What is claimed is:
1. A method for redeeming coupons, comprising:
identifying products, including at least first, second and third products being purchased, at a purchasing outlet, said first and second products being produced by first and second product providers, respectively;
reading firstly a first coupon from a first customer at the purchasing outlet;
determining, at the purchasing outlet, that said first coupon is to be redeemed;
modifying, at the purchasing outlet, said first coupon after said determining step for said first coupon, wherein said determining step cannot again be conducted for said first coupon after said modifying step because of one or more modifications made to said first coupon during said modifying step;
providing said first coupon, after said modifying step, in a first container;
reading secondly a second coupon from the first customer at the purchasing outlet, wherein said second coupon is the next coupon read after said first coupon;
making a determination related to whether said second coupon is to be redeemed after said reading secondly step;
storing, after said making step, said second coupon in a second container, different from said first container;
reading a third coupon at the purchasing outlet;
ascertaining that said third coupon is to be rejected;
deciding not to reject said third coupon; and
locating said third coupon in a third container, different from said first and second containers;
reimbursing firstly for said first coupon;
reimbursing secondly for said second coupon at a time different from said reimbursing firstly step, wherein each of said reimbursing firstly and said reimbursing secondly steps is made by a third party different from the first and second providers of the first and second products associated with said first and second coupons, respectively.
2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:
recording transaction information related to said third coupon;
retrieving said third coupon from said third container; and
checking whether reimbursement is to be made for said third coupon.
3. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said second coupon is stored depending on a number of factors including whether said second coupon is submitted for redemption at a particular store and whether said second coupon is submitted for redemption during a particular time.
4. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:
removing said third coupon from said third container;
obtaining information from said third coupon using a coupon redemption subsystem at a location different from the purchasing outlet; and
using said information in determining whether to reimburse for said third coupon.
5. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said identifying step is conducted using a product reader device and each of said reading firstly and secondly steps is conducted using a coupon reader device.
6. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said reimbursing firstly step is made to an entity associated with the purchasing outlet within about one day after said providing step and said reimbursing secondly step is made to the entity more than one day after said storing step.
7. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said first container includes a modified coupon lock box unit, said second container includes an audit coupon lock box unit and said third container includes a rejected coupon lock box unit.
8. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:
reimbursing the third party service provider by the first product provider after said reimbursing firstly step.
9. The method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:
removing said third coupon from said third container and taking said third coupon to a coupon redemption subsystem that includes an auxiliary coupon reader device that reads said third coupon.
10. A system for redeeming coupons, comprising:
a device that reads a first coupon, a second coupon, and a third coupon, wherein at least said first and second coupons are from a first customer and said second coupon is read next after said first coupon;
processing apparatus in operative communication with said device, said processing apparatus determining that said first coupon is to be redeemed and modified, determining that said second coupon is to be redeemed and audited, and determining that said third coupon is to be rejected;
a first storage unit that stores said first coupon;
a second storage unit that stores said second coupon;
a third storage unit that stores said third coupon, wherein said device, said processing apparatus, and each of said first, second and third storage units are located at purchasing outlet at which said first, second, and third coupons are presented for redemption; and
means for issuing payment related to reimbursement for redemption of said first coupon and said second coupon, said means for issuing payment being operated to reimburse for said second coupon at a time different from being operated to reimburse for said first coupon.
11. A system, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
said processing apparatus generates a report that includes information related to said second coupon including an identity of the purchasing outlet, an identity of a purchasing outlet lane at which said second coupon was submitted for redemption, and a time at which said second coupon was submitted for redemption.
12. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
said device is a coupon reader device and the system further includes a product reader device different from said coupon reader device.
13. A system, as claimed in claim 10, further including:
a coupon redemption subsystem that is provided at a location different from the purchasing outlet, said coupon redemption system including an auxiliary coupon reader device and a processor that receives information obtained by said processing apparatus related to said third coupon.
14. A system, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
said means for issuing payment includes at least one of a check writer and a wire transfer to an account.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of reusing media storage space via partial file deletion, the method comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, multiple friends, in a same social circle, that together have control of multiple media storage devices that are storing all segments of a media file;
identifying, by one or more processors, a last friend, from the multiple friends, who has control of a last media storage device to have a last copy of a particular segment of the media file, wherein the last media storage device is the only media storage device, from the multiple storage devices, to have a copy of the particular segment of the media file; and
preventing, by one or more processors, the last media storage device from deleting the particular segment of the media file until another of the multiple storage devices stores a copy of the particular segment of the media file.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media storage device is from a group consisting of a Videocassette Recorder (VCR), a Personal Video Recorder (PVR), a Direct Access Storage Device (DASD), a hard file, and a video surveillance media.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file is from a group consisting of a text document, a video file, a data stream, and an audio file.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file is in a first format, and wherein the method further comprises:
locating, by one or more processors, a copy of the particular segment of the media file in a second format in a different media storage device, wherein the different media storage device is different from the last media storage device, and wherein the different media storage device is one of the multiple media storage devices; and
in response to one or more processors determining that said another of the multiple storage devices does not have a copy of the particular segment of the media file in the first format, retrieving the copy of the particular segment of the media file in the second format from the different media storage device.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the multiple media storage devices contains a different media file from multiple media files, wherein a particular media storage device stores a particular media file, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, by one or more processors, which of the multiple media files is overwritten according to criteria of:
a ratio of watched to unwatched space for the particular media file;
an amount of time since the particular media file was last viewed;
a percentage of watched space in the particular media storage device as compared to each other media storage device from the multiple media storage devices; and
a historical analysis showing a propensity to rewind and replay, in its entirety, the particular media file based on a genre of the particular media file.
6. A computer system comprising:
a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;
first program instructions to identify multiple friends, in a same social circle, that together have control of multiple media storage devices that are storing all segments of a media file;
second program instructions to identify a last friend, from the multiple friends, who has control of a last media storage device to have a last copy of a particular segment of the media file, wherein the last media storage device is the only media storage device, from the multiple storage devices, to have a copy of the particular segment of the media file; and
third program instructions to prevent the last media storage device from deleting the particular segment of the media file until another of the multiple storage devices stores a copy of the particular segment of the media file; and wherein said first, second, and third program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium for execution by said processor via said computer readable memory.
7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the media storage device is from a group consisting of a Videocassette Recorder (VCR), a Personal Video Recorder (PVR), a Direct Access Storage Device (DASD), a hard file, and a video surveillance media.
8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the media file is from a group consisting of a text document, a video file, a data stream, and an audio file.
9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the media file is in a first format, and wherein the computer system further comprises:
fourth program instructions to locate a copy of the particular segment of the media file in a second format in a different media storage device, wherein the different media storage device is different from the last media storage device, and wherein the different media storage device is one of the multiple media storage devices; and
fifth program instructions to, in response to one or more processors determining that said another of the multiple storage devices does not have a copy of the particular segment of the media file in the first format, retrieve the copy of the particular segment of the media file in the second format from the different media storage device; and wherein said fourth and fifth program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium for execution by said processor via said computer readable memory.
10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein each of the multiple media storage devices contains a different media file from multiple media files, wherein a particular media storage device stores a particular media file, and wherein the system further comprises:
fourth program instructions to determine which of the multiple media files is overwritten according to criteria of:
a ratio of watched to unwatched space for the particular media file;
an amount of time since the particular media file was last viewed;
a percentage of watched space in the particular media storage device as compared to each other media storage device from the multiple media storage devices; and
a historical analysis showing a propensity to rewind and replay, in its entirety, the particular media file based on a genre of the particular media file; and wherein said fourth program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium for execution by said processor via said computer readable memory.