System and method to facilitate and support electronic communication of ideas

• US 8,364,599 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Daniel Powell
• Original Assignee: Michael Daniel Powell
• Inventors: Powell, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US12/686,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 54, 705 57- 59, 705/80, 713164-170, 707/705, 707/713, 707/716, 707/790, 707/793, 726 1- 35
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

A method and apparatus effectuates bilateral commerce in ideas. An originator and user-driven on-line commercial network system is designed to facilitate idea submission, purchase, and licensing, and is easily adapted to business-to-business transfers of innovation as well as consumer-to-business transfers of innovation. The invention allows originators of ideas to communicate nondisclosing synopses of ideas globally to potential users, for users conveniently to search for relevant ideas and for users potentially to bind an originator to a limited duration license granting user the exclusive right to access and consider confidentially the originator'"'"'s fully disclosed idea. The invention also allows users to communicate confidentially or nonconfidentially unsolved problems or needs globally to potential originators, for originators conveniently to search for relevant unsolved problems or needs, and for originators to submit and communicate confidentially proposed solutions to the soliciting user.

Claims

1. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by posting originators, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each originator'"'"'s idea, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each originator'"'"'s idea;

(b) permitting users to access without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions; and

(c) permitting users to search the contents of the first-level and second-level elements of the two-part descriptions but disallowing visual access to the second-level elements, wherein the first-level elements and the second-levels elements are encrypted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the search results display or provide access to only the first-level element and may be organized and displayed according to an associated relevancy rank.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising:

providing selecting users with an option to access the originator'"'"'s idea by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element; and

restricting other users from selecting the idea for a duration specified in the license agreement.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein users are allowed visual access to the first-level elements.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein permitting users to search the contents of the first-level and second-level elements of the two-part descriptions but disallowing visual access to the second-level elements comprises:

granting a first user access via a computer to only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions such that the user'"'"'s access to the second level elements of the stored two-part descriptions is not allowed.

6. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by posting originators, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each originator'"'"'s idea, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each originator'"'"'s idea;

(b) permitting users to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;

(c) providing selecting users with an option to access the second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions that correspond to the selected first-level elements by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element;

(d) providing license accepting users with access to the second-level elements of the stored two-part description corresponding to the selected first-level elements; and

(e) restricting other users from selecting the idea for a duration specified in the license agreement.

7. The method of claim 6 including the further step of permitting non-license-accepting users to search the contents of the first-level and second-level elements of the two-part descriptions but disallowing visual access to the second-level elements.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the search results may be organized and displayed according to an associated relevancy rank.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the posting originator has agreed to release all originators from all liability with respect to the first level element of the two-part description.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the license agreement includes a confidentiality provision.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the first-level and second-levels elements are encrypted.

12. A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by posting originators, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each originator'"'"'s idea, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each originator'"'"'s idea;

(b) permitting users to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;

(c) providing selecting users with an option to access and respond to the originator'"'"'s idea by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element; and

(d) restricting other users from selecting and responding to the idea for the duration of the term specified in the license agreement.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the other users are prevented from viewing or accessing both the first- and second-level elements of the two-part description.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the other users are prevented from viewing or accessing only the second-level element of the two-part description.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the two-part description includes a nonconfidential first-level element and a confidential second-level element.

16. The method of claim 12 comprising:

permitting users to search the contents of the first-level and second-level elements of the two-part descriptions but disallowing visual access to the second-level elements.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the search results may be organized and displayed according to an associated relevancy rank.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the posting originator has agreed to release all originators from all liability with respect to the first level element of the two-part description.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the license agreement includes a confidentiality provision.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the first- and second-level elements are encrypted.