Method and apparatus for providing coupon information

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for checking available coupon information based on user information and providing a page including store information and coupon information, allowing the user to easily recognize available coupon information and use the coupons in a timely manner, thereby improving the user experience with services.A method for providing coupon information by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of checking user information corresponding to a user's terminal, checking available coupon information for the user based on the user information, and providing a first page including at least one of store information and coupon information to the user's terminal, wherein a first area on the first page displaying the coupon information moves on the first page in response to a user's scroll input on the first page.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for providing coupon information. [Background technology]

[0002] As internet use becomes more widespread, the e-commerce market is expanding. In particular, with the spread of the infectious disease, the proportion of people visiting offline stores to purchase goods has decreased, while the proportion of people purchasing goods through e-commerce using computers or smartphones and ordering food through food delivery intermediary services has rapidly increased.

[0003] E-commerce service or delivery intermediary service providers may offer various discount coupons to encourage users to make purchases and orders. However, because pages provided by service applications have a large amount of information to display but limited page space, service providers must select and effectively display information necessary for users within the limited page space. If coupon information is randomly displayed on a page without such consideration, it may be difficult for users to easily recognize the coupon information, which may hinder users from efficiently using coupons and disrupt the user experience.

[0004] To solve this problem, a method is needed to effectively provide coupon information through a page provided by a service application.

[0005] Related prior art documents include Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1388660. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The embodiments of the present specification are proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aim to improve the user experience with the service by checking available coupon information based on user information, providing a page containing store information and coupon information, and enabling users to easily recognize available coupon information and use coupons in a timely manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a method for providing coupon information by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of confirming user information corresponding to a user's terminal, confirming coupon information available to the user based on the user information, and providing a first page including at least one store information and coupon information to the user's terminal, wherein a first area on the first page on which the coupon information is displayed moves on the first page in response to a user's scrolling input on the first page.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the coupon information includes the number of coupons that the user can use, and the number of coupons that can be used is displayed on the display unit of the user's device regardless of the user's scrolling input on the first page.

[0009] In one embodiment, the coupon information further includes a list of coupons available to the user, the list being located in a second area on the first page, and the list being displayed on the display of the user's terminal in response to user input corresponding to the first area.

[0010] In one embodiment, the method for providing coupon information further includes obtaining user input corresponding to a first coupon from the list, and providing a second page related to stores where the first coupon can be used in response to the user input corresponding to the first coupon.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the coupon information includes a first type of coupon information that can be used at all stores and a second type of coupon information that can be used at a specific store, the user information includes location information related to the user, and the step of checking the coupon information further includes a step of selecting, from the second type of coupons, coupons that can be used at stores within a certain distance from the location related to the user, and a step of generating a list including the selected coupons.

[0012] According to one embodiment, among the second type coupons in the list, one or more coupons that can be used at stores of the same brand are grouped and displayed on the list, and among the one or more grouped coupons, the coupon with the largest discount amount is displayed on the list.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method for providing coupon information further includes the steps of obtaining user input corresponding to a first store among the at least one store, and providing a second page related to the first store in response to the user input corresponding to the first store, wherein the second page includes information related to a first coupon available at the first store.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the method for providing coupon information further includes the steps of acquiring a user's selection input for a menu displayed on the second page, and checking whether the application conditions for the first coupon are met based on the menu selected by the user. If the application conditions are not met, the information related to the first coupon includes information on the amount of additional purchase the user must make to meet the application conditions.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the step of checking whether the application conditions for the first coupon are met further includes a step of checking whether the application conditions for the first coupon are met based on a menu selected by the user and a menu selected by another user related to the user.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the method for providing coupon information further includes a step of providing a third page including menu information selected by a user, the third page including discount amount information when at least one of the coupons available for the selected menu is applied, and if the available time of at least one coupon is limited, the third page further includes information on the available time.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the information on the available time includes the remaining available time of at least one coupon, and the remaining time is displayed on a third page if the remaining time is less than a certain period.

[0018] In one embodiment, the available hours include non-peak hours, which are set based on historical information regarding order demand.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the step of checking the coupon information further includes a step of checking information on the available time of a first coupon among the available coupons, and if the remaining time until the available time of the first coupon is within a certain period, the first page further includes information on the remaining time for the first coupon, and the available time includes a non-peak time that is set based on historical information on order demand.

[0020] A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a medium configured to store computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing coupon information, including the steps of: confirming user information corresponding to a user's terminal; confirming coupon information available to the user based on the user information; and providing a first page including at least one store information and the coupon information to the user's terminal, wherein a first area on the first page in which the coupon information is displayed moves on the first page in response to a user's scrolling input on the first page.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device for providing coupon information includes: a memory for storing at least one command; and a processor for executing the at least one command to check user information corresponding to a user's terminal, check coupon information available to the user based on the user information, and provide a first page including at least one store information and coupon information to the user's terminal, wherein a first area on the first page where the coupon information is displayed moves on the first page in response to a user's scrolling input on the first page. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device displays the number of coupons available to the user in a first area on the first page, thereby minimizing the amount of coupon information displayed in a limited area on the first page, allowing the user to always be aware of the number of coupons available to the user and encouraging the user to actively use coupons when placing an order. Furthermore, the electronic device ensures that coupon information is always displayed on the first page regardless of the user's scrolling input, allowing the user to fully recognize coupon information when searching the first page, thereby encouraging the user to use coupons and preventing the user from making the mistake of overlooking available coupons, ultimately improving the user experience.

