Farm product exchange system and method suitable for multiple small producers

• US 10,713,697 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Original Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Inventors: Chung, Kevin Kwong-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): Palavecino, Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US15/448,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20170278159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification

Abstract

A method for a product exchange for plural producers may comprise: configuring an electronic device to provide geo-tagged and time stamped image data, receiving registration data from a producer, receiving facility data and product data, and storing the received data in a relational database separate from the electronic device, and repeating the foregoing for a plurality of producers. The method may further comprise receiving registration data and qualifying data from a buyer who is provided product data and may make an offer therefor, or may comprise receiving a request for a supply, equipment or educational material and facilitating the ordering and delivery thereof.

Claims

1. A method for a product exchange usable by plural producers comprising:

configuring an electronic device having a device identifier and including an imaging device for capturing image data, including a data entry device selected from the group including a touch screen, a keyboard, and a combination thereof, including a communication device selected from the group including wireless communication, Bluetooth communication, WiFi communication, cellular communication, satellite telephony communication, and a combination thereof, and including a geographic position locator for determining geographic location, the configuring including configuring the electronic device for geo-tagging captured image data using the determined geographic location and for time stamping the geo-tagged captured image data with date and/or time data;

receiving registration data from a producer using the electronic device, wherein the registration data is geo-tagged and time stamped and associated with the identifier of the electronic device;

receiving facility data defining a facility and product data defining a product of the facility using the electronic device, wherein the facility data includes one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the facility and the product data includes one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images that identifies the product, wherein the facility data and the product data are associated with the identifier of the electronic device;

storing the registration data, the facility data and the identifier of the electronic device associated therewith in a relational database that is separate from the electronic device;

whereby the producer and the producer facility are registered and the product is associated therewith in the relational database;

repeating the foregoing steps for registering a plurality of producers;

receiving registration data from a buyer and associating the buyer registration data with a unique buyer identifier;

receiving qualifying data from the buyer and associating the buyer qualifying data with the unique buyer identifier, wherein the buyer qualifying data includes funds data relating to funds available as payment for any product delivered;

storing the buyer registration data, the buyer qualifying data and the unique buyer identifier associated therewith in the relational database, whereby the buyer is registered and qualified;

receiving a product query for a certain product from the qualified buyer;

generating a response to the product query from the product data stored in the relational database relating to the certain product and communicating the response to the qualified buyer, wherein the generated response includes product data from the relational database relating to the certain product;

receiving from the qualified buyer one or more offers relating to the product data relating to the certain product and storing the one or more offers in the relational database;

communicating the received one or more offers to one or more registered producers of the certain products to which the one or more offers relate;

receiving from the one or more producers an acceptance or a rejection of the one or more communicated offers and storing the acceptance or rejection in the relational database;

receiving from the one or more producers and/or from the buyer an agreed quantity and delivery date for the certain products covered by the accepted offers and storing the agreed quantity and delivery date in the relational database;

after an offer is accepted, receiving from the one or more producers updated facility data and updated product data using the electronic device and storing the updated facility data and the updated product data in the relational database, wherein the updated facility data and the updated product data include one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the facility and of the product, wherein the updated facility data and the updated product data are associated with the identifier of the electronic device;

when product is delivered, receiving product delivery data from the producer, from the buyer, and/or from a delivery agent, and storing the product delivery data in the relational database; and

initiating transfer of payment from the buyer of the delivered product to the producer of the delivered product from buyer funds represented by the funds data as available as payment for the product delivered.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving facility data defining a facility includes:

receiving a first geo-tagged image of the facility taken at a first corner on a periphery thereof;

receiving a second geo-tagged image of the facility taken at a second corner along the periphery thereof;

receiving one or more additional geo-tagged images of the facility taken at one or more additional corners along the periphery thereof until geo-tagged images taken at all of the corners along the periphery of the facility are received;

storing the received geo-tagged images of the facility in the relational database.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

processing location data associated with each of the geo-tagged images of the facility to determine the length of the periphery thereof;

or

processing location data associated with each of the geo-tagged images of the facility to determine the area thereof;

or

processing location data associated with each of the geo-tagged images of the facility to determine a geographic location thereof;

or

processing location data associated with each of the geo-tagged images of the facility to determine the length of the periphery and the area thereof;

or

processing location data associated with each of the geo-tagged images of the facility to determine the length of the periphery and the geographic location thereof;

or

processing location data associated with each of the geo-tagged images of the facility to determine the area and the geographic location thereof;

or

processing location data associated with each of the geo-tagged images of the facility to determine the length of the periphery, the area and the geographic location thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 further including:

storing the determined length of the periphery, the area and/or the geographic location in the relational database;

or

communicating the determined length of the periphery, the area and/or the geographic location to the electronic device from which the images taken at the corners of the periphery of the facility were taken;

or

storing the determined length of the periphery, the area and/or the geographic location in the relational database and communicating the determined length of the periphery, the area and/or the geographic location to the electronic device from which the images taken at the corners of the periphery of the facility were taken.

5. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving a request for a supply or for an equipment or for an educational material or for a combination thereof, wherein the request originated from an electronic device and includes location data of that electronic device;

providing a response representing available supplies or available equipment or available educational materials or a combination thereof, at one or more locations proximate the geographic location of the electronic device represented by the location data thereof;

receiving and accepting an order for an available supply or for available equipment or for available educational materials or for a combination thereof represented in the response; and

delivering the ordered available supply or ordered available equipment or ordered available educational materials or an ordered combination thereof at the one or more locations proximate the geographic location of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5 further including prior to the delivering the order:

filling the order; and

debiting funds in payment for the order and authorizing delivery thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving a request for a supply or for an equipment or for an educational material or for a combination thereof, wherein the request originates from an electronic device and includes location data of that electronic device;

providing a response representing available supplies or available equipment or available educational materials or a combination thereof, at one or more locations proximate the geographic location of the electronic device represented by the location data thereof;

receiving an order for an available supply or for available equipment or for available educational materials or for a combination thereof represented in the response;

receiving an application for a loan to pay for the ordered available supply or ordered available equipment or ordered available educational materials or an ordered combination thereof;

evaluating the application for a loan and when the loan is approved, then;

accepting the order for the available supply or for the available equipment or for the available educational materials or for the combination thereof represented in the response; and

delivering the available supply or the available equipment or the available educational materials or the combination thereof represented by the accepted order.

8. The method of claim 7 further including prior to the delivering the order:

filling the order;

or

debiting funds from the approved loan in payment for the order and authorizing delivery of the order;

or

filling the order and debiting funds from the approved loan in payment for the order and authorizing delivery of the order.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the product data stored in the relational data base and the one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the updated product data from the relational database to determine the quantity of the product, or the quality of the product, or the quantity and quality of the product.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the comparing the one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the product data stored in the relational data base and the one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the updated product data from the relational database includes:

comparing location data from the geo-tags thereof and when the location data from the geo-tags thereof is consistent with a particular facility, providing an indication thereof;

or

comparing time and/or date data from the time stamps thereof and when the time and/or date data is consistent with a period of time between when the facility was registered and a current time, providing an indication thereof;

or

comparing location data from the geo-tags thereof and comparing time and/or date data from the time stamps thereof, and when the location data from the geo-tags thereof is consistent with a particular facility and when the time and/or date data is consistent with a period of time between when the facility was registered and a current time, providing an indication thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the comparing the one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the product included in the product data stored in the relational data base and the one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the product included in the updated product data from the relational database includes:

comparing image data from the one or more geo-tagged and time-stamped images of the product to determine one or more physical attributes of the product represented therein; and

then;

determining from differences in the one or more physical attributes of the product represented therein a quantity of the product represented therein;

or

determining from differences in the one or more physical attributes of the product represented therein a quality of the product represented therein;

or

determining from differences in the one or more physical attributes of the product represented therein a quantity and a quality of the product represented therein.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the electronic device includes a smart phone, a tablet computer, a portable computer or another electronic computing device;

or

said configuring the electronic device includes communicating a software application to the electronic device and running the software application thereon;

or

the electronic device includes a smart phone, a tablet computer, a portable computer or another electronic computing device and said configuring the electronic device includes communicating a software application to the electronic device and running the software application thereon.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the facility represented by the facility data includes a field, a plot of land, a farm, a pasture, a pond, a pool, a lake, a range, a quarry, a room, a shop, a work area, a manufacturing facility, an assembly facility, a repair facility, a maintenance facility, a factory, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the product represented by the product data includes a fruit, a vegetable, a plant, a bush, a tree, a crop, an animal, a herd, livestock, a bird, a fowl, a fish, a water creature, sand, rock, gravel, crushed stone, a part, an assembly, a handicraft, a garment, cloth, clothes, wearing apparel, a mechanical device, an electrical device, an electronic device, or any combination thereof.