System and method for swapping of tangible items

• US 7,877,315 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Book SWAP LLC
• Original Assignee: National Book SWAP LLC
• Inventors: Pickering, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, III; Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US11/230,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705 35- 45, 705/80
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and method for an on-line swapping service. The service registers members and allows members to list items that each member is willing to swap in exchange for credits with the service for an item from listed by another member. An example of the items that may be swapped using the swapping service is books, such as paperback books. To facilitate delivery through the mail of an item from one member to another member, a printable mailing wrapper is created by the system with the appropriate destination address. The system emails, downloads or otherwise sends the mailing wrapper to the member who is in position of the item to be shipped. That member simply prints the mailing wrapper on a standard printer, and wraps it around the item to be shipped via standard postal services.

Claims

1. A system for managing swaps of tangible items, comprising:

an Internet connection;

an electronic database; and

a server computer that is connected to the electronic database, and communicates with users through the Internet connection, wherein the server computer is programmed to;

register a first user in the electronic database, receive a first name of a first tangible item to list from the first user through the Internet connection, store the first name in the electronic database, and list the first name on a web site of the server computer;

register a second user in the electronic database, receive a second name of a second tangible item to list from the second user through the Internet connection, store the second name in the electronic database, and list the second name on the web site of the server computer;

register a third user in the electronic database, receive a third name of a third tangible item to list from the third user through the Internet connection, store the third name in the electronic database, and list the third name on the web site of the server computer;

receive a first request through the Internet connection from the first user for the second tangible item that begins a first transaction removes a first credit from the first user in the electronic database that was stored for the first user during a previous transaction, send a first message through the Internet connection to the second user requesting that the second tangible item be shipped to the first user, receive a second message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the second tangible item, and store a second credit for the second user in the electronic database to complete the first transaction;

receive a second request through the Internet connection from the second user for the third tangible item that begins a second transaction removes the second credit from the second user in the electronic database, send a third message through the Internet connection to the third user requesting that the third tangible item be shipped to the second user, receive a fourth message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the third tangible item, and store a third credit for the third user in the electronic database to complete the second transaction;

use the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit to manage a swap of the second tangible item and the third tangible item among the first user, the second user, and the third user, wherein the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represent a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item; and

issue one or more credits initially to a user so that the swapping process can begin.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein second message is received from the first user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second message is received from an automatic delivery confirmation feature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the third tangible item comprises a book.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the third name comprises an international standard book number (ISBN).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the third tangible item comprises a compact disc (CD).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the third tangible item comprises a digital video disc (DVD).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second tangible item comprises a book.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second name comprises an international standard book number (ISBN).

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second tangible item comprises a compact disc (CD).

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second tangible item comprises a digital video disc (DVD).

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer is further programmed to:

receive a request through the Internet connection from the first user for a plurality of tangible items not listed on the web site and store the plurality of tangible items in the electronic database.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a mailing wrapper in the form of form of a document, wherein the document contains the mailing address of the first user and the document is formatted so that the document can be printed from a standard computer printer using standard printer paper.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer is further programmed to:

receive a third request through the Internet connection from the third user to send the first tangible item to a fourth user that begins a third transaction, remove the third credit from the third user in the electronic database, send a fifth message through the Internet connection to the first user requesting that the first tangible item be shipped to the fourth user, receive a sixth message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the first tangible item, and store a fourth credit for the first user in the electronic database to complete the third transaction wherein the fourth credit represents a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the fourth user is a registered user in the electronic database.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the fourth user is not a registered user in the electronic database.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein before the first transaction the server computer is further programmed to:

receive a first location from the first user and store the first location in the electronic database.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, after the transaction, the server computer is further programmed to:

display a map on the web site, locate the first location on the map, and place a graphic at the first location on the map representing the first user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the server computer is further programmed to:

display a pop-up from the web site if a user clicks on the graphic.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the pop-up comprises information about the first user.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein, before the transaction, the server computer is further programmed to:

receive a second location from the second user and store the second location in the electronic database.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein, after the transaction, the server computer is further programmed to:

display a map on the web site, locate the second location on the map, and place a graphic at the second location on the map representing the second user.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the server computer is further programmed to:

display a pop-up from the web site if a user clicks on the graphic.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the pop-up comprises information about the second user.

