Business transaction system and method

• US 7,343,323 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexandra H O'Hara, Daniel H O'Hara, Paula A. Geddes, William T. Geddes IV
• Original Assignee: GCG, LLC
• Inventors: Geddes, Jr., William T., Chase, Peter N., Gherardi, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, F. Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): THEIN, MARIA TERESA T
• Application Number:
  US09/650,045
• Time in Patent Office: 2,751 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/39, 705/28, 705/29, 705/17, 706/37, 706/39
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy

Abstract

A system and method for enabling a user, over a computer and communications network, to allocate a portion of proceeds of a transaction to a beneficiary by selecting a provider acceptable to a user, determining an arrangement on the fly based on user defined prioritized parameters, and allocating a determined portion of the proceeds to an information server, the provider, and the beneficiary, using a payment entity. The user may quickly and efficiently expand a search for providers of a specified good, service, and/or information, while maintaining a desired link to the beneficiary, such as a particular geographic community, a community of interest, or a user-preferred class of providers. Thus, a user may conduct an on-the-fly targeted search for a specified search object from providers associated with a similarly specified beneficiary group resulting in an allocation of proceeds to the beneficiary.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for allocating proceeds of a business transaction over a network, using at least one information server entity and at least one payment entity to conduct the business transaction, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting user-specified parameters into the computer;

wherein the user-specified parameters include a search object of at least one good, service, and information, and at least one user-specified beneficiary group to receive an allocation of proceeds from the business transaction;

(b) searching, on the fly, for providers of the search object who are associated with the at least one user-specified beneficiary group;

(c) determining, on the fly, if at least one responding provider matches the user-specified parameters;

(d) automatically prioritizing the user-specified parameters, on the fly, if no providers match the parameters or if the matches are unacceptable to the user;

(e) repeating steps (c)-(d) until at least one match occurs;

(f) generating a list of providers matching the user-specified parameters;

(g) selecting a provider from the list of providers acceptable to user to conduct the business transaction;

(h) determining an arrangement based upon the user-specified parameters, on the fly, between the user and the provider;

wherein the arrangement includes the user receiving the search object from the provider and a business transaction proceeds allocation, wherein the provider receives a portion of the business transaction proceeds, the at least one user-specified beneficiary group receives a benefit in the form of the portion of the business transaction proceeds, and the information server entity receive a fee; and

wherein the information server entity'"'"'s fee is the portion of the proceeds in the form of a percentage of the transaction proceeds or a fixed consideration per transaction;

(i) repeating steps (g)-(h) until the user-specified parameters have been met;

(j) executing the business transaction, upon the user'"'"'s acceptance of the arrangement, by causing the delivery of the search object to the user and causing the at least one payment entity to distribute the business transaction allocation proceeds to the at least one user-specified beneficiary, the information server entity, and the provider, pursuant to the arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the arrangement includes expanding the user-specified parameters to generate a second list of responding providers if an acceptable arrangement cannot be determined with any providers from the list of responding providers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-specified parameters include a location of the provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically prioritizing the user-specified parameters includes expanding the location of the provider.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically prioritizing the user-specified parameters include expanding the location of the at least one of the user-specified beneficiary groups.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically prioritizing the user-specified parameters includes adjusting the user-specified at least one beneficiary group.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-specified parameters include a price offered, on the fly, for the search object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically prioritizing the user-specified parameters includes adjusting the price offered for the search object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of the Internet, a communicating system, a wired connection, and a wireless connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the business transaction is an off-line transaction.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the business transaction proceeds allocation is executed on the network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user prioritizes the user-specified parameters.