Mobile Device Coupon Validity Control via Local Caching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic coupon systems face challenges in validating coupons at the point of sale, particularly when the mobile device is not connected to a network or if the central server is inoperable, leading to slow response times and user frustration.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method on mobile devices to determine coupon validity locally before outputting the barcode, using pre-existing validity information and inhibiting barcode output for invalid coupons, with the ability to revalidate through a validity server if necessary, allowing for n-use coupons and controlled sharing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coupon validity is checked by contacting a central server at the point of sale, then coupon validity can be confirmed, but response time increases and user frustration occurs when network is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation of coupon validity by having the mobile device check coupon status against the central server before the point of sale transaction. The validity information is cached locally on the mobile device, enabling fast verification at checkout without requiring real-time network connectivity or server contact during the transaction.
2Loss of time
If coupon validity is validated locally on mobile device without network connection, then response time is reduced, but reliability decreases when server status needs to be verified
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device performs preliminary validation by contacting the central server in advance to obtain coupon validity information, which is then cached locally. This allows fast local validation while maintaining reliability through pre-confirmed server-validated data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the mobile device can revalidate cached coupon information by contacting the server when needed, and the server can push validity updates to mobile devices. This ensures that locally cached validity information remains accurate and synchronized with server status.
3Ease of operation
If multiple coupons are shared between devices, then user convenience increases, but tracking and validating individual coupon usage becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses universal unique identifiers (UIDs) that are embedded in each coupon and recognized by both the mobile device and the point of sale system. This universal identification mechanism enables seamless coupon sharing between devices while maintaining simple tracking, as the UID serves as a common language across different devices and systems without requiring complex device-specific tracking protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Technique for ensuring that a device that contains coupons with barcodes will not output a barcode belonging to an invalid coupon to a barcode reading system. The technique avoids validation of the coupon at the time the barcode is provided to the barcode reading system. In the technique, the mobile device responds to a validity event that may affect the validity of a given coupon by inhibiting the provision of the given coupon's barcode to the barcode reading system until the coupon has been validated on the basis of validity information available in the device that is outputting the barcode, and then again permitting the given coupon's barcode to be output to the barcode reading system. In applications of the technique, the coupon may be used n times, the coupon may be shared, or the coupon may become valid after a set of actions have occurred.