Activity management method

• US 20030163427A1
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OneEmpower Pte Ltd.
• Original Assignee: OneEmpower Pte Ltd.
• Inventors: Shum, Kam Hong, Fung, Nicholas Ho Chung, Sang, Chu Yong
• Granted Patent: US 9,286,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The invention provides a method of managing an activity, including: a user making a request to engage in an activity with a first of a plurality of providers; and the user presenting to the first provider with a personal data storage device, the device provided with identification data to identify the user and a user profile comprising a plurality of sets of user profile data, each set of user profile data pertaining to at least one of the plurality of providers; wherein the user'"'"'s request to engage in the activity is assessed according to one or more sets of the user profile data.

Claims

1. A method of managing an activity, including:

a user making a request to engage in an activity with a first of a plurality of providers; and

said user presenting to said first provider a personal data storage device, said device provided with identification data to identify said user and a user profile comprising a plurality of sets of user profile data, each set of user profile data pertaining to at least one of said plurality of providers;

wherein said user'"'"'s request to engage in said activity is assessed according to one or more sets of user profile data.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user'"'"'s request to engage in said activity is assessed if possible according to the set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider, and if not possible according to the user profile data pertaining to said first provider and one or more sets of user profile data pertaining to one or more other providers, or only according to one or more sets of user profile data pertaining to one or more other providers.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes activity data concerning any past activities said user has engaged in with a provider or providers to which the set of user profile data relates, and the step of assessing said user'"'"'s request is based at least partly on said activity data.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes response data concerning any past responses received by said user, and assessing said request is based at least partly on said response data.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes personal data and assessing said request is based at least partly on said personal data.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes predictive data concerning future activities in which said user is likely to engage with a provider or providers, and assessing said request is based at least partly on said predictive data.

7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of said sets of user profile data constitutes a sub-profile of said user profile.

8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further including updating said user profile.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to include additional information to reflect said activity.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect said activity if said activity is completed.

11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, further including determining any response to which said user is entitled.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect any response received by said user.

13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12, further including updating the set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider is only modified if said at least one other provider has granted access rights to said first provider.

15. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including controlling access to different parts of the user profile data shared by selected providers through use of a digital certificate and user profile data coordinates, to thereby enable access rights to be modified by altering the digital certificate.

16. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said user is required to provide consent to the access of data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

17. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said user is required to provide identification data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

18. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said activity is a purchase of goods and/or services from a provider of goods and/or services.

19. A method of providing a response to a user, comprising:

said user making a request to engage in an activity with a first of a plurality of providers;

said user presenting to said first provider a personal data storage device, said device provided with identification data to identify said user and a user profile comprising a plurality of sets of user profile data, each pertaining to one of said plurality of providers; and

determining any response to which said user is entitled upon making said request;

wherein said user'"'"'s entitlement to said response is assessed at least according to said user profile data pertaining to one or more of said providers.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said user'"'"'s entitlement to said response is assessed if possible according to the set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider, and if not possible according to the user profile data pertaining to said first provider and one or more sets of user profile data pertaining to one or more other providers, or only according to one or more sets of user profile data pertaining to one or more other providers.

21. A method as claimed in either claim 19 or 20, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes activity data concerning any past activities said user has engaged in with a provider or providers to which the set of user profile data relates, and the determination of any response to which said user is entitled is based at least partly on said activity data.

22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes response data and said determination of any response is based at least partly on said response data.

23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes personal data and said determination of any response is based at least partly on said personal data.

24. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes predictive data concerning future activities in which said user is likely to engage with a provider or providers, and said determination of any response is based at least partly on said predictive data.

25. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein each of said sets of user profile data constitutes a sub-profile of said user profile.

26. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 25, further including updating said user profile.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, including updating said set of user profile pertaining to said first provider to include additional information to reflect said activity.

28. A method as claimed in claim 26 or claim 27, including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect said activity if said activity is completed.

29. A method as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28, further including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect any response provided to said user.

30. A method as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 29, further including updating the set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein said set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider is only modified if said at least one other provider has granted access rights to said first provider.

32. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 31, including controlling access to different parts of the user profile data shared by selected providers through use of a digital certificate and user profile data coordinates, to thereby enable access rights to be modified by altering the digital certificate.

33. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 32, wherein said user is required to provide consent to the access of data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

34. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 33, wherein said user is required to provide identification data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

35. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 34, wherein said determination of any response involves a determination of any benefit redeemable by said user.

36. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 34, wherein said activity is a purchase of goods and/or services from a provider of goods and/or services.

