COMPUTER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OUTCOME-BASED PRICING OF GOODS AND SERVICES
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method that allow sellers to offer goods and services at prices that vary depending on what transpires during the event or service. The final price is determined after the event or service based on the occurrence of certain pre-selected attributes. Candidate attributes are potentially associated with the event or service but the outcome or occurrence of the attribute is not knowable by the buyer and seller with certainty at the time of the original purchase. Using the outcome-based pricing (OBP) and settlement system the seller can set prices to minimize significant deviation from a pre-determined revenue plan, or alternatively build-in an increase or even decrease in gross revenues. The present invention allows for the order, payment and final settlement of the purchase transaction, automatically. The preferred embodiment for the OBP pricing and settlement system is via a computer network that includes the Internet.
6 Citations
56 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method for pricing and selling goods, including tickets to certain events, and services, in which the final price charged to the buyer-user is determined and settled, after occurrence of the event or provision of the service, which price is based on whether a pre-selected attribute potentially characteristic of such event or service occurs during the event or service, comprising:
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receiving a request from a client computer for a list of goods, including services, and providing such list; receiving a request from a client computer for availability of the listed goods, and providing the availability information, receiving a request from the client computer for a standard price of the listed, and providing the standard price receiving a request from the client computer for a list of one or more selectable attributes, and providing the list of one or more selectable attributes, receiving a request from the client computer for a high price and a low price associated with a selectable attribute, calculating the high price and low price, comprised of, calling from a database a formula or formulae to be used in the calculation, calling from a database a statistical probability for the selectable attribute, calling from a database the standard price, calling from a database any other constants or mathematical relationships comprising one or more rules established by the seller, calculating a premium and a discount as a function of the formula or formulae, calculating the high price as a function of adding the premium to the standard price and the low price as a function of subtracting the discount from the standard price, providing the buyer-user with the high price and the low price, receiving a request from the client computer to purchase the listed goods by agreeing to pay at the time of the purchase either (i) the high price, (ii) the low price, (iii) no payment initially with full settlement to be made after the corresponding event is over or service rendered and a final price known, or (iv) the standard price, receiving the buyer confirmation of his or her acceptance of terms of settlement; receiving a request from the client computer for a purchase order, and providing the purchase order, executing a subroutine in order to settle the initial order and storing the information necessary for final settlement of the transaction, comprised of, responding to such purchase order by initiating a charge to the buyer-user'"'"'s credit or debit card through a credit card processor or accepting other form of payment, and initiating the fulfillment of the order and delivery of the ticket or confirmation of the order, receiving from the client computer a request for a receipt confirming the purchase of the ticket, responding to the request for a receipt by sending an online receipt to the client computer, requesting from the client computer data with respect to the purchase, including the name of the buyer-user, the buyer-user'"'"'s credit card information, the price paid by the buyer-user and the selected goods purchased, storing on a server in a data record specific identifying information and detail with respect to such purchase, in the event the buyer-user selected option based pricing, after the completion of the event or service, executing a subroutine comprised of, monitoring a data record for the status of the event or service for which the purchase was made, upon completion of the event or service calling from a data record the outcome of the Selected Attribute, calling from a data record the final settlement amount and settlement instructions, initiating a credit or debit to the user'"'"'s credit card or some other form of final settlement, and storing on a server data the final settlement terms and status. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33-51. -51. (canceled)
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52. An apparatus for pricing and selling goods, including tickets to certain events, and services, in which the final price charged to the buyer-user is determined and settled, after occurrence of the event or provision of the service, which price is based on whether a pre-selected attribute potentially characteristic of such event or service occurs during the event or service, comprising:
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a module to receive a request from a client computer for a list of goods, including services, and providing such list; a module to receive a request from a client computer for availability of the listed goods, and providing the availability information, a module to receive a request from the client computer for a standard price of the listed, and providing the standard price a module to receive a request from the client computer for a list of one or more selectable attributes, and providing the list of one or more selectable attributes, a module to receive a request from the client computer for a high price and a low price associated with a selectable attribute, the module arranged to calculate the high price and low price based on a module to call from a database a formula or formulae to be used in the calculation, a module to call from a database a statistical probability for the selectable attribute, a module to call from a database the standard price, a module to call from a database any other constants or mathematical relationships comprising one or more rules established by the seller, a module to calculate a premium and a discount as a function of the formula or formulae, a module to calculate the high price as a function of adding the premium to the standard price and the low price as a function of subtracting the discount from the standard price, a module to provide the buyer-user with the high price and the low price, a module to receive a request from the client computer to purchase the listed goods by agreeing to pay at the time of the purchase either (i) the high price, (ii) the low price, (iii) no payment initially with full settlement to be made after the corresponding event is over or service rendered and a final price known, or (iv) the standard price, a module to receive the buyer confirmation of his or her acceptance of terms of settlement; a module to receive a request from the client computer for a purchase order, and providing the purchase order, a module to execute a subroutine in order to settle the initial order and storing the information necessary for final settlement of the transaction, comprised of, a module to respond to such purchase order by initiating a charge to the buyer-user'"'"'s credit or debit card through a credit card processor or accepting other form of payment, and initiating the fulfillment of the order and delivery of the ticket or confirmation of the order, a module to receive from the client computer a request for a receipt confirming the purchase of the ticket, a module to respond to the request for a receipt by sending an online receipt to the client computer, a module to request from the client computer data with respect to the purchase, including the name of the buyer-user, the buyer-user'"'"'s credit card information, the price paid by the buyer-user and the selected goods purchased, a module to store on a server in a data record specific identifying information and detail with respect to such purchase, in the event the buyer-user selected option based pricing, after the completion of the event or service, a module to execute a subroutine arranged to monitor a data record for the status of the event or service for which the purchase was made, upon completion of the event or service, call from a data record the outcome of the Selected Attribute, call from a data record the final settlement amount and settlement instructions, initiate a credit or debit to the user'"'"'s credit card or some other form of final settlement, and store on a server data the final settlement terms and status. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
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56-74. -74. (canceled)
Specification