WO2005064515A1

WO2005064515A1 - Dynamic coupons

Info

Publication number: WO2005064515A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/037971
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven J. Mastrianni; Clifford A. Pickover
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
Priority date: 2003-11-26
Filing date: 2003-11-26
Publication date: 2005-07-14
Also published as: CN1879121A; AU2003300801A1

Abstract

Dynamic coupons, particularly e-Coupons in the form of dynamically changing coupons, such as may be exchanged, delivered, and presented on a small or large computer, a portable device like a PDA or cell phone (180) are provided to users (150). Various advantages offered in the coupon may automatically change according to dynamic information (410), such as any changing information such as the current and predicted weather, traffic congestion, economic indicators, and store buying patterns.

Description

DYNAMIC COUPONS

CROSS REFERENCE

This application is cross-referenced with Docket Number YOR920030470PCT 1 , Serial number to be assigned, even dated herewith, entitled, "COUPON EXCHANGE NETWORK AND SERVICE BUREAU," and incoφorated herein in entirety for all puφoses.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to providing dynamic e-Coupons in the form of dynamically changing coupons, such as may be exchanged, delivered, and presented on a computing device, including a portable device such as a PDA or cell phone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various coupon distribution services exist on the World Wide Web. For example, at CouponSurfer.com, a service available in 2003, coupons are offered for reduced prices on such items as clothing, food, music, toys, and travel. Two types of coupons are typically offered. "Internet," or on-line, coupons are provided for Internet on-line stores like Buy.com or Petsmart.com. On-line coupons can be redeemed by clicking on a link in a web browser. Once a user clicks on a link, the user is taken to a retailer's web site (e.g.. Petsmart) where the user can use the coupon to malce a purchase. In some cases, it may be necessary to enter a specific code or password on the retailer's web site to obtain a discount. If this is the case, specific instructions are included on the coupon. The second type of coupon offered at Internet coupon distribution services is a printable coupon. Users print such coupons using their computer's printer and physically take the coupons to a physical store, for example, a restaurant. These coupons may contain bar codes or other information so they can be scanned at the physical store's register. A disadvantage of these coupon services is that they do not provide for coupons, the characteristics of which may rapidly change up to the time a user makes a purchase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the aforementioned need, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for offering a dynamically varying coupon to user for an advantage based on dynamic information at a store. The step of offering comprises a first user making a request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for the advantage and forwarding the dynamically varying coupon to this user. Advantages include product discount, service discount, the receiving of additional coupons, and product or service features. A portable coupon device may be used to store and view coupons. The coupon may be modified based on one or more dynamic criteria such as: the number of other users using targeted coupon, current weather, and traffic patterns. Coupon modifications include coupon deletion or graphically modifying targeted coupon and its redemption value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These, and further, aspects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and the appended drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary collection of several coupon associates who interact with the coupon service bureau;

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary procedure for coupon distributed to users; Fig. 3 shows an exemplary procedure for the Coupon Service Bureau facilitating the creation, bartering, auctioning, and exchanging coupons between one or more users;

Fig. 4 show the operation of dynamic coupons;

Fig. 5 shows the steps enabling a user to request a particular user-desired discount at the point of sale;

Fig. 6 shows one embodiment of a probabilistic dynamic coupon;

Fig. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention implemented as an apparatus to provide coupon business to at least one store; and

Fig. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention implemented as a system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Dynamic e-Coupons refer to dynamically changing coupons, such as may be exchanged, delivered, and presented on a device like a PDA or cell phone. The coupon may be scanned from a newspaper or uploaded to the coupon device over the Internet. Dynamic information refers to any changing information such as the current and predicted weather, traffic congestion, economic indicators, and store buying patterns. The cost of an item may depend on this dynamically changing information. Various advantages offered in the coupon may automatically change according to dynamic information, such as any changing information, e.g. the current and predicted weather, traffic congestion, economic indicators, and store buying patterns.

The device may be any of: card, smart card, PDA, cell phone, or large or small computer, and the downloading may be accomplished using any of: Internet, web, kiosk in store, kiosk in mall. Feedback to suppliers may be done using computer network and contains any of: demographic information, buyer information, product information, time of day, or cost. Feedback to device users contains any of: product information, better offers at other stores, or duration that coupon is good for. The portable coupon device may present auxiliary information like advertisements, product information, product manuals, consumer reports, and safety information. The coupons may expire. The users may be groups of individuals, companies, coφorations, community groups, governmental groups. The coupons may be used to obtain "discounts" for other coupons. The coupons may be probabilistic. For example, a discount may likely be available for a certain amount on a certain date with a certain degree of confidence.

This invention focuses on the dynamic nature of all coupons, but especially dynamic e-Coupons. For example, the discount on the e-Coupon may change at a moment's notice based on current weather conditions. A store, mall, or product creator may want to attract more (or fewer) buyers on a rainy day or based on the number of sales for that day. Related criteria include: time of day, number of sales for that day, speed at which product is selling, prevailing market conditions, weather patterns and report, geopolitical issues and stock market.

Users may interact with the coupon device, for example, at the point of sale, to request a better discount than one already offered. At this point, the amount of discount may change, based on interactions with a third party.

Figure 1 shows several stores 110 and product or service creators 120 who provide coupon information to the coupon service bureau (CSB) 130. Such information may include product or service information, amount of discount for product or service, duration of discount, an identification of the specific recipient for the discount, and so forth. Also depicted are users 140 and 150, to whom the CSB sends coupon information. User 150 has an electronic coupon device 180 (CD) which contains the coupon information supplied by the CSB 130. The CD typically contains storage (for storing one or more coupons), a means for network communications, and an optional display. Coupons may be loaded to the CD via a computer network, paper scanner, or other electronic mechanism. The coupon device (CD) may be any of: card, smart card, PDA, cell phone, handheld device, computer, and the downloading is done using any of: Internet, web, kiosk in store, kiosk in mall. Users 160 and 170 need not be recipients of the coupon information but can be potential creators of a virtual coupon to be sent to other users 140, 150.

Figure 2 shows how coupon information is distributed to users 140, 150. In step 205, a store sends coupon information to the CSB 130. In step 210, a product or service creator sends information to the CSB. In step 215, a human user sends information to the CSB. For example, a user may wish his friend to receive a $10 discount on eyeglasses. Thus, the information in this case may contain a product identifier, discount, and recipient identifier such as a string of alphanumeric characters. This user-made coupon is a virtual coupon, because no manufacturer or store initiated it. In step 217, the user of the CSB may himself send information to the CSB, for example for his own subsequent use. For example, a user may see a coupon in a magazine or at a web page and want the CSB to store and organize such coupons for later use by the user. In some cases, stores, manufactures, and service providers will provide a recipient identifier so that a coupon may be used only be a particular recipient.

In step 218, a software agent not associated with potential coupon providers 205, 210, 215, and 217 may create a coupon for a general population or a specific recipient designated by a recipient identifier. For example, to create a fluid economy or for other puφoses, the agent may send discounts for home purchases to be made in a particular neighborhood. The software agent may be run by a government or other third party or be a self-functioning, independent agent.

In step 220, the CSB sends the coupon information to a recipient 140, 150. In some cases, this information is sent because a recipient requested the coupon information, and it may reside on coupon device 180. In other cases, the recipient is sent this information even if the recipient did not request the coupon information, such as may be the case when a virtual coupon is sent by another user such as user 160. If the user has a CD 180, the information may be sent to the CD. If the user does not have a CD, coupons may be delivered by other means, for example by sending them to the user's computer, at which point he can print the coupon. A recipient identifier code may control which person or CD can receive a coupon or can use the coupon. In step 225, a user uses the coupon information. For example, the information may reside on the user's coupon device 180 which the user brings to or uses in the store. The cashier may scan a barcode displayed on the CD or use some other common electrical interface to the coupon device in order to register the discount. In the cases for which coupon use is restricted to a particular recipient, a password may be required to validate the user. In the cases of virtual coupons, the sender 160 who sent 215 the virtual coupon may have his account debited by the CSB to pay for the discount. In step 225, the user may also receive product information, manuals, ads, rebates, comments, and other material related to the product and provided to the CSB 130 by the stores, manufactures, associates (such as friends or employers), or third parties such as consumer reporting agencies. The CSB may also notify the user of better discounts elsewhere and of safety concerns.

In step 230, information about the purchase may be sent back to the CSB, with the user's consent. For example, this information may include demographic infonnation about the buyer, which the CSB may send to the store 110 or product manufacturer 120 or agent 218. Demographic information may include user buying history or other characteristics of the user. The information sent back can include non-demographic information, such as the time of day, rate of purchases in the store for a given time, and weather patterns so that stores and product/service creators will better understand buying scenarios and situations. The CSB may charge the store, user, agent 218, person 215, or product/service creator a fee for this service represented in steps 200, for example, by taking a percentage of each transaction.

To accomplish this, the coupon service bureau meters the number and nature of: user requests, coupon service bureau forwardings, and user redemptions ~ and then bills the first user according to the number and nature of requests, forwardings, and redemptions (step 225). The bureau may charge a set amount for each request, forwarding, or redemption, or the bureau may charge a percentage of the purchase price or discount value. The fee may also depend on the nature of the advantage given. For example, a discount may incur a greater fee charge than a rebate offer. In Figure 3, the CSB 130 allows users to create, barter, auction, and exchange coupons, with or without involvement of the product manufacture or store. For example, in step 310 a user 140 may indicate to the CSB 130 that he has a coupon for a particular product that he is willing to trade for another coupon. In step 320, a second user receives the announcement of this first coupon via the CSB 130 and can make an offer to the first user. For example, an offer might be made to exchange the coupon offered by the first user in step 310 for a different coupon offered by the second user in step 330. If the offers are agreed upon, the CSB exchanges 340 one coupon for the other. Both users are happy. Optionally, the sellers or product/service creators may be notified 350 of this exchange, along with the demographics of the users, to best understand buyer needs and demographics.

Note that the "users" in Figure 3 need not be limited to potential customers but may be other entities like sellers 205, 210 or software agents 218. In other words, these other entities may wish to exchange coupons.

Figure 4 show how the dynamic coupon works. In step 410, the coupon user 150 receives dynamic coupon information. For example, a new coupon may be created or a discount value may change based on any of: curcent weather (e.g. give discount if raining, or give snowshoe discount depending on weather), predicted weather, news reports, movies, movie showtimes, user's buying history, stores record of sales, time of day, number of sales for that day, speed at which product is selling, prevailing market conditions, geopolitical events, fuel prices, demographic information (e.g. if the current buying rate for a product is low for 30-year-old women living in urban centers, the discount may change to incent new demographic buying patterns), automobile traffic patterns, gas prices, prevailing economic conditions (stock markets, taxes, tax deductibles etc.) , number of people in store at the moment or predicted to be in the store, time of day (e.g. to avoid rush hour traffic), terrorist alert level, nature of stores along the way to destination store, historical record of traffic problems (e.g. congestion), historical record of accidents, and crime statistics. In step 420, the user uses the dynamic coupon to receive a discount Figure 5 shows how users may request a particular user-desired discount at the point of sale. In step 510, a user requests a discount. For example, the user may have a coupon for $5 off the price of a drill. However, he requests a $ 10 discount. In step 510, the potential granting parties may agree to provide such a discount. A granting party may be the store 205, product/service creator 210, another person 215 who is giving the discount, or a software agent 218. If the potential granting party does not accept the requested discount, the user may request an alternative discount. If the granting party agrees, a new discount is applied 530, for example, the dynamic coupon value may be changed on the CD 180, and the new discount value applied.

Figure 6 shows one embodiment of a probabilistic dynamic coupon. A coupon for a product, such as a computer mouse, may reside on CD 180, 610. The discount may be for certain values 620 with certain levels of confidences 630. For example, the discount may be $ 10 with a 70% probability and $15 with a 30% probability on a particular date. Users may not even know the actual discount value to be used until they pay for the product. Thus users may use a "blind" discount based on probabilities with a certain risk.

