METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREDITING A REWARD TO AN ELECTRONIC WALLET ACCOUNT

A method and system for crediting a reward to an electronic wallet account, wherein an electronic wallet account is pre-established for a user who has a pre-authorized electronic device with an electronic wallet application module, a reward application module and an image processing application module. A table of identifiers associated with a reward is pre-established, and the identifier is encoded in an image to be shown on a product. A registration of the user as a participant in a campaign is pre-established. Identifier information contained in an image captured by the electronic device is received, and it is determined whether the identifier information is in the table of identifiers. The reward associated with the user's electronic wallet account is credited, the identifier is removed from the table of identifiers, and notification of the crediting of the reward is provided.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The current invention is related, in a general view, to a method and system for managing and crediting an economic reward in a digital way, specifically, it is referred to a method and system for crediting in real time an electronic reward in an electronic wallet account from the capture of a coded image associated with the reward.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, coupons and vouchers, either physically or electronically, that promotes discounts more commonly used by businesspeople, brands, and companies to increase and promote their sales of products or services. Generally, this coupons and vouchers, offer a determined discount percentage in a good or service acquisition. Generally, the coupon or voucher, is presented and accepted before the purchase of a good or service is completed to obtain the final discount price. These coupons or physical vouchers are exchanged in a point of sales (POS) by scanning or capturing an encoded image, generally in a bar code or quick response code, that is found in the coupon or voucher. Once the information contained in the coded image enters to the point of sales, transaction amount updates and it's displayed the new amount of the transaction with the discount indicated in the coupon or voucher.

Practical example to exchange an electronic coupon in a point of sales, where the electronic coupon is displayed in an electronic mobile device, it is described in the US patent application publications US2003/0233276A1 and US2015/0379552A1 which are incorporated herein by reference.

The above is inconvenient for many costumers, because the costumer it is forced to look for coupon or physical voucher or download it in an electronic way in its electronic mobile device, even when several costumers feel embarrassed and upset to present the coupon or physical or electronic voucher in advance at the time of purchasing the product or service. Some costumers may forget the coupon or voucher, so this would make a negative experience to the costumer. On the other side, the coupon or physical or electronic voucher in a general way it is not unrepeatable and would a be a reason that several costumers may have access to that coupon o voucher.

On another topic, US Patent Application Publication US2013/0110607A1, incorporated to this document as a reference, describes a method and system to generate, authenticate and validate a credit coupon or refund to a costumer, the method consists, in the first place, complete a transaction (acquisition of a good or service) in a point of sales (POS), the point of sales in a connection with a electronic coupon generator server determinates if the transaction qualifies for a credit or refund, and if it is the case, it generates a electronic coupon in a encoded image in a quick response format which is previously associated to a credit or refund, the point of sale prints the encoded image in the receipt of the transaction which allows the costumer to capture it with his electronic mobile device, sending the coupon information to the electronic coupon generator server, which authenticates the coupon and it gives the order to a bank institution to validate the credit or to refund a determined amount or to order the point of sales to give the determined cash to the costumer, once is accredited the electronic voucher is marked as processed.

The previous assertion presents the following drawbacks (i) the costumer must buy a product or consume service, (ii) the costumer must be in the point of sale and right there make the application to ask to be validate the credit or the refund that is marked in the electronic coupon, and (iii) is necessary to implement an interface, may be between the point of sale and the bank institution or between the coupon generator server and the bank institution, to be able to validate the credit or refund the marked in the costumer electronic coupon.

In another assertion, the U.S. Pat. No. 9,262,769B2 describes a very abstract way to validate an economic compensation to a user, this method has in the first place an assignation of the economic value to a coupon that may be readable by a machine (example, QR code or barcode), this code may be readable and its located in the package of the product; an user captures the readable code with his digital portable device adapted for readable code reading; after this a communication with a remote server is established to validate if the readable coupon has already been captured; and it assigns the user the economic compensation associated to the readable code. The inconvenient of this assertion is that it is not described, nor grounded, which network, or nods will interact, and it not established how and when the economic compensation will be assigned to the user.

The present invention addresses the limitations that has been experimented with the coupons of physical or electronic discount vouchers, with credit electronic coupons or refund and how and when to assign a user to an economic compensation. It's necessary to offer a method and system to validate an economic reward in a user electronic wallet account, where (i) the economic reward do not depend in the acquisition of a product or a consumer service, where it suffices only to have access to an encoded image in a consumer product or service, where the encoded image is any part of the consumer product or its packaging that identifies or implies that the consumer product is about to be consumed or has been consumed. (ii) the economic reward may not depend on having access to a point of sales, it means that, the user may apply for the economic reward validation anywhere and anytime with his electronic device, without the need of a terminal o equipment, or to be in a specific location; and (iii) that the validation of the economic reward may not depend on the bank system o the access to a bank system, only with the use of the electronic wallet system.

The present invention allows the user to participate immediately in an advertising campaign and instantly validate the economic reward associated to his account in an electronic wallet. This invention may also allow the producers, suppliers or distributors of a product or consumer service to stamp directly in his products or consumer services the encoded image associated to the economic reward without depending in a third party. Likewise, this invention allows the producers, suppliers or distributors of a product or consumer service be in an easy and effective way sponsors of an incentives campaign without being associated or to be requiring links to complex systems as the banks system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the view of the aforementioned and with the purpose of solving the founded limitations, the invention has as object to offer a method for crediting a reward to an electronic wallet account, the method includes the steps of: (a) pre-establishing, in an electronic wallet server, an electronic wallet account associated to an user, the user has an electronic device; (b) pre-enabling the electronic device of the user with an electronic wallet application module; (c) pre-establishing, in a reward server in communication with the electronic wallet server, a reward unique identifier table, each reward unique identifier is associated with an economic reward, and the reward unique identifier is encoded in an encoded image to be displayed in a consumable product or service; (d) pre-establishing, in the reward server, an user record as a participant in an incentive campaign; (e) pre-enabling the electronic device of the user with a reward application module and an image processing application module; (f) receiving, in the reward server, information of the reward unique identifier included in an encoded image captured by the electronic device of the user, using the reward application module and the image processing application module, the encoded image is displayed in a consumable product or service that the user has had access; (g) determining, in the reward server, if the information received of the reward unique identifier is found in the pre-established reward unique identifier table; and under the determination that the received information of the reward unique identifier is found in the pre-established reward unique identifier table, then: (h) ordering the reward server to the electronic wallet server to credit the economic reward associated to the reward unique identifier found to the electronic wallet account associated to the user; (i) deleting, the reward server, the reward unique identifier found in the pre-established reward unique identifier table; and (j) notifying, the electronic wallet server, the accreditation of the reward in the electronic wallet account associated to the user through the electronic wallet application module of the electronic device of the user.

This invention also contemplates a system for crediting a reward to an electronic wallet account using the above indicated method, the system has an electronic wallet server to pre-establish an electronic wallet account associated to an user; a reward server in communication with the electronic wallet server to pre-establish a reward unique identifier table and an user record as a participant in an incentive campaign, each reward unique identifier is associated with an economic reward, and the reward unique identifier is encoded in an encoded image to be displayed in a consumable product or service; and the electronic wallet server and the reward server is in communication with an electronic device of the user, wherein the electronic device is pre-enabled with an electronic wallet application module, a reward application module and a image processing application module

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1illustrates a system10for crediting a reward to an electronic wallet in accordance with the invention. The system10consists of an electronic device20, a reward server30and one or more electronic wallet servers40in communication over a network50.

The electronic device20is associated to a user60and has at least a processing unit (not shown). The electronic device20may be a personal computer, a mobile device (example, a cellphone, a smartphone, a laptop, a table, a digital personal assistant, a videogame device, a tracker device of GPS) or another proper technology that allows the user60interact with the reward server30and the electronic wallet server40. The electronic device20can have access to the network50using a wired or wireless router80or using a cellphone network90via a base radio91.

The user60may use the electronic device20to download an electronic wallet application module21from the electronic wallet server40and a reward application module22from the reward server30and install them in the electronic device20. The electronic wallet application module21and the reward application module22interact with a communication module23in the electronic device20to transmit and/or receive data to or from the electronic wallet server40and/or the reward server30, respectively.

Through the electronic wallet application module21, the user60can create and register an electronic wallet account46in the electronic wallet server40, obtaining an electronic wallet user identifier to thus access the electronic wallet services provided by an electronic wallet service provider through interactions between the electronic wallet server40and the electronic wallet application module21installed in the electronic device20. The term “electronic wallet” is known in the state of the art and can be used by a user60associated with an electronic wallet account to carry out an electronic transaction. In general, the electronic wallet has a data or information component associated with user60and transaction data, including payment methods, shipping addresses, billing address, and other information, such as the geographic location where redemption was made, in addition to the time and date. The information component is associated with a user interface for user60to access the electronic wallet to enter the necessary information for the transaction. The electronic wallet is also associated with a software or services component to authorize and complete the electronic transaction, including the security and encryption of the personal information of user60and the real electronic transaction.

The electronic wallet application module21can encompass any application, hardware, software, or process that the electronic device20can employ to assist user60in completing any electronic transaction of the electronic wallet related to his electronic wallet account.

Through the reward application module22, the user60can create and register a user account on the reward server30to be able to participate or be affiliated with an incentive campaign promoted by a producer, supplier or distributor of a consumable product or service. By downloading and installing the reward application module22on the electronic device20, the user obtains a participating user identifier in order to have access to the reward accreditation services provided by an incentive campaign service provider through interactions between the reward server30and the reward application module22installed on the electronic device20.

The reward application module22interacts with an image processing application module24in the electronic device20. The image processing application module24can include any application, hardware, software, or process that the electronic device20can employ to assist the user60to capture and decode an encoded image. The image processing application module24can interact with a scanner or camera25included in the electronic device20or can be incorporated as a complementary application of the scanner or camera25. As a complementary application, the image processing application module24is executed within an application of the scanner or camera25.

Also, the reward application module22can interact with the electronic wallet application module21or can be incorporated as a complementary application to the electronic wallet application module21. As a complementary application, the reward application module22is executed inside the electronic wallet application module21.

The image processing application module24receives an encoded image70captured by the scanner or camera25in the electronic device20and processes the encoded image70to decode the data found therein. The encoded image70may be represented in a code format that contains encrypted information regarding a reward unique identifier, and additionally information regarding an associated consumable product or service, a producer, supplier or distributor of the consumable product or service, and/or an incentive campaign associated with the consumable product or service. The image processing application module24may contain software to decode the code of the encoded image70.

In the context of the present description, the term “code” means a symbol structure that contains encrypted information, capable of being readable when captured or read by an optical electronic reader designed for such purpose or a camera enabled for such purpose. The code can be one-dimensional (for example, a simple linear or stacked linear barcode, the latter for example the PDF417 barcode from the company Symbol Technologies), bi-dimensional (for example, a data matrix code, created by the company RVSU Acuity CiMatriz; a MaxiCode code, created by the company UPS; or a quick response code QR, created by the Denso-Wave company from Japan) or three-dimensional at any given time.

The encoded image70is associated with a unit of a consumable product or service and can be displayed in various forms that allow the user60to scan or photograph the encoded image70using their electronic device20. In a first embodiment, the encoded image70can be printed or stamped on a consumable product, either packaged or packaged, and whose producer or distributor is promoting an incentive campaign; preferably, the encoded image70will be printed or stamped on any part of the consumer product that identifies or implies that the consumable product is about to be consumed or has been consumed (for example, that the packaging of the consumer product is opened) that is, it can be printed or stamped, for example inside the packaging, on the same product, behind the labeling, inside a screw cap or crown cap in the case of a packaged product, on a separate label contained inside the packaging. In a second embodiment, the encoded image70may be printed on a consumer receipt or displayed on a screen when a consumable product or service has been consumed or purchased on-site, in bulk, or dispatchable, either through a commercial establishment (for example, a restaurant, a bakery) or a service station (for example, a gas station), and whose producer, service provider or distributor is promoting an incentive campaign; in such a way, for example that at the time of consuming food in a restaurant, the encoded image70can be printed on the consumption receipt or displayed on a screen; or when filling gasoline at a service station, the coded image70may be displayed on the screen of the service pump or on a separate screen therefrom. In a third embodiment, the encoded image70can be displayed on the screen of a web browser when a consumer product or service has been purchased or consumed online, and whose producer, service provider or distributor is promoting an incentive campaign associated with the consumable product or service.

The information decoded by the image processing application module24relating to the captured encoded image70is transmitted to the reward server30via the network50through the communication module23in the electronic device20.

