Method and system for reserving future purchases of goods and services

• US 8,543,450 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Holdit, LLC
• Original Assignee: Smart Options LLC
• Inventors: Pappas, Christian S., Brown, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NIQUETTE, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US13/549,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 705/14.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method and system for reserving future purchases of goods or services or events including plural electronic options with associated option fees for the goods or services or events. The plural electronic options include electronic option terms established by one or more suppliers who can supply the goods or services or events. The purchase of the electronic option is accepted according to electronic option terms established by the desired supplier. The option terms may vary greatly among the individual suppliers and no two suppliers may use the same option terms. The electronic option includes a personalized electronic coupon dynamically created by a server network device.

Claims

1. A method for using electronic options for goods or services or events, comprising:

reading a plurality of entries from a database accessible from a computer network from a server network device with one or more processors, wherein the plurality of entries include electronic option information, wherein the electronic option information includes a plurality of electronic options supplied and governed by one or more different suppliers, wherein the plurality of electronic options are not supplied or governed via a central government agency and are not supplied or governed via security laws and wherein the electronic option information further includes a plurality of different electronic option terms for the plurality of different suppliers, wherein the electronic option terms for a desired supplier are unique to the desired supplier;

creating on the server network device a plurality of new electronic offers based on desired goods or services or events associated with the electronic option information, wherein the plurality of new electronic offers include a plurality of reservation prices and a plurality of associated option fees for the plurality of electronic options, wherein an option fee is not part of a reservation price paid to purchase desired goods or services or events at a desired future time and wherein selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for goods or services that do not currently exist and may never exist and other selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for a sporting event or entertainment event that may or may never happen;

sending from the server network device one or more of the created plurality of new electronic offers to selected client network devices each with one or more processors via the computer network for viewing by selected potential purchasers of electronic options;

accepting one or more inputs from a first client network device on the server network device via the computer network based on one of the created plurality of new electronic offers sent to the to the selected client network devices;

dynamically creating a personalized electronic coupon for the desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers on the server network device based on the one or more inputs received from the first client network device; and

sending the created personalized electronic coupon from the server network device to the first client network device via the computer network coupon for the desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the created personalized electronic coupon is governed by the electronic options terms determined by the one or more desired suppliers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dynamically creating a personalized electronic coupon further includes dynamically creating the personalized electronic coupon using one or more previous inputs accepted from the first client network device on the server network device via the computer network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more desired suppliers include business-to-business (b2b), business-to-consumer (b2c), consumer-to-business (c2b) or consumer-to-consumer (c2c) suppliers of goods or services or events.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more desired suppliers include business-to-business (b2b), business-to-consumer (b2c), consumer-to-business (c2b) or consumer-to-consumer (c2c) suppliers of goods or services or events.

5. A method for using electronic options for goods or services or events, comprising:

reading a plurality of entries from a database accessible from a computer network from a server network device with one or more processors, wherein the plurality of entries include electronic option information, wherein the electronic option information includes a plurality of electronic options supplied and governed by one or more different suppliers, wherein the plurality of electronic options are not supplied or governed via a central government agency and are not supplied or governed via security laws and wherein the electronic option information further includes a plurality of different electronic option terms for the plurality of different suppliers, wherein the electronic option terms for a desired supplier are unique to the desired supplier;

creating on the server network device a plurality of new electronic offers based on desired goods or services or events associated with the electronic option information, wherein the plurality of new electronic offers include a plurality of reservation prices and a plurality of associated option fees for the plurality of electronic options, wherein an option fee is not part of a reservation price paid to purchase desired goods or services or events at a desired future time and wherein selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for goods or services that do not currently exist and may never exist and other selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for a sporting event or entertainment event that may or may never happen;

sending from the server network device one or more of the created plurality of new electronic offers to selected client network devices each with one or more processors via the computer network for viewing by selected potential purchasers of electronic options;

