SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAKING A CONTEXT-SENSITIVE DONATION

• US 20140304187A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hopela, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hopela, Inc.
• Inventors: MENN, IRINA N.
• Application Number:
  US14/217,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20140304187A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/329
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management

Abstract

A mobile device application includes computer-executable instructions configured to determine a donation context, and to select from among a plurality of non-profit organizations (NPOs) or charitable campaigns for receiving a donation from a user of the mobile device. In one embodiment, a machine-readable symbol decoder configured to extract scan-to-give data from a scanned scan-to-give symbol. The scanning of the scan-to-give symbol can initiate a charitable contribution.

Claims

1. A method for making a context-sensitive donation to a non-profit organization (NPO), comprising:

receiving user-initiation of a charitable donation software application on a mobile computing device via a user interface (UI);

operating mobile device hardware to obtain donation context data;

identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data;

displaying a charitable campaign profile to the user on a graphical display of the mobile device;

receiving a command via the UI to donate; and

processing a donation.

2. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a donation context mode selector on the graphical display of the mobile device; and

receiving user selection of the donation context mode via the UI;

wherein operating the mobile device hardware to obtain the donation context data includes operating mobile device hardware corresponding to the user-selected mode.

3. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes executing computer instructions.

4. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes capturing an image of physical indicia carrying the context data.

5. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes operating one or more radios to obtain location data;

wherein the location data is at least a portion of the context data.

6. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes operating a near field communication (NFC) apparatus to receive NFC data;

wherein the context data is carried by the NFC data.

7. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes reading a mobile device clock circuit to determine a time;

and

looking up the context data corresponding to the time.

8. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes operating one or more radios to interrogate a radio frequency tag;

and

writing radio frequency tag data to memory;

wherein the context data is carried by the radio frequency tag data.

9. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data further comprises:

transmitting the context data to a remote resource via radio transmitter hardware of the mobile device; and

receiving an identity of the charitable campaign from the remote resource via radio receiver hardware of the mobile device.

10. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 9, wherein the database query is performed on a campaign database carried by a memory circuit of the mobile device.

11. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data further comprises:

inputting the context data into a lookup table carried by memory hardware of the mobile device; and

receiving an identity of the charitable campaign from the lookup table.

12. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data further includes identifying a plurality of charitable campaign candidates corresponding to the context data;

and

further comprising;

presenting the plurality of charitable campaign candidates on the graphical display of the mobile device; and

receiving selection of the charitable campaign from a user via the UI.

13. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein displaying a campaign profile comprises displaying an NPO profile.

14. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein displaying a campaign profile comprises displaying a profile predetermined by a particular NPO that benefits from a donation to the campaign.

15. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data includes identifying a plurality of charitable campaigns;

and

further comprising;

presenting, to the user on the graphical display of the mobile device, a sequence of campaign profiles corresponding to the plurality of identified charitable campaigns.

16. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying donation options to the user on the graphical display of the mobile device.

17. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a donation selection from the user via the UI;

wherein processing the donation comprises processing the selected donation.

18. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, wherein processing the donation is performed by transmitting data corresponding to a selected donation from the mobile device to a donation transaction server via cryptographic protocol communication.

19. The method for making a context-sensitive donation to an NPO of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a thank you screen to the user on the graphical display of the mobile device;

displaying a social media sharing selection on the thank you screen of the mobile device;

receiving a social media sharing selection from the user via the UI of the mobile device; and

processing social media sharing corresponding to the donation.

20. -34. (canceled)

35. A system for context-sensitive donation to a non-profit organization (NPO), comprising:

a mobile device comprising;

a microprocessor;

a computer memory operatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to cooperate with the microprocessor to execute computer instructions;

a radio circuit including at least one radio operatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to communicate with a data network;

a graphical display operatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to display graphical images responsive to microprocessor instructions; and

a user interface (UI) operatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to receive user commands and output corresponding user command data for execution by the microprocessor; and

wherein the computer memory carries instruction data corresponding to a mobile software application for making a context-sensitive donation when the microprocessor executes the instruction data;

wherein the mobile software application includes instructions selected to cause the microprocessor to;

obtain donation context data;

transmit the donation context data to a server computer operatively coupled to the data network; and

receive data corresponding to one or more charitable campaign profiles associated with the context data by the server computer;

display a charitable campaign profile to the user on the graphical display;

receive a command from the user via the UI to donate; and

process the donation.

36. The system for context-sensitive donation to a NPO of claim 35, further comprising the server computer.

37. The system for context-sensitive donation to a NPO of claim 35, wherein the context data comprises location data corresponding to a particular location of the mobile device.

38. The system for context-sensitive donation to a NPO of claim 35, wherein the context data comprises data carried by a portable data carrier available in an environment of the mobile device.

39. The system for context-sensitive donation to a NPO of claim 38, wherein the context data comprises structured data.

40. The system for context-sensitive donation to a NPO of claim 35, wherein the memory includes computer instructions selected to cause the microprocessor to receive a context data mode selection from the user via the UI;

and

wherein capturing the donation context data includes capturing and decoding the machine-readable symbol.

41. The system for context-sensitive donation to a NPO of claim 40, wherein capturing the donation context data further comprises:

converting decoded accessing the donation context data as a function of the captured and decoded machine-readable symbol data.

42. The system for context-sensitive donation to a NPO of claim 40, wherein receiving the context data mode selection from the user includes receiving a command to capture an image;

and

wherein capturing the donation context data further comprises;

capturing the image;

converting the image to image data; and

converting the image data to the donation context data.

43. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions selected to cause a mobile device to execute steps, comprising:

obtaining donation context data;

identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data;

displaying a charitable campaign profile to a user;

receiving a command to donate; and

transmitting data corresponding to the donation command.

44. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein the instructions are further selected to cause the mobile device to execute steps comprising:

displaying a donation context mode selector; and

receiving user selection of the donation context mode;

wherein obtaining the donation context data includes operating mobile device hardware corresponding to the user-selected mode.

45. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein the instructions selected to operate mobile device hardware to perform the steps.

46. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 45, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes capturing an image of physical indicia carrying the context data.

47. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 45, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes operating one or more radios to obtain location data;

and

wherein the location data is at least a portion of the context data.

48. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 45, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes operating a near field communication (NFC) apparatus to receive NFC data;

wherein the context data is carried by the NFC data.

49. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 45, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes reading a mobile device clock circuit to determine a time;

and

wherein the instructions are further selected to cause the mobile device to look up context data corresponding to the time.

50. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 45, wherein operating the mobile device hardware includes operating one or more radios to interrogate a radio frequency tag;

and

write radio frequency tag data to memory;

wherein the context data is carried by the radio frequency tag data.

51. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data further comprises:

transmitting the context data to a remote resource via radio transmitter hardware of the mobile device; and

receiving an identity of the charitable campaign from the remote resource via radio receiver hardware of the mobile device.

52. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data further comprises:

inputting the context data into a lookup table carried by memory hardware of the mobile device; and

receiving an identity of the charitable campaign from the lookup table.

53. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data further includes identifying a plurality of charitable campaign candidates corresponding to the context data;

and

wherein the steps further comprise;

presenting the plurality of charitable campaign candidates to the user; and

receiving selection of the charitable campaign from the user.

54. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein displaying a campaign profile comprises displaying a nonprofit organization profile.

55. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein displaying a campaign profile comprises displaying a profile predetermined by a particular nonprofit organization that benefits from a donation to the campaign.

56. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein identifying a charitable campaign responsive to the donation context data includes identifying a plurality of charitable campaigns;

and

wherein the steps further comprise;

presenting, to the user a sequence of campaign profiles corresponding to the plurality of identified charitable campaigns.

57. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein the steps further comprise:

displaying donation options to the user.

58. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 57, wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving a donation selection from the user; and

wherein transmitting data corresponding to the donation command includes transmitting the selected donation.

59. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein transmitting data corresponding to the donation command includes transmitting data corresponding to the donation from the mobile device to a donation transaction server via cryptographic protocol communication.

60. The non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions of claim 43, wherein the steps further comprise:

displaying a thank you screen to the user on a graphical display of the mobile device;

displaying a social media sharing selection on the thank you screen of the mobile device;

wherein the steps further comprise;

receiving a social media sharing selection from the user; and

processing social media sharing corresponding to the donation.

61. -88. (canceled)