Method and system for electronic purchases using an intelligent data carrier medium, electronic coupon system, and interactive tv infrastructur

Abstract

A method and a system for electronically transacting a purchase between a purchaser and a merchant are disclosed. The method includes storing accrued incentives on an intelligent data carrier medium via interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment and redeeming a discount or a value corresponding to the accrued incentives present on the data carrier medium when a purchase is made. The electronic purchase system using an electronic network contains a purchaser interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment connected to the electronic network, a fixed intelligent data carrier medium connected to the interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment for service authentication and decryption and a detachable intelligent data carrier medium connected to the interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A method for electronically transacting a purchase, the method comprising:
 storing accrued incentives on an data carrier medium within a device; and   redeeming a discount or a value corresponding to the accrued incentives present on the data carrier medium when a purchase is made.   
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises taking the device containing the data carrier medium to the merchant to make the purchase. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises the purchaser making the purchase on-line. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises utilizing the standardized Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) including a generation of a first digital signature and a certificate. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises generating a second digital signature and a double digital signature. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises targeting the purchaser according to a demographic inferred from a program viewing history. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises targeting the purchaser by manually inputting demographic information. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises offering incentives in order to attract the purchaser to view an advertisement, to interact with the advertisement, to seek related information and to make purchases. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises targeting by including geographic parameters thereby offering incentives for the purchaser to go to local retail outlets. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises:
 accruing incentives or other value amounts; and   saving the accrued incentives or other value amounts as account data on the data carrier medium by an appropriate application.   
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises:
 the purchaser accessing information stored on the data carrier medium; and   detecting a significant value stored making it worthwhile taking the data carrier medium to the merchant to redeem the stored value.   
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 33 , which further comprises:
 the purchaser supplying an appropriate authorization code; and   reading account data from the data carrier medium with a check out terminal.   
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , which further comprises the check out terminal alerting the data carrier medium to debit used incentives or discounts and to send confirmation of the debit to the check out terminal. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 44 , which further comprises sending confirmation of the debit from the data carrier medium to the check out terminal. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 44 , which further comprises downloading complete purchased products information of a check out list to an appropriate data area of the data carrier medium. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the complete purchased products information includes retail store name/universal product codes (UPC), manufacturer name/UPC and product name/UPC.