[0023] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device may display coupon application information not only on the cart page but also on a single store detail page in advance, thereby allowing users to easily recognize coupon discount benefit information and inducing their awareness of the discount benefit to influence their menu selection, which may improve the user experience regarding the service and lead to increased store sales.

[0024] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if there is little time left to use a coupon with a current discount applied, the electronic device may display the time remaining until the coupon expires on the third page to inform the user that there is little time left and encourage the user to complete their order without delay. Providing information about the remaining time to use a coupon that can only be used during off-peak hours encourages users to complete their order before peak hours and distributes orders to off-peak hours. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a coupon information providing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating information exchanges and corresponding operations of each node related to a method for providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3a] FIG. 1 illustrates a first page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3b] FIG. 1 illustrates a first page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4a] FIG. 10 illustrates a page displaying a coupon list according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4b] FIG. 10 illustrates a page displaying a coupon list according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5a] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5b] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5c] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5d] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6a] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6b] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6c] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6d] FIG. 10 illustrates a second page providing coupon information according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7a] FIG. 10 illustrates a third page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7b] FIG. 10 illustrates a third page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7c] FIG. 10 illustrates a third page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7d] FIG. 10 illustrates a third page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing coupon information by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating schematic configurations of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are widely known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted in order to more clearly convey the gist of the present invention without obscuring it.

[0028] For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some components are exaggerated, omitted, or illustrated schematically. Furthermore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. In each drawing, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0029] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various different forms. The present embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. The same reference symbols refer to the same elements throughout the specification.

[0030] It should be understood that each block of the process flowchart and combinations of flowcharts can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded into a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that the instructions, executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device, create means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can direct the computer or other programmable data processing device to implement the functions in a particular way, such that the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory can produce an article of manufacture containing instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). The computer program instructions may be embodied on a computer or other programmable data processing device such that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-implemented process, and the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0031] Also, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks shown one after the other may in fact be performed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be performed in reverse order depending on the corresponding functions.

[0032] In this embodiment, the term "module" refers to software or hardware components such as FPGAs or ASICs, and the "module" performs a certain function. However, the term "module" is not limited to software or hardware. The "module" may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium or to execute one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, the term "module" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided in the components and "modules" may be combined into fewer components and "modules" or further separated into additional components and "modules." Furthermore, the components and "modules" may be embodied to execute one or more CPUs within a device or security multimedia card.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a coupon information providing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, a coupon information providing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a user terminal 110 and an electronic device 120 .

[0035] In one embodiment, an e-commerce user may use a user terminal 110 to communicate with a service server including an electronic device 120. The user terminal 110 may have an application for providing an e-commerce or delivery intermediation service installed thereon, may connect to the electronic device 120 under the control of the application, and may use the e-commerce and delivery intermediation services based on information exchange with the electronic device 120. The user terminal 110 may be a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet PC, or a static device such as a desktop PC, and may be any device that can have an e-commerce or delivery intermediation service application installed and run on it.

[0036] In one embodiment, the electronic device 120 may communicate with the user terminal 110 and provide the user terminal 110 with information related to e-commerce or delivery intermediation services, and may be included in a service server that provides the e-commerce or delivery intermediation services. The electronic device 120 may provide a list of items, stores, or menus as a database search result, or provide detailed information about items or stores stored in the database. The electronic device 120 may provide information about stores and menus to a user who wishes to order food through the delivery intermediation service, and may provide coupon information that allows the user to receive a discount when placing an order to encourage the user to place an order.

[0037] In one embodiment, the coupon information providing system may further include a promotion server (not shown) that exchanges information with the electronic device 120. The promotion server may include a database that stores information about promotions offered by e-commerce companies to encourage users to make purchases. The promotion information may include various discount information such as coupon discounts, payment card discounts, limited-time events, membership discounts, and new member sign-up discounts. In particular, the e-commerce company may partner with a specific credit card company to offer a price discount only if a user purchases a specific item with a specific credit card, and funds corresponding to the discount may be provided by the credit card company. The promotion server may provide information about coupons that can be applied to items to the electronic device 120 in real time through communication with the electronic device 120 included in the service server.

[0038] In one embodiment, the electronic device 120 may check user information corresponding to the user terminal 110, check coupon information available to the user based on the user information, and provide a first page including at least one store information and coupon information to the user terminal 110. In this case, a first area on the first page displaying the coupon information may move on the first page in response to a user's scrolling input on the first page. A method for the electronic device 120 to provide coupon information that can be applied when purchasing an item will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0039] 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating information exchange and corresponding operations of each node related to a method for providing coupon information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user terminal and electronic device illustrated in FIG. 2 may include the user terminal 110 and electronic device 120 illustrated in FIG. 1, respectively.

[0040] The user terminal may request information from the electronic device in step 210. In one embodiment, the user may execute a delivery intermediation application installed on the user terminal and perform a service subscription or login procedure for the delivery intermediation service to request information about the service from the electronic device.

[0041] In step 220, the electronic device may check user information corresponding to the user terminal. For example, the user information may include information about the user's use of the service, such as the user's service subscription date, address, order history, favorite foods, discount coupons, reviews, payment, etc. The electronic device may check the user information of the user who logged in to the service through the terminal.

[0042] In one embodiment, the user information may include location information associated with the user. The location information associated with the user may include the user's current location information obtained through GPS information of the terminal or address information entered by the user to have food delivered. In one embodiment, the electronic device may determine the location information associated with the user based on the user's recent order history information.

[0043] In step 230, the electronic device may check coupon information available to the user based on the user information. In one embodiment, the electronic device may check a database for coupon information previously downloaded by the user, or may check all coupon information available at the current time and location, even if the user has not downloaded the coupon. The service provider may provide information on all coupons available to the user, not just the coupons downloaded by the user, to encourage the user to use coupons, thereby improving service satisfaction and encouraging the user to actively participate in ordering. In one embodiment, the electronic device may request coupon information available to the user from a promotion-related server based on the user information. The coupons available to the user may include various coupons, such as a fixed-price coupon (e.g., a 2,000 won discount), a fixed-rate coupon (e.g., a 30% discount), a quick delivery coupon (e.g., a 30-minute delivery time reduction), and a coupon for a free menu item (e.g., a free dessert). While monetary discount coupons are primarily described as examples in this disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and coupon information related to various benefits may also be provided.

[0044] In one embodiment, the coupon information may include a first type of coupon information that can be used at all stores and a second type of coupon information that can be used at a specific store. The electronic device may separately manage coupons that can be used at all stores and coupons that can only be used at a specific store and provide them to the user. In one embodiment, the coupon information may further include a third type of coupon information that can only be used at a specific type of store (e.g., a store specializing in chicken, coffee, or Korean food).

[0045] In step 240, the electronic device may generate a first page including at least one store information and coupon information. In one embodiment, the first page is the page the user first enters after executing the delivery intermediary service application. The first page may include store category information, recommended store information, store advertisements, and coupon information available to the user, and may be referred to as a home page or gateway page. The recommended store information may be determined based on other users' past order histories, the user's order history, user preferences, new store openings, funding for store service providers, etc. The electronic device may determine at least one store to display on the first page, check the user's available coupons, and generate the first page including at least one store information and coupon information. An exemplary first page including at least one store information and coupon information will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b.

[0046] In step 250, the electronic device may provide a first page to the user terminal. The user may view the first page on the user terminal and select a desired store category, or select one of at least one store displayed on the first page to enter a store detail page (e.g., a second page). The user may also view coupon information displayed on the first page and effectively recognize discount benefits that the user can enjoy by using the coupon, which may increase the user's motivation to make a purchase.

[0047] 3a and 3b illustrate a first page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] 3a, a first page 300 including at least one store information and coupon information is illustrated. The first page 300 may include address information entered by the user to have the food ordered delivered, discount offer information (e.g., discount information for the first order), store category information, recommended store information, and store information popular with users.

[0049] In one embodiment, the first page 300 may include coupon information, and the coupon information may be displayed in a first area 310 on the first page 300. In one embodiment, the coupon information may include the number of coupons available to the user. In one embodiment, the number of coupons may be calculated as the sum of the number of coupons of a first type that can be used at all stores and the number of coupons of a second type that can only be used at a specific store. In one embodiment, the number of coupons displayed in the first area 310 as coupon information may be the number of coupons of a second type that can be used at a specific store. In one embodiment, the electronic device may select, from the coupons of the second type, coupons that can be used at stores within a certain distance from a location associated with the user and display the number of selected coupons in the first area 310. In this way, by displaying the number of coupons available to the user in the first area 310 on the first page 300, the electronic device may minimize the amount of coupon information displayed in a limited area on the first page 300, while allowing the user to always be aware of the number of coupons available to them and encouraging them to actively use coupons when placing an order.

[0050] In one embodiment, the first region 310 on the first page 300 displaying coupon information may move on the first page 300 in response to a user's scroll input on the first page 300. The first page 300 may be too large to be displayed in its entirety on the display unit of a user terminal, and the user may scroll the first page 300 displayed on the user terminal up or down to search for all information contained on the first page 300 that could not be displayed due to the small size of the display unit. In this case, the first region 310 may be fixed and displayed in a certain region on the display unit of the user terminal, regardless of the user's scroll input on the first page. In other words, the coupon information in the first region 310 may be displayed on the display unit of the user terminal regardless of the user's scroll input on the first page 300.

[0051] To explain this using the example shown in FIG. 3a, when a user scrolls up from the bottom of first page 300 shown on the left side of FIG. 3a on a user terminal to view information below that is not currently displayed, the information displayed on first page 300 may change, as shown on the right side of FIG. 3a. That is, information that was previously hidden at the bottom of first page 300 may be revealed on the display of the user terminal through the user's scrolling input. Meanwhile, regardless of the user's scrolling input, it can be seen that first region 310 displaying coupon information on first page 300 is located at the bottom of the display in the same manner on both the left and right sides of FIG. 3a. This indicates that first region 310 moves on first page 300 in response to the user's scrolling input on first page 300. In this way, the electronic device ensures that coupon information is always displayed on the first page 300 regardless of the user's scrolling input, allowing the user to fully recognize the coupon information when searching the first page 300, thereby encouraging the user to use coupons and preventing the user from making the mistake of missing out on using available coupons, ultimately improving the user experience.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 3b, an embodiment is illustrated in which a list of coupons in a second area 320 of the first page 300 is displayed in response to a user input corresponding to a first area 310 of the first page 300.

[0053] In one embodiment, the coupon information further includes a list of coupons available to the user, and the list is located in a second area 320 on the first page 300. The list may be displayed on the display unit of the user's device in response to a user input corresponding to the first area 310. To effectively provide the user with information about various stores through the first page 300, the electronic device may provide one or more sub-areas at the top of the first page 300 that display store information corresponding to various recommended themes (e.g., a list of stores offering menus similar to the store the user just viewed, a list of stores from which the user has recently placed orders within a certain period of time, a list of stores with high review ratings, a list of stores offering many review events (e.g., additional desserts), a list of stores offering quick delivery, a list of newly opened stores, etc.). The sub-areas may be referred to as carousels, and the user can view information about multiple stores included in the carousels by scrolling left and right corresponding to the carousels.

[0054] If such relatively important store information is located at the top of the first page 300, the coupon list information will be located at the bottom of the first page 300 due to the limited size of the display of the user terminal, and will not be displayed on the display without scrolling. The user can also view the coupon list in the second area 320 hidden at the bottom of the first page 300 by scrolling, but as shown in Figure 3b, when the user clicks on the first area 310, the second area 320, which was not previously displayed on the display, can be displayed on the display. This may be referred to as anchoring to the second area 320 by clicking on the first area 310.

[0055] In one embodiment, the coupon list may be configured in the form of a list in which multiple coupons are arranged horizontally, as shown in the second area 320 on the right side of FIG. 3b, and the user can view the coupon list included in the second area 320 through left and right scroll inputs corresponding to the second area 320.

[0056] In one embodiment, the electronic device may acquire a user input corresponding to one of the coupons in the coupon list and, in response to the user input, provide a second page related to a store where the selected coupon can be used. The second page may be referred to as a single detail page, which includes detailed information such as menus, coupons, delivery, and reviews sold at a single store. For example, if a user clicks on coupon 321 in the coupon list displayed in second area 320 of FIG. 3b, the user may enter a single detail page (i.e., second page) related to store "A Sushi" where coupon 321 can be used. Exemplary second pages will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5a through 5d.

[0057] In one embodiment, the coupon information may include a first type of coupon information that can be used at all stores and a second type of coupon information that can be used at a specific store. The first type of coupon may be referred to as a global coupon, and the second type of coupon may be referred to as a store coupon. In one embodiment, the user information may include location information associated with the user. The electronic device may select, from the second type of coupons, coupons that can be used at stores within a certain distance from a location associated with the user, and generate a coupon list including the selected coupons. For example, the coupon list displayed in the second area 320 of FIG. 3b may be a list of second type coupons that can be used at stores within a certain distance from the location set by the user as the delivery address or the current location of the user terminal.

[0058] In one embodiment, among the second-type coupons in the list, one or more coupons usable at stores of the same brand may be grouped and displayed in the list, and the coupon with the largest discount amount among the grouped one or more coupons may be displayed in the list. For example, coupon 322 in the coupon list in second area 320 of FIG. 3b may be a coupon usable at a franchise store such as McDonald's. A franchise store may include one or more stores of the same brand but differing only in location. The electronic device may group coupons for franchise stores of the same brand but differing only in region into one group and display them in the coupon list. In this case, when a user clicks coupon 322 in the coupon list in second area 320, the electronic device may provide a list of franchise stores located in different regions to the user terminal. In one embodiment, the electronic device may display the top n (e.g., 10) coupons with the highest discount amounts among all coupons usable by the user in the coupon list in second area 320.

[0059] In one embodiment, the coupons displayed in the list may be sorted based on at least one of the discount amount, discount conditions, and expiration date. For example, the coupons displayed in the list may be sorted in descending order of discount amount, in descending order of likelihood of satisfying the discount conditions (e.g., coupons can be used with purchases of 10,000 won or more), or in descending order of the expiration date.

[0060] In one embodiment, when a user clicks on sub-area 323 of second area 320 in Figure 3, the electronic device may provide a coupon list page 400, as shown in Figures 4a and 4b, to the user terminal to provide more detailed coupon list information. In another embodiment, coupon list page 400 may be provided in response to a user input corresponding to first area 310 in Figure 3b.

[0061] 4a and 4b are diagrams illustrating a page displaying a coupon list according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4a, a coupon list page 400 containing a list of coupons available to a user is illustrated. In one embodiment, the coupon list page 400 may include an area 410 containing a list of first-type coupons available at all stores and an area 420 containing a list of second-type coupons available only at a specific store. In one embodiment, multiple coupons displayed in the coupon list may be sorted based on at least one of the discount amount, discount conditions, and expiration date. In one embodiment, one or more second-type coupons in the list that are available at stores of the same brand may be grouped and displayed in the list, and the coupon with the largest discount amount among the one or more grouped coupons may be displayed in the list.

[0063] In one embodiment, area 410 of coupon list page 400 may display a list of coupons of a first type that are available at all stores, and the first type of coupons may include, for example, first-time purchase coupons, coupons for apologies for delayed delivery, event coupons, etc.

[0064] In one embodiment, a list of second-type coupons that can only be used at specific stores may be displayed in area 420 of coupon list page 400. In one embodiment, area 420 may display a list of second-type coupons that can be used at stores where orders can be placed, based on the location set by the user as the delivery address or the current location of the user terminal. For example, even if a user downloads a specific second-type coupon, if the user is located in a location where the user cannot place an order from a store to which the second-type coupon applies, the second-type coupon may not be displayed in area 420.

[0065] In one embodiment, coupon list page 400 may include area 430 where a user can directly input a coupon number or code. For example, a user may obtain a coupon code through an advertisement or flyer and enter the obtained coupon code in area 430 to generate a coupon that can be used in an application. In one embodiment, the electronic device may display a coupon generated through coupon code input at the top of coupon list page 400 (e.g., at the top of area 420) to prevent the coupon from being added to the bottom of a long list of first-type coupons and second-type coupons and therefore from being hidden from view on the display unit of the user terminal. The coupon generated through coupon code input may include at least one of a first-type coupon and a second-type coupon.

[0066] 4b, a coupon 440 is illustrated that is generated when a user inputs a coupon code into area 430 of coupon list page 400. Event coupon 440 generated through coupon code input can be used at all stores, and may be classified as a first type of coupon and displayed in area 410.

[0067] 5a to 5d are diagrams illustrating a second page providing coupon information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Compared with the embodiment described later in Fig. 6a to 6d, the coupon information illustrated in Fig. 5a to 5d may include coupon information that is provided when there are no coupon application conditions or when the user has already met the coupon application conditions.

[0068] In one embodiment, the electronic device can obtain user input corresponding to a first store among at least one store included on a first page (e.g., first page 300 of FIG. 3a ) and provide a second page 500 related to the first store in response to the user input corresponding to the first store.

[0069] 5a, a second page 500 is shown containing detailed information about the first store selected by the user. The second page 500 may contain detailed information about the single store, such as menus, coupons, delivery, and reviews, and may be referred to as a single details page.

[0070] In one embodiment, the second page 500 may include information related to coupons available at the first store. For example, area 510 of the second page 500 may display information related to the application of coupons available at the first store, such as the phrase "3,000 won coupon automatically applied at checkout." Existing coupon information providing methods do not display information related to coupon application on a single store detail page, but only display information related to coupon application on a cart page (e.g., page 3 700 of FIG. 7a). This makes it difficult for users to recognize the existence of a discount coupon when selecting a menu item on the single store detail page, and delays the user's awareness of the existence of a discount coupon until the user enters the cart page after selecting all menu items. This makes it difficult for users to purchase additional menu items after recognizing the existence of a coupon. Therefore, a coupon information providing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure allows users to check coupon application information on the single store detail page before entering the cart page, thereby improving user satisfaction with the service provided by coupon discount benefits and encouraging users to order more menu items on the single store detail page.

[0071] This can also be applied even if the user has not downloaded the coupon. The electronic device can automatically apply the coupon discount if the coupon usage conditions are met, even if the user does not separately click and download the coupon, and can display information on the second page 500 that the coupon discount has been automatically applied, thereby improving the user experience and encouraging the user to make an order.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 5b, a second page 500 including menu information about the first store is illustrated. A user can scroll through the second page 500 to search for menu information provided by the first store and click on a desired menu item to view detailed information about the menu or add it to their cart. While the user is searching for a menu item on the second page 500, the electronic device may display coupon application information in a lower area 520 of the second page 500. This allows the user to recognize that a coupon has been automatically applied during the menu search process and select a menu item while taking into account the coupon's discount benefits, which may lead to ordering a more expensive menu item or a larger quantity of the menu item.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 5c, page 530 is shown containing detailed information about one of the menus offered by the first store. Page 530 may be provided to a user's terminal in response to a user input for one of the menus displayed on second page 500. On page 530, a user can view the menu's image, description, out-of-stock information, remaining quantity, and price, and enter an order quantity to add the item to their virtual cart. In one embodiment, coupon application information may be displayed in area 531 of page 530.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 5d, a second page 500 is shown when a user adds at least one of a plurality of menu items offered by the first store to their cart. The second page 500 may include an area 521 displaying coupon application information and an area 522 displaying amount information to which the coupon discount benefit has been applied. In this way, the electronic device may pre-display coupon application information not only on the cart page but also on a single store detail page, allowing the user to easily recognize the coupon discount benefit information and encouraging their awareness of the discount benefit to influence their menu selection. This may improve the user's experience with the service and lead to increased sales for the store.

[0075] In one embodiment, the coupon application information displayed in area 510 of Figure 5a and area 520 of Figure 5b may display application information for one coupon among multiple coupons, or may display application information for two or more coupons among multiple coupons. In one embodiment, the coupon application information may include application information for first type coupons that can be used at all stores and application information for second type coupons that can only be used at the first store, and application information for each of the first type coupons and the second type coupons may be displayed separately in area 510 or area 520.

[0076] 6a to 6d are diagrams illustrating a second page providing coupon information according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Compared to the embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 5a to 5d, the coupon information illustrated in FIGS. 6a to 6d may include coupon information that is provided when the coupon application conditions (e.g., the minimum order amount required to receive the coupon discount) have not yet been met. In the present disclosure, the minimum order amount is primarily described as the coupon application condition, but this is merely exemplary, and various other conditions, such as the type of menu item that must be ordered, the number of menu items, the time of ordering, etc., may be set as the coupon application condition.

[0077] In one embodiment, the electronic device may acquire a user's selection input for a menu displayed on the second page 500 and determine whether the coupon application conditions are met based on the menu selected by the user. If the application conditions are not met, the information related to the coupon may include information about the amount of additional purchase the user must make to meet the application conditions.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 6a, a second page 600 containing menu information about a first store selected by a user is illustrated. The user can scroll through the second page 600 to search for menu information provided by the first store and click on a desired menu item to view detailed information about the menu or add it to their cart. While the user is searching for a menu item on the second page 600, the electronic device may display coupon application information in an area 620 at the bottom of the second page 600. The coupon application information displayed in the area 620 may include a message indicating that a coupon (e.g., a 3,000 won discount coupon) will be automatically applied only if the user meets the coupon application conditions (e.g., an order of 23,000 won or more). The user may review the coupon-related information displayed in the area 620 and select a menu item on the store's single details page, taking into consideration the coupon application conditions.

[0079] In one embodiment, the coupon information displayed in area 620 may include information about a first coupon among the coupons available to the user. In one embodiment, the first coupon may be one of a first type coupon available at all stores and a second type coupon available only at the first store. In one embodiment, the first coupon may be determined to be the coupon with the largest discount amount available to the user. In one embodiment, if there are multiple coupons available with the largest discount amount, the first coupon may be determined to be the coupon with the easiest coupon application conditions to be met (i.e., the coupon with the lowest minimum order amount for coupon application) among the multiple coupons.

[0080] Referring to Figure 6b, a second page 600 including menu information for a first store selected by the user is illustrated. The second page 600 illustrated in Figure 6a may indicate a state in which the user has not yet added any menu items to the cart, while the second page 600 illustrated in Figure 6b may indicate a state in which the user has added at least one menu item to the cart but the total payment amount for the cart items is less than the minimum order amount required for the coupon to be applied. Area 621 of the second page 600 may further include information on the additional amount that the user must purchase to meet the coupon application conditions (e.g., order 23,000 won or more) (e.g., "coupon automatically applied if an additional 12,000 won is added").

[0081] Referring to FIG. 6c, a second page 600 including menu information for a first store selected by a user is illustrated. The second page 600 illustrated in FIG. 6b may indicate a state in which the user has not yet met the coupon application conditions, while the second page 600 illustrated in FIG. 6c may indicate a state in which the user has added additional menu items to their cart and the total amount of the items in the cart exceeds the minimum order amount required for the coupon to be applied. The second page 600 may include an area 622 displaying coupon application information and an area 623 displaying information on the amount to which the coupon discount benefit has been applied. In this way, the electronic device may improve the user experience by not only providing information that a coupon has been applied on a single store detail page, but also providing information on the amount of additional purchases required to meet the application conditions, along with the fact that the coupon has not yet been applied, if the coupon application conditions have not yet been met.

[0082] 6d, a second page 600 including menu information for a first store selected by the user is illustrated. In one embodiment, an area 624 of the second page 600 may further include information about the amount of additional purchase the user must make to satisfy the second coupon's application conditions (e.g., "add an additional 25,000 won to change to a 5,000 won coupon") when the user has met the application conditions for a first coupon (e.g., a 3,000 won discount coupon for orders of 23,000 won or more) and the first coupon discount has been applied, but the application conditions for a second coupon with a larger discount amount and an even larger minimum order amount (e.g., a 5,000 won discount coupon for orders of 48,000 won or more) have not yet been met.

[0083] In one embodiment, the electronic device may determine whether the conditions for applying the first coupon are met based on the menu selected by the user and the menu selected by other users related to the user. A service provider may offer a "group ordering" (or "order together") service that combines menu selections by multiple related users (e.g., users who work in the same office or have set nearby delivery addresses) through applications installed on their devices to generate a single integrated order. Multiple users may utilize this group ordering service to shorten delivery times and save on delivery fees.

[0084] In one embodiment, multiple users performing a "group order" may be divided into one leader and other participants, and the leader may receive the menu selection information of the other participants from the server and complete the order along with his or her own menu selection information. In this case, the leader's terminal may also be provided with a single details page providing coupon information, such as the second page 600 of FIGS. 6a through 6d. In determining whether the coupon application conditions are met, the electronic device may determine whether the application conditions are met based on the menu selected by the leader and the menu selected by one or more participants, and provide the information on whether the application conditions are met to the leader's terminal via the second page 600. For example, the electronic device may determine whether the total amount of the menus selected by the leader and one or more participants exceeds the minimum order amount required to apply the coupon, thereby determining whether the coupon usage conditions are met.

[0085] In one embodiment, the electronic device can trigger an optimized delivery process that assigns multiple orders to one delivery person in abnormal situations such as bad weather, sudden increases in traffic volume, sudden increases in order volume, or a sudden decrease in delivery personnel, so that one delivery person handles multiple delivery orders for multiple stores or multiple delivery destinations. In the case of optimized delivery, when determining whether the user's conditions for applying a first type of coupon are met, the electronic device can compare the total order amount for multiple stores corresponding to each of the multiple orders with the minimum order amount for applying the first type of coupon. In this case, the multiple stores can be limited to a set of stores within a range (i.e., within a certain distance from each other) where optimized delivery can be performed.

