MANAGING INCENTIVES

• US 20150206163A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: About Time Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: About Time Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Hanson, Russell I., Remkes, Ryan, Merrill, Michael T., Tanner, Kory
• Application Number:
  US14/674,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20150206163A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards

Abstract

For managing incentives, a management module creates an incentive record that includes a milestone, a target completion time, and an incentive amount. A communication module communicates the incentive record to a recipient device and receives a confirmation from the recipient device. The communication module further receives a status from an authenticator device. The management module confirms a completion of the milestone and the communication module transfers a payment in response to confirming the completion of the milestone.

Claims

1. A method for managing incentives comprising:

creating, by use of a processor, an incentive record comprising a milestone that specifies a quantifiable portion of a task, a target completion time, an incentive amount for completing the milestone, a status, and a recipient record;

communicating the incentive record to a recipient device;

receiving a confirmation from the recipient device;

receiving the status from an authentication device of an authenticator distinct from a recipient of the recipient device, the status comprising an authentication comprising an image and a signature of the authenticator;

confirming a completion of the milestone in response to the authentication image showing the completed milestone and the signature verifying the completed milestone; and

transferring a payment of the incentive amount to a destination associated with the recipient device in response to confirming the completion of the milestone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communication with the recipient device is through e-mail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communication with the recipient device is through Short Message Service (SMS) text messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communication with the recipient device through a mobile application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communications with the recipient are through a web page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination is selected from the group consisting of a debit card, a general-purpose reloadable prepaid card, a non-reloadable prepaid card, a payroll card, a bank account, and a mobile telephone debit account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation comprises a modification of at least one of the milestone, the target completion time, and the incentive amount.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the incentive record is stored on one of the recipient device and an originating device and a copy of the incentive record is stored on a server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the status.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication further comprises one or more of an authentication credential, an authentication code, a signature, and a biometric value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient requests the incentive record.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable program code executable by a processor, the computer-readable program code comprising;

a management module creating an incentive record comprising a milestone that specifies a quantifiable portion of a task, a target completion time, an incentive amount for completing the milestone, a status, and a recipient record;

a communication module communicating the incentive record to a recipient device, receiving a confirmation from the recipient device, and receiving the status from an authentication device of an authenticator distinct from a recipient of the recipient device, the status comprising an authentication comprising an image and a signature of the authenticator;

the management module confirming a completion of the milestone in response to the authentication image showing the completed milestone and the signature verifying the completed milestone; and

the communication module transferring a payment of the incentive amount to a destination associated with the recipient device in response to confirming the completion of the milestone.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the destination is selected from the group consisting of a debit card, a general-purpose reloadable prepaid card, a non-reloadable prepaid card, a payroll card, a bank account, and a mobile telephone debit account.

14. A computer program product for managing incentives, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code configured to perform the functions of;

creating an incentive record comprising a milestone that specifies a quantifiable portion of a task, a target completion time, an incentive amount for completing the milestone, a status, and a recipient record;

communicating the incentive record to a recipient device;

receiving a confirmation from the recipient device;

receiving the status from an authentication device of an authenticator distinct from a recipient of the recipient device, the status comprising an authentication comprising an image and a signature of the authenticator;

confirming a completion of the milestone in response to the authentication image showing the completed milestone and the signature verifying the completed milestone; and

transferring a payment of the incentive amount to a destination associated with the recipient device in response to confirming the completion of the milestone.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein communication with the recipient device is through a channel selected from the group consisting of e-mail, Short Message Service (SMS) text messages, a mobile application, and a web page

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein destination is selected from the group consisting of a debit card, a general-purpose reloadable prepaid card, a non-reloadable prepaid card, a payroll card, a bank account, and a mobile telephone debit account.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the confirmation comprises a modification of at least one of the milestone, the target completion time, and the incentive amount.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the incentive record is stored on one of a server, the recipient device, and an originating device.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the authentication further comprises one or more of an authentication credential, an authentication code, a signature, and a biometric value.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, the method further comprising recording a recipient device electronic address in the recipient record.