In one embodiment, the electronic wallet application module21and the reward application module22can be in the same application or embedded in a web browser application module in the electronic device20.

The electronic device20may further include other application modules26as desired in particular embodiments to provide desired features to electronic device20. For example, such other application modules26may include security applications to implement user-side security features, programmatic client applications to interface with appropriate application programming interfaces (APIs) across the network50or other types of applications. The application modules26may also include email and text message applications that allow the user60to send and receive email and text over the network50.

The electronic device20also includes a data storage unit27accessible by the electronic wallet application module21, the reward application module22and the communication module23. The example data storage unit27may include one or more computer readable storage devices. The data storage unit27can be integrated into electronic device20or can be logically coupled to electronic device20. For example, data storage unit27can include integrated flash memory and/or one or more removable memory cards or memory removable flash.

In the data storage unit27is stored an electronic wallet user identifier28associated with the user60and which was obtained from the electronic wallet server40, and a participant user identifier29associated with the user60and which was obtained from the reward server30. Also, the data storage unit27may store an electronic wallet service provider identifier210that identifies the electronic wallet service provider serving user60, the electronic wallet service provider identifier210may be obtained from the electronic wallet server40upon download and installation of the electronic wallet application module21in the electronic device20.

An incentive campaign service provider manages the reward server30. The reward server30includes a processing unit31for executing software routines, and at least one communication interface32that allows data transfer and reception between the reward server30and one or more electronic devices20, and between the reward server30and one or more electronic wallet servers40using one or more application programming interfaces (APIs)33via network50. The reward server30covers or is in communication with a database data34that stores a reward unique identifier table35containing a list of reward unique identifiers associated with an incentive campaign sponsor, which can typically be a producer, supplier, or distributor of a consumable product or service, and where each reward unique identifier is associated with an economic reward sponsored by the sponsor of said incentive campaign.

The economic reward associated with a reward unique identifier to be credited to the electronic wallet account of the user60will be debited from an electronic wallet hub account owned by the sponsor of an incentive campaign or the incentive campaign service provider, for what the sponsor of an incentive campaign or incentive campaign service provider should create and register an electronic wallet hub account47on the electronic wallet server40of any electronic wallet service provider, obtaining an electronic wallet user identifier to access the electronic wallet services provided by the electronic wallet service provider, so the reward unique identifier table35also contains the associated electronic wallet user identifier of the sponsor of an incentive campaign or of the incentive campaign service provider and an electronic wallet service provider identifier that identifies the electronic wallet service provider that services the incentive campaign sponsor or incentive campaign service provider.

The incentive campaign service provider, preferably through the reward server30, unrepeatably generates a list of reward unique identifiers by using any random generation technique. This list of reward unique identifiers is delivered to the sponsor of an incentive campaign, so that the sponsor in turn carries out the encoding of each reward unique identifiers in an encoded image70, and each encoded image70will be associated with a unit of a consumable product or service that the sponsor of an incentive campaign desires, said coded image70being displayed on the consumable product or service in any of several ways described above.

The reward server30may further comprise an incentive campaign rules module36. In the incentive campaign rules module36, one or more rules are pre-established that govern the accreditation of the economic rewards associated with a certain incentive campaign, these rules can be, for example, the validity of the incentive campaign and therefore the validity of the reward unique identifier, the user's compliance with a certain location or time, among others. Alternatively, the sponsor of an incentive campaign can remotely modify or define the rules that govern the accreditation of the economic rewards associated with a certain incentive campaign, by using a remote terminal37with access to the incentive campaign rules module36through network50. The remote terminal37may be a personal computer, a mobile device (example, a cell phone, smartphone, laptop, electronic tablet, or personal digital assistant (PDA).

An electronic wallet service provider manages the electronic wallet server40. The electronic wallet server40includes a processing unit41for executing software routines, and at least one communication interface42that allows data transfer between the electronic wallet server40and one or more electronic devices20, and between the electronic wallet server40and reward server30using one or more application programming interfaces (APIs)43through network50. The wallet server40comprises or is in communication with a database44which stores an electronic wallet account table45where the electronic wallet account46of the user60and the electronic wallet hub account47of the incentive campaign sponsor or incentive campaign service provider are located.

