Compensation driven network based exchange system and method
First Claim
1. A method using a communication network to compensate at least one user in exchange for work undertaken by the at least one user, the method comprising the steps of:
- using the communication network to perform work, the work being defined by a content provider in a manner which does not target specific user profiles;
offering compensation units to the at least one user in exchange for the performed work;
accepting the offered compensation units; and
transferring the accepted compensation units from a content provider account to a user account, the content provider account corresponding to the content provider offering the compensation units and the user account corresponding to user who completed the work.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system using a communication network, such as the Internet, to compensate at least one user in exchange for work undertaken by the at least one user. The communication network is used to perform work, the work being defined by a content provider in a manner which does not target specific user profiles. Compensation units are offered to the user in exchange for the performed work. The user uses a user terminal to accept the offered compensation units. The accepted compensation units are transferred from a content provider account to a user account, the content provider account corresponding to the content provider offering the compensation units and the user account corresponding to user who completed the work. The user can spend earned compensation units on goods and services offered by a redeeming content provider. The compensation units are provided in a closed system. The issuing content provider does not control how, when or where earned compensation units may be spent
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A method using a communication network to compensate at least one user in exchange for work undertaken by the at least one user, the method comprising the steps of:
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using the communication network to perform work, the work being defined by a content provider in a manner which does not target specific user profiles;
offering compensation units to the at least one user in exchange for the performed work;
accepting the offered compensation units; and
transferring the accepted compensation units from a content provider account to a user account, the content provider account corresponding to the content provider offering the compensation units and the user account corresponding to user who completed the work. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 56)
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11. A transaction processor coupled to a communication network, the transaction processor compensating at least one user in exchange for work undertaken by the at least one user, the transaction processor comprising:
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a database, the database comprising;
an account holder data structure having at least one account holder record; and
a content provider data structure having at least one content provider record; and
a central processing unit, the central processing being coupled to the database and executing the functions of;
evaluating a request from a user terminal to transmit a client to the user terminal;
transmitting the client to the user terminal in accordance with a positive evaluation, the client enabling the user terminal to request compensation in the form of compensation units for work performed by a user of the user terminal;
processing a request received from the user terminal to credit an account holder record corresponding to the user of the user terminal with compensation units in accordance with work performed by the user; and
executing a first transaction process which accesses the database and transfers the compensation units from a content provider record corresponding to the offering content provider to the account holder record corresponding to the user. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 46)
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21. A system employing a communication network to compensate at least one user in exchange for work undertaken by the at least one user, the work being offered by an offering content provider, the system comprising:
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at least one user terminal;
at least one content provider processor coupled to the at least one user terminal through a communication network;
at least one transaction processor coupled to the at least one user terminal and the at least one content provider processor through the communication network;
the at least one transaction processor;
receiving a request from the at least one user terminal to transmit a client to the at least one user terminal;
transmitting the client to the at least one user terminal in accordance with a positive evaluation, the client enabling the at least one user terminal to request compensation for work performed by a user of the at least one user terminal;
processing a request received from the user terminal to credit a user account corresponding to the user of the user terminal with compensation in accordance with work performed by the user; and
transferring the compensation from a content provider account corresponding to the offering content provider to the user account. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for using a communication network to facilitate transactions in which compensation units are earned and spent by at least one user, the method comprising the steps of:
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using the communication network to perform work, the work being defined by a content provider in a manner which does not target specific user profiles;
offering compensation units to the at least one user in exchange for the performed work;
accepting the offered compensation units;
transferring the accepted compensation units from a content provider account to a user account, the content provider account corresponding to the content provider offering the compensation units and the user account corresponding to user who completed the work; and
transferring compensation units from the user account to a spending content provider account in an amount corresponding to a cost of a purchase made by the user. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A transaction processor coupled to a communication network, the transaction processor facilitating transactions in which compensation units are earned and spent by at least one user, the transaction processor comprising:
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a database, the database comprising;
an account holder data structure having at least one account holder record; and
a content provider data structure having at least one content provider record; and
a central processing unit, the central processing being coupled to the database and executing the functions of;
evaluating a request from a user terminal to transmit a client to the user terminal;
transmitting the client to the user terminal in accordance with a positive evaluation, the client enabling the user terminal to request compensation in the form of compensation units for work performed by a user of the user terminal;
processing a request received from the user terminal to credit an account holder record corresponding to the user of the user terminal with compensation units in accordance with work performed by the user;
executing a first transaction process which accesses the database and transfers the compensation units from a content provider record corresponding to the offering content provider to the account holder record corresponding to the user; and
executing a second transaction process which accesses the database and transfers compensation units in an amount of a purchase made by the user from the corresponding user account holder record to a content provider record corresponding to the content provider from whom the purchase was made. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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47. A system for facilitating transactions in which compensation units are earned and spent by at least one user, the system comprising:
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at least one user terminal;
at least one content provider processor coupled to the at least one user terminal through a communication network;
at least one transaction processor coupled to the at least one user terminal and the at least one content provider processor through the communication network;
the at least one transaction processor;
receiving a request from the at least one user terminal to transmit a client to the at least one user terminal;
transmitting the client to the at least one user terminal in accordance with a positive evaluation, the client enabling the at least one user terminal to request compensation for work performed by a user of the at least one user terminal;
processing a request received from the user terminal to credit a user account corresponding to the user of the user terminal with compensation units in accordance with work performed by the user;
transferring the compensation units from a content provider account corresponding to the offering content provider to the user account; and
transferring compensation units in an amount of a purchase made by the user from the corresponding user account to a content provider account from whom the purchase was made. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable program code, which when run, executes a method for compensating at least one user in exchange for work undertaken by the at least one user, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request from the at least one user terminal to transmit a client to the at least one user terminal;
transmitting the client to the at least one user terminal in accordance with a positive evaluation, the client enabling the at least one user terminal to request compensation for work performed by a user of the at least one user terminal;
processing a request received from the user terminal to credit a user account corresponding to the user of the user terminal with compensation units in accordance with work performed by the user; and
transferring the compensation units from a content provider account corresponding to the offering content provider to the user account. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification