Granted Patent B2

US 8,086,488 · App. 11/681,101 · Granted Dec 27, 2011

Abstract

Claims (70)

1. A computer-implemented method for advertisers to define and distribute Short Messaging Service (SMS) and/or Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) coupons to consumers, and for consumers to redeem received coupons, comprising the steps of:

via a computational device providing an advertisement that is used to publicize SMS coupons and/or MMS coupons, wherein said advertisement is displayed on any of digital signs, televisions, billboards, newspapers, magazines, other printed media, and Internet Web pages;

said advertisement comprising at least an SMS dialing number comprising a predetermined code that is used to retrieve a coupon, a coupon code, and advertising content that describes products, services, or/and promotions, said advertisement instructing consumers to send an SMS text message to said SMS dialing number to retrieve a coupon;

via a computational device, providing any of an SMS coupon message and/or MMS coupon message that comprises a promotion code for an advertiser to use later in identifying a promotion when the coupon is presented and an authentication code comprising a globally unique serial number that is used to verify authenticity of the coupon;

responsive to an SMS message sent by a consumer to said SMS dialing number via an SMS/MMS-enabled device, via a computational device, using said coupon code to cross reference an identity code defined in an SMS and/or MMS coupon; and

via a computational device, sending to said SMS/MMS-enabled device any of an SMS coupon comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a text message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services and an MMS coupon comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a multimedia message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services;

said consumer presenting to a physical store, via said SMS/MMS-enabled device, said SMS and/or MMS coupon to obtain said promotion;

said physical store, responsive to said physical store asking said consumer for additional information necessary to obtain said promotion, said additional information comprising at least an identity code and an authentication code included in said coupon, receiving said additional information via said SMS/MMS-enabled device;

said physical store using said identity code to look up details of said promotion via a computational device;

said physical store using said authentication code to validate authenticity of said coupon via a computational device; and

upon verification of said authentication code, said physical store providing said promotion to said consumer for products and services associated with said promotion via a computational device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein all messages sent to the SMS dialing number are routed to a preconfigured processing server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an instruction for SMS messaging is shown as any of a banner on an advertisement, a call out box on said advertisement, in said advertisement as text and/or graphics, as audio instructions on how to retrieve said coupon using SMS messaging.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

For each SMS coupon and/or MMS coupon sent, via a computational device, tracking subsequent actions in connection with each said SMS coupon and/or MMS coupon.

5. An apparatus for distributing SMS and MMS coupons, comprising:

a storage element containing a database comprising advertisements and any of SMS coupons comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a text message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services and MMS coupons comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a multimedia message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services, wherein each coupon is associated with an advertisement;

a Web interface for registering said SMS and MMS coupons;

a storage element containing an advertisement that promotes products and services and publicizes an SMS and/or MMS coupon, comprising at least an SMS dialing number comprising a predetermined code that is used to retrieve a coupon, a coupon code, and advertising content that describes products, services, or/and promotions, said advertisement instructing consumers to send an SMS text message to said SMS dialing number to retrieve a coupon; wherein an advertisement, along with an associated coupon, is chosen from said database and is displayed in public media;

a plurality of SMS and/or MMS enabled devices for sending an SMS message to said SMS dialing number and, responsive thereto, receiving any of an SMS and MMS coupon; and

an SMS processing server for receiving an SMS message sent to said SMS dialing number and, responsive thereto, sending any of an SMS and MMS coupon to an SMS and/or MMS enabled device that originated said SMS message, said sent SMS/MMS coupon including an identity code for use by a merchant to look up details of a promotion associated to said sent SMS/MMS coupon and an authentication code for verifying authenticity of said sent coupon.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:

means for an advertiser inputting an advertisement, along with an SMS or MMS coupon, into said database through said Web interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:

for each SMS coupon, means for an advertiser specifying a coupon code and a text message for the coupon; and

for each MMS coupon, means for an advertiser specifying a coupon code and a multimedia message for the coupon.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:

means for checking and ensuring the uniqueness of a coupon code.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said advertisement is shown on a digital sign and said advertisement, along with a coupon, is transmitted electronically and displayed in real time.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:

means for routing an SMS text message to said SMS processing server;

wherein said SMS processing server is preconfigured to process all incoming messages to said SMS dialing number.

11. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein when an SMS coupon message or an MMS coupon message that matches a coupon code is found in said database, said coupon message is sent to said SMS and/or MMS enabled device.

12. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising

for each SMS coupon and/or MMS coupon sent, means for tracking subsequent actions in connection with each said SMS coupon and/or MMS coupon.

13. A computer-implemented method for redeeming SMS and/or MMS coupons, comprising the steps of:

a consumer presenting at a physical store, via an SMS/MMS-enabled device, an SMS and/or MMS coupon to obtain a promotion, said SMS and/or MMS coupon provided to said consumer in an advertisement that is used to publicize SMS coupons and/or MMS coupons;

wherein said advertisement comprises at least an SMS dialing number comprising a predetermined code that is used to retrieve a coupon, a coupon code, and advertising content that describes products, services, or/and promotions, said advertisement instructing consumers to send an SMS text message to said SMS dialing number to retrieve a coupon; and

wherein, responsive to an SMS message sent via said SMS/MMS-enabled device by said consumer to said SMS dialing number, via a computational device said coupon code is used to cross reference an identity code defined in an SMS and/or MMS coupon; and

wherein via a computational device, any of an SMS coupon comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a text message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services and an MMS coupon comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a multimedia message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services is sent;

said physical store, responsive to said physical store asking said consumer for additional information necessary to obtain said promotion, said additional information comprising at least an identity code and an authentication code included in said coupon, receiving said requested information via said SMS/MMS-enabled device;

said physical store, responsive to said physical store receiving said indentity code, using said identity code to look up details of said promotion via a computational device;

said physical store, responsive to said physical store receiving said authentication code, using said authentication code to validate authenticity of said coupon via a computational device;

upon verification of said authentication code, said physical store providing said promotion to said consumer for products and services associated with said promotion via a computational device.

14. An apparatus for advertisers to define and distribute Short Messaging Service (SMS) and/or Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) coupons to consumers, and for consumers to redeem received coupons, comprising:

an advertisement that is used to publicize SMS coupons and/or MMS coupons;

means for displaying said advertisement on any of digital signs, televisions, billboards, newspapers, magazines, other printed media, and Internet Web pages;

said advertisement comprising at least an SMS dialing number comprising a predetermined code that is used to retrieve a coupon, a coupon code, and advertising content that describes products, services, or/and promotions, said advertisement instructing consumers to send an SMS text message to said SMS dialing number to retrieve a coupon;

means for providing any of an SMS coupon message and/or MMS coupon message that comprises a promotion code for an advertiser to use later in identifying a promotion when the coupon is presented and an authentication code comprising a globally unique serial number that is used to verify authenticity of the coupon;

means for, responsive to an SMS message sent by a consumer to said SMS dialing number, using said coupon code to cross reference an identity code defined in an SMS and/or MMS coupon; and

means for sending any of an SMS coupon comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon, an authentication code for verifying authenticity of said sent coupon and a text message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services and an MMS coupon comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a multimedia message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein all messages sent to the SMS dialing number are routed to a preconfigured processing server.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein an instruction for SMS messaging is shown as any of a banner on an advertisement, a call out box on said advertisement, in said advertisement as text and/or graphics, as audio instructions on how to retrieve said coupon using SMS messaging.

17. A system for distributing SMS and MMS coupons, comprising:

a storage element containing a database comprising advertisements and any of SMS coupons comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a text message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services and MMS coupons comprising at least an identity code that uniquely identifies the coupon and a multimedia message that describes details of a promotion for products and/or services, wherein each coupon is associated with an advertisement;

a Web interface for registering said SMS and MMS coupons;

a storage element containing an advertisement that promotes products and services and publicizes an SMS and/or MMS coupon, comprising at least an SMS dialing number comprising a predetermined code that is used to retrieve a coupon, a coupon code, and advertising content that describes products, services, or/and promotions, said advertisement instructing consumers to send an SMS text message to said SMS dialing number to retrieve a coupon; wherein an advertisement, along with an associated coupon, is chosen from said database and is displayed in public media;

a plurality of SMS and/or MMS enabled devices for an SMS message to said SMS dialing number and, responsive thereto, receiving any of an SMS and MMS coupon; and

an SMS processing server for receiving an SMS message sent to said SMS dialing number and, responsive thereto, sending any of an SMS and MMS coupon to an SMS and/or MMS enabled device that originated said SMS message, said sent SMS/MMS coupon including an identity code for use by a merchant to look up details of a promotion associated to said sent SMS/MMS coupon and an authentication code for verifying authenticity of said sent coupon.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein an advertiser inputs an advertisement, along with an SMS or MMS coupon, into said database through said Web interface.

19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

a storage element containing a coupon code and a text message specified by said advertiser for each SMS coupon; and

a storage element containing a coupon code and a multimedia message specified by said advertiser for each MMS coupon.

20. The system of claim 17 ;

wherein said database checks and ensures the uniqueness of a coupon code.

21. The system of claim 17 , wherein said advertisement is shown on a digital sign and said advertisement, along with a coupon, is transmitted electronically and displayed in real time.

22. The system of claim 17 , wherein

an SMS text message is routed to said SMS processing server; and

wherein said SMS processing server is preconfigured to process all incoming messages to said SMS dialing number.

23. The system of claim 17 , wherein when an SMS coupon message or an MMS coupon message that matches a coupon code is found in said database, said coupon message is sent to said SMS and/or MMS enabled device.

Assignments (30)