Method and system for reserving future purchases of goods and services

• US 8,930,260 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Holdit, LLC
• Original Assignee: Smart Options LLC
• Inventors: Pappas, Christian S., Brown, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US13/794,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• 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 options are displayed, viewed, purchased, and exercised from a client network device.

Claims

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

receiving on a client network device with one or more processors a plurality of new electronic offers from a server network device with one or more processors via a computer network, wherein the plurality of new electronic offers 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;

displaying on the client network device via an interface one or more buttons including;

(1) an Option It button, for purchasing an electronic option for a desired good or service or event provided by a specific supplier,

(2) a Buy It button, for buying a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier at an advertised purchased price,

(3) an Accept button, for accepting electronic option terms for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier,

(4) a Decline button, for declining electronic option terms for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier, and

(5) an Exercise button, for exercising an electronic option at a reservation price purchased for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier;

selecting on the client network device with one or more of the buttons on the interface one or more of the received new electronic offers based on desired good or service or event associated with the electronic option information, wherein the received 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 the 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 desired goods or services or events that do not currently exist and may never exist and other selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for desired goods or services or events that exist;

sending from the client network device via the computer network to the server network device one or more electronic fees for the purchase of one or more electronic options for one or more option fees for one or more desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers, wherein the purchases of the one or more electronic options are accepted on the server network device according to electronic option terms established by the one or more desired suppliers providing the electronic options; and

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

3. 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.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending from the client network device to the server network device a request for a personalized electronic coupon associated with a purchased electronic option for a desired good or service or event, wherein the personalized electronic coupon is governed by the electronic options terms determined by a desired supplier supplying the desired good or service or event;

receiving the personalized electronic coupon on the client network device via the computer network from the server network device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of receiving the personalized electronic coupon includes receiving a personalized electronic coupon dynamically created on the server network device using one or more selection inputs accepted from the client network device on the server network device via the computer network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting step includes initiating purchase on the server network device via the computer network of an electronic option for one or more desired goods or services or events with a selection input received from a selection of the Option It button on the interface on the client network device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting step includes initiating exercising of a purchased electronic option on the server network device via the computer network for one or more of the desired goods or services or events with a selection input received from a selection of the Exercise It button on the interface on the client network device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting step includes initiating direct purchase on the server network via the computer network of one or more of the desired goods or services or events with a selection input received from a selection of the Buy It button on the interface on the client network device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving on the client network device a plurality of new electronic offers for tickets for a sporting event or an entertainment from the server network device via the computer network, wherein the plurality of new electronic offers include electronic option information for sporting event tickets or entertainment event tickets, wherein the electronic option information includes a plurality of electronic options for sporting event tickets or entertainment event tickets 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;

displaying on the client network device via the interface the one or more buttons including;

(1) the Option It button, for purchasing the electronic option for the desired good or service or event provided by a specific supplier,

(2) the Buy It button, for buying a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier at the advertised purchased price,

(3) the Accept button, for accepting electronic option terms for the desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier,

(4) the Decline button, for declining electronic option terms for the desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier, and

(5) the Exercise button, for exercising the electronic option at the reservation price purchased for the desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier;

selecting on the client network device with one or more of the buttons on the interface one or more of the received new electronic offers based on desired sporting events or entertainment events associated with the electronic option information, wherein the received 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 tickets for sporting events or entertainment events at the desired future time and wherein selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for sporting events or entertainment events 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 do exist;

sending from the client network device via the computer network to the server network device one or more electronic fees for the purchase of one or more electronic options for one or more option fees for one or more tickets for one or more desired sporting events or entertainments events for the one or more desired suppliers, wherein the purchases of the one or more electronic options are accepted on the server network device according to electronic option terms established by the one or more desired suppliers providing the electronic options; and

