| Entries |
| Document | Title | Date |
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| 20090248527 | System and Method for Facillitating Transactions in a Distribution Network - A system and method for facilitating transactions in a distribution network. An analysis tool may be accessed through a computer network by consumers, producers and/or distribution intermediaries. In response to an inquiry, the analysis tool may present a solution sets may to a consumer, producer, and/or distribution intermediary for optimizing interaction with the network, e.g. minimizing cost or maximizing revenue in business transactions over the network. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090259546 | Method of Incentive Distribution For Cross Client Referral - The present invention relates generally to methods of generating business by providing incentives for clients to obtain goods and/or services from goods and service providers, wherein said providers refer clients to other providers and as said providers have incentives provided within the method to make said referrals. The method involves one central manager serving as a communications conduit among goods and service providers pooling their services into one joint goods and services cross-client referral cooperative group. The method provides an incentive system among group members for referring clients to other group members. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090259547 | AFFILIATE AND CROSS PROMOTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A system for managing referrals between a consumer, merchant, and at least one affiliate; a referral identifier generator for an affiliate to give at least one consumer a referral identifier and representing a promotional offer for at least one consumer; an affiliate tracking system for accepting and tracking the referral identifier, wherein at least one consumer is awarded at least one promotion according to the referral identifier, the affiliate is awarded at least one affiliate reward according to the at least one consumers purchase history with at least one store and the merchant is awarded at least one merchant reward according to the at least one consumers purchase history with at least one store. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090276305 | AFFILIATE AND CROSS PROMOTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A method for managing referrals between a consumer, merchant, and at least one affiliate; generating a referral identifier by a referral identifier generator for an affiliate to give at least one consumer, the referral identifier representing a promotional offer for at least one consumer; accepting and tracking the referral identifier from at least one consumer in an affiliate tracking system; awarding at least one consumer at least one promotion according to a referral identifier; determining the core set by each merchant; determining the core reserve according to the core and at least consumers purchase history with at least one merchant store; awarding the primary affiliate at least one affiliate reward according to the core reserve and each subaffiliate at least one affiliate reward according to the core reserve; and awarding the merchant at least one merchant reward according to the consumers purchase history with each merchant store and the core. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090287555 | SYSTEM FOR ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS - A hierarchical system for attracting new customer comprises providing a coupon to an existing customer, the coupon identifying only the existing customer and when that coupon is redeemed by a second customer, the first customer receives value. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090307071 | Symbiotic Mass Marketing - The present invention relates to certain methods and systems for promoting the sale of goods and services. According to certain embodiments of the present invention, such methods generally comprise the steps of (1) selling a first good or service to a customer for a discounted price that is less than a standard price, (2) establishing a sales goal (which represents an amount of desired sales of a second good or service to customers during a promotional period), and (3) issuing a credit to, or receiving a payment from, each participating customer based on a level of success achieved towards the sales goal. The invention provides that the extent to which the sales goal is achieved depends on the aggregate sales of the second good or service to the public at large, and is not dependent upon the sales or activity of any single customer. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100004988 | INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An information processing apparatus is provided and operates as a managing server that distributes incentive using transfer device information with respect to content. A communication unit receives inter-device transfer information with respect to output content from an information providing device, the information being in the form of device identifiers for at least the information providing device and one or more user devices that executed content transfers. A controller then executes processing to designate the incentive recipients as being the device managers associated with the acquired device identifiers. In so doing, incentive can be distributed to the managers or users of user devices that relay content between an information providing device and a product purchaser. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100004989 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR INTERFACING PAYMENT SYSTEMS TO A NETWORK ASSOCIATED WITH A REFERRAL - A network interface, including a referral receiver, a payment processor and a referral matching module. The referral receiver receives a referral presented to a user and the payment processor performs a transaction. In turn, the referral matching module matches the referral with the transaction and communicates the match to a network associated with the referral. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100070357 | INCENTIVE BASED MARKETING THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS - A method and system for providing an incentive for social network members (SNMs) to opt into a promotional program associated with a seller of goods or services. The SNMs may be provided an initial incentive to opt into a promotional program associated with a seller of goods or services and responsive to an SNM electronically opting in to the promotional program, the SNM may be provided with an additional incentive to identify additional SNMs as opt in candidates. Store coupons or product coupons may be utilized to provide the incentive. The additional incentive may include increasing the value of the initial incentive. The initial incentive may only be available for a predetermined period of time. The additional SNMs may be provided with an incentive to identify yet additional SNMs as opt in candidates. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100076830 | MEANS FOR COLLECTING, SOLICITING, AND REMUNERATING MEMBERS OF A MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING BUSINESS STRUCTURE - An apparatus, method, computer program product and system are disclosed for collecting, soliciting and tracking sales leads via an electronic network like the Internet, and distributing commissions realized on said sales leads to multiple parties using a hierarchical, multi-level marketing (MLM) business structure. A central managing organization, or MLM structure, uses a uniquely configured data processing device and/or system (herein a “Maintenance Server”) to collect new sales leads from structured records and data in the possession of an actual customers who have been incorporated into the MLM structure, said records and data comprising third-party contact information, including personal and/or professional contacts of the actual customers. The Maintenance Server uniquely assists in the solicitation of the newly acquired sales leads to save the actual customers from having to perform the solicitation(s) themselves. Sales leads converted into actual customers are incorporated into the MLM structure and the newly generated commissions resulting therefrom are distributed by the Maintenance Server or MLM structure in accordance with a predetermined commission criteria. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100076831 | CUSTOMER REWARDS SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SOCIAL NETWORKING APPLICATIONS - Customer rewards systems and methods for social networking applications, such as e-mail applications, calendar applications, chat room applications, instant messaging applications, and media management and sharing applications, are provided. The system includes a first memory, a second memory and a processor. The first memory stores a plurality of web pages having a social networking application. The second memory stores data associated with a customer account for a user to access the social networking application. The processor being configured to receive the data from a user terminal, verify the user's membership for accessing the social networking application, and transfer an award to the customer account upon access to one of the plurality of web pages with the social networking application. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100088167 | LEAD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - A method is disclosed for generating a sales referral over the Internet for the sale of an asset. A first and second salesperson is provided with an account that comprises a number of clicks and a first period during which the clicks will be delivered. A click comprises an assignment on a web site of linking information corresponding to a saleperson's web site. A consumer who activates the click is transferred to a web site of the salesperson, and the click is debited from the salesperson's account. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100094695 | AFFILIATE CONSUMER REFERRAL MARKETING - This invention relates to an affiliate website that provides incentives to users to follow links from that website to merchant websites to perform referral fee paying activities, and to recruit their own network of users that will also be incentivized to follow links from that website to merchant websites to perform referral fee paying activities. All users can recruit others to join the affiliate website. A portion of the referral fees paid by the merchant website to the affiliate website are paid by the affiliate website to the user that performed the fee paying activity and to others in the network to which that user is a member. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100094696 | PERSONAL STYLE SERVER - Techniques for providing advice on personal style include receiving advice field data and a demonstration message. The advice field data indicates multiple fields to be filled by an advisor to provide information on how to improve personal style of an advisee based on an image provided by the advisee. The demonstration message includes first image data that indicates example personal style of a first user. An advice prompt message is sent to a different second user. The advice prompt message includes second image data based on the first image data, and the advice field data. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100100433 | Method and System for Promoting Artistic Works - The invention provides new and improved methods and systems for online promotion, marketing and distribution of artistic works. An embodiment of a system for distributing artistic works comprises an online store configured for sale and distribution of artistic works to individual buyers. A link server is configured to store links to webpages related to artists works stored in the online store. The link server is configured to download at least one link to a fan computer via the Internet in response to a fan-initiated request for at least one link. The links are configured for embedding by said fan in a clickable portion of the fan's webpage. The online store tracks purchases of artistic works corresponding to a fan's link. The online store provides a reward to the fan based on the tracked purchases. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100114685 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGEMENT OF FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS - The present invention pertains to systems and methods for managing, creating, and conducting online personal fundraising campaigns. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system, method and computer program product for creating and managing online personal fundraising campaigns. In an exemplary embodiment, the method may include, e.g., but not limited to, receiving a request to establish a personal fundraising campaign from an initiator for benefit of a beneficiary at a central controller; receiving a plurality of donations at the controller; and disbursing at least a portion of the funds to the beneficiary. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100121699 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR WEB-BASED INCENTIVE ACQUISITION MARKET MAKING - A method and system for web-based incentive acquisition of material and non-material items is proposed involving an originator designating a desired acquisition interacting with a central host controller or manager system. An electronic system allows an originator to define a commodity or service and set an initial bounty, transferable to a system-member-participant who assists such acquisition upon proof of such assistance. Variations of the present system enable adaptation to employment, personal property, and service circumstances. An alternative module enables a financial rating and a reliability rating for both system members and participants. A financial module allows for holding of deposit funds or value offered for consideration of action in enabling the formation of a binding contract. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100125493 | Common Purchase System and Method Having Circular Membership System for Congratulation and Condolence - A common purchase system and its method having circular membership system for congratulation and condolence are provided. A plurality of member terminals requests for an application of the congratulations and condolences membership, requests an application for registration as a beneficiary and requests cooperative purchase of daily necessaries of life via a communication network. A plurality of terminals of cooperative enterprises receives product information for which cooperative purchase is requested in the plurality of member terminals, delivers a concerned product, and then provides a delivery result information about the product which is bought according to a cooperative purchase request. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100138286 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RENTAL OF ELECTRONIC DISPLAY SCREEN SPACE TO ADVERTISERS FOR COMPENSATION - A system and method are disclosed for providing a way for advertisers to rent advertising space from a consumer on an electronic device owned or used by the consumer, such as a computer screen, television screen, or mobile telephone, and pay the consumer based upon the amount of time the consumer actively uses the device. Consumers can also receive compensation for electronic device advertising space referrals based upon the amount of time a referred consumer actively uses the device. The method further includes details regarding the compensation model. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100145782 | CARDS AND RELATED SERVICES PROVIDED BY CREDIT CARD ENTITIES THAT USE NON-METALLIC SYMBOLIC COLORS - Disclosed is a method and system of using mentions/advertisements as a means to provide incentive or compensation for potential promoters to introduce end users to an offering entity, where mentions/advertisements for the benefit of the promoter are included in communications between the offering entity and end users. An additional function that enables promoters to send communications to the end users is disclosed as well. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100161400 | REFERRING-SITE BASED RECOMMENDATIONS - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing community-specific content to customers of a merchant's web site. In one embodiment, customers who are electronically referred to the merchant's web site from an affiliate web site, or from one of a group of related affiliate web sites, are automatically assigned to the same community. For example, all customers who enter the merchant's web site from links on golf-related affiliate web sites may be assigned to the community “golf.” Customers may also join or be assigned to communities using other methods. Purchase histories and/or other activity data of the merchant's customers is analyzed periodically to identify specific products or other items that are currently “popular” within the community (e.g., best selling), based upon predefined criteria. This information is provided to members of the community, and possibly to other customers, on the merchant's web site and/or on the web sites of the corresponding affiliates. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100174594 | My Faves section for a website - Social networking site where the user selects advertising material that is shown on their personal section. The user enters favorites, and stored promotional information associated with those favorites is shown to the user. The user selects which of the stored promotional material will be shown on their personal part of their site. The material can be logos or videos, for example. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100179868 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING INCENTIVE BASED GROUP DISCOUNT PRICING IN ONLINE STORES - A method and system for providing group discount pricing to individuals. A first customer orders a product from an online store and elects to defer delivery for a finite period of time. The online store provides the first customer with the ability to communicate with other persons to invite them to purchase a product from the online store. The online store assigns a purchase code which associates the other persons as members of the first customer's purchase group when any one of the others purchase a product and agrees to defer delivery for the finite period of time. The online store assigns a discount price to each product as a sale is completed and is added to the purchase group where the discount can be dynamically adjusted by the online store based on criteria that is determined by the online store. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100191589 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING JOB AND BUSINESS GROWTH INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR AN AREA - An exemplary system and method are disclosed for providing a business growth incentive program. Embodiments include systems and methods for government(s) or other entities to market and promote their area, region, district, town, city, county, state, province, country, etc. (all herein referred to as “area”) to the world by using rewards and incentives, to awaken a broad entrepreneurial spirit, to mine human knowledge and to encourage all people (especially local citizens of the area) to speak positively about the area and what it offers with the goal of getting all people to use their unique talents and connections to try and bring in new people, entrepreneurs, businesses, industry, jobs, etc. for economic and other growth in the area. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100198670 | AFFILIATE SYSTEM AND AFFILIATE DEVICE - An affiliate system in which it is possible to form customers on the initiative of advertising clients is provided. Affiliate System | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100198671 | RECYCLING REWARD SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF - Systems and methods are provided for incentivizing and rewarding consistent and repeated recycling of recyclable materials. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100205051 | CALCULATION METHOD OF SALES COMMISSION USING TRANSFORMATION COEFFICIENT IN ON-LINE, CALCULATION SYSTEM AND RECORDING MEDIUM THEREOF - Disclosed are a method and a system of calculating a sales commission using a transformation coefficient in on-line by reflecting sales of members receiving sales commissions and new sales of sub-members, and a record medium thereof. Members receive sales commissions based on members' own sales, so that old sub-members as well as new members actively sell commodities. The property of the tree to which the members belong is more increased, so that the members have reliability and affection for a company. The revenue of the members is more increased, and a company attempts to increase sales and members. A company determines sales commissions paid to members at a constant commission payment rate for the sales of the members without being affected by the enlargement of an organization due to the increase of the members and the amount of sales. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100205052 | SELF-UPLOADED INDEXING AND DATA CLUSTERING METHOD AND APPARATUS - A self-uploaded indexing and data clustering method and apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a server device includes processing a merchant-uploaded inventory data to determine a set of meta-data attributes associated with the merchant-uploaded inventory data and creating an index data using the set of meta-data attributes associated with the merchant-uploaded inventory data. The merchant-uploaded inventory data may be compared with a previous inventory data of a particular merchant associated with both the merchant-uploaded inventory data and the previous inventory data to identify at least a portion of the set of meta-data attributes which do not need to be updated. The index data may be created using an incremental algorithm that builds on preexisting indexes which have substantially similar data as the index data. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100223116 | Community Based Search and Revenue Allocation System and Method - The present invention is a web based search engine system and method for searching and displaying web based content from public web-sites and private remote computers of members connected to the Internet. In one embodiment, the system comprises a search query module adapted to accept a search query. The search query module comprises a first field for searching by key word and a second field for searching by purpose. The system further comprises a favorite list collection module adapted to upload favorite URLs from the remote computer of the member. The system further comprises a favorite list data base comprising a list of favorite URLs collected by the favorite list collection module. The system further comprises a generic search module adapted to search the Internet based upon the search query from the search query module. The system further comprises a favorite search module adapted to search said favorite list data base based upon the search query from the search query module. The system further comprises a first display list comprising generic URLs generated by the generic search module. The system further comprises a second display list comprising favorite URLs generated by the favorite search module. The system further comprises an advertisement module adapted to place a plurality of click-thru ads proximate the first display list of generic URLs and the second display list of favorite URLs. The system further comprises a revenue-sharing module adapted to assign credits to the members based upon activation of the click-thru ads by the users and friends invited by the users to determine a revenue-sharing rank for each member. The system further comprises a payment module adapted to transmit a payment to the members from advertising revenue according to the revenue-sharing rank of the members. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100228614 | AdHeat Advertisement Model for Social Network - In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving at a server information indicating activity levels of users of a computer-implemented social network or acquaintance relationships of the users on the computer-implemented social network. The method further includes generating by the server influence scores for the users based on the received information. The method also includes recursively propagating by the server an ad through the computer-implemented social network between users having an acquaintance relationship by transmitting the ad from a propagating user to a recipient user when a difference between a first influence score of the propagating user and a second influence score of the recipient user is greater than a threshold. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100235229 | CONTENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AND MOBILE TERMINAL - A management apparatus includes a collector configured to collect requests of events of which the distribution is required via the network from users of the plurality of terminals, a list generator configured to aggregate the collected requests for each event to generate a list, a disclosure unit configured to disclose the list on a site on the network for a predetermined period, a reception unit configured to receive a request for distributions from a plurality of content distributors via the site for each content included in the list, a selector configured to select a content distributor to which a distribution right is granted from among the plurality of content distributors for each content included in the list based on a predetermined conditions, and a reporter configured to report a selection result by the selector to content distributor with the distribution right granted thereto. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100250352 | System and Method for a Private Civil Security Loyalty Reward Program - A private civil security loyalty reward program allows access to a user. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100250353 | TURNKEY RESELLER PROGRAM FOR REGISTERING DOMAIN NAMES - A reseller program may be used to increase the number of Customer desired domain names that are registered by a Registrar. There are two main embodiments of this reseller program. In the first embodiment, Resellers guide Customers to a Registrar web site through the use of advertisements, links in various web sites and/or links from search engines. The Registrar web site communicates directly with the Customer and registers the Customer desired domain names and compensates the Reseller for guiding the Customer to the Registrar web site. In the second embodiment, Resellers have their own reseller web sites that communicate directly with the Customers and communicate the desired domain names to the Registrar web site so the Registrar web site can register the Customer desired domain names. In this embodiment, the Customer may compensate the Reseller and the Reseller may compensate the Registrar for the services rendered. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100262477 | ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING COMMERCE - An online social networking system for conducting commerce utilizes a grid environment, a widget architecture including a widget operating system, and semantic integration technologies to provide personalized bundling of products and services tied to an individual's life, emergent marketplaces that support collaboratively-based product and service development, merchandising, and recommendations, emergent user experiences, emergent gaming, emergent behavior predictions, collaborative discovery, i.e., social searching, and content and/or people voyeurism. These features are achieved through the use of various techniques including emergent programming, emergent widget processing, emergent computations, emergent applications, widget composition, data integration and exchange, complex system management, security graphs, trust/reputation management, intersecting graphs, database sharding, use of fractal graphs (which may be thinned and expanded), and content mashups. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100262478 | ELECTRONIC COMMERCE TRANSACTIONS WITHIN A MARKETING SYSTEM THAT MAY CONTAIN A MEMBERSHIP BUYING OPPORTUNITY - The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing complete electronic commerce (“E-Commerce”) transactions and solutions for a marketing company's products via the World Wide Web, including facilities for signing up new customers and recruiting, training and supporting new Independent Business Owners through an interactive online process. In another aspect, the present invention relates to the combination of a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity using both electronic commerce and face-to-face transactions. The present invention is also directed to a system and method for combining a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity, so that Independent Business Owners participating in the marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership buying opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions based on the purchases by those members, while Members in the buying opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become Independent Business Owners. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100268584 | System and Methods for Marketing and Advertising Referral over a Communications Network - Accordingly, in an embodiment of the present invention, a system for sharing interactive electronic information with intended recipients over a network and tracking the results of interaction with the information is provided comprising an executable code installed as an executable button in an electronic form containing the electronic information to be shared, a communication channel selection interface stored on a digital medium, the communication channel selection interface displayable as a result of interaction with the button, and an activity tracking server having a digital medium for storing software and data, the tracking server including a reporting interface stored on the digital medium, the reporting interface accessible to a client sharing the information. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100268585 | INJECTION ADVERTISING TECHNOLOGY - A method and information processing system for providing messaging through an electronic messaging system. At least one user is determined to have performed at least one of the following two acts, creating an electronic message and sending an electronic message. At least one message is selected from a data store in response to the user having performed at least one of the two acts. The message is embedded within the electronic message. An accounting record is updated that includes information for compensating the user based on sent electronic messages including the message, which has been embedded. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100268586 | PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR MANAGING REVENUE SHARING - Various techniques of distributing revenue and/or other money, selecting/bonding delivery agents, and performing other tasks are providing herein. Methods include distributing portions of loan payments to one or more referrers associated with one or more loans, bonding of delivery agents, selecting delivery agents, allocating portions of credit card payments and/or sharing advertisement revenue. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100274650 | REFERRAL-BASED LOYALTY PROGRAM - A referral-based loyalty program incentivizes referrals by awarding rewards to primary customers for transactions by secondary customers. The secondary customers receive primary-account-identifying information, such as by hyperlink, and navigate to an order page of a merchant to establish an account and implement a transaction, for which the primary customer receives an reward. Primary and secondary accounts can be linked with one another at the merchant premises, or online, and can be associated with physical cards carried by the customers and presented during transactions. Rewards can be made contingent upon registration and activation of accounts. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100274651 | APPLICATION ENABLING A SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE (SMS) MESSAGE WITH AN ADVERTISEMENT TO BE SENT FROM THE MOBILE PHONE DEVICE USING A PULL-AND-PUSH METHOD - A method of SMS message advertising using an mobile device application, the method includes providing the application the ability to download at least one advertisement, giving a sender the choice to select the advertisement to be attached to a SMS message, and then account for the advertisement sent by the sender so that a credit is applied to the sender. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100280893 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMMEDIATE ISSUANCE OF TRANSACTION CARDS - A system and method for substantially immediate issuance of transaction cards includes at least one unassigned transaction card including a storage medium having a card number encoded thereupon. The system also includes a computing system configured to receive application information from an applicant that has been provided said unassigned transaction card, and to activate the unassigned transaction card so that access to monetary funds is extended to the applicant through said unassigned transaction card, upon an evaluation of said application information indicating that the applicant has been approved for access to the monetary funds. The unassigned transaction card bears no visible marking presenting information concerning the applicant and encodes no information concerning said applicant upon the storage medium of said unassigned transaction card. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100306040 | ON-LINE REFERRAL - Various methods and systems are provided to facilitate on-line transactions through the issuance of rewards for users who referral a product that is purchased by another. In one example, a user selects a product that the user purchased and an email recipient. The payment provider, who the user used to purchase the product, sends an email with a URL to the recipient, where the URL contains the merchant product page and the email address of the user or person making the referral. If the recipient purchases the referred product, such as clicking on the link or copying and pasting the URL, the payment provider is notified and issues a reward to the user based on the purchase by the recipient. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100306041 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING LEAD GENERATION FEES - A system for distributing a loan lead generation fee, including: a computer including a processor in communication with a computer-readable medium and a network, the computer-readable medium having a database stored thereon, the database including a listing of the plurality of participants and hierarchical relationships therebetween; a participant input subsystem operably connected to the computer and to the network; a lead generation fee payment subsystem for receiving the lead generation fee that is generated upon closing of the loan; a calculation subsystem for calculating loan lead generation fee payments to be made to at least one participant, wherein the calculation subsystem calculates a fraction of the loan lead generation fee payment to pay the at least one participant based on the hierarchical relationship between the at least one participant and the plurality of participants; and a payment subsystem for distributing a payment to the at least one participant. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100324981 | System and Method for Media Distribution on Social Networks - An apparatus and method for distributing media via an exchange club or social networking site effects or includes the process of identifying a member by authenticating a unique device identifier received from the user's computing device when accessing the social networking site, enabling the member to select one or more media for sharing or broadcasting to other members of the site using information obtained from the site, enabling members to select or enter contact information of friends with whom the user would like to share the media or information about the media, and rewarding the member for any purchase of the media resulting from the broadcasting. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100332304 | Targeting in Cost-Per-Action Advertising - A method and system are provided for targeting specific users with specific requested actions to be performed by the user and verified by any methods on behalf of an advertiser within an Internet display advertising campaign. The system discloses techniques for receiving an advertiser's requested actions and corresponding definitions of what constitutes a satisfaction of the action. The disclosure also details techniques for determining if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied by the targeted user, and details corresponding techniques for compensating the user and any other real or virtual entity who had contributed to the satisfaction of the requested action. The system implements a network of sensors that can aid in the determination of if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied. The network of sensors registers sensor recordings within a specialized sensor recording marketplace. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100332305 | ADVERTISING ENGINE AND NETWORK USING MOBILE DEVICES - The embodiments described show that wireless devices can be used to distribute and/or to endorse (or promote) advertisements (ads) by individuals and by ad distributors. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method of forwarding an advertisement received on a first mobile device to a second mobile device is provided. The method includes sending the advertisement to the first mobile device, and detecting forwarding of the advertisement from the first mobile device to the second mobile device. The method also includes determining if the advertisement that was forwarded to the second mobile device includes an endorsement for the advertisement. The endorsement was generated at the first mobile device. The method further includes monitoring activity on the second mobile device regarding the advertisement when the advertisement includes the endorsement and when the advertisement does not include the endorsement. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110029364 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRESENTMENT AND REDEMPTION OF PERSONALIZED DISCOUNTS - The presentment and redemption system offers discounts directly to consumers through their mobile phones. The discounts are based upon the user of the mobile phone meeting a targeting criterion and the discounts are determined using the targeting criterion. Mobile phone users that do not meet the targeting criterion are not eligible for the discount. Because the discounts can be targeted to each individual consumer, there can be a better correlation between consumers' interests and the transmitted discounts. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110035267 | AFFILIATE MANIPULATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - An affiliate manipulation system that permits consumers, ISPs, search engines and intermediaries to maximize affiliate program participation in transactions by or through them. The affiliate manipulation system accesses an affiliate-capable merchant through the Internet at the direction of a buyer or consumer through an ISP or search engine. An affiliate code for a preferred commercial agent is inserted into the purchase order. The preferred commercial agent is the buyer or consumer, ISP, search engine or other designated recipient. When the buyer initiates a purchase from the affiliate-capable merchant, the system inserts the affiliate code for the preferred commercial agent where there was no affiliate code, or replaces an existing affiliate code in favor of the preferred commercial agent. A purchase order is effected through the affiliate-capable merchant. The order is completed and credit for the sale is given to the preferred commercial agent, based upon the affiliate code. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110054989 | Methods for Providing Network Marketing and Revenue Sharing to Participants of an Electronic Marketplace System - A method of sharing marketplace revenue includes recognizing revenue generated from the sale of an item supplied to the marketplace by a first marketplace participant and apportioning the revenue to at least a second marketplace participant associated with the first marketplace participant. A computer based system for implementing the foregoing method is also described herein. The system may include a marketplace server connected to a telecommunications network and configured to exchange electronic communications over the network with a plurality of participants and a plurality customers. The system may further include a datastore communicatively coupled to the server configured to store listings of goods and services being offered on the marketplace, the marketplace participant associated with each of the goods and services, transaction details of the sale of items from the listing of goods and services, and a recruitment network identifying recruitment associations between the plurality of participants. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110060632 | METHODS FOR ADDRESS BOOK SYNCHRONIZATION AND SUBSCRIPTION STATUS NOTIFICATION - The various disclosed techniques and equipment relate to synchronizing a subscriber's address books located in a portal and in the subscriber's mobile station, determining the subscription status of a directory number of another party with whom the subscriber intends to communicate, and/or for enabling the subscriber to make a referral to another party who might not be a qualified subscriber. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110060633 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RAPIDLY SOURCING RESUMES FOR AN EMPLOYMENT WEBSITE - The invention discloses an on line incentive-based method for implementing a process innovation, to rapidly source resumes from job-seekers in a cost-effective manner for an employment website and in particular, to reach out to job seekers easily for allowing them to upload their resumes and maintain them online. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110071889 | Location-Aware Retail Application - A method and apparatus are disclosed for potentially increasing sales of a retail organization using location-based technology. The illustrative embodiment comprises a location-aware application that can infer when a first customer is potentially interested in purchasing a particular item during a visit to a retail location, and can infer when there is a second customer at the retail location who is familiar with that item (e.g., a customer who previously purchased that item, etc.). When such a match occurs, the second customer is notified of the presence of the first customer, and of the first customer's potential interest in purchasing the item, and is encouraged to provide assistance to the first customer (e.g., discuss features of the item with the first customer, discuss advantages of the item in comparison to other items, etc.). | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110071890 | System and method for bundled selling of goods and services at a prepaid fixed price using the internet - A system and method for bundled selling of goods or service at a prepaid fixed price to a plurality of individual buyers in one transaction by an aggregation of demand using the Internet. A seller communicates with a controller and a conditional sales offer is broadcast for a minimum quantity of a product or service at a fixed price within a defined time period. The broadcast offer is received by a plurality of individual buyers who collectively communicate a willingness to purchase at the fixed price by accepting the offer and making a form of monetary payment. The buyers are encouraged to promote the product to friends to meet the required order quantity and reduce marketing costs for the seller. Preferably no user accounts, no user registration, and no Shopping Carts are employed so as to avoid registration abandonment and Shopping Cart abandonment. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110071891 | TRACKING OF PEER CONTENT DISTRIBUTION - Method and network node for enhancing tracking of peer distribution of a content in a network comprising receiving, from a first subscriber, a request to forward the content to a second subscriber, the request comprising a content identifier and logging in a record the content identifier and an identifier of the first subscriber and, optionally an identifier of the second subscriber. Optional aspects include, following the step of receiving the request, generating a license key related to the content and valid for the second subscriber, sending the license key towards the second subscriber and providing the content to the second subscriber. Other optional aspects include locating the record and providing an incentive to the first subscriber or adjusting a charging record of the content provider. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110082730 | UNIFIED SUBSCRIPTION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REWARDING LOCAL SHOPPER LOYALTY AND PLATFORM FOR TRANSITIONING PUBLISHERS - A purchase-transaction-settled online consumer referral and reward system and method using real-time specific merchant sales information is provided for the advertising publishing industry. The system provides a pay per transaction platform that allows advertising publishers to monetize online and offline print media advertising by tracking and linking ad acceptance events to consummated consumer purchases and reward loyalty of consumers with subscription credits. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110093320 | System and Method for Providing Advertising to a Wireless User Device - A system and method for providing wireless service includes a user device and a service provider. The service provider communicates the advertisement to the user device. The user device has a display control module that generates a first screen display at the user device comprising the advertisement and a lockout module that locks at least some device functions. The user device includes a user interface that interacts with the advertisement on the first screen display and allows access to the data or voice function. The service provider may provide a wireless service plan having a rate based upon receiving advertisements and interacting with the advertisements. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110093321 | CARBON CREDIT EXCHANGE AND MARKETING SYSTEM - A carbon exchange system includes a web-based server computer having hardware an operating system and a memory operably associated therewith and is operably connected to the Internet, and carbon credit exchange software (CCES) operably disposed on the memory and accessible through the operating system, wherein the CCES provides a domain for registering as a carbon sequestering tree provider wherein the carbon sequestering tree provider is required to enter data corresponding to geographic location for the carbon sequestering tree (geographic data “G”) and data corresponding to a number of trees (tree data “T”), where upon so doing the CCES manipulates the data to provide a “carbon sequestration average” (CSA) amount data corresponding to the entered data entered corresponding to a predetermined number of tons of oxygen (O | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110125562 | Methods of Arranging Contracts for Wedding-Related Goods and/or Services - A method of arranging contracts for wedding-related goods and/or services through an Internet-based platform wherein advertising vendors pay a fee only if a contract is entered into with customers of the advertising vendors. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110125563 | Systems and Methods for Reducing Environmental Impact Using Filtered Water Alternatives - A method of reducing environmental impact by providing filtered water alternatives at various locations within grounds of an institution is provided. The method includes providing a branded filtered water system to an institution. The branded filtered water system including a plurality of portable, reusable water containers and a network of point-of-use water filtration devices to be placed at various locations within the institution. The point-of-use water filtration devices are interrelated by branding the point-of-use water filtration devices to provide a visual association with the filtered water system. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110131085 | Method, System and Computer Program Product for Advertising Supported Matchmaking Services - A method, system and computer program product for advertising supported matchmaking services includes logging onto a matchmaking service website for accessing a basic set of matchmaking functionalities. Completing at least one specified action on the first matchmaking service website generally assists the matchmaking service website in increasing revenue. Receiving incentive points, associated with the completing of the at least one specified action, encourages a generally consistent and generally productive use of the matchmaking service website. A list of premium matchmaking functionalities enhances a use of the matchmaking service website, wherein use of each of the premium matchmaking functionalities requires a predetermined number of the incentive points. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110145045 | MONETARY DISTRIBUTION OF BEHAVIORAL DEMOGRAPHICS AND FAN-SUPPORTED DISTRIBUTION OF COMMERCIAL CONTENT - A method includes identifying a media file for distribution and identifying a plurality of commercial messages as possible content that can be associated with the media file when it is distributed. Votes from a plurality of customers can be received, with each vote reflecting a customer's preference for at least one of the plurality of commercial messages. The votes can be calculated and at least one preferred commercial message can be designated based on the calculation. At least one preferred commercial message can be associated with the media file to create a combined media file and the combined media file can be distributed and/or made available for distribution. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110161148 | Method and system for providing incentives - A method for obtaining new users of an online system within a socially networked environment. New users are registered and associated with a registered user. A status level is formed as a function of the number of new users associated with the registered user. The status level can have thresholds, or depends on the status level of the associated registered users. Incentive rewards can be determined based on the status level. The status level of each registered user can be visible to each other user thereby forming a social environment based status level. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110173056 | COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES FOR PROMOTING BUSINESSES - Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for helping businesses increase word of mouth marketing/advertising and manage relationships with their customers. Embodiments are also directed to helping businesses quantify the effect of the generated word of mouth marketing/advertising. Certain embodiments provide incentives for customers to write online reviews of the businesses they patronize. Customers can also refer businesses to a review, profile and marketing management system through which the businesses can purchase additional marketing services, which may include providing the referred businesses: (1) access to a review module to respond to customer reviews posted to the system, (2) the ability to provide special offers to customers who have signed up with the system to generate additional reviews, and (3) content data posted on the system (e.g. web viewable content) in which basic information of the businesses is integrated with the reviews. In one embodiment, the content data is optimized to achieve high search engine rankings. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110173057 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A DYNAMIC NETWORKED COMMERCE ARCHITECTURE - One embodiment of the present invention provides systems and methods, which allow a more efficient shopping experience. A cascading commerce menu provides access to a plurality of product, service, and/or content categories. In one embodiment, the cascading commerce menu is stored on a client computer, thereby providing quick access to the menu. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110184794 | REFERRAL INCENTIVE SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and method for providing referral based incentive awards for a moving company. The system includes storage means for electronically storing a plurality of client referral records. Each of the plurality of client referral records preferably includes a plurality of metadata fields identifying a referring client's name, a referred customer's name and information relating to a status of the move task associated with the referred customer's name. The system further includes processor means coupled to the storage means for processing each of the client referral records to determine if an incentive award is due a referring client. An incentive award may be due based at least upon a change in status of a move task in the metadata associated with a referred customer's name. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110184795 | Mobile Marketing - A method for mobile marketing includes, with a mobile computing device, requesting an electronic benefit an entity associated with a mobile marketing system, receiving a first electronic benefit from the entity in response to the request, and receiving a second electronic benefit in response to sharing the first benefit. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110196724 | CONSUMER-ORIENTED COMMERCE FACILITATION SERVICES, APPLICATIONS, AND DEVICES - A consumer-oriented commerce facilitation (COCF) server provides a service that enables a provider to establish a provider profile and enables a consumer to establish a consumer profile. The service accesses a provider profile database and a consumer profile and provides a COCF client application that enables the consumer to maintain: preferred provider information, consumer list information indicating products associated with the consumer, payment account information indicating sources of payment for a purchase transaction, and community information identifying members of a consumer community members. The application enables a consumer to access a preferred provider user interface (UI) that provides links to storefront UIs. The UI enables the consumer to browse and purchase products offered by the provider. The application also enables a consumer to share selectable portions of the consumer profile with selected preferred providers and share a selectable portion of the consumer profile with a consumer selected subset of the consumer community. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110196725 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AWARDING CUSTOMERS FOR REFERRALS - This invention discloses a novel system and method for implementing an electronic customer referral service that both checks that the new customer is distinct from the referring customer and tracks the referral so that the old customer gets credit for their referred new customer's action. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110196726 | System of Artist Referral and Media Selling, Promoting and Networking - A referral system and method for promoting, networking and selling media, preferably music, operated by an artist registered in the website and a participant, in which the participant uses a social networking website that facilitates the participant to access a plurality of means to obtain income by referring other participants. The participant may be an artist or a fan of the artist. The participant can sign up into the website and pays a fee to purchase music or other media from other artists in the website. A portion of the income will be distributed to the artists, and a percentage from the portion of the income will be earned by the system. Income generated by each artist depends on the number of participants who join the referral system. Artists have the opportunity to upload media that may be purchased by other participants or artists. Fans can earn income through referrals. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110208572 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A REFFERAL REWARD INCENTIVE FOR AN ITEM VIA A NETWORKING WEBSITE - A computer-implemented method for providing a referral reward incentive via a networking website is described. Registration information for an item that is associated with a reward may be received. Information relating to an item purchased by a first subscriber of the networking website may be displayed. A recommendation for the purchased item may be posted from the first subscriber to a second subscriber of the networking website. The reward may be distributed to the first subscriber if the second subscriber purchases the item based on the recommendation received from the first subscriber. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110213646 | WEB-BASED REVIEW SYSTEM TO ENABLE SALES REFERRALS AND COMMISSIONS IN DISTRIBUTED ENVIRONMENTS - A network based review management system and method for managing a plurality of enrolled websites and a plurality of review content items includes a network, a first database of enrolled websites connected to the network, and a second database of review content items connected to the network. Each of the enrolled websites of the first database is associated with one or more review content items of the second database. When one of the enrolled websites is accessed over the network, the one or more review content items from the second database are delivered over the network to the accessed one of the enrolled websites for viewing thereof and/or one or more review content items is added over the network to the second database through the accessed one of the enrolled websites. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110218846 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING REFERRALS AMONG A PLURALITY OF MEMBERS OF A SOCIAL NETWORK - Systems and methods are provided for tracking referrals among a plurality of members of a social network. A data storage is created to store member information for the plurality of members. Relationships between the plurality of members are determined using the member information in the data storage. A data structure is created to show relationships between the plurality of members. Member events are received for the plurality of members. In response to a purchasing member of the plurality of members making a purchase, determining one or more members contributing to the purchase based on the member events and the data structure. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110218847 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURE DISTRIBUTION AND TRACKING OF INFORMATION VIA MULTIPLE SOCIAL NETWORKS - A method and system for secure distribution and tracking of information and content of a third party via multiple social networks is described. The invention takes information and content marked to be promoted by a third party using an online application, and distributes and promotes the information to the social networks of everyone who is signed up as an ‘ambassador’ for that third party. When published, the information and content includes a personalized link associated with each ambassador to social network combination. Via the nature of social networks, this information is additionally redistributed into the users who are associated with those ambassadors in their social networks. As those users follow the personalized links back to the promoted information and content, the source ambassador to social network combination gets recorded and statistics about that user's viewing of the information and content are recorded. The online application records relevant statistics that the third party requires, and this information is then compiled into real time reports that detail the path that the promoted information and content traveled to drive users to the promoted information and content, as well as any resultant actions such as pages viewed, purchases made or items downloaded. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110225029 | Method For Compensating Subscribers to a Network Upon Which Works of Authorship Are Published - A method is provided for compensating subscribers to a network upon which works of authorship are published. The method comprises (a) providing a network having a plurality of subscribers; (b) publishing to the network works of authorship created by subscribers; and (c) compensating subscribers based on the number of times a work of authorship created by the subscriber is downloaded by other members of the network. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110246271 | FLEXIBLE SHIP SCHEDULES AND DEMAND AGGREGATION - Electronic buying and selling systems and methods are provided. In particular, relations among distinct price curves and buyers or potential buyers are disclosed. For instance, a price offered to a system user can vary based on total volume of all people aggregating in private environments, cumulative total order by user, ship date, optimal time, as well as terms and conditions associated with the offer (e.g., no cancellation of order, cancellation possible, payment method . . . ). | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110251881 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AMOUNT CALCULATION - Methods and systems for amount calculation are described. In one embodiment, a determination that a participant has a referral relationship with a first merchant may be made. A first processing fee of the first merchant may be obtained. The first processing fee may be based on a payment volume of the first merchant. A second processing fee of the second merchant may be obtained. The second processing fee may be based on the payment volume of the second merchant. A rebate amount for the participant may be calculated based on the first processing fee, the second processing fee, and a determination that the participant has the referral relationship with the first merchant. Additional methods and systems are disclosed. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110258025 | PAYMENT MODEL WITH ENDORSEMENTS - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing compensation. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request for an advertisement, and identifying an advertisement responsive to the request, wherein a good or service associated with the advertisement is associated with an endorsement provided by an endorser. The advertisement is provided in response to the request. An indication of a selection of the advertisement is received, and compensation is provided to the endorser upon receiving the indication of the selection of the advertisement. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110258026 | ADVERTISING VIEWING AND REFERRAL INCENTIVE SYSTEM - An advertising referral incentive system encourages users to interact with advertisements by providing payment to original users for interaction with advertisements and interaction by users referred by original users. The payment may be monetary and also entries into a jackpot. Advertisers may select users based on demographic information provided by users and pay for the users they reach. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110264495 | AGGREGATION OF TAGGED MEDIA ITEM INFORMATION - In one embodiment, media items can be identified as being of interest (i.e., “tagged”) as they are being played, and this information can then be sent to a tag aggregator, which aggregates tags from multiple types of devices. The tag aggregator can be located on the same device as a tagging application on which the media items are tagged, or alternatively it can be located on a different device. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110276375 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING REFERRALS - Web-based methods and systems enable businesses to obtain customer referrals from customers. Businesses may offer incentives to customers to provide information on prospective customers. The business may then contact the prospective customer and request approval to market to the prospective customer. The prospective customer may indicate approval, permitting the business to market to them directly. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110276376 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING MULTIPLE INCENTIVES FOR JOB REFERRALS - Systems and methods as described herein provide for a professional talent management platform and associated interfaces. Embodiments provide for registering one platform members, listing open positions, accepting referrals for the positions from the platform members, and providing incentive rewards to the members for qualified referrals and/or other qualifying platform interactions. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110282722 | NETWORKED REFERRAL SYSTEM - Method and system for a referral system is provided. The method includes: (a) creating a vendor account for linking a vendor system with the referral system, the vendor system used for offering a vendor product and service; (b) establishing a referral rule based on which a user earns an amount from using the referral system; (c) establishing a threshold value based on which a user is permitted to redeem the amount earned by using the referral system; (d) creating a user account with the referral system that allows the user to electronically refer another entity to buy the vendor product and service; (e) sending an invitation to the another entity on behalf of the user, wherein the referral system sends the invite on the user's behalf with a review of the user's experience with vendor product and service. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110302009 | Referring, Lending, and Reselling of Digital Items - Digital items may be referred, lent, or resold via a computing architecture that supports a secondary market for such items, as well as the economic models to support the secondary market. In one scenario, a lender may lend a digital item to another person, and if that person purchases the digital item following a trial period, the lender is given a referral fee. In another scenario, rights holders of one digital item are paid a referral fee for any sales of other digital items that arise due to purchasers acting on a reference contained in the digital item. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110313832 | PRICING IN SOCIAL ADVERTISING - Online recommendations are tracked through a forwarding service. The forwarding service can provide such statistics to an ad service, which can provide incentives to the recommending user and a consuming user. Example incentives may include an accumulation of points by the recommending user, a discount to the consuming user if a purchase is made in response to the recommendation, etc. To determine how much of an incentive each participant in the recommendation flow receives, a graph is created to model the recommendation flow and incentives are allocated using a cooperative game description based on this graph that associates each participant with a power index that represents that participants share of the incentive. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110313833 | RECONSTRUCTING THE ONLINE FLOW OF RECOMMENDATIONS - Online recommendations are tracked through a forwarding service. For example, a user may send an email to a friend recommending a product specified at a web site identified by a URI embedded in the email. Before sending the email, the user submits the URI to a forwarding service, which returns a new URI mapped to the original URI and to the recommending user. The recommending user can then recommend the web site by forwarding the new URI to the friend. If the friend selects the recommended URI to review the web site, the forwarding service records the decision to review the web site and directs the friend to the recommended web site. The forwarding service maintains a database of recommendations made by the recommending user, recommendation consumed by the friend, etc. Incentives can be provided to the recommending user and the friend to encourage recommendations. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110313834 | ELICITING SOCIAL SEARCH RESPONSES FROM SPONSORING AGENTS - A user may submit to a set of users a query relating to a commercial transaction, and may evaluate the responses provided therefrom. However, the set of users may include vendors or their representatives who might present inaccurate or misleading information in order to persuade the user to purchase the product, or may provide low-quality and impersonal advertisements for a product that do not particularly relate to the query or the user. Instead, the query may be offered to agents who can provide relevant responses, and a response from an agent may be provided to the user in exchange for a response fee charged to the agent. This cost model may promote selectivity and high relevance to the query in the submission of responses from knowledgeable responders, thereby eliciting higher-value responses to the query for the user and financial sponsorship to cover the operating costs of the agent network. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110320250 | ADVERTISING PRODUCTS TO GROUPS WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKS - Within a social network, users may form social groups based on shared traits, such as experiences and interests. The social network may be able to detect a user interest among the users of a social group in one or more products offered by one or more vendors (e.g., by evaluating conversations within the social group and search queries executed by users of the social group), and to notify the vendors of the detected user interest. The vendors may be willing to extend an offer to the users of the social group regarding the product, and the social network may present the offer to the users of the social group. The social network may also track acceptances of the offer by users of the social group, and may provide an e-commerce infrastructure to allow users to complete purchases of the product and to provide the rewards featured in the offers. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120010929 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MARKETING - A method for marketing and system for marketing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for marketing a product includes identifying the product at a mobile device associated with a user, and generating a message indicative of an endorsement of the product by the user, the generating being performed at least in part by way of the mobile device. The method further includes causing, by way of the mobile device, a sending of the message to at least one receiving device associated with at least one personal social contact of the user. Due to the causing, a seller of the product is also notified that the sending of the message has occurred. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120010930 | METHODS FOR AUTHENTICATING A PURCHASE USING LOCATION BASED MOBILE SERVICE - In various embodiments, a rewards program may provide users with rewards for transacting with a merchant. In various embodiments, the transactions are validated before a user is allowed to receive a reward. In various embodiments, a mobile device is used to validate a transaction. In various embodiments, a mobile device may store an indication of a user's progress towards earning a reward. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120010931 | MOBILE PHONE BASED MOBILE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP LOYALTY METHODOLOGY AND SERVICING SYSTEM WITH INSTANT ANALYTICS FEATURES THEREOF - A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty servicing system and method thereof which involves media such as SMS, e-mail, instant messenger or a notification to a mobile application or website as well to identify and communicate with the customer in a customer friendly manner. It includes a unique code based operation and special feature of instant analytics for the customer, points/voucher validation and redemption, incentivized referral program, integrated campaigns and the like right at the POS terminal at client outlet enabling real time integration, analytics and communication. The system involving Mobile phones/like mobile operative devices of the end users/customers, at least one client component at the retail/sales outlets and a server component comprising an MCRLP main server system for operative connection to said one client component for customer relationship and loyalty servicing. The Customer interacts with the system and his behavior is modeled. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120029987 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSUMER-SELECTED ADVERTISING AND BRANDING IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA - A user of an interactive medium may select advertising for display on the user's avatar, property, or other user-associated environment. The invention presents one or more advertisements to the user and allows the user to select at least one advertisement to display. The user may also choose a location for displaying the selected advertisement. The invention presents the selected advertisement to other users of the interactive medium. The invention tracks these presentations or displays and rewards the original user based on the presentation. The tracking data may also be used to bill the advertiser or optimize the process of selecting and displaying advertisements. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120029988 | Method and System for Triggering Network Access - The present invention makes it possible that devices are triggered by RF signals and the owner of the RF chip responsible for the triggering can receive a financial compensation for this. Hereto a method and a system for triggering a first-device by a RF signal and logging the triggering are presented. The system comprises a RF chip of a first party. The first device comprises communication means for receiving a RF signal from the RF chip and communication means for communicating with a network or server of a second party. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120035996 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR INCENTIVIZED SUPERDISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT - Apparatus and methods for providing an incentive-based system for the superdistribution of content, which include one or more communications devices transmitting one or more referral messages relating to the content. Further, the apparatus and methods include the communications devices ordering content from across the network based on the referral messages, where a reward is generated for one or more referring devices based on the one or more referral messages. Additionally, the application of privacy and authentication mechanisms protects the privacy and verifies the identities of the parties involved in the trans action. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120041807 | INCENTIVE-BASED SERVER COOPERATION SYSTEM, INCENTIVE-BASED SERVER COOPERATION METHOD AND INCENTIVE-BASED SERVER COOPERATION PROGRAM - Only a limited number of service servers have been provided with the function of feeding back profits obtained through cooperation of multiple service servers to developers of cooperation modules and business entities running the service servers as incentives. In the present invention, a cooperation server for achieving cooperation between the service servers includes: a business entity data storage means for storing business entity data of the respective service servers; a cooperation module storage means for storing cooperation modules used for achieving cooperation between the service servers; a developer data storage means for storing developer data related to developers of the cooperation modules; a cooperation history storage means for storing cooperation history data of the cooperation modules; and an incentive settlement means for performing calculation of amounts of incentives and payment of the incentives. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120047008 | Selective Distribution Of Rewards - A computer implemented method and system for selectively distributing rewards to a user is provided. A rewards management platform is provided for managing the rewards of the user. The rewards management platform compensates the user with the rewards based on one or more activities, for example, confirming viewing of multimedia content, referring the multimedia content to other users, etc., performed by the user on the rewards management platform. The user selects one or more of multiple deposit accounts associated with the user via a graphical user interface for allocating one or more of the rewards. Each of the deposit accounts is associated with a conversion rate. The rewards management platform establishes an electronic connection to each of the selected deposit accounts via a communication network. The rewards management platform distributes the allocated rewards to the selected deposit accounts based on the conversion rate via the established electronic connection. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120059700 | INCENTIVIZED PEER-TO-PEER CONTENT AND ROYALTY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - An incentivized peer-to-peer content and royalty distribution system is disclosed. This system may distribute contents including, without limitation, music files and other playable formats, videos, e-News, eZines, eBooks, software, applications, learning tools, and other types of content. The system allows users to support a product, content or artist not available through traditional distribution systems such as brick-and-mortar retailers, online retailers, and also allows users to market, promote, or solicit other users, buyers and/or promoters to license, buy or use the content they are supporting and to share in the royalties collected from the plurality of purchases occurring within the peer-to-peer, informal distribution chain. Further, the distribution system may reward users who are successful in convincing other users to license or purchase the product or content based at least in part on use and analysis of metadata associated with content transferred within an informal distribution chain. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120072274 | REFERRAL AWARD SYSTEM FOR PORTABLE DEVICES - The system allows a user to use a portable capture device to identify a product that is being examined by the user at a merchant's location. The identity of the merchant is also captured by the system before or after the examination of the product. If the user or a party affiliated with the user subsequently purchases the product from a source other than the merchant where the product was examined, the system compensates the merchant where the product was examined under a referral award program. Awards under the referral award program can take a variety of forms, including cash, advertising credit, or manufacturer rebates. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120078696 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS AND PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE TO PURCHASE TRAVEL SERVICES - Generating a commission for a passport photo provider by identifying a group of people that are about to travel in the near future, providing the customers with an incentive to purchase a travel service and a token to identify the passport photo provider, the customer purchasing a travel service, and the travel service provider transmitting a commission to the passport photo provider. The incentive is a discount on a travel service, such as travel insurance. The token is a uniform resource locator (URL) with a file path on the end for identifying the source of the incentive or a coupon code. The token and the incentive are printed on a brochure that also contains passport photos. If the customer makes a subsequent purchase of travel services, the passport photo provider receives an additional commission. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120089447 | Method and System for Promoting Products and Projects - A computer-implemented system and method comprise obtaining from a potential user a favorite selection of viewed presentations. User registration information is obtained from the potential user. Registration confirmation that the potential user has been accepted as a registered user and the registered user is entered into a contest is received. A message inviting potential users to view a presentation, become a registered user and participate in the contest, at least one contact name and an address for the contact name is obtained from the registered user. The message is sent to the contact name at the address. Status information at least indicating contacts accepting the invitation, points awarded in the contest for the acceptances and prizes available in exchange for points is received. A selection of at least one prize to be redeemed with the registered user's points is received from the registered user. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120095818 | BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE - A business card directory system to provide a member access to an online business network that includes a server computing device that includes a member interface module and a database and an input device that is coupleable to the server computer device. The system also includes a processor system with a member interface module that is adaptive to receive the first data indicative of one or more paper based business cards and a computer program product stored on a computer usable medium that operates in combination with the processor system and a user interface module adapted to receive the first data and to present the web user interface. There is also a pair of methods for providing a business card directory. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120109728 | INCENTIVES FOR MEDIA SHARING - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing incentives for media sharing. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request from a first user to share a media item with a second user, and providing the second user with access to the media item. The method includes determining that the second user has performed an action related to the media item, and in response to determining that the second user has performed the action related to the media item, accessing a referral attribute associated with the first user, the referral attribute being related to the action. The method includes comparing the referral attribute to a reference value, based on comparing the referral attribute to the reference value, determining an amount of referral credit, and providing the determined amount of referral credit to the first user. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120123837 | SOCIAL NETWORK SHOPPING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method and computer system for combining functions of social networking and shopping are disclosed. In one embodiment, a server stores user information including information concerning products recommended by a user. The user may notify a friend or a group of people of a recommended product and receive credit when a friend or member of the group purchases a product based on the recommendation. A user may also take guests on a virtual shopping tour, in which different virtual stores may be visited and different products may be discussed and purchased. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120123838 | INCENTIVES FOR MEDIA SHARING - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing incentives for media sharing. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request from a first user to share a media item with a second user, and providing the second user with access to the media item. The method includes determining that the second user has performed an action related to the media item, and in response to determining that the second user has performed the action related to the media item, accessing a referral attribute associated with the first user, the referral attribute being related to the action. The method includes comparing the referral attribute to a reference value, based on comparing the referral attribute to the reference value, determining an amount of referral credit, and providing the determined amount of referral credit to the first user. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120123839 | System and Method for Providing Advertising to a Wireless User Device - A system and method for providing wireless service includes a user device and a service provider. The service provider communicates the advertisement to the user device. The user device has a display control module that generates a first screen display at the user device comprising the advertisement and a lockout module that locks at least some device functions. The user device includes a user interface that interacts with the advertisement on the first screen display and allows access to the data or voice function. The service provider may provide a wireless service plan having a rate based upon receiving advertisements and interacting with the advertisements. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120130784 | PROMOTING GROUP DEALS ON THE INTERNET - A system and method of promoting group deals on the Internet, which includes providing an Internet-based platform, the platform including a step for individuals to join, wherein individuals who join are designated as members of the Internet-based platform. The system also provides a step for members to invite merchants to join the platform and to offer deals on the platform. Members receive awards for influencing members to join as well as for influencing other members to purchase deals. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120136703 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ORGANIZING REFERRALS - A method and system for organizing referrals from at least one referrer to at least one referee for the purchase of products sold by merchants. The present invention further provides that referrers are compensated when a referee buys a specific product from a specific merchant that was referred to the referee by the referrer. Referrers and merchants, and optionally referees, are able to register with an online site to create a unique profile. For merchants, the unique profile will enable merchants to track products that are referable. For referrers, the unique profile will enable them to track which products they have referred to one or more referees. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120143664 | REWARD METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USERS OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE - The present invention relates to methods and systems of providing rewards for users of electronic commerce making donations to non profit using such rewards. The methods include creating a unique user identification and tracking the Users spending at various affiliates. The User rewards is based on the amount of spending at the affiliate. Rewards may also be given to the Referrer based on the spending of the referred User. | 06-07-2012 |
| 20120143665 | INFLUENCE ON AND PREDICTION ABOUT CONSUMPTION OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING MUSIC - An influence tracking system may track influence on multimedia content selections. A popularity prediction identification system may identify sources that accurately predict the popularity of a product or service. A recommendation system may recommend products or services of a particular type. | 06-07-2012 |
| 20120150598 | SOCIAL RETAIL REFERRAL CONTROL APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS - The SOCIAL-REF transforms user submission of a share item and/or via SOCIAL-REF components into referral fee payments. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed, including: receiving a share item via a share channel from a user; determining a share target for the received share item based on share item characteristics and user specified sharing criteria; generating a share message including the share item in accordance with the user specified sharing criteria; distributing the share message via the share channel to the share target; tracking the share target activity usage; determining, a referral reward to the user based on the tracked share target activity usage; and facilitating a payment of the determined referral reward from an associated sponsor to the user. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120158476 | Social Marketing Manager - A social marketing manager may facilitate marketing campaigns in online social networks by creating and monitoring campaigns, as well as facilitating online social interactions. A campaign manager may create a campaign and define various operational parameters. A recruitment system may identify social influencers through which the campaign may be started, and a promotion manager may create and track objects that may be passed to participants in the campaign. An analysis and monitoring system may determine the overall effectiveness of the campaign and provide feedback, payments to participants, or other results of the campaign. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120166261 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DYNAMIC COUPON SHARING - An approach for enabling a purchaser to dynamically direct retail offers to peers within their social network based on a purchase transaction is described. A deal sharing platform maintains a list of one or more items and associated cost information corresponding to a financial transaction conducted with a vendor system. The deal sharing platform retrieves from the list an offer relating to the items based on the transaction and a selection criteria for a predetermined group of one or more recipients specified by a user. An option to distribute the offer to the predetermined group is then initiated for presentation on a communication device of the user. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120166262 | ENGAGEMENT AND PAYMENT PROCESSING PLATFORM - An engagement and payment processing platform is disclosed. Within the platform, entities and processes interact with an engagement management system to manage transactions, compensation events, consumer profiles, etc. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120166263 | CUSTOMER INTRODUCTION SUPPORT SYSTEM - This invention is to present a support system preferably utilized in sales promotions of items by introductions. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120173322 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROVIDE REFERRAL REWARDS VIA MOBILE DEVICES - Systems and methods to reward referrals via mobile communications are described. In one aspect, a system includes an interchange and a data storage facility storing a value in association with a first phone number. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the common format processor in a common format and with the controllers in different formats. The common format processor is configured to use one converter of the plurality of converters to communicate with a first mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm a payment request and identify the second phone number. In response to confirmation of the payment request, the common format processor rewards the user of the second mobile phone via a code representing a benefit. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120179525 | ELECTRONIC COUPON DISTRIBUTION AND REDEMPTION VIA ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION - A computer-implemented method for redeeming an electronic coupon comprises receiving on a transmit device the electronic coupon that includes an embedded identifier that indexes coupon data; playing the identifier of the electronic coupon over air from a speaker of the transmit device in proximity to a receive device; decoding the identifier in response to the receive device receiving the audio signal over the air; and using the identifier to access the coupon data including purchase discount information. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120179526 | MULTIPLE PRICE CURVES AND ATTRIBUTES - The subject invention relates to electronic buying and selling systems and methods. In particular, the invention concerns relations among distinct price curves, price curve attributes (i.e., factors of the offer that can affect the price curves) and buyers or potential buyers. For instance, a price offered to a system user can vary based on total volume of all people aggregating in private environments, cumulative total order by user, ship date, optimal time, as well as terms and conditions associated with the offer (e.g., no cancellation of order, cancellation possible, payment method . . . ). | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120191515 | Method For Connecting Consumers For Providing Shopping Advice - Disclosed is a method that facilitates an interaction platform for exchanges of user-to-user advice which has the steps of providing a network; providing a host computer system where the host computer is connected to the network and the host computer provides an interaction platform for one or more advice provider to provide advice regarding one or more products to one or more advice receivers and the advice is provided to the advice receiver via the interaction platform where the host computer further provides a database storing one or more attributes of the advice provider and one or more attributes of the advice receiver. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120191516 | DISTRIBUTED APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING CLIENT REFERRALS AND REFERRAL FEES - An apparatus configured with software to create a geographical distributed referral system, assign a monetary value to referrals and to efficiently process direct cash payments to the referral source without requiring that of the referral source have knowledge about a particular provider of goods and services which will fulfill the referral. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120203603 | Discounted Deal Pricing - A system and method that facilitates e-commerce volume pricing is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, the system includes an offers and orders component that receives and aggregates orders for a product from a plurality of buyers. The system also includes a logistics component that determines a shipping price for the product for a subset of the plurality of buyers. The shipping price is determined at least in part upon the subset of buyers sharing a shipping method. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which buyers within an aggregated purchasing group may be subject to different pricing structures for the same product. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120209674 | SOCIAL MARKETING INCENTIVES AND REWARDS - A social marketing system may reward and incentivize participants, and may also have a fraud detection system. The manager may create social marketing campaigns that may be simulated to determine an expected set of activities, which may be compared to an actual set of activities. A fraud detection system may detect abnormal activity and may bring the activity to a manager's attention and may also punish the participants by withholding rewards, lowering the participant's reputation, or some other punishment mechanism. | 08-16-2012 |
| 20120209675 | Methods and Systems for Retail Customer Referral Compensation Programs - Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to business methods and systems for retail marketing, and specifically to retail customer referral compensation programs for using performance driven criteria to award production points for determining a referring customer's position in a performance driven floating compensation structure and matching bonus plan in a retail marketing organization | 08-16-2012 |
| 20120209676 | Methods and Systems for Retail Customer Referral Compensation Programs - Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to business methods and systems for retail marketing, and specifically to Retail Customer Referral Compensation Programs for using Performance-Driven criteria to award Production Points for determining a Referring Customer's position in a Performance-Driven Floating Matrix compensation and matching bonus plan in a retail marketing organization. | 08-16-2012 |
| 20120209677 | PERSON-2-PERSON SOCIAL NETWORK MARKETING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS - The PERSON-2-PERSON SOCIAL NETWORK MARKETING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“SNM”) transform requests for on-demand and flexible monetization and related services via SNM components into currency transfers, purchase receipt notifications, social networking communications and transaction analytics reports. In some embodiments, the SNM obtains a product purchase request for a product. In some embodiments, the product purchase request may include an identifier of a user who made a communication about the product. The SNM may parse the product purchase request to extract the identifier of the user who made the communication about the product. Also, the SNM may query a database for an account of the user using the extracted identifier. In response to successful completion of processing of the product purchase request, the SNM may generate a request to provide the account of the user with a credit. | 08-16-2012 |
| 20120209678 | METHOD OF MARKETING AND PROMOTING FIRST AID KIT - A method of distributing first aid kits includes providing a tool to a user. The tool includes a first list and a second list. The first list includes a plurality of different environments, and the second list includes a plurality of different first aid kits. Each of the plurality of environments is correlated to individual ones of the plurality of first aid kits. The tool identifies one of the plurality of first aid kits that is appropriate for use in a corresponding one of the plurality of environments. The method also includes receiving a communication from the user that the one of the plurality of first aid kits is desired. Furthermore, the method includes transferring to the user the one of the plurality of first aid kits. | 08-16-2012 |
| 20120215603 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING MERCHANT DISCOUNT DEALS HAVING PHILANTHROPIC ADVERTISING AND ASSOCIATED DONATIONS TO AN ORGANIZATION - A method and system for generating one or more merchant discount deals having philanthropic advertising and associated donations to one or more organizations. The method includes selecting one or more merchant offers and selecting the one or more organizations. Additionally, the method includes creating the one or more merchant discount deals using a processor of a computing device, by associating an offer of the one or more offers with an organization of the one or more organizations, wherein each merchant discount deal has an associated discount to a user and a base donation amount to one of the one or more organizations and displaying the one or more merchant discount deals. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20120215604 | SYSTEM AND METHOD INCLUDING REFERRAL PROCESSING - A system and method to enable an account owner, such as a user of a pre-paid card, to invite another person to become a user of a pre-paid card. The account owner may find a person to “invite” based on the owner's email, contact list, social network contacts, or another suitable source of data. If the person receiving the invitation to apply for and open a pre-paid account opens such an account, then the person sending the invitation may receive an award or reward. In some cases, the person receiving the invitation may also receive an award or reward. The amount of the award or reward may depend on one or more factors, including the number of times the new account owner loads their pre-paid card, the number of transactions that the new account owner conducts using the pre-paid card, etc. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20120221387 | SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES FOR REFERRING ADVERTISEMENTS AND DEALS - A system for incentivizing sharing advertisements (“ads”) and associated deals with others includes a processor programmed to transmit to a user, for display in an application window of a communication device of a user, an advertisement and an associated deal with an economic incentive for sharing the advertisement with first persons in a social network of the user. The system tracks and stores referral activity by the first persons in the social network of the user in relation to the advertisement, the referral activity including the first persons sharing the advertisement with second persons. The system tracks and stores conversion activity such as purchasing by the first persons in the social network of the user in relation to the deal and purchasing by second persons referred by the first persons. The system delivers the economic incentive to the user for sharing with the first persons; for the first and second persons who share the advertisement; and/or for the first and second persons who convert the deal. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120239472 | Methods and Systems for Retail Customer Referral Compensation Programs - Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to business methods and systems for retail marketing, and specifically to Retail Customer Referral Compensation Programs for using Performance-Driven criteria to award Production Points for creating a Position Changing Point Driven matrix and determining a Referring Customer's position and compensation within that matrix. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120253904 | INTERNET-BASED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AFFILIATE MARKETING AND COMMISSION SHARING TO CREATE SALES LEADS - A system and method for an internet-based affiliate marketing and commission sharing program that offers novel alternative incentives to potential customers and gives affiliates an opportunity to reach more customers by building affiliate networks to attract individuals who would normally not be interested in participating in a conventional affiliate marketing program. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20120265591 | Cost-effective resource apportionment technologies suitable for facilitating therapies - Configuration technologies for apportioning resources and communicating indications of potential or actual incentives based on one or more measurements or other objective indications that therapeutic components have been administered to an individual, other attributes of the therapeutic components or the individual, or other such determinants. Techniques for apportioning resources cost-effectively (between providers and other parties, e.g.) and for facilitating or handling implementations thereof or output therefrom. | 10-18-2012 |
| 20120278146 | ONLINE SOCIAL BRAND AMBASSADORS - Techniques are provided which allow users to become online ambassadors for their favorite brands and products. Methods and systems may detect if a user is associated with a particular brand or product. The user may be presented with an offer to act as an ambassador for that brand or product. If the user accepts, the system may determine if at least a portion of the user's online activities are directed to promoting the brand or product. The user may then be presented with one or more rewards based at least in part on the user's promoting of the brand. The rewards may include rewards points, cash rewards, coupons, discounts and other incentives. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120278147 | Method and Apparatus for Online Marketing - An apparatus and for distributing a communication within a computer network using social media and expanding a business's email or distribution contact list in a self-perpetuating self-expanding manner. The apparatus comprising a processor element adapted to: present a user interface to a first prospective client for receiving registration data; present a user interface to a first client for receiving data indicative of contact details of one or more second prospective clients; generate a respective second communication for distributing to each of one or more second prospective clients; and award an client benefit to the first client for each of the one or more second prospective clients associated with a corresponding unique registration. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120284097 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROMOTION AND MARKETING THROUGH A NETWORKED MULTI-LEVEL REFERRAL FEE PROGRAM - This invention relates to payments of referral compensation. Specifically, this invention relates to payment of compensation, in the form of referral fees in multi-levels, for the marketing and promotion of goods and services that can be purchased and/or tracked via the Internet or other interactive networks via one or more computing devices. | 11-08-2012 |
| 20120284098 | PROCESSING CROSS-LINE CONVERSIONS - Techniques are described herein for processing cross-line conversions. A cross-line conversion occurs when a user performs an offline acceptance of an offer that is associated with an online advertisement. An offline acceptance is an acceptance that is made in-person by the user at a physical location of a seller. Examples of such a physical location include but are not limited to a retail store (e.g., a department store or a boutique store), a fixed or mobile retail stand, a booth at a conference (e.g., a business conference or an academic conference), a kiosk, a sporting arena, a ball park, etc. | 11-08-2012 |
| 20120284099 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING HAIR STYLIST REFERRALS - A web based system method of managing hair stylist referrals, based on a web server that provides a searchable directory of hair stylists. The system provides a simple method to generate gift certificates that are customized to each individual stylist, and a simple method to allow the hair stylists' customers to refer their friends by electronically transmitting these customized gift certificates to their friends. | 11-08-2012 |
| 20120296718 | REFERRAL INCENTIVIZED ONLINE TRANSACTIONS - Disclosed herein is a method for conducting electronic commerce comprising generating a first specific link uniquely associating the first member user identifier with an item; receiving a request for the first item via a click-through of the first specific link that results in a financial transaction on the electronic commerce website associated with the first item; and determining an amount of a commission receivable by the first member associated with the financial transaction associated with the first item. A system for conducting electronic commerce is also disclosed. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20120303429 | EMBEDDING AN OBJECT INTO AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE AND OBTAINING CONTENT BASED THEREON - Generating and embedding into a signature block of an electronic message a banner placeholder associated with an advertisement, sponsored or interactive content, coupon, deal, and/or other form of promotional banner. When a user receives the electronic message, the banner placeholder is configured to cause a browser to retrieve an advertisement, coupon, deal, and/or other form of promotional banner for display to the recipient of the electronic message in the signature block. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20120316936 | INTEGRATED LOYALTY PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE - In accordance with an example embodiment, there is disclosed herein a loyalty program directed to consumers of media content such as television. A member of the loyalty program receives rewards for various pre-defined activities. The rewards can be accumulated and redeemed at a future time. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316937 | Method and Apparatus For Affiliate Marketing - The subject matter discloses a method and apparatus for affiliate marketing; the method comprising the steps of: receiving a link of a retailer site from a recommender ( | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316938 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USER-BASED DISCOUNT DEAL FORMATION AND ADVERTISING - A system and method is described where an advertising server targets store coupon advertisements to people carrying wireless devices. In some embodiments the advertisement server tracks the position of several of its subscribed members in an area. The server then computes statistical measures, dynamically generates nearby store discount deals that match subgroups of the members or uses pre-existing deals from nearby stores, and forwards the deal advertisements to the wireless devices of the members. The advertised deals involve one or more items from the same store or multiple items from different stores. The members then use ad-hoc networking to build spontaneous social networks, advertise the deals to nearby shoppers, and get referral rewards. The advertising server also provides a portal shopping network web site where shoppers can search for deals, post their shopping/wish lists and deal referrals, and use forums to discuss products and stores. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316939 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISCOUNT DEAL REFERRAL AND REWARD SHARING - A system and method where the members of an advertising server that markets store deal coupons use conventional wired/wireless networking and ad-hoc networking to build spontaneous social networks, advertise the deals to other shoppers, and get referral rewards. Shoppers who receive the referral advertisements and are not members register and advertise the deal further to other shoppers to get rewards. Referring members specify the percentage of the referral reward they plan to share with the buyers. Referring members specify different reward sharing percentages for the same deal to different buyers. Shoppers who receive multiple referrals of the same deal from different members negotiate and buy the deal with the referral that gives them the best shared reward. Shoppers perform an indirect self-referral where they network and find another user to refer them to a deal that has a referral reward and they share the referral reward together. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316940 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNICATION AND DEAL ADVERTISING - A system and method is described where the members of an advertising server that markets store deal coupons use peer-to-peer wireless networking to advertise the deals to nearby shoppers and get referral rewards. The member who makes the referral and the member who purchases the deal use an ad-hoc social networking application on their mobile devices to exchange profiles. A profile matching component running on the members' mobile devices alerts the members of a match with a nearby referring or purchasing member. The system also rewards shoppers whose mobile devices are used as routers in a multi-hop ad-hoc network that connects the seller to the buyer. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316941 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INDIRECT SELF-REFERRAL AND REWARD SHARING - A system and method of indirect self-referral and reward sharing is described for deals that are offered by sellers who do not offer referral rewards to users that directly purchase a deal from them, but do offer referral rewards to users that refer the deal to others. Each deal has a referral reward for referring the deal to other users. A user who wishes to purchase an item and also get referral rewards, sets a portion of the referral reward as the portion that the user is willing to share with another user who refers the item back and broadcasts the deal to other users. When the user purchases the item that is referred back by another user, the user receives a reward equal to the difference between the referral reward and the portion of the referral reward that the user set to share with the referring user. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316942 | Method for Using Market-Based Social Networking Website to Create New Customers and Referral Fees - In one embodiment, the method uses a secure website and employs a monetary incentive to individuals or businesses to identify potential customers for entities that provide goods or services, wherein the secure website is hosted on a web server that includes an email system and a database that is internet or remotely accessible and provides search and other capabilities for users of the secure website and wherein a customer seeker and a customer finder, who agree to terms of use of the secure website, act to enter into a contract providing for a contingent referral fee for the customer finder if the terms of the offered contract are met. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316943 | Method for Using Market-Based Social Networking Website to Create New Funding and Referral Fees - In one embodiment, the method uses a secure website and employs a monetary incentive to individuals or businesses to identify potential funding sources for entities that are growing or need liquidity, wherein the secure website secure website is hosted on a web server that includes an email system and a database that is internet or remotely accessible and provides search and other capabilities for users of the secure website and wherein a funding seeker and a funding finder, who agree to terms of use of the secure website, act to enter into a contract providing for a contingent referral fee for the funding finder if the terms of the offered contract are met. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120323654 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANAGING AND TRACKING A PLURALITY OF TOKENS - There is a system, a method, and a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to manage and track a plurality of exchangeable tokens. The system includes a tracking module configured to track a location of the tokens. The system includes an ID verification module configured to verify an ID of a token. The system includes an ID writing module configured to write an ID for a token. The system includes a control module configured to provide operational instructions to the modules of the system. The system also includes a communication module configured to send and receive data over a network. The system includes a reward module configured to provide a reward over a network. The system further includes a storage module configured to store data. The system includes a management module configured to manage the plurality of exchangeable tokens and metadata and ID data of the tokens over a network. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120330735 | ANALYTICS SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND FACILITATING PROMOTION DISTRIBUTION - An analytics system for monitoring consumer interactions with promotional activities provides incentives to further distribution of a merchant's promotions. The analytics system may distribute one or more promotions to consumers electronically directly or indirectly. A promotion distribution system may be provided to transmit promotions from merchants to users and from users to other users. An activity monitor may be provided to monitor promotion redemption activity. If a promotion shared by one user is redeemed by another, the sharing user may be rewarded to encourage user distribution of promotions. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20120330736 | System and Method of Gifting, Gift Sharing, and Gift Redemption - A system configured to promote goods and/or services from a business to a user via a network and an interface device of the user. The system provides a method to offer a gift from the business to the user, allow the user to transfer or share the gift with another user, and allow the user to redeem the gift at the business. The system also provides a method to obtain and transmit information related to the user to the merchant. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20130006738 | SHARED ELECTRONIC INCENTIVES AND COUPONS LEVERAGING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS AND SHEPHERDING - Systems and methods for distributing shared electronic coupons are provided. According to one aspect, the electronic coupon may include a coupon benefit display region displaying a textual and/or graphical representation of a coupon benefit. The electronic coupon may further include a candidate display region displaying a list of one or more friends of the user who are determined to be redeemer candidates from among friends in a social network profile or address book of the user. Each redeemer candidate friend in the list has an associated selector, and selection by the user of a selector corresponding to a friend causes the client device to send a message to a coupon server to instruct the coupon server to send the electronic coupon to a client device of the selected friend. Predictive models generated through machine learning may aid in selecting the user to which coupons are distributed and the redeemer candidates. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20130013383 | MOBILE VOUCHER SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and method for providing mobile vouchers are provided. The mobile voucher system facilitates merchant auto-scaling in which the system is able to scale and acquire merchants. The mobile voucher system also facilitates consumers who can create their own deals/vouchers using the mobile voucher system. The mobile voucher system also facilitates consumer referral rewards where consumers can earn reward points for the purchasing activity of friends in their online social networks. | 01-10-2013 |
| 20130018714 | INCENTIVE THROUGH RELAYING A GEO-SPATIALLY AWARE ADVERTISEMENT TO PROXIMATE PEERSAANM GEORGE; VARUGHESEAACI Union CityAAST CAAACO USAAGP GEORGE; VARUGHESE Union City CA US - A method, an apparatus and/or a system of incentive through relaying a geo-spatially aware advertisement to proximate peers is disclosed. In one aspect a method includes receiving through a multimedia device a media data from an advertisement server that is customized based on a set of characteristics associated with a present location of the multimedia device that nearly simultaneously communicates an information presented on the multimedia device through a transmission module of the multimedia device to a plurality of external observers via a wireless display device communicatively coupled to the multimedia device. The wireless display device is separate from the multimedia device. The method also includes providing a consideration proportional to a value of targeting in a particular geospatial area to an owner of the multimedia device through a payment module of the advertisement server. | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130024254 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ELECTRONIC COUPON VIRAL MARKETING - Described herein are methods and systems for implementing personalized targeting via electronic coupons, providing aggregate cap control of electronic coupons, implementing viral marketing using electronic coupons, and performing real time processing of electronic coupons. | 01-24-2013 |
| 20130030892 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MOBILE DEVICE - The present invention provides a mobile device including: a power receiver for wirelessly coupling with a power transmitter to receive power wirelessly from the power transmitter; and a function that automatically initiates upon the power receiver wirelessly coupling with the power transmitter. Also provided is a transmitter apparatus including a power transmitter for wirelessly coupling with a power receiver in a mobile device to provide power wirelessly to the power receiver, wherein, upon the power receiver wirelessly coupling with the power transmitter, data is transferred between the power transmitter and the power receiver and a function of the mobile device automatically initiates. The mobile device and transmitter apparatus together form a system for operating the mobile device. Methods and computer-readable media storing executable application programs associated with the system are also provided. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130030893 | ONLINE SYSTEM FOR SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT ITEMS, PURCHASING PRODUCTS AND REWARDING PARTICIPANTS - The system operates through a computer platform connected to an internet social network. A user can share information about an item through the network by providing it to the platform using a communications device connected to the network. If a similar or identical product corresponding to the item is available for purchase through the system, a link is created between the item and the product and the item is shared on the platform in digital media, such as an image of the item, selected by the sharing user. Other users can access the platform through the network using a communications device, view the image of the shared item, and purchase the available product. The sharing user is rewarded for sharing the item, regardless of whether or where the product is purchased. Both the sharing user and the purchasing user are rewarded if the product is purchased using the system. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130030894 | SYSTEM FOR CUSTOMER REFERRAL PROGRAM - A system and related methods for a proprietary system, or a business or merchant, to track purchases by customers, and associate those purchases with one or more other customers who referred, directly or indirectly, the purchasing customer to that business or merchant. The purchasing customer also may be rewarded for purchases made by other customers that the purchasing customer has referred to the business or merchant, directly or indirectly, through social media sites or networks. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130041733 | SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR TIP SHARING USING SOCIAL NETWORKING - A system, method, and computer program product for making a product recommendation that pays cash or non-cash awards to a network of tip sharers/providers. The system may be used to increase traffic to a business by sharing recommendations, which may include discounts or other exclusive offerings, to network connections that may be interested in buying a product or service, or engaging in any activity, of the business. A user of the system shares a tip or recommendation with their friend, this friend becomes a customer after making use of the tip, and a fee paid by the business is used to pay cash incentives to the individual who provided the tip and/or the customer who purchased the product based upon the tip. Additional embodiments are also described for sharing cash incentives with a greater network of individuals including those that invite others to join the tip sharing system. | 02-14-2013 |
| 20130054323 | GROUP OFFERS FOR DIRECT SALES SYSTEM EMPLOYING NETWORKED MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES - A method on a server for managing sales activities and group buying offers for a plurality of users over a communications network is disclosed. The method includes receiving sales transaction data from the users, receiving recruit enrollment data from the users, processing the sales transaction data and the recruit enrollment data to generate aggregate data pertaining to sales, transmitting the aggregate data to the users, receiving a group buying offer, transmitting the group buying offer to the users, receiving acceptances of the group buying offer, calculating a number of acceptances of the group buying offer, effectuating a sale of the product or service of the group buying offer to each of the users who accepted the offer, if the number of acceptances of the group buying offer is greater than a minimum number, and attributing a particular sale to a recruiter, so as to award a commission. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130054324 | GROUP OFFERS FOR DIRECT SALES SYSTEM EMPLOYING NETWORKED MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES - A method on a server for managing sales activities and group buying offers for a plurality of users over a communications network is disclosed. The method includes receiving sales transaction data from the users, receiving recruit enrollment data from the users, processing the sales transaction data and the recruit enrollment data to generate aggregate data pertaining to sales, transmitting the aggregate data to the users, receiving a group buying offer, transmitting the group buying offer to the users, receiving acceptances of the group buying offer, calculating a number of acceptances of the group buying offer, effectuating a sale of the product or service of the group buying offer to each of the users who accepted the offer, if the number of acceptances of the group buying offer is greater than a minimum number, and attributing a particular sale to a recruiter, so as to award a commission. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130054325 | MOBILE PLATFORM FOR REDEEMING DEALS - Systems and methods disclosed herein may operate to create, distribute and redeem offers on a mobile platform. In various embodiments, an indication to purchase an offer for a product or service provided by a second user may be received from a mobile device corresponding to a first user. The offer may be previously presented to the user via the mobile device. A voucher for the product or service may be transmitted to the mobile device in response to the indication. A request to redeem the voucher may be received from the mobile device. The request may include an identification code. The identification code may be compared with a shop identification code identifying the second user. An indication of redemption of the voucher may be provided to a computing device corresponding to the second user upon determining that the identification code received from the mobile device matches the shop identification code. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130066695 | SOCIAL NETWORKING AFFILIATE ADVERTISING REWARDS SYSTEM - An electronic affiliate marketing system is disclosed that functions as a social networking affiliate advertising rewards (SNAARE) system in which rewards are provided to affiliates for selectively referring potential customers including social networking contacts, to a merchant's web site that allows the affiliate to selectively push multiple offers from one or multiple merchants and/or advertising/marketing firms (i.e., Groupon, Living Social, Amazon, etc. . . . ) to multiple parties and be paid rewards for all referrals that are derived from the initial referral. The electronic affiliate marketing system may optionally include a rating system for rating various parties based upon their previous purchasing history. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130066696 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TARGETING CUSTOMERS WHO INVITE OTHER CUSTOMERS TO A BUSINESS - A system and method is disclosed for rewarding subscribed users who invite other users to a business establishment. On receiving an indication that a subscribed user of a social group is at a business establishment, a message is sent to a plurality of users of the social group announcing that the user is at the business establishment. On receiving one or more signals, within a predetermined period, that one or more of the plurality of users entered into a purchase transaction with the business establishment, an offering is sent to the subscribed user. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130066697 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WORD OF MOUTH SELLING VIA A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK - A selling method and system that allows individuals or groups to interactively select associate products and services with their online presence in exchange for the online service, as part of an online service, or for some reward, monetary or otherwise. Individuals or groups select products and services from a pool of partner e-commerce retailers or import them from their purchasing histories based on personal preference and may use them as a means of expression for their online audience as part of an online service. This provides e-commerce retailers with self-selected targeted marketing and referral selling to affinity groups, the online version of word of mouth selling. E-commerce retailers share revenue and pay for referrals that occur via this word of mouth selling framework. Online services that have any form of user identity within the context of a larger audience may utilize this form of user based referral selling as a revenue generating tool. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130073359 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECEIVING AND APPORTIONING FEES IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT - In one embodiment, a method is provided for receiving and apportioning fees in an online environment comprising a plurality of user accounts of an organization. According to a first step, the organization receives a first payment, which includes one portion for hosting the first user account, a second portion for credits that may be used for online activity, and a third portion for first user discounts that may be used to recruit additional users. In a next step, the organization receives a second payment from a second user recruited by the first user. In an additional step, the organization automatically credits the first user's account in an amount equal to the first user discount redeemed by the second user. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130073360 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENTING VIDEO CONTENT IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT - In one embodiment, a method is provided for presenting a plurality of video content in an online environment accessible by a plurality of users. According to a first step, the organization accesses a plurality of content from one or more content providers. In a next step, the organization receives a flowchart for navigating a plurality of playback sequences. The flowchart includes media content modules capable of accessing the content and decision modules for selecting a subset of media content modules. In an additional step, the organization presents a graphical representation of the playback sequences. In a further step, the organization uses a content ranking engine for delivering at least a portion of the playback sequences. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130080225 | Referral Program for Businessess - In particular embodiments, a user enters a code received at a point of sale identifying a node on a social network representing the point of sale. Upon entering the code into a mobile application, the application requests the user to identify other users that referred the user to the point of sale. Upon selecting one or more referrers, the social networking system applies one or more policies to the selected referrers. In particular embodiments, the social networking system integrates with online merchants, and prompts a user to select users or nodes that referred the user to the site or the specific product. In particular embodiments, the social networking system tracks the value of every single transaction, and may generate a list of the top ten value generators for a given node. | 03-28-2013 |
| 20130103469 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTING CUSTOMIZABLE AND SHAREABLE TIERED OFFERS - Offers are distributed by providing a plurality of offers to a first user and directing the first user to distribute the offers to selected additional users. The plurality of offers may be customized by the system based on the first user's previous interactions with the system, and may be further customized by the first user before sending the offers to the selected additional users. The additional users may include any user including known and/or unknown users and/or contact in the first's user networks including business and/or social networks. The system may also track and store information relating to the distribution, access, and redemption of the offer by the first user and the selected additional users and provide additional incentives based upon the access and redemption, and based upon interactions between the first user and the selected additional users. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130103470 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTING CUSTOMIZABLE AND SHAREABLE TIERED OFFERS - Offers are distributed by providing a plurality of offers to a first user and directing the first user to distribute the offers to selected additional users. The plurality of offers may be customized by the system and may be further customized by the first user before sending the offers to the selected additional users. The additional users may include any user including known and/or unknown users and/or contacts in the first's user networks including business and/or social networks. The system may also track and store information relating to the distribution, access, and redemption of the offer by the first user and the selected additional users and provide additional incentives based upon the access and redemption, and based upon interactions between the first user and the selected additional users. The system may further distribute restricted offers to selected users, and/or allow selected users to share restricted offers with additional users. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130103471 | Systems and methods for campaign offers and rewards with offer serving engine based on digitized receipt data - A campaign offers and rewards system includes a receipt intelligence engine with receipt processing that extracts information from a receipt, including information about items purchased based on a receipt from at least one of a shopping trip and an electronic receipt from an online or offline transaction. An analytics engine includes data intelligence coupled to the receipt processing and performs analysis of the receipt. The system is configured to be coupled to a mobile device. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130110597 | DYNAMIC GROUP OFFER PROCESS FOR DIRECT SALES SYSTEM EMPLOYING NETWORKED MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130110598 | CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION PROCESS FOR DIRECT SALES SYSTEM EMPLOYING NETWORKED MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130110599 | Purchase/Referral Rewards Program | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130110600 | MOBILE DATA SERVICE PLATFORM, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING VALUE-ADDED SERVICES | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130110601 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM RECORDED THEREON | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130124282 | Advertising rewards and referrals - Advertising rewards and referrals are described, including detecting an interaction with an advertisement, recording the interaction, the interaction including an input being provided in response to the advertisement, generating a reward for the interaction, the reward being an action taken to provide a benefit in response to the interaction, analyzing data associated with the advertisement, the data including a plurality of documented interactions, and providing a result from analyzing the data. | 05-16-2013 |
| 20130132174 | SYSTEM FOR ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS - A system for attracting new customer comprises providing a coupon to an existing customer, the coupon identifying only the customer and when that coupon is redeemed by a second customer, the first customer receives value. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130144696 | Methods and Devices for Determining the Price of a Product - Methods and systems facilitate electronic commerce by designating an initiator of a sale of an item that is advertised by a merchant at an offering price on an Internet web site. One embodiment comprises detecting performance of designated activities by associates of the initiator via the web site. Responsively to each performance an exclusive offer of the item for sale is made to the initiator at a progressively marked-down price. Another embodiment comprises progressively marking down the advertised price of items upon performance of designated activities by users of the web site and progressively marking up the price upon each purchase of one of the items by the users. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130159077 | LOCAL AFFILIATE MARKETING - Merchants within close proximity to each other are “affiliated” with other by distance. A consumer making a first purchase at a first affiliated merchant is provided coupons or other incentives to make a second purchase with one or more other affiliated merchants. The consumer may pre-pay for the second purchase at the first affiliated merchant. A payment provider may debit an account of the first affiliated merchant the amount of the second purchase minus any amount due to the first affiliated merchant as a result of the second purchase. An account of the second affiliated merchant offering the incentive may be credited accordingly. The consumer and/or the affiliated merchant offering the incentive may be notified so that the consumer can simply go to the affiliated merchant to pick up the purchase, such as by showing proof of purchase or an identifier. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130166363 | My Faves section for a website - Social networking site where the user selects advertising material that is shown on their personal section. The user enters favorites, and stored promotional information associated with those favorites is shown to the user. The user selects which of the stored promotional material will be shown on their personal part of their site. The material can be logos or videos, for example. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130166364 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSUMER-SELECTED ADVERTISING AND BRANDING IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA - A user of an interactive medium may select advertising for display on the user's avatar, property, or other user-associated environment. The invention presents one or more advertisements to the user and allows the user to select at least one advertisement to display. The user may also choose a location for displaying the selected advertisement. The invention presents the selected advertisement to other users of the interactive medium. The invention tracks these presentations or displays and rewards the original user based on the presentation. The tracking data may also be used to bill the advertiser or optimize the process of selecting and displaying advertisements. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130173364 | CREDIT CARD REWARDS PROGRAM - Systems and methods are provided which enable a consumer to accept a promotional offer for a credit card-based reward program without having to supply a credit card number at the time of acceptance. For example, after acceptance, a credit card number associated with the consumer may be retrieved from an entity to which the consumer previously supplied it, such as a publisher (e.g., e-commerce website), and the retrieved number may then be used in relation to the reward program. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130173365 | Processing of Electronic Referral Hyperlinks - A computer-implemented method is performed at a computer of a central depository of information related to referrals. A merchant account is created for each of multiple merchants. A list of one or more items available for referral is displayed, wherein each item is a product offered by one of the merchants or associated with one of the merchants. A first message is received from a referring party, which may be a referring user or a referring site, indicating that the referring party desires to refer a selected item from the list. A referring party account is created for the referring party. A referral hyperlink is created. The hyperlink is configured to route a referred user, upon activation of the hyperlink, to the central depository. The referral hyperlink includes first data identifying the selected item. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130173366 | Processing of Electronic Referral Hyperlinks - A computer-implemented method is performed at a computer of a merchant. A list of one or more items available for referral is displayed. Each item is a product offered by the merchant or associated with the merchant. A first message is received from a referring party indicating that the referring party desires to refer a selected item from the list. A referring party account is created at the computer of the merchant, for the referring party. A referral hyperlink is created for referral of the selected item. The referral hyperlink includes first data identifying the selected item. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130173367 | Processing of Electronic Referral Hyperlinks - A first referral hyperlink, corresponding to a referral of a product offered by or associated with a merchant, is received from a first party. The first referral hyperlink is parsed into data elements including a referring user identifier, and at least one of a merchant identifier and a central depository identifier. Format instructions are received from the merchant or a central depository of referral information, specifying a predetermined hyperlink format for embedding data related to the referring site within a hyperlink. An identifier is created, which is configured to identify the referring site, a payment depository for processing fees payable to the referring site, a posting fee rate, or a discount made available by the referring site. In accordance with the format instructions, a second referral hyperlink is generated, having embedded therein the identifier and at least one of the parsed data elements. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130173368 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR POPULARITY AND INFLUENCE INDICATORS AND COMMERCIAL INCENTIVES BASED ON OBJECT-RELATED SOCIAL NETWORK REFERRALS - The present invention generally relates to popularity indicators, influence measures, and purchase incentives. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to assessing and communicating the popularity or relative popularity of objects such as songs, books, documents, pictures, web links, comments, authors, artists, creators, based on either the number of user profiles with whom an object or a reference to an object was shared on one or more social network(s) by web users, or on the number or percentage of social network connections who acted on such a referral. It also relates to measuring the influence of a web user (or group thereof) with regard to a particular object or set of objects by using the number of user profiles with whom the web user (or group thereof) shared the object(s) or a reference(s) thereto on one or more social network(s), and offering commercial incentives based on that measure. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130197983 | Referral Networks - A web based referral network system and method for tracking and rewarding multiple levels of referrers so that a seller can efficiently reach buyers for his products and service. This system is based on a system generated URL that tracks the deal ID and one or more referrers. Referrers disseminate this URL to their network through email or social networks. The system credits the referral amount to the referrers when the deal is purchased and the goods/services are acquired by the buyer. Also provided is a method and system for reducing the purchase price of the good/services in proportion to the number of entities referred by the referrer. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130197984 | Socially Shared Ads - Promoting on-line advertisements in a social network context includes steps of: selecting a parameter on whose value to base a discount to an on-line user; selecting a discount level to use; incentivizing advertisement sharing behavior of the on-line user by offering the discount level to the user along with the on-line advertisement association with the discount; computing a value of the discount; and providing the discount value to the on-line user. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130204685 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROMOTE SALES IN INTERNET SOCIAL NETWORKING ENVIRONMENTS - Various embodiments of the present invention concerns systems and methods to promote sales in internet social networking environments, wherein independent sales representatives (ISR) are preferentially made available or picked from within the closest social circle of the buyer. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130211891 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MARKETING PRODUCTS OR SERVICES THROUGH AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK - A system that includes a processor, computer executable instructions readable by the processor and operative to allow a first user of an online social network to endorse a product or service through the online social network, allow a second user of the online social network to purchase the product or service, and distribute a commission to the first user. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130211892 | Method and Apparatus to Increase a Cash Line Limit - A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to provide a cash line from a cash provider to a user in which the user is permitted to withdraw cash from the cash line. The cash line can be automatically increased by the user taking certain actions, such as the user friending the cash provider on a social networking site such as FACEBOOK. The cash line can also be increased if the user provides an email address of a user's friend and that friend actually signed up with the cash provider and receives their own cash line. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130211893 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED RFID BASED COMMERCE REWARDS - Systems and methods for social sharing and online publishing of advertisement messages concerning products or services. In one embodiment, an advertising message associated with a radio frequency identification based transmission may be published online by a user of a wireless ordering device. The users sharing of such messages may serve as an endorsement of the brand, product or service. A system, such as a commerce data organization system and/or vendor system, may then reward or credit the message sharer (e.g., consumer affiliate) based on variables the vendor or advertiser chooses, such as social influence, audience reach and performance based metrics. In some cases, the technology involves a method for consumers to engage with RFID based advertising to gain rewards. The rewards may be in the form of affiliate points that consumers may gain each time they share a message. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130218652 | Split Rewards - Computer systems and methods on servers in a communication network, including computers having processors and executing computer-readable media, to receive a first request to share a reward page from a user, indicating a goal or need. And in response to the received request, disseminate the reward page to communication platforms via the network. Next, receive a request to share the reward page from a user. Next, in response to the received request, disseminate the reward page to another group of communication platforms via the network and receive solution opportunities from contacts from the communication platforms. Then determine one received solution opportunity from solution opportunities that achieves the goal or need of the reward page and determine a chain of contacts that resulted in the submission of selected at least one solution. Finally split the reward among the contacts in the chain. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130226681 | COLLECTING MEDIA DATA DESCRIPTIVE OF A PRODUCT - A crowd-sourcing system performs a method that includes generating a request that a user provide candidate media data to the crowd-sourcing system. The candidate media is descriptive of a product, and the request includes information about the product. The crowd-sourcing system transmits the request to a user system and receives the candidate media data from the user system. The crowd-sourcing system selects the candidate media data as stock media data for the product. The selection of the candidate media data may be based on a selection criterion, such as a grade of the candidate media data determined by the crowd-sourcing system. The crowd-sourcing system provides a reward to the user based on the selecting of the candidate media data as the stock media data for the product. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130231988 | Single Order Method For Independent Sales Representative As Used In The Party Plan Direct Marketing Method Of Selling Products - A business method and system for executing the method that involves gathering merchandise orders at a show in the home of a hostess. The method compiles the merchandise orders while maintaining a relationship between each individual order and information pertaining to the guest making the order. The guest information maintains an association with the order throughout the method such that each order made at the show may be individually packaged and labeled, obviating the need for the hostess to sort the ordered items upon receiving them from a warehouse. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20130238411 | Transferable Indicia and Display with Related Commissioning System - Aspects of the invention may include methods and systems for determining commission amounts in a multiple party transaction for the purchase of goods or services by an obtaining user, the goods or services associated with an indicia, the multiple party transaction being amongst at least an originating merchant and a providing merchant, the providing merchant in selective communication with a central processor, the method including: receiving the indicia associated with the goods or services for purchase and a purchase price; determining the goods or services associated with the indicia; determining factors associated with the multiple party transaction comprising: the purchase price; the identity of the providing merchant and providing merchant characteristics; the identity of the originating merchant and originating merchant characteristics; calculating, based at least in part on the factors: a commission, if any, for the providing merchant; and a commission, if any, for the originating merchant. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130246138 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROPAGATING ADVERTISING MATERIALS IN A SOCIAL MEDIA ENVIRONMENT - A method for incentivizing a user of a social media website to share an offer with others within an online social media environment is provided. The offer includes two coupons, the first coupon having a first value and the second coupon having a second increased value. Sharing of the first coupon provides access to the second coupon and also creates a social media connection between the user and a vendor of the first and second coupons. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130246139 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING INCENTIVES AMONG GROUPS - A system and method for sharing incentives, restricted price reductions, and stored value quantities among groups of persons, more particularly to support sharing transactions between members in a group. The system and method for sharing incentives includes receiving item information for at least one item associated with a friend, displaying the item information in a prioritized location viewable by at least one authorized friend, and receiving a request from the authorized friend to take the item, and removing from view the item information associated with the item. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130246140 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR INCENTIVIZED SUPERDISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT - Apparatus and methods for providing an incentive-based system for the superdistribution of content, which include one or more communications devices transmitting one or more referral messages relating to the content. Further, the apparatus and methods include the communications devices ordering content from across the network based on the referral messages, where a reward is generated for one or more referring devices based on the one or more referral messages. Additionally, the application of privacy and authentication mechanisms protects the privacy and verifies the identities of the parties involved in the transaction. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130253999 | TRANSACTION AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VENDORS AND PROMOTERS - Transaction and communication systems and methods are disclosed for vendors and promoters. Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a deal manager system comprising transaction data associated with the promotional activities of one or more promoters, such as promoters registered with the deal manager system. The deal manager system can process the transaction data and provide compensation to promoters for their promotional activities based at least partly thereon. In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the transaction data can be provided to one or more vendors. A vendor may direct that benefits or promotional material be provided to a subset of promoters based at least in part on the received transaction data. The deal manager system may include promoter contact information, and materials provided by the vendor may be conveyed by the deal manager system to certain promoters based on the same. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20130262205 | ONLINE STORE - An online store referral system is provided that includes an online store server comprising records of items for sale, a referral service server, separate from the online store server, and a primary referrer. A shopper computer system, of a shopper, is operative to receive from the primary referrer a link to an item for sale in the online store and to follow that link to make a purchase from the online store of the item for sale. The online store server is operative to inform the referral service server of a purchase of an item for sale following on from the link for that item being followed. The referral service server is operative to credit the primary referrer with a commission in respect of the sale of the item. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130262206 | ONLINE STORE - An online store referral system is provided that includes an online store server comprising records of items for sale, a referral service server, a primary referrer, and a secondary referrer able to receive from the primary referrer a link to an item for sale in the online store. A shopper computer system, of a shopper, is operative to receive from the secondary referrer the link to an item for sale in the online store and to follow that link to make a purchase from the online store of the item for sale. The online store server is operative to inform the referral service server of the purchase of an item for sale following on from the link for that item being followed by a shopper that received the link from the secondary referrer. The referral service server is operative to credit the primary referrer with a commission in respect of the sale of the item. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130262207 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UTILIZING A BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY SYSTEM - A business card directory system to provide a user access to a data network that includes a server computing device that includes a user interface module and a database and an input device that is coupleable to the server computing device. The system also includes a processor system with a user interface module that is adaptive to receive the one or more pieces of data provided on one or more traditional business cards and a computer program product stored on a computer usable medium that operates in combination with the processor system and a user interface module adapted to receive the one or more pieces of data and to present a web user interface and a n online social media network and an online business network. There is also a method for utilizing a business card directory system. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130262208 | Peer-to-Peer Distribution of Advertising - Advertising may be distributed over a location based peer-to-peer network. A first customer may send a received advertisement to other customers over a short range distribution system in some embodiments. An identifier of the first customer may be appended to the transmission. The identifier may be used to reward the first customer for the referral. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130268331 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING ONLINE GROUP SHOPPING SERVICES - A method and system for providing an online group shopping experience via a computing device includes hosting a database of information regarding a first and second user, and associating the two user records. The group shopping experience is provided with a user interface for the first user and a user interface for the second user. The first user is provided with the ability to selectively share a summary of the information displayed on the first user's interface and the second user is provided with the ability to selectively navigate to and display the information displayed by the first user on the second user's interface. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20130275193 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING A TALENT PLATFORM - Improved systems and methods of facilitating placement of candidates between employers and recruiters are provided. In various implementations, such systems and methods provide an integrated interface within the ATS platform for employers and integrated interface within the talent platforms for recruiters. In another implementation, a talent platform exchange is provided that permits disparate talent platforms to communicate and thus more effectively manage the hiring process from within the platform. To this end, interfaces and other components may be provided which facilitate communication between talent platforms and a talent platform exchange. Such communication capability would enable a direct hire marketplace where employers engage recruiters to fill positions through their presently implemented ATSs. | 10-17-2013 |
| 20130282455 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR REFERRING GOODS AND SERVICES VIA A SOCIAL MEDIA FEED - A computer program, method, and system for referring goods and services via a social media feed. More particularly, the computer program, method, and system provide for a user to refer goods or services through a social media feed and to receive a benefit, such as a monetary amount or a coupon, for referring the goods or services. For instance, a user may request to electronically refer at least one good or service offered by a retailer. Upon receiving such a request, a unique referral link may be generated that is operable to direct third parties to an electronic resource hosted by the retailer. After the user embeds the unique referral link in the user's social media feed, then third parties may select the unique referral link, such that the third party is provided access to the electronic resource hosted by the retailer. Finally, a virtual credit may be provided to the electronic referral account of the user upon the third party selecting the unique referral link. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130290084 | SOCIAL NETWORK ADVERTISING - A computer-implemented method, computerized apparatus and computer program product. The method performed by a computerized device. The method comprising: publishing on a social network platform a dynamic promotion, wherein the dynamic promotion is attributed to a user, wherein the dynamic promotion is associated with a merchant; and in response to one or more interactions by other users with the dynamic promotion, calculating a reward for the first user that is redeemable in a transaction with the merchant. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130297389 | Conditional, exclusive revenue-sharing method - A method is disclosed for hosting a website selling products or services over the Internet and paying a commission to a member who causes those products or services to be listed for sale. Users must be registered as members if they wish to make a purchase from the website. Each member is able to recruit a seller of a product or service to list their product or service for sale on the website. When such products are then sold, the recommending member receives a commission. The website only lists recommended products or services. When payment for a purchase is received, the recommending member is delivered a commission. The recommending member earns an additional commission if the recommending member performs other tasks. The commission may terminate after a period of time unless the recommending member makes a minimum purchase of one or more products or services listed on the website. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130304551 | BOUNTY TRACKING FOR REFERRAL - A method includes accessing at least one referral information entry. Each referral information entry associated with a referred user device is based on a referral from a referring partner application to a product. Each referral information entry includes an identifier for the referring partner application, a product identifier for the product, a time stamp of the referral, and a unique identifier associated with the referred user device. Sign-up information is received from a user device. The sign-up information includes a unique identifier of the user device, and a time of sign-up. The method includes mapping the sign-up information to the at least one referral information entry to determine whether the user device is one of the referred user devices. A determination whether the bounty requirements are met is made based on the mapped information and at least one predetermined business rule for referral bounties. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20130304552 | Systems and methods to determine a value relating to a post - Products and processes are provided in which an award for a commitment from an entity to post information, via a posting site, at or before a subsequent time is offered to an entity. In response to receiving the commitment, the award is provided to the entity. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20130311258 | DIFFERENTIAL DEALS IN A THEME GROUP - Techniques are provided for offering a deal to a group of users, and for determining differential discounts for the users of the group that participate in the deal. A deal is offered to users of a group of users formed in association with a corresponding topic. Each user of the group is enabled to selectively accept the deal. The deal is confirmed with a plurality of users of the group that accepted the deal. Discounts for the deal are differentially assigned to the plurality of users based on at least one parameter such that at least two users that accepted the deal have discounts that are different from each other. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20130311259 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACQUIRING NEW CUSTOMERS - Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for acquiring new customers. A plurality of merchants may submit customer lists to a business acquisition coalition (BAC). The BAC may combine the customer lists to create a master customer list. A merchant may transmit a customer offer to the BAC. The BAC may create an offer list comprising customers that meet criteria of the customer offer. The BAC may remove customers from the offer list which were provided by the merchant. The BAC may transmit the customer offer to the customers on the offer list. A customer may purchase the customer offer. The BAC may transmit payment to the merchant, and transmit a commission to a providing merchant that provided the customer's information. The BAC may receive an acquisition fee from the merchant. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20130311260 | Reward Structures - In accordance with some implementations, a method for rewarding users in a social referral system in accordance with some implementations is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors. The server system stores genealogy data for a plurality of users of the computer system. The server system then detects a user interaction with the computer system. The server system then determines whether the detected user interaction is associated with a reward. The server system then, in accordance with a determination that the detected user interaction is associated with a reward, determines, based on the stored genealogy data associated with the detected user interaction, a list of one or more users to receive at least a portion of the reward associated with the detected user interaction. The server system then allocates the associated reward to at least one of the one or more listed users. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20130317895 | Wireless Mobile Communication System Rewards Royalty System and Method - A consumer-based purchase and referral rewards loyalty system is disclosed. In the system, mobile communication devices include a location tracking devices. Data tags or other wireless communication devices are enabled to communicate with one or more mobile communication devices and to collect an identification code of each. Custom sales presentation module communicatively couples to the mobile communication devices and the data tags or wireless communication devices. Responsive to a locality of goods or services proximal to or predicted proximal to the location tracking devices, the custom sales presentation module generates a user specific sales presentation, which is sent to one or more mobile communication devices to advertise products or services. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20130325572 | VIRAL REWARDING IN A PEER COMPENSATED ADVERTISING SYSTEM - An interpersonal electronic advertising system is described. The system is configured to enable an ad suggester to select and send ads for a product or service to an ad recipient. The suggested ad can lead to a purchase of the product or the service by the ad recipient and in response the system can compensate the ad suggester. The system can be configured to reward users that invite and successfully recruit other individuals to join the system. Rewards for a particular user can be based upon the activities of their recruits, such as successful purchases resulting from ads that they have suggested. In a particular embodiment, the rewards for a particular user can be based upon a total value of purchases that have been generated from their recruits. Different reward amounts can be sequentially provided each time the total value of purchases exceeds respective threshold amounts. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130325573 | METHOD, APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM IMPLEMENTING MOBILE APPLICATION MARKETING - Disclosed is a method, an apparatus, and a recording medium for implementing mobile application marketing. The mobile application marketing method includes the steps of receiving, by a marketing server, review information regarding a mobile application from a first mobile terminal and storing the received review information together with identification information regarding the mobile application and identification information regarding a marketer who has logged into the first mobile terminal; installing, by a second mobile terminal, the mobile application included in the review information based on the stored review information; and performing, by the marketing server, a process of rewarding the marketer corresponding to the identification information for installation of the mobile application. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130339114 | USER DASHBOARD IN AN INTERPERSONAL ELECTRONIC ADVERTISING SYSTEM - An interpersonal electronic advertising system is described. The system is configured to enable an ad suggester to select and send ads for a product or service to an ad recipient. The interpersonal ad can lead to a purchase of the product or the service by the ad recipient and in response the system can compensate the ad suggester. The system can include a dashboard interface allows a user to monitor their system activities. Via the dashboard interface, a user can receive information related to one or more of 1) interpersonal ads sent to ad recipients, 2) interpersonal ads received from other users, 3) earned revenues including revenues derived from sent interpersonal ads and revenues resulting derived from user referrals, 4) their status within the system and 5) a status of each interpersonal ad that they have sent. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20130346171 | INCENTIVIZED COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKS - Incentivized social communications technologies are provided herein. According to some embodiments, methods for exchanging rewards for personal endorsements on a social network may include receiving, via a server, an offer from a provider, the offer including criteria for receiving a reward, the criteria at least including requirements for an endorsement of the provider that is to be placed on at least one social network, providing the offer to an endorser, and also providing a reward to the endorser upon confirmation of placement of the endorsement on the social network. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20130346172 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VALUING AND REWARDING THIRD PARTY MARKETING OF PRODUCTS VIA A SOCIAL NETWORK - The principles of the present invention relate to methods and systems for marketing products by prompting customers to identify purchased items to be shared through their social networks and displaying links on the customer's social networking sites, thereby promoting particular products to members of their social networks, which may then propagate through other parties' social networks, where the amount of social activity generated by the sharing of interest in the products is tracked and scored, and the original customer can receive a portion of their purchase cost credited back as a reward. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20140006123 | Microgift System and Method of Operation | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140006124 | Method for Crediting a Physical Affiliate for the Sale of Digital Media by an Internet Merchant | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140006125 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREATING ELECTRONIC BUSINESS REFERRALS WITH CLOUD COMPUTING FROM SOCIAL MEDIA SITES | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140012645 | SYNDICATED SHARING OF PROMOTIONAL INFORMATION - Systems and methods that enable product (or service) purchasers, or other such entities, to share promotional materials via social networks and/or other means of communication and may further enable the purchasers to receive rewards, such as rebates, in response to interactions with the promotional materials by others (e.g., friends of the purchaser). In various embodiments, the promotional materials shared by the purchaser relates to the product purchased, which may lend greater credibility and/or interest in the promotional material being shared. | 01-09-2014 |
| 20140025448 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A MARKETING ENGINE - Embodiments of the present disclosure may empower companies to financially leverage the connected communities of their employees to drive company revenues, brand awareness and product adoption. A marketing engine may act as an engagement catalyst for these employees. Employees have personal spheres of influence in their socially connected communities that can be utilized by their employer's marketing initiatives. One-to-one marketing efforts by the employees are extremely powerful and impactful when compared to broader advertising messages. The marketing engine may engage employees in the promotion of products and services offered by their company through social media campaigns. In return, the company may reward those employees for their involvement within their connected communities through a series of rewards. The employees may participate in these micro-marketing activities without the company knowing which employees are participating and the extent of that participation. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140025449 | Integration Of Gift Card Services For Mobile Devices And Social Networking Services - Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for social networking services integrated with gift card services. In general, a profile of a member of a social networking service may be presented with one or more merchant credit services for prepaid merchant account credit, data characterizing a request to provide a credit service from the merchant credit services and a mobile phone number associated with an intended recipient of the first credit service may be received, and a message may be caused to be sent to the mobile phone number, where the message characterizes provision of the first credit service to the intended recipient. Interest in the credit service may be tracked and associated with a loyalty indicator associated with the member. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140032289 | MEANS OF AMASSING THIRD-PARTY CONTACT INFORMATION FROM DIRECT MARKETING MEMBERS - A method and computer program product are disclosed for amassing contact information of DS prospects commonly acquainted with an DS member. The method requires a DS member to provide a list of contacts, those contacts are solicited by a DS employee, and the DS member is compensated for revenue generated from contacts joining the DS company. Unique multimedia presentations are shown to each contact who responds to electronic solicitation from the DS company, which presentations are personalized for the contacts. In some embodiments, prospects in the list are assigned value identifiers and into a hierarchal direct sales (DS) structure for solicitation by DS personal trained to commence cold contact with third-party prospects to build a commission downline for current the member with whom the prospects are commonly acquainted. Unique standardized valuation identifiers are generated by the disclosed method and computer program product for estimating commercial viability of each DS prospect. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140032290 | INCENTIVE FOR OFFER DISTRIBUTION - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for applying offer to purchase transactions at settlement. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine at least one transaction associated with a user's financial institution account; and determine, when processing the at least one transaction, whether to apply at least one offer to the at least one transaction. The at least one offer enables the user's financial institution account to receive a discount or a rebate on the at least one transaction. The user may transmit the at least one offer to a second user. In some embodiments, the at least one offer is applied to the at least one transaction based on whether the user transmitted the at least one offer to the second user and/or whether the second user executed at least one transaction associated with the at least one offer. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140032291 | MARKET-BASED SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING NEW FUNDING AND REFERRAL FEES - In one embodiment, the method uses a secure website and employs a monetary incentive to individuals or businesses to identify potential funding sources for entities that are growing or need liquidity, wherein the secure website secure website is hosted on a web server that includes an email system and a database that is internet or remotely accessible and provides search and other capabilities for users of the secure website and wherein a funding seeker and a funding finder, who agree to terms of use of the secure website, act to enter into a contract providing for a contingent referral fee for the funding finder if the terms of the offered contract are met. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140039995 | System and Method of Customer Acquisition Leveraging Social Media and Automating Billing Reflecting Rewards for Customer Acquisition - A system and method of acquiring new customer is provided. A first user activates a UI component such that a custom-created content is disseminated to a social media platform. The custom-created content contains content referring a featured service of a service provider and a referral instrument. A second user activates the referral instrument via the social media platform. The activation directs the second user to initiate a sign-up process with a backend system of the service provider and enables the backend system to capture information identifying the first user as a referrer at the start of the referee's sign-up process. The backend system provides referral credits to the first user following the signing-up of the second user. A billing module of the backend system automatically generates a bill for the second user reflecting referral credits awarded to the first user for the referral of the second user. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140039996 | ELECTRONIC NETWORK MARKETING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING DIGITAL CONTENT OVER AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK - A system comprising at least processor and computer executable instructions readable by the at least one processor and operative to distribute a piece of content to a first user of a social network, allow the first user to endorse the piece of content on his or her user profile, allow a second user of the social network to access the first user's profile, allow the second user to purchase rights to access the piece of content through the first user's profile, distribute a commission to the first user if the second user purchased the piece of content based on the first user's endorsement, and allow the second user to endorse the piece of content on his or her user profile. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140046742 | Systems, Methods and Apparatuses for Rewarding and Ranking Customers, Tracking Customers, Customer Behavior and Customer Activity, and Advance Determination of Customer Demand - An article of manufacture includes a non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to rank a customer in one of multiple tiers of customers based on an amount of rewards assigned to the customer. The one or more processors are further caused to present a first offer during a first time period exclusively to customers ranked in the first tier. The one or more processors are further caused to restrict acceptance of the first offer during the first time period to (a) customers ranked in the first tier and (b) referees referred by any customer ranked in the first tier. Methods and systems for rewarding and ranking customers are also provided. | 02-13-2014 |
| 20140052513 | Social Commerce Intelligence Engine - Embodiments of the present disclosure include an intelligence engine implemented in accordance with a social commerce network community. The social commerce network community may include members, merchants, third party providers, or other entities that have agreed to participate in a social commerce network system. The intelligence engine is configured to use member information stored in a member profile to match members with a commercial opportunity. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140052514 | Method and Apparatus for Hyperlink Conversion in a Referral System - In some embodiments, a crawl program or other automated program, which acquires links to various merchants from the merchant's webpage automatically, converts hyperlinks to those web pages into referral links to those web pages routed through the central depository opposed directly to the merchant. In an alternative, embodiment automated programs convert merchant web pages into referral links directly to the merchant. In this way the referred user can keep track of the discounts. In some embodiments, a first referring site shares referral information with a second referring site, which adds the second referring sites information to the referral link | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140052515 | Method and Apparatus for Anonymous Referred User Discount Process - In some embodiments, the process involves performing similar functions articulated by the referral and discount process contained in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/551,983, 13/552,011, and 13/552,031 only without the user creating an account. Rather, the central depository stores the discounts with the internet protocol address, (hereinafter “i.p. address” or “ip address”) of the referred user and transfers the referred user to the merchant with an i.p. address opposed to a referred user identity. In an additional embodiment, the merchant stores the discount with the i.p. address of the referred user without storing the discount with a referred user account that the referred user creates. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140052516 | Method and Apparatus for Combining Referral Rates in a Referral System - In some embodiments, for resellers of goods, multiple referral rates can be combined to yield a greater total referral rate. For example, the manufacturer can offer one referral rate and the reseller can offer a second referral rate. The central depository combines the two referral rates to have a greater total referral rate, which is paid to the referring user. The central depository also displays the combined referral rate in a list for the referring user. Upon activation, the central depository collects payment from all parties offering a referral rate in this example the manufacture and the reseller. The central depository can collect payment separately for each party (the manufacture and the reseller). In an alternative embodiment, the central depository collects payment from one party for both referral rates. In this embodiment the party who pays the combine referral rate collects payment from the other party. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140052517 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING DATA POINTS COLLECTED FROM A CUSTOMER TO PROVIDE CUSTOMER SPECIFIC OFFERINGS - A retailer computer system receives from a first computing device a shopping recap Having data indicative of one or more products that were shown to a customer by the sales associate while the customer was within a retail establishment. The received shopping recap is stored within a data repository where it is linked to a customer identifier that is associated with the customer and an associate identifier that is associated with the sale associate. If the customer later purchases a product, data indicative of the product being purchased is compared against data within any shopping recap that is linked to that customer to determine if a sales associate that is also linked to any shopping recap linked to that customer is to be awarded a commission for the product being purchased. The purchase of the product by the customer may further generate a digital receipt where the digital receipt includes a notice that the customer is being awarded an incentive, such as a coupon. The incentive may be automatically linked to a rewards account of the customer whereupon, if the customer purchases a product that is associated with the incentive, the incentive will be automatically redeemed for the customer. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140052518 | Affiliate Marketing Method That Provides Inbound Affiliate Link Credit Without Coded URLs - A method of affiliate marketing provides inbound affiliate link credit without coded URLs. Affiliate web sites link directly to merchant web sites, so that all of a merchant site's affiliates potentially contribute to its inbound link credit. The merchant web server parses incoming web page requests, and extracts the referrer. The merchant web server, directly or via an affiliate network manager, consults a database of affiliate web sites to determine whether the referrer is an authorized affiliate. If so, the affiliate is credited for the traffic, and may additionally be credited for user activity at the merchant site. The affiliate network manager writes a cookie to the user terminal to further track the user through the affiliate network. The method reduces or eliminates cookie hijacking and other forms of affiliate fraud, and may be used to track non-affiliate referring web sites. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140058814 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF DIGITAL CONTENT - A system and method for distribution of digital content and goods includes means for rewarding multiple levels of participants involved in the recommendation/sales process. Distribution may be direct through platform-generated commerce and/or indirect through recommendations on external social media sites, communications platforms, blogs and other social and commerce sites. Multiple levels of users of the system may be compensated for participating in sales of content based on their activity and hierarchy within user networks related to the sale. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140067498 | Management of Personalized Advertisements Through the Mass Media - Techniques, an apparatus and an article of manufacture for management of personalized advertisements through the mass media. A method includes capturing content of an advertisement that is displayed publically and/or publically accessible to a plurality of individuals through a mass media mechanism by recording an image of the advertisement using a hand-held device, storing the content of the advertisement in a user-dedicated repository, and managing the content of the advertisement in the user-dedicated repository to facilitate distribution of the advertisement through the user to one or more additional individual users. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140067499 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING GRATUITIES - A computer-implemented method for allocating gratuities is disclosed that includes employing at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts: receiving transaction information from a point of sale, wherein the transaction information comprises at least gratuity data for each of a plurality of transactions during an accounting period; receiving employee information from the point of sale, wherein the employee information comprises at least hours worked for each of a plurality of employees during the accounting period; receiving gratuity distribution rules for allocating gratuities among at least a portion of the employees; and determining a gratuity allocation for each applicable employee of the plurality of employees based on at least the received transaction information, the received employee information, and the received gratuity distribution rules. Also disclosed is a computer-implemented system for managing gratuity allocations. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140081723 | INFORMATION PROVIDING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An information providing apparatus according to the present application includes an identifying unit, a checking unit, and a notifying unit. The identifying unit identifies a store or a site which a user plans to visit by analyzing a posting page posted by the user. The checking unit checks a current location of a user terminal which the user has against a location of the store or the site identified by the identifying unit when the user terminal performs processing to register the current location. The notifying unit notifies an administrator of the store or the site that the user has actually visited the store or the site when the current location of the user terminal is the same as the location of the store or the site as a result of the check performed by the checking unit. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140089066 | METHODS FOR MANAGING REFERRALS AND DEVICES THEREOF - A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and a referral management server that identifies a user type stored in a referral network database as associated with login credentials submitted by a user of a computing device. At least summary information and pending transaction information is determined based on the identified user type and the login credentials wherein, when the identified user type is a referral agent, the pending transaction information comprises at least a status of one or more sales leads previously submitted by the user and the summary information comprises an indication of a consummated sale associated with one or more of the previously submitted sales leads. A dashboard web page including at least the summary information and the pending transaction information is generated. The generated dashboard web page is sent to the computing device. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20140095282 | Methods and Apparatus for Advertising and Sale Promotion - A method for advertising and sales comprising: a first electronic device which is carried by an ad agent, wherein said first electronic device contains a list of ad products used by said ad agent and wherein when first electronic device inquired by a second electronic device which is carried by a potential buyer that is located within proximity to said ad agent, first electronic device provides information about said ad products to said second electronic device. The method further comprises servers which receive and store information on the inquiries performed to between said first and second electronic devices and enables on-line purchasing of the ad products. Ad products are typically consumer products including shoes, clothes, bags, apparel, watches, glasses, luggage cases, accessories, mp3 players, cellular phones, tablets and laptops. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140095283 | REFERRAL BASED MARKETING SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provided for managing referrals for referred products, including providing rewards in response to accepting a purchase transaction request for the referred product, executing a purchase transaction related to the request, and receiving referring consumer identification data. Referring consumer identification data may be transmitted to the first electronic device after an account is created. A product data request relating to a referred product may be received from a first electronic device associated with a referring consumer, and the product data may be transmitted to the first electronic device. A purchase transaction request for the referred product and the referring consumer identification data may be received from a second electronic device associated with a referred consumer. A reward may be provided to the referring consumer in response to executing the purchase transaction, and may be based on the purchase transaction request. A purchase reward for the referred product may also be provided to the referred consumer. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140108111 | MOBILE ADVERTISING SYSTEM - A mobile advertising system, a respective method and to a computer program product, wherein the mobile advertising system includes one or more mobile devices configured to capture a merchant's encoded vending detail, and being configured to communicate with a remote payment host. Upon completion of a payment procedure, the mobile device is operable to generate a recommendation on the basis of the captured vending details and to transfer the recommendation to at least one potential customer via a network. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140108112 | ONLINE DISTRIBUTION AND ACCUMULATION OF INCENTIVE REWARDS - A business system and method for providing online distribution and accumulation of incentive rewards according to the present invention comprises one or more rewards accumulation accounts which can be designated to the buyer himself or herself or any beneficiary. The system and method allows the buyer to save and accumulate the earned rewards and accumulate interest for a set of specific objectives, for example, retirement or education. The rewards in the accumulation account can be redeemed and cashed out only when the set objectives or conditions are met. This business system and method helps people to save money from normal daily living necessity spending. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140108113 | EMPLOYEE INCENTIVE AND COMPENSATION SYSTEM - A system for motivating employees to increase sales in a retail environment and for compensating the employees accordingly is disclosed. A customer presents products for purchase and may further be identified according to a customer loyalty program. The system identifies existing promotions in which the customer may be interested as a function of the products selected for the current purchase and according to the customer's past purchase history. A script is provided to the employee to be read to the customer to inform the customer of the existing promotion. In addition, the value of a potential commission to be earned is presented to the employee to motivate the employee to read the script to the customer. If the customer takes advantage of the promotion, the commission is awarded to the employee. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140129307 | System and Method for Facilitating Commercial Interactions via a Physical Insignia - According to aspects of the present invention, a system, method, and device utilizes insignia such as electronic near field communication (e.g., NFC or RFID) tags or preprogrammed visual insignia (e.g., QR code or bar code) attached to or associated with physical products or service offerings and linked to an Internet-based user interface with a supporting database. In different embodiments, the present invention includes: a registration management component; an offer management component; a loyalty program management component, a referral management component; a purchase and service management component; a customer feedback component; and an interaction tracking component. | 05-08-2014 |
| 20140149194 | GRANTING OF BENEFITS - A communication terminal uses an application to request that an administrative server provide an invitation code. The administrative server generates and transmits an invitation code that is unique to the communication terminal and that can be used for a plurality of applications used for invitation code requests. The communication terminal discloses the invitation code that was transmitted, and also discloses application information, and when other communication terminals use the application to designate the invitation code, the administrative server grants benefits to the communication terminal according to an invitation number that is the number of communication terminals that have designated the invitation code. | 05-29-2014 |
| 20140156367 | PROCESSING REQUESTS TO BUY ITEMS OR SERVICES - A method and system for processing shopping information. The shopping information, which pertains to an item purchased by a user, is read from a mobile device, and was scanned by the mobile device from an item tag attached to the item. The item relates to another user. A set of affiliates is determined from analysis of the shopping information. Each affiliate is entitled to receive a reward due to purchase of the item. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140164079 | SOCIAL INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCE - In an example embodiment, a method of validating an electronic incentive provided to users is provided. An electronic incentive can be distributed to a first user. The electronic incentive provides a first discount amount for an item or service. A first indication that the electronic incentive has been redeemed at a merchant point of sale terminal can later be received. Validation may then occur to ensure that the electronic incentive referred to in the first indication is the electronic incentive distributed to the first user. Then, the first discount amount can be dynamically altered into a second discount amount different than the first discount amount, so that a redemption of the electronic incentive by the first user provides a discount equal to the second discount amount. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140164080 | ORGANIZATIONAL TOOLS AND OR A COLLABORATION SYSTEM UTILIZING THE SAME THEREIN - A method of organizing revenues for user shares of information regarding applications configured for use on a server hosted collaboration system accessible by a network. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140164081 | ORGANIZATIONAL TOOLS AND OR A COLLABORATION SYSTEM UTILIZING THE SAME THEREIN - A method of organizing revenues for user shares of information regarding applications configured for use on a server hosted collaboration system accessible by a network. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140164082 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA REFERRALS BASED REWARDS - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing social media referrals based rewards to a customer. The systems and methods may provide incentives to customers of financial-service providers (“FSP”) based on their referrals to the FSP. Customer referrals may be determined for the customer by gathering data regarding referrals received from messages distributed by the customer via social media. Based on the referrals, an amount of rewards may be provided for business transactions initiated by the customer. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140172527 | SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING A NETWORK-BASED USER REFERRAL PROGRAM - A system for implementing a referral program includes a referral tracking system capable of tracking referrals of users from participant sites to a merchant site, and capable of determining whether such referrals result in purchases. The referral program participants may select particular catalog items to recommend, and may provide encoded links on their sites to the corresponding catalog pages of the merchant site. The system may include a report generation system that provides the participants with activity reports regarding the referral and purchase activity attributable to such links. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140180782 | Techniques For Linking Consumers For Coupon Matching - A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of receiving, with a processing device of a commerce server, a shopping list containing a plurality of items from a primary consumer. The method also includes the step of controlling, with the processing device, a display of an electronic computing device of a secondary consumer to display the shopping list. The method also includes the step of receiving, with the processing device, a coupon list containing one more coupons from the secondary consumer wherein each of the one or more coupons corresponds to one of the plurality of items on the shopping list. The method also includes the step of transmitting, with the processing device, a message containing the coupon list to the primary consumer. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140188584 | PRODUCT PRICING SYSTEM ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE USING THE INTERNET - In one embodiment, the product pricing system in e-commerce using the internet, comprises a sale condition management module receiving a sale condition information entered from a seller that includes a lowest set price, a customer price and a prepared number of a product, wherein the lowest set price for a product is determined according to whole sale of the prepared number of a product; a purchase condition management module generating purchase group information by counting a purchased number for each bid price through a product bid price and a purchased number of a product entered from a customer; a status management module generating discount information according to a purchased number of a product based on the sale condition information, and generating varying price information by adding the discount information and the purchase group information; and a pricing module generating a pricing information by setting a price of the product, wherein the price of the product set at the value where the purchase group information matches with the discount information. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140188585 | Organizational Tools and or a Collaboration System Utilizing the Same Therein - A method of automating aspects of charging and receiving payments in exchange for access to a user's content on a collaboration system configured for use on a server accessible by a network such that paid access can be readily established without requiring the independent integration of payment receipt and tracking software by the user and without requiring the user to determining software compatibility of the same for use on the server. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140195316 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED AND COMBINED ONLINE MARKETING AND SALES - A method for managing the sale of goods and services includes coupling at least one good or service to a first hyperlink associated with the first vendor and the at least one good or service. A database tracks and stores the purchase of the at least one good or service coupled to the first hyperlink and generating a second hyperlink corresponding to the good or service as well as to both the first vendor and the first buyer, and supplying the second hyperlink to the first buyer. The first buyer may display the second hyperlink to a plurality of additional buyers, and, when each of the plurality of additional buyers conducts a transaction using the second hyperlink to purchase the at least one good or service from the first vendor, the purchase is recorded in connection with the additional buyers, the first vendor and the first buyer. | 07-10-2014 |
| 20140195317 | Single Order Method For Independent Sales Representative As Used In The Party Plan Direct Marketing Method Of Selling Products - A business method and system for executing the method that involves gathering merchandise orders at a show in the home of a hostess. The method compiles the merchandise orders while maintaining a relationship between each individual order and information pertaining to the guest making the order. The guest information maintains an association with the order throughout the method such that each order made at the show may be individually packaged and labeled, obviating the need for the hostess to sort the ordered items upon receiving them from a warehouse. | 07-10-2014 |
| 20140200973 | System And Method For Categorizing Postings In A Social Media Computer System - A computer-implemented system for receiving user input to categorize user submissions in a social media setting is described. The system includes a commercial identifier database including a plurality of commercial product records, each record including at least one commercial identifier selected from the group of a commercial product name, a commercial product image, and terms used to identify the commercial product, a user account database including a plurality of user records, each user record including a plurality of data fields associated with a unique user in the social media setting, the data fields including at least a user name and user security information, a user submission module configured to receive a plurality of user submissions, each user submission including at least one commercial identifier, the user submission module further configured to request and receive a user submission categorization for each received user submission, a user submission display interface configured to display the received user submissions, and a categorization processing module configured to perform a user submission secondary action to at least one data field in the user account database based on the received user submission categorization. | 07-17-2014 |
| 20140214507 | REFERRAL AFFILIATE BUYOUT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system is connected for communication over a communication network with a plurality of provider entity processors for managing referral fees. The system includes a processor configured to store information associated with referral fee rights including rights of a first provider entity to receive referral fees for referral fee generating activities performed by one or more users that have been referred by the first provider entity to one or more second provider entities. The processor receives a request from the first provider entity to sell defined referral fee rights. The processor calculates a buy-out price associated with the defined referral fee rights and communicates the calculated price to the first provider entity. The processor receives information from the provider entity regarding whether or not the provider entity accepts the calculated buy-out price. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140222532 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIRECTING AND INSTRUCTING CUSTOMERS TO DEAL WITH SPECIFIC MERCHANTS USING INCENTIVES - A buyer-seller matching system that uses incentives to verify commissions from matching the buyer with a seller. An item locator system that comprises a repository of information about items for purchase may be provided over a network for users to access information about items for purchase. Along with each item, the system presents an incentive that may be realized if that item is purchased from a designated third party seller. The user then executes the purchase with the seller, who pays the system the agreed upon fee and also issues a certification of purchase to the buyer. The user may then take the certification of purchase back to the central repository to redeem the incentive. The item locator system then checks to verify that it has received a fee or commission from the seller for bringing the seller a buyer of the item. The fee or commission may be based on the price of the item, such as if the item is a new house for sale and the seller is a new house builder. | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140236691 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A DYNAMIC NETWORKED COMMERCE ARCHITECTURE - One embodiment of the present invention provides systems and methods, which allow a more efficient shopping experience. A cascading commerce menu provides access to a plurality of product, service, and/or content categories. In one embodiment, the cascading commerce menu is stored on a client computer, thereby providing quick access to the menu. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20140249900 | AFFILIATE SYSTEM, AFFILIATE METHOD, AND SERVER - An affiliate system according to the embodiment acquires an introduction request including information on a product or service that a user of a first terminal decides to introduce to a user of a second terminal among products or services purchased or used by the user of the first terminal, selects from among users of respective second terminals, the user of the second terminal who is associated with the user of the first terminal and who visits a purchase site or use site of the product or service specified in the introduction request, and notifies introduction information corresponding to the introduction request to the second terminal of the selected user. If the user of the second terminal purchases or uses the product or service on the basis of the introduction information, a reward is provided to the user of the first terminal. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140257953 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ANONYMOUSLY COMMUNICATE ENCRYPTED CONTENT BETWEEN MOBILE DEVICES IN PROXIMITY AND IN EXPANDED USER COMMUNITIES IN A CONTAGIOUS, VIRAL MANNER - An information dissemination method and apparatus facilitates transmission of information to primary receivers and re-transmission to secondary receivers using native mobile devices, without necessarily depending on friends lists or the internet. The chain of transmission “links” can be tracked and logged, and users in the chain can be rewarded for participating. The information, referred to as “germs,” can be generated, propagated and spread in a viral manner, wherein the germs are filtered and exchanged among users in close proximity, within a pre-registered user group, or through the internet. Embodiments can be used for one-to-one and one-to-many communications in the social media, advertising, and/or security industries, and do not require client-users to know each other or be on friends lists. Preference settings, rules, behavior tracking algorithms, semantic data analytics, and manual censorship can be individually or collectively utilized in the peer selection and filtered germ dissemination processes. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140278859 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SOCIAL NETWORK-ENHANCED ENDORSEMENT SERVICES - A system and method that makes information available to participants of electronically mediated social networks that is provided by other parties is provided. The social network receives information about an entity, concept, vendor, service or good. A credentialed and authorized user of the associated account is enabled to both (a.) post this information and (b.) select rules that permit or deny access by other parties to the posted information according two or more alternative access permissions or permission profiles. The system enables informational posts to be made accessible to other social network accounts of that have been generally authorized a selected level of information access permission, such as a friend account status or a linked account status. A scope of search might be extended to a second or additional separation levels, such as friends of friends, or two or more degrees of linked connectivity. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278860 | CONTENT DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH CONTENT SHARING MECHANISM AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF - A content delivery system includes: a profile module configured to determine a profile; a current location module, coupled to the profile module, configured to calculate a current location associated with the profile; and a content generation module, coupled to the additional location module, configured to generate a contextual content based on the profile and within a geofence of the current location for displaying on the device, the geofence is for connecting a device to another device. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278861 | USER DIRECTED DONATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method and system for user-directed donations from a company to a charity in which an affiliate company agrees to donate a percentage of each transaction with a registered user to one or more charities selected by the user. The user may also select a percentage of each donation which is to be donated to each of its selected charities. The user conducts the transaction with a personal payment account, which is any form of payment which is not specific to a single company or related group of companies. In this way, the user may conduct business with substantially any business and generate donations which the user directs, so long as the business is an affiliate. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278862 | Social collaborative decision-making platform for shopping - The proposed embodiment provides a method and system for social collaboration and providing curated content for decision-making. The method includes creating a list for purchasing product(s) by a user and sharing the list with a plurality of users. Further, the method includes receiving product suggestions and curated content associated with the products from the plurality of users/sources, adaptively displaying the curated content to the user for decision-making, and allowing the user to purchase the product(s) based on the decision-made. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278863 | SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING UNIQUELY TRACK ABLE ITEMS WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS AND BENEFITS FOR RETAILERS AND AFFILIATES - The method of the present disclosure comprises providing an item containing a unique identifier to seller of the item where the unique identifier identifies at least the location and purchaser or user of the item, receiving information about at least the location and use of the item from the purchaser or user of the item, providing the purchaser or user of the item with one or more offers or incentives that are specifically tailored to the individual purchaser or user based on the location and use information received from the purchaser or user of the item and providing the seller with a monetary incentive or reward whenever the seller sells the item or the purchaser or user accepts one or more offers or incentives that are specifically tailored to the individual purchaser or user based on the location and use information received from the purchaser or user of the item. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278864 | SYSTEMS, DEVICES, ARTICLES AND METHODS FOR TRACKING AND/OR INCENTIVIZING USER REFERRAL ACTIONS - Tracking, and possibly rewarding or incentivizing those who drive traffic includes causing sharing actions via social networking or media platforms to register such actions with a tracking server. Sharing may be via sharing widgets, posting on Web pages, and/or copying and pasting URLs. The effectiveness of the tracking may be tracked, including over generations. Incentives may be based on effectiveness of sharing actions, for example number of clicks, or social and actual revenue generated. Incentives may include access through a pay wall Website or free or discounted access to content, products, or services. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278865 | Systems and Methods for Direct Distribution of Merchant-Based Rewards - Systems and methods of the invention relate to directly distributing an offer from a merchant to a user based on a relationship established via the Internet. More specifically, the user can request and/or accept a relationship with an entity in which such relationship is leveraged by the merchant to either directly communicate an offer to such user and/or directly communicate an offer to such user and one or more relationships associated with such user. Moreover, based on the one or more relationships redeeming or using the offer, the user can be provided with a specific offer and/or an offer customizable to his or her preferences within one or more guidelines from the merchant. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278866 | SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR COMPENSATING A MEMBER OF AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK FOR RECRUITMENT OF NEW MEMBERS - A website accessible via a network to a first plurality of registered users is maintained, wherein the first plurality of registered users comprises a second plurality of paying members and a third plurality of non-paying members. Registration information indicating that a person has registered, status information indicating whether the person has registered as a paying member or a non-paying member, and referring member identification information identifying a particular one of the first plurality of users as a member who referred the person, is received. Referring member status information indicating whether the particular one of the first plurality of users is a paying member or a non-paying member is examined. A sum is paid to the particular one of the first plurality of user based on the status information and the referring member status information. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278867 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOADING A DIGITAL WALLET - A system and method for facilitating a value exchange transaction are provided. A plurality of identifiers to be associated with a user account that is accessible via the wallet application is received by a networked system from a wallet application on a mobile device. In response, access is provided to a plurality of values corresponding to the received plurality of identifiers. The plurality of values includes monetary values and non-monetary values. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140278868 | NETWORK-BASED MULTI-TIER PROMOTION THREAD GENERATOR SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A method of generating a fixed-price variable-offer multi-tier thread generator may include receiving, a by a computer processor(s), at least a fixed price, a thread expiration criteria and specification for at least two offerings for the fixed price. Each of the at least two offerings correspond to one of at least two tiers of offerings, where the fixed price entitles a first member and any subsequent members on a thread to redeem a qualified offer associated with a qualified tier, in exchange for paying the fixed price, upon the occurrence of at least one thread expiration criteria. The at least one product or service offerings the thread qualifies for, upon the occurrence of the at least one thread expiration criteria, may be dependent upon a total number of members, including the first member who starts a thread from the thread generator and any subsequent members who join the thread and who have agreed to pay the fixed price. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140289030 | SYSTEM FOR ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS - A system for attracting new customer comprises providing a coupon to an existing customer, the coupon identifying only the customer and when that coupon is redeemed by a second customer, the first customer receives value. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140297379 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING SELECTION OF DATING PARTNERS IN ONLINE DATING ENVIRONMENTS - A computer-implemented method for facilitating selection of dating partners in at least one social network including connections among a plurality of users. The method includes a first user browsing through visible user profiles, the first user identifying a second user in the visible user profiles, the first user and second user connected to each other via a third user in the at least one social network and the first user sending an introduction request to the third user for introduction with the second user by paying a first amount of virtual currency from user account associated with the first user. Thereafter, the third user performing one of introducing the first user to the second user to earn a second amount of virtual currency and choosing to keep the introducing request for themselves by paying a third amount of virtual currency. | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140310079 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC SOCIAL SHOPPING GAME PLATFORMS - The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for social shopping networks. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for providing rewards to a user and a customer via a social shopping game platform associated with a networking Web site includes the steps of receiving registration information for the user; receiving product information of at least one product from a merchant; enabling the user to create a user's personal store, wherein the user's personal store displays the product information of the at least one product; enabling a customer of the networking Web site to purchase the at least one displayed product from the merchant; and distributing the rewards to the user and the customer for their activities, such as, if the customer makes a purchase from the merchant after visiting the user's store displaying the at least one product. | 10-16-2014 |
| 20140316871 | Tribrid Compensation Plan - In a direct marketing environment, a compensation method for calculating compensation of a distributor entails utilizing multiple compensation systems in serial with each other, such that a first distributor of a direct marketing company may receive compensation under a first compensation system as well as compensation under one or more additional compensation systems, and wherein providing compensation under at least one of the compensation systems occurs without regard to whether compensation was provided under another compensation system. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140316872 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING ENDORSEMENTS - The disclosed embodiments include, for example, a system for managing endorsements for products is disclosed that identifies a person of influence, and determines that the person of influence has identified a product provided by a merchant in a digital communication. The system may dynamically generate an endorsement deal communication including an offer to the person of influence to endorse the product, and provide the endorsement deal communication to the person of influence. The system may receive a response to the endorsement deal communication indicating an acceptance by the person of influence to endorse the product. The system may generate an endorsement communication including a product identifier identifying the product, an endorser identifier identifying the person of influence, and a link to an online location. The system may publish the endorsement communication electronically, after which is determines compensation for the person of influence. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140324558 | AUTOMATED COMMISSION PROGRAMS - A commission program can include an asymptotic component when calculating compensation for distributors. An asymptotic leg can extend to infinity without exceeding a target percentage. A distributor can be compensated based on selected distributors in the compensated distributor's downline. Recurring non-contiguous inclusion of distributors can be applied. A random component can be incorporated into the compensation program. The program can include innovative techniques going beyond conventional systems to better provide a balance between distributor motivation and sustainability of the program. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140330625 | ITEMS REFERRALS IN A NETWORK-BASED PUBLICATION SYSTEM - Methods and systems for facilitating the referrals of items provided by a network-based publication system are described. In some example embodiments, the methods and systems may provide a mechanism to receive referrals from viewers of items (e.g., viewers of product description information associated with items available for purchase) and/or surface items that have been referred to other viewers looking to purchase items via the network-based publication system. | 11-06-2014 |
| 20140337111 | REWARDING ONLINE ADVOCATES - A method and associated systems for rewarding online advocates. The invention identifies a primary advocate as a person or entity that endorses or advocates a product or service. The invention then automatically detects, tracks, and analyzes characteristics of the advocate's act of advocating the product or service to recipients. The invention also tracks the primary advocate's conversions, which occur when the primary advocate's act of advocating influences a recipient into advocating a product or service. The invention then automatically rewards the primary advocate as a function of characteristics of the primary advocate's influence and of the primary advocate's ability to convert recipients. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140344037 | DIGITAL EXCHANGE SERVING AS AN INTEGRATED, CONTINUOUS SPONSORSHIP AND PROMOTION SYSTEM FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND SCHOOLS - A method of operating a digital system where the method includes providing a server connected to a communications network configured for two-way communications for system users, and configuring the server to display purchase offers, prizes, or other marketing information on user devices. The method also includes linking scannable codes with the digital system and user devices, so that when one of the scannable codes is scanned, the user device, on which the scan was made, is connected to a website where an offer is presented, wherein the offer can be a discount associated with a purchase, a sponsorship amount associated with a purchase, a gift card, a rebate, or a prize. | 11-20-2014 |
