Electronic coupon display system and method
Electronic coupons are downloaded from a coupon server to a multifunction device and the coupons are stored on the multifunction device. Each electronic coupon includes a text-based form of the coupon and an image-based form of the coupon that includes promotional offers and/or brand indicia. When a consumer hovers a selection cursor over a text-based form of the electronic coupon currently shown on the display of the multifunction device, the text-based form of the coupon is replaced on the display with the corresponding image-based form of the coupon, including promotional offers and/or brand indicia, for the duration of the hover condition. This replacement operation maximizes the marketing value of an electronic coupon while minimizing the marketing impact to other electronic coupons on the same multifunction device display.
1 . A communication module for a handheld device having a display, said communication module comprising:
a client module executable on a communication device, for displaying items on the display; and
a coupon display module coupled to a memory storing a plurality of sets of coupon text data and respective brand indicia images corresponding to the sets of coupon text data, the coupon display module being operative to send plural sets of coupon text data to the client module for display without displaying brand indicia images, the client module including an operation for replacing only a selected set of the coupon text data with the respective brand indicia image to cause the brand indicia image corresponding to the selected set of coupon text data to be displayed on the display screen area with the other sets of coupon text data.
2 . The communication module of claim 1 , wherein the communication device is one of a mobile telephone, a pager and a handheld computer.
3 . The communication module of claim 1 , wherein the set of coupon text data is selected by causing a cursor to hover over the text data via a user interface
4 . A communication module for a handheld device having a display, comprising:
means for causing display of plural sets of coupon text data, each set of coupon text data corresponding to a coupon;
means for selecting one set of coupon text data corresponding to a desired coupon; and
means for replacing display of only the selected set of the coupon text data with the respective brand indicia image to cause the brand indicia image corresponding to the selected set of coupon text data to be displayed on the display screen area with the other sets of coupon text data.
5 . The communication module of claim 4 , wherein the communication device is one of a mobile telephone, a pager and a handheld computer.
6 . The communication module of claim 4 , wherein the means for selecting comprises means for causing a cursor to hover over the text data via a user interface
7 . A communication application executable on a network, comprising:
a communication module executable on a processor of a communication device, the communication device including a display screen for displaying items;
a server module executable on a processor communicatively coupled over the network to the communication module; and
a coupon repository coupled to the server module capable of storing a plurality of sets of coupon text data and corresponding brand indicia images;
wherein the server module includes an operation of sending plural sets of coupon text data to the communication module without displaying brand indicia, and the client module includes an operation for replacing only a selected set of the coupon text data displayed by the communication module with the respective brand indicia image to cause the brand indicia image corresponding to the selected set of coupon text data to be displayed on the display screen area with the other sets of coupon text data.
8 . The communication application of claim 7 , wherein the communication device is one of a mobile telephone, a pager and a handheld computer.
9 . The communication application of claim 7 , wherein the means for selecting comprises means for causing a cursor to hover over the text data via a user interface
10 . A computer-readable media having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions for causing display of plural sets of coupon text data, each set of coupon text data corresponding to a coupon;
instructions for selecting one set of coupon text data corresponding to a desired coupon; and
instructions for replacing display of only the selected set of the coupon text data with the respective brand indicia image to cause the brand indicia image corresponding to the selected set of coupon text data to be displayed on the display screen area with the other sets of coupon text data.
11 . The computer readable media of claim 10 wherein the instructions for selecting comprises instructions for causing a cursor to hover over the text data via a user interface
12 . A method of displaying electronic coupons on the display of a handheld device, the method comprising:
displaying plural sets of coupon text data, each set of coupon text data corresponding to a coupon;
selecting one set of coupon text data corresponding to a desired coupon; and
replacing display of only the selected set of the coupon text data with the respective brand indicia image to cause the brand indicia image corresponding to the selected set of coupon text data to be displayed on the display screen area with the other sets of coupon text data.
13 . The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein said step of selecting comprises using a user interface to cause a cursor to hover over the text data via a user interface.
14 . The communication module of claim 1 , wherein the branding indicia is a logo image corresponding to the coupon vendor.
15 . The communication module of claim 4 , wherein the branding indicia is a logo image corresponding to the coupon vendor.
16 . The communication application of claim 7 , wherein the branding indicia is a logo image corresponding to the coupon vendor.
17 . The computer readable media of claim 10 , wherein the branding indicia is a logo image corresponding to the coupon vendor.
18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the branding indicia is a logo image corresponding to the coupon vendor.