Method of Scalable Web Financing By Micropayments

• US 20110078276A1
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johnston J. Mark
• Original Assignee: Johnston J. Mark
• Inventors: Johnston, J. Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/567,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078276A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method is disclosed of scalable web financing by micropayments that 1) equitably and automatically allocates costs among web site users that may have varying usage patterns; 2) lowers the risk in providing niche websites to smaller groups of users; 3) provides a funding source directly related to web site usage by particular users; 4) allows the web site to scale with demand; and 5) provides incentives for provision of content to a web site that is timely and useful. A microcost is determined for each element of web site content. A micropayment is transferred from a user'"'"'s web site account to a web site operator account in an amount equivalent to the determined microcost when the user accesses the web site content. Various methods of calculating the microcost are disclosed, as well as methods of compensating content-providers with micropayments or credits, as a means to provide incentives for provision of content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of financing a web site using micropayments, on a computer, said computer comprising a processor, memory and communications interface, said computer programmed to perform said method comprising:

receiving a request for web site content from a user via said communications interface;

identifying said user via said processor and memory;

associating said identified user with a user web account and a user financial account via said processor and memory;

automatically determining a microcost associated with said requested web site content via said processor and said memory;

determining whether funds are available in said user web account via said processor and said memory;

allowing said identified user to access said requested content when said user web account contains funds that are greater than said microcost via said processor, said memory and said communications interface; and

transferring a micropayment equivalent to said microcost from said user web account to a web site operator financial account via said processor and said memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining a microcost comprises retrieving said microcost from a database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining a microcost comprises deriving said microcost from an average cost.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining a microcost comprises:

storing the microcost in a database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring a micropayment comprises grouping micropayments prior to transferring.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring a micropayment comprises transferring a micropayment equivalent to said microcost from said user web account to a content-provider financial account via said processor and said memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing, via said processor, said memory and said communications interface, comprises:

providing said identified user with an opportunity to contribute additional funds to said identified user'"'"'s web site account from a said identified user'"'"'s financial account when said user web account contains funds that are less than said microcost.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing, via said processor, said memory and said communications interface, comprises:

providing said identified user with funds from a web site promotional account when said user web account contains funds that are less than said micro-cost.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining a microcost comprises varying said determined microcost by a factor selected from the group consisting of:

time of day, type of content element, and demand for the content element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically determining a microcost comprises adjusting said microcost based on an analysis of the web site usage.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically redetermining said microcost after said transferring of said micropayment via said processor and said memory.

12. A computer-implemented method of using micropayments to finance provision of content to a web site, on a computer, said computer comprising a processor, memory and communications interface, said computer programmed to perform said method comprising:

receiving a request to provide content from a content-provider, via said communications interface and said processor;

identifying said content-provider via said processor and memory;

associating said identified content-provider with a content-provider web account and a content-provider financial account via said processor and memory;

receiving said content via said communications interface, said processor and said memory; and

transferring a micropayment from a user web account to said content-provider web site account when said content is accessed by said user via said communications interface, said processor and said memory.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of transferring comprises crediting said content-provider web site account that allows said content-provider to access content on said web site without transfer of a microcost.