Cross marketing between an entity's loyalty point program and a different loyalty program of a commerce partner
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- a computer serving a set of one or more Web pages for a loyalty program of an entity, wherein the loyalty points are referred to as non-negotiable credits, wherein the Web pages are able to be rendered by one or more client-side browsers, which run on the one or more client-machines, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers a corresponding user interface for the client-side browser presents a quantity of member earned loyalty points for the loyalty program, wherein the entity redeems the loyalty points via the Web pages in exchange for a restricted set of goods or services provided by the entity to the members as part of the loyalty program, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers the user interface presents a conversion option permitting one of the members to;
a) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of a commerce partner;
orb) convert quantities of the different loyalty points into quantities of the loyalty points, orc) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points and to convert quantities of different loyalty points into quantities of loyalty points,wherein the different loyalty points are referred to as entity independent funds and are recorded in a funds account, wherein the different loyalty points are redeemable for commerce partner services that the commerce partner provides to members of the different loyalty program, wherein the commerce partner services are not included in the restricted set of goods or services, wherein the commerce partner services for which the different loyalty points are redeemable comprise;
a) travel services for an airline owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner,b) lodging services for a hotel owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner,c) travel services for a train owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner,d) travel services for a cruise ship owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner,e) vehicle rental services for a vehicle owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner,f) financial services for a final service company that provides credit cards to a set of members wherein usage of the credit cards with retailers accepting the credit cards earn different loyalty points for the different loyalty program,g) gaming services or virtual items for a computer implemented game or a platform upon which the computer implemented game runs, wherein the computer implemented game or the platform is owned, operated or managed by the commerce partner, orh) combinations of one of more of any of the travel services, the lodging services, the vehicle rental services, or the financial services as specified by a) through g),wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is a hotel, airline, rental car, train, cruise ship, financial service, gaming platform, gaming service, or game-specific loyalty program, wherein the funds account is neither owned nor controlled by the entity or by any subsidiary or parent of the entity, wherein the credits account is neither owned nor controlled by the commerce partner or by any subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, wherein the entity does not;
a) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set;
orb) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set without quantities of the different loyalty points being converted into quantities of loyalty points,wherein an agreement exists between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the agreement permits members to;
a) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantifies of the different loyalty points;
b) convert quantities of the different loyalty points into the loyalty points, orc) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points and to convert quantities of different loyalty points into quantities of loyalty pointswherein the agreement specifies that the entity or the commerce partner are to provide compensation to the other in an agreed upon amount for conversions between the loyalty points and the different loyalty points;
the computer responsive to receiving an indication of a member interaction, determining an additional quantity of different loyalty points to be earned responsive the member interaction;
the computer processing the additional quantity to trigger an addition of the additional quantity to the funds account per the loyalty program due to a cross marketing agreement between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner for the additional quantity of the different loyalty points added to the funds account per member involvement in the loyalty program; and
responsive to the processing, the computer serving one or more Web pages or Web page updates that include the effectuated changes to at least one of the one or more client machines, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers the user interface is updated with the effectuated changes, wherein the updated user interface presents the additional quantity of different loyalty points earned by the member interaction or presents an updated total of different loyalty points in the funds account resulting from the additional quantity being added, wherein the computer serves the set of one or more Web pages, receives the indication, processes the additional quantity, and serves the one or more Web pages or Web page updates within a single user-interactive Web session.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A graphical user interface includes a conversion option to convert quantities of loyalty points of a loyalty program of an entity into different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of a commerce partner. The different loyalty points are accepted by a commerce partner as at least partial payment for commerce partner services provided by the commerce partner as part of the different loyalty program. The commerce partner does not accept the loyalty points as payment for commerce partner services, at least without requiring the loyalty points be first converted to different loyalty points. Responsive to a received selection of the conversion option, a computer presents within a user interface a quantity of available different loyalty points for use as payment for the commerce partner services. The quantity of available different loyalty points results from converting the subset of loyalty points into the quantity of available different loyalty points.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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a computer serving a set of one or more Web pages for a loyalty program of an entity, wherein the loyalty points are referred to as non-negotiable credits, wherein the Web pages are able to be rendered by one or more client-side browsers, which run on the one or more client-machines, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers a corresponding user interface for the client-side browser presents a quantity of member earned loyalty points for the loyalty program, wherein the entity redeems the loyalty points via the Web pages in exchange for a restricted set of goods or services provided by the entity to the members as part of the loyalty program, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers the user interface presents a conversion option permitting one of the members to; a) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of a commerce partner;
orb) convert quantities of the different loyalty points into quantities of the loyalty points, or c) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points and to convert quantities of different loyalty points into quantities of loyalty points, wherein the different loyalty points are referred to as entity independent funds and are recorded in a funds account, wherein the different loyalty points are redeemable for commerce partner services that the commerce partner provides to members of the different loyalty program, wherein the commerce partner services are not included in the restricted set of goods or services, wherein the commerce partner services for which the different loyalty points are redeemable comprise; a) travel services for an airline owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, b) lodging services for a hotel owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, c) travel services for a train owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, d) travel services for a cruise ship owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, e) vehicle rental services for a vehicle owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, f) financial services for a final service company that provides credit cards to a set of members wherein usage of the credit cards with retailers accepting the credit cards earn different loyalty points for the different loyalty program, g) gaming services or virtual items for a computer implemented game or a platform upon which the computer implemented game runs, wherein the computer implemented game or the platform is owned, operated or managed by the commerce partner, or h) combinations of one of more of any of the travel services, the lodging services, the vehicle rental services, or the financial services as specified by a) through g), wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is a hotel, airline, rental car, train, cruise ship, financial service, gaming platform, gaming service, or game-specific loyalty program, wherein the funds account is neither owned nor controlled by the entity or by any subsidiary or parent of the entity, wherein the credits account is neither owned nor controlled by the commerce partner or by any subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, wherein the entity does not; a) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set;
orb) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set without quantities of the different loyalty points being converted into quantities of loyalty points, wherein an agreement exists between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the agreement permits members to; a) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantifies of the different loyalty points; b) convert quantities of the different loyalty points into the loyalty points, or c) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points and to convert quantities of different loyalty points into quantities of loyalty points wherein the agreement specifies that the entity or the commerce partner are to provide compensation to the other in an agreed upon amount for conversions between the loyalty points and the different loyalty points; the computer responsive to receiving an indication of a member interaction, determining an additional quantity of different loyalty points to be earned responsive the member interaction; the computer processing the additional quantity to trigger an addition of the additional quantity to the funds account per the loyalty program due to a cross marketing agreement between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner for the additional quantity of the different loyalty points added to the funds account per member involvement in the loyalty program; and responsive to the processing, the computer serving one or more Web pages or Web page updates that include the effectuated changes to at least one of the one or more client machines, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers the user interface is updated with the effectuated changes, wherein the updated user interface presents the additional quantity of different loyalty points earned by the member interaction or presents an updated total of different loyalty points in the funds account resulting from the additional quantity being added, wherein the computer serves the set of one or more Web pages, receives the indication, processes the additional quantity, and serves the one or more Web pages or Web page updates within a single user-interactive Web session. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising:
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establishing a contract between an entity and a commerce partner permitting members of a loyalty program of the entity to; a) convert quantities of loyalty points of the loyalty program into quantifies of different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner, b) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of the different loyalty points, or c) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points and to convert quantities of different loyalty points into quantities of loyalty points, wherein per the contract the entity and the commerce partner compensate each other on a per point basis for converting member points, wherein the loyalty points are referred to as non-negotiable credits, wherein the different loyalty points are referred to as entity independent funds, wherein said loyalty points are; a) possessed by the members as a benefit of membership in the loyalty program, b) are maintained in a credits account for the loyalty program, and c) are subject to terms and conditions of the loyalty program, wherein said different loyalty points are; a) possessed by the members as a benefit of membership in the different loyalty program, b) are maintained in a funds account for the different loyalty program, and c) are subject to terms and conditions of the different loyalty program, wherein the credits account is neither owned nor controlled by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, wherein the funds account is neither owned nor controlled by the entity or by a subsidiary or parent of the entity, wherein the entity redeems the loyalty points for the members in exchange for a restricted set of goods or services provided by the entity as part of the loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty points are redeemable in exchange for commerce partner services provided by the commerce partner as part of the different loyalty program, wherein the commerce partner services for which the different loyalty points are redeemable comprise; a) travel services for an airline owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, b) lodging services for a hotel owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, c) travel services for a train owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, d) travel services for a cruise ship owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, e) vehicle rental services for a vehicle owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, f) financial services for a final service company that provides credit cards to a set of members wherein usage of the credit cards with retailers accepting the credit cards earn different loyalty points for the different loyalty program, g) gaming services or virtual items for a computer implemented game or a platform upon which the computer implemented game runs, wherein the computer implemented game or the platform is owned, operated or managed by the commerce partner, or h) combinations of one of more of any of the travel services, the lodging services, the vehicle rental services, or the gaming services as specified by a) through g), wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is a hotel, airline, rental car, train, cruise ship, financial services, gaming platform, gaming service, or game-specific loyalty program loyalty program, wherein the entity does not; a) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set;
