SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE COLLABORATIVE SOLICITATION OF KNOWLEDGE BASE CONTENT, SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

• US 20080313057A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gordon Campbell Gooch, John Joseph Carlino
• Original Assignee: Gordon Campbell Gooch, John Joseph Carlino
• Inventors: Gooch, Gordon Campbell, Carlino, John Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/140,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313057A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like

Abstract

A system and method for soliciting a content item, which may include but is not limited to one or more products, services and/or acts, based on an assumption that if a content item can be identified for which a single Internet user has a desire, amongst the millions of world-wide Internet users, there is likely a similar desire among many hundreds or even thousands of Internet users. Even if a content item has not been provided and/or produced, and/or has not been posted to the Internet, the approach assumes that among the millions of Internet users, at least one user has the knowledge and/or skill to produce and/or provide the desired content item, and that by collaboratively grouping relatively nominal sums from a large number of interested Internet users, an individual and/or group of individuals may be sufficiently economically motivated to produce and/or provide and/or post the content item.

Claims

1. A computer system that allows system users to procure a content item by communicating with the computer system via a computer network, the system comprising:

a new solicitation unit that receives via the computer network from a first user solicitation data that defines the content item;

a solicitation posting unit that posts the solicitation data via a computer connected to the computer network as a solicitation, thereby allowing the solicitation to be accessed by other users via the computer network;

a pledge processing unit that receives via the computer network from each of a plurality of the other users, a monetary pledge to the solicitation and that updates the posted solicitation to include a total pledged sum based on the plurality of monetary pledges; and

a response processing unit that receives a response to the solicitation from a user via the computer network.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a solicitation data store that stores data related to the solicitation, wherein the solicitation data defines a content item that includes one or more of a video recording, an audio recording, a visual image, program instructions for execution by a computer, a promise to provide a service, a promise to perform an action, a promise to deliver a physical item, a proof that a service was provided, a proof the an action was performed, and a proof of delivery of a physical item.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a knowledge base data store that stores content items received in response to the solicitation, the received content items including one or more of a video recording, an audio recording, a visual image, program instructions for execution by a computer, a promise to provide a service, a promise to perform an action, a promise to deliver a physical item, a proof that a service was provided, a proof the an action was performed, and a proof of delivery of a physical item.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a funds disbursement unit that distributes at least a portion of the total pledged sum to a user who submitted the response.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the funds disbursement unit is configurable to deduct a charge from the total pledged sum prior to distributing the portion of the total pledged sum.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the funds disbursement unit is configurable to deduct a charge that is one of a fixed charge and a charge based on a percentage of the total pledged sum.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a response posting unit that posts the received response via a computer connected to the computer network; and

an evaluation unit that receives one or more evaluation ratings of the posted response.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a funds disbursement unit that distributes at least a portion of the total pledged sum to a user who submitted the response based, at least in part, on the received evaluation ratings.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a solicitation posting unit that posts the solicitation in association with one or more categories.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a member subscription unit that registers a user to monitor at least one of the one or more categories; and

a reporting unit that notifies the registered user of one of a newly posted solicitation and a newly posted response associated with the at least one category monitored by the registered user.

11. A method of conducting a solicitation to procure a content item via a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving via the computer network from a first user solicitation data that defines the content item;

posting the solicitation data via a computer connected to the computer network as a solicitation, thereby allowing the solicitation to be accessed by other users via the computer network;

receiving via the computer network from each of a plurality of the other users, a monetary pledge to the solicitation; and

updating the posted solicitation to include a total pledged sum based on the received plurality of monetary pledges.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the solicitation defines a content item that includes one or more of a video recording, an audio recording, a visual image, program instructions for execution by a computer, a promise to provide a service, a promise to perform an action, a promise to deliver a physical item, a proof that a service was provided, a proof the an action was performed, and a proof of delivery of a physical item.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a response to the solicitation from a user via the computer network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the response to the solicitation includes one or more of a video recording, an audio recording, a visual image, program instructions for execution by a computer, a promise to provide a service, a promise to perform an action, a promise to deliver a physical item, a proof that a service was provided, a proof the an action was performed, and a proof of delivery of a physical item.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

distributing at least a portion of the total pledged sum to a user who submitted the response.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

deducting a charge from the total pledged sum prior to distributing the portion of the total pledged sum.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the deducted charge is one of a fixed charge and a charge based on a percentage of the total pledged sum.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

posting the received response via a computer connected to the computer network; and

receiving one or more evaluation ratings of the posted response.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

distributing at least a portion of the total pledged sum to a user who submitted the response based, at least in part, on the received evaluation ratings.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

posting the solicitation in association with one or more categories.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

registering a user to monitor at least one of the one or more categories; and

notifying the registered user of one of a newly posted solicitation and a newly posted response associated with the at least one category monitored by the registered user.

22. A program product apparatus having a computer readable storage medium with computer program logic recorded thereon, the computer program logic executable by a computer for procuring a content item via a computer network, the computer program logic comprising:

a new solicitation module that receives via the computer network from a first user solicitation data that defines the content item;

a solicitation posting module that posts the solicitation data via a computer connected to the computer network as a solicitation, thereby allowing the solicitation to be accessed by other users via the computer network;

a pledge processing module that receives via the computer network from each of a plurality of the other users, a monetary pledge to the solicitation and that updates the posted solicitation to include a total pledged sum based on the received plurality of monetary pledges; and

a response processing module that receives a response to the solicitation from a user via the computer network.