Electronic coupon distribution and redemption via acoustic communication
AssigneeNaratte, Inc.
InventorsChad G. Seguin, Byron E. Alsberg, Brett L. Paulson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer-implemented method for redeeming an electronic coupon comprises receiving on a transmit device the electronic coupon that includes an embedded identifier that indexes coupon data; playing the identifier of the electronic coupon over air from a speaker of the transmit device in proximity to a receive device; decoding the identifier in response to the receive device receiving the audio signal over the air; and using the identifier to access the coupon data including purchase discount information.
Claims30
A computer-implemented method for redeeming an electronic coupon, comprising:
- receiving on a transmit device the electronic coupon that includes an embedded identifier that indexes coupon data;
- playing the identifier of the electronic coupon over air from a speaker of the transmit device in proximity to a receive device;
- decoding the identifier in response to the receive device receiving the audio signal over the air;
- and
- using the identifier to access the coupon data including purchase discount information.
A system, comprising:
- a transmit device having a processor, memory and a speaker, the processor configured to:
- receive on a transmit device an electronic coupon that includes an embedded identifier that indexes coupon data, and
- play the identifier of the electronic coupon over air from a speaker of the transmit device in proximity to the receive device;
- and
- a receive device having a microphone that is configured to;
- receive the audio signal over the air and decode the identifier, and use the identifier to access the coupon data including purchase discount information.
A computer-implemented method for redeeming an electronic coupon, comprising:
- receiving on a transmit device the electronic coupon that includes an embedded modulated identifier that indexes coupon data;
- decoding the modulated identifier in the electronic coupon to recover the identifier;
- transcoding the recovered identifier for a selected medium;
- re-transmitting the transcoded identifier in proximity to a receive device;
- and
- using by the receive device the transcoded identifier to access the coupon data including purchase discount information.
A method for generating, distributing and sharing an electronic coupon, wherein a server in an electronic coupon cloud is in communication with transmit devices of various users, comprising:
- generating by the electronic coupon cloud an electronic coupon with a unique identifier;
- logging information for the electronic coupon in an account for user A and sending the electronic coupon to user A's transmit device;
- sending the electronic coupon from user A's transmit device to user B's transmit device, thereby sharing the electronic coupon;
- extracting by user B's transmit device the identifier from the electronic coupon and sending the identifier to the electronic coupon cloud;
- generating by electronic coupon cloud a copy of the electron coupon and embedding a new identifier;
- and
- logging information for the copy of electronic coupon including the new identifier in an account for user B.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.