Methods and apparatus for a promotional couponing system
AssigneeFuturelogic, Inc.
InventorsEric Meyerhofer, John Hilbert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A promotional couponing system for the creation and management of promotional coupons, coupon templates, promotions, promotional campaigns, and triggers using a host system and a graphical front-end for use in a gaming, vending, or other business environment. A promotional couponing system runs on its own network though can connect to other host systems, and directly or indirectly to games such as slot machines and game tables and a printer of a game using a third port or interface. The promotional couponing system monitors play and other metrics to use triggers based on game and other data. The printer connection to a game only receives information which can be sent to the promotional couponing system.
Claims9
A method of promotional couponing, comprising:
- storing, by a handheld routing device, a coupon template used for promotional couponing;
- interfacing, by the handheld routing device, to a printer controller unit controlling a printer in a gaming machine;
- downloading, by the handheld routing device, the coupon template to the printer controller unit;
- monitoring, by the printer controller unit, game play metrics directly from the gaming machine using a connection to a Game Machine Unit of the gaming machine;
- and
- printing, by the printer controller unit, a promotional coupon using the printer in the gaming machine, the game play metrics and the coupon template.
A promotional couponing system, comprising:
- a printer controller unit constructed to:
- control a printer of a gaming machine;
- interface to a handheld routing device;
- download from the handheld routing device, a coupon template.
- monitor game play metrics directly from the gaming machine using a connection to a Game Machine Unit of the gaming machine;
- and
- print a coupon using the printer and the coupon template, and a handheld routing device constructed to:
- store the coupon template used in the promotional couponing system;
- interface to the printer controller unit;
- and
- download the coupon template to the printer controller unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.