[0086] 7a to 7d are diagrams illustrating a third page providing coupon information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The third page may include a page including information on one or more menu items selected by the user for ordering (i.e., added to the cart), and may be referred to as a cart page. The cart page may include information such as the menu items added to the cart by the user, the price, discount, delivery, address, etc.

[0087] 7a, a third page 700 including payment amount information for one or more menu items selected by a user for ordering is illustrated. In one embodiment, the electronic device may provide the third page 700 including menu item information selected by the user, and the third page 700 may include discount amount information when at least one coupon available for the selected menu item is applied. In this case, if the available time for at least one coupon is limited, the third page 700 may further include available time information 710.

[0088] Based on the order histories of multiple users, a service provider can identify times of day (e.g., lunchtime, evening, or times when national team sports competitions are held) when order demand increases dramatically compared to other times of day. To prevent orders from concentrating in these times, the service provider must distribute orders from peak times to non-peak times when order volume is low. The greater the order volume during peak times, the longer it takes to deliver the ordered food, which can lead to increased fatigue for delivery personnel and reduced user satisfaction with the service. This also applies to sudden traffic congestion or adverse weather conditions. One solution to this order distribution is to provide discount coupons that can be used only during non-peak times. In one embodiment, the electronic device can set non-peak times when order volume is relatively low based on historical information regarding order demand, and generate and provide coupons that can be used only during non-peak times to users.

[0089] In one embodiment, the usage time information 710 includes the remaining usage time of at least one coupon, and the remaining time may be displayed on the third page 700 if the remaining time is less than a certain period (e.g., 30 minutes). If the remaining usage time of a currently discounted coupon is short, the electronic device may display the remaining time until the expiration on the third page 700 to inform the user of the short time remaining and encourage the user to complete their order without delay. Providing information about the remaining usage time of a coupon that can only be used during off-peak hours encourages users to complete their order before peak hours and distribute orders to off-peak hours. Meanwhile, notifications about the remaining usage time of a coupon may be provided not only on the cart page but also on a gateway page (e.g., the first page 300 of FIG. 3a) or a single detail page (e.g., the second page 500 of FIG. 5a).

[0090] 7b, a third page 700 is shown that displays a notification message 720 indicating that the coupon usage period has expired when the coupon usage period to which a discount has been applied has expired. If a payment is completed for the amount without the discount applied without receiving a notification message such as message 720 even though the coupon usage period has expired and the coupon is no longer usable, the user will know in the future that they paid a higher amount than expected, which may lead to dissatisfaction with the service and complaints from the user.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 7c, when the available time of the coupon to which a discount is currently applied has expired, a third page 700 is illustrated that displays a notification message 730 indicating that the usage period has expired and another coupon has been applied instead. For example, the electronic device receives in real time information regarding the available times of a plurality of coupons from a server related to the promotion, and when the usage period of a coupon expires or the funding of the company related to the coupon ends and the coupon can no longer be used, a notification message such as the notification message 730 can be displayed on the third page 700 to provide the user with accurate information related to the use of the coupon in real time.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 7d, a third page 700 is illustrated that shows a state where the available time for using the coupon has not yet arrived and no coupon is applied. In one embodiment, the electronic device can check the information on the available time of the first coupon among the available coupons, and if the remaining time until the available time of the first coupon is within a certain period (e.g., 10 minutes), the information on the remaining time related to the first coupon can be provided to the third page 700, and the available time can include the set non-peak time based on the historical information regarding the order demand. The illustration shown in FIG. 7d can be an example opposite to the illustration shown in FIG. 7a. For example, when the user enters the third page 700 to place an order at 6:31 p.m., which is the peak time (6 p.m. - 7 p.m.), the third page 700 can provide the user with information regarding the coupon that can be used during the non-peak time (after 7 p.m.) through the notification message 740 and induce the user to delay the order to a non-peak time rather than the peak time. On the other hand, the notification regarding the coupon whose usage period has not yet arrived can be provided not only on the cart page but also on the gateway page (e.g., the first page 300 in FIG. 3a) or the single detail page (e.g., the second page 500 in FIG. 5a).

[0093] 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing coupon information by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The entity performing each step of the flowchart 800 illustrated in FIG. 8 may include the electronic device 120 illustrated in FIG. 1 or the electronic device illustrated in FIG. 2, and descriptions that overlap with the above content may be omitted below.

[0094] In step S810, the electronic device may check user information corresponding to the user terminal. For example, the user information may include information related to the user's use of the service, such as the user's service subscription date, address, order history, favorite foods, discount coupons, reviews, payment, etc. The electronic device may check the user information of the user who logged in to the service through the terminal.

[0095] In step S820, the electronic device can check coupon information available to the user based on the user information. In one embodiment, the electronic device can check a database for coupon information previously downloaded by the user, or can check all coupon information available at the current time and location even if the user has not downloaded the coupon. The service provider needs to provide information on all coupons available to the user, not just the coupons downloaded by the user, to encourage the user to use coupons, improve service satisfaction, and encourage the user to actively participate in ordering.

