Method and system for reserving future purchases of goods and services

• US 9,047,634 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• 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:
  US13/804,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising
• 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. Electronic options are provided for desired goods or services or events on communications network and a cloud communications network. One or more graphical buttons are used to display electronic option information. A display appearance of the one or more graphical buttons are dynamically changed based on actions completed on the electronic options. The electronic options and the one or more graphical buttons are displayed on one or more client network devices and/or one or more server network devices for one or more retail sites, a social networking sites, social couponing sites, social virtual reality sites, social virtual gaming sites, or social fantasy sports gaming sites.

Claims

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

dynamically generating a plurality of electronic options for goods or services or events from a server application on a server network device with one or more processors, 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;

dynamically generating from the server application on the server network device a plurality of different electronic option terms and a plurality of electronic option fees for the plurality of electronic options for a plurality of different suppliers, wherein the electronic option terms for a desired supplier are unique to the desired supplier;

dynamically displaying from the server application on the server network device via the communications network the plurality of electronic options for the goods or services or events on a graphical user interface (GUI) with a plurality of graphical buttons on a plurality of client applications on a plurality client network devices each with one or more processors, wherein one of the plurality of the graphical buttons include an OPTION graphical button;

receiving a payment message on the server application on the server network device via the communications network from a first client application on a first client network device including electronic payment of a pre-determined electronic option fee to purchase one or more electronic options;

dynamically and automatically associating on the server application on the server network device an OPTION graphical button on the GUI first client application on the first client network device with the one or more purchased electronic options; and

dynamically and automatically from the server application on the server network device via the communications network changing in real-time an appearance of display of the OPTION graphical button on the GUI on the first client application on the first client network device based on one or more actions completed on the first client application on the first client network device or based a change in one or more characteristics of the one or more purchased electronic options.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of display of the OPTION graphical button on the GUI on the first client application is changed based a purchase of an electronic option, an exercise of an electronic option, an amount of time remaining to exercise a purchased electronic option, an amount of electronic options available for a desired good or service or event, an amount of electronic options purchased for a desired good or service or event, an amount of electronic options exercise for a desired good or service or event.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein changing an appearance of the OPTION graphical button includes changing a size, shape, color or shading of the graphical button or changing an electronic option counter included on the OPTION graphical button.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the OPTION graphical button includes a hover-over feature which is activated when a selection indicator for a selection device is placed over the OPTION graphical button.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the hover-over feature includes one or more graphical menus and one or more graphical sub-menus.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the one or more graphical menus or sub-menus include a list of purchased electronic options, a list of exercised electronic options, a list of a set of purchased electronic options to share with one or more friends on a social networking or a social couponing site or a list of one or more friends associated with a set of purchased electronic options.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the hover-over feature includes a display of electronic option terms and electronic option fees for one or more electronic options associated with the OPTION graphical button.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the OPTION graphical button includes text comprising, OPTION IT.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a change in one or more characteristics of the one or more purchased electronic options includes a time period for exercising a purchased electronic option, a time period for expiration of a purchased electronic option, or a change in an amount of goods or services or events available for a purchased electronic option.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic options includes a plurality of electronic coupons or personalized electronic coupons or a plurality of electronic reservations.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of client applications on the plurality of client network devices includes a plurality of smart software applications for smart phone or electronic tablet client network devices.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of client network devices and the server network device include a wireless networking interface comprising a near field communications (NFC) or machine-to-machine (M2M) communications wireless networking interface.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic options are provided by the server network device via the communications network via television services, Internet television services, social networking services, general search engine services and vertical search engine services.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein step of dynamically displaying includes dynamically displaying the plurality of electronic options for the goods or services or events and a graphical OPTION button on one or more retail sites, social networking sites, social couponing sites, social virtual reality sites, social virtual gaming sites, or social fantasy sports gaming sites.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the server application on the server network device and the plurality of client applications on the plurality of client network devices include a cloud application communicating with the cloud communications network comprising one or more of each a public, private, community and hybrid networks, the cloud application providing electronic option services including a cloud computing Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a cloud computing Platform, as a Service (PaaS) and offers Specific cloud electronic option services as a Service (SaaS) including a cloud software service.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the IaaS, PaaS and SaaS include one or more of the services to provide the plurality of electronic options and further include one or more networking, storage, server network devices each with one or more processors, virtualization, operating system, middleware, run-time, data or application services, or plural combinations thereof, on the cloud communications network.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dynamically displaying from the server application on the server network device via the communications network the plurality of electronic options for the goods or services or events on a graphical user interface (GUI) with a plurality of graphical buttons on a plurality of other server applications on a plurality of other server network devices each with one or more processors, wherein one of the plurality of the graphical buttons include an OPTION graphical button, wherein selected ones of the plurality of other server network devices include server network devices for suppliers of goods or services or events associated with the plurality of electronic options; and

dynamically and automatically changing in real-time an appearance of display of the OPTION graphical buttons from the server application on the server network device via the communications network on the GUIs on the plurality of other server applications on the plurality of other server network devices based on one or more actions completed on the plurality of client applications on the plurality of client network devices.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the OPTION graphical button is displayed from the server application on the server network device via the communications network on a social networking site, a social virtual reality site, a social virtual gaming site, or a social fantasy sports gaming site.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein a plurality of instructions for causing one or more processors on one or more network devices to execute the steps of:

dynamically generating a plurality of electronic options for goods or services or events from a server application on a server network device with one or more processors, 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;

dynamically generating from the server application on the server network device a plurality of different electronic option terms and a plurality of electronic option fees for the plurality of electronic options for a plurality of different suppliers, wherein the electronic option terms for a desired supplier are unique to the desired supplier;

dynamically displaying from the server application on the server network device via the communications network the plurality of electronic options for the goods or services or events on a graphical user interface (GUI) with a plurality of graphical buttons on a plurality of client applications on a plurality client network devices each with one or more processors, wherein one of the plurality of the graphical buttons include an OPTION graphical button;

receiving a payment message on the server application on the server network device via the communications network from a first client application on a first client network device including electronic payment of a pre-determined electronic option fee to purchase one or more electronic options;

dynamically and automatically associating on the server application on the server network device an OPTION graphical button on the GUI first client application on the first client network device with the one or more purchased electronic options; and

dynamically and automatically from the server application on the server network device via the communications network changing in real-time an appearance of display of the OPTION graphical button on the GUI on the first client application on the first client network device based on one or more actions completed on the first client application on the first client network device or based a change in one or more characteristics of the one or more purchased electronic options.

20. A system for providing electronic options for goods or services or events comprising in combination:

a communications network;

a plurality of client network devices each with one or more processors;

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

the non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions causing the one or more processors on the server network device to be configured for;

for dynamically generating a plurality of electronic options for goods or services or events from a server application on a server network device with one or more processors, 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;

for dynamically generating from the server application on the server network device a plurality of different electronic option terms and a plurality of electronic option fees for the plurality of electronic options for a plurality of different suppliers, wherein the electronic option terms for a desired supplier are unique to the desired supplier;

for dynamically displaying from the server application on the server network device via the communications network the plurality of electronic options for the goods or services or events on a graphical user interface (GUI) with a plurality of graphical buttons on a plurality of client applications on a plurality client network devices each with one or more processors, wherein one of the plurality of the graphical buttons include an OPTION graphical button;

for receiving a payment message on the server application on the server network device via the communications network from a first client application on a first client network device including electronic payment of a pre-determined electronic option fee to purchase one or more electronic options;

for dynamically and automatically associating on the server application on the server network device an OPTION graphical button on the GUI first client application on the first client network device with the one or more purchased electronic options;

for dynamically and automatically from the server application on the server network device via the communications network changing an appearance of display of the OPTION graphical button on the GUI on the first client application on the first client network device based on one or more actions completed on the first client application on the first client network device or based a change in one or more characteristics of the one or more purchased electronic options;

for dynamically displaying from the server application on the server network device via the communications network the created plurality of electronic options for the goods or services or events on a graphical user interface (GUI) with a plurality of graphical buttons on a plurality of other server applications on a plurality of other server network devices each with one or more processors, wherein one of the plurality of the graphical buttons include an OPTION graphical button, wherein selected ones of the plurality of other server network devices include server network devices for suppliers of goods or services or events associated with the plurality of electronic options; and

for dynamically and automatically changing in real-time an appearance of display of the OPTION graphical button from the server application on the server network device via the communications network display of the OPTION graphical button on the plurality of other server applications on the plurality of other server network devices based on one or more actions completed on the plurality of client applications on the plurality of network devices.