Abstract:
An intelligent, non-intrusive, adaptive wireless discount coupon delivery system over General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”) bearer service. The system generates and delivers electronic coupons to subscribers&#39; GPRS mobile stations from business entities in the subscribers&#39; vicinity. The system bases its delivery on the subscribers&#39; profiles stored in their mobile phones, which may include their cellular location and their shopping histories. The main components of the system include: a GPRS mobile station, a base station, a mobile-switching center (“MSC”), a serving GPRS service node (“SGSN”), a coupon generating server (“CGS”), an offer generating server (“OGS”), and store pricing databases. The system increases the facility and trustworthiness of wireless coupon delivery by isolating subscriber profile information from stores&#39; pricing databases.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Embodiments described herein are directed to an intelligent, non-intrusive, adaptive wireless discount coupon delivery system over the General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”). Specifically, the system generates and delivers electronic coupons to GPRS subscribers from business entities in the subscribers&#39; vicinity. 
     2. Related Art 
     GPRS is a nonvoice value added service that allows information to be sent and received across a mobile telephone network. See Global System for Mobile Communication (“GSM”) 09.60:—“Digital Cellular Telecommunications System (Phase  2 +); General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”); GPRS Tunneling Protocol (“GTP”) Across the Gn and Gp Interface”, European Telecommunications Standard Institute (“ETSI”) EN 301 347 V7.5.1, released 1998). In essence, GPRS involves overlaying a packet-based air interface on an existing circuit switched network. This scheme gives a user an option to use a packet-based data service. Packet switching means that GPRS radio resources are used only when users are actually sending or receiving data. Theoretical maximum speeds of up to 171.2 kilobits per second are achievable with GPRS using all eight of its timeslots concurrently. GPRS facilitates instant connections whereby information may be sent or received immediately as the need arises, subject to radio coverage. No dial-up modem connection is necessary. High immediacy is an important feature of GPRS for time critical applications, such as remote credit card authorization. To use GPRS, users need the following: a mobile phone or terminal that supports GPRS; a subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports GPRS; knowledge of how to send and/or receive GPRS information using their specific model of mobile phone, including software and hardware configurations; and a destination in which to send or receive information through GPRS. 
     While wireless coupon delivery mechanisms over GPRS and other wireless technologies exist, current systems are not personalized. That is, they do not isolate subscribers&#39; profile information from store databases. Accordingly, such delivery services cannot ensure privacy. In addition, most of the coupons today are generalized and thus not traceable. In current systems, no “preferred customer cards” are established. It is thus difficult for a pricing system to understand that a subscriber has preferred status, even if the subscriber has used coupons many times in the past. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A detailed description of embodiments of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts in the several figures. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless discount coupon delivery system over General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”) according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart depicting steps involved in achieving wireless discount coupon delivery over GPRS according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following paragraphs describe an intelligent, non-intrusive, adaptive wireless discount coupon delivery system over General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”) or any other present or future wireless technology. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, whereby the components of the invention are depicted. In addition, FIG. 2 depicts steps involved in achieving wireless discount coupon delivery over GPRS. Referring to FIGS.  1  and  2 , the GPRS mobile station  110  stores information about a subscriber  100  as his/her created profile. This step is depicted as step  205 . The profile may include, for example, name, telephone number, business entities of interest, genre of shopping interest, credit card number, preferred customer number, and the like. The GPRS station  110  allows the subscriber  100  to make only part of his/her profile visible to a third party. That is, the subscriber  100  may choose to make his name and telephone number visible, while maintaining private the remaining profile attributes. As such, a profile is divided into two sections—public and private. The information stored in the public section is made visible to anyone. In sharp contrast, the information stored in the private profile is not visible to anyone. The subscriber  100  may choose, however, to make the information available on a per instance basis. To this extent, a small client program runs on the GPRS mobile station  110  to enable the subscriber  100  to send a “coupon service request.” When this request is transmitted, it shall be understood that the subscriber  100  has opted for sharing his/her profile information, public and if applicable, private, with the coupon generating server  150 . 
     As shown in step  210 , the GPRS mobile station  110  connects to the GPRS network  120 . This step is achieved by a command such as “GPRS_ATTACH”. Meanwhile, the base station  130  is a typical GPRS base station subsystem that may contain a radio tower, an amplifier, and an antenna. Each base station  130  has a BASE_STATION_ID. For each call processed, the base station  130  passes the BASE_STATION_ID to the Serving GPRS Service Node (“SGSN”)  140 . 
     The base station  130  then connects to the Mobile-Switching Center (“MSC”) and SGSN  140 . The SGSN  140  contains a database with the BASE_STATION_ID and CELL_LOCATION. The SGSN  140 , thus, determines the approximate location of the GPRS mobile station  110  based on the BASE_STATION_ID through which it is communicating. This action is shown as step  220 . As shown in step  215 , if a “coupon service request” is received by the SGSN  140 , then the SGSN  140  forwards the request along with the subscriber  100  profile and CELL_LOCATION to the Coupon Generating Server (“CGS”)  150  over the GPRS network  120 , which may be the Internet or a managed IP network. Step  225  outlines the above-described action. 
     The CGS  150  compares the CELL_LOCATION with a “Store Listings Database”  160  and filters the listings of stores that are within the same geographical area as the CELL_LOCATION. That is, the CGS  150  begins with a radius of 100 meters to search for store listings. It then gradually expands its search to a five-mile radius. If no results are returned after the search, it will continue to expand its search, via an appropriate algorithm, until at least several store listings are found. The CGS  150  uses all the available information about the subscriber  100  from the SGSN  140 . For instance, if a profile sent by the SGSN  140  merely lists the name and telephone number, the CGS  150  will search for all the stores in the desired geographical area. If, however, the profile sent by the SGSN  140  includes the subscriber&#39;s  100  “stores of interest”, the CGS  150  will search for only those stores. If the profile further includes that which the subscriber  100  specifically desires, i.e., grocery store, electronics store, clothing store, etc., then the CGS  150  will further refine its search. In general, the function of the CGS  150  is to extract the listings of the stores that best match the subscriber&#39;s  100  profile. This step is illustrated in step  230 . 
     As shown in step  235 , once the CGS  150  identifies the store listings within the desired geographical area, the CGS  150  contacts the Offer Generating Server (“OGS”)  170  to determine if there are any “coupons” which stores may be offering. The CGS  150  conveys to the OGS  170  all the relevant information it has about the subscriber  100  profile that the subscriber  100  has agreed to make public. The CGS  150  further provides to the OGS  170  the IP address of the store pricing database  180   a-c.    
     As illustrated by step  240 , the OGS  170  may then search the subscriber&#39;s  100  name, telephone number, and other available details to determine what discounts it can offer to the subscriber  100  by contacting the various store pricing databases  180   a-c . The OGS  170  does not share any subscriber  100  profile information with the store pricing databases  180   a-c , unless specifically requested by the subscriber  100 . Once the OGS  170  and the store pricing database  180   a-c  mutually agree upon an offer, the OGS  170  generates an offer number and a brief description of the offer and sends them to the CGS  150 . This arrangement is described in steps  245  and  255 . The OGS  170  further updates the store pricing database  180   a-c , as shown in step  250 . The OGS  170  uses a specialized algorithm for generating the unique, personalized offer number that uses the subscriber&#39;s  100  telephone number, time of day, store location, and the like. 
     The OGS  170  sends the offer number or offer numbers for multiple stores to the CGS  150 , which then forwards it to the SGSN  140  and then delivers it to the subscriber&#39;s  100  GPRS mobile station  110 . The CGS  150  may optionally convert the number into a bar code image that can further be sent to the GPRS mobile station  110 , as shown in step  260 . The GPRS mobile station  110  will then store the information. 
     The OGS  170  communicates with individual store pricing databases  180   a-c  over the GPRS network  120 , which may be a managed IP or private network. Pricing information is always stored at the pricing database  180   a-c  and not on the OGS  170 . The function of the OGS  170  is to negotiate the offer with pricing databases  180   a-c  of each store, generate a unique and traceable offer number for the subscriber  100  and then update the store pricing databases  180   a-c  with the number. The offer could be time-sensitive and could expire automatically. Upon the expiration of the offer, the OGS  170  removes the entry from the store pricing database  180   a-c  and further contacts the CGS  150  informing it of the expiration. This step is illustrated in step  270 . As shown in step  275 , when such request is received by the CGS  150 , the CGS  150  connects to the subscriber  100  GPRS mobile station  110  and informs the subscriber  100  of the expiration. The CGS  150  can delete the offer numbers or bar code images with or without subscriber  100  intervention. 
     When the subscriber  100  decides to redeem the offer, the subscriber  100  simply walks into the store and presents the bar code or offer number. The store pricing database  180   a-c  compares the offer number with the stored number and honors the previously agreed discount upon purchase. Upon redemption, the OGS  170  receives confirmation from the store pricing database  180   a-c  and the OGS  170  then updates and maintains the subscriber  100  record. As illustrated in step  265 , the OGS  170  may optionally tag a store name as “preferred” for the subscriber  100  and use this information when the subscriber  100  requests coupon service at a later date. From the providers of mobile services perspectives, this wireless coupon delivery service over GPRS should prove to be a revenue-generating opportunity. 
     Indeed, there is a need for an easy wireless coupon delivery service that maintains subscriber privacy. For example, the CGS  150  and the OGS  170  act as brokers on behalf of the subscriber  100 . The CGS  150  and OGS  170  will not communicate personal information about the subscriber  100  to the pricing database of stores  180   a-c . Instead, the CGS  150  uses location information to find stores within a desired geographical area. Meanwhile, the OGS  170  acts as a conduit for negotiating an offer. The OGS  170  can extract pertinent subscriber  100  information and provide only the necessary information about the subscriber  100  to the pricing database  180   a-c . The OGS  170  obtains the offer and generates a unique offer number that is personalized for the subscriber  100 . The concept of unique offer number generation provides an advantage over current systems, as stores can track offers, and subscribers  100  are ensured privacy. This is possible because when an offer is redeemed, only the CGS  150 /OGS  170  can decode the offer number into the subscriber  100  user profile and information. 
     While the above description refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof The accompanying claims are intended to cover any such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.