System and method for electronic coupon management
US5903874A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 11, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2215/0184
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for managing and redeeming a promotional coupon for goods and services. The system provides a link between an operator console and a remote database server having one or more coupon files, each of which contains a plurality of coupon records. A customer telephones the operator and discloses an encrypted coupon number from the coupon issued to the customer. The encrypted coupon number is used to access the relevant coupon record in a coupon file on the remote database server. The status of the coupon is transmitted back to the operator console. If the coupon is valid, the operator console provides the goods or services requested by the customer. The operator console subsequently sends a command to the coupon file to change the status of the coupon in the coupon record.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.