Electronic activity and business system and method

• US 7,233,915 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan Metcalfe
• Original Assignee: Alan Metcalfe
• Inventors: Metcalfe, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil; Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US09/771,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,336 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/9, 705 35- 42, 707/9, 707/100
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

An electronic system for regulating activity that includes a standard user interface that requires all information presented in the system to be formatted in a standard (logical) manner that is designed to achieve results. The standard (logical) manner requires users to successively provide subject information, purpose information, and objective and time information relative to the activity. Standard user interfaces may be developed for a variety of business tasks and other activities All information is stored in individual files at user locations. The system handles facts and propositions in an equation solving manner. If a proposition is involved, selected information may be automatically forwarded to a searchable common market that contains summary information and links to the files. All discussion relating to a proposition is recorded, and agreement is recognized and recorded. Upon agreement, a fulfillment function is automatically launched. The fulfillment actions of the system are in accordance with the objective and time information provided by the user.

Claims

1. An electronic system for managing, processing and automating an electronic or digital activity, the system comprising:

a common user interface that includes means for gathering and structuring data relating to activities into common database objects that are combinable to form a plurality of types of catalogs, lists, and workflows that are used to conduct electronic business;

wherein said means for gathering and structuring data is included in a secondary interface;

wherein said means for gathering and structuring data further uses a common data format; and

wherein said common data format determines a design of the secondary interface and also an operating rule for creating, storing and processing data, in the form of database objects;

wherein the common user interface enables the user to provide who/what information relating to the activity, why/how information relating to the activity, and where/when information relating to the activity, to be input to the system according to said common data format and the operating rule; and

wherein said who/what, why/how and where/when information is input to the system through the secondary interface in a manner that conforms the common database objects to the said common data format and operating rule such that why information+how information=where/when information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said why information identifies the purpose of the activity, and said how and where/when information identifies details of a fulfillment process that enables the database objects to achieve the purpose thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an output mode, wherein, when in said output mode the secondary interface of the system responds according to why information requests to cause said secondary interface in output mode to be automatically populated with information objects related to the why information request.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of attributes and communications relating to the activity or an item are recorded as a composite file object, according to the said common data format and operating rule, and said attributes and communications define that activity or item in such a way that the activity can be automated and an item can be described.

5. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a central clearinghouse for authorizing and authenticating a plurality of users of said system, said central clearinghouse being operable to maintain user identification records and control access for each of said plurality of users.

6. The electronic system of claim 5, wherein said system further comprises a common market permitting the users employing the system to advertise and locate propositions of interest and to connect to one another using the system.

7. The electronic system of claim 6, wherein all said users are linked to one another and the central clearinghouse and the common market by way of a virtual private network.

8. An electronic system for managing, processing, and automating electronic or digital activities, the system comprising:

a common user interface that includes means for gathering and structuring data relating to said activities, including a description and meaning of the subject of said activities, through secondary interfaces, into database objects that are combinable to form catalogs, lists, workflows, and processes, that are used to conduct e-business;

wherein said means for gathering and structuring data is a common data format that is also an operating rule of the system;

wherein said operating rule is not only used for creating the database objects, but also for, storing, and processing the database objects;

wherein the common data format enables the user to provide who/what type information relating to an activity, why/how information relating to the activity, and where/when information relating to the activity;

wherein the who information identifies the name of the subject of the activity that may be substituted by a number, and the what information identifies the type of the activity or the subject of the activity;

wherein said why information identifies the purpose of the activity, the how information and the where/when information identifies details of a fulfillment process; and

wherein said who/what, why/how and where/when information when processed by the system, according to the operating rule, works so that why information+how information=where/when information, to achieve the purpose of the database objects.

9. The electronic system of claim 8, wherein said system further comprises a central clearinghouse for authorizing and authenticating a plurality of users of said system, said central clearinghouse being operable to maintain user identification records and control access for each of said plurality of users.

10. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein said system further comprises a common market permitting the users employing the system to advertise and locate propositions of interest and to connect to one another using the system.

11. The electronic system of claim 10, wherein at least some of said users are linked to one another and the central clearinghouse and the common market by way of a virtual private network.