Promotion service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10445757-B2
Application number	US-201113298845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2011
Priority date	Nov 17, 2011
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing, storing, redeeming, and managing promotions. A promotion service can be called to save, manage, or redeem promotions. The promotion service can be called to generate or provide promotions based upon contextual information. The promotion service also can be accessed to save promotions as well as to view or redeem saved promotions. In some implementations, the promotions can be stored in a promotion locker or other data storage device that is accessible to the promotion service. Promotions can be redeemed at a point of sale such as a web site or a physical retailer. In one contemplated embodiment, a user accesses the promotion service via a smart phone, and a bar code or other information associated with the promotion is displayed on the smart phone in response to a user request.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a server computer comprising a promotion service processor that executes a promotion service and via a communications network, a request to provide a promotion to a web server in communication with the promotion service, wherein the web server hosts a web page that comprises an embedded advertisement frame for the promotion, wherein the web server generates the request in response to loading of the web page by a user device via a mobile telephone network, wherein the web server transmits the request to the promotion service via the communications network, wherein the request is received with identification information associated with the user device that has requested the web page via the mobile telephone network, and wherein the promotion service comprises a promotion creation module that is configured to create the promotion;
determining, by the promotion service processor, a user associated with the request based on the identification information associated with the user device that has requested the web page from the web server, wherein the web server obtains the identification information from the user device, and wherein determining the user comprises
querying, using the identification information, a mobile telephone network device to determine an identity of the user based on the identification information, and
receiving, from the mobile telephone network device, the identity in response to the querying;

retrieving, by the promotion service processor and from a promotion locker, a plurality of promotions to provide to the web server based upon the identity of the user, wherein the promotion service processor creates one of the plurality of promotions using the promotion creation module and based on the identity, wherein the promotion creation module creates the one of the plurality of promotions to include code for launching an authentication screen when the one of the plurality of promotions is interacted with at the user device, and wherein the one of the plurality of promotions further comprises an embedded command comprising code that, when interacted with at the user device, calls the promotion service to store the one of the plurality of promotions;
determining, by the promotion service processor and via accessing a global positioning system device associated with the user device, a current geographic location of the user device;
determining, by the promotion service processor, a context associated with the request, the context comprising content of the web page;
selecting, by the promotion service processor and based on the geographic location of the user device and the context, the one of the plurality promotions from the plurality of promotions, wherein the one of the plurality of promotions relates to a product offered by a vendor associated with the geographic location of the user device, and wherein the vendor is associated with a partner site hosted by the web server;
providing, by the promotion service processor and via the communications network, the one of the plurality of promotions to the web server, wherein the web server provides the one of the plurality of promotions to the user device in the embedded advertisement frame within the web page when the web page is provided to the user device during loading of the web page and in response to the web page being requested by the user device, wherein the web page is presented at the user device with the one of the plurality of promotions in the embedded advertisement frame;
receiving, by the promotion service processor and from the user device and via the mobile telephone network and the communications network, a request to store the one of the plurality of promotions in the promotion locker that is associated with a user account, wherein the request to store the one of the plurality of promotions is generated by the user device based on input detected by the user device based on an interaction with the one of the plurality of promotions in the embedded advertisement frame within the web page, and wherein the request is generated in response to the user device executing the embedded command included in the one of the plurality of promotions;
identifying, by the promotion service processor, the user as being associated with the request to store the one of the plurality of promotions;
determining, by the promotion service processor, if the one of the plurality of promotions is valid based upon the identity, the geographic location, an age associated with the user, account information associated with the user, an account status associated with the user, and an expiration date associated with the one of the plurality of promotions;
determining, by the promotion service processor, if save limits are associated with the one of the plurality of promotions, wherein the save limits comprise a number of times promotions can be saved by users;
in response to determining that the save limits are associated with the one of the plurality of promotions, accessing, by the promotion service processor, the user account associated with the user to determine a number of times the one of the plurality of promotions has been saved by the user;
in response to determining that the number of times exceeds the save limits,
determining, by the promotion service processor, that the one of the plurality of promotions is invalid, and
removing, by the promotion service processor, the one of the plurality of promotions from the promotion locker; and

in response to determining that the number of times does not exceed the save limits,
determining, by the promotion service processor, that the one of the plurality of promotions is valid, and
storing, by the promotion service processor, the one of the plurality of promotions in the promotion locker.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context further comprises a market within which the user device is located and a shopping history associated with the user, and wherein the shopping history comprises a promotion redemption history associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the promotion service processor and from a partner site, a request to access stored promotions in the promotion locker;
searching, by the promotion service processor, the promotion locker for the stored promotions; and
providing, by the promotion service processor and to the partner site, the stored promotions, wherein the partner site presents, in a user interface,
an indication that the promotion locker has been accessed, and
a price for a further product that is offered by the partner site, wherein the price reflects a discount based on the promotions.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the promotion service processor and from the user device, a request to access stored promotions associated with the user device; and
searching, by the promotion service processor, the promotion locker associated with the user device for the stored promotions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promotion service enables the user to authorize other users to redeem promotions from the user account associated with the user and wherein the user authorizes the other users using settings or preferences associated with the user account.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user has a promotion account associated with the promotion service, the promotion account comprising the user account, wherein the promotion account comprises the promotion locker, wherein the user has an account associated with the partner site, wherein the shopping site registers with the promotion service, and wherein the web page, when loaded, displays information from the promotion account.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein

Assignees

• Klein Reuben
• Gorti Sreenivasa
• Mullis Karen
• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Klein Reuben
• Gorti Sreenivasa
• Mullis Karen

Classifications

• G06Q30/0248

  Avoiding fraud · CPC title

• G06Q30/0207 Primary

  Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates · CPC title

• G06Q30/0251

  Targeted advertisements · CPC title

• G06Q30/0261

  based on user location · CPC title