Thus, the present invention provides a method comprising offering a dynamically varying coupon to at least one coupon user for an advantage based on dynamic information for use at least one store. The step of offering comprises a first user making a request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for the advantage. The dynamically varying coupon is forwarded to the first user. In some embodiments of the method, the first user employs the coupon to obtain the advantage at a store. The advantages included: product discount, service discount, duration of discount, rebate, service feature, service contract feature, product feature, ecological feature, safety feature, and preferred instructions. The advantage can also be the reception of other coupons. Coupons may be used to obtain other coupons.

As an example, a prospective buyer of a lawnmower may use the CSB to obtain a targeted discount on a lawnmower. To obtain this discount, the user may use his coupon device to enter the word "lawnmower" and a maximum spending price and a special safety feature. Entry may be by keyboard, speech, or other computer input means. The CSB may then send coupons to the user's coupon device such that the lawnmower will be below this price. These coupons are generally created by coupon associates, such as the product manufacturer, store, or even a friend who has created such a coupon. In fact, the targeted coupon may be created by a coupon associate such as a particular store, a chain store, a customer environment sensor, a weather sensor, a product manufacturer, at least one other user, a product manufacturer, a service provider; a government agency, a family member, an employer of the first user, the first user, a third party agent, and any combination of these associates. The word sensor refers to any detecting entity. For example, a weather sensor may determine that temperature is below 32 F and snow is likely, and thus alter the coupon discount for boots.

Users may receive many different kinds of targeted advantages, such as product discounts, service discounts, duration of discounts, rebates, service features, service contract features, product feature, ecological feature, safety feature, preferred instructions, an independent software agent and any combination of these advantages. The software agent need not be associated with stores, product providers, service providers, or the user.

The Coupon Service Bureau may obtain the targeted coupon from the first user as well as user-specific information from the first user. The user-specific information includes first user demographic information (such as home address), time of day when coupon was made, time of day when coupon was employed (e.g. redeemed at a store), product information, rate of purchases in a given time for a given product or products, and a user's age, gender, income, place of residence, marital status, number of family members, past buying habits, level of education, hobbies, race, and religion. Demographic information may reside in a user profile on the consumer device, coupon service bureau, or at another location. Coupon associates may find such information useful in order to understand and plan product marketing. At least one coupon associate may monitor and store usage data for the targeted coupon. Targeted coupons may be modified in various ways based on different criteria. For example, an advantage like a discount price, and reflected by numbers on the coupon and color of the coupon, may depend on expiration date, number of other users using targeted coupon, current weather predicted weather, news reports, movies, movie show times, user's buying history, stores record of sales, time of day, number of sales for that day, speed at which product is selling, prevailing market conditions, geopolitical events, fuel prices, demographic information, traffic patterns gas prices, prevailing economic conditions, number of people in store at the moment or predicted to be in the store, time of day, terrorist alert level, nature of stores along the way to destination store, historical record of traffic problems, historical record of accidents, crime statistics, and any combination of these criteria.

The coupon may be modified in many ways. For example, the coupon displayed on the coupon device may be deleted, have its discount value or other advantage changed, or can be moved from one location to another. For example, coupons may be stored in different folders or otherwise categorized on the graphical user interface. Graphical modifications include coupon color, size, font, texture, intensity, blink rate, texture, and background pattern.

A vast arena of peer-to-peer and related commerce is facilitated by the coupon service bureau. For example, at least one coupon associate can receive a targeted coupon or coupon use data from at least one other coupon associate from the group of targeted coupon associates. At least one coupon associate can redeem the targeted coupon after use of the targeted coupon by the first user. For example, a user could receive a coupon for a computer that is available in a town that is close to her friend. The user may then forward this coupon to her friend for her potential use. This step of forwarding includes requiring a return of a previous coupon from the first user to the Coupon Service Bureau. The step of forwarding may include another user providing the targeted coupon to the Coupon Service Bureau in exchange for a previous coupon held by the first user.

The user may request a desired better discount than one already offered. At this point, the amount of discount may change, based on interactions with a third party. The coupon advantage may change both based on time user gets coupon and also after the coupon has been issued to the user. For example, a user may go to a store with a $ 10 discount on shoes. Five minutes before he buys the shoes, the discount may increase to $15. These changes may be continuously transmitted to a coupon device.

A coupon associate may provide an identifier enabling use of the targeted coupon by a limited user population. For example, a manufacturer of certain medications may malce a coupon advantage available to certain people who may benefit from the medication. One method for employing the coupon service bureau involves a coupon user 150 employing a portable coupon device 180 to provide user information in the form of a coupon, an information processor 182 for using the user information in providing a coupon advantage to the coupon user, and a coupon downloader 183 for downloading a coupon to the device, and an information transmitter 184 to provide feedback to at least one coupon associate. The processor, downloader, and transmitter can be located in one or more places, such as on the coupon device or on a computer located at the service bureau. The downloading is done from a provider such as an Internet provider, a web site, a kiosk in a store, or a kiosk in a mall.

The feedback includes data taken from groups of data consisting of demographic information, buyer information, product information, time of day, service cost, product cost, and any combination of these data. Feedback to device users may include special information taken from a group of special information consisting of product information, better offers at other stores, duration that coupon is good for and any combination of these special information. The coupon service bureau may be a third party that performs a task taken from a group of tasks consisting of: altering user of other similar coupons, alerting users as to location of products, and suggesting other coupon advantages.

The coupon device permits the user to electronically trade and exchange coupons over a coupon exchange network maintained by the coupon service bureau. The coupon exchange employs an exchange technique taken from a group of techniques consisting of: barter, sale, auction; and any combination of these techniques. The electronic exchange is restricted by a restriction taken from a group of restrictions consisting of: time limitations, location of a store limitations, location of exchangers of electronic coupons limitations, product limitations, and price limitations.

Wherein the portable coupon device may present auxiliary information such as advertisements, product information, product manuals, consumer reports, and safety information. The coupon information is created by a user or other agencies. For example, a user can create a coupon for a computer, send it over the network via the coupon exchange network to a friend, who can use the coupon to get a discount on the computer. This virtual coupon will deduct money from the user's own account and function as a gift. The user may be individuals, companies, coφorations, community groups, and governmental groups. The information may be used to provide a set of coupons to the user. The user sends particular coupon information to the Coupon Service Bureau. For example, he scans a magazine coupon and has the Coupon Service Bureau hold it for him for convenience and later use. If desired, the coupon may only be used by a particular recipient. The provider of the coupon information may be a software agent.

An alternative embodiment is an apparatus 700 shown in Figure 7, to provide coupon business to at least one store. The apparatus comprising: a coupon processing entity 710 to offer a dynamically varying coupon to at least one coupon user for an advantage based on dynamic information for .use at least one store; a requester device 720 for a first user to make a request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for the advantage; and a coupon transmitter 730 to forward the dynamically varying coupon to the first user.

Still another embodiment is a system shown in Figure 8, comprising a coupon device 810; a coupon downloading device 820 to download a dynamically varying coupon to the coupon device based upon dynamic information. Sometimes the system includes a communication module 830 to monitor coupon usage and to provide feedback to coupon associates.

Thus the invention includes a method comprising offering a dynamically varying coupon to at least one coupon user for an advantage based on dynamic information for use at least one store, The step of offering comprising: a first user making a request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for the advantage; and forwarding the dynamically varying coupon to the first user.

In some embodiments of the method: the first user is one of a plurality of coupon users, and further comprising at least one other user from the plurality of coupon users making the request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for the advantage, and the step of forwarding is performed by a coupon service bureau servicing the plurality of coupon users, and servicing at least one product manufacturer.

In some embodiments of the method, the method further comprises at least one step taken from a group of steps including: the coupon service bureau metering user requests by the plurality of coupon users; the coupon service bureau metering the step of forwarding; the coupon service bureau billing each of the plurality of coupon users; and the coupon service bureau billing each of the at least one product manufacturer; at least one of the users employing the coupon to obtain the advantage at at least one store; the coupon service bureau metering a number and nature of the users employing the coupon, and billing each user according to the number and nature.

