Conversion of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds

• US 8,950,669 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JBSHBM, LLC
• Original Assignee: Brian K. Buchheit, Sean I. Mcghie
• Inventors: McGhie, Sean I., Buchheit, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US14/314,297
• Time in Patent Office: 230 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/379, 235/487, 235/489, 235/382, 705/14, 705/39, 463/25
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/381 Currency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

In one embodiment, an account is established for non-negotiable credits provided by an entity to one or more users. Interactions that earn a quantity of non-negotiable credits are detected. The quantity of non-negotiable credits from the interactions is added to the account. The non-negotiable credits have redemption restrictions imposed by the entity. In absence of a conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds, a commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for goods/services that it provides. A quantity of the non-negotiable credits is subtracted from the account. The subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponds to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of the entity independent funds in accordance with agreement terms mutually established by the commerce partner and the entity. The commerce partner is compensated by the entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a computer, comprising hardware and software that is stored upon the hardware and that is able to be executed by the hardware, establishing a loyalty account for non-negotiable credits provided by an entity to an account holder, wherein the entity is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the entity is a financial institution, and wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points of a loyalty program provided by the financial institution, wherein the account holder earns quantities of the loyalty points from the financial institution for usages by the account holder of financial services provided by the financial institution, wherein the non-negotiable credits have redemption restrictions imposed by the entity, wherein the entity restricts transfers of granted ones of the non-negotiable credits, wherein the transfer restrictions by the entity prevent the account holder from transferring granted ones of the non-negotiable credits in that user'"'"'s possession to others without permission from the entity;

the computer detecting interactions involving the account holder earning a quantity of non-negotiable credits by utilizing financial services provided by the financial institution, wherein the quantity of non-negotiable credits from the interactions are added to the loyalty account, wherein in absence of a conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds, a commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for goods or services that the commerce partner provides, wherein the commerce partner does accept the entity independent funds for goods or services that the commerce partner provides, wherein the commerce partner is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the commerce partner is not the entity, wherein the commerce partner is associated with the entity in some commercial activity, wherein the conversion operation is explicitly permitted by terms of an agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the entity independent funds not stored in the loyalty account, wherein the entity independent funds are independent of the redemption restrictions that were imposed upon the non-negotiable credits, wherein the entity independent funds are possessed by the account holder; and

the computer subtracting a quantity of the non-negotiable credits from the loyalty account, the subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponding to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of the entity independent funds in accordance with terms of the agreement mutually established by the commerce partner and the entity, wherein the commerce partner is compensated by the entity for granting the entity independent funds to the account holder in exchange for non-negotiable credits.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity independent funds are different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the account holder is a member of the loyalty program of the entity and is a member of the different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the account holder by virtue of the agreement between the entity and the commerce partner is a beneficiary of the agreement permitted, by the agreement, to transform the entity independent funds of a first account, which is controlled by the entity as part of the loyalty program into the quantity of entity independent funds of a second account, which is controlled by the commerce partner as part of the different loyalty program, wherein the transformation further changes a physical medium utilized to store respective value from that used for the first user account to that used for the second user account, wherein the transformation further changes the state of the thing being transformed as transformation necessarily triggers accounting and tax events for both the entity and the commerce partner as values in the first user account and in the second user account are altered, wherein before the transformation, an inherent property of the non-negotiable credits did not permit the account holder to purchase the goods or services that the commerce partner provides by expending non-negotiable credits of the first user account, wherein after the transformation the quantity of entity independent funds of the second user account has an inherent property permitting the account holder to purchase the goods or the services that the commerce partner provides by expending entity independent funds of the second user account, wherein after the transformation, the quantity of entity independent funds of the second user account are independent of the entity and are not subject to the program redemption rules of the loyalty program, but are instead subject to the program redemption rules of the different loyalty program controlled by the commerce partner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the commerce partner owns or controls a retail marketplace through which the commerce partner goods or services are available for purchase by the account holder in exchange for the entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation, wherein the conversion operation is performed for the account holder by a payment device provided for consumer use in the retail marketplace.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the commerce partner owns or controls an e-commerce marketplace through which the goods or services provided by the commerce partner are available for purchase by the account holder in exchange for the entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation, wherein the conversion operation is performed for the account holder by the e-commerce marketplace.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner in negotiable funds for redeeming the subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits by converting the quantity of non-negotiable credits into the entity independent funds, wherein the compensation amount is specified by the mutual agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer is a specialized computer including hardware and software to function as a loyalty program server for the loyalty program provided by the financial institution.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion operation converts the quantity non-negotiable credits to the quantity of entity independent funds in accordance with a conversion ratio of credits-to-funds, wherein the conversion ratio is mutually established by the terms of the agreement between the entity and the commerce partner.

8. A method comprising:

a computer, comprising hardware and software that is stored upon the hardware and that is able to be executed by the hardware, establishing a loyalty account for non-negotiable credits provided by an entity to an account holder, wherein the entity is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points of a loyalty program provided by the entity, wherein the account holder earns quantities of the loyalty points from the entity for usages by the account holder of a credit or debit card specifically identified with the loyalty program, which was issued to the account holder conditioned on the account holder being a member of the loyalty program of the entity, wherein the non-negotiable credits have redemption restrictions imposed by the entity, wherein the entity restricts transfers of granted ones of the non-negotiable credits, wherein the transfer restrictions by the entity prevent the account holder from transferring granted ones of the non-negotiable credits in that user'"'"'s possession to others without permission from the entity;

the computer detecting interactions involving the account holder earning a quantity of non-negotiable credits by utilizing the credit or debit card specifically identified with the loyalty program, wherein the quantity of non-negotiable credits from the interactions are added to the loyalty account, wherein in absence of a conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds, a commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for goods or services that the commerce partner provides, wherein the commerce partner does accept the entity independent funds for goods or services that the commerce partner provides, wherein the commerce partner is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the commerce partner is not the entity, wherein the commerce partner is associated with the entity in some commercial activity, wherein the conversion operation is explicitly permitted by terms of an agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the entity independent funds not stored in the loyalty account, wherein the entity independent funds are independent of the redemption restrictions that were imposed upon the non-negotiable credits, wherein the entity independent funds are possessed by the account holder; and

the computer subtracting a quantity of the non-negotiable credits from the loyalty account, the subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponding to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of the entity independent funds in accordance with terms of the agreement mutually established by the commerce partner and the entity, wherein the commerce partner is compensated by the entity for granting the entity independent funds to the account holder in exchange for non-negotiable credits.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the entity independent funds are different loyalty points of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner wherein the account holder is a member of the loyalty program of the entity and is a member of the different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the account holder by virtue of the agreement between the entity and the commerce partner is a beneficiary of the agreement permitted, by the agreement, to transform the entity independent funds of a first account, which is controlled by the entity as part of the loyalty program into the quantity of entity independent funds of a second account, which is controlled by the commerce partner as part of the different loyalty program, wherein the transformation further changes a physical medium utilized to store respective value from that used for the first user account to that used for the second user account, wherein the transformation further changes the state of the thing being transformed as transformation necessarily triggers accounting and tax events for both the entity and the commerce partner as values in the first user account and in the second user account are altered, wherein before the transformation, an inherent property of the non-negotiable credits did not permit the account holder to purchase the goods or services that the commerce partner provides by expending non-negotiable credits of the first user account, wherein after the transformation the quantity of entity independent funds of the second user account has an inherent property permitting the account holder to purchase the goods or the services that the commerce partner provides by expending entity independent funds of the second user account, wherein after the transformation, the quantity of entity independent funds of the second user account are independent of the entity and are not subject to the program redemption rules of the loyalty program, but are instead subject to the program redemption rules of the different loyalty program controlled by the commerce partner.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the commerce partner owns or controls a retail marketplace through which the commerce partner goods or services are available for purchase by the account holder in exchange for the entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation, wherein the conversion operation is performed for the account holder by a payment device provided for consumer use in the retail marketplace.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the commerce partner owns or controls an e-commerce marketplace through which the goods or services provided by the commerce partner are available for purchase by the account holder in exchange for the entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation, wherein the conversion operation is performed for the account holder by the e-commerce marketplace.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner in negotiable funds for redeeming the subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits by converting the quantity of non-negotiable credits into the entity independent funds, wherein the compensation amount is specified by the mutual agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer is a specialized computer including hardware and software to function as a loyalty program server for the loyalty program of the entity.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the conversion operation converts the quantity non-negotiable credits to the quantity of entity independent funds in accordance with a conversion ratio of credits-to-funds, wherein the conversion ratio is mutually established by the terms of the agreement between the entity and the commerce partner.

15. A method comprising:

a computer, comprising hardware and software that is stored upon the hardware and that is able to be executed by the hardware, establishing an account for gambling credits provided by an entity to an account holder, wherein the entity is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the gambling credits are non-negotiable credits, wherein the non-negotiable credits have redemption restrictions imposed by the entity, wherein the entity restricts transfers of granted ones of the non-negotiable credits, wherein the transfer restrictions by the entity prevent the account holder from transferring granted ones of the non-negotiable credits in that user'"'"'s possession to others without permission from the entity;

the computer detecting gambling interactions involving the account holder earning a quantity of the gambling credits, wherein the quantity of the gambling credits from the interactions are added to the account, wherein in absence of a conversion operation that converts the gambling credits to entity independent funds, a commerce partner does not accept the gambling credits for goods or services that the commerce partner provides, wherein the commerce partner does accept the entity independent funds for goods or services that the commerce partner provides, wherein the commerce partner is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the commerce partner is not the entity, wherein the commerce partner is associated with the entity in some commercial activity, wherein the conversion operation is explicitly permitted by terms of an agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the entity independent funds not stored in the account, wherein the entity independent funds are independent of the redemption restrictions that were imposed upon the gambling credits, wherein the entity independent funds are possessed by the account holder; and

the computer subtracting a quantity of the gambling credits from the account, the subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponding to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the gambling credits to a quantity of the entity independent funds in accordance with terms of the agreement mutually established by the commerce partner and the entity, wherein the commerce partner is compensated by the entity for granting the entity independent funds to the account holder in exchange for gambling credits.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner in negotiable funds for redeeming the subtracted quantity of gambling credits by converting the quantity of gambling credits into the entity independent funds, wherein the compensation amount is specified by the mutual agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer is a specialized computer possessing hardware and software components to function as a loyalty program server for the loyalty program provided by the entity.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the conversion operation converts the quantity non-negotiable credits to the quantity of entity independent funds in accordance with a conversion ratio of credits-to-funds, wherein the conversion ratio is mutually established by the terms of the agreement between the entity and the commerce partner.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the commerce partner owns or controls a retail marketplace through which the commerce partner goods or services are available for purchase by the account holder in exchange for the entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation, wherein the conversion operation is performed for the account holder by a payment device provided for consumer use in the retail marketplace.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the commerce partner owns or controls an e-commerce marketplace through which the goods or services provided by the commerce partner are available for purchase by the account holder in exchange for the entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation, wherein the conversion operation is performed for the account holder by the e-commerce marketplace.