WO2000052610A1

WO2000052610A1 - Method for electronic attribution of commercial advantages and means implementing said method

Info

Publication number: WO2000052610A1
Application number: PCT/FR2000/000505
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gérard BLONDEL; Daniel Andre
Original assignee: Iris Technologies, Sarl
Priority date: 1999-03-02
Filing date: 2000-03-01
Publication date: 2000-09-08
Also published as: AU2922900A; FR2790568A1; FR2790568B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for electronic attribution of commercial advantages to an individual provided with identification means (1) via a terminal (2) acquiring the identification means comprising at least indirectly a free access storage zone (3). Said method is characterised in that it consists in: constituting a database (4) containing an identifier (5) for each person listed in the database; implanting an OS exploitation system called independent system; setting up a programme which defines the various operations for delivering the advantage concerned; selecting identifiers capable of receiving the advantage concerned and listing them; transferring to the acquisition terminals of the identifying means the programmes with their associated lists; and retrieving the information generated by the programmes during execution for exploitation in particular for monitoring the operation.

Description

ELECTRONIC BENEFIT ALLOCATION METHOD

COMMERCIAL AND MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS The invention relates to a method of electronic allocation of commercial advantages to an individual provided with a means of identification.

It also relates to the means for implementing the method

To date, to encourage consumers to change their purchasing behavior, the distribution or the manufacturers issue reduction coupons on paper allowing them to benefit from a discount for the purchase of a particular product. Other types of advantages can of course be delivered. The consumer then benefits from this discount when going to the checkout, after delivery of the voucher or after having sent a letter containing the voucher accompanied by proof of purchase.

These benefit distribution systems do not perform well for various reasons.

They require distribution by employees or by a service provider company which presents a cost which will be charged on the volume of benefits to be delivered.

The distribution of these advantages is generally done in the mailboxes of the inhabitants of a district or a city and, consequently, the distribution of these advantages is not selective.

At best, a population could be selected beforehand, for example, by addressing these advantages only to holders of a loyalty card, but this criterion is not very satisfactory since everyone will have the same offer.

In addition, it is necessary to wait until the end of the promotional period to analyze the impact of these campaigns and therefore, in the event of a target or other error, it is not possible to correct it. Certain operations can be carried out electronically in the store. In fact, an installation is known (WO-A-98.00803) from which, each time a customer goes to the checkout and enters a promotional code via a keyboard, the system automatically deducts a sum of money by notifying him of this deduction and recording the number of shares. This makes it possible to electronically manage part of the process and obtain day-to-day monitoring of the impact.

However, such a system makes it possible to manage only one type of advantage, namely reduction coupons and confines itself to counting the number of coupons used. A problem which currently arises for the installation of an electronic system stems in particular from the fact that all the stores do not have the same IT tool and, consequently, it is necessary to provide for each IT tool an IT solution suitable for existing materials. In addition, if there are databases (US-A-4,882,675) allowing computer analyzes of consumer purchasing profiles, these databases require large memory sizes which makes access long to less to invest considerable sums in the acquisition of equipment with reduced access time. For information, the time required to consult a database of five thousand customers is around ten seconds for a simple request.

While some chain stores have a database for statistical analysis, it is generally large enough that it can only be implemented on large computer systems.

The subject of the invention is therefore a method of electronic distribution of commercial advantages to an individual provided with an identification means by means of a terminal for entering the identification means comprising, at least indirectly, an area free access memory characterized in that:

. prior to the benefit allocation operation: - a database is created containing an identifier for each individual listed in the database,

at least indirectly, in each of the memory areas accessible from the input terminals of the identification means, an operating system known as an independent system is installed,

- for each type of advantage Ai (i: 1..n) a program Pj (j: 1..n) is established which, executable by the independent operating system, defines the various operations to be carried out for the delivery of the benefit considered,

- from the database and according to different criteria, for each type of advantage Ai (i: 1..n), we select identifiers likely to receive the advantage considered and we put them in a list Lx (x : 1..n) each one associated with the PjG program: 1..n),

- the Pj programs (d: 1..n) with their associated lists are transferred to the input terminals of the identification means and - for the allocation of the advantage, when an individual, belonging to one lists, is identified by one of the input terminals of the identification means, the associated program Pj (j: 1..n) is executed, at least periodically, it is extracted, to be used in particular for monitoring the 'operation, the information generated by the programs during their execution. The invention also relates to the means for implementing the method.

The invention will be clearly understood with the aid of the description below given by way of nonlimiting example with regard to the drawing which represents diagrammatically: FIG. 1: the diagram of all of the means of implementation,

- Figure 2: the terminal diagram.

Referring to the drawing, it can be seen that, in order to study the behavior of consumers with regard to the attribution of a benefit, a method of attributing commercial advantages to an individual provided with a means 1 d is implemented. 'identification by means of a terminal 2 for entering the identification means comprising at least indirectly a memory area 3 free of access. By terminal of the input means, one will understand the point of sale terminals or all the other devices requiring recognition, by reading the identification means, which means can be a microprocessor or bar code card or the like. This process is characterized in that:

. prior to the benefit allocation operation:

- a database 4 is created containing, on the one hand, an identifier 5 for each individual listed in the database and, on the other hand, possibly a history 6 retracing the purchasing behavior of the individual,

at least indirectly in each of the memory areas 3 accessible from the input terminals of the identification means, an operating system OS known as an independent system is installed,

- from the database and according to different criteria, for each type of advantage Ai (i: 1..n), we select identifiers likely to receive the advantage considered and we put them in a list Lx (x : 1..n) each one associated with the program Pj (j: 1..n),

- the programs Pj (j: 1..n) with their associated lists are transferred to the input terminals of the identification means;

- for the allocation of the advantage, when an individual, who is part of one of the lists, is identified by one of the terminals for entering the identification means, the associated program Pj (j: 1 .. n) is executed and, at least periodically, the information generated by the programs during their execution is extracted, in order to be used in particular for monitoring the operation.

The advantage of such a system is that the volume of information to be transferred, at least indirectly, to the terminals for entering the identification means such as point of sale terminals to carry out this operation is very low compared to the memory size. necessary to create a database on existing systems to date. The amount of data can thus be stored in the memory of the payment terminal.

Another advantage is to install an operating system almost independent of the store's operating systems. The program developed will work especially for point of sale terminals. It suffices to provide between the operating system and the point of sale terminal a module providing the interface between the operating system and the system used by the point of sale terminal.

This independent operating system possibly uses the resources of the point of sale terminal operating system and then uses a communication interface between the two systems.

This independent operating system, for example, will simply need to perform simple operations: read the card, write on the card and / or on the printer of the point of sale terminal or on the screen of this point of sale terminal. sale.

Also, instead of planning a global program that will come, each time a means of identification is introduced into a point of sale terminal, check on a database whether the individual is entitled to an advantage and what type of advantages , it suffices simply to check if it belongs to one of the lists transmitted and in the affirmative to unfold the associated program, ie the program specific to this customer and not a program which applies to all customers .

The verification of the individual's membership in one of the lists is done much faster and without using the query tools of a database.

The transfer of information for subsequent analysis can be carried out every evening to an independent statistical study system which, depending on the results, may, overnight, stop the promotional operation or modify it. The transfer can also be done on request.

The independent operating system OS is installed either in the memory 3 of the independent terminals, or on the server 100 of which they depend either on the means 1 of identification when it is a so-called microprocessor card.

Advantageously, in order to attribute a type of advantage only once to a predetermined individual: - on the one hand, each program has a unique number, preferably chronological and, during the course of the program assigned to the individual considered , we write on its means of identification the number of said program and

- on the other hand, in this program, before handing over the advantage, it is checked whether the number of said program already appears on the means of identification and, if so, it prematurely interrupts said program to avoid attributing a second time the advantage.

Writing this information on the means of identification prevents the same individual from enjoying several advantages by going to different stores with the same brand.

The program will therefore include as information a number which identifies it, the conditions for triggering the marketing action, the advantage offered, the maximum number of obtaining the advantage, the validity dates of the action and the list of individuals for whom the marketing action is intended. The independent system operator OS comprises an interpreter I and various modules M which each perform a particular task of the type of reading the identifier, verification of the membership of the identifier in the list, delivery of the advantage, recording of information to transfer later for analysis etc. The attribution of the advantage is not necessarily conditioned by the purchase of a product.

Also, it is interesting to note that the advantage is not necessarily a store product but can be an object of a completely different type. For example, the purchase of a telephone may give entitlement to a call duration granted by a specific supplier. It is enough to write on the means of identification the advantage and to attribute it only when the customer pays his invoice with the supplier.

The information produced by the program can then be transferred to the database and allow a behavioral analysis of the subject.

The transfer of programs and lists can be done by dedicated link or transfer by telephone lines.

The means for implementing the method according to the invention comprise: a database 4 listing identifiers 5 to each of which is possibly associated a history 6,

a means 20 for selecting some of these identifiers as a function of at least one criterion,

a means 21 for grouping the identifiers 5 selected from a list,

a means 22 for creating programs comprising logical sequences of the reading, writing, test type,

a means 23 for creating a link between the programs and the lists, a means 24 for creating a so-called independent operating system capable of interpreting the aforementioned programs and of executing them on a terminal for entering the means identification.

Claims

1. Method for the electronic allocation of commercial advantages to an individual provided with a means (1) of identification by means of a terminal (2) for entering the means of identification comprising at least indirectly a memory area (3) free to access and previously implementing a database (4) containing an identifier (5) for each individual listed in the database, this process being CHARACTERIZED in that:. prior to the benefit allocation operation: - at least indirectly in each of the memory areas (3) accessible from the input terminals of the identification means, an OS operating system known as an independent system is installed,

- from the database and according to different criteria, for each type of advantage Ai (i: 1..n), we select identifiers likely to receive the advantage considered and we put them in a list Lx (x : 1..n) each being associated with the program Pj (j: 1..n), - the programs Pj (j: 1..n) with their associated lists are transferred to the input terminals of the identification means and

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that, to attribute only once a type of advantage to a predetermined individual:

on the one hand, each program has a unique number, preferably chronological and, during the course of the program assigned to the individual concerned, the number of said program is written on its means of identification, and - on the other hand, in this program, before handing over the advantage, it is checked whether the number of said program already appears on the means of identification and, if so, it prematurely interrupts said program to avoid attributing a second time the advantage.

3. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that, in the database, a history is created (6) retracing the purchasing behavior of the individual,

4. Means including in particular a database (4) listing identifiers (5) and a means (20) for selecting some of these identifiers according to at least one criterion, for implementing the method according to claim 1 to 3 characterized in that they include:

a means (21) for grouping the identifiers (5) selected from a list,

a means (22) for creating programs comprising logical sequences of the reading, writing, test type,

- a means (23) of creating a link between the programs and the lists,

- Means (24) for creating a so-called independent operating system capable of interpreting the above programs and executing them on a terminal for entering the identification means.

5. Means according to claim 4 characterized in that the database contains, for each identifier (5), a history (6).