Web-Based Interactive Meeting Facility with Revenue Generation Through Sponsorship

• US 20110161130A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meetup Incorporated (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Meetup Incorporated (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Meeker, Matthew, Heiferman, Scott, Kamali, Peter, Whalin, Gregory P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,117,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A computer-implemented method to help organize in-person gatherings of users of topic-related interest includes the steps of: providing a web-based meeting facility to a plurality of users, wherein each of the plurality of users choose to join at least one of a plurality of meeting groups based on at least one of topic-related interest and geographic locale; enabling at least one organizer to maintain control of organizing meetings with the at least one of the plurality of meeting groups, wherein the one of the plurality of meeting groups is made up of a subset of the plurality of users; and providing the organizer with a revenue generation facility where the organizer generates revenue through commercial sponsorship of at least one of the meeting group and specific meetings.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for organizing in-person gatherings of users of topic-related interest, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a web-based meeting facility to a plurality of users, wherein each of the plurality of users chooses to join at least one of a plurality of meeting groups based on at least topic-related interest and geographic locale;

enabling at least one organizer to maintain control of organizing meetings with the at least one of the plurality of meeting groups, wherein the at least one of the plurality of meeting groups is comprised of a subset of the plurality of users; and

providing the organizer with a revenue generation facility where the organizer generates revenue through commercial sponsorship of at least one of the meeting group and specific meetings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial sponsorship is provided by a sponsor through the meeting facility.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the organizer is presented with the option to opt into the sponsorship.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the organizer is presented with the option to opt out of the sponsorship.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the commercial sponsorship is funded through a financial management facility.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the funding is provided to the organizer through a financial enterprise application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the financial enterprise application is Amazon.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the financial enterprise application is PayPal.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the sponsor chooses meeting groups from the plurality of meeting groups to provide sponsorship.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial sponsorship is provided by the organizer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the revenue from commercial sponsorship is provided to the organizer independent of meeting facility actions other than enabling the organizer to utilize a financial management facility associated with the meeting facility.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial sponsorship includes an advertisement placed on a website associated with the at least one of the plurality of meeting groups.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the advertisement is provided through the meeting facility.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the advertisement is provided through the organizer.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the organizer is presented with the option to hide the advertisement.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the commercial sponsorship includes the sponsor providing revenue to at least one of the organizer and the meeting facility when the subset of the plurality of users use a venue associated with the sponsor.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the sponsorship is paid to the organizer through a financial enterprise application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the financial enterprise application is a third-party financial enterprise application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the financial enterprise application is associated with Amazon.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the financial enterprise application is associated with PayPal.