Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Automated electrical financial or business practice or... – Discount or incentive
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-18
2001-08-21
Pesso, Thomas R. (Department: 2767)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Automated electrical financial or business practice or...
Discount or incentive
C705S026640, C705S027200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278979
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to any transaction where a receipt is printed. Based on the details of the transaction, a coupon or other like incentive is printed out of the transaction device. The coupon or other like incentive has a security element such as a border or watermark, whereas the receipt does not have such a security element.
In one specific embodiment this invention relates generally to point-of-sale computer systems of the type used in retail stores to record sales transactions. More particularly, the invention relates to point-of-sale systems capable of handling discount coupons having borders or not. Most point-of-sale systems have terminals that are capable of reading a code printed on each product package and thereby determining the price from an internal file stored at a store controller. Products are coded by means of a series of parallel lines, in accordance with a convention known as the Universal Product Code.
2. Discussion of the Background
As every grocery shopper knows, many manufacturers distribute discount coupons or like incentives for their products, either through the mail, by printing them in newspapers or magazines, or by enclosing them in similar or related product packages. When a customer presents a discount coupon at the time of purchase of an appropriate product, typically the grocery checker operating the terminal will scan the coupon, and the discount will be subtracted from the customer's bill. While the above-described method or system assists in the speed and accuracy of the transaction, the transaction is not limited to such a method or system.
While a number of different methods may be used to redeem coupons or other incentives within a retail location; a more important disadvantage with coupons are the systems of distribution. In specific, most coupons for a particular product are distributed to a person who already purchases the same or a related product. From a marketing standpoint, this is contrary to the usual goal in any marketing campaign: to increase the number of customers who buy a particular product, by adding new customers. People who have already bought the product are clearly not new customers. And people who collect coupons from newspapers and mailings typically fall into a very narrow group. First, they are part of a group of people who are motivated to collect coupons of any kind, usually for economic reasons. More importantly, customers who collect and redeem a particular coupon will usually have had some prior knowledge of the product—i.e., they are probably not “new” customers.
Various other strategies are used to reach new customers. These include mass mailings of free samples of the product, together with discount coupons, and mass media advertising. Free samples of some types of products cannot be conveniently mailed, however, and many potential new customers may still ignore the mailing. Likewise, mass media advertising may fail to reach a potential new customer, or convince him or her to try a new product, especially if he or she is already relatively satisfied with a competitive product.
Ideally, what is needed from a marketing standpoint is some way of putting an eye-catching discount coupon for a selected product or other like incentive in the hands of a customer who uses some other product.
Furthermore, security concerning the authenticity of the redeemed coupon or other like incentive is a major issue of concern to retailers and manufacturers. Currently, standard coupons and the like, especially those which are black and white, are susceptible to duplication by photocopying and to being knocked-off by a person printing likenesses of the coupon or the like, and thereafter tendering the likeness for redemption. Thus, the cost of a promotional campaign by a retailer and/or a manufacturer can be quite large.
Ideally, what is needed from a marketing standpoint is some way of producing a discount coupon or other like incentive that is not susceptible to being easily duplicated or knocked-off and placing these incentives in the hands of consumers which purchase some other product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus, and a related method, for printing a discount coupon or other like incentive at a transaction terminal. In general terms, the apparatus of the invention comprises means for identifying a triggering transaction and means for printing a coupon or other like incentive having a border with or without a watermark. The bordered incentive or coupon is printed in response to the nature of the transaction—i.e., products purchased or not purchased, cash tendered for payment, or a credit or debit card, etc. The color of the border can be any color. Other non-triggering transactions can result in the printing of coupons or other like incentives not having borders. Also, in both scenarios, the transaction receipt can be printed without a border from the same printer that printed the coupons and other like incentives having borders.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, and a related method, for printing a redeemable discount coupon at a point of sale terminal. In general terms, the apparatus of the invention comprises means for identifying a triggering product in a customer order, means for associating the triggering product with a coupon deal, and means for automatically printing at least one discount coupon having a border. The coupon having a border is printed in response to either (1) the purchase of a certain product or (2) the fact that the customer did not purchase a certain product or (3) other triggering aspects of the order have been met such as type of tender type or amount, loyalty card use, etc. Other coupons which are not triggered by products bought or not bought can be printed which do not have a border.
More specifically, the means for identifying a triggering product includes (1) an item file with a triggering field contained within each product record and (2) means for checking the triggering field as each product purchase is processed. The means for associating the triggering product with at least one coupon deal includes a file of coupon index records (1) for which access is obtained by item code and (2) which contains for each triggering product at least one link to a coupon deal file. Each record of the coupon deal file contains details of a coupon deal, including its value, period of validity, and a code identifying the family of products to which the coupon deal applies. The means for printing the coupons includes (1) means for determining a printing priority and (2) a printing device capable of reproducing a bar type code in uniform product code format.
A “negative” coupon is a coupon that is printed in response to the failure of a customer to purchase a selected trigger item. A“multiple-trigger” coupon is a coupon that is printed in response to the purchase of more than one triggering item in a single transaction. One category of multiple-trigger coupons is the “heavy-user” type, in which a customer who purchases multiple items is rewarded with a discount coupon, the value of which is selected to be dependent on a total number of items purchased. Another category of multiple-trigger coupons is a “trade event” coupon, the printing of which is conditioned on the customer's having purchased multiple items in a predefined trade group of products. The trade groups may be defined by a product manufacturer or by the store.
Briefly, in relation to the negative coupon printing feature, the system of the invention includes (1) a plurality of terminals at customer check-out locations, each having means for reading product codes on purchased items in a customer order, (2) a store controller with which the terminals can communicate, the store controller having access to an item record file containing price and other information for each product item, (3) means for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which the printing of a discount coupon for a selected p
Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Pesso Thomas R.
LandOfFree
System and apparatus for dispensing coupons having... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and apparatus for dispensing coupons having..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and apparatus for dispensing coupons having... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2481135