CREDIT ALLOCATION SYSTEM

• US 20110029399A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph M. Asher, Robert F. Bahrampour
• Original Assignee: Joseph M. Asher, Robert F. Bahrampour
• Inventors: Bahrampour, Robert F., Asher, Joseph M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,497,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A system and method for determining credit for a sale is provided. The system determines a location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale. The system determines, for each of a plurality of retailers, a distance between (a) the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and (b) a location of the respective retailer. The system determines the credit based at least partially on the determined distance between the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and the location of each respective retailer. The system provides the credit to the one or more retailers.

Claims

1. A method for determining credit for a sale made at a time using an electronic communication device, the method comprising:

determining, by at least one processor, a location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale;

determining by the at least one processor, for each of a plurality of retailers, a distance between (a) the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and (b) a location of the respective retailer;

determining, by the at least one processor, a respective credit for each of the plurality of retailers based at least partially on the determined distance between the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and the location of each respective retailer; and

causing the respective credit to be provided to each of the plurality of retailers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of determining the credit comprises:

determining, based on the determined distance between (a) the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and (b) the location of each respective retailer, one or more of the plurality of retailers that are within a predetermined range of the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the credits provided to the plurality of retailers are equal in value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of determining the respective credits comprises:

determining a sales commission for the sale; and

dividing the sales commission among the plurality of retailers according to predetermined percentages based on the determined distance between (a) the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and (b) the location of each respective retailer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of determining the respective credits comprises:

determining a sales commission for the sale; and

prorating the sales commission among the one or more retailers based on the determined distance between (a) the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and (b) the location of each respective retailer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one credit associated with the sale is provided to a predetermined retailer regardless of a distance between the predetermined retailer and the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to the user of the electronic communication device, in which the message comprises at least one of a promotion and a confirmation of the sale.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving purchase information from the electronic communication device,

wherein the purchase information comprises a code, and

wherein the act of determining the credit is performed based at least in part on the code.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving purchase information from the electronic communication device, wherein:

the purchase information comprises a code;

the code is associated with an entity; and

a credit associated with the sale is provided to the entity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the entity is an advertiser.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the entity is a media provider.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the code is provided on media distributed by the media provider.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication device comprises a mobile wireless communication device, further comprising:

determining to allow the sale based on a determination that the location of the mobile wireless communication device is within a predetermined zone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication device comprises a mobile wireless communication device, further comprising:

determining to allow the sale based on a determination that the location of the mobile wireless communication device is within a certain predetermined distance from a predetermined second location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined second location corresponds to the location of an advertisement.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the sale is a sale of a lottery ticket.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the sale comprises at least one of a sale of a contest entry, a sale of a security, a sale of an investment instrument, and a sale of services.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processor, a respective credit for each of the plurality of retailers based at least partially on the determined distance between the location of the electronic communication device at the time of the sale and the location of each respective retailer,

in which the act of determining the respective credits comprises;

determining a shortest distance between (i) the electronic communication device at the time of the purchase and (ii) the plurality of retailers; and

determining the credits based at least in part on the determined shortest distance.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing at least one contest activity,

in which the at least one contest activity comprises determining the location of the at least one electronic communication device at the time.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory that stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving purchase information corresponding to a purchase of one or more contest entries, the purchase being made at a time of purchase from a retailer using an electronic communication device in communication with the contest platform over a communications network, in which a location of each of a plurality of retailers is stored in a memory;

determining a location of the electronic communication device, the location of the electronic communication device being a location of the electronic communication device at the time of purchase;

determining, for each of the plurality of retailers, a distance between (i) the location of the electronic communication device at the time of purchase and (ii) the location of the respective retailer; and

determining one or more sales commissions associated with the purchase for at least one of the plurality of retailers based at least partially on the determined distances between the location of the electronic communication device at the time of purchase and the respective locations of each of the at least one of the plurality of retailers.