METHOD AND SYSTEM OF AGGREGATING CONSIDERATION ASSOCIATED WITH A REQUEST

• US 20090144192A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jiafeng Zhu
• Original Assignee: Jiafeng Zhu
• Inventors: Zhu, Jiafeng
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system of method and system of aggregating consideration associated with a request is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a request (e.g., may include a performance request, an article request, a mission and/or an altruistic request) of an entity based on a set of parameters provided by an initiating patron of the entity, allocating an initial consideration to the request from the initiating patron, generating a profile of the request having the initial consideration in a request aggregation environment and allocating, to the initial consideration, an additional consideration provided when a different patron contributes the additional consideration to the request. The method may include determining whether contact information of the entity provided by the initiating patron and the different patron references to a verified contact data and communicating the request to the entity based on the contact information and the verified contact data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a request of an entity based on a set of parameters provided by an initiating patron of the entity;

allocating an initial consideration to the request from the initiating patron;

generating a profile of the request having the initial consideration in a request aggregation environment; and

allocating, to the initial consideration, an additional consideration provided when a different patron contributes the additional consideration to the request.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a contact information of the entity provided by at least one of the initiating patron and the different patron references to a verified contact data; and

communicating the request to the entity based on at least one of the contact information and the verified contact data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

validating the contact information with the entity when the verified contact data is absent; and

storing the contact data as the verified contact data.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

generating a summary view of the request and other requests when the initial consideration and the additional consideration exceed a threshold value preferred by the entity in a profile of the entity;

processing a response of the entity to the request;

providing a verification interface to the initiating patron and the different patron;

determining the initial consideration and the additional consideration through at least one account funded through a subscription service and a trusted financial intermediary; and

allocating the initial consideration and the additional consideration to the entity based on an initiating patron specified criteria specified prior to the response of the entity to the request.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

setting the criteria as at least one of a weighted preference based on consideration provided to the request, and an equal preference based on a number of patrons providing any consideration to the request;

storing a voting record in the profile of at least one of the initiating patron and the different patron;

arbitrating disputes between patrons and the entity through the verification interface by involving a neutral third party in the verification interface;

automatically accepting the request on behalf of the entity when the threshold value is exceeded;

allocating a service fee to the request aggregation environment when the response is accepted through the verification interface;

providing a refund to the initiating patron and the different patron when the response is rejected through the verification interface after applying the service fee;

permitting a partial fulfillment and redoing of the request by the entity when the initiating patron permits;

designating where the initial consideration and the additional consideration is to be allocated based on a preference of the entity; and

enabling the initiating patron and the different patron to provide to the entity a feedback to the response.

6. The method of claim 5:

wherein the entity is at least one an individual, a group, a business, a celebrity, and an organization, and

wherein the request is at least one of a performance request, a task request, a job request, an article request, a charitable request, an interview, a question to answer, an invitation, a self promotion, a donation request, a mission, and an altruistic request.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling the initiating patron and the different patron to create and submit multiple requests to the entity;

grouping the request and the multiple requests in categories searchable in any number of dimensions;

enabling the initiating patron and the different patron to allocate tasks to the request based on a set of permissions authorized by the initiating patron;

setting a minimum pledge amount and a set of deadlines to the request based on the set of permissions; and

accepting additional information associated with the request and a response to the request by the entity in any multimedia format.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the set of deadlines includes a first deadline to provide the additional consideration, a second deadline to add additional requests when the initiating patron provides for this ability, a third deadline to accept the request, and a fourth deadline to fulfill the request after accepting.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling patrons to designate and search at least one interest in profiles of the patrons;

sharing a historical record of requests of each patron with other users of the request aggregation environment through their profiles;

customizing a set of requests individually displayed to the patrons based on the at least one interest provided in the profiles of the patrons;

forming a group of patrons wherein the group is at least one of a private group accessible only by invitees and a public group that can be subscribed to by any user;

enabling the initiating patron to submit a private request to the entity such the private request is shared only among invitees and the entity; and

masking an identity of the initiating patron associated with the private request from the entity.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allocating a copyright interest in the request and a response to the request by the entity to the request aggregation environment based on an assignment agreement between at least one of the initiating patron, the different patron and the entity with the request aggregation environment;

providing a license to use the copyright interest to the initiating patron, the different patron, and other interested parties; and

optionally releasing the copyright interest to at least one of the initiating patron, the different patron, and the entity based on an agreement between the parties.

11. The method of claim 1 in a form of a machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform the method of claim 1.

12. A system comprising:

a request aggregation environment to manage pooled consideration associated with each one of a set of requests generated by users to at least one of a set of entities;

an initiator device to generate an initial consideration associated with at least one of the set of requests; and

a supporter device to provide supporting consideration to the at leastof the set of requests funded through the initiator device.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a validation module of the request aggregation environment to determine whether a contact information of the entity provided through the initiator device and the supporter device references to a verified contact data, and to validate to the contact information with the entity when the verified contact data is absent; and

a notification and communication module of the request aggregation environment to communicate the request to the entity based on at least one of the contact information and the verified contact data.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a central database of the request aggregation environment to store information including the set of requests, a set of user profiles, and the contact data as verified contact data; and

a pledge module of the request aggregation environment to allocate the initial consideration and the additional consideration through at least one account funded through a subscription service and a trusted financial intermediary.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a notification and communication module of the request aggregation environment to generate a summary view of the request and other requests when the initial consideration and the additional consideration reach an acceptable value set by the entity, and to process a response of the entity to the request;

a verification interface of the request aggregation environment to allocate the initial consideration and the addtional consideration to the entity based on allocating the initial consideration and the additional consideration to the entity based on an initiating patron specified criteria provided prior to the response of the entity to the request, wherein the criteria is at least one of a weighted preference based on consideration provided to the request, and an equal preference based on a number of patrons providing any consideration to the request, and a verification threshold set by the initiating patron; and

a private/public module to enable generation of a private request shared only with invitees and the entity and a public request shared with all users of the request aggregation environment.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a dispute resolution module of the request aggregation environment to assign a neutral third party to arbitrate disputes between patrons and the entity through the verification interafce;

a response module of the request aggregation environment to automatically accept the request on behalf of the entity when the threshold value is exceeded;

a payment module of the request aggregation environment to allocate a service fee to the request aggregation environment when the response is accepted through the verification interface, and to iisue a refund to the initiating patron and the different patron when the response is rejected through the verification interface.

17. The system of claim 16:

wherein the entity is at least one an individual, a group, a business, a celebrity, and an organization, and

wherein the request is at least one of a perfermance request, a task request, a job request, an article request, a charitable request, an interview, a question to answer, an invitation, a self promotion, a donation request, a mission, and an altruistic request.

18. A method comprising:

allocating consideration provided by multiple and distinct users to a common request to increase a value of the request to a respondant;

displaying the common request and other requests to the multiple and distinct users and the respondant; and

providing an interface to the multiple and distinct users to verify and validate a response to the common request when the respondant provides a response to the common request.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

providing an interface such that the respondant and the multiple and distinct users providing consideration to the common request are able to resolve disputes through a neutral third party assigned in the interface through a common agreement between the respondant, and the multiple and distinct users; and

designating where the consideration provided by the mulitple and distinct users is to be allocated based on a preference of the respondant;

providing a refund to the multiple and distinct users when the respondant does not accept the request and when the response is rejected through the verification interface after applying a service fee.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

assigning a copyright interest in the response to a request aggregation environment that retains ownership and license rights to any works of authorship producing through the response; and

providing an interface to the multiple and distinct users to give feedback of the response to the respondant in form such that the feedback and any response thereto is viewable by other users.