Methods and systems for coupon service applications

US9129302B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Sears Brands, L.L.C. · US

Inventors

• Ellen Tave Glassman · Closter, US
• Mark F. Schraad · Hoffman Estates, US
• Kevin M. Flowers · Chicago, US
• Yu Z. Chico · Los Altos, US
• Marisa L. McClearn · Chicago, US
• Daniel S. Grimm · Chicago, US
• Uki D. Lucas · Mundelein, US
• Christopher Michael Munoz · Chicago, US
• Emil Gentolizo · Chesnee, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 15, 2012
• Grant date: Sep 8, 2015
• Expiry date: Mar 15, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0633
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A coupon service application operated on multiple platforms, including mobile devices, PC/Internet and display screens on home appliances. The application maintains a home inventory defining the consumable products within a user's home and a shopping list defining the consumable products the user wishes to purchase, and compares the home inventory and shopping list against a database of available coupons. Users can share and save coupons, use coupons for online purchases, check their home inventory while away from home, monitor the price of certain products and compare the price against an average price and track historical savings. The application maintains a recipe bank, suggests recipes based on the home inventory, and enables users to select recipes, adding ingredients therefrom to the shopping list, all while identifying coupons for items on the shopping list and the home inventory. Users can input a budget, and tracks spending against the budget.