METHOD AND SYSTEM OF AGGREGATING CONSIDERATION ASSOCIATED WITH A REQUEST

• US 20100268642A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jiafeng Zhu
• Original Assignee: Jiafeng Zhu
• Inventors: Zhu, Jiafeng
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,641 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 30/0279 Fundraising management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes generating a request of an entity based on a set of attributes provided by an initiating patron of the entity using a processor of an initiator device. The method also includes associating an aggregation environment to the request. The method further includes allocating an initial consideration to the aggregation environment from the initiating patron. In addition, the method includes allocating, to the initial consideration, an additional consideration provided when a different patron contributes the additional consideration to the aggregation environment of the request using a processor of a supporter device. The method also includes allocating the consideration of the initiating patron and the different patron to the aggregation environment of the request to increase a value of the request to the entity in order to increase a possibility of the entity to respond to the request using a processor of an entity device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a request of an entity based on a set of attributes provided by an initiating patron of the entity using a processor of an initiator device;

associating an aggregation environment to the request;

allocating an initial consideration to the aggregation environment from the initiating patron;

allocating, to the initial consideration, an additional consideration provided when a different patron contributes the additional consideration to the aggregation environment to the request using a processor of a supporter device; and

allocating the consideration of the initiating patron and the different patron to the aggregation environment of the request to increase a value of the request to the entity in order to increase a possibility of the entity to respond to the request using a processor of an entity device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

providing an alert and an update of a size of the aggregation environment to the entity; and

receiving an interest as an acceptance by the entity after considering the size of the aggregation environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the consideration is at least one of a monetary unit, a credit, a point, a tangible asset, an intangible asset, a valuable good, wherein the initiator device, the supporter device, and the entity device is at least one of a mobile device, a computer, and a network enabled device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation environment is at least one of a money pool, a credit pool, a point pool, a pool of valuable good, a pool of tangible good, and a pool of intangible good.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

contributing to the aggregation environment using at least one of a patron billing system, a patron credit system, a patron money system, a patron point system, and a patron tangible good, a patron intangible good and a patron valuable good collection.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating a notification to the entity of the request when the initial consideration and the additional consideration exceed a threshold value preferred by the entity;

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

processing a response of the entity to the request;

providing a verification interface to the initiating patron and the different patron based on the initiating patron specified criteria prior to the response of the entity; and

allocating the initial consideration and the additional consideration after a fulfillment of the request to the entity based on the verification result.

7. The method of claim 6, 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 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 by involving a neutral third party;

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

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 the entity a feedback to the response.

8. The method of claim 1, 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.

9. 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 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.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of deadlines includes at least one of a deadline to provide the additional consideration, a deadline to add additional tasks to the request when the initiating patron provides for this ability, a deadline to accept the request, a deadline to fulfill the request after accepting, and a deadline to verify the response of the request.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

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 request from the entity.

12. A method, comprising:

generating a request of an entity based on a set of attributes provided by an initiating patron of the entity using a processor of an initiator device, wherein the entity is at least one an individual, a group, a business, a celebrity, and an organization, 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;

associating an aggregation environment to the request;

enabling the initiating patron to submit the request and allocating initial consideration to the entity in the request aggregation environment; and

enabling the different patron to contribute the additional consideration to the entity in the request aggregation environment using a processor of a supporter device.

13. A system comprising:

an aggregation environment to manage a 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;

a supporter device to provide a supporting consideration to the at least one of the set of requests; and

an entity device to allow at least one of the set of entities to respond to at least one of the set of requests.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the initial consideration, the pooled consideration and the supporting consideration is at least one of a monetary unit, a credit, a point, a tangible asset, an intangible asset, a valuable good,

wherein the initiator device, the supporter device, and the entity device is at least one of a mobile device, a computer, and a network enabled device, and

wherein consideration of the aggregation environment is pooled through at least one of a user billing system, a user credit system, a user money system, a user point system, and a user tangible good, a user intangible good and a user valuable good collection.

15. The system of claim 13, 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 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.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

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

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

the notification and communication module of the request aggregation environment to generate a notification to the entity of the request 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 verify the response of the entity based on an initiating user 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, an equal preference based on a number of users providing any consideration to the request, and a verification threshold set by the initiating user;

a private module to enable generation of a private request shared only with invitees and the entity; and

a public module to enable generation of a public request shared with all users of the request aggregation environment.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

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

a response module of the request aggregation environment to allow the entity to respond to the request, and to automatically accept the request on behalf of the entity when a threshold value preferred by the entity is exceeded; and

a payment module of the request aggregation environment to allocate the initial consideration and the additional consideration to the entity, and to issue a refund to the users when at least one of the entity do not respond to the request and the response is rejected through the verification interface.

19. The system of claim 13, 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.

20. A method, comprising:

pooling at least one of a money and a credit provided by at least one of a multiple users and a distinct user to a common request to increase a value of the request to an identified respondent;

providing an interface to the multiple users and the distinct user associating a money pool to the common request, wherein the money pool is a pool of at least one of the money and the credit;

displaying at least one of the common request and the other requests to at least one of the multiple users, the distinct user and the respondent; and

allowing the identified respondent to respond to the common request through the interface.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising;

providing a verification interface to the multiple users and the distinct user to verify and to validate a response to the common request when the respondent provides a response;

designating where the money and the credit provided by the multiple users and the distinct user to be allocated based on a preference of the respondent; and

providing a refund to the multiple users and the distinct user when the respondent does not respond to the request and when the response is rejected through the verification interface.