25. A method for managing swaps of tangible items, comprising:

registering a first user in an electronic database, receiving a first name of a first tangible item to list from the first user through an Internet connection, storing the first name in the electronic database, and listing the first name on a web site using a server computer;

registering a second user in the electronic database, receiving a second name of a second tangible item to list from the second user through the Internet connection, storing the second name in the electronic database, and listing the second name on the web site using the server computer;

registering a third user in the electronic database, receiving a third name of a third tangible item to list from the third user through the Internet connection, storing the third name in the electronic database, and listing the third name on the web site using the server computer;

receiving a first request through the Internet connection from the first user for the second tangible item that begins a first transaction removing a first credit from the first user in the electronic database that was stored for the first user during a previous transaction, sending a first message through the Internet connection to the second user requesting that the second tangible item be shipped to the first user, receiving a second message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the second tangible item, and storing a second credit for the second user in the electronic database to complete the first transaction, using the server computer;

receiving a second request through the Internet connection from the second user for the third tangible item that begins a second transaction removing the second credit from the second user in the electronic database, sending a third message through the Internet connection to the third user requesting that the third tangible item be shipped to the second user, receiving a fourth message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the third tangible item, and storing a third credit for the third user in the electronic database to complete the second transaction, using the server computer; and

using the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit to manage a swap of the second tangible item and the third tangible item among the first user, the second user, and the third user, wherein the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represent a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item; and

issuing one or more credits initially to a user so that the swapping process can begin.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second message is received from the first user.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the second message is received from an automatic delivery confirmation feature.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the third tangible item comprises a book.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the third name comprises an international standard book number (ISBN).

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the third tangible item comprises a compact disc (CD).

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the third tangible item comprises a digital video disc (DVD).

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the second tangible item comprises a book.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the second name comprises an international standard book number (ISBN).

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the second tangible item comprises a compact disc (CD).

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the second tangible item comprises a digital video disc (DVD).

36. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a request through the Internet connection from the first user for a plurality of tangible items not listed on the web site and storing the plurality of tangible items in the electronic database using the server computer.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the first message comprises a mailing wrapper in the form of form of a document, wherein the document contains the mailing address of the first user and the document is formatted so that the document can be printed from a standard computer printer using standard printer paper.

38. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a request through the Internet connection from the third user to send the first tangible item to a fourth user that begins a third transaction, removing the third credit from the third user in the electronic database, sending a fifth message through the Internet connection to the first user requesting that the first tangible item be shipped to the fourth user, receiving a sixth message through the Internet connection confirming receipt of the first tangible item, and storing a fourth credit for the first user in the electronic database to complete the third transaction, using the server computer, wherein the fourth credit represents a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the fourth user is a registered user in the electronic database.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the fourth user is not a registered user in the electronic database.

41. The method of claim 25, further comprising, before the first transaction, receiving a first location from the first user and storing the first location in the electronic database using the server computer.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising, after the first transaction, displaying a map on the web site, locating the first location on the map, and placing a graphic at the first location on the map representing the first user using the server computer.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising displaying a pop-up from the web site if a user clicks on the graphic using the server computer.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the pop-up comprises information about the first user.

45. The method of claim 25, further comprising, before the first transaction, receiving a second location from the second user and storing the second location in the electronic database using the server computer.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising, after the first transaction, displaying a map on the web site, locating the second location on the map, and placing a graphic at the second location on the map representing the second user using the server computer.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising displaying a pop-up from the web site if a user clicks on the graphic using the server computer.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the pop-up comprises information about the second user.

49. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, whose contents include a program, which, when executed on a server computer, performs a method for managing swaps of tangible items, comprising:

registering a first user, receiving a first name of a first tangible item to list from the first user, storing the first name, and listing the first name on a web site using a registration module;

registering a second user, receiving a second name of a second tangible item to list from the second user, storing the second name, and listing the second name on the web site using the registration module;

registering a third user, receiving a third name of a third tangible item to list from the third user, storing the third name, and listing the third name on the web site using the registration module;

receiving a first request from the first user for the second tangible item that begins a first transaction and removing a first credit from the first user that was stored for the first user during a previous transaction using a request an item module;

sending a first message to the second user requesting that the second tangible item be shipped to the first user, receiving a second message confirming receipt of the second tangible item, and storing a second credit for the second user to complete the first transaction using a ship an item module;

receiving a second request from the second user for the third tangible item that begins a second transaction and removing the second credit from the second user using the request an item module;

sending a third message to the third user requesting that the third tangible item be shipped to the second user, receiving a fourth message confirming receipt of the third tangible item, and storing a third credit for the third user to complete the second transaction using the ship an item module;

using the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit to manage a swap of the second tangible item and the third tangible item among the first user, the second user, and the third user, wherein the first credit, the second credit, and the third credit each represent a fight to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item; and

issuing one or more credits initially to a user so that the swapping process can begin.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, further comprising receiving a third request from the third user to send the first tangible item to a fourth user that begins a third transaction and removing the third credit from the third user using the request an item module, sending a fifth message to the first user requesting that the first tangible item be shipped to the fourth user, receiving a sixth message confirming receipt of the first tangible item, and storing a fourth credit for the first user to complete the third transaction using the ship an item module, wherein the fourth credit represents a right to request a future swappable tangible item for the equivalent value of at least one previously swapped tangible item.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the fourth user is a registered user.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the fourth user is not a registered user.