Cassandra K Lee

US Patent:

20030036952, Feb 20, 2003

Filed:

Aug 17, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/932588

Inventors:

James Panttaja - Healdsburg CA, US
Timothy Catlin - Belmont CA, US
Cassandra Lee - San Francisco CA, US
Fred Kilby - Hercules CA, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705/014000

Abstract:

A method in a redemption system for determining which awards to redeem is provided. An award history database is maintained that includes award transaction information that describes awards earned by a consumer and, for each earned award, the type of award. An encumbrance database is maintained that describes types of awards that cannot be redeemed at one or more suppliers. A request to redeem an amount of the earned awards with a chosen supplier is received. Allowed awards that can be redeemed at the chosen supplier are determined, and encumbrance levels of the allowed awards are determined based on the types of allowed awards and the data in the encumbrance database. Which of the allowed awards to redeem is determined based on the encumbrance levels.