Exchange rate calculator

• US 7,430,522 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Softbank BB Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Softbank BB Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre; James W
• Application Number:
  US11/735,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Provided is a computation apparatus that is able to adequately obtain a relative value of an incentive point issued by each shop, by computing an exchange rate used in exchanging shop points of the shop into common points. The computation apparatus (25) stores a function for defining the exchange rate (250), and internally maintains, for rate computation, the used house point (UHP) that represents a portion of shop points that has been spent (redeemed) in a shop that has issued the shop points), and the active general point (AGP) that represents a portion of common points that is obtained by exchanging shop points and is not spent yet. A rate function is defined so as to yield a higher exchange rate in exchanging shop points of the shop into common points when the used house point (UHP) of the shop is larger, and to yield a lower exchange rate when the active general point (AGP) of the shop is larger.

Claims

1. A computation apparatus for computing an exchange rate used in exchanging one or more shop points into one or more common points, the shop points being issued for each shop and usable for payment to the shop, and the common points being usable for payment common to each shop, the computation apparatus comprising:

a shop point storage unit that stores, in association with each shop, a used house point (UHP) and an active common point (ACP), the used house point (UHP) representing a portion of shop points issued by the shop and has been already used for payment to the shop, and the active common point (ACP) representing a portion of common points that is exchanged from shop points issued by the shop and has not been yet used for payment to any shop;

a function storage unit that stores, for each shop, a function for an exchange rate that a) when the used house point (UHP) of the shop is larger, computes an exchange rate with which shop points of the shop are exchanged into a larger number of common points, and b) when the active common point (ACP) of the shop is larger, computes an exchange rate with which shop points of the shop are exchanged into a smaller number of common points; and

an exchange rate computation unit that, for each shop, computes an exchange rate, based on the used house point (UHP) and the active common point (ACP) of the shop stored in the shop point storage unit and by using the function of the shop stored in the function storage unit.

2. The computation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the shop point storage unit further stores, for each shop, an issued house point (IHP) and an active house point (AHP), the issued house point (IHP) representing an amount of shop points issued by the shop, and the active house point (AHP) representing a portion of the issued house point (IHP) not yet used for any of payment and exchange,

the function stored by the function storage unit is an attenuation function that yields, for each shop, an exchange rate that decreases according to increase in exchange-target shop points for the shop, the function having a tendency of a) yielding a greater attenuation rate when a ratio of the used house point (UHP) to the issued house point (IHP) for the shop is lower, b) yielding a greater attenuation rate when the active house point (AHP) for the shop is larger, and c) yielding a smaller attenuation rate when both of the used house point (UHP) and the issued house point (IHP) increase, and

the exchange rate computation unit, using the attenuation function, obtains a shop point corresponding to an end point of an integral interval of which an integral value obtained by integration from a maximum exchange rate is equal to the active common point (ACP), and computes, as the exchange rate, a function value of the attenuation function that corresponds to the end point of the integral interval.

3. The computation apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein

when an amount of exchange-target shop points is designated, the exchange rate computation unit computes a ratio of an amount of common points obtained by exchanging the designated amount of exchange-target shop points with respect to the designated amount of exchange-target shop points, as the exchange rate.

4. The computation apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

a user point storage unit that stores, for each user, an amount of shop points owned by the user, and an amount of common points owned by the user; and

a point exchange processing unit that a) adds, to the amount of common points stored in the user point storage unit, a value obtained by multiplying the amount of exchange-target shop points by the exchange rate, and b) subtracts the amount of exchange-target shop points, from the amount of shop points stored in the user point storage unit.

5. The computation apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the point exchange processing unit a) adds, to the amount of shop point stored in the user point storage unit, a value obtained by multiplying an amount of exchange-target common points by an inverse number of the exchange rate, and b) subtracts the amount of exchange-target common points, from the amount of common points stored in the user point storage unit.

6. The computation apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein

when any shop points are exchanged into common points, the point exchange processing unit further updates the active common point (ACP) stored in the shop point storage unit.

7. The computation apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the function storage unit stores a function whose coefficient is defined based on at least one of a predetermined exchange-rate upper-limit value and a predetermined exchange-rate lower-limit value.

8. The computation apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the function storage unit stores, for each shop, a function for an exchange rate that sets, as an upper limit value of the active common point (ACP) of the shop, an amount obtained by multiplying the active house point (AHP) for the shop by a ratio of the used house point (UHP) with respect to the issued house point (IHP) for the shop.

9. A computation method for computing an exchange rate used in exchanging one or more shop points into one or more common points, the shop points being issued for each shop and usable for payment to the shop, and the common points being usable for payment common to each shop, the computation method comprising using a computer to perform the steps of:

a shop point storing step of storing, in association with each shop, a used house point (UHP) and an active common point (ACP), the used house point (UHP) representing a portion of shop points issued by the shop and has been already used for payment to the shop, and the active common point (ACP) representing a portion of common points that is exchanged from shop points issued by the shop and has not been yet used for payment to any shop;

a function storing step of storing, for each shop, a function for an exchange rate that a) when the used house point (UHP) of the shop is larger, computes an exchange rate with which shop points of the shop are exchanged into a larger number of common points, and b) when the active common point (ACP) of the shop is larger, computes an exchange rate with which shop points of the shop are exchanged into a smaller number of common points; and

an exchange rate computation step of, for each shop, computing an exchange rate, based on the used house point (UHP) and the active common point (ACP) of the shop stored in the shop point storing step and by using the function of the shop stored in the function storing step.

10. A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed, causes a computer to function as a computation apparatus for computing an exchange rate used in exchanging one or more shop points into one or more common points, the shop points being issued for each shop and usable for payment to the shop, and the common points being usable for payment common to each shop, the program causing the computer to function as:

a shop point storage unit that stores, in association with each shop, a used house point (UHP) and an active common point (ACP), the used house point (UHP) representing a portion of shop points issued by the shop and has been already used for payment to the shop, and the active common point (ACP) representing a portion of common points that is exchanged from shop points issued by the shop and has not been yet used for payment to any shop;

a function storage unit that stores, for each shop, a function for an exchange rate that a) when the used house point (UHP) of the shop is larger, computes an exchange rate with which shop points of the shop are exchanged into a larger number of common points, and b) when the active common point (ACP) of the shop is larger, computes an exchange rate with which shop points of the shop are exchanged into a smaller number of common points; and

an exchange rate computation unit that, for each shop, computes an exchange rate, based on the used house point (UHP) and the active common point (ACP) of the shop stored in the shop point storage unit and by using the fUnction of the shop stored in the function storage unit.