In some embodiments of the method: the advantage consists of an advantage taken from a group of advantages consisting of: product discount, service discount, duration of discount, rebate, service feature, service contract feature, product feature, ecological feature, safety feature, preferred instructions, and any combination of these advantages; and/or the step of making a request includes employing a coupon device.

In some embodiments of the method the method has a limitation taken from a group of limitations consisting of: the coupon is created by at least one coupon associate taken from a group of coupon associates consisting of: a particular store, a chain store, dynamically by a customer environment sensor, dynamically by a weather sensor, a product manufacturer, at least one other user, product manufacturer, service provider, government, family member, employer, the first user, a third party agent, and any combination of these associates; and/or the at least one store refers the first user to at least one other store to obtain a further advantage; and/or the further advantage is taken from a group of further advantages consisting of: product discount, service discount, duration of discount, rebate, service feature, service contract feature, product feature, ecological feature, safety feature, preferred instructions, and any combination of these advantages; and/or a coupon service bureau obtains the targeted coupon from the first user.

In some embodiments of the method, the method further comprises obtaining user-specific information from the first user; and/or the user-specific information includes at least one piece of information taken from a group of information consisting of: first user demographic information, time of day of the step of accessing, time of day of the step of employing, product information, rate of purchases in a given time for a given product or products, and user's age, gender, income, place of residence, marital status, number of family members, past buying habits, level of education, hobbies, race, religion; and/or the step of forwarding includes requiring a return of a previous dynamically varying coupon from the first user to a coupon service bureau; and/or the step of forwarding includes another user providing the dynamically varying coupon to a coupon service bureau in exchange for a previous coupon held by the first user; and/or the coupon is dynamically modified after the step of forwarding; and any combination of these limitations.

In some embodiments of the method, the method further comprises modifying the dynamically varying coupon based on a coupon-modifying criteria including a criterion taken from a group of criteria consisting of: expiration date, number of other users using targeted coupon, current weather, predicted weather, news reports, movies, movie show times, user's buying history, stores record of sales, time of day, number of sales for that day, speed at which product is selling; prevailing market conditions, geopolitical events; fuel prices, demographic information, traffic patterns, gas. prices, prevailing economic conditions, number of people in store at the moment or predicted to be in the store, time of day, terrorist alert level , nature of stores along-the-way to a destination store, historical record of traffic problems, historical record of accidents, crime statistics; and any combination of these criteria. In some embodiments of the method, the step of modifying the dynamically varying coupon includes modifications taken from a group of modifications consisting of: deleting targeted coupon, graphically modifying targeted coupon, changing targeted coupon value, moving coupon from one location to another; and any combination of these modifications.

In some embodiments of the method, the method further comprises a further step taken from a group of further steps consisting of: at least one associate from a group of coupon associates monitoring and storing usage of the coupon; and/or at least one coupon associate receiving dynamically varying coupon use data from at least one other coupon associate from the group of coupon associates; and/or the at least one coupon associate redeeming the dynamically varying coupon after use of the dynamically varying coupon by the first user; and/or one associate from the at least one coupon associate providing an identifier enabling use of the dynamically varying coupon by a limited user population; and any combination of these further steps.

In some embodiments of the method, the method has a limitation taken from a group of limitations consisting of: the coupon device is a device taken from a group of devices consisting of: a handheld device, a computer, a card, a smart card, a PDA, and a cell phone, and a combination of these devices; and/or the coupon device is provided to the first user by a provider taken from a group of providers consisting of: a coupon service bureau, the at least one store, product manufacturer, service provider, government, family member, employer, and a combination of these providers .

In some embodiments, the invention is implemented as an apparatus to provide coupon business to at least one store. The apparatus comprising: a coupon processing entity to offer a dynamically varying coupon to at least one coupon user for an advantage based on dynamic information for use at at least one store; and/or a requester device for a first user from the at least one coupon user to malce a request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for the advantage; and a coupon transmitter to forward the dynamically varying coupon to the first user. In some embodiments, the invention is implemented as a system comprising a coupon device; and a coupon downloading device to download a dynamically varying coupon to the coupon device based upon dynamic information. In further embodiments, the system further comprises a communication module to monitor coupon usage and to provide feedback to coupon associates.