In one embodiment, both the reward server30and the electronic wallet server40can be implemented on the same server or node in a co-located environment, sharing hardware and software elements.

The network50may be a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an intranet, the Internet, a storage area network (SAN), a personal area network (PAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a virtual private network (VPN), a cellular network or other mobile communication network, Bluetooth, NFC, or any combination thereof or any other appropriate architecture or system that facilitates the communication of signals, data and/or messages between the electronic device20, the reward server30and the electronic wallet server40.

Now referring toFIG.2and with the support ofFIG.1, a flow chart of a method100for crediting a reward to an electronic wallet in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. In the step110it is pre-established, in the electronic wallet server40, an electronic wallet account46associated to the user60so, in the step120, it is pre-enabled the electronic device20of the user60with an electronic wallet application module21, and it is storage in the data storage unit27of the electronic device20the electronic wallet user identifier28associated to the user60and the electronic wallet service provider identifier210, both identifiers are obtained from the electronic wallet server40.

In the step130it is pre-established, in the electronic wallet server40, an electronic wallet hub account47belonging to an incentive campaign sponsor or incentive campaign service provider, obtaining an electronic wallet user identifier associated with an incentive campaign sponsor or incentive campaign service provider.

In the step140it is pre-established, in the reward server30, the reward unique identifier table35, such that each reward unique identifier is associated with an economic reward and a sponsor of an incentive campaign or an incentive campaign service provider, thus the reward unique identifier table35also included the electronic wallet user identifier associated to a sponsor of an incentive campaign or the incentive campaign service provider, and an electronic wallet service provider identifier that identifies the electronic wallet service provider that services the incentive campaign sponsor or the incentive campaign service provider.

In the step150, the reward unique identifier is encoded in an encoded image that will be displayed on an unit of a consumable product or service.

After that, in the step160, it's pre-established, in the reward server30, an user record60as a participant in the incentive campaign, so in the step170, the electronic device20of the user60is pre-enabled with a reward application module22and an image processing application module24and it is stored, in the data storage unit27of the device20the participant user identifier29.

One the electronic device20of the user60is enabled with the electronic wallet application module21, the reward application module22and the image processing application module24, any time, in the step180, the electronic device20is used by the user60to capture an encoded image70displayed in a consumable product or service that the user60has access before, so the reward unique identifier information contained in the encoded image70together with the electronic wallet user identifier28associated to the user60, the electronic wallet service provider identifier210and the participant user identifier29is transmitted by the electronic device60and received by the reward server30, so in the step190, is determined, in the reward server30, if the information of the reward unique identifier received is found in the reward unique identifier table25pre-established, and upon determination that the reward unique identifier information received if found in the pre-established reward unique identifier table, then in step200, the reward server30order to the electronic wallet server40(corresponding with the electronic wallet service provider identifier210) that credits the economic reward associated with the reward unique identifier found in the electronic wallet account46of the user60(corresponding with the electronic wallet user identifier28) and is debited the economic reward from the electronic wallet hub account47; in the step220, the reward server30deletes the reward unique identifier found in the reward unique identifier table35pre-established, and in the step230, the electronic wallet server40notifies the creditation of the reward in the electronic wallet account46of the user60via the electronic wallet application module21of the electronic device20.

In the case of the step190it will be determined that the information of the reward unique identifier received is not found in the reward unique identifier table pre-established, then, in step240, the reward server30notifies to the user60this situation with a message through the reward application module22of the electronic device20, indicating in the message that the code is associated to the encoded image70previously captures does not exist anymore or that has already been presented and validated in a previously occasion.

The steps110and120, the step130, the steps140and150and the steps160and170can be executed regardless of the execution order.

One of the main advantages of this method and system for crediting a reward to an electronic wallet, is that allows the user60to have great mobility to claim his reward, because the user60do not depends of being in a determined place or to interact with a determined point of sale or another equipment to be able to do it, because it is enough to have the encoded image70to the disposal of the user with a reward associated to apply for the creditation of the reward in the electronic wallet account.

Based on the embodiments described above, it is contemplated that the modifications of the described production environments, as well as the alternative realization environments will be considered obvious for a person skilled in the art of the technique under the present description. In this order of ideas, it is contemplated that the claims encompass such modifications and alternatives that are within the scope of the present invention or its equivalents.