PEER-TO-PEER COMPENSATION IN AN INTENT-COMPENSATION SCHEME

• US 20090259532A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Kamal, Bergstraesser, Thomas Frank, Utter, Brian James
• Application Number:
  US12/101,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259532A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.260
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided that facilitate intrinsically targeted, dependable peer-to-peer referral and compensation within an intent-compensation scheme. The referral system synergistically exploits trust mechanisms existing among a referring agent and a referred agent in order to generate high-quality referrals based on a determination of commercial intent from the referred agent. In exchange of conveyed intent at a time of a transaction with a referred agent, system platform directly compensates both the referred agent and the referring agent. Compensation of the referred agent is ensured via tracking mechanism that can identify a referral originating device. Information associated with referral(s) is scoped through privacy profiles, and referral/compensation integrity is maintained via an antifraud component and a tracking component that can identify referring and referred agents. Compensation can be funded trough advertisement spend.

Claims

1. A system that rewards a peer-to-peer referral of a customer to a service platform, the system comprising:

a referral component that enables an agent to conduct an online intent-based referral, wherein a privacy component enacts a privacy policy associated with the referral;

a tracking component that facilitates identification of a referring agent and a referred agent;

a compensation component that compensates the referring agent through accrued advertising spend the referred agent engages in a transaction as a function of the referral; and

a compensation component that compensates the referred agent through accrued advertising spend in exchange of an agent'"'"'s intent to transact with a service platform.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fraud component that mitigates fraudulent compensation.

3. The system of claim 1, the referral component further comprising:

a component that collects information; and

a privacy component that determines the information that is collected.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking component includes a component that generates identification tokens.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking component conveys an identification token to a server, the server facilitates access to the identification token from a set of referral originating devices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of referral originating devices are registered with the service platform.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a pair of generated tokens link a referring agent and a referred agent.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising a storage component that retains identification tokens.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a notification component that conveys an identification token to a referral originating device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the notification component further conveys a compensation notification to a referring agent

11. The system of claim 3, further comprising a signature component that facilitates identification of the referring agent.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the privacy component includes a component that facilitates generating a privacy profile.

13. A method for intent-based peer-to-peer referral and compensation, the method comprising:

receiving a referral, the referral associated with a commercial intent;

tracking a referring agent;

engaging in a transaction with the referred agent;

assessing the legitimacy of the referral associated with the referred agent that has engaged in the transaction;

compensating the referring agent when a referral is legitimate; and

compensating the referred agent based on a conveyed commercial intent.

14. The method of claim 13, receiving a referral further comprising:

gathering information associated with the referred agent; and

assessing the gathered information is compatible with privacy profile for the referred agent.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the gathered information.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising inferring a set of potential referrals based at least in part on the gathered information.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the privacy profile is generated by the referred agent.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising tracking the referred agent.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein tracking the referring agent includes:

issuing an identification token for the referring agent;

storing the issued identification token; and

providing the issued identification token for a referring agent to a referral originating device.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium comprising code stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the following acts:

receiving a referral, the referral associated with a commercial intent;

tracking a referring agent;

tracking a referred agent;

engaging in a transaction with the referred agent;

assessing the legitimacy of the referral associated with the referred agent that has engaged in the transaction;

compensating the referring agent when a referral is legitimate, wherein a compensation is funded through ad spend; and

compensating the referred agent based on a conveyed commercial intent, wherein the compensation is funded through ad spend.