In some embodiments, the system has a limitation taken from a group of limitations consisting of: the coupon device is portable; and/or the coupon device is a device selected from a group of devices consisting of: smart card, PDA, cell phone, computing device; printer, audio device, multimedia device, smart watch, a printing device, and any combination of these devices; and/or the downloading device is a device selected from a group of devices consisting of: an Internet interface, a web server, a kiosk, and any combination of these devices; and/or the feedback is provided to the coupon device; and/or the coupon device is held by a users group selected from a set of users groups consisting of: individuals, companies, coφorations, community groups, governmental groups, and combination of these users groups; and/or the dynamically varying coupon is a probabilistic coupon; and/or the dynamically varying coupon is alterable at the point of sale based upon interaction between the coupon device and the downloading device to enable a coupon user to obtain a better advantage; and any combination of these limitations.

Variations described for the present invention can be realized in any combination desirable for each particular application. Thus particular limitations, and/or embodiment enhancements described herein, which may have particular advantages to a particular application need not be used for all applications. Also, not all limitations need be implemented in methods, systems and/or apparatus including one or more concepts of the present invention.

The present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. A visualization tool according to the present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system - or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods and/or functions described herein - is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herem. The present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which - when loaded in a computer system - is able to carry out these methods.

Computer program means or computer program in the present context include any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after conversion to another language, code or notation, and/or reproduction in a different material form.

Thus the invention includes an article of manufacture which comprises a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a function described above. The computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of a method of this invention. Similarly, the present invention may be implemented as a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a a function described above. The computer readable program code means in the computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect one or more functions of this invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented as a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for causing one or more functions of this invention.

It is noted that the foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects and embodiments of the present invention. This invention may be used for many applications. Thus, although the description is made for particular arrangements and methods, the intent and concept of the invention is suitable and applicable to other arrangements and applications. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The described embodiments ought to be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be realized by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention in ways known to those familiar with the art.

Claims

CLAIMS:

We claim: 1. A method comprising offering a dynamically varying coupon to at least one coupon user for an advantage based on dynamic information for use at least one store, said step of offering comprising: a first user making a request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for said advantage; and forwarding said dynamically varying coupon to said first user.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said first user is one of a plurality of coupon users, and further comprising at least one other user from said plurality of coupon users making the request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for said advantage, and the step of forwarding is performed by a coupon service bureau servicing said plurality of coupon users, and servicing at least one product manufacturer.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising at least one step taken from a group of steps consisting of: the coupon service bureau metering user requests by said plurality of coupon users; the coupon service bureau metering said step of forwarding; the coupon service bureau billing each of said plurality of coupon users; and the coupon service bureau billing each of said at least one product manufacturer.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, at least one of said users employing said coupon to obtain said advantage at said at least one store.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the coupon service bureau metering a number and nature of said users employing said coupon, and billing each user according to the number and nature.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the advantage consists of an advantage taken from a group of advantages consisting of: product discount, service discount, duration of discount, rebate, service feature, service contract feature, product feature, ecological feature, safety feature, preferred instructions, and any combination of these advantages.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of making a request includes employing a coupon device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, having a limitation taken from a group of limitations consisting of: wherein said coupon is created by at least one coupon associate taken from a group of coupon associates consisting of: a particular store, a chain store, dynamically by a customer environment sensor, dynamically by a weather sensor, a product manufacturer, at least one other user, product manufacturer, service provider, government, family member, employer, said first user, a third party agent, and any combination of these associates; wherein said at least one store refers said first user to at least one other store to obtain a further advantage; wherein the further advantage is taken from a group of further advantages consisting of: product discount, service discount, duration of discount, rebate, service feature, service contract feature, product feature, ecological feature, safety feature, preferred instructions, and any combination of these advantages; wherein a coupon service bureau obtains the targeted coupon from said first user; further comprising obtaining user-specific information from said first user; wherein the user-specific information includes at least one piece of information taken from a group of information consisting of: first user demographic information, time of day of the step of accessing, time of day of the step of employing; product information, rate of purchases in a given time for a given product or products, and user's age, gender, income, place of residence, marital status, number of family members, past buying habits, level of education, hobbies, race, religion, or any combination of these; wherein the step of forwarding includes requiring a return of a previous dynamically varying coupon from said first user to a coupon service bureau; wherein the step of forwarding includes another user providing said dynamically varying coupon to a coupon service bureau in exchange for a previous coupon held by said first user; wherein said coupon is dynamically modified after the step of forwarding; and any combination of these limitations.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising modifying said dynamically varying coupon based on a coupon-modifying criteria including a criterion taken from a group of criteria consisting of: expiration date, number of other users using targeted coupon, current weather, predicted weather, news reports, movies, movie show times, user's buying history, stores record of sales, time of day, number of sales for that day, speed at which product is selling; prevailing market conditions, geopolitical events; fuel prices, demographic information, traffic patterns, gas prices, prevailing economic conditions, number of people in store at the moment or predicted to be in the store, time of day, terrorist alert level , nature of stores along-the-way to a destination store, historical record of traffic problems, historical record of accidents, crime statistics; and any combination of these criteria.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said step of modifying said dynamically varying coupon includes modifications taken from a group of modifications consisting of: deleting targeted coupon, graphically modifying targeted coupon, changing targeted coupon value, moving coupon from one location to another; and any combination of these modifications.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a further step taken from a group of further steps consisting of: at least one associate from a group of coupon associates monitoring and storing usage of said coupon; at least one coupon associate receiving dynamically varying coupon use data from at least one other coupon associate from said group of coupon associates; said at least one coupon associate redeeming said dynamically varying coupon after use of said dynamically varying coupon by said first user; one associate from said at least one coupon associate providing an identifier enabling use of said dynamically varying coupon by a limited user population; and any combination of these further steps.

12. An apparatus to provide coupon business to at least one store, said apparatus comprising: a coupon processing entity to offer a dynamically varying coupon to at least one coupon user for an advantage based on dynamic information for use at at least one store; a requester device for a first user from said at least one coupon user to make a request to obtain the dynamically varying coupon for said advantage; and a coupon transmitter to forward said dynamically varying coupon to said first user.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing an offering of a dynamically varying coupon, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 1.

14. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for offering a dynamically varying coupon, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 1.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing provision of coupon business to at least one store, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 12.

16. A system comprising a coupon device; and a coupon downloading device to download a dynamically varying coupon to said coupon device based upon dynamic information.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, having a limitation taken from a group of limitations consisting of: wherein said coupon device is portable; wherein the coupon device is a device selected from a group of devices consisting of: smart card, PDA, cell phone, computing device; printer, audio device, multimedia device, smart watch, a printing device, and any combination of these devices; wherein the downloading device is a device selected from a group of devices consisting of: an Internet interface, a web server, a kiosk, and any combination of these devices; wherein said feedback is provided to said coupon device; wherein the coupon device is held by a users group selected from a set of users groups consisting of: individuals, companies, corporations, community groups, governmental groups, and combination of these users groups; wherein said dynamically varying coupon is a probabilistic coupon; wherein said dynamically varying coupon is alterable at the point of sale based upon interaction between the coupon device and the downloading device to enable a coupon user to obtain a better advantage; and any combination of these limitations.

18. A system as recited in claim 16, further comprising a communication module to monitor coupon usage and to provide feedback to coupon associates.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 , having a limitation taken from a group of limitations consisting of: wherein the coupon device is a device taken from a group of devices consisting of: a handheld device, a computer, a card, a smart card, a PDA, and a cell phone, and a combination of these devices; wherein the coupon device is provided to said first user by a provider taken from a group of providers consisting of: a coupon service bureau, said at least one store, product manufacturer, service provider, government, family member, employer, and a combination of these providers.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a coupon system, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 16.