US2012158498A1PendingUtilityA1

System for Online Sales With Automatic Rebate and Coupon Redemption

71
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Apr 19, 1999Filed: Feb 28, 2012Published: Jun 21, 2012
Est. expiryApr 19, 2019(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:James D. BennettChristopher C. Winslade
G06Q 40/03G06Q 20/20G06Q 30/0605G06Q 30/0611G06Q 30/0261G06Q 30/0244G06Q 30/0641G06Q 30/0207G06Q 30/0239G06Q 30/0222G06Q 30/0235G06Q 30/02G06Q 30/0253G06Q 30/0255G06Q 30/0601G06Q 40/08G06Q 30/0613G06Q 30/0269G06Q 30/0625G06Q 30/0251G06Q 40/04G06Q 30/0224G06Q 30/0257
71
PatentIndex Score
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Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

An online sales/automatic rebate and coupon redemption system provides online customers automatic retrieval and redemption of all applicable rebates and coupons during purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system purchases from merchants using applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system makes it possible to automatically retrieve coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site. The system provides coupons to potential customers via email, based on customer profile, geographical information, etc. Manufacturers and merchants can update coupon value and content based on ongoing sales and volume of customer activity.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A promotion system comprising:
 a server system that supports promotions between a plurality of sellers and a plurality of buyers in a communication network;   said server system delivers via the communication network to each of a plurality of buyer's computing devices, a buyer interface that supports one or more promotions;   said server system receives from a given buyer's computing device, via the buyer interface and the communication network, a selection of one of the promotions associated with a given good, service and/or a seller;
 said server system receives from the given buyer's computing device, via the buyer interface and the communication network, input related to conclusion of a transaction associated with the selection; and 
   said server system causes presentation on the given buyer's computing device via the buyer interface, of one or more displays that can be used in connection with one or more additional transactions associated with the selection.   
     
     
         2 . The promotion system of  claim 1 , wherein the buyer interface displays one or more visual representations corresponding to one or more promotions. 
     
     
         3 . The promotion system of  claim 1 , wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         4 . The promotion system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system communicates information corresponding to the selected promotion to the given buyer's computing device, for display via the buyer interface, relating to purchase at a local store of a good and/or service associated with the selection. 
     
     
         5 . The promotion system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system delivers the buyer interface to each of the plurality of buyer's computing devices responsive to respective profiles created by the plurality of buyers. 
     
     
         6 . The promotion system of  claim 5 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         7 . The promotion system of  claim 5 , wherein the server system automatically updates the profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         8 . The promotion system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system automatically updates a profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         9 . The promotion system of  claim 1 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         10 . The promotion system of  claim 1 , wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more graphical representations supporting the one or more promotions. 
     
     
         11 . A method performed in a promotion system that supports transactions between a plurality of sellers and a plurality of buyers in a communication network, the method comprising:
 delivering via the communication network to each of a plurality of buyer's computing devices, a buyer interface that supports one or more promotions;   receiving from a given buyer's computing device, via the buyer interface, a selection of one of the promotions associated with a given good, service and/or a seller;   receiving from the given buyer's computing device, via the buyer interface, input related to conclusion of a transaction associated with the selection; and   causing presentation on the given buyer's computing device via the buyer interface, of one or more displays that can be used in connection with one or more additional transactions associated with the selection.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising causing display on a given buyer's computing device via the buyer interface, of one or more constructed visual representations corresponding to one or more promotions. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising communicating information corresponding to the selected promotion to the given buyer's computing device, for display via the buyer interface, relating to purchase at a local store of a good and/or service associated with the selection. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising delivering the buyer interface to each of the plurality of buyer's computing devices responsive to respective profiles created by the plurality of buyers. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising automatically updating the profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising automatically updating a profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         20 . The promotion system of  claim 11  wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more graphical representations supporting the one or more promotions. 
     
     
         21 . A method performed in a promotion system that supports transactions between a plurality of sellers and a plurality of buyers in a communication network, the method comprising:
 delivering via the communication network to each of a plurality of buyer's computing devices, a buyer interface that supports one or more promotions;   receiving from a given buyer's computing device, via the buyer interface and the communication network, a selection of one of the promotions associated with a given good, service and/or a seller;   receiving from the given buyer's computing device, via the buyer interface and the communication network, input related to conclusion of a transaction associated with the selection; and   causing presentation on the given buyer's computing device via the buyer interface, of one or more displays that can be used in connection with one or more additional transactions associated with the selection.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising causing display on a given buyer's computing device via the buyer interface, of one or more constructed visual representations corresponding to one or more promotions. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising communicating information corresponding to the selected promotion to the given buyer's computing device, for display via the buyer interface, relating to purchase at a local store of a good and/or service associated with the selection. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising delivering the buyer interface to each of the plurality of buyer's computing devices responsive to respective profiles created by the plurality of buyers. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , comprising automatically updating the profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising automatically updating a profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         30 . The promotion system of  claim 21 , wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more graphical representations supporting the one or more promotions. 
     
     
         31 . A promotion system comprising:
 a server system that supports transactions between a plurality of sellers and a plurality of buyers in a communication network;   a buyer interface that supports one or more promotions;   said server system delivers via the communication network to each of a plurality of buyer's computing devices, the buyer interface;   said buyer interface receives for a given buyer of the plurality of buyers, a selection of one of the promotions associated with a given good, service and/or a seller;
 said server system receives for the given buyer, via the buyer interface and the communication network, input related to conclusion of a transaction associated with the selection; and 
   said server system causes presentation on the given buyer's computing device via the buyer interface, of one or more displays that can be used in connection with one or more additional transactions associated with the selection.   
     
     
         32 . The promotion system of  claim 31 , wherein the buyer interface displays one or more visual representations corresponding to one or more promotions. 
     
     
         33 . The promotion system of  claim 31 , wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         34 . The promotion system of  claim 31 , wherein the server system communicates information corresponding to the selected promotion to the given buyer's computing device, for display via the buyer interface, relating to purchase at a local store of a good and/or service associated with the selection. 
     
     
         35 . The promotion system of  claim 31 , wherein the server system delivers the buyer interface to each of the plurality of buyer's computing devices responsive to respective profiles created by the plurality of buyers. 
     
     
         36 . The promotion system of  claim 35 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         37 . The promotion system of  claim 35 , wherein the server system automatically updates the profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         38 . The promotion system of  claim 31 , wherein the server system automatically updates a profile of a given buyer based on a transaction history of the given buyer. 
     
     
         39 . The promotion system of  claim 31 , wherein the buyer interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         40 . The promotion system of  claim 31 , wherein the buyer interface comprises one or more graphical representations supporting the one or more promotions.

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