Appeal No. 2002-1469 Page 2
Application No. 09/317,110
therewith is not in stock, the conventional store environment does not print a
"raincheck." (Id. at 2.) A raincheck allows a customer to exercise the discount coupons
in the future when the item is in stock. (Id.)
In contrast, the appellant's invention adds to the conventional store environment
an incentive processor and an incentive printer. (Id.) More specifically, a cash register
receives data identifying an item subject to a raincheck and transmits the data to the
incentive processor. (Id. at 2-3.) Upon receipt thereof, the incentive processor
generates raincheck data and transmits the raincheck data to the incentive printer. The
incentive printer then prints a raincheck. (Id. at 3.) In summary, the invention allows a
customer to receive the benefit of a discount coupon when the associated item is later
in stock. (Id. at 6.)
A further understanding of the invention can be achieved by reading the following
claim.
9. A process for providing in-store printing of rainchecks for
purchasing incentives associated with items subject to rainchecks,
comprising:
storing a plurality of purchasing incentives corresponding to a
plurality of item identifiers for items subject to rainchecks via an incentive
processor;
coupling said incentive processor to at least one incentive printer
via an incentive processor bus;
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