INNOVATION MARKET

• US 20090254386A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hurst, Howard Alexander, Wang, Esther
• Application Number:
  US12/060,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

An innovation market is described. An apparatus may comprise an innovation market subsystem arranged to manage an innovation marketplace for the exchange of virtual shares in a project for virtual currency to measure project value. The innovation market subsystem may comprise an innovator manager module operative to allocate virtual shares to a project. The innovation market subsystem may also comprise an innovation exchange module communicatively coupled to the project manager module, the innovation exchange module operative to exchange virtual shares for virtual currency at a virtual market price. The innovation market subsystem may further comprise a price generator module communicatively coupled to the innovation exchange module, the price generator module operative to modify the virtual market price for the project based on the exchange. The innovation market subsystem may still further comprise an investor manager module communicatively coupled to the price generator module, the inventor manager module operative to generate a project value for an investor by multiplying the virtual market price for the virtual shares and a number of virtual shares owned by the investor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

allocating virtual shares to a project;

allocating virtual shares to innovators to exchange with investors for virtual currency;

exchanging virtual shares for virtual currency at a virtual market price;

modifying the virtual market price for the project based on the exchange; and

generating a project value for an investor by multiplying the virtual market price for the virtual shares and a number of virtual shares owned by the investor.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising allocating virtual currency to investors to exchange with innovators for the virtual shares.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising increasing the virtual market price when an investor buys virtual shares in the project based on a price increase function.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising increasing the virtual market price when a positive market event occurs for the project based on a price increase function.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising decreasing the virtual market price when an investor sells virtual shares in the project based on a price decrease function.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising decreasing the virtual market price when a negative market event occurs for the project based on a price decrease function.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising promoting the project to potential investors with virtual currency.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising contributing to the project from potential investors with project ideas.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a portfolio value for an investor by summing multiple project values for a portfolio of projects.

2. (canceled)

11. An article comprising a storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

allocate virtual shares to a project based on an estimated project value;

allocate virtual shares to innovators to exchange with investors for virtual currency;

exchange virtual shares for virtual currency at a virtual market price;

modify the virtual market price for the project based on the exchange; and

generate a project value for an investor by multiplying the virtual market price for the virtual shares and a number of virtual shares owned by the investor.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to allocate virtual currency to investors to exchange with innovators for the virtual shares.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to increase the virtual market price when an investor buys virtual shares in the project, or a positive market event occurs for the project, based on a price increase function.

14. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to decrease the virtual market price when an investor sells virtual shares in the project, or a negative market event occurs for the project, based on a price decrease function.

15. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to generate a portfolio value for an investor by summing multiple project values for a portfolio of projects.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an innovation market subsystem to manage an innovation marketplace for the exchange of virtual shares in a project for virtual currency to measure project value, the innovation market subsystem comprising;

an innovator manager module operative to allocate virtual shares to a project and allocate virtual shares to innovators to exchange with investors for virtual currency;

an innovation exchange module communicatively coupled to the project manager module, the innovation exchange module operative to exchange virtual shares for virtual currency at a virtual market price;

a price generator module communicatively coupled to the innovation exchange module, the price generator module operative to modify the virtual market price for the project based on the exchange; and

an investor manager module communicatively coupled to the price generator module, the inventor manager module operative to generate a project value for an investor by multiplying the virtual market price for the virtual shares and a number of virtual shares owned by the investor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the investor manager module operative to allocate virtual currency to investors to exchange with innovators for the virtual shares.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the price generator module to increase the virtual market price when an investor buys virtual shares in the project, or a positive market event occurs for the project, based on a price increase function.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the price generator module to decrease the virtual market price when an investor sells virtual shares in the project, or a negative market event occurs for the project, based on a price decrease function.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising an innovation market server node having a computing system, the computing system implementing the innovation market subsystem.