Appeal No. 2003-2131
Application 09/309,834
THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method (claims 1 through 11), a
computer program (claims 12 through 14) and a system (claims 15
through 20) for administering consumer rebates. Representative
claim 1 reads as follows:1
1. A method of administering a rebate system, comprising
the steps of:
a. a controlling authority receiving rebate-related
information electronically transmitted from a rebate issuing
entity, the rebate-related information including:
i. information identifying a consumer;
ii. information relating to a purchase made by the
consumer from the rebate issuing entity; and
iii. information identifying the rebate issuing
entity;
b. the controlling authority calculating an amount of a
rebate that is to be credited to the consumer, based on
information previously provided by the rebate issuing entity and
at least a portion of the rebate-related information;
c. the controlling authority controlling transfer of
the amount of the rebate, to an omnibus trust account; and
d. the controlling authority authorizing a financial
institution trustee to transfer a credit from the omnibus trust
account directly to the consumer.
1 The terms “the charity” in claim 11 and “the financial
institution trustee” in claim 15 lack a proper antecedent basis.
In the event of further prosecution, steps should be taken to
correct these informalities.
2
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