Distributing Things Through Personalized Networks
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- allowing a first user to become a member of a system accessible through the Internet;
allowing the first user to store an ordered list of network contacts, wherein at least one of the network contacts is not a member of the system;
receiving from the first user an item for distribution to the first users'"'"' network contacts, wherein the network contacts in the ordered list are at a first degree of separation from the first user;
allowing the first user to specify a number of degrees of separation, one or greater for the item to be distributed;
receiving and storing the number of degrees of separation specified by the first user in a computer memory;
sending a first message to a first contact in the ordered list of network contacts inquiring whether the first contact is interested in the item;
receiving an indication that the first contact rejects the item; and
after receiving the indication that the first contact rejects the item, using at least one computer processor to perform automatically and without additional intervention by the first user at least one of the following;
retrieving the number of degrees of separation specified by the first user stored in memory, determining the number of degrees of separation is one, and handling the number of degrees of separation being one by sending a second message to a second contact in the stored ordered list of network contacts inquiring whether the second contact is interested in the item;
orretrieving the number of degrees of separation specified by the first user stored in memory, determining the number of degrees of separation is greater than one, and handling the number of degrees of separation being greater than one by sending a third message to a third contact inquiring whether the third contact is interested in the item, wherein the third contact is associated with the first contact and not present on the first user'"'"'s ordered list of network contacts.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Things are distributed through a personalized network of trusted parties specified by a member. A specific implementation of the invention is for distributing unused tickets, but the principles of the invention are applicable to other things besides tickets. A system of the invention drives or increases attendance by enabling consumers to push their seats (i.e., unused tickets) to members of a trusted network (created by the consumer themselves) rather than making the seats available for sale to the public or manually locating an interested party and transferring them. Additionally, the system performs the time consuming work of contacting members of the trusted network to find out if they are interested in using the tickets for a particular event while receiving and recording their responses.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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allowing a first user to become a member of a system accessible through the Internet; allowing the first user to store an ordered list of network contacts, wherein at least one of the network contacts is not a member of the system; receiving from the first user an item for distribution to the first users'"'"' network contacts, wherein the network contacts in the ordered list are at a first degree of separation from the first user; allowing the first user to specify a number of degrees of separation, one or greater for the item to be distributed; receiving and storing the number of degrees of separation specified by the first user in a computer memory; sending a first message to a first contact in the ordered list of network contacts inquiring whether the first contact is interested in the item; receiving an indication that the first contact rejects the item; and after receiving the indication that the first contact rejects the item, using at least one computer processor to perform automatically and without additional intervention by the first user at least one of the following; retrieving the number of degrees of separation specified by the first user stored in memory, determining the number of degrees of separation is one, and handling the number of degrees of separation being one by sending a second message to a second contact in the stored ordered list of network contacts inquiring whether the second contact is interested in the item;
orretrieving the number of degrees of separation specified by the first user stored in memory, determining the number of degrees of separation is greater than one, and handling the number of degrees of separation being greater than one by sending a third message to a third contact inquiring whether the third contact is interested in the item, wherein the third contact is associated with the first contact and not present on the first user'"'"'s ordered list of network contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method comprising:
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allowing a first user to become a member of a system accessible through the Internet; receiving and storing an ordered list of network contacts from the first user, wherein the network contacts in the ordered list are at a first degree of separation from the first user, and at least one of the network contacts is not a member of the system; allowing the first user to specify a first item and second item to share with the first users'"'"' network contacts using the system, including the first users'"'"' network contacts that are not members of the system; allowing the first user to specify conditions under which the first item or second item is to be shared; using at least one computer processor, determining whether the first item or the second item satisfy the conditions; determining that the first item satisfies the conditions, and handling by sending a first message to a first contact in the ordered list of network contacts inquiring whether the first contact is interested in the item; and determining that the first contact rejects the item, and automatically and without additional intervention by the first user, handling by sending a second message to a second contact in the stored ordered list of network contacts inquiring whether the second contact is interested in the item. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification