CN101681467A - Reward points issuance and redemption using product coded wireless communication protocols - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating a reward points issuance, accumulation management and redemption program in which a wireless device user accumulates reward points by messaging a reward code to awireless communications gateway associated with a plurality of independent product entities or location-based proximity services. Earned reward points are tracked in a user reward point account storedon a rewards server. A dedicated account server accumulates some or all of a customer's earned reward points from the reward servers and credits the accumulated points into a single reward redemptionaccount associated with the customer. The customer may then select an item for purchase from the reward points issuing entity or redeem credits for access to a plurality of services with the accumulated reward points.

Description

Use the reward points issuance and the redemption of product coded wireless communication protocols

Technical field

Generally speaking, the present invention relates to customer rewards program.

Background technology

The client rewards or loyalty program is used by enterprise widely so that obtain new client and keep existing client.During at every turn from company's purchase certain products or service, accumulation is rewarded or is counted.The flight regular guest's of airline mileage is exactly the example of one of them the most popular loyalty program.

In many existing customer rewards program, the purchase-transaction of product or service is based on the electronics mode, and when the client uses loyalty card, credit card, debit card, when perhaps under the situation of landline telephone or cell phone loyalty program, using his or her phone to call out, trigger the purchase-transaction of product or service.

Yet in many cases, the client buys product or service in non-electronic transaction mode.This class transaction can't be rewarded by existing client usually or loyalty program obtains.

Just becoming the most popular Electronic data communication form in the golden world by the mobile radio telecommunications that uses cell phone, palm PC (PDA), portable laptop etc.Under mobile environment, Email is widely used in sending and the reception electronic information with the communicating by letter of text message of use by Short Message Service (SMS).

It is desirable utilizing the ever-increasing availability of radio communication to trigger the transaction of customer loyalty or incentive plan.

Summary of the invention

A kind of method and apparatus that is used for distribution, accumulation and the redemption plan of operate wireless reward points.Wherein at least a portion has been utilized the radio communication of being imported products ﹠ services ID code by the plan client.

On the one hand, disclose a kind of operate wireless data and rewarded the method for issuing plan, this method comprises the following steps: to set up central authorities and rewards input, authentication and the management that processor is controlled the benefit code that is associated with products ﹠ services, and this benefit code is corresponding with the buildup of increments of the default reward points of representing at least one reward points issuance entity; Send the input benefit code of at least a portion from client's originating equipment (customeroriginating device) by the radio communications gateway that comprises radio communication; And checking also will be stored in the reward points that product IDs or service ID are associated in the customer account of a reward points issuance entity according to predetermined incentive plan rule by the Customer ID in each message of processor reception and product/service ID.

On the other hand, the incentive plan device comprises discrete product IDs and the service ID that is applied to by each discrete products ﹠ services of reward points plan covering; Central authorities' bonus server is applicable to by communication gate to receive Customer ID, product IDs and service ID from customer equipment that at least a portion of communication gate comprises radio communication; The loyal account server of enterprise is provided at least one business entity that participates in incentive plan; The individual client account of the reward points of at least one of the loyal account server of central bonus server and enterprise, setting up; The central bonus server of accumulation individual client reward points; And, in the loyal account server of central authorities' bonus server and enterprise at least one, with the counting and reward threshold value and compare of individual client accumulation, and when surpassing the reward points threshold value, the reward points of individual client's accumulation allows at least some reward points of redemption.

Description of drawings

By reference following detailed description and accompanying drawing, each feature of the present invention, beneficial effect and other purposes will become more apparent, wherein:

Fig. 1 is reward points issuance, accumulation management and the block diagram of redeeming device;

Fig. 2 is the detailed diagram of the device shown in Fig. 1; And

Fig. 3 is the more detailed block diagram of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Embodiment

In aspect shown in Fig. 1-3, in the center management system managing computer network with the communication link of transfer table, and the internet message that comprises certain content that conversion is created by the mobile subscriber, grouping in the useful load of SMS or MMS, this mobile subscriber is away from as the communication linkcentral bonus server 24 that realizes of the feature ofwireless carrier network 22 for example, this network may be implemented as SMS service center (SMSC) and mobile multimedia service environment (MMSE) orinternet 12, the transmission of the mobile originating when mobile and/or wireless user's input are represented in management.

At least a portion ofbearer network 22 can comprise radio communication.Centralauthorities bonus server 24 through HTTP to the mainframe network server addressing, for example, one group of main customer data of this mainframe network server maintenance, products ﹠ services ID code etc.Server 24 receives mobile input information frombearer network 22 orinternet 12.

Reception comprises themobile subscriber 16,18,20 of products ﹠ services ID or the specific action thatwireless pc 21 starts atcentral server 24 places.Move with authenticated in the time interval in predetermined peering session with theserver 24 that one or more enterprise'sloyalty account server 10 is connected withbearer network 22 orinternet 12, determine the content of incident and the submission input of processing.

According to an aspect shown in Fig. 3, mobile communication equipment or user interface, mobile radio communication apparatus (such as,cell phone 16,PDA 18 or only as thecomputing machine 20,21 of non-limitative example) is communicated by letter withcommunication network 22 typically.Communication link ornetwork 22 can be wireless or wired communication providers of any kind, for example, but are not limited to WiFi, internet, direct cable connection, Ethernet, GSM, GPRS, UMTS, EDGE and token-ring network etc.Thisnetwork 22 can have be applicable to the SMS service center (SMSC) that sends brief text, have allow the user import selection shown drop-down menu Internet protocol or audio frequency is provided and the multimedia service of view data (MMS) as subnet (subset).

Although the example that following wireless content is asked clearly belongs to the Short Message Service of the SMSC subnet that useswireless carrier network 22, be understandable that similar data input association or medium are selected, and such as by drop-down menu, also can be used.

Before going on to say communication network, be understandable that loyalty program provides unique ID or identifier need for each independent product or Service events.Therefore, sell in a packing under the situation of a plurality of products, for example six wrap beverages, each the independent beverage visitor device in six bags will carry unique product identifiers.Can adopt any suitable identity protocol, as 128 alphanumeric characters.Product identifiers can directly be printed on the container or be attached on the container by other suitable manner (such as, adhesive label etc.).Product that each is independent or Service events also can comprise at client's SMS address in order to input product or service ID.Alternatively, be used for the input of product or service ID the SMS address can by independent mode (such as, with independent SMS message, advertisement etc.) offer the client.

Be understandable that equally, comprise that typically the SMS address of a large amount of alphanumeric characters can provide with brief form (such as, 4 or 5 brief format address), be similar to for complete internet address and use brief internet domain name.

The user such as " 1414 ", discerns the loyalty program service bycommunication facilities 16,18,20 or the suitable SMS address of 22 inputs.Then, the user discerns product or service ID byuser interface 16,18 or 20 inputs by the text message that UNICODE or ascii character form.For example, the user can pass throughcommunication facilities 16,18,20 or 21 input of text messages " AB123 ".

AB123 ID can discern specific beverage products and container.In addition, product or service ID also can be used to distinguish geographic area, individual shop etc.

These signals are sent to SMSC, verify Customer ID here.Client's position is sent toserver 24 by rigid line and/or radio communication fromSMSC.Server 24 receives the data from SMSC, and communicates with enterprise loyal accountsnetwork service device 10.

Individual client ID, the reward points total value can be verified, accumulates and be stored in theserver 24 or selectively in theloyal account server 10 of each enterprise.When individual client's award total value limited the threshold value of client's award above predetermined being used to, eachserver 10 can pass throughserver 24, utilizes SMS text message, internet email etc. that incentive message is sent to the user.The client can or look back in replying message wherein the client can line directory based on size of rewarding total value and the various awards that other factors is selected after, select to redeem him and become her reward points by the particular bonus that provides by the reward points issuance entity is provided.

Server 24 also can be set up independently reward points account in a plurality ofservers 10 each.Each independently the reward points account corresponding to a client, be understandable that, a specific client can have a plurality of accounts, and each different reward points issuance entity is corresponding to an account, and this account is stored in theserver 24 as special award registrar.

Since reward points redeem can or based on specific reward points issuance entity, wherein by the quantity of counting of client, make the client to collect and reward from this entity to this specific reward points issuance entity accumulation.Alternatively,server 24 can be realized the reward points shared plan, and wherein particular customer is counted the reward points of accumulating on the entity an issued premium points and can be transformed into different reward points entities to redeem under the incentive plan rule.

Server 24 can also send message to the client by SMSC and import data in order to thank to the client.This will confirm to have realized input.Simultaneously, the message that sends toclient 16 can comprise other message, such as buying the other product or the quotation of service.

Fig. 2 and 3 has described the block diagram of the critical piece ofdevice.Server 24 comprises so-called m-Venueserver 61, and itself andenterprise network server 10 communicate.

Fig. 3 has also described to send or transmit digital data signal in conjunction with thesignaling bearer network 22 of Fig. 1 description or byinternet 12 from customer interface orequipment 16,18,20 and 21 by top.As mentioned above,server 24 can receive the input data from anysource.Server 24 is checked the validity of signals then, processing signals, and storage signal in database, and forward the data in thewebserver 10 of aspect as shown in Figure 1.

Claims (5)

1. the method for an operate wireless data reward points issuance, accumulation and redemption plan said method comprising the steps of:

Set up central authorities and reward input, authentication and the management that processor is controlled the benefit code that is associated with products ﹠ services, this benefit code is corresponding with the buildup of increments of the default reward points of representing at least one reward points issuance entity;

The input benefit code of at least a portion is sent to communication gate by the radio communications gateway that comprises radio communication from client's originating equipment;

The line ID of Customer ID in each message that checking receives by central processing unit and product/again, and according to default incentive plan rule, will be stored in the reward points that product IDs or service ID are associated in the customer account of a reward points issuance entity.

2. method according to claim 1, forwarding step further may further comprise the steps:

Set up the Short Message Service agreement, be used for that the products ﹠ services identifier is sent to central authorities from each client and reward processor.

3. method according to claim 1 further may further comprise the steps:

For each discrete products ﹠ services is used discrete product IDs and service ID.

4. device that is used for wireless data reward points issuance, accumulation and redemption, described device comprises:

Be used to set up central authorities and reward the device that processor is controlled input, authentication and the management of the benefit code that is associated with products ﹠ services, this benefit code is corresponding with the buildup of increments of the default reward points of representing at least one reward points issuance entity;

Be used at least a portion is imported benefit code sends to communication gate from client's originating equipment by the radio communications gateway that comprises radio communication device;

Be used for verifying the line ID of the Customer ID of each message that receives by central processing unit and product/again and will be stored in device in the customer account of a reward points issuance entity according to default incentive plan rule with the reward points that product IDs or service ID are associated.

5. the device of a reward points issuance, accumulation and redemption plan, described device comprises:

Be applied to discrete product IDs and service ID by each discrete products ﹠ services of reward points plan covering;

Central authorities' bonus server is applicable to by communication gate to receive Customer ID, product IDs and service ID from customer equipment that at least a portion of communication gate comprises radio communication;

The loyal account server of enterprise is provided at least one business entity that participates in incentive plan;

The individual client account of the reward points of the accumulation of at least one of the loyal account server of central bonus server and enterprise, setting up; And

In the loyal account server of central authorities bonus server and enterprise at least one with the counting and reward threshold value and compare of individual client's accumulation, and allows at least some reward points of redemption when the reward points of individual client's accumulation surpasses the reward points threshold value.

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