orb) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set without quantities of the different loyalty points being converted into quantities of loyalty points, a computer detecting a set of two or more interactions earning additional different loyalty points to the funds account per the loyalty program due to a cross marketing agreement between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner for the additional quantity of the different loyalty points added to the funds account per member involvement in the loyalty program; and the computer triggering an addition of the additional quantity to the funds account per the loyalty program; the computer notifying one of the members that earned the additional different loyalty points of the additional quantity of the different loyalty points added to the funds account due to the interactions and due to membership in the loyalty program, wherein the funds account changes by the additional quantity as a result of the triggering by the computer. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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one or more processors; a non-transitory storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the one or processors execute the program instructions to; detect a set of two or more interactions earning additional different loyalty points to a funds account per a loyalty program due to a cross marketing agreement between an entity and a commerce partner, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner for the additional quantity of the different loyalty points added to the funds account per member involvement in the loyalty program; trigger an addition of the additional quantity to the funds account per the loyalty program; notify one of a set of members that earned the additional different loyalty points of the additional quantity of the different loyalty points added to the funds account due to the interactions and due to membership in the loyalty program, and redeem the loyalty points for the members in exchange for a restricted set of goods or services provided by the entity as part of the loyalty program, wherein the funds account changes by the additional quantity as a result of the triggering, wherein a contract exists between the entity and the commerce partner permitting members of the loyalty program of the entity to; a) convert quantities of loyalty points of the loyalty program into quantifies of different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner, b) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of the different loyalty points, or c) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points and to convert quantities of different loyalty points into quantities of loyalty points, wherein per the contract the entity and the commerce partner compensate each other on a per point basis for converting member points, wherein the loyalty points are referred to as non-negotiable credits, wherein the different loyalty points are referred to as entity independent funds, wherein said loyalty points are; a) possessed by the members as a benefit of membership in the loyalty program, b) are maintained in a credits account for the loyalty program, and c) are subject to terms and conditions of the loyalty program, wherein said different loyalty points are; a) possessed by the members as a benefit of membership in the different loyalty program, b) are maintained in a funds account for the different loyalty program, and c) are subject to terms and conditions of the different loyalty program, wherein the credits account is neither owned nor controlled by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, wherein the funds account is neither owned nor controlled by the entity or by a subsidiary or parent of the entity, wherein the different loyalty points are redeemable in exchange for commerce partner services provided by the commerce partner as part of the different loyalty program, wherein the commerce partner services for which the different loyalty points are redeemable comprise; a) travel services for an airline owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, b) lodging services for a hotel owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, c) travel services for a train owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, d) travel services for a cruise ship owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, e) vehicle rental services for a vehicle owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, f) financial services for a final service company that provides credit cards to a set of members wherein usage of the credit cards with retailers accepting the credit cards earn different loyalty points for the different loyalty program, g) gaming services or virtual items for a computer implemented game or a platform upon which the computer implemented game runs, wherein the computer implemented game or the platform is owned, operated or managed by the commerce partner, or h) combinations of one of more of any of the travel services, the lodging services, the vehicle rental services, or the gaming services as specified by a) through g), wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is a hotel, airline, rental car, train, cruise ship, financial services, gaming platform, gaming service, or game-specific loyalty program loyalty program, wherein the entity does not; a) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set;