accepting a purchase of an electronic option for an option fee for desired goods or services or events for one or more desired suppliers on the server network device from a first client network device, wherein the purchase of the electronic option is accepted according to electronic option terms established by the one or more desired suppliers providing the electronic option;

accepting one or more inputs including one or more additional desired option terms on the server network device from the first client network device via the computer network for creating a personalized electronic coupon;

dynamically creating on the server network device the personalized electronic coupon including the one or more additional desired option terms accepted from the first client network device for desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers;

sending the personalized electronic coupon from the server network device to the first client network device via the computer network; and

allowing the purchased electronic option to be exercised on the server network device at any time before the desired future time to purchase the desired goods or services or event at the reservation price, at the desired future time to purchase the desired goods or services at the reservation price, at a price lower than the reservation price or at a price higher than the reservation price or to not exercise the electronic option at all and not purchase the desired goods or services at all.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

displaying from the server network device via the computer network to the first client network devices an interface with one or more buttons including;

an Exercise button, for exercising at a reservation price an electronic option purchased for a desired good or service or event provided by a specific supplier, wherein the electronic option includes the personalized electronic coupon; and

displaying on the interface a list of electronic options purchased from the first client network device.

8. A system for electronic options for goods or services or events, comprising in combination:

a non-transitory computer readable medium on a server network device;

the server network device with one or more processors including a plurality of instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium;

for reading a plurality of entries from a database accessible from a computer network from a server network device with one or more processors, wherein the plurality of entries include electronic option information, wherein the electronic option information includes a plurality of electronic options supplied and governed by one or more different suppliers, wherein the plurality of electronic options are not supplied or governed via a central government agency and are not supplied or governed via security laws and wherein the electronic option information further includes a plurality of different electronic option terms for the plurality of different suppliers, wherein the electronic option terms for a desired supplier are unique to the desired supplier;

for creating on the server network device a plurality of new electronic offers based on desired goods or services or events associated with the electronic option information, wherein the plurality of new electronic offers include a plurality of reservation prices and a plurality of associated option fees for the plurality of electronic options, wherein an option fee is not part of a reservation price paid to purchase desired goods or services or events at a desired future time and wherein selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for goods or services that do not currently exist and may never exist and other selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for a sporting event or entertainment event that may or may never happen;

for sending from the server network device one or more of the created plurality of new electronic offers to selected client network devices each with one or more processors via the computer network for viewing by selected potential purchasers of electronic options;

for accepting one or more inputs from a first client network device on the server network device via the computer network based on one of the created plurality of new electronic offers sent to the to the selected client network devices;

for dynamically creating a first personalized electronic coupon for the desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers on the server network device based on the one or more inputs received from the first client network device;

for sending the created first personalized electronic coupon from the server network device to the first client network device via the computer network coupon;

for accepting a purchase of an electronic option for an option fee for desired goods or services or events for one or more desired suppliers on the server network device from a first client network device, wherein the purchase of the electronic option is accepted according to electronic option terms established by the one or more desired suppliers providing the electronic option;

for accepting one or more inputs including one or more additional desired option terms on the server network device from a second client network device via the computer network for creating a second personalized electronic coupon;

for dynamically creating on the server network device the second personalized electronic coupon including the one or more additional desired option terms accepted from the second client network device for desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers;

for sending the personalized electronic coupon from the server network device to the second client network device via the computer network;

for allowing the purchased electronic option to be exercised on the server network device at any time before the desired future time to purchase the desired goods or services or event at the reservation price, at the desired future time to purchase the desired goods or services at the reservation price, at a price lower than the reservation price or at a price higher than the reservation price or to not exercise the electronic option at all and not purchase the desired goods or services at all; and

for displaying from the server network device via the computer network to the first client network devices an interface with one or more buttons including;

an Exercise button, for exercising at the reservation price the electronic option purchased for a desired good or service or event provided by a specific supplier, wherein the electronic option includes the personalized electronic coupon, and

for displaying on the interface a list of electronic options purchased from the first client network device.