37. A method of managing an activity, comprising:

each of a plurality of providers maintaining a database having a user profile pertaining to said user and comprising a set of user profile data; and

said user making a request to engage in an activity with a first of said plurality of providers;

wherein said user'"'"'s request to engage in said activity is assessed if possible according to the set of user profile data of said user maintained by said first provider and, if not possible, either according to the set of user profile data of said user maintained by said first provider and the set of user profile data of said user maintained by one or more other providers, or only according to the set of user profile data of said user maintained by one or more of said other providers.

38. A method as claimed in claim 37, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes activity data concerning any past activities said user has engaged in with a provider or providers, and assessing said activity is based at least partly on said activity data.

39. A method as claimed in claim 37 or claim 38, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes response data concerning any past responses received by said user, and assessing said activity is based at least partly on said response data.

40. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 39, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes personal data and assessing said activity is based at least partly on said personal data.

41. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 40, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes predictive data concerning future activities in which said user is likely to engage with a provider or providers, and assessing said activity is based at least partly on said predictive data.

42. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 41, including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to include additional information to reflect said activity.

43. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 42, including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect said activity if said activity is completed.

44. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 43, further including determining any response to which said user is entitled.

45. A method as claimed in claim 44, further including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect any response received by said user.

46. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 45, further including updating the set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider.

47. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein said set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider is only modified if said at least one other provider has granted access rights to said first provider.

48. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 47, including controlling access to different parts of the user profile data shared by selected providers through use of a digital certificate and user profile data coordinates, to thereby enable access rights to be modified by altering the digital certificate.

49. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 48, wherein said user is required to provide consent to the access of data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

50. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 49, wherein said user is required to provide identification data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

51. A method as claimed in any one of claims 37 to 50, wherein said activity is a purchase of goods and/or services from a provider of goods and/or services.

52. A method of providing a response to a user, comprising:

each of a plurality of providers maintaining a database having a user profile pertaining to said user and comprising a set of user profile data;

a user making a request to engage in an activity with a first of said plurality of providers; and

determining any response to which said user is entitled upon making said request;

wherein said user'"'"'s entitlement to said response is assessed if possible according to the set of user profile data of said user maintained by said first provider and, if not possible, either according to the set of user profile data of said user maintained by said first provider and the set of user profile data of said user maintained by one or more other providers, or only according to the set of user profile data of said user maintained by one or more of said other providers.

53. A method as claimed in claim 52, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes activity data concerning any past activities said user has engaged in with a provider or providers to which the set of profile data relates and said determination of any response is based at least partly on said activity data.

54. A method as claimed in claim 52 or claim 53, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes response data concerning any past responses received by said user, and determining any response to which said user is entitled based at least partly on said response data.

55. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 54, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes personal data and said determination of any response is based at least partly on said personal data.

56. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 55, wherein at least one set of user profile data includes predictive data concerning future activities in which said user is likely to engage with a provider or providers, and said determination of any response is based at least partly on said predictive data.

57. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 56, including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to include additional information to reflect said activity.

58. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 57, including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect said activity if said activity is completed.

59. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 58, further including updating said set of user profile data pertaining to said first provider to reflect any response provided to said user.

60. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 59, further including updating the set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider.

61. A method as claimed in claim 60, wherein said set of user profile data pertaining to at least one other provider is only modified if said at least one other provider has granted access rights to said first provider.

62. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 61, including controlling access to different parts of the user profile data shared by selected providers through use of a digital certificate and user profile data coordinates, to thereby enable access rights to be modified by altering the digital certificate.

63. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 62, wherein said user is required to provide consent to the access of data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

64. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 63, wherein said user is required to provide identification data in relation to selected requests to engage in an activity.

65. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 64, wherein said determination of any response involves a determination of any benefit redeemable by said user.

66. A method as claimed in any one of claims 52 to 65, wherein said activity is a purchase of goods and/or services from a provider of goods and/or services.

67. A personal data storage device for use in managing a activity between a user and a provider, said device provided with identification data to identify said user and a user profile comprising a plurality of sets of user profile data, each pertaining to one of said plurality of providers.

68. A device as claimed in claim 67, wherein each of said sets of user profile data constitutes a sub-profile of said user profile.

69. A device as claimed in either claim 67 or claim 68, wherein said personal data storage device has magnetic, optical or electronic memory storage means for storing said user profile.

70. A device as claimed in any one of claims 67 to 69, wherein the personal data storage device is embedded in one of a card, a credit card, a mobile terminal, a personal digital assistant, a watch, a toy or a pendant.