Dynamic time-of-purchasing-decision incentive system and method

Abstract

A system and method that provides suppliers or sellers with a competitive opportunity to influence consumers at the precise moment a purchasing decision is being made. A consumer using a personal wireless device ( 110 ), which has an integrated bar code scanner ( 120 ), scans the bar code of a product in a store. The device, using wireless communication ( 420 ), sends the scanned product information and a consumer ID to a processing application ( 430 ). The processing application ( 430 ) sends a profile of the consumer's past shopping behavior, the scanned product information and other data to each interested supplier's competitive incentive offer engine ( 470 ). Each supplier's incentive engine determines the optimal incentive to offer and returns this data to the processing application ( 430 ) where the incentives are collectively sent back to the consumer's device ( 110 ) using wireless communication ( 421 ). The device displays the competing incentives and the consumer selects one or more of the incentives presented and repeats this process throughout the store. Upon checkout, a bar code identifying the store and point of sale register is scanned and the incentives are redeemed by scanning them into the store's point of sale register like conventional printed coupons via a display ( 240 ) on the device that dynamically renders standard coupon bar codes. The redeemed incentives are then sent from the device to the processing application using wireless communication ( 422 ) where they are reconciled and the store is given credit for the redeemed values.

1 . A system for providing incentives for products having machine readable codes at the time a purchase decision is being made, said system comprising:
 a. a wireless device having a scanning means usable by the shopper to read the machine readable codes;   b. a processing application having stored data relating to determining an incentive for the shopper;   c. said wireless device having a first communication means for communicating the machine readable code and shopper information to said processing application;   d. a plurality of competitive incentive offer engines each having a means for determining an incentive based on data received from said processing application;   e. said processing application having a second communication means for communicating said data relating to determining an incentive to said plurality of competitive incentive offer engines;   f. each of said plurality of competitive incentive offer engines having a third communication means for communicating incentives to said processing application;   g. said processing application having a fourth communication means for communicating said incentives to said wireless device;   h. said wireless device having a user interface usable by the shopper to select the incentives to be redeemed;   i. said wireless device having a fifth communication means for communicating said redeemed incentives to a point of sale system; and   j. said wireless device having a sixth communication means for communicating said redeemed incentives to said processing application.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said scanning means comprises a bar code scanner and said machine readable codes are selected from the group consisting of universal product code bar codes, one dimensional bar codes, two dimensional bar codes, reduced space symbology, and composite symbology. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first communication means, said fourth communication means, and said sixth communication means comprises wireless communication methods as selected from the group consisting of cellular communications and radio frequency communications. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said stored data relating to determining an incentive is comprised of a combination of past shopping history of the shopper, a plurality of first products scanned within a product category, a plurality of products purchased with incentives, and/or a plurality of incentives redeemed. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said second communication means, and said third communication means are computer connections selected from the group consisting of local area network, wide area network, the internet, online network, direct modem, cellular communications and radio frequency communications. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said fifth communication means comprises a display that dynamically renders bar codes and is scannable by the bar code reader of the point of sale system. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said fifth communication means comprises a wireless communication with the point of sale system using short range wireless methods selected from the group consisting of radio frequency and infrared. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said wireless device further comprises global positioning system circuitry. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing an incentive to a shopper of a product having a machine readable code at the time a purchase decision is being made, said method comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a wireless device having a scanning means usable by the shopper;   b. reading the machine readable code by the wireless device;   c. providing a processing application having stored data relating to a consumer influence profile for the shopper;   d. communicating the machine readable code and shopper information to said processing application from said wireless device;   e. evaluating said machine readable code and shopper information to determine said consumer influence profile by said processing application;   f. providing a plurality of competitive incentive offer engines each having a means of determining an incentive based on said consumer influence profile;   g. communicating said consumer influence profile to said plurality of competitive incentive offer engines from said processing application;   h. determining an incentive for said shopper based on said consumer influence profile by each of the competitive incentive offer engines;   i. communicating the incentives to said processing application from said plurality of competitive incentive offer engines;   j. communicating the incentives to said wireless device from said processing application;   k. selecting the incentives to be redeemed by the shopper;   l. communicating said incentives to be redeemed to a point of sale system from said wireless device; and   m. communicating said incentives to be redeemed to said processing application from said wireless device.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of communicating the machine readable code and shopper information to said processing application from said wireless device is performed by wireless communication means. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of communicating said consumer influence profile to said plurality of competitive incentive offer engines from said processing application is performed by the processing application connected to said competitive incentive offer engine via a method selected from the group consisting of local area network, wide area network, the internet, online network, direct modem, cellular communications and radio frequency communications. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of communicating the incentives to said processing application from said plurality of competitive incentive offer engines is performed by the competitive incentive offer engine connected to the processing application via a method selected from the group consisting of local area network, wide area network, the internet, online network, direct modem, cellular communications and radio frequency communications. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of communicating said incentive to said wireless device from said processing application is performed by wireless communication means. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of communicating said incentive to a point of sale system from said wireless device is accomplished by dynamically rendering and displaying bar codes on the wireless device which are then read by the bar code scanner of the point of sale system. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of communicating said incentive to a point of sale system from said wireless device is accomplished with the point of sale system via wireless communication means. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said step of communicating said incentives to be redeemed to said processing application from said wireless device is accomplished with the processing application via wireless communication means.