[0096] In step S830, the electronic device may provide a first page including at least one store information and coupon information to the user's terminal. The electronic device may generate the first page including at least one store information and coupon information. In one embodiment, the first page is the page the user first accesses after executing the delivery intermediary service application. The first page may include store category information, recommended store information, store advertisements, and coupon information available to the user, and may be referred to as a home page or gateway page. The recommended store information may be determined based on other users' past order history, the user's order history, user preferences, new store openings, funding for store service providers, etc. The electronic device may determine at least one store to display on the first page, check the user's available coupons, and generate the first page including at least one store information and coupon information.

[0097] FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating each component of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0098] 9, an electronic device 900 may include a processor 910 and a memory 920 and may perform a method for providing coupon information. The electronic device 900 illustrated in FIG. 9 only includes components according to this embodiment. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the electronic device 900 may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG.

[0099] The processor 910 controls the overall functions for providing information about items in the electronic device 900. For example, the processor 910 controls the overall electronic device 900 by executing a program stored in a memory 920 in the electronic device 900. The processor 910 may be embodied as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application processor (AP), etc. provided in the electronic device 100, but is not limited thereto.

[0100] The memory 920 is hardware that stores various data processed within the electronic device 900, and may store data that has been processed in the electronic device 900 and data to be processed therein. The memory 920 may also store applications, drivers, and the like that are run by the electronic device 900. The memory 920 may include random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM, Blu-ray or other optical disk storage, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory.

[0101] Meanwhile, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, these are used in a general sense merely to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and to aid in understanding the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, other modifications based on the technical concept of the present invention can be implemented.

Claims

1. 1. A method for an electronic device to provide coupon information, comprising: confirming user information corresponding to the user's device; checking coupon information that can be used by the user based on the user information; providing a first page including at least one store information and the coupon information to the user's terminal; A method for providing coupon information, wherein a first area on the first page in which the coupon information is displayed moves on the first page in response to a scroll input by the user on the first page.

2. The coupon information includes the number of coupons that the user can use, The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of available coupons is displayed on a display unit of the user's terminal regardless of the user's scrolling input on the first page.

3. The coupon information further includes a list of coupons that can be used by the user; the list is located in a second region on the first page; The method of claim 1 , wherein the list is displayed on a display unit of the user's terminal in response to a user input corresponding to the first area.

4. obtaining a user input corresponding to a first coupon in the list; 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: in response to a user input corresponding to the first coupon, providing a second page relating to a store where the first coupon can be used.

5. the coupon information includes a first type of coupon information usable at all stores and a second type of coupon information usable at a specific store; the user information includes location information associated with the user; The step of checking the coupon information includes: selecting, from the second type of coupons, coupons that can be used at stores within a certain distance from a location associated with the user; The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of: generating the list including the selected coupon.

6. Among the coupons of the second type in the list, one or more coupons that can be used in stores of the same brand are grouped and displayed on the list; The method for providing coupon information according to claim 5 , wherein the coupon with the largest discount amount among the grouped one or more coupons is displayed on the list.

7. obtaining user input corresponding to a first store of the at least one store; providing a second page relating to the first store in response to a user input corresponding to the first store; The method of claim 1 , wherein the second page includes information related to a first coupon available at the first store.

8. obtaining a selection input from the user for a menu displayed on the second page; and determining whether the first coupon application condition is met based on the menu selected by the user. The method of claim 7 , wherein, if the application condition is not met, the information related to the first coupon includes information about an amount of additional purchase the user must make to satisfy the application condition.

9. The step of checking whether the first coupon application condition is satisfied includes: The method for providing coupon information according to claim 8, further comprising a step of checking whether the conditions for applying the first coupon are met based on the menu selected by the user and the menu selected by another user related to the user.

10. providing a third page containing menu information selected by the user; the third page includes discount amount information when at least one of the available coupons is applied to the selected menu item, The method of providing coupon information according to claim 1 , wherein, when the at least one coupon has a limited usable time, the third page further includes information on the usable time.

11. the information on the available time includes a remaining time of the available time of the at least one coupon; The method of claim 10 , wherein the remaining time is displayed on the third page if the remaining time is less than a certain period of time.

12. The available time includes non-peak time, The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-peak hours are established based on historical information regarding order demand.

13. The step of checking the coupon information includes: The method further includes checking information about the available time of a first coupon among the available coupons; If the remaining time until the usable time of the first coupon is within a certain period of time, the first page further includes information about the remaining time of the first coupon; The method of providing coupon information according to claim 1 , wherein the available times include off-peak times established based on historical information regarding order demand.

14. 1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising: a medium configured to store computer-readable instructions; The computer readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: confirming user information corresponding to the user's device; checking coupon information that can be used by the user based on the user information; and providing a first page including at least one store information and the coupon information to the user's terminal; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein a first area on the first page in which the coupon information is displayed moves on the first page in response to a scroll input by the user on the first page.

15. An electronic device for providing coupon information, comprising: a memory for storing at least one instruction word; a processor that executes the at least one command to check user information corresponding to the user's terminal, check coupon information available to the user based on the user information, and provide a first page including at least one store information and the coupon information to the user's terminal; The electronic device wherein a first area on the first page in which the coupon information is displayed moves on the first page in response to a scroll input by the user on the first page.

Images