Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080208663 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A BENEFIT DURING A TRANSACTION FOR USE DURING A LATER TRANSACTION - A method and apparatus for allowing a customer to purchase or otherwise receive a benefit during a first transaction that will be redeemed by the customer or provided to the customer at a later time or during a future transaction for the purchase, rental, lease, etc. of one or more products and/or services. The price to the customer for the benefit may be a monetary amount, a non-monetary amount, a commitment by the customer to complete or perform some obligation or qualifying action. The value of the benefit to the customer may be based on one or more aspects or characteristics of the first transaction. | 08-28-2008 |
20090254531 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING AND CATEGORIZING DATA AT A TERMINAL - A method and system for collecting and categorizing survey data includes receiving customer information from a customer. A query is identified based at least in part on the customer information. The query is output for presentation to the customer. In one embodiment, the query is presented to the customer by prompting an employee, such as a clerk at a point-of-sale terminal, to verbally present the question to the customer. A customer response to the query is then received. The request from the customer may be, for example, a request to purchase one or more products or it may be a request for assistance or information. The customer response is then captured and analyzed. | 10-08-2009 |
20100049601 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING SUBSCRIPTIONS - A subscription system allows a customer to establish a subscription to a product with one or more retailers (e.g., by establishing the subscription through a controller or central system). In one embodiment, a subscription may be established after receiving information that identifies a product. Terms of a subscription for the product are established, such as a frequency and a duration of the subscription. | 02-25-2010 |
20100267440 | GAMES OF CHANCE WITH PLAYER-SPECIFIED ELEMENTS - A game to be modified in accordance with the invention involves a first random outcome and a second random outcome that are combined according to game rules to produce a game outcome. The game is administered by receiving a player request for a specific entry, the specific entry replacing one of the random outcomes and being selected from a finite set of possibilities not determined by chance. The requested specific entry affects the probable outcome of the game. The specific entry is combined with the remaining one of the random outcomes according to the game rules to determine the game outcome. According to one embodiment, the specific entry may be a score such as 18 which replaces the player's hand in the game of blackjack. | 10-21-2010 |
20110275430 | GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD INCLUDING AN EVALUATION OF A PARTIAL SYMBOL COMBINATION - A game to be modified in accordance with the invention involves a first random outcome and a second random outcome that are combined according to game rules to produce a game outcome. The game is administered by receiving a player request for a specific entry, the specific entry replacing one of the random outcomes and being selected from a finite set of possibilities not determined by chance. The requested specific entry affects the probable outcome of the game. The specific entry is combined with the remaining one of the random outcomes according to the game rules to determine the game outcome. According to one embodiment, the specific entry may be a score such as 18 which replaces the player's hand in the game of blackjack. | 11-10-2011 |
20120330771 | RETAIL SYSTEM FOR SELLING PRODUCTS BASED ON A FLEXIBLE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION - According to one described embodiment, a method is provided in which transaction information is determined. The transaction information is associated with (i) a buyer who has arranged to purchase a product from a central controller at a first price established between the buyer and the central controller and (ii) a merchant that offers the product for sale at a second price, different from the first price, without offering the product for sale to buyers at the first price. Information is transmitted that facilitates the acquisition of the product by the buyer, in exchange for payment provided by the buyer to the central controller. An amount based on the second price is provided to the merchant. | 12-27-2012 |
20130211961 | SYSTEM FOR UTILIZING REDEMPTION INFORMATION - A system to determine offers and/or to determine the acceptability of offers based on received information relating to product redemption at a third party. According to one embodiment, the system includes arrangement for a customer to redeem a product from a third party, reception of information relating to a redemption of the product by the customer, reception of an offer to purchase a product for an offer price, determination to accept the offer based on the received information relating to the redemption, determination of an assigned third party at which the offer product may be redeemed based on the received information, and transmission of an acceptance of the offer and an indication of the assigned third party. | 08-15-2013 |
20130218700 | RETAIL SYSTEM FOR SELLING PRODUCTS BASED ON A FLEXIBLE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION - According to one described embodiment, a method is provided in which transaction information is determined. The transaction information is associated with (i) a buyer who has arranged to purchase a product from a central controller at a first price established between the buyer and the central controller and (ii) a merchant that offers the product for sale at a second price, different from the first price, without offering the product for sale to buyers at the first price. Information is transmitted that facilitates the acquisition of the product by the buyer, in exchange for payment provided by the buyer to the central controller. An amount based on the second price is provided to the merchant. | 08-22-2013 |
20130226735 | SYSTEM FOR UTILIZING REDEMPTION INFORMATION - A system to determine offers and/or to determine the acceptability of offers based on received information relating to product redemption at a third party. According to one embodiment, the system includes arrangement for a customer to redeem a product from a third party, reception of information relating to a redemption of the product by the customer, reception of an offer to purchase a product for an offer price, determination to accept the offer based on the received information relating to the redemption, determination of an assigned third party at which the offer product may be redeemed based on the received information, and transmission of an acceptance of the offer and an indication of the assigned third party. | 08-29-2013 |