Server-Based Product Substantiation with Local Filtering System and Method

Abstract

A system and method is presented for product substantiation and promotion redemption. A purchased product list is transmitted from a retail store system to a promotion analysis server along with a user identifier. The promotion analysis server identifies promotions available to the user, and then considers whether the benefits under the promotions are still available to the user. Discounts for available promotions related to the purchased product list are calculated and transmitted to the retail store system for deduction from the transactions. An approved product list can be provided that filters the purchased product list before transmittal. The approved product list can include promotions from a plurality of programs.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of discounting promoted products during a retail transaction comprising:
 a) at a server system, transmitting a first list of promoted products to a retail store system, the first list of promoted products containing product identifiers for the promoted products and, for at least two products, a common group identifier;
 wherein a first set of products have product identifiers that are associated with the common group identifier, and 
 wherein a second set of products have product identifiers that are not associated with the common group identifier; 
   b) at the server system, receiving from the retail store system a filtered list of products being purchased in a single transaction at the retail store system that are filtered against the first list of promoted products,
 wherein the single transaction includes products from the first set of products and from the second set of products, 
 further wherein the filtered list of products includes an aggregated total for products purchased from the first set of products without identifying every product identifier for products purchased from the first set of products; 
 further wherein the filtered list of products separately lists every product identifier for products purchased from the second set of products; 
   c) at the server system, calculating an aggregated discount for the first set of products reported in the filtered list of products, and separately calculating a discount for each product in the second set of products reported in the filtered list of products; and   d) at the server system, transmitting the calculated aggregated discount and the separately calculated discounts to the retail store system.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first list of promoted products has, for each promoted product, a product identifier field to contain the product identifier for the promoted product and a group identifier field, wherein each promoted product in the first set of products has the common group identifier in its group identifier field. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second set of products have an empty group identifier field. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  2 , wherein the filtered list of products being purchased has an aggregated quantity purchased value for all products purchased from the first set of products and a separate quantity purchased value for every product identifier in the second set of products. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  5 , wherein the filtered list of products being purchased has an aggregated monetary purchase amount for all products purchased from the first set of products and a separate monetary purchase amount for every product identifier in the second set of products. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  6 , wherein the filtered list of products being purchased has an aggregated discount-applied-at-retailer amount for all products purchased from the first set of products and a separate discount-applied-at-retailer amount for every product identifier in the second set of products; further wherein the server system adjusts the calculated aggregated discount based on the aggregated discount-applied-at-retailer amount; and further wherein the server system adjusts the separately calculated discounts based on the separate discount-applied-at-retailer amounts. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 e) at the server system, changing the product identifiers associated with the common group identifier from the first set of products to a third set of products by transmitting a second list of promoted products to the retail store system,
 wherein not all products in the first set of products have product identifiers associated with the common group identifier in the second list of promoted products; 
 wherein the third set of products have product identifiers that are associated with the common group identifier, and 
   f) at the server system, receiving from the retail store system after transmitting the second list of promoted products, a new filtered list of products being purchased in a second transaction at the retail store system based on filtering against the second list of promoted products.   
     
     
         9 . A method of discounting products during a retail transaction comprising:
 a) at a server system, transmitting a first list of promoted products to a first retail store system,
 i) wherein the first list of promoted products comprises a plurality of data records, with each data record having a plurality of fields, 
 ii) wherein each data record has a product code field and a group code field, 
 iii) wherein a first data record in the first list of promoted products has a first identifier in the product code field, a second data record has a second identifier in the product code field, a third data record has a third identifier in the product code field, and a fourth data record has a fourth identifier in the product code field, 
 iv) wherein the first and second data records have a first group identifier in the group code field thereby associating the first and second product identifiers with the first group identifier, and 
 v) wherein the third and fourth data record do not have any identifier in the group code field; 
   b) at the server system, receiving from the first retail store system a filtered list of products being purchased in a single transaction at the first retail store system that are filtered against the first list of promoted products,
 i) wherein the single transaction includes a first set of products associated with the first and second identifiers and a second set of products associated with the third and fourth identifiers, 
 ii) further wherein the filtered list of products includes an aggregated total for products in the first set of products, and 
 iii) further wherein the filtered list of products separately lists products in the second set of products by separately listing purchases associated with the third and fourth identifiers. respectively; 
   c) at the server system, calculating an aggregated discount for the first set of products, and separately calculating a discount for each identifier in the second set of products reported in the filtered list of products; and   d) at the server system, transmitting the calculated aggregated discount and the separately calculated discounts to the first retail store system.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  9 , wherein the filtered list of products being purchased has an aggregated quantity purchased value for all products purchased from the first set of products and a separate quantity purchased value for every identifier in the second set of products. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  10 , wherein the filtered list of products being purchased has an aggregated monetary purchase amount for all products purchased from the first set of products and a separate monetary purchase amount for every product identifier in the second set of products. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  11 , wherein the filtered list of products being purchased has an aggregated discount-applied-at-retailer amount for all products purchased from the first set of products and a separate discount-applied-at-retailer amount for every product identifier in the second set of products; further wherein the server system adjusts the calculated aggregated discount based on the aggregated discount-applied-at-retailer amount; and further wherein the server system adjusts the separately calculated discounts based on the separate discount-applied-at-retailer amounts. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first identifier, the second identifier and the third identifier are all product identifiers while the fourth identifier is a first department code that identifies all products with a first department at the first retail store system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first department code is applicable to the first retail store system but not to a second retail store system, further wherein the server system transmits a second list of promoted products to the second retail store system containing a different department code in the fourth data record, still further wherein the different department code is applicable to the second retail store system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a first subset of the identifiers in the product code fields are department codes and a second subset of the identifiers in the product code fields are individual department codes.