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

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

sending from the client network device to the server network device a request for a personalized electronic coupon associated with a purchased electronic option for one or more tickets for the desired sporting event or entertainment event, wherein the personalized electronic coupon is governed by the electronic options terms determined by a desired supplier supplying tickets for the desired good or service or event;

receiving the personalized electronic coupon on the client network device via the computer network from the server network device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of receiving the personalized electronic coupon includes receiving a personalized electronic coupon dynamically created on the server network device using one or more selection inputs accepted from the client network device on the server network device via the computer network.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the selecting step includes initiating purchase on the server network device via the computer network of an electronic option for one or more tickets for one or more desired sporting events or entertainment events with a selection input received from a selection of the Option It button on the interface on the client network device.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the selecting step includes initiating exercising of a purchased electronic option on the server network device via the computer network for one or more tickets for one or more desired sporting events or entertainment events with a selection input received from a selection of the Exercise It button on the interface on the client network device.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the selecting step includes initiating direct purchase on the server network via the computer network of one or more tickets for one or more desired sporting events or entertainment events with a selection input received from a selection of the Buy It button on the interface on the client network device.

2. A non-transitory computer readable medium on a client network device with one or more processors have storing therein a plurality of instructions for causing the one or more processors to execute a method for using electronic options for goods or services or events, comprising the steps of:

receiving on a client network device with one or more processors a plurality of new electronic offers from a server network device with one or more processors via a computer network, wherein the plurality of new electronic offers 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;

displaying on the client network device via an interface one or more buttons including;

(1) an Option It button, for purchasing an electronic option for a desired good or service or event provided by a specific supplier,

(2) a Buy It button, for buying a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier at an advertised purchased price,

(3) an Accept button, for accepting electronic option terms for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier,

(4) a Decline button, for declining electronic option terms for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier, and

(5) an Exercise button, for exercising an electronic option at a reservation price purchased for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier;

selecting on the client network device with one or more of the buttons on the interface one or more of the received new electronic offers based on desired good or service or event associated with the electronic option information, wherein the received 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 the 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 desired goods or services or events that do not currently exist and may never exist and other selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for desired goods or services or events that exist;

sending from the client network device via the computer network to the server network device one or more electronic fees for the purchase of one or more electronic options for one or more option fees for one or more desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers, wherein the purchases of the one or more electronic options are accepted on the server network device according to electronic option terms established by the one or more desired suppliers providing the electronic options; and

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

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

a non-transitory computer readable medium on a client network device with one or more processors;

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

for receiving on the client network device a plurality of new electronic offers from a server network device with one or more processors via a computer network, wherein the plurality of new electronic offers 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 displaying on the client network device via an interface one or more buttons including;

(1) an Option It button, for purchasing an electronic option for a desired good or service or event provided by a specific supplier,

(2) a Buy It button, for buying a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier at an advertised purchased price,

(3) an Accept button, for accepting electronic option terms for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier,

(4) a Decline button, for declining electronic option terms for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier, and

(5) an Exercise button, for exercising an electronic option at a reservation price purchased for a desired good or service or event provided by the specific supplier;

for selecting on the client network device with one or more of the buttons on the interface one or more of the received new electronic offers based on desired good or service or event associated with the electronic option information, wherein the received 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 tickets for the 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 desired goods or services or events that do not currently exist and may never exist and other selected ones of the plurality of electronic options include electronic options for desired goods or services or events that exist;

for sending from the client network device via the computer network to the server network device one or more electronic fees for the purchase of one or more electronic options for one or more option fees for one or more tickets for one or more desired goods or services or events for the one or more desired suppliers, wherein the purchases of the one or more electronic options are accepted on the server network device according to electronic option terms established by the one or more desired suppliers providing the electronic options;

for displaying on the interface on the client network device a list of purchased electronic options;

for sending from the client network device to the server network device a request for a personalized electronic coupon associated with a purchased electronic option for a desired good or service or event, wherein the personalized electronic coupon is governed by the electronic options terms determined by a desired supplier supplying tickets for the desired good or service or event; and

for receiving the personalized electronic coupon on the client network device via the computer network from the server network device.