orb) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set without quantities of the different loyalty points being converted into quantities of loyalty points. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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during a Web session involving interactions between a member and a Web site of a commerce partner, using user identification information to determine user account information for the member, wherein the member is a member of a loyalty program of an entity, wherein member is a member of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the user identification information is used to identify account information for the loyalty program and is used to identity account information of the different loyalty program; during the Web session, identifying loyalty points stored in a credits account earned from previous interactions with the loyalty program of the entity, wherein the loyalty points are referred to as non-negotiable credits, wherein the loyalty points of the credits account are redeemable for a restricted list of goods or services that are provided by in exchange for the loyalty points per the loyalty program; during the Web session, converting a quantity of the loyalty points to a quantity of different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of a commerce partner, wherein the converting is performed by the Web site, which is operated by a different legal entity than the entity, wherein the different loyalty points are referred to as entity independent funds and are recorded in a funds account, wherein the different loyalty points are redeemable for commerce partner services that the commerce partner provides to members of the different loyalty program, wherein the commerce partner services are not included in the restricted set of goods or services, wherein the commerce partner services for which the different loyalty points are redeemable comprise; a) travel services for an airline owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, b) lodging services for a hotel owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, c) travel services for a train owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, d) travel services for a cruise ship owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, e) vehicle rental services for a vehicle owned, operated, or managed by the commerce partner or by a subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, f) gaming services or virtual items for a computer implemented game or a platform upon which the computer implemented game runs, wherein the computer implemented game or the platform is owned, operated or managed by the commerce partner, g) gaming services or virtual items for a computer implemented game or a platform upon which the computer implemented game runs, wherein the computer implemented game or the platform is owned, operated or managed by the commerce partner, or h) combinations of one of more of any of the travel services, the lodging services, the vehicle rental services, or the gaming services as specified by a) through g), wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is a hotel, airline, rental car, train, cruise ship, financial services, gaming platform, gaming service, or game-specific loyalty program loyalty program, wherein the commerce partner does not; a) accept the loyalty points as payment for any of the commerce partner services;
orb) accept the loyalty points as payment for any of the commerce partner services without quantities of the loyalty points being converted into quantities of the different loyalty points, during the Web session, adding the quantity of different loyalty points from the converting to an existing quantity of different loyalty points of the funds account maintained for the member as part of the different loyalty program; during the Web session, permitting access, to different loyalty points of the funds account; during the Web session, applying at least a portion of the different loyalty points of the funds account to one or more purchases for commerce partner services, wherein the identifying of loyalty points is performed by computing equipment having at least one processor executing program instructions that are digitally encoded in at least one storage device, wherein the converting is performed by computing equipment having at least one processor executing program instructions that are digitally encoded in at least one storage device, wherein the permitting of access to the quantity of different loyalty points is performed by computing equipment having at least one processor executing program instructions that are digitally encoded in at least one storage device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method comprising:
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a computer for a different loyalty program of a commerce partner establishing a funds account for a member of the different loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty program is an airline loyalty program or a hotel loyalty program, wherein the member of the different loyalty program is provided with a payment artifact, wherein the payment artifact is a credit card or a debit card linked to the different loyalty program; the computer adding different loyalty points to the funds account in response to the payment artifact being used for purchases of goods or services with venders accepting the payment artifact, wherein the different loyalty points are referred to as entity independent funds, wherein the different loyalty points are frequent flyer miles or hotel reward points, wherein the different loyalty program redeems the different loyalty points for commerce partner services; wherein an agreement exists between the commerce partner and an entity having a loyalty program with loyalty points that are recorded in a credits account, wherein the loyalty points are referred to as non-negotiable credits, wherein the agreement permits members to; a) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantifies of the different loyalty points; b) convert quantities of the different loyalty points into the loyalty points, or c) convert quantities of the loyalty points into quantities of different loyalty points and to convert quantities of different loyalty points into quantities of loyalty points wherein the agreement specifies that the entity or the commerce partner are to provide compensation to the other in an agreed upon amount for conversions between the loyalty points and the different loyalty points, wherein the funds account is neither owned nor controlled by the entity or by any subsidiary or parent of the entity, wherein the credits account is neither owned nor controlled by the commerce partner or by any subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, wherein the entity does not; a) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any goods or services of a restricted set for which the loyalty points are redeemable;
orb) accept the different loyalty points as payment for any of the goods or services of the restricted set without quantities of the different loyalty points being converted into quantities of loyalty points, wherein the commerce partner does not; a) accept the loyalty points as payment for any of the commerce partner services;
orb) accept the loyalty points as payment for any of the commerce partner services without quantities of the loyalty points being converted into quantities of different loyalty points, the computer adding a new quantity of the different loyalty points to the funds account in response to an occurrence of a conversion operation, wherein said conversion operation converts quantities of loyalty points into the new quantity of the different loyalty points, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation from the entity for adding the new quantity of different loyalty points to the funds account and for releasing the entity of financial liability due to the quantities of loyalty points in the credits account being reduced during the conversion operation; and the computer redeeming quantities of the different loyalty points of the funds account for member selected ones of the commerce partner services. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification