Claim chart US 4882675

Prior-art evidence dossier

US 4882675 · 1984-11-26

Paperless system for distributing, redeeming and clearing merchandise coupons

Surfaced at depth 384 of 44,907 eligible references. Of 7 limitations, 4 are taught by this reference and 3 are taught in substance with narrower claim wording.

1(pre)

A method for providing to customers a real-time value at a merchant point of sale as part of an award program performed by an enterprise infrastructure comprising components executing specific instructions which cause the enterprise infrastructure to perform the method comprising:

substance taught, wording narrower

Cents-off merchandise coupons are distributed and redeemed immediately and electronically. An electronic display of coupons valid for use in a particular store is presented to customers in that store. When a customer makes a selection of coupons from the display, the selection is recorded. The customer is subsequently identified at a store checkout station as the one who made the selection. In a preferred embodiment, the identification is made by scanning a special card adapted for use with the system. The items purchased in the store by the customer are recorded, and any matches between the coupons selected and the items purchased are determined electronically. The customer is immediately credited in accordance with the terms of the matched coupons.

The reference describes a paperless system and method for distributing and redeeming coupons immediately and electronically at a store checkout station (merchant point of sale), which provides real-time value (immediate credit) to customers as part of a coupon program.

1(a)

receiving, by the enterprise infrastructure, a plurality of requests from customers, each request comprising a request to create a customer account on the enterprise infrastructure associated with one or more award programs of one or more partners, and in response to each such request, allocating memory on the enterprise infrastructure, the allocated memory defining a personal consumer system account for the customer, and associating the account with at least one award program of one or more partners;

substance taught, wording narrower

means in said central processing unit for storing said account numbers and demographic data relating thereto

The reference teaches customers applying for identification means (accounts) and storing account numbers in a central processing unit. This represents allocating memory for a consumer account, though it does not explicitly mention partner award programs in those exact terms.

1(b)

receiving, by the enterprise infrastructure, from a point-of-sale (POS) of a provider, transaction data for a consumer involved in a transaction;

taught by this reference

identification and checkout means for identifying the customer at a store checkout station as the one who made the selection and for generating a second signal identifying items purchased in the store by the customer

The reference teaches identifying items purchased in the store by the customer at a checkout station, which corresponds to receiving transaction data for a consumer involved in a transaction from a point-of-sale.

1(c)

determining, by the enterprise infrastructure, using transaction data received from the POS, whether the consumer at the POS is part of an award program to receive savings;

taught by this reference

identification and checkout means for identifying the customer at a store checkout station as the one who made the selection

The reference teaches identifying the customer at a store checkout station as the one who made the coupon selection, which determines whether the consumer at the POS is part of the program to receive savings.

1(d)

identifying, by the enterprise infrastructure, using transaction data received from the POS, whether a consumer is eligible to receive savings for an item scanned at the POS;

taught by this reference

matching means coupled to said display, selection and recording means and responsive to said first and second signals for determining any matches between the coupons selected and the items purchased

The reference teaches determining matches between the coupons selected and the items purchased, which identifies whether a consumer is eligible to receive savings for an item scanned at the POS.

1(e)

providing savings to the consumer at the POS for the scanned item in response to determining the consumer is part of an award program to receive savings and is eligible to receive savings for an item scanned at the POS; and

taught by this reference

means for crediting the customer in accordance with the terms of the matched coupons.

The reference teaches crediting the customer in accordance with the terms of the matched coupons, which provides savings to the consumer at the POS for the scanned item in response to determining eligibility.

1(f)

storing, by the enterprise infrastructure, transaction data, in the personal consumer system account of the particular consumer.

substance taught, wording narrower

means in said central processing unit for storing said account numbers and demographic data relating thereto and for generating periodic reports including demographic data about purchases of said items.

The reference teaches storing account numbers and demographic data relating thereto, including demographic data about purchases of items, which represents storing transaction data in the personal consumer system account.