SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC BARTER, TRADING AND REDEEMING POINTS ACCUMULATED IN FREQUENT USE REWARD PROGRAMS

• US 20070130011A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Inventors: Postrel, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.290
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• 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: G07F 17/3255 : Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns rewards from a plurality of independent reward issuing entities, with each tracking the user'"'"'s earned. A trading server accumulates some or all of the user'"'"'s earned rewards from the reward servers and credits the accumulated rewards into a single reward exchange account associated with the user. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated rewards. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the rewards. Reward points may also be redeemed in exchange for services, such as the playing of a video game or Internet access.

Claims

1. A method of operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program comprising the steps of:

a. a user earning reward points from a plurality of reward points issuing entities, each of said reward points issuing entities tracking the user'"'"'s earned reward points in a user reward point account stored on rewards server, and

b. a trading server accumulating the user'"'"'s earned reward points from each of said reward servers interconnected over a network in association with consideration provided by said reward servers to the trading server and crediting said accumulated points into a reward exchange account associated with the user.

2-29. -29. (canceled)