechanism 402 or may be remotely located with respect
to the rewards mechanism 402. If the storage device 420 is remotely
located with respect to the rewards mechanism 402, communication
between storage device 420 and rewards mechanism 402 may be
accomplished by any suitable communication link but is preferably
accomplished through a private intranet or extranet.
[0087] Enrollment module 412 receives information from consumers,
retailers, and/or manufacturers who wish to participate in the
system. Enrollment module 412 accesses and stores information in
storage device 420. Authentication and/or validation of the
identity and status of participants, including any of the other
system components, may be performed by the authentication module
414, which preferably has access to the records residing in storage
device 420.
[0088] With reference to FIG. 5, an exemplary rewards server 502
includes a central processor 504 in communication with other
elements of the rewards server 502 through a system interface or
bus 506. A suitable display device/input device 508, such as a
keyboard or pointing device in combination with a monitor, may be
provided for receiving data from and outputting data to a user of
the system. A memory 510, which is associated with the rewards
server 502, includes a variety of software modules, such as an
association module 512, a rewards calculation module 514, a data
analysis module 516, and a filtering module 518 for example. The
memory 510 preferably further includes an operating system 520
which enables execution by central processor 504 of the various
software applications residing at the various modules 512, 514,
516, and 518. Operating system 520 may be any suitable operating
system, as described above. Preferably, a network interface 522 is
provided for suitably interfacing with other elements of the
incentive awards system, such as the elements described above with
reference to FIGS. 1-3.
[0089] Lastly, a storage device 524, such as a database as
described above for example, preferably contains files or records
which are accessed by the various software modules 512, 514, 516,
and 518. In particular, manufacturer data 526 comprises information
received from a manufacturer, such as descriptions or other
information regarding the manufacturer's products and/or services
as well as UPC data for example. Retailer data 528 comprises
information received from a retailer, such as descriptions or other
information regarding the retailer's products and/or services as
well as SKU data for example. Consumer data 530 comprises
information pertaining to a consumer, including a consumer ID,
purchase data, a consumer profile, and/or the like. One skilled in
the art will appreciate that the storage device 524 and, therefore,
manufacturer data 526, retailer data 528, and consumer data 530 may
be co-located with the rewards server 502 or may be remotely
located with respect to the rewards server 502. If the storage
device 524 is remotely located with respect to the rewards server
502, communication between storage device 524 and rewards server
502 may be accomplished by any suitable communication link but is
preferably accomplished through a private intranet or extranet.
[0090] Referring next to FIGS. 6 and 7, the process flows depicted
in these figures are merely exemplary embodiments of the invention
and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as
described above. It will be appreciated that the following
description makes appropriate reference not only to the steps
depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7 but also to the various system components
as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3.
[0091] FIG. 6 is flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
capturing and processing POS SKU data in accordance with the
present invention. The association or matching of UPC and SKU data
begins with POS data capture (step 602). When a consumer presents a
consumer ID to a retailer 104 at the time of purchasing an item
from the retailer 104, the consumer ID is processed by a rewards
terminal 116 that recognizes the consumer ID and identifies the
consumer as a participant in the system 100. Purchase data is
captured by the retailer POS terminal 112. Purchase data may
include any of the following: a SKU number; a unit price; a total
transaction price; the payment vehicle(s) used; a store ID which
identifies the particular store location if a retailer operates
more than one store; a department ID, if the store has multiple
departments; the date of the transaction; the time of the
transaction; the employee ID of the store clerk who facilitates the
transaction; a POS terminal ID to identify the particular terminal
conducting the transaction; any retailer-specific incentive program
ID; and/or the like. The retailer POS terminal 112 creates a
transaction file comprising the consumer data (including a consumer
ID) and purchase data (including a SKU number associated with each
item purchased), and the transaction file is then stored by the
retailer processor 110 in database 111 (step 604).
[0092] The various transaction files may be consolidated by the
retailer processor 110 and then forwarded to the retailer regional
processor 114 (step 606) for further back-office and cumulative
data analysis performed by retailer 104.
[0093] In an exemplary embodiment, the transaction file is
transmitted by either of the retailer processor 110 or the retailer
regional processor 114 to the rewards server 120 (step 608). The
SKU information for each item included in the transaction file is
then matched to or associated with corresponding UPC information
which identifies the related manufacturer 106. An exemplary
association process is illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 7.
Association of SKU and UPC data may be accomplished through any
data association technique known and practiced in the art. For
example, the association may be accomplished either manually or
automatically. Automatic association techniques may include, for
example, a database search, a database merge, GREP, AGREP, SQL,
and/or the like.
[0094] In an exemplary embodiment, database 121 receives and stores
manufacturer data, including UPC data, from manufacturer 106 (step
702). Database 121 also receives and stores retailer data,
including SKU numbers, from retailer 104 (step 704). In an
exemplary implementation, database 121 stores manufacturer data in
a separate manufacturer data table for each participating
manufacturer 106. Each manufacturer data table may comprise a
plurality of fields, such as "UPC" and "product description" for
example, and a plurality of records, each of which corresponds to
an item offered by the participating manufacturer 106. In one
embodiment, database 121 stores retailer data in a separate
retailer data table for each participating retailer 104. Each
retailer data table may comprise a plurality of fields, such as
"SKU" and "product description", for example, and a plurality of
records, each record corresponding to an item offered by a
participating retailer 104.
[0095] Data from each of the manufacturer and the retailer data
tables is then associated (step 706). The association step may be
accomplished by a database merge function, for example, using a
"key field" in each of the manufacturer and retailer data tables. A
"key field" partitions the database according to the high-level
class of objects defined by the key field. For example, a "product
description" class may be designated as a key field in both the
manufacturer data table and the retailer data table, and the two
data tables may then be merged on the basis of the "product
description" data in the key field. In this embodiment, the data
corresponding to the key field in each of the merged data tables is
preferably the same. That is, the product descriptions in the
manufacturer data table matches the product descriptions in the
retailer data table. However, manufacturer and retailer data tables
having similar, though not identical, data in the key fields may
also be merged by using AGREP, for example.
[0096] The result of the data association step is the creation of a
separate data table, such as a UPC/SKU lookup table for example
(step 708). Thus, when the rewards server 120 receives the data
(e.g., consumer ID and SKU data) captured by the POS terminal (step
710), the rewards server 120 may search the UPC/SKU lookup table
for the appropriate SKU number and then match the SKU to the
corresponding UPC data (step 712). In an exemplary embodiment, the
"SKU" and "UPC" fields in the UPC/SKU data table may be linked by
an appropriate pointer. That is, when the rewards server 120
searches the UPC/SKU table and locates the particular SKU that has
been captured and transmitted by the POS terminal, the specifically
identified SKU datafield uses a pointer to direct the rewards
server 120 to the UPC datafield that corresponds to that SKU
number. In an exemplary embodiment, the UPC datafield may be linked
by one or more additional pointers to other key fields, such as a
consumer ID, a retailer ID, a manufacturer ID, and/or a third-party
ID. These additional pointers may be used as means for compiling
data which may be useful in any of the various data analyses
performed by the rewards server 120. In this manner, the
association of POS SKU numbers and UPC data may be used to create a
context in which standardized, network-wide analyses may be
conducted.
[0097] In an exemplary embodiment, the rewards server 120 utilizes
the association information to calculate the rewards points
generated by a consumer's purchase. For example, an appropriate
series of pointers leading from a SKU to a UPC to a manufacturer ID
may ultimately direct the rewards server 120 to employ a 2-for-1
manufacturer rewards ratio to award a consumer twice as many points
as the dollar amount of the consumer's total transaction price. In
another exemplary embodiment, an appropriate series of pointers may
result in the calculation of rewards points based upon multiple
rewards criteria, such as rewards criteria associated with the
manufacturer of the item as well as rewards criteria associated
with a third-party provider for example.
[0098] In a further embodiment, the rewards server 120 may use the
association of UPC and SKU number data to analyze a variety of
marketing variables across multiple manufacturers and retailers.
For example, rewards server 120 may use a series of pointers
leading from an SKU to a UPC and then to a "consumer profile" field
or table to correlate, for instance, consumer spending behaviors,
particular manufacturers, and/or specific products across multiple
retailers for example.
[0099] In alternative embodiments, association of the UPC data and
SKU number may take place at any of the rewards terminal 116, the
retailer POS terminal 112, the retailer processor 110, the retailer
regional processor 114 (or a retailer national processor), and/or
the central rewards mechanism 102.
[0100] In one embodiment, the retailer 104 may offer an incentive
or loyalty program that is independent from the program offered by
the system 100. Alternatively, the retailer 104 may use the
system's UPC data for its own internal purposes.
[0101] With momentary reference to FIG. 6, in one exemplary
embodiment, the consumer ID and the earned rewards information are
transmitted to the central rewards mechanism 102 after the rewards
server 120 has filtered out consumer data associated with the
consumer ID (step 610). In another embodiment, the central rewards
mechanism 102 may use the captured and matched UPC information to
determine rewards and/or for data analysis.
[0102] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, FIG. 8
is an exemplary diagram illustrating an exemplary virtual
purchasing system 800. Virtual purchasing system 800 creates a
purchasing environment that combines the opportunity to physically
inspect the goods that are offered for sale by "brick and mortar"
retail establishments with the automation, convenience, and large
selection offered by an online retail network. In an exemplary
aspect, virtual purchasing system 800 facilitates a convenient
purchasing environment Which enables a consumer to select the
particular goods that they wish to purchase, transmit data
regarding the selected goods to a virtual purchaser, and then
purchase the selected goods under perceived optimal conditions
through the virtual purchaser. The perceived optimal conditions may
include conditions such as lowest price, quickest estimated
delivery time, or a preferred retailer, for example.
[0103] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, virtual
purchasing system 800 comprises a consumer terminal 802, a central
rewards mechanism 804, a virtual purchaser 806, and a
retailer/merchant system 808. It will be appreciated that the
system 800 may comprise any number of consumer terminals 802 and
any number of retailer systems 808.
[0104] The consumer terminal 802 may be any remote terminal through
which a consumer may access other aspects of the system 800.
Consumer terminal 802 may comprise any of the input devices,
computing units, or computing systems described above. In an
exemplary aspect, consumer terminal 802 may be implemented in the
form of an electronic hand-held device or personal digital
assistant, such as a Palm Pilot.RTM. available from Palm, Inc.
(Santa Clara, Calif.), for example. Consumer terminal 802
communicates with the system 800 through any of the communications
networks described above. In an exemplary aspect, consumer terminal
802 permits wireless communication with the system 800. In one
embodiment, consumer terminal 802 may operate in real-time, as
described above. In another embodiment, the consumer terminal 802
may operate in batch mode, as described above. In still a further
embodiment, consumer terminal 802 operates in a manner which
includes aspects of both real-time functionality and batch mode
functionality.
[0105] In an exemplary aspect, consumer terminal 802 permits a
consumer to engage multiple facets of the system 800 in an
interactive online communications environment. The interactive
online environment made available through consumer terminal 802 is
an extension of the network-level system and is implemented in
conjunction with other aspects of the system 800. In this context,
a consumer may use consumer terminal 802 for a variety of purposes.
In another exemplary aspect, consumer terminal 802 is adapted to
input a retailer item identifier associated with an item located at
a retailer's store and then communicate the retailer item
identifier to virtual purchaser 806. In one embodiment, consumer
terminal 802 comprises an input device 810; a network interface 812
which facilitates communication with the virtual purchaser 806; and
a virtual purchaser (VP) application module 814.
[0106] Input device 810 may be any device that is capable of
identifying a retailer item identifier. Input device 810 may be
configured to communicate a retailer item identifier to consumer
terminal 802 in real time or some time later. Input device 810 may
be integrated with consumer terminal 802 or may be a separate
component that is adapted to communicate with consumer terminal
802. Exemplary input devices may include devices for manually
inputting a retailer item identifier (such as an alphanumeric
keypad, for example) and devices for optically, electronically or
digitally inputting a retailer item identifier (such as a bar code
reader or scanner, for example).
[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, input device 810 includes a
conventional bar code reader which is adapted to scan a retailer
item identifier. In one embodiment, the bar code reader is
integrated with, and is a part of, the consumer terminal 802. In
this embodiment, the input device 810 is used to input a retail
item identifier and then communicate the retail item identifier to
consumer terminal 802 while, or soon after, reading the retail item
identifier. In another embodiment, the bar code reader is a
separate component (such as a wand or a pen for example). In this
embodiment, input device 810 is configured to input and then store
a retailer item identifier for later communication (e.g.,
downloading) to consumer terminal 802.
[0108] Network interface 812 may be any suitable interface for
establishing a communications link between consumer terminal 802
and virtual purchaser 806 and may establish communication with
virtual purchaser 806 by any of the communications means set forth
in detail above. In one embodiment, network interface 812
facilitates wireless communication between consumer terminal 802
and virtual purchaser 806.
[0109] VP application module 814 is configured to facilitate
interaction between consumer terminal 802 and virtual purchaser
806. After consumer terminal 802 receives a retailer item
identifier from input device 810, VP application module 814
processes, stores, and/or communicates the retailer item identifier
to virtual purchaser 806 via network interface 812.
[0110] The central rewards mechanism 804 is substantially similar
to, and may comprise any of the components of, central rewards
mechanism 102 and/or central rewards mechanism 402, as described
above with reference to FIGS. 1-4. Moreover, central rewards
mechanism 804 may be configured to include any of the functionality
described above with reference to central rewards mechanism 102
and/or central rewards mechanism 402. In particular, central
rewards mechanism 804 comprises an enrollment module 816, which is
substantially similar to enrollment module 512 of FIG. 5, and a
storage device 818, which is substantially similar to storage
device 420 of FIG. 4. In one embodiment, enrollment module 816
receives consumer enrollment data from consumers and then processes
and transmits the consumer enrollment data to storage device 818
for storage and future retrieval.
