System and Method to Facilitate and Support Electronic Communication of Request for Proposals

• US 20060200422A1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitchware Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pitchware Incorporated
• Inventors: Powell, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

A method and apparatus effectuates bilateral commerce in ideas. An originator and user-driven on-line commercial network system is designed to facilitate idea submission, purchase, and licensing, and is easily adapted to business-to-business transfers of innovation as well as consumer-to-business transfers of innovation. The invention allows originators of ideas to communicate nondisclosing synopses of ideas globally to potential users, for users conveniently to search for relevant ideas and for users potentially to bind an originator to a limited duration license granting user the exclusive right to access and consider confidentially the originator'"'"'s fully disclosed idea. The invention also allows users to communicate confidentially or nonconfidentially unsolved problems or needs globally to potential originators, for originators conveniently to search for relevant unsolved problems or needs, and for originators to submit and communicate confidentially proposed solutions to the soliciting user.

Claims

1. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of requests for proposals;

(b) providing originators with an option to access the stored requests for proposals by agreeing to a license agreement which includes a confidentiality provision; and

(c) providing license accepting originators with access to the stored requests for proposals.

2. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of requests for proposals;

(b) providing originators with an option to access the stored requests for proposals by agreeing to an industry-specific, standardized license agreement; and

(c) providing license accepting originators with access to the stored requests for proposals.

3. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing users with an option to submit requests for proposals to an identified originator by agreeing to an originator-specific submission agreement;

(b) receiving and storing in the database requests for proposals submitted by users pursuant to the terms of the submission agreement;

(c) providing the originator with an option to access the stored requests for proposals pursuant to the terms of the submission agreement.

4. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by a user, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem;

(b) permitting originators to access without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions; and

(c) permitting originators to search the contents of the first-level and second-level elements of the two-part descriptions but disallowing visual access to the second-level elements.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the search results display or provide access to only the first level element and may be organized and displayed according to an associated relevancy rank.

6. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of requests for proposals;

(b) providing originators with an option to access all or a portion of the stored requests for proposals;

(c) providing originators with the further option to select for further consideration one or more of the stored requests for proposals;

(d) providing selecting originators with a limited period of time to consider and respond to the selected request for proposal or requests for proposals; and

(e) restricting other originators from selecting and responding to said request for proposal or said requests for proposals during the exclusivity period.

7. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by a user, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem;

(b) permitting originators to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;

(c) providing selecting originators with an option to access the second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions that correspond to the selected first-level elements by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element; and

(d) providing license accepting originators with access to the second-level elements of the stored two-part description corresponding to the selected fist-level elements.

8. The method of claim 7 including the further step of permitting non-license-accepting originators to search the contents of the first-level and second-level elements of the two-part descriptions but disallowing visual access to the second-level elements.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the search results may be organized and displayed according to an associated relevancy rank.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the posting user has agreed to release all originators from all liability with respect to the first level element of the two-part description.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the license agreement includes a confidentiality provision.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the license agreement is a limited duration, exclusive license, and including the further step of upon receiving license acceptance by one selecting originator, subsequently disallowing all other originators from accessing, including visually accessing, both the first-level element and the second-level element of the two-part descriptions for the duration of the license term.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the license agreement is a limited duration, exclusive license, and including the further step of upon receiving license acceptance by one selecting originator, subsequently restricting other originators from accessing and reviewing the second-level element but permitting said other originators to continue to access and select the first-level element for the duration of the license term.

14. The method of claim 13 including the further step of creating a queue of license accepting originators seeking access to the selected but license restricted second-level element.

15. The method of claim 14 including the further step of establishing priority status for each originator in the queue according to the time of license acceptance, with an earlier license acceptance time having priority over a later license acceptance time.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein selecting originators must pay or meet certain minimum criteria to access the second-level element of the two-part description.

17. The method of claim 16 including the further step of creating a queue of license accepting originators seeking access to the selected but license restricted second-level element wherein the priority status of each license accepting originator is determined by the value of the payment offered or the qualifications presented to meet said minimum criteria.

18. The method of claim 13 including the further step of permitting originators to continue to search the contents of the second-level elements without permitting visual access to the second-level elements until after expiration of the license term.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the search results may be organized and displayed according to an associated relevancy rank.

20. The method of claim 7 including the further step of permitting the posting user to review the identity of each license requesting originator and to either accept or reject the license request.

21. The method of claim 7 wherein the license agreement is an industry-specific, standardized agreement.

22. The method of claim 7 wherein the license agreement is a user-specific and/or originator-specific license.

23. The method of claim 7 including the further step of providing license accepting originators with the option of responding to a user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem by submitting to the posting user in the form of a proposed agreement the terms of an offer to option, license, purchase or otherwise transfer the right to use or consider said unmet need or unsolved problem.

24. The method of claim 23 including the further step of permitting said posting users to accept or reject the terms of said proposed agreement, or to propose different terms of use in the form of an alternate agreement which may in turn be accepted or rejected by said license accepting originator.

25. The method of claim 24 including the further step of upon acceptance of said proposed agreement or said alternate agreement, providing the contracting user and/or originator with the option to make any required payments via an on-line payment processing system.

26. The method of claim 7 wherein the originator and/or the user remain anonymous.

27. The method of claim 7 including the further step of, prior to the receipt of a user'"'"'s two-part description, receiving the posting user'"'"'s acceptance of a submission agreement specifying the terms for submitting the user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said submission agreement includes requirements for the terms of the license agreement to be presented to each selecting originator.

29. The method of claim 27 including the further step of upon acceptance of said submission agreement, providing said posting user with the option to make any required payments via an on-line payment processing system.

30. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by a user, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem;

(b) permitting originators to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;

(c) providing selecting originators with an option to access and respond to the user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element; and

(d) restricting other originators from selecting and responding to said unmet need or unsolved problem for the duration of the term specified in the license agreement.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said other originators are prevented from viewing or accessing both the first- and second-level elements of the two-part description.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said other originators are prevented from viewing or accessing only the second-level element of the two-part description.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the two-part description includes a non-confidential first-level element and a confidential second-level element.

34. A method of using a computer to facilitate and control access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by users comprising:

receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions supplied by users, each two-part description including a nonconfidential first-level element and a confidential second-level element;

permitting originators to access and select without restriction only the nonconfidential first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;

subsequently providing selecting originators an option to access the confidential second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions that correspond to the selected first-level elements by electronically submitting to each selecting originator a license agreement including a confidentiality provision;

receiving and storing in the computer an acceptance of the license agreement by each selecting originator; and

upon receipt of license acceptance, providing accepting originators with unrestricted access via the computer to the confidential second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions corresponding to the selected first-level elements.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the first-level element comprises a searchable and accessible basic description of a user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the second-level element comprises a searchable, but nonaccessible detailed description of each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the license agreement is a limited duration, exclusive license, and further includes upon receiving license acceptance by one selecting originator, restricting other originators from accessing or selecting both the first-level element and the second-level element of the two-part description selected by the licensed originator for the duration of the term of the exclusive license.

38. The method of claim 37 further including creating a queue of one or more license accepting originators seeking access to the selected, but license restricted second-level element.

39. The method of claim 34 further including enabling each user to review the identity of each license requesting originator and to either accept or reject the license request by each originator.