Integrated Gourmet Item Data Collection, Recommender and Vending System and Method

• US 20130041834A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Nicholas and Kristin Gross Trust U/A/D April 13 2010
• Original Assignee: John Nicholas and Kristin Gross Trust U/A/D April 13 2010
• Inventors: Gross, John Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Items—including gourmet products—are evaluated and rated by participants in a controlled event, which can be coordinated by software locally or at a dedicated website. Event data, including item scores and participant scores can be shared with vendors, merchants and other commercial entities associated with the products. Promotional incentives from such entities for the products (and related products) can then be directly targeted and provided to participants and other members of the public. The participant'"'"'s activities can also be collected and disseminated to affiliates/friends of the participants through social networking sites, personalized web pages, etc.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A social networking website comprising:

a. one or more social networking web pages or data feeds associated with a member of the social networking site;

wherein said member can identify a social circle specified by one or both of links or associations to other member of the social networking site;

b. a compilation routine executing at the social networking site and adapted to receive and process sampling event data for the member;

wherein said sampling event data includes at least member event information relating to one of;

     1) a set of items;

     2) ratings associated therewith provided by the member;

     3) scores and/or awards achieved by the member;

     4) advertising materials presented to the member;

c. said compilation routine being further adapted to automatically and selectively modify one of at least said one or more web pages or data feeds associated with one or both of said member or other members of said member'"'"'s social circle based on said member event information.

17-20. -20. (canceled)