[0111] In one embodiment, virtual purchaser 806 comprises a
purchase module 820 and a database 822. As illustrated in FIG. 9,
an exemplary virtual purchaser 806 further includes a processor 824
in communication with other elements of virtual purchaser 806
through an interface or bus 826. A suitable display/input device
828, such as a keyboard or pointing device in combination with a
monitor, may be provided for receiving data from and outputting
data to a user of virtual purchaser 806. A memory 830 associated
with virtual purchaser 806 includes a purchase module 820. Memory
830 further includes an operating system 832 which enables
execution by processor 824 of the software applications residing at
purchase module 820. Operating system 832 may be any suitable
operating system, as described above. The database 822 may be any
type of database, such as relational, hierarchical,
object-oriented, and/or the like. Common database products that may
be used to implement database 822 include DB2 by IBM (White Plains,
N.Y.), any of the database products available from Oracle
Corporation (Redwood Shores, Calif.), any of the database products
available from Sybase, Inc. (Emeryville, Calif.), Microsoft Access
by Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Wash.), or any other database
product. In one embodiment, a network interface 834 is provided for
facilitating the interface of virtual purchaser 806 with other
elements of the virtual purchasing system 800, described herein
with reference to FIG. 8.
[0112] In another embodiment, virtual purchaser 806 includes an
authentication module 821 which facilitates the authentication
and/or validation of the identity and/or status of consumers who
seek access to virtual purchaser 806 through a consumer terminal
802. The authentication module 821 may have access to a suitable
storage device, such as database 822 for example, which maintains
records identifying authorized consumers.
[0113] Referring once again to FIG. 8, virtual purchasing system
800 further includes one or more retailer systems 808. The retailer
system 808 is substantially similar to, and may comprise any of the
components of, retailer system 104, as described above with
reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. Moreover, retailer system 808 may
be configured to include any of the functionality described above
with reference to retailer system 104. In an exemplary embodiment,
the retailer system 808 is in communication with a database 809.
Database 809 is substantially similar to, and may comprise any of
the components and/or functionality of, database 111, as described
above. In one embodiment, database 809 stores retailer item
identifiers and related data, such as item descriptions and item
prices for example.
[0114] The rewards server 836 is substantially similar to, and may
comprise any of the components and/or functionality of, rewards
server 120 and/or 502, as described above with reference to FIGS.
2, 3, and 5. In an exemplary embodiment, the rewards server 836 is
in communication with a database 837. Database 837 is substantially
similar to, and may comprise any of the components and/or
functionality of, database 121, as described above. Although
rewards server 836 is depicted in FIG. 8 as a separate component of
system 800, in an alternate embodiment of the invention, the
functionality of rewards server 836 is integrated with virtual
purchaser 806.
[0115] Referring next to FIGS. 10 and 11, the process flows
depicted in these figures are merely exemplary embodiments of the
invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention
as described above. It will be appreciated that the following
description makes appropriate reference not only to the steps
depicted in FIGS. 10 and 11 but also to the various system
components as described above with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.
10 is flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for facilitating
a search (for example, a network-wide search) for an item which
corresponds to a given retailer item identifier. Conducting a
network-wide search begins with enrolling a consumer in the system
of the invention (step 1002). As described above, enrollment is
accomplished by central rewards mechanism 804. That is, enrollment
module 816 receives and processes the consumer enrollment data,
facilitates issuance of a consumer ID to the consumer, and
transmits the consumer enrollment data to storage device 818. After
a consumer is enrolled in the system, the consumer may use the
consumer ID when interacting with the virtual purchaser 806 and/or
during a purchase transaction facilitated by virtual purchaser
806.
[0116] After a consumer has enrolled in the system of the
invention, the consumer uses input device 810 to facilitate the
capture, scan, read, or otherwise input of a retailer item
identifier associated with an item located at a retailer store into
consumer terminal 802 (step 1004). In one embodiment, the consumer
terminal 802 is present at the retailer store and the retailer item
identifier is input directly into consumer terminal 802. In another
embodiment, input device 810 stores the retailer item identifier
and then downloads the data to consumer terminal 802 at a later
time. After consumer terminal 802 receives the retailer item
identifier, consumer terminal 802 can facilitate establishing
communications with virtual purchaser 806.
[0117] Once consumer terminal 802 contacts virtual purchaser 806,
consumer terminal 802 facilitates transmission of a retailer item
identifier to virtual purchaser 806 to facilitate a network-wide
search for that item corresponding to the retailer item identifier
(step 1006). In one embodiment, contacting virtual purchaser 806
includes using a consumer ID for identification of the consumer
and/or for authorization to access the virtual purchaser 806. Once
contacted, virtual purchaser 806 may request that the consumer
select search criteria which virtual purchaser 806 may use to
customize a network-wide search for items that correspond to the
retailer item identifier transmitted by consumer terminal 802 (step
1008). In one embodiment, the requested search criteria may include
any number of the following: an item description, an item price, a
quantity of the item, a retailer name or identifier, a retailer
location that is nearest the consumer, a consumer rating of items
and/or retailers, lowest price available for the item, quickest
estimated delivery time, a preferred retailer, and/or the like. In
another embodiment, the consumer may select a set of master search
criteria which are stored in database 822 as a default set of
search criteria which is used by virtual purchaser 806 in
subsequent searches requested by the consumer, unless in one
embodiment the consumer overrides the master search criteria during
a particular session. In this embodiment, the search criteria
(i.e., master search criteria) may be selected and transmitted to
the virtual purchaser 806 by the consumer prior to transmitting a
particular retailer item identifier. In one embodiment, selection
of consumer search criteria and/or master search criteria is
facilitated by purchase module 820.
[0118] In another embodiment, the virtual purchaser 806 may permit
the consumer to pre-authorize the virtual purchaser to facilitate
automatic purchase of the item on behalf of the consumer, if the
search results include an item which matches the consumer's
specified search criteria (step 1010). In another embodiment, the
virtual purchaser 806 permits the consumer to select a desired
format for the search results, such as displaying all search
results for the consumer or displaying some subset (e.g., retailers
and/or items that exactly match the consumer's selection criteria)
of the search results, for example.
[0119] After virtual purchaser 806 receives the retailer item
identifier and receives any search criteria from the consumer
terminal 802 (or accesses any master search criteria), the retail
item identifier is translated or associated with a standard
identifier, such as a manufacturer item identifier, for example
(step 1012). The standard identifier can be used to search the
network for the same or similar items that may be offered for sale
by other retailers under different conditions and/or terms (i.e.,
conditions and/or terms that are perceived to be more favorable by
the consumer, as determined by the search criteria).
[0120] In one embodiment, the virtual purchaser 806 facilitates
transmission to the retailer item identifier and any search
criteria to rewards server 836 to accomplish the association
process. In this embodiment, the retailer item identifier (e.g., a
SKU) is standardized to facilitate a search (e.g., local, with a
category, network-wide, etc) for the item identified by the SKU.
Standardization is accomplished by matching or associating the SKU
information with a corresponding manufacturer item identifier
(e.g., a UPC) which identifies the manufacturer of the item and/or
a general description of the goods or services. Association of SKU
and UPC data may be accomplished through any data association
technique known and practiced in the art. For example, the
association may be accomplished either manually or automatically.
Automatic association techniques may be facilitated by, for
example, a database search, a database merge, GREP, AGREP, SQL,
and/or the like. An exemplary method for associating SKU and UPC
data is described above with reference to FIG. 7.
[0121] In one embodiment, after associating the retailer item
identifier with a manufacturer item identifier, rewards server 836
then uses the UPC data (target UPC) to facilitate a further search
of database 837 (step 1014). This second search looks for the
target UPC data across participating retailers whose data (e.g.,
retailer identifier, items available, descriptions of items
available, item price, delivery information, and the like) is
stored in database 837. As the rewards server 836 locates retailers
associated with the target UPC data, rewards server 836 adds the
relevant retailer identifier data, as well as any retailer data
that may be relevant to the search criteria, to a retailer file
(step 1016). If rewards server 836 is unable to sufficiently locate
a certain number of retailers that are associated with the target
UPC data (e.g., the item is not carried by other participating
retailers or the item has been discontinued and is no longer
carried by participating retailers), rewards server 836 may search
database 837 for the item description that is associated with the
target UPC data and the transmitted SKU. In this manner, rewards
server 836 may locate items that are similar to the item desired by
the consumer. In an alternate embodiment, depending on the search
criteria provided by the consumer, rewards server 836 may conduct a
search for similar items even though retailers carrying items
associated with the target UPC have been located. Once the search
is complete, the rewards server 836 then transmits the retailer
file containing the retailer data to virtual purchaser 806. In one
embodiment, virtual purchaser 806 receives and processes the
retailer file in accordance with any applicable consumer search
criteria, any search results formatting criteria, and/or any data
relating to a pre-authorized automatic purchase of the item (step
1018).
[0122] After processing the retailer file, the virtual purchaser
806 enters a purchasing routine (step 1020). An exemplary
purchasing routine is illustrated in FIG. 11. If the consumer has
pre-authorized an automatic purchase, purchase module 820 effects
the purchase on behalf of the consumer, as described in greater
detail below. If the consumer has not pre-authorized an automatic
purchase, virtual purchaser 806 transmits a list of the search
results to consumer terminal 802 (step 1102). Upon receiving the
search results, consumer terminal 802 may select a retailer from
which the consumer wishes to purchase the requested item (step
1104).
[0123] If the consumer has pre-authorized the automatic purchase of
the item, purchase module 820 facilitates the pre-authorized
purchase for the consumer. In one embodiment, purchase module 820
requests transaction card information from central rewards
mechanism 804 (step 1106). As described above, storage device 818
contains consumer enrollment data which includes transaction card
information for the consumer. The transaction card information is
transmitted from central rewards mechanism 802 to virtual purchaser
806, and purchase module 820 uses the transaction card information
to complete a purchase transaction on behalf of the consumer with
the retailer that satisfies the consumer's search criteria (step
1108). Once the purchase transaction is complete, virtual purchaser
806 sends a confirmation to the consumer terminal 802 indicating
that the requested purchase has been made (step 1110). The
confirmation may be in any suitable form, such as through an email,
over the phone, or through the mail, for example, and may include
any suitable information, such as information which indicates the
retailer, the price, the particular item, the quantity, the
delivery time frame, and/or the like.
[0124] If the consumer selects a retailer from which to purchase
the item after viewing the search results, the purchase module 820
queries whether the consumer wishes to use the transaction card on
file with the central rewards mechanism 804 (step 1112). If the
consumer wishes to use the transaction card that is on file with
the system, purchase module 820 completes the purchase transaction
in the manner described above with reference to a pre-authorized
purchase transaction (steps 1106 through 1110). If the consumer
wishes to use an alternate method of payment, the purchase module
requests, receives, and processes the new payment information
(1114). Once the new payment information is received, the purchase
transaction with the selected retailer is completed (step 1116),
and confirmation is sent to the consumer as described above (step
1118).
[0125] In an exemplary embodiment, once the confirmation is sent to
the consumer, the virtual purchaser 806 may also send an automatic
reminder to the consumer as the delivery data approaches. In
another embodiment, the virtual purchaser 806 may also provide
automatic tracking of the shipment for the consumer.
[0126] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, FIG. 12
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary consumer purchasing analysis
system 1200. Consumer purchasing analysis system 1200 may be used
to analyze a consumer's purchasing behaviors, compare budgeted
purchases with actual purchases, compare prices of various
retailers, and generate reports which detail these analyses and
therefore assist a consumer in managing their personal finances.
The comprehensive nature of the data made available to a consumer
through consumer purchasing analysis system 1200 permits
network-wide, product-level knowledge of a consumer's specific
purchasing patterns across retailers. The detailed tracking
provided by consumer purchasing analysis system 1200 of a
consumer's particular purchasing activities permits the consumer to
analyze those activities and thereby achieve greater control over
their personal financial situation.
[0127] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, consumer
purchasing analysis system 1200 comprises a retailer/merchant
system 1202, a reward server 1204, and a consumer system 1206. It
will be appreciated that the system 1200 may comprise any number of
retailer systems 1202 and any number of consumer systems 1206.
[0128] In an exemplary embodiment, the retailer system 1202
comprises a retailer terminal 1208, a smart interface 1209, and a
retailer processor 1210. The retailer processor 1210 may be in
communication with a database 1211. The retailer system 1202 is
substantially similar to, and may comprise any of the components
of, retailer system 104, as described above with reference to FIGS.
1-3. Moreover, retailer system 1202 may be configured to include
any of the functionality described above with reference to retailer
system 104. Retailer terminal 1208 is substantially similar to, and
may comprise any of the components and/or functionality of,
retailer terminal 108; retailer processor 1210 is substantially
similar to, and may comprise any of the components and/or
functionality of, retailer processor 110; and database 1211 is
substantially similar to, and may comprise any of the components
and/or functionality of, database 111. Smart interface 1209 is any
device which is configured to interface with input device 1216.
Exemplary smart interfaces include a smartcard reader, an RF
reader, and an RF transceiver reader.
[0129] The rewards server 1204 is substantially similar to, and may
comprise any of the components and/or functionality of, rewards
server 120 and/or 502, as described above with reference to FIGS.
2, 3, and 5. In an exemplary embodiment, the rewards server 1204 is
in communication with a database 1205. Database 1205 is
substantially similar to, and may comprise any of the components
and/or functionality of, database 121, as described above.
[0130] In an exemplary embodiment, the consumer system 1206
comprises a consumer terminal 1214 and an input device 1216.
Optionally, consumer system 1206 may also include a smart interface
1218. Consumer terminal 1212 may be any remote terminal through
which a consumer may access other aspects of the system 1200 and
may comprise any of the input devices, computing units, or
computing systems described herein. Further, consumer terminal 1212
communicates with the system 1200 through any of the communications
networks described above. In an exemplary aspect, consumer terminal
1212 comprises a data analysis application 1214. Data analysis
application 1214 may be any suitable application for analyzing
data. Common data analysis products that may be used to implement
data analysis application 1214 include Quicken.RTM. or any of the
other products available from Intuit, Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.),
Microsoft Money.RTM. by Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Wash.), or
any other data analysis product
[0131] Smart interface 1218 is any device which is adapted to
facilitate communication between input device 1216 and consumer
terminal 1212 if components 1212 and 1216 are separate devices.
Exemplary smart interfaces include a smartcard reader, an RF
reader, and an RF transceiver reader.
[0132] Input device 1216 may be any device that is capable of
receiving or uploading purchase data from a retailer system 1202.
Input device 1216 may be configured to communicate the purchase
data to consumer terminal 1212 in real time or some time later.
Input device 1216 may be integrated with consumer terminal 1212 or
may be a separate component that is adapted to communicate with
consumer terminal 1212, such as through smart interface 1218.
Exemplary input devices may include software, smartcards and
smartcard readers, non-contact smart chip systems, read-write
transponder systems, and other smart chip devices and related
technology. In an exemplary aspect, input device 1216 is integrated
with a consumer ID.
[0133] A number of standards have been developed to address general
aspects of integrated circuit or smart cards, e.g.: ISO 7816-1,
Part 1: Physical characteristics (1987); ISO 7816-2, Part 2:
Dimensions and location of the contacts (1988); ISO 7816-3, Part 3:
Electronic signals and transmission protocols (1989, Amd. 1 1992,
Amd. 2 1994); ISO 7816-4, Part 4: Inter-industry commands for
interchange (1995); ISO 7816-5, Part 5: Numbering system and
registration procedure for application identifiers (1994, Amd. 1
1995); ISO/IEC DIS 7816-6, Inter-industry data elements (1995);
ISO/IEC WD 7816-7, Part 7: Enhanced inter-industry commands
(1995);
[0134] and ISO/IEC WD 7816-8, Part 8: Inter-industry security
architecture (1995). These standards are hereby incorporated by
reference. Furthermore, general information regarding magnetic
stripe cards and chip cards can be found in a number of standard
texts, e.g., Zoreda & Oton, SMART CARDS (1994), and Rankl &
Effing, SMART CARD HANDBOOK (1997), the contents of which are
hereby incorporated by reference. For additional information
regarding such cards, see, for example, application Ser. No.
09/522,628, filed Mar. 10, 2000, entitled "Methods and Apparatus
for Authenticating the Download of Applets onto a Smartcard," which
is hereby incorporated by reference. Additionally, for further
information on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems and
their use in the context of read-write transponders, see, for
example, the recently completed ISO 14443 standard, which specifies
a standard form of communication for non-contact smart chips, and
provisional application Ser. No. 60/304,216, filed Jul. 10, 2001,
entitled "System and Method for RFID Payments", the contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0135] In an exemplary aspect, input device 1216 is a separate
component of consumer system 1206 that is used to upload purchase
data from a retailer system 1202 at the retailer's location and
then download the purchase data to consumer terminal 1212 some time
later through smart interface 1218. In one embodiment, input device
1216 includes a smartcard which is adapted to interface with
retailer terminal 1208 through a smart interface 1209 that includes
a smartcard reader. In another embodiment, input device 1216
includes a transponder which uses RFID to interact with smart
interface 1209 without physically contacting smart interface 1209.
In this embodiment, smart interface 1209 includes an RF reader or
RF transceiver reader.
[0136] In another exemplary aspect, input device 1216 is integrated
with consumer terminal 1212 and may be used to upload purchase data
from retailer system 1202 to consumer terminal 1212 directly. In
one embodiment, an integrated consumer terminal 1212 and input
device 1216 may communicate with an online retailer system 1202 to
receive purchase data from the online retailer system 1202. In
another embodiment, consumer terminal 1212 may be a hand-held
electronic device, such as a personal digital assistant, which
includes an integrated input device 1216 that is configured to
interact with smart interface 1209 at the retailer's location.
[0137] Referring next to FIGS. 13 and 14, the process flows
depicted in these figures are merely exemplary embodiments of the
invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention
as described above. It will be appreciated that the following
description makes appropriate reference not only to the steps
depicted in FIGS. 13 and 14 but also to the various system
components as described above with reference to FIG. 12.
[0138] FIG. 13 is flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
facilitating obtaining a record of a consumer's purchasing
activities. Analyzing a consumer's purchasing activities may begin
when a retailer terminal 1208 processes and records a consumer
purchase transaction, either online (such as at a merchant web site
for example) or off-line (such as at a retailer store for example)
(step 1302). The consumer purchase transaction generates purchase
data, such as any of the purchase data described above. In one
embodiment, the purchase data may include a retailer item
identifier, a retailer ID, and an item price. The consumer system
1206 receives (e.g., uploads) the purchase data from retailer
system 1202 via input device 1216 (step 1304). The consumer system
then analyzes the purchase data using data analysis application
1214 (step 1306).
[0139] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for
analyzing a consumer's purchasing activities. In an exemplary
aspect, consumer system 1206 communicates with rewards server 1204
to standardize the data used by data analysis application 1214. In
one embodiment, a consumer communicates with rewards server 1204
while the consumer uses data analysis application 1214 to prepare a
budget. The consumer accesses rewards server 1204 to select the
various items that the consumer intends to purchase over the budget
period (step 1402). The budget period may be for any predetermined
period of time, such as a week, a month, six month, a year,
etc.
[0140] In one embodiment, the rewards server 1204 facilitates item
selection by designating items by product category (e.g., clothes,
electronics, sports equipment, etc.) or by specific product (e.g.,
jeans, stereo, bicycle, etc.), including specific products by
particular manufacturers. For each item selected by the consumer,
rewards server 1204 transmits an appropriate standard identifier to
consumer terminal 1212 (step 1404). If a consumer designates a
selected item by product category, the rewards server 1204
transmits a standard identifier that corresponds to a product
category that is associated with the retailer ID of retailers who
sell items in that product category. If a consumer designates a
selected item by specific product, the rewards server 1204
transmits a manufacturer item identifier (e.g., UPC) that
corresponds to that specific product. The consumer then completes
the budgeting process by indicating the amount of funds that the
consumer intends to spend on each of the selected items (i.e.,
budgeted funds) (step 1406). The data analysis application 1214
then determines an amount of funds that corresponds to the total
budget for the budget period (step 1408), and the established
budget is stored by consumer terminal 1212 (step 1410). The
consumer system 1206 may terminate the session with the rewards
server 1204 any time after receiving the appropriate standard
identifiers.
[0141] After the budget is established and stored by consumer
terminal 1212, the consumer uses input device 1216 to transmit
purchase data to consumer terminal 1212 (step 1412). In an
exemplary embodiment, after the purchase data is transmitted to
consumer terminal 1212, consumer system 1206 communicates with
rewards server 1204 to standardize the purchase data (step 1414).
Standardization of the purchase data may include facilitating the
conversion of retailer item identifiers (e.g., SKUs) to
manufacturer item identifiers (e.g., UPCs) to facilitate the
reconciliation of actual purchases with the established budget. The
conversion or association of SKU and UPC data is described above
with reference to FIG. 7. After the purchase data is standardized
and consumer terminal 1212 receives the appropriate standard
identifiers, the purchase data is analyzed by data analysis
application 1214.
[0142] In one aspect of the analysis, budgeted items and actual
items are correlated with each other based upon the standard
identifiers (step 1416). That is, a budgeted item that is
designated by product category is correlated with an actual item
that is associated with a retailer ID that corresponds to the
appropriate product category. Likewise, a budgeted item that is
designated by specific product is correlated with an actual item
that is associated with a UPC that corresponds to that specific
product. In one embodiment, the analysis performed by data analysis
application 1214 may include a comparison of the established budget
to actual purchase activity and/or a real-time or periodic
reconciliation of budgeted items with actually purchased items
(step 1418). A budget reconciliation may include displaying or
printing a comparison of budgeted items and/or budgeted funds with
actually purchased items and/or actual funds spent for a selected
period (e.g., the budget period or any period within the budget
period). In another embodiment, the analysis may include actual or
projected cash flow analyses based upon the actual funds spent in a
given period, for example.
[0143] In one embodiment, the analysis may include an alert when a
budget reconciliation determines that over- or under-spending has
occurred, including when over- or under-spending occurs in specific
product categories or for specific products (step 1420). In this
context, under-spending means that budgeted funds have not yet been
spent. Moreover, the budget reconciliation includes a pre-set
percentage or amount has been spent or not been spent in a category
or over a set number of categories. In one embodiment, the consumer
is alerted by consumer terminal 1212. In another embodiment, the
consumer system 1206 transmits an alert to a third-party, such as a
financial advisor for example.
[0144] In the foregoing specification, the invention has been
described with reference to specific embodiments. However, it will
be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made
without departing from the scope of the present invention as set
forth in the claims below. The specification and figures are to be
regarded in an illustrative manner, rather than a restrictive one,
and all such modifications are intended to be included within the
scope of present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention
should be determined by the appended claims and their legal
equivalents, rather than by the examples given above. For example,
the steps recited in any of the method or process claims may be
executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented in
the claims.
[0145] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have
been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However,
the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s)
that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or
become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical,
required, or essential features or elements of any or all the
claims. As used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or any
other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive
inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that
comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements
but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to
such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, no element
described herein is required for the practice of the invention
unless expressly described as "essential" or "critical".
* * * * *