Responsibilities-based reward allocation and management system

• US 20070250382A1
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Active Allowance, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hablar Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Beck, Harvey
• Application Number:
  US11/407,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.210
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a responsibilities-based reward allocation and management system. The system provides a responsibilities setup mechanism for configuring a plurality of responsibilities and/or responsibility categories or groups. The system provides a mechanism for setting up a plurality of bank accounts or a plurality of expense categories for the responsibility categories. Performance of responsibilities results in a point total, and rewards being allocated to the bank accounts based on the point total. The system includes a budget allocation mechanism for allocating or dividing the reward to the plurality of bank accounts. The system further includes a facility for withdrawing funds from selected ones of the accounts.

Claims

1. A system for allocating a reward based on a point total, said system comprising:

a list comprising one or more responsibilities, and completion of each of said responsibilities providing a point towards the point total;

two or more accounts, each of said accounts being adapted to accept the reward or a portion of the reward;

a calculator for calculating the reward, the reward being based on the point total; and

an allocator for allocating the reward between said two or more accounts.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said allocator includes a priority mechanism, said priority mechanism assigning a priority to each of said accounts, and the reward being allocated to each of said accounts based on the assigned priority associated with said account.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said allocator includes a percentage allocation mechanism, said percentage allocation mechanism defining a percentage allocation for each of said accounts, and said allocator allocating a portion of the reward to each of said accounts, wherein said portion is based on the percentage allocation defined for said account.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said responsibilities list includes one or more bonus responsibilities, and completion of said bonus responsibilities results in bonus points being added to the point total.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said allocator includes a percentage allocation mechanism, said percentage allocation mechanism defining a percentage allocation for each of said accounts, and said allocator allocating a portion of the reward to each of said accounts based on the percentage allocation defined for said account.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said system includes an overflow account, said overflow account receiving any excess reward portion resulting from the bonus points.

7. A method for allocating a reward based on a point total, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a list comprising one or more responsibilities, wherein completion of each of said responsibilities results in a point for the point total;

providing two or more accounts, each of said accounts being adapted for receiving the reward or a portion of the reward;

calculating a reward amount based on the point total; and

allocating the reward amount to said two or more accounts.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a plurality of said responsibilities comprise a responsibilities group and a point amount is given for completion of each of the responsibilities belonging to said responsibilities group, and said point amount is applied to said point total.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of allocating comprises defining a priority for each of said accounts, and said reward amount being allocated to each of said accounts based on said defined priority.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said step of allocating comprises defining a percentage allocation for each of said accounts, and said reward amount being allocated to each of said accounts based on the percentage allocation for said account.

11. A system for allocating a reward based on a point total, said system comprising:

a list comprising one or more responsibilities, wherein completion of each of said responsibilities provides a point towards the point total;

a plurality of expense categories, each of said expense categories having a budget allocation;

a plurality of accounts, each of said accounts being adapted to accept the reward or a portion of the reward according to said budget allocation;

a calculator for calculating the reward, the reward being based on the point total and a budget allowance; and

an allocator for allocating the reward between said accounts, said allocation being based on the budget allocation for said corresponding expense category.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said allocator includes a percentage share mechanism, said percentage share mechanism defining a percentage share for each of said expense categories, and said allocator allocating a portion of the reward to each of said accounts, wherein said portion is based on the percentage share of the budget allocation for said expense category.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of said responsibilities comprise a responsibilities group and a point amount is given for completion of each of the responsibilities belonging to said responsibilities group, and said point amount is applied to said point total.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of said expense categories is associated with one of said plurality of accounts, and each of said accounts being configured to accept at least a portion of the reward.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said allocator includes a priority mechanism, said priority mechanism assigning a priority to each of said expense categories, and the reward being allocated to each of said accounts based on the assigned priority associated with said corresponding expense category.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said allocator includes a percentage share mechanism, said percentage share mechanism defining a percentage share for each of said expense categories, and said allocator allocating a portion of the reward to each of said accounts, wherein said portion is based on the percentage share of the budget allocation for said corresponding expense category.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, further including a portal for providing access for a member, said portal including a window for displaying said accounts and corresponding balances for said member.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said portal includes a code component for requesting a withdrawal from one of said accounts by said member.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said code component comprises a window for requisitioning a check, said window including a code component for printing said requisitioned check.

20. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said responsibilities are grouped into one or more responsibility categories on said list, and each of said responsibility categories comprises one or more responsibility items, and wherein completion of the responsibility items in each of said responsibility categories results in a point.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein each of said expense categories comprises one or more expense items, and portion of the budget allocation for each of said expense categories is assigned to the respective expense items.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, further including a component for defining a budget page, said budget page comprising said expense categories and said associated expense items, and each of said expense items including a budget amount, and said budget amounts forming the budget allocation for said associated expense category.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22, said budget page component includes a code component for changing any of said budget amounts, and a code component for adding an expense category.

24. A network-based system for allocating a reward based on a point total, said system comprising:

a server coupled to a network;

said network including a plurality of ports for coupling user stations to said network for communicating with said server;

said server including a component for generating a responsibilities list for any one of said users, said responsibilities list comprising one or more responsibilities, and completion of each of said responsibilities providing a point towards the point total;

said user station including a component for transmitting to said server a point total associated with said user;

said server including a component for defining two or more accounts for any one of said users, each of said accounts being adapted for accepting the reward or a portion of the reward for said user associated with said accounts;

said server including a component for calculating the reward for said user based on the point total received from said user;

said server including a component for allocating said calculated reward to the two or more accounts associated with said user;

said server including a component for sending a page to said user showing the allocation of said reward to said two or more accounts.

25. The network-based system as claimed in claim 24, wherein each of said accounts comprises an expense category and a virtual bank account, and each of said expense categories includes a budget allocation, and wherein said component for allocating said calculated reward is responsive to the budget allocation for the expense category associated with said account.

26. The network-based system as claimed in claim 25, wherein said component for allocating includes a percentage share component, said percentage share component defining a percentage share for each of said expense categories, and said allocator component distributing a portion of the reward to each of said corresponding accounts, wherein said distributed portion is based on the percentage share of the budget allocation for said expense category.

27. The network-based system as claimed in claim 25, wherein said component for allocating includes a priority order component, said priority order component establishing a priority order for said expense categories, and said component for allocating being responsive to said priority order and allocating the reward to said accounts according to said priority order.

28. The network-based system as claimed in claim 24, wherein said component for generating a responsibilities list comprises a responsibilities setup page, said responsibilities setup page comprising a plurality of frames, each of said frames corresponding to a responsibility category, and each of said responsibility categories including one or more responsibility items, and said responsibilities setup page including a code component for adding one or more new responsibility categories and a code component for adding one or more new responsibility items, and said server including a code component for transmitting said responsibilities setup page to any one of said user stations.

29. The network-based system as claimed in claim 25, wherein said component for defining two or more accounts comprises a budget setup page, said budget setup page comprising a plurality of frames, each of said frames comprising an expense category, and each of said expense categories including one or more expense items, and said budget setup page including a code component for defining a budget allocation associated with each of said expense items.

30. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said carrier wave comprising:

a responsibilities-based reward allocation portal page code segment;

said portal page code segment comprising one or more member windows, and each of said member windows including a responsibilities page code segment, a budget page code segment, and a point entry window.

31. The computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave as claimed in claim 30, wherein said responsibilities page code segment comprises a hyperlink for downloading a responsibilities setup page code segment.

32. The computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave as claimed in claim 31, wherein said budget page code segment comprises a hyperlink for downloading a budget setup page code segment.

33. The computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave as claimed in claim 32, wherein said point entry window includes a code segment for receiving a point total and transmitting said point total to a server, said server including a code component for generating a reward based on said point total, a code component for allocating said reward to two or more accounts, said accounts being defined in said budget setup page.

34. The computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave as claimed in claim 33, wherein said server includes a code component for generating a budget page showing allocation of said reward, and a code component for transmitting said budget page as a code segment in said computer data signal.