摘要:
A method and apparatus for securing a wheeled device such as a shopping cart is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus (20) comprises a body having a bottom surface (22) for engaging a suport surface and a top surface (24) defining at least one first stop (26) having a first face (30) and a second face (32), the first face sloping upwardly from the bottom surface towards the second face and defining a leading edge (38) positioned near the support surface, an apex (40) provided between the first and second faces, the second face (32) sloping downwardly from the apex (40), and at least one securing element for securing the cart securing structure to the support surface. In use, the wheels of a cart are rolled over the sloping first face into engagement with the second face. In another embodiment of the invention, the body defines first and second stops having a trough positioned therebetween and the wheels of a cart are rolled over a sloping surface of the first stop into engagement with the trough.
摘要:
An optical payment transceiver and an optical settlement system using the same uses a personal portable terminal incorporated with an optical transceiver as a card substitute payment unit for settlement. Here, card information is incorporated in a personal portable terminal incorporated with an optical transceiver such as a portable phone or a PDA and the optical transceiver is connected to a card inquiry machine to thereby optically transmit and receive card information. The card inquiry machine recognizes the received card information in the same manner as that of the card reader reading a magnetic card, and transmits the card information to a VAN company server or a card company server, to then request for an approval and settle transactions. The present invention is applied to most fields where financial transactions are performed as in a general commerce, a toll gate fee or tunnel passage fee collection system, a subway or bus fare levying system, a gas station, a department store, a drive-thru ordering system, a vending machine, and a fee payment system of kiosks. Also, the present invention can be applied to an entrance/exit security system requiring personal identification. Thus, the present invention can use a portable terminal as a payment unit without carrying a cash or cards, to thereby provide an effect of performing a safer and more reliable credit transaction.
摘要:
The invention provides a system, computer program, and method for generating price point based incentives comprising: determining a category specific price point (620) associated with a dominant competitive brand and a client brand; generating an incentive (630) for said client brand based upon said price point and an anticipated price differential (640).
摘要:
The present invention relates to a method of and a system for purchasing goods in lottery, the method comprising the steps of connecting to a goods server to sell goods, searching goods, buying goods, providing a prize participation number to be able to participate in a prize event in plural prize places corresponding to a prize of goods for one client to purchase after finishing the purchase of goods, participating in the prize event by selecting one among the prize places, selecting winners of prizes in lottery when the participants amount to the number of persons to be admitted or on the spot, and providing the corresponding prizes to the winners.
摘要:
A method and apparatus sells a combination of travel tickets and consumer items to customers (300) and, in particular, sells international travel tickets and duty free items. By acquiring surplus tickets in bulk at discounted prices and by selling the duty free items in a way which avoids the overhead typically associated with such sales, the selling merchant is able to offer the combination of international travel ticket and duty free item to a consumer (300) at a price below what the consumer would pay if the consumer separately acquired the ticket and duty free item from third parties.
摘要:
Methods and apparatus for conducting electronic commerce using electronic tokens (203) are described. The electronic tokens are issued and maintained by a vendor, who also provides products and services that can be purchased or rented using the electronic tokens (217). The electronic tokens may be purchased from the vendor either on-line (211), using a credit card (212), or off-line (201), using a check, money order, purchase order, or other payment means (202). Because the vendor is the issuer of the electronic tokens, there is no need for transactions to be handled by a third party, such as a bank or other organization. Additionally, the vendor maintains total control over the price of the electronic tokens at any time. For vendors who offer software products for sale or rental, use of electronic tokens makes a variety of rental arrangements practical. Additionally, a user registers and purchases electronic tokens at the vendor (208).
摘要:
Methods and systems consistent with the present invention overcome the shortcomings of existing trading systems by providing an invoiceless trading system that creates incentives for customers to pay suppliers within a predetermined period of time, such as a settlement period. Specifically, the invoiceless trading system enables a customer to obtain a discount on orders placed with suppliers in return for an immediate payment (e.g., within 24 hours) by the customer. The supplier receives payment within the predetermined period of time, and the customer receives additional cash benefits by providing an early payment to the supplier. To communicate with and transfer funds between customers and suppliers, the invoiceless trading system may use an electronic gateway and a settlement bank. In addition to creating an incentive to embrace e-commerce, both customers and suppliers avoid the need to manually process orders and use invoices to complete transactions.
摘要:
A computer system for automatic replacement of advertisements includes an advertising server for selecting an advertisement based on criteria related to the individual viewer. In particular, advertisements are selected for a given user, based on the past behavior of that specific given user. Advertiser web sites on the network are configured to anonymously report back user activity such as visit dates, purchases, specific product pages visited and the like. Alternative reporting embodiments include email, file transfer protocol and spotlight tags. User activity lists are processed to select candidates for re-targeting. Candidates for re-targeted advertisements are identified based on their own individual past activity, and stored in a list of candidate user ID's. When a candidate on the re-targeted list is identified at any network affiliate web site, a re-targeted advertisement is delivered to the candidate user.
摘要:
A system and method for automatically calculating and managing customer earned equity liaises several customers with merchants who wish to participate in a plan to reward a customer with earned equity credit, also termed ownership investment credit (OIC), from the merchant's stock holdings, based on a customer's completed purchase of a product or service. A merchant interface which is part of the inventive system, provides access for customers registered in the system to information, merchant brand, product/service categories, incentive program, and price, through descriptive pages which customers can browse. The merchant interface assists a customer to select a merchant, a product/service and to complete an order form. After receiving, verifying and recording the customer's purchase transaction, the merchant interface sends information to a registration and transaction database. From inputs received from the registration and transaction database and based on merchant equity credit calculation rules recorded in the system, a customer's earned equity credit is automatically calculated, stored in an equity credit database and further processed for redemption by the customer, based on redemption rules in the system and based on customer choice. A customer's earned equity credit information may be sent by the system to a stock broker to initiate purchase of stock for the customer. The equity credit calculation rules might include consideration such as customer's purchase volume, customer being a new customer, and paymently customer within terms. The merchants might be selling products or providing services, and could include, without limitation, those dealing in long distance telecommunications, credit card services, gasoline, cable/satellite TV service, Internet service, automobile leasing, mutual funds, bonds, stock funds, or entertainment.
摘要:
The present invention relates to a public, private, or cellular phone with access to the Internet for the purposes of transacting e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and for communicating voice and data. In addition the present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and controlling vending equipment and applications. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale in this instance at a public, private or cellular phone. Vending equipment includes copiers, phones (public, private, cellular), facsimile machines, printers, data-ports, laptop print stations, notebook computers, palmtop computers (PALM PILOT), microfiche devices, projectors, scanners, cameras, modems, communication access, personal data assistants (PDA's), pagers, and other vending machines, personal computers (PC), PC terminals (NET PC), and network computers (NC). Vending equipment can be networked to each other through a first network, programmable and accessible by a PC, server, point of sale (POS) system, property or management information system (PMS/MIS), and networked to a second network. The first network and second network can be the same network. Complete control of a vending machine's functionality including usage, control, diagnostics, inventory, and marketing data capture can be effectuated locally or by remote connection to the network. Remote connection to the network includes Internet type connections, telecommunication (telephone, ISDN, ADSL), VSAT satellite, and other wire and wireless transmission. The present invention allows a user to obtain authorization for use, pay for products and services, and configure the vending equipment with a smart card, or magnetic card (card). Magnetic cards include phone, smart card, credit card, debit card, pre-paid, automated teller machine (ATM) or other bank or private issued card. Users can also use a hotel room key/card or other insertion type-identifying device. Additionally, biometric identification such as handwriting, voice, finger, hand, or eye (iris scan) can be utilized to control the system.