Customer-Generated E-Coupon System for Personalized Discounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing E-coupon systems are limited as they are generated and managed by manufacturers or merchants, requiring forethought and being non-individualized, leading to time delays and inability to tailor discounts to personal preferences or behaviors outside target segments.

Innovation Solution

Customers can generate E-coupons based on their actions, negotiate discounts, and transfer them to others, allowing for personalized and dynamic discounting that can be redeemed after qualifying events, such as purchases or specific activities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If E-coupons are generated by manufacturers or merchants, then discounts can be provided to customers, but time delays occur between coupon creation and redemption, and coupons cannot be individualized for personal preferences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividualization of couponsVSAvoidtime delay between coupon creation and redemption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of manufacturers or merchants generating E-coupons for customers, the invention inverts the process by enabling customers to generate their own E-coupons. This is achieved through a system where customers can create coupons by selecting products, specifying discount amounts, and distributing them to others, thereby eliminating the time delay and enabling full individualization of coupon offerings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Quantity of substance

If E-coupons are designed to appeal to a wide audience spectrum, then broad market coverage is achieved, but coupons are not tailored to individual customer preferences or behaviors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of coupons distributedVSAvoidpersonalization for individual preferences

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention enables each customer to create E-coupons with specific local qualities tailored to their preferences. Customers can select particular products, set custom discount amounts, and target specific recipients, allowing each coupon to have unique characteristics rather than being part of a standardized mass-distributed set.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows E-coupons to be dynamically created and customized by individual customers based on their current preferences and behaviors. The coupon generation process is flexible and adaptive, enabling customers to adjust discount amounts, product selections, and recipient targets according to their specific needs rather than following static pre-defined templates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11157935B1Systems and methods for self-generation of E-coupons

Publication Date: 2021.10.26 PDI TECHNOLOGIES INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are presented for allowing E-coupons to be generated by a customer based, at least in part, by actions taken by the customer. In one embodiment, a pyramid arrangement is disclosed in which the customer obtains E-coupons based primarily on activities performed by someone else in the pyramid. In another embodiment, the customer may make a purchase and credits for that purchase may be applied to another customer's account in the form of an E-coupon.