Sony Corporation

Sony Electronics Inc

Rick Rafey

Simon J Gibbs

Keiji Shiotani

Jeffrey Dorn

Linghan Cai

A system for issuing, redeeming and monitoring incentive offers generated in response to qualifying on-line and off-line non-purchase activities. For example, an electronic data card is used to store electronic coupons issued by web sites (i.e., on-line) and/or off-line locations. In one embodiment activity registration is performed by programming integrated with, or coupled to, a web browser. Off-line activity is registered by a kiosk at a merchant location that generates an incentive offer, or a token which is later converted to an incentive offer, in response to conditions determined at the kiosk (e.g., entered by the user, clerk, and so forth). A loyalty server operates to aggregate information about the offers for reporting purposes, and can be optionally required for determining qualification for an incentive offer, providing security codes for participating incentive issuers, providing qualification of offers prior to issuance, and validating stored offers prior to redemption.

System and method for issuing and redeeming incentives on electronic data cards

A system, apparatus and method for utilizing one-time, or temporary, 'credit' card information for executing purchase transactions with a smart card or similar electronic data card device. The card is activated in an activation process with the issuer prior to receiving and utilizing temporary card information (numbers). Retrieval and submission of temporary card information is performed in an automatic process executed by application programming, such as within a web browser. By way of example, a user surfing the web commences a purchase transaction wherein their smart card communicates with the issuer of the smart card to retrieve one-time or temporary use card data which is submitted through the network for processing within the transaction. In one embodiment the programming is executed within a web browser which marks card data fields within transaction forms and automatically fills these fields with temporary card information received from the issuer.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Rick Rafey