Apparatus and method of distributing and tracking the distribution of incentive points
First Claim
1. A system for managing the distribution of currency units from at least one currency issuer to at least a selected one of a plurality of currency recipients associated with the currency issuer who maintains an account for keeping the balance of currency units held by each of its currency recipients, at least one primary user acquiring currency units from the one currency issuer and distributing same to selected of the plurality of currency recipients, each of the currency recipients, the one currency issuer and the one primary user having a computer terminal which is connected to a network, said managing system comprising a host computer which is programmed to:
- a) generate and transmit over the network a first message to the one primary user'"'"'s computer terminal soliciting information as to the characteristics of the one primary user;
b) retrieve the characteristics information entered by the one primary user and generate and transmit over the network to the one currency issuer'"'"'s computer terminal a second message bearing the retrieved characteristics information whereby the one currency issuer may approve or decline to issue currency units to the one primary user; and
c) respond to the one currency issuer'"'"'s approval of the one primary user to generate and transmit over the network a third message bearing a unique password to the one primary user'"'"'s computer terminal, whereby the approved one primary user is enabled to communicate with the one currency issuer to acquire currency.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are disclosed in the illustrative context of a loyalty program (LP) for managing the distribution of currency units (points or miles) from at least one currency issuer (LP manager) to at least a selected one of a plurality of currency recipients (LP members) associated with the currency issuer. The currency issuer maintains an account for keeping the balance of currency units held by each of its currency recipients. The currency user also must approve each primary user to which it issues currency units. The system and method facilitate at least one primary user to acquire currency units from the one currency issuer and to distribute same to selected of the plurality of currency recipients.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for managing the distribution of currency units from at least one currency issuer to at least a selected one of a plurality of currency recipients associated with the currency issuer who maintains an account for keeping the balance of currency units held by each of its currency recipients, at least one primary user acquiring currency units from the one currency issuer and distributing same to selected of the plurality of currency recipients, each of the currency recipients, the one currency issuer and the one primary user having a computer terminal which is connected to a network, said managing system comprising a host computer which is programmed to:
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a) generate and transmit over the network a first message to the one primary user'"'"'s computer terminal soliciting information as to the characteristics of the one primary user;
b) retrieve the characteristics information entered by the one primary user and generate and transmit over the network to the one currency issuer'"'"'s computer terminal a second message bearing the retrieved characteristics information whereby the one currency issuer may approve or decline to issue currency units to the one primary user; and
c) respond to the one currency issuer'"'"'s approval of the one primary user to generate and transmit over the network a third message bearing a unique password to the one primary user'"'"'s computer terminal, whereby the approved one primary user is enabled to communicate with the one currency issuer to acquire currency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for managing the distribution of currency units from at least one currency issuer to selected of a plurality of currency recipients associated with the one currency issuer who maintains an account for keeping the balance of currency units held by each of its recipients, at least one primary user acquiring currency units from the one currency issuer and transmitting same to selected of the plurality of currency recipients, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) responding to a request from the one primary user for the approval of the one currency issuer to acquire currency units from the one currency issuer by facilitating a communication of information regarding the characteristics of the one primary user to the one currency issuer, whereby the one currency issuer may approve or decline to issue currency to the one primary user;
b) if the one currency issuer is approved, creating an account for the one primary user to track its balance of currency units;
c) distributing a set of currency units from the one currency issuer to the one currency user; and
d) prompt the adding of the distributed set of currency units to the account of the one primary user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for managing the distribution of currency units from at least one currency issuer to selected of a plurality of currency recipients associated with the one currency issuer who maintains an account for keeping the balance of its currency units held by each of its currency recipients, at least one primary user acquiring currency units from the one currency issuer, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) gathering and transmitting information about the primary user to the one currency issuer to facilitate its approval or decline to issue currency units of the one currency issuer to the one primary user;
b) if the one currency issuer approves of the primary user information, creating an account for keeping the balance of currency units of the one currency issuer acquired by the one primary user and assigning a pass word to the approved one primary user, whereby the one primary user may gain access to its account; and
c) using the password to gain access to the one primary user'"'"'s account.
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- 13. A method for managing as claimed in claim 13, wherein said method further comprises the step of transferring a first set of currency units from the one currency issuer to the accessed account of the one primary user.
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18. A method of managing the distribution of currency units from at least one currency issuer to at least a selected one of a plurality of currency recipients associated with the currency issuer who maintains an account for keeping the balance of currency units held by each of its currency recipients, the account of each currency recipient being identified by a unique account identification, at least one primary user acquiring currency units from the one currency issuer and distributing same to selected of the plurality of currency recipients, each of the currency recipients, the one currency issuer and the one primary user having a computer terminal which is connected to a network, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) prompting the one primary user to determine the number of currency units to be distributed and whether the selected number of currency units are to be transmitted by a first or second transaction, the first transaction differing from the second transaction;
b) if the selected number of currency units are to be transmitted by the first transaction, prompting the one primary user to assign a unique account identification to the currency recipient to which the first transaction will be transmitted; and
c) if the selected number of currency units are to be transmitted by the second transaction, assigning a unique identification to the second transaction. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for managing the distribution of currency units from at least one currency issuer to selected of a plurality of currency recipients associated with the one currency issuer who maintains an account for keeping the balance of the currency units held by each of its currency recipients, at least one primary user acquiring currency units from the currency issuer, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) in response to the request of the one primary user, effecting a plurality of transactions to acquire currency units from the one currency issuer, the characteristics of each of the plurality of transactions being determined by a plurality of parameters;
b) storing each of the plurality of transactions in a memory;
c) selecting the parameter(s) of the desired characteristics; and
d) search the stored transactions for the desired characteristics set by the parameters. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method for managing the distribution of currency units from at least one currency issuer to selected of a plurality of currency recipients associated with the currency issuer who maintains an account for keeping the balance of the currency units held by each of its currency recipients, at least one primary user acquiring currency units from the one currency issuer and having an account for storing the number of currency units received from the one currency issuer, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) in response to the request of the one primary user, effecting a plurality of transactions to distribute the currency units stored in the one primary user'"'"'s account to select of the plurality of currency recipients;
b) storing each of the plurality of effected transactions in a memory;
c) select the parameter(s) of the desired transaction characteristics; and
d) search the effected transactions stored in the memory for the desired characteristics set by the parameters. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification