SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A REMINDER OPTION ASSOCIATED WITH AN OBLIGATION

• US 20090187457A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sze, Vicky
• Application Number:
  US12/350,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187457A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating fulfillment of an obligation associated with an established agreement are disclosed. In various example embodiments, during a predetermined time interval following an establishment of an agreement, a reminder display element may be presented to one or more parties in a first state to indicate that a reminder option is unavailable. Following expiration of the predetermined time interval, the reminder display element may be presented to the one or more parties, in a second state, to indicate that the reminder option is available. For some example embodiments, the reminder display element may be presented to the one or more parties in the first state based on the reminder option being exercised more than a predetermined number of times.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for facilitating fulfillment of an obligation associated with an established agreement, the method comprising:

during a predetermined time interval following an establishment of an agreement, presenting to one or more parties, a reminder display element in a first state to indicate that a reminder option is unavailable;

following expiration of the predetermined time interval, presenting to the one or more parties, the reminder display element in a second state to indicate that the reminder option is available; and

presenting the reminder display element to the one or more parties in the first state based on the reminder option being exercised more than a predetermined number of times.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reminder option is associated with permitting a first party of the one or more parties to remind a second party of the one or more parties, to fulfill the obligation.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting the reminder display element in the first state includes presenting a disabled reminder button, via a user interface, the disabled reminder button not being selectable to permit the first party to exercise the reminder option.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 2, wherein presenting the reminder display element in the second state includes presenting an enabled reminder button, via a user interface, the enabled reminder button being selectable to permit the first party to exercise the reminder option.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the enabled reminder button is selectable to send an email to at least the second party to remind at least the second party to satisfy the at least one obligation.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the agreement is associated with a commercial transaction for the purchase of an item, and the agreement imposes the obligation on the at least second party to make a payment for the item.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, including performing a look up on a database to determine whether the reminder option has been exercised the predetermined number of times,

determining that the reminder option has been exercised the predetermined number of times, and

presenting the reminder display element in the first state based on that determination.

8. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, including performing a look up on a database to determine that the reminder option has not been exercised the predetermined number of times,

determining that the reminder option has not been exercised the predetermined number of times, and

presenting the reminder display element in the second state based on that determination.

9. A system comprising:

a network interface; and

a page server coupled to a network via the network interface, the page server configured to;

during a predetermined time interval following the establishment of an agreement, present to one or more parties via the network, a reminder display element in a first state to indicate that a reminder option is unavailable;

following expiration of the predetermined time interval, present to the one or more parties via the network, the reminder display element in a second state to indicate that the reminder option is available; and

present the reminder display element to the one or more parties in the first state based on the reminder option being exercised more than a predetermined number of times.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the reminder option is associated with permitting a first party of the one or more parties to remind a second party of the one or more parties, to fulfill the obligation.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the reminder display element presented by the page server in the first state includes a disabled reminder button that is not selectable to permit the first party to exercise the reminder option.

12. The processor-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the reminder display element presented by the page server in the second state includes an enabled reminder button that is selectable to permit the first party to exercise the reminder option.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the enabled reminder button is configured to be selectable to send an email to at least the second party to remind at least the second party to satisfy the at least one obligation.

14. The processor-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the agreement is associated with a commercial transaction for the purchase of an item, and the agreement imposes the obligation on the at least second party to make a payment for the item.

15. The processor-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

a script server coupled to the page server and coupled to a database server, the script server configured to;

request the database server to perform a look up on a database to;

determine whether the reminder option has been exercised the predetermined number of times; and

determine that the reminder option has been exercised the predetermined number of times, and

wherein the page server is configured to present the reminder display element in the first state based on a determination that the reminder option has been exercised the predetermined number of times.

16. The processor-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

a script server coupled to the page server and coupled to a database server, the script server configured to;

request the database server to perform a look up on a database to;

determine whether the reminder option has been exercised the predetermined number of times; and

determine that the reminder option has not been exercised the predetermined number of times, and

wherein the page server is configured to present the reminder display element in the second state based on a determination that the reminder option has not been exercised the predetermined number of times.

17. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions that when executed by one or more machines perform operations comprising:

during a predetermined time interval following an establishment of an agreement, presenting to one or more parties, a reminder display element in a first state to indicate that a reminder option is unavailable;

following expiration of the predetermined time interval, presenting to the one or more parties, the reminder display element in a second state to indicate that the reminder option is available; and

presenting the reminder display element presenting to the one or more parties in the first state based on the reminder option being exercised more than a predetermined number of times.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the reminder option is associated with permitting a first party of the one or more parties to remind a second party of the one or more parties, to fulfill the obligation.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein presenting the reminder display element in the first state includes presenting a disabled reminder button, via a user interface, the disabled reminder button not being selectable to permit the first party to exercise the reminder option.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein presenting the reminder display element in the second state includes presenting an enabled reminder button, via a user interface, the enabled reminder button being selectable to permit the first party to exercise the reminder option.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the enabled reminder button is selectable to send an email to at least the second party to remind at least the second party to satisfy the at least one obligation.

22. A system comprising:

a presenting means for;

during a predetermined time interval following an establishment of an agreement, presenting to one or more parties, a reminder display element in a first state to indicate that a reminder option is unavailable;

following expiration of the predetermined time interval, presenting to the one or more parties, the reminder display element in a second state to indicate that the reminder option is available; and

presenting the reminder display element presenting to the one or more parties in the first state based on the reminder option being exercised more than a predetermined number of times; and

a data structure means coupled to the presenting means for maintaining a record of a time that the agreement was established, and an indicator of a number of times the reminder option has been exercised.