| 20140344038 | SALES PROMOTION DEVICE, SALES PROMOTION SYSTEM, AND SALES PROMOTION METHOD - Sales promotion device which provides campaign information receives access from a terminal device of an introducer who participated in a campaign to a campaign participation registration site, generate campaign participation information on which a campaign ID, a parent ID assigned to the introducer, and points assigned to the introducer are corresponded. When introduction information is received from the terminal device of the introducer, another user belonging to an SNS group which is the same as the introducer is treated as an introduced person, a child ID assigned to the introduced person or a user ID of the SNS is written in the campaign participation information, and introduction information is distributed to the terminal device of the introduced person. When the introduced person participates in the campaign, the promotion device writes points assigned to the introduced person in the campaign participation information, and adds introduction points to the introducer's points. | 11-20-2014 |
| 20140351032 | Name Based Customer Referral System - Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for managing a referral program. One or more of a name and additional identifying details for a referrer are registered in a database. A referrer's name is received from a referred party. It is verified whether the referrer's name provided by the referred party matches a registered referrer's name in the database. Additional identity information is used to verify a referrer's identity in the event that two registered referrers have identical names. A reward is granted to the referrer after a specified act has been completed by the referred party. | 11-27-2014 |
| 20140358655 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREDIT PARTY REDEMPTION - The invention provides systems and methods for administering a rewards program in which points are earned by both shopping and online promotional activity. The rewards program preferably includes real-time earning of points and real-time price reductions. In certain aspects, the invention provides a method of influencing consumer behavior that includes using a computer system for giving consumers reward points for performing activities that include both online shopping and online brand promotion, offering the consumers a discount on a purchase, and—for each consumer that accepts the offer—depleting that consumer's reward points by an amount. | 12-04-2014 |
| 20140372188 | LOOPED INCENTIVE COMMERCE SYSTEM - A native virtual currency is awarded to parties of the system, for example potential customers of commercial parties, for use in commerce. The awarding entity, the system, itself accepts native virtual currency toward payment for system services provided to members, for example advertising a party's willingness to accept a native virtual currency in transactions and other commerce related services. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20140372189 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSUMER-BASED STORING, RETRIEVING AND TRANSMITTING OF PROMOTIONAL CONTENT TO OTHER CONSUMERS - A system and method for targeted delivery of promotional messages from a sender to a receiver are disclosed. The system includes a website providing access to a plurality of promotional messages, and comprises a web-based user interface enabling the sender to create a set of promotional targeting records. A promotional targeting record comprises the sender's communication identifier, a targeted destination's communication identifier, and a selected promotional message. The created promotional targeting records are stored in a database. After a communication transmission from the sender to the receiver, system application software is used to: obtain the communication identifiers of the sender and the receiver; search the database to identify a promotional targeting record with matching sender and receiver communication identifiers; and after identifying such a promotional targeting record, retrieve from the database and deliver to the receiver the promotional message associated with the identified promotional targeting record. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20140379446 | INFORMATION MANAGEMENT DEVICE, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An information management device includes a storage unit that stores distribution information representing whether shop information has been distributed. The information management device includes a determining unit that determines whether the shop information has been distributed when a request for distributing of the shop information from a first user to a second user is received. The information management device includes a distributing unit that distributes the shop information to the second user when the determining unit determines that the shop information has not been distributed. The information management device includes an updating unit that updates the distribution information to distribution information representing that the shop information has been distributed when the distributing unit distributes the shop information to the second user, and updates the distribution information to distribution information representing that the shop information has not been distributed when the second user uses a store related to the shop information. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20150012345 | METHOD FOR COLD START OF A MULTI-ARMED BANDIT IN A RECOMMENDER SYSTEM - A method performed by a recommender system to recommend items to a new user includes calculating reward estimates from multiple multi-armed bandit models of a user and her social network friends. The new user's social network friends have multi-armed bandit models that are well established. The mixed multi-armed bandit estimates are processed to select the arm that maximizes the estimated reward to the new user. The multi-armed bandit arm of the greatest reward estimate is played and the new user responds by providing feedback so that the new user's multi-armed bandit model is updated as time progresses. | 01-08-2015 |
| 20150019309 | SYSTEM TO FACILITATE AFFILIATE MARKETING - A system to facilitate affiliate marketing that includes a server system, a first memory system residing on the server system and a website with a plurality of web pages to measure and monitor to facilitate affiliate marketing. The system includes a plurality of users that are a plurality of members of the system to facilitate affiliate marketing. The users include a plurality of sellers supplying one or more goods or services to the system to facilitate affiliate marketing, a plurality of buyers purchasing the one or more goods or services to the system to facilitate affiliate marketing, a plurality of introducer affiliates introducing one or more new users to the system to facilitate affiliate marketing, a plurality of referral affiliates referring a potential buyer to a potential seller, or referring a potential seller to a potential buyer and a network operator operating and maintaining the system to facilitate affiliate marketing. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150019310 | ELECTRONIC SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GROUP PURCHASING PROMOTIONS - An automated group promotion electronic system. A Group-Buy-Promotion (GBP) server and client system together with a product management back end database system are implemented. Deals based on the number of participants are created, posted and broadcasted. Dynamic market changes of a product-for-sale are tracked. Group buying and information broadcasting are automated with an ease of use. Credits are provided to customers who participate in a Deal at the end of a Deal to encourage group and volume purchases and are also tracked. Regardless a particular customer's purchasing power, whether a retail customer, a wholesale merchant or large scale government procurement; a participant, of any size, benefits from other customers participating in a particular Deal. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150019311 | CONTACT IMPORTER - Embodiments are provided for importing contacts. A contact importer leverages the various contacts associated with a user of a content management service to find potential new users and/or customers. A contact importer may run on one or more devices of a user associated with an account on a content management system, and import various contacts of that user to a contact list. The list may be culled to weed out non-human contacts, and processed so as to assign an affinity score to each contact, expressing a degree of affinity to the user. Incentives may be offered to the user for either sending or approving an invitation to a contact to register with the content management system, paid upon the invitee successfully registering. Different incentives may be offered for an accepted invitation from various contacts or classes thereof. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150019312 | MAGNETIC STRIPE CARDS - Magnetic stripe cards configured to be coupled to a ferromagnetic material are described. In one embodiment, a magnetic stripe card may include a substrate, a magnetic stripe coupled to the substrate, and at least one magnet coupled to the substrate. The magnet may have a magnetic pull force equal to or greater than that necessary to support a total weight of the substrate, the magnetic stripe, and the magnet when coupled to the ferromagnetic material. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150025952 | Method of Assigning a Prospective Member to an Enrollment Tree - A method of incorporating a prospect into an enrollment tree of a multi-level marketing organization using a microprocessor, the enrollment tree having a tree structure and a member, each member being positioned on a level of the enrollment tree, said method having the steps of: determining a value of a sponsor goal, obtaining network information, obtaining enrollment information, identifying a vacancy in the downline of a member, assigning a prospect to the identified vacancy, and incorporating the prospect into the enrollment tree as a new member. | 01-22-2015 |
| 20150025953 | REWARDING INFLUENCERS - A method embodiment includes receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content or a second network-available electronic content, perhaps in a Web 2.0 environment. Also, receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third party. The involvement being independent of the person activating a link to a site owned by the third party that is included in the first network-available electronic content or in the second network available electronic content. Further, assessing a behavioral influence by the first network-available electronic content and/or the second network-available electronic content on the indicated involvement with respect to the possible matters of interest between the person and a third party. Also, facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first network-available electronic content and/or an owner of the second network-available electronic content in response to the assessed behavioral influence. | 01-22-2015 |
| 20150046237 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ADVERTISING AND SALE PROMOTION - A method for promoting sales including receiving an indication from a potential customer's device that a computerized application on the potential customer's device was activated after the potential customer sees a tangible consumer product and a signal from a wireless tag located in the tangible consumer product was received at the potential customer's device, and responsive to the indication, issuing a reward associated directly with the tangible consumer product. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150051959 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD, PROGRAM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM - There is provided an information processing device including an association unit configured to associate content of which a first post destination is designated by a first user with a predetermined advertisement, and a transmission control unit configured to transmit the content associated with the predetermined advertisement by the association unit to the first post destination as affiliate content, and when the affiliate content is reproduced in the first post destination and then a second post destination is designated by a second user, to transmit a duplicate of the affiliate content of which the second post destination has been designated to the second post destination. | 02-19-2015 |
| 20150058103 | SOCIAL MEDIA INCENTIVE POINT MANAGEMENT - The systems and methods described herein relate to computerized incentive management including a unified and centralized program whereby individuals with social media accounts (users) can earn points for interacting with various social media sites according to parameters set by a sponsor. The system can be configured to identify qualifying social media interactions based on a wide variety of flexible factors. | 02-26-2015 |
| 20150058104 | System And Method of Storing Data Related to Social Publishers and Associating the Data with Electronic Brand Data - A system and method of storing data related to social publishers and associating the data with electronic brand data is disclosed. The system includes an online persona definition module configured to receive information about a social publisher and, based on the received information, associate personality traits with the social publisher. A social influence measurement module receives social network metrics and social network activities related to social publishers and determine a level of social influence for the social publishers. A brand promoter management module is configured to receive data from the brand promoter, the including targeting elements for an advertising campaign, including a specified a level of social influence and a set of personality traits. The brand promoter may also upload brand art to display within the social network. An association is configured to determine if social publishers meet the targeting elements. An offer selection module allows selected social publishers to accept sponsorship offers and display the brand art within their social content. | 02-26-2015 |
| 20150066615 | Method for syndicating posts on a social network site - A method for syndicating promotional posts on a social network site is disclosed. This method may allow individual influencers on the social network site to be paid for allowing advertisers to add promotional posts to their social network feeds. The method may allow advertisers to select particular boards or categories and approve particular promotional posts. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150066616 | Systems, Computer-Implemented Methods, and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Media for Social Request Routing and Reward Distribution - Systems, computer-implemented methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media for social request routing and reward distribution. In a computer-implemented method according to one embodiment of the invention: a request is created, the request is routed between one or more users of one or more social networks, the request is fulfilled, rewardable users are rewarded based on the request's successful forwarding path(s). The invention may be used to fulfill requests that require cooperation between potentially unacquainted individuals. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150073886 | NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION ENABLED PURCHASING MECHANISMS - A method of placing an order performed by a mobile computing device. The method includes the steps of reading a near field communication element on or in a product, determining characteristics of the product based on the step of reading the near field communication element, and accessing or acquiring information about a user of the mobile computing device. The method also includes the steps of combining at least some of the characteristics of the product and at least some of the information about the user, and placing the order based on the step of combining. The characteristics of the product may include a product number or identifier, and the information about the user may include a size for the product. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20150081409 | SERVER AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING USER WITH REWARD - A server according to an embodiment allows a user to more comfortably enjoy communication with other users. This server executes a reward granting program including a user identification module that identifies, in response to a request from a terminal device of one user, one or a plurality of users from among the plurality of users based on present locations of the plurality of users, a user information transmission module that transmits information on the identified users to the terminal device of the one user, a first execution module that receives, from the terminal device of the one user, a request for execution of greeting transmission by the one user on another user selected by the one user from among the identified users and executes the greeting transmission, a second execution module that receives, from a terminal device of the other user, a request for execution of greeting reply to the one user by the other user for whom the greeting transmission is executed and executes the greeting reply, and a reward granting module that grants points to the one user and the other user in accordance with execution of the greeting reply to the one user by the other user. | 03-19-2015 |
| 20150088625 | METHOD, AN APPARATUS AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR PROMOTING THE APPARATUS - The invention concerns a method for promoting a device ( | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150095127 | INTERCONNECTING ENHANCED AND DIVERSIFIED COMMUNICATIONS WITH COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - A system for interconnecting enhanced and diversified communications with commercial applications using efficient and user-friendly features and methods by which users can create, share, and proliferate symbols, use translations, message contractions, message expansions, hidden messages, scrolling or bill-boarding messages, timed messages, Morse messages, and inter-language translations, all using various forms of formatting and presentation configurations. Such system and communications are used and made amongst various social groupings, providing benefits and incentives for usage of the system, and personalized consumer insight that links to commercial applications | 04-02-2015 |
| 20150100398 | Method for Dynamic Coupon Pricing - A method for dynamic coupon pricing includes steps of: receiving an indication of a trigger event regarding a value of a coupon; receiving an identification of the coupon; calculating a real-time value of the coupon by automatically updating the stated value of the coupon according to coupon price parameters; and providing the real-time value of the coupon. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150106176 | METHOD AND SYSTEM TO ASSESS FINDER'S FEE FOR CUSTOMER TRAFFIC AT A MERCHANT LOCATION - A method for assessing a finder's fee for directing merchant traffic includes: transmitting, by a transmitting device, offer data related to an offer for the purchase of goods or services to a mobile communication device, wherein the related offer is associated with a merchant; receiving, by a receiving device, an indication that a user of the mobile communication device viewed the transmitted offer data; receiving, by the receiving device, an indication that the mobile communication device was located at a geographic location associated with the merchant within a predetermined period of time of the viewing of the transmitted offer data by the user of the mobile communication device; generating, by a processing device, an authorization request for a payment transaction for a finder's fee to be paid by the merchant; and transmitting, by the transmitting device, the authorization request. | 04-16-2015 |
| 20150106177 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING A REFERRAL OF A PRODUCT - A system for enabling a referral of a product, comprising: a retriever for retrieving from a database a product identifier; a generator for generating product referral data with respect to an external system using the retrieved product identifier, wherein the generated product referral data is retrievable by a first device in communication with the external system, the product referral data once retrieved being for addition to an external database in communication with the external system, by accessing the external system using a nominated user identifier of a user, and the product referral data once added to the external database is retrievable by a second device in communication with the external system, the product referral data once retrieved by the second device being for generation of user identification data corresponding to the nominated user identifier; and a receiver for receiving the user identification data and making an award to the user. | 04-16-2015 |
| 20150106178 | ADVERTISING AND INCENTIVES OVER A SOCIAL NETWORK - A method whereby advertisers wish to deliver at least one of offerings and advertising messages relative to at least one of a product and a service to a target audience of users selected by a system operator during an advertising campaign. The method includes defining the users within the context of a social network, selecting the users from among the users of the social network, storing the information relevant to the defined users and utilizing the information stored/defined within the social network to deliver the messages to the users in an optimal manner. | 04-16-2015 |
| 20150112778 | OFFER SHARING - Aspects of the present invention describe an offer service that incentivizes people to share offer invitations with other people. An offer invitation gives a person an opportunity to subscribe to a customized offer with an incentive (e.g., a discount on a good or service) provided by a vendor. The offer invitation can take many forms. In one aspect, the offer invitation is a digital communication (e.g., a text, email, social post) that provides some details and provides a means to subscribe to the offer. The offer invitation can be passed between users that each receives a different offer upon subscribing to the offer. A user may receive a different sharing incentive based on the sharing mechanism he uses to share a user invitation. For example, a user may receive a larger incentive when he shares an offer invitation through his social network than when he shares via email. | 04-23-2015 |
| 20150120413 | MARKETING BASED ON PRODUCTS IDENTIFIED IN DIGITAL MEDIA - In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes identifying at least a portion of an image as a taggable product appearing in the image. A tag is generated, by a computer processor, for the taggable product. The tag is associated with the identified portion of the image and includes information about the taggable product, where generating the tag converts the taggable product into a tagged product. A first ad is prioritized over a plurality of other ads for display on a web page in conjunction with the image, where the prioritization is based at least in part on the first ad being related to the tagged product. | 04-30-2015 |
| 20150120414 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ON-LINE SALE OF GOODS AND SERVICES USING INFLUENCER HOSTING SITES - A method is provided for on-line retail sales by a merchant through referrals from people who have influence over customer buying decisions, such as doctors in the case of food products, and who has an internet web site. The method involves each influencer including a sub-site of the influencer's website which permits a customer to select products for purchase. The products which are available are selected by the influencer from those available in the merchant's product list. Once the customer selects products for purchase the customer is transferred to the merchant's e-commerce site for ordering, payment and delivery. The merchant rewards the influencer for purchases of the merchant's products made through the influencer's web site. | 04-30-2015 |
| 20150120415 | MARKETING BASED ON PRODUCTS IDENTIFIED IN DIGITAL MEDIA - In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes identifying at least a portion of an image as a taggable product appearing in the image. A tag is generated, by a computer processor, for the taggable product. The tag is associated with the identified portion of the image and includes information about the taggable product, where generating the tag converts the taggable product into a tagged product. A first ad is prioritized over a plurality of other ads for display on a web page in conjunction with the image, where the prioritization is based at least in part on the first ad being related to the tagged product. | 04-30-2015 |
| 20150127436 | COMMUNITY WI-FI NETWORK - Various technologies described herein pertain to joining a computing device in a local network to a community Wi-Fi network. The community Wi-Fi network includes disparate computing devices that share respective network bandwidth capacities with member consumer devices of the community Wi-Fi network. The computing device receives an opt-in signal indicating that the computing device desirably be added to the community Wi-Fi network. Responsive to receiving the opt-in signal, the computing device retrieves account parameters. The account parameters include data indicating a network bandwidth capacity allocated to the account, which is usable by the computing device. A shared portion of the network bandwidth capacity is determined based at least in part upon the parameters of the account. The computing device is configured to share the shared portion of the network bandwidth capacity for consumption by member consumer device(s). The computing device communicates with the member consumer device(s) over a Wi-Fi connection | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150127437 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO ACCOMMODATE MULTI-PARTY BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS - Systems and methods to accommodate business relationships between a supplier, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and an end user. A supplier provides a server having a web site that is accessible by OEM's and end users to purchase subsystems and consumable parts and materials. The OEM's and end users are associated with each other by the server in accordance with established business relationships. The server manages accounts of the OEM's and associated end users to reward on-line credits to the OEM's and the end users when the OEM's and the end users make purchases from the supplier. The rewarding of on-line credits are structured to generate additional business for the supplier from the OEM's and the associated end users. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150127438 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING A RETAIL NETWORK - Methods and systems for managing a retail network, the retail network including at least one manufacturer and/or merchant of a product or service; at least one retail or non-retail affiliate for promoting the product or service; and a retail network agent having a processor configured to execute computer readable instructions to manage retail transactions between the at least one manufacturer and/or merchant and the at least one affiliate. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150127439 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING DYNAMIC PRICES - System to manage and provide dynamic personalized prices as a result of a promotion of the product by the customer on the internet, in particular through a mobile device. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150127440 | SERVER DEVICE, SERVER PROGRAM, AND GAME PROGRAM - A technique is provided that involves issuing an advertisement code to be posted on an advertisement medium or an invite code issued in response to a request from a user, generating a parameter for associating the advertisement code or the invite code with a predetermined reward, and generating page data and returning the page data upon being accessed by a browser application of a terminal device based on an address specified by the advertisement code or the invite code. The page data is associated with a description of operations for passing the parameter corresponding to the advertisement code or the invite code and starting a predetermined game application. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150134433 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING AND TRANSMITTING COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS MULTIPLE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS - Methods and systems are disclosed regarding a social referrals platform. The platform may generate a communication including an invitation for a deal and a link to a web page. The platform may transmit the communication via email or posting to one or more social media platforms or both. Further, the platform may receive an indication that a customer user has visited the web page. The platform may also receive an indication that the customer user has accepted a set of permissions for one or more of the social media platforms. The platform may then transmit a web page including a like or follow button and a share button, wherein the buttons are related to the deal. The platform may receive indications that the customer user has pressed the buttons. The platform may transmit the deal for the customer user based on the receipt of the share button indication. | 05-14-2015 |
| 20150142540 | APPLICATION PROVIDING SYSTEM WITH REWARD PROVIDING FUNCTION - A server system has a storage unit for storing user information of registered users, including at least one of a mail address and telephone number of each registered user. A contact information obtaining unit obtains a contact information list of users that are currently registered as friends in the registered user terminal. When a searching unit determined that some of friend users on the obtained contact information list have been registered as registered users in the storage unit, an inviter candidate list generation unit generates an inviter candidate list containing the friend users registered as registered users and contact information thereof, and supplies the list to the user terminal in which the application was just installed. An inviter specifying unit specifies an inviter and stores the inviter in the storage unit. A reward updating unit updates a reward of the inviter specified by the inviter specifying unit. | 05-21-2015 |
| 20150149267 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTHENTICATING, TRACKING, AND REWARDING WORD OF MOUTH PROPAGATION - According to this invention, there is provided a system and method for authenticating, tracking, and rewarding word of mouth propagation, said system and method comprising a system/module for accessing social graph index; a system/module for accumulating points and incentivizing word of mouth propaganda; a system/module for WOM membership platform (coalition Social Loyalty Platform); a system/module for WOM counts equity program; a system/module for brand assurance; and a system/module for creating certified and ranked registry of users. | 05-28-2015 |
| 20150302443 | LIMITED-CIRCLE SOCIAL MEDIA REWARDS - A social media application allows a person to make a limited number of referrals to an entity. The entity keeps track of whether the referred people patronize the entity and awards credits to the person making the referral when a referred person patronizes the entity. Upon receiving a threshold credit value, the entity may reward the person making referrals. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150302444 | SOCIAL ACQUISITION - A system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program and a computer-implemented method for acquiring new users through targeted referral requests are presented. Consistent with some embodiments, the method may include accessing a social graph of a group of users, and calculating a social impact rating for each user of the group of users based on the social graph. A referrer user may then be selected from the group of users based on the calculated social impact ratings. A referral request may be generated and transmitted to referrer user. The referral request includes a custom referral offer for the referrer user based in part on the social impact rating of the referrer user. The custom referral offer may include a reward issuable to the referrer user in exchange for referring a new user to a network-based service. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150302445 | METHOD FOR INTERACTION AND, SERVER AND NETWORK PLATFORM THEREFOR - Disclosed are a method for interaction, and a server and a network platform therefor. The method includes: acquiring a task link that is clicked by a user on a first network platform from the first network platform; and redirecting, according to the task link, to a webpage where the preset task on the second network platform is located, such that the user performs the preset task on the second network platform on the webpage. The server includes a first acquiring module and a redirecting module. The server redirects, according to a task link clicked by a user on a first platform, to a webpage where a preset task on a second network platform is located, which implements interaction between the user and multiple network platforms, and thereby provides more ways in which the user interacts with the network platforms. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150302446 | IMPLEMENTING CONTESTS IN SOCIAL NETWORKS - Various systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer-readable mediums are provided for implementing a contest between various social networks. A contest is staged between at least two teams using a server accessible by a plurality of clients. The contest requires each of the teams to achieve a predefined goal. The membership to each one of the teams is restricted to a plurality of individuals associated with a respective one of a plurality of social networks accessible by the server. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150302512 | Single Order Method For Independent Sales Representative As Used In The Party Plan Direct Marketing Method Of Selling Products - A business method and system for executing the method that involves gathering merchandise orders at a show in the home of a hostess. The method compiles the merchandise orders while maintaining a relationship between each individual order and information pertaining to the guest making the order. The guest information maintains an association with the order throughout the method such that each order made at the show may be individually packaged and labeled, obviating the need for the hostess to sort the ordered items upon receiving them from a warehouse. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150317660 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE VIA PARTICIPATION INCENTIVES - An apparatus and method for enhancing electronic commerce through a dynamic hierarchal protocol of scalable participation incentives for both buyers and sellers. The apparatus and method of use collects a brokerage fee from each consummated transaction and distributes the fee to select participants according to their special and/or relational association to the consummated the transaction. Periodically the hierarchal relationships of participating individuals are reorganized based relative participation. | 11-05-2015 |
| 20150317698 | Method of Posting Information Regarding Sales Transactions to Social Networks - A programmed computer having a processor, memory, and a storage medium, said storage medium is disclosed. The storage medium comprises code for receiving an identifier corresponding to a purchaser of a good or service in a retail transaction, data about the retail transaction, and data identifying the good or service, data relating to a social network account associated with the purchaser on a social network, and code for using the social network account to transmit to the social network for display to others a message from the purchaser associating the retail transaction with the purchaser, wherein the message includes information relating to at least one of the retail transaction and the good or service. The system further permits real time scanning or product codes for available discounts, code for retailer recommendation and product promotion. | 11-05-2015 |
| 20150317751 | Method of Posting Information Regarding Sales Transactions to Social Networks - A programmed computer having a processor, memory, and a storage medium, said storage medium is disclosed. The storage medium comprises code for receiving an identifier corresponding to a purchaser of a good or service in a retail transaction, data about the retail transaction, and data identifying the good or service, data relating to a social network account associated with the purchaser on a social network, and code for using the social network account to transmit to the social network for display to others a message from the purchaser associating the retail transaction with the purchaser, wherein the message includes information relating to at least one of the retail transaction and the good or service. The system further permits real time scanning or product codes for available discounts, code for retailer recommendation and product promotion. | 11-05-2015 |
| 20150324826 | SERVER DEVICE, SOFTWARE PROGRAM, AND SYSTEM | 11-12-2015 |
| 20150339718 | PEER-TO-PEER RELAYING OF DISCOVERY INFORMATION - Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for wireless communication, and more specifically to advertising discovery information, relaying discovery information, and to the secure relay of discovery information in wireless networks. Various frame structures are provided for such transmitting and relaying of discovery information. According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, security is provided for relaying discovery information. According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, compensation may be provided to a device that relays discovery information (e.g., when the relaying results in a transaction). | 11-26-2015 |
| 20150348078 | SOCIAL REFERRALS OF PROMOTIONAL CONTENT - Methods and arrangements allow merchants to set up advertising campaigns that distribute special offers or discounts and allows users to forward the special offers to friends. The forwarding of the offers could expose merchants to offering more discounts than budgeted and this is a concern. The invention addresses this by having the forwarded offer check with the merchant server or advertising server to see if there is enough budget in the campaign left to allow the issuance of the forwarded offer, and if so, the server issues a new identifier. If not, the user receiving the forwarded offer receives a message saying the campaign has expired. Since every offer has its own identifier, the forwarding of the offers can be tracked, as well as the redemption, which allows for social metric collection. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20150348079 | Method for Providing Advertisement and Server Therefor - According to one example, provided is a method for allowing an advertisement-providing server connected to a user terminal to provide an advertisement through an advertisement-providing application installed on the user terminal, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving, from the user terminal, an activation-requesting signal for making a request to change the state of a display part of the user terminal from being off to being on; (b) providing the advertisement to the display part according to the activation-requesting signal; (c) receiving, from the user terminal to which the advertisement is provided, an advertisement content-requesting signal for making a request to provide advertisement content associated with the advertisement; (d) if receiving the advertisement content-requesting signal, providing the advertisement content to the user terminal; and (e) accumulating, for the user terminal, a first reward according to the activation-requesting signal and a second reward according to the advertisement content-requesting signal. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20150356586 | TRANSACTIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH REVENUE SHARE - A transactional social media system and method with viral revenue share. The transactional social media platform with viral revenue share includes a social graph representative of relationships within the transactional social media platform. The represented relationships include consumer users and vendor users on nodes of the transactional social media platform that might also incorporate existing social media platforms. A rental or purchase amount for video content may be deducted from a consumer account. It is determined whether the vendor that is renting or selling the content was invited by a vendor inviter. It is also determined whether the consumer renting or purchasing content is an invitee of a consumer inviter. If so, allocable portions of the rental or purchase amount are allocated to various participants within the platform including the transactional social media platform itself. Allocable portions of the rental or purchase amount may also be allocated to viral inviters beyond the aforementioned participants. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20150356587 | TRANSACTIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH USER INVITE - A transactional social media platform system and method with user invite. The transactional social media platform includes a social graph representative of relationships within the transactional social media platform. The platform includes vendor accounts with video content and consumer accounts configured upon user request to access to said video content. A vendor or consumer may communicate an invitation from the vendor account to an external contact. The external contact is outside of the transaction social media platform. The invitation may request the external contact to register with the platform. The invitation itself might include an invite data object that identifies the vendor (or consumer) and the contact that is being invited. Once the external contact registers, the data object may be used to associate the external contact and the inviting vendor or consumer to allocate video content revenues, for example, to respective participants. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20150356624 | SOCIAL NETWORK MESSAGING WITH INTEGRATED ADVERTISING - A method for associating an advertisement with a particular message of a social media network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving message content of the message from a member of the social media network; analyzing the message content to identify content data; compare content data with data portions of a plurality of advertisements for a match there-between; selecting the advertisement based on a determined match between the content data and the respective data portion of the advertisement; and including the advertisement with the message content for subsequent access of the message by another member of the social media network. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20150356625 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING MARKETING GIFTS THROUGH BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER WEBSITES - In one aspect, a method of providing marketing gifts through business-to-consumer websites may include steps of: marketer selecting a business-to-consumer (B2C) website; marketer providing predetermined conditions to the B2C website to select a group of gift receivers who may be interested in the gifts provided by the marketer; marketer providing a predetermined amount of gifts to the B2C website; upon receiving the predetermined conditions, the B2C website selecting the gift receivers who may be interested in the gifts provided by the marketer; when one of the gift receivers shopping on the B2C website, the B2C website providing one or more gifts provided by the marketer to the gift receiver; the B2C website sending the gift(s) selected by the gift receiver along with the purchased items to the person. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20150363809 | Endorsements Used in Ranking Ads - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing advertisements. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request for an advertisement from a user device associated with a first user, and identifying advertisements responsive to the request. A determination is made that one of the advertisements describes a good or service that is associated with an endorsement provided by an endorser, and the endorser is recommended by a second user that belongs to a same social network as the first user. The advertisements are ranked based on one or more signals associated with each advertisement, wherein one of the signals for the one advertisement is the endorsement and is used in the ranking in response to the determination. The ranked advertisements are provided in response to the request. | 12-17-2015 |
| 20150371251 | REFERRAL REWARD TRACKING - A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium to receive a referral request from a customer of a service provider; generate a referral code based on a receipt of the referral request; receive a message from the customer to a non-customer, wherein the message includes the referral code; store referral information included in the message, wherein the referral information includes a communication address of the non-customer, the referral code, and a communication address of the customer; receive a request from the non-customer to subscribe to a service offered by the service provider; request the referral code or a referent of the referral code from the non-customer; and use the referral code or the referent to assign a reward to the customer. | 12-24-2015 |
| 20150371284 | METHOD FOR PROMOTING PLATFORM BASED ON USER BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS - The invention discloses a method for promoting a platform based on user behavior analysis. A promotion platform comprises a self-service factory sharing and planning module, a producing and making module, and a promotion information statistical module. By means of the self-service factory sharing and planning module, a user applies for and obtains by self-service a personalized promotion code to become a promoter, the promoter shares the obtained personalized promotion code in the form of a hyperlink or a two-dimensional code with personalized icon on a third party network platform by means of a one-touch sharing module, the user enters the producing and making module of the promotion platform by clicking the hyperlink or scanning the two-dimensional code with personalized icon. | 12-24-2015 |
| 20150379543 | AUTOMATIC ASSOCIATION AND TRIGGERS FOR NATURED PAIRINGS OF DEVICES - A system and method for associating remote devices and corresponding paired computing devices is disclosed. The system includes a database manager that correlates pairings with logged data in order to determine previous associations and the nature of the detected pairing. Upon determining the nature of a given pairing the database manager performs tasks according to the given pairing. Such tasks can include generating new user profiles, issuing referral certificates, tagging log entries, and issuing value credits for successful referrals. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20150379544 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REWARDING REFERRALS - A referral reward program between a merchant, a primary customer and a referred customer comprises providing a database for storage of customer account records, issuing a customer identifier code, and storing details of the primary customer in a customer account record in association with the customer identification code. The primary customer is issued with at least one referral token associated with the merchant. The token has a corresponding referral reward code, which is associated with the primary customer account record in the database. The primary customer may subsequently pass the token on to the referred customer who, in turn, presents the token to the merchant. The referral reward code provided by the referred customer is received and used to retrieve the associated primary customer account record. The primary customer account record is updated to apply a referral reward credit subsequently redeemable with the merchant by the primary customer. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20160005064 | System and Method for Music-based Social Interaction - A system for music-based social interaction. A first user selects a song for sharing with a second user along with a verbal message. The second user receives notice that the song is available to be played on a device controlled by the second user. The second user plays the song and reads the message while a count-down display graphically shows the progress of the song in its play from beginning to end. The song is then automatically erased after play is completed, unless the second user elects either to buy it, or to send it further along to a third user, in which case, for every further send along to the third or subsequent users, the second user has the right to play the song one more time. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160012463 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING A REFERRAL OF A PRODUCT | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160012464 | SOCIAL-REFERRAL NETWORK METHODS AND APPARATUS | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160034934 | System and Method for a Vendor to Create a Virtual Sales Force That Rewards a Salesperson at Two Distinct Points - A system and method for creating a virtual sales force that rewards a salesperson at two distinct points. A vendor develops a virtual sales force by providing a first value and a second value to the salesperson and at least one consumer. The vendor can then win new consumers and repetitive business therefrom without expending heavily on more traditional marketing efforts. The salesperson purchases products from the vendor and provides contact information and network information about potential consumers to receive the values from the vendor. The vendor shares the information on the network, based on the provided network and contact information. The consumer records the values from the network and purchases products or services from the vendor to receive the values. The software application generates revenue by licensing registration information provided by the salesperson to the vendor. In this manner, each party is incentivized. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160034935 | METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING AN INFLUENCER SUITABLE FOR ENDORSING A BRAND'S PRODUCT OR SERVICE - An advertising system for automatically selecting an influencer suitable for endorsing a brand's product or service is also disclosed. The advertising system is selectively in operative communication with one or more influencers and one or more brands. The advertising system comprises of an influencer data repository configured to store the data relating to a plurality of registered influencers and a brand data repository configured to store the data relating to a plurality of brand's offering product or service for endorsement. The advertising system further comprises of an advertising engine, selectively in operative communication with the influencer data repository, configured to select an influencer to endorse at least one product or service by an influencer-brand metric. The influencer-brand metric comprises a plurality of identifiers to automatically evaluate an influencer's awareness, appeal and relevance to a brand's image and their influence on consumer buying behavior. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160034936 | SOCIAL-REFERRAL NETWORK METHODS AND APPARATUS - A computer implemented method, apparatus and computer readable medium for monetizing online referral social networks. The online referral social network system confirms a particular online referral social network member indicated in one or more communications for registering a user as having referred the user to the online referral social network is a member of said online referral social network. A referral commission is determined and paid the particular identified referring member. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160034937 | Systems and Methods for Enhanced Price Adjustment Location and Sharing of Rewards with Partners - Systems and methods for enhanced price adjustment location systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention are illustrated. In one embodiments, a price adjustment location server system includes a processor and a memory connected to the processor and storing a price adjustment location application, wherein the price adjustment location application directs the processor to identify partner data, generate a partner link code, generate price adjustment link data based on the generated partner link code, provide the price adjustment link data, obtain engagement data describing engagement with the price adjustment link data, calculate reward data describing the rewards generated by the engagement described in the engagement data, and distribute the calculated rewards based on the identified partner data. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160034938 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED PAYMENT DISTRIBUTION FOR A MULTI-LEVEL SOCIAL NETWORK - Certain embodiments are described that allows for automated payment distribution for a multi-level social network. Embodiments of the invention include a multi-tiered social sales network of affiliates and multi-level sales individuals (e.g., national, regional, and/or local) whereby the sale is initiated via a communication, ad, and/or broadcast of a sales opportunity. A purchaser may then act upon the communication, ad, and/or broadcast, whereby incentive payments (e.g., commissions, etc.) are paid out to parties associated with the sale. These parties can involve sales individuals (e.g., in a multi-level sales organization) whom are responsible (directly or indirectly) for the specific sale. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160034974 | METHOD, A SYSTEM AND A MOBILE APP FOR PROVIDING AN INFLUENCER WITH AN OFFER TO ENDORSE A BRAND'S PRODUCT OR SERVICE - An advertising system for providing an influencer with an offer to endorse a brand's product or service is also disclosed. The advertising system is selectively in operative communication with one or more influencers and one or more brands. The advertising system comprises of an influencer data repository configured to store the data relating to a plurality of registered influencers and a brand data repository configured to store the data relating to a plurality of brand's offering product or service for endorsement. The advertising system further comprises of an advertising engine, selectively in operative communication with influencer data repository, configured to select an influencer to endorse at least one product or service offered by a brand and formulate an offer for the selected influencer to endorse at least one product or service. The advertising engine is further configured to notify the selected influencer of the offer and provide the selected influencer to endorse the product or service upon a successful approval from the influencer. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160042379 | NETWORK OF TAGS - Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating product or service information to a potential purchaser. A product or item describing a service are scanned to obtain both a product or service code and an advertisement promotion code provided by a vendor/retailer or manufacturer of the product or service using a smartphone of a first user. A barcode is generated on the smartphone by combining the product or service code and the advertisement promotion code with information from the smartphone associated with the product or service and with an advertiser code that uniquely identifies the first user. The barcode is communicated to a communication device of a second user that is the potential purchaser of the product or service. When the communication device is presented to a point of sale (POS) terminal, the terminal scans the barcode, decodes the barcode, and compensates the first user according to the advertisement promotion code. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160042380 | REWARD MANAGEMENT - For reward management, a processor receives an objective and reward from the second electronic device. The processor further receives a completion status for the objective at a first electronic device. The processor releases the reward in response to a reward policy being satisfied. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160042383 | Customer Reward Systems and Methods - Example customer reward systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives, through a merchant device, data associated with a purchase transaction by a customer such that the data is entered into the merchant device by a user with knowledge of the transaction. The method determines a customer reward associated with the purchase transaction based on the received data entered by the user with knowledge of the transaction. The customer reward is communicated to a server that maintains a customer reward account associated with the customer. The server is instructed to apply the customer reward to the customer reward account associated with the customer. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160048861 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DYNAMICALLY CREATING AND TRANSFERRING DATA CORRESPONDING TO A BENEFIT FROM A WEB PAGE TO A MOBILE APPLICATION BY USING A WEB-BASED MARKER - It concerns a method and system for dynamically creating a benefit using a web-based marker displayed inside an internet browser to transfer the benefit to a mobile phone application. It comprises (i) creating a web-based marker using a dedicated user-interface or an API, (ii) creating an HTML content for said benefit using said user-interface, (iii) associating said HTML content to said web-based marker, (iv) installing a dedicated Javascript library on a website to manage the display and functionality of said web-marker, (v) creating the HTML tags necessary to display said marker, (vi) activating said marker, (vii) checking whether the user's mobile application was previously paired with the internet browser displaying said web page by checking an HTTP cookie, or (viii) pairing the mobile application (ix) polling local data provided by the mobile application, (x) adding said marker to the user's web context, upon activation of said marker, (xi) sending a content list corresponding to said benefit based on user profile, mobile and web context, (xii) displaying said content list inside the mobile application once and as soon as the application is connected to the internet, and (xiii) storing said benefit in the mobile's phone application local memory. | 02-18-2016 |
| 20160048889 | COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED SYSTEM FOR SHARING VIRTUAL PRODUCT SAMPLES - The invention relates to a computer-implemented method and system for sharing “sample bags” consisting of virtual samples of products and services over a computer network and performing searches for samples or sample bags. A template is provided for compiling a virtual sample bag by a first user, which may be private for viewing and sharing only by designated other users or public. The sample bag is stored in the host database in a user-searchable format. A second user may request to share the sample bag from a second user and the sample bag is then communicated to the second user for viewing and sharing. The second user may copy (“sample”) the samples from the shared bag into another bag. The invention also relates to a computer-implemented method and system for searching for samples in which search is performed within a sample bag database of the host computer and also over the web. The search results may be grouped according to predetermined criteria such as price or sample location. | 02-18-2016 |
| 20160055511 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSACTION ACCOUNT OWNER ACQUISITION - The systems, methods, and computer readable mediums described herein provide a secure method for a transaction account issuer to issue a digital pass to an existing transaction account holder (e.g., an existing user) that may be shared and/or provided to a prospective transaction account holder (e.g., a new user). The digital pass may be sharable from an existing user's user device to a new user's user device. The systems, methods, and computer readable mediums described herein may also employ an adaptive web design solution to increase application completion rates by capturing minimal viable information from a prospective member. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20160055515 | Online Multi-Level Buy-Sell Rewards System - An online multi-level buy-sell rewards system includes a computer server interfaced with a network and having a processor and memory. A consumer database includes consumer records associated with buyers. A seller database includes product records associated with sellers. The processor receives purchase data from a buyer indicative of a selection of a product offering made by a seller. A chain of referral data associated with the buyer is determined from the consumer database, including a referrer of the buyer, the referrer of the referrer of the buyer, and so on. Referral data associated with the seller is determined from the seller database, including a referrer of the seller, a referrer of the referrer of the seller, and so on. A portion of the purchase price is set aside for distribution to levels of buyer and seller referrers, respectively. A predetermined amount of the reward portion is distributed to charity. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20160063556 | TRIGGERING IMMERSIVE ADVERTISEMENTS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - The invention generally relates to systems and methods for advertising, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for triggering immersive advertising in a virtual universe. In an embodiment, a method includes: obtaining tolerance data about a user who triggers a virtual universe advertisement (VU-ad) in a virtual universe (VU); and presenting a variation of the VU-ad to the user based upon the tolerance data. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160071152 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) AND INTELLIGENT CLIENT ENGAGEMENT - A system and method for dynamic client relationship management and intelligent client engagement is disclosed. The system collects user information and allows internal Licensee user groups to better know and serve their clients and clients' families, as well as qualified prospects, by providing a customized invitation-only portal with VIP offers and events, corporate hospitality, and exclusive arrangements based on specific client profiles and user segmentation, within a configurable hosted platform securely accessible and optimized for web and mobile devices. The platform facilitates and manages dynamic CRM, moving beyond existing CRM formats where one user or data feed enters data about another individual into a system. The data captured is dynamically augmented based on users' expressed interests and actual behaviors and interactions across sectors and industries, thus facilitating two way data flow, capture, analysis, and predictive promotion of exclusive goods, services or other information, by different companies serving common customer bases. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20160078463 | REFERRAL BASED MARKETING SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provided for encouraging product referrals, including providing rewards in response to accepting a purchase transaction request for the referred product, executing a purchase transaction related to the request, and receiving referring consumer identification data. Referring consumer identification may be transmitted to the first electronic device after an account is created. A product data request relating to a referred product may be received from a first electronic device associated with a referring consumer, and the product data may be transmitted to the first electronic device. A purchase transaction request for the referred product and the referring consumer identification may be received from a second electronic device associated with a referred consumer. A reward may be provided to the referring consumer in response to executing the purchase transaction, and may be based on the purchase transaction request. A purchase reward for the referred product may also be provided. | 03-17-2016 |
| 20160104185 | Method for Viewing Advertisement by Direct Issuing of Advertisement Coupon by Viewer - The present invention relates a method for viewing an advertisement by direct issuing of an advertisement coupon by a viewer; with the aim of providing a certain monetary benefit to the advertisement viewer when the viewer engages in viewing after having directly issued the advertisement coupon, which constitutes authority enabling an advertisement to be viewed, and accessed the advertisement by using the advertisement coupon. The method proposed in the present invention is a method for viewing an advertiser's advertisement by having the viewer directly issue the advertisement coupon which constitutes authority enabling the advertisement to be viewed by using an advertisement management server that receives a certain advertisement from the advertiser and registers the advertisement, and the method of the present invention comprises the steps of: (a) having the advertiser save a certain deposit in the advertisement coupon management server; (b) having the viewer access the advertisement management server and directly issue a certain advertisement coupon within the range of the deposit; and (c) accessing the advertisement management server through the advertisement coupon, and viewing an advertisement corresponding to the advertisement coupon. | 04-14-2016 |
| 20160117708 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REFERRING AND TRACKING MEDIA - A system and computer implemented method is provided for referring and tracking content. The system and method include functionality for allowing a primary user to upload content, storing the content on a site owner database, generating unique links to the content for each primary user designated client, determining when the client has played the received content beyond a predetermined threshold, and soliciting the client to become a referring client upon the determination. The system and method also include functionality for allowing the referring client to receive a reward from the primary user when the referring client refers the content to others who also view the content beyond the predetermined threshold. | 04-28-2016 |
| 20160117709 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES TO MEMBERS OF A SOCIAL NETWORK - A social network server computer forms a social network including a primary member linked to a plurality of secondary members, each of whom provides a member profile. A network profile is generated based on an analysis of the member profiles. A social network server computer then determines a relative value of the social network with respect to a merchant by analyzing the associated network profile, and offers a merchant incentive to the primary member of the network as a function of the determined relative value. In a second embodiment, a merchant computer associated with a merchant determines a relative value of the social network with respect to a merchant by analyzing the network profile, and offers a merchant incentive to the primary member of the network as a function of the determined relative value. The merchant incentives may be also offered to the secondary members of the associated social network. | 04-28-2016 |
| 20160124967 | Method Of Ranking And Displaying Certified Content - A social media platform and method for displaying and ranking content from an individual user against content from other users. The method prompts the individual user to input user-generated information; receives the user-generated information; acquires related information; receives at least one visual recording related to the user-generated information; associates the user-generated information, the related information, and the captured visual recording to create a user single trophy entry in a remote database; ranks the user single trophy entry relative to a plurality of single trophy entries in the remote database to determine a relative rank; and displays the user single trophy entry with the determined rank. The social media platform displays and ranks trophies taken by a plurality of users utilizing a database, a ranking module, and an output module. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160125010 | METHOD OF TRACKING THE DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION - A method of tracking the distribution of information, the method comprising: providing to a first user a first token comprising a first unique identifier and a first address; storing in a first database table a link between the first user and the first token; receiving at the first address a request from a second user, the request being made using the first token which has been received by the second user from the first user; storing in a second database table a link between the first token and the second user; providing to the second user a second token comprising a second unique identifier and a second address in response to the request; and storing in a third database table a link between the second token and the second user. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160125443 | Method of Implementing an Associate Referral Compensation System with a 1.5-ary hierarchical rooted tree - In a 1.5-ary hierarchical rooted tree compensation-based referral marketing system, each associate in the tree has one whole associate spot and one half associate spot in a subordinate tier of the tree. New associate referrals are places into the upmost, leftmost open spot in the tree. Referrals are either placed into a whole spot downline of the referring associate, or into two half spots downline of the referring associate, depending on whether the upmost, leftmost unoccupied associate spot is a whole spot or a half spot. Referrals by an associate in two half spots alternate downline of the two half spots occupied by the referrer. Associates in whole spots earn each commissions earned by each downline associate, and associates in two half spots earn half commission for each associate downline of both half spots. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160125444 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCED CUSTOMER LEAD GENERATION, CAPTURE, AND MANAGEMENT - A computer-implemented system including a lead-engine server operatively coupled to an administrator computing system and a group of mobile devices. The lead-engine server may be configured to assign field user data among multiple campaign groups and define multiple, different campaigns for different groups of field users. The lead-engine server may also generate incentive programs and track the lead-generation input associated with the first field user. The lead-engine server may also be configured to generate a field-user specific website and communicate promotional information to potential leads that includes a link to the website. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160125478 | EFFICIENT PROMOTION MODEL - One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for promoting a service using a gifting model. For example, a gifting model, for a service (e.g., a multimedia content service that provides movies, music, apps, etc.), may specify what types of online users are eligible to be promoters and/or what online promotional gifts are available for promoters to gift to online recipient users. In an example, one or more online promotional gifts (e.g., a television show, a song, etc.) of the multimedia content service are exposed to an online user. A gift request is received from the online user. The gift request may specify an online recipient user and a selected online promotional gift (e.g., an action movie). The online promotional gift is provided to the online recipient user. In this way, online users may promote a service by providing promotional gifts, such as for free, to online recipient users. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160155138 | Method and System for Centralized Online Management of Referral Services | 06-02-2016 |
| 20160162923 | REFERRAL SYSTEM FOR SUBSCRIPTION-BASED PRODUCTS - Systems and methods for subscription-based product referrals are provided. In example embodiments, a user request to refer a subscription is received. A user selection of a social network connection having a social network relationship with the user on a social network service is received. A referral request is transmitted to a device of the social network connection. Acceptance of the referral request is determined. Based on determining acceptance of the referral request, a credit is provided to the user. | 06-09-2016 |
| 20160171516 | PROXIMITY AND DURATION BASED TRANSACTION ASSISTANCE DETERMINATION | 06-16-2016 |
| 20160171517 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USER-BASED MARKETING | 06-16-2016 |
| 20160196570 | Consumer Rewards for Posting Tagged Messages Containing Geographic Information | 07-07-2016 |
| 20160203505 | NETWORK SHOPPING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED IMPLEMENTATION METHOD | 07-14-2016 |
| 20160203536 | DEDICATED ONLINE-RETAIL-SHOPPING SYSTEM AND METHOD | 07-14-2016 |
| 20160253692 | CALCULATION OF A THIRD PARTY SOLICITATION FEE | 09-01-2016 |
| 20160253693 | REMUNERATION COMPUTATION DEVICE, REMUNERATION COMPUTATION METHOD, AND REMUNERATION COMPUTATION PROGRAM | 09-01-2016 |
| 20160253765 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURE DISTRIBUTION AND TRACKING OF INFORMATION VIA MULTIPLE SOCIAL NETWORKS | 09-01-2016 |
| 20170236140 | MESSAGING SYSTEM RELATED TO THE MANAGEMENT, ANALYSIS, TRACKING, AND EVALUATION OF REFERRALS | 08-17-2017 |
