System and method for pet information distribution marketplace

Abstract

A system for licensing pet information includes a database that has stored thereon pet information associated with a user account. A server coupled to the database is configured to associate a non-fungible token with i) the user account, ii) a portion of the pet information and iii) a licensee account.

Description

TITLE

[0001] System and Method for Pet Information Distribution MarketplaceCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 519,946 filed August 16, 2023 entitled “System and Method for Pet Information Distribution Marketplace”, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to systems for licensing of pet information.SUMMARY

[0004] In one embodiment there is a system for licensing pet information, the system including a database having stored thereon pet information associated with a user account, and a server, coupled to the database, and configured to associate a non-fungible token with i) the user account, ii) a portion of the pet information and iii) a licensee account.

[0005] In some embodiments, the server is further configured to execute a smart contract between the user account and the licensee account. In some embodiments, the non-fungible token includes a pointer to the database, the database is configured to periodically receive updated pet information, and the server is configured to automatically associate the non-fungible token with the updated pet information in response to the database receiving the updated pet information. In some embodiments, the server is configured to associate a second non-fungible token with the portion of the pet information and a second licensee account.

[0006] In some embodiments, the server is configured to prevent a second non-fungible token from being associated with the portion of the pet information. In some embodiments, the system further includes a marketplace server configured to mint the non-fungible token on a blockchain in response to an indication of offer acceptance from the licensee account. In some embodiments, the system further includes a digital wallet associated with the user account, wherein the server is configured to facilitate a value transfer from an account associated with the licensee account to the digital wallet. In some embodiments, the database is configured to receive electronic data from one or more external devices and the server is configured to automatically associate the non-fungible token with the electronic data.

[0007] In some embodiments, the external device includes at least one of an automatic pet food dispenser, electronic device wearable by the pet, a veterinarian server associated with the pet. In some embodiments, the electronic device wearable by the pet is configured to generate biometric data associated with the pet and transmit the biometric data to the database. In some embodiments, the database is configured to store updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data and associate the non-fungible token with the updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data. In some embodiments, the server is further configured to aggregate pet information stored on the database that is associated with a plurality of pets each of which is associated with a different user account, and associate the non-fungible token with the aggregated pet information.

[0008] In some embodiments, the database has stored thereon, purchase history data associated with one or more user accounts, and the server is configured to determine a confidence score related to the accuracy of the pet information stored on the database based on the purchase history data associated with one or more user accounts. In some embodiments, the database has stored thereon, veterinarian data associated with one or more user accounts, and the server is configured to determine a confidence score related to the accuracy of the veterinarian data stored on the database based on a pet medical history associated with the user account. In some embodiments, pet information includes one or more of pet genome information, pet images, pet veterinarian data, and pet personality traits.

[0009] In another embodiment, in a system for licensing pet information having a database with pet information stored thereon, the pet information associated with a user account and a server, coupled to the database, there is a method performed via the server including associating, a non- fungible token with i) the user account, ii) a portion of the pet information, and iii) a licensee account.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes executing a smart contract between the user account and the licensee account. In some embodiments, the non-fungible token includes a pointer to the database, the database is configured to periodically receive updated pet information, and the method further comprising automatically associating the non-fungible token with the updated pet information in response to the database receiving the updated pet information. In some embodiments the method further includes associating a second non-fungible token with the portion of the pet information and a second licensee account.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes preventing a second non-fungible token from being associated with the portion of the pet information. In some embodiments, the method further includes associating a second non-fungible token with a second distinct portion ofthe pet information. In some embodiments, the method further includes minting the non-fungible token on a blockchain in response to an indication of offer acceptance from the licensee account. In some embodiments, the method further includes facilitating a value transfer from an account associated with the licensee account to a digital wallet associated with the user account.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes automatically associating the non- fungible token with electronic data received by the database from one or more external devices. In some embodiments, the external device includes at least one of an automatic pet food dispenser, electronic device wearable by the pet, a veterinarian server associated with the pet. In some embodiments, the method further includes, via an electronic device wearable by the pet, generating biometric data associated with the pet and transmitting the biometric data to the database. In some embodiments, the method further includes, via the database, storing updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data and associating the non-fungible token with the updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes aggregating pet information stored on the database that is associated with a plurality of pets each of which is associated with a different user account, and associating the non-fungible token with the aggregated pet information. In some embodiments, the method further includes minting the non-fungible token on a blockchain in response to an indication of offer acceptance from the licensee account. In some embodiments, the method further includes facilitating a value transfer from an account associated with the licensee account to a digital wallet associated with the user account. In some embodiments, the method further includes automatically associating the non-fungible token with electronic data received by the database from one or more external devices.

[0014] In some embodiments, the external device includes at least one of an automatic pet food dispenser, electronic device wearable by the pet, a veterinarian server associated with the pet. In some embodiments, the method further includes, via an electronic device wearable by the pet, generating biometric data associated with the pet and transmitting the biometric data to the database. In some embodiments, the method further includes, via the database, storing updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data and associating the non-fungible token with the updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining a confidence score related to the accuracy of the pet information stored on the database based on purchase history data associated with one or more user accounts that is stored on the database. In some embodiments, the method further includes determining a confidence score related to the accuracy of the veterinariandata associated with one or more user accounts stored on the database based on a pet medical history associated with the user account. In some embodiments, pet information includes one or more of pet genome information, pet images, pet veterinarian data, and pet personality traits, and the method further includes determining a confidence score related to the accuracy of the veterinarian data associated with one or more user accounts stored on the database based on a pet medical history associated with the user account.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The following detailed description of embodiments of the system, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

[0017] In the drawings:

[0018] Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an implementation of a system for licensing pet information, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the database of the system of Fig. 1 and example data sources in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating NFTs stored on a blockchain network included in the system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Fig. 4 is a system architecture diagram illustrating an implementation of the system of Fig. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Information pertaining to pets and their owners reflect valuable information for a variety of purposes. The value of that information may be enhanced when it is authenticated and / or validated. The value may also be enhanced when it is aggregated with other data, associated with other data, and / or reduced to statistical significance. In one embodiment of the system and methods disclosed herein, such data and / or derivatives thereof are made available for commercial transactions on a distributed ledger such as a block chain. Some examples of a commercial transaction may be a licensing transaction or a purchase transaction. The transaction may further grant rights to produce derivatives from the data and to use the data and the derivatives in other commercial transactions that are on or off the block chain. Among the features and benefits of the technology disclosed herein is the ability of an entity (e.g., individual pet owner, a veterinarian, a petshop, etc.) to realize monetary benefit from making their sponsored pet information available for such a transaction. Through exemplary systems and methods, for example, a non-fungible token (NFT) may be minted and associated with pet information. Through a smart contract, that NFT may be the subject of a commercial transaction (e.g., a sale, a license, and the like).

[0023] In some instances, pet profile data such as information regarding a pet may be stored on a database. Pet profile data may include: age of pet, name of pet, breed of pet, pet health conditions, pet medical records, pet genome information, biometric information of a pet (e.g., paw print), physical characteristics of the pet (e.g., height, weight, color) and digital images of a particular pet. Pet profile data may be obtained from pet owners, medical records, public databases, private databases and the like. Pet profile data may be stored on databases maintained and / or managed by service providers (e.g., an online retailer for pet related products and / or services). Pet profile data, also referred to as pet profile information, may be stored for multiple pets.

[0024] In some embodiments, pet owner profile data may also be stored on the databases. The pet owner profile data may be associated with the profile data of one or more pets. Pet profile data may also be associated with more than one pet owner profile. In some aspects, multiple pet profiles may also be associated with multiple pet owner profiles. Family profiles may also be stored in the database and pet profiles may be associated with a single-family profile and / or profiles for each individual member of the family. For example, each member of a family of four may have a pet owner profile and the family may have its own family profile. The family may have a pet dog, a pet cat and a pet bird. Each of the three pets may be associated with a pet profile and those pet profiles may each be associated with each family member profile and / or the family profile. The three pets may make up a pet family profile as well that may be associated with each family member profile and / or the family profile. Family profiles may be created for any group of people and / or pets - not necessarily those that are relatives, for example.

[0025] Pet owner data and / or family profile data may include such information as demographics of each member of the family, physical attributes, medical and health attributes. The pet owner and family profiles may also include other details about the pet owner of a family such as types of products they buy, food preferences and dislikes, allergy information, purchasing habits, major purchase details (e.g., car, home, boat details). Pet information may include information about specific pets, including in some instances other pets they interact with, as well as information about the pet owner and the family of the pet owner.

[0026] The pet information may have value to consumers of such information as it pertains to the individual pet, other pets in the home and the pet owner’s information. For example, the petinformation may be leveraged by pet product companies to advertise and / or predict success of new products. Pet information may also be used by veterinarians, for example, to assess trends, predict health outcomes and early interventions. Pet information may also have value to other entities such as, but not limited to: researchers (e.g., individuals or organizations engaged in researching pet medical conditions and treatments or trends) marketing agencies, animal breeders, prospective pet owners, car manufacturers, travel businesses, and any other consumer sectors.

[0027] Pet profile information for a specific pet may be owned and / or controlled by pet owner(s) who choose to avail themselves of the service provider. For example, a pet owner Jim uploads pet profile data including age, name, breed, and health records for his pet dog to the service provider. The pet profile data uploaded by Jim may be stored on a database that is maintained and / or owned by the service provider. The pet owner may not wish for the pet profile data they own to be sold or licensed to other interested parties. Conversely, a pet owner may wish to sell the pet profile data to one or more interested parties in return for compensation (e.g., monetary compensation). Therefore, there is a need to provide a system, or platform, for providing pet owners the ability to sell / license their pet profile data and for providing interested parties in such data, a marketplace to search for and purchase such data therefrom.

[0028] Numerous details are described herein in order to provide a thorough understanding of the example embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, some embodiments may be practiced without any of the specific details, and the scope of the claims is only limited by those features and aspects specifically recited in the claims. Furthermore, well-known methods, components, and circuits have not be described in exhaustive detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure pertinent aspects of the embodiments described herein.

[0029] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide improvements to systems for licensing data and / or information, and more specifically to systems for licensing pet related data. Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide improvements to virtual marketplaces for the sale and / or licensing of pet related data to interested parties.

[0030] Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in Fig. 1 a system for licensing pet information, generally designated 100, and alternatively referred to as system 100 for short, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] In one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or more computers or computing devices having one or more processors and memory (e.g., one or more nonvolatile storage devices). In some embodiments, memory or computer readable storage medium(s) of memory store programs,modules and data structures, or a subset thereof, for a processor to control and run the various systems and methods disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs one or more of any combination of the methods or steps disclosed herein.

[0032] Referring to Figs. 1-2, there is shown a block diagram illustrating an implementation of the system 100. While some example features are illustrated, various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure pertinent aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein. The system 100 may include a database 102, a server 104, one or more customer devices 106, a marketplace server 108, a blockchain network 110, and one or more external devices 112 communicating via network 105.

[0033] Network 105 may be representative of any suitable type, including, but not limited to, individual connections via the Internet, such as cellular or Wi-Fi networks. In some embodiments, network 105 may connect terminals, services, computing devices, external devices using direct connections, such as, but not limited to, radio frequency identification (RFID), near-field communications (NFC), Bluetooth™, low-energy Bluetooth™ (BLE), Wi-Fi™, Zigbee™, ambient backscatter communication (ABC) protocols, USB, WAN, or LAN. Because the information transmitted may be personal or confidential, security concerns may dictate one or more of these types of connection be encrypted or otherwise secured. In some embodiments, however, the information being transmitted may be less personal, and therefore, the network connections may be selected for convenience over security.

[0034] Network 105 may include any type of computer networking arrangement used to exchange data. For example, network 105 may be representative of the Internet, a private data network, virtual private network using a public network and / or other suitable connection(s) that enables components in system 100 to send and receive information between the components of system 100.

[0035] The database 102 may be a single database or a plurality of integrated databases. Database 102 may have stored thereon pet information, user information, licensee information, family information, and / or veterinarian information. The pet information may be associated with user information (e.g., user account information, information about the user). Pet information related to a pet may be associated with the user account information for the owner of that pet. For each pet having pet information stored on the database 102, the pet information may include, for example, age of pet, name of pet, breed of pet, pet health conditions, pet medical records, pet genome information, biometric information of a pet (e.g., paw print), physical characteristics of the pet (e.g.,height, weight, color) and / or digital image(s) of a particular pet. Pet information may be associated with the user information (e.g., pet owner information) for one or more user accounts and, in some instances, family information for one or more family accounts. The user information may include, for example: user profile information (e.g., unique customer identifier), purchase history information, an indication of one or more pets owned by the user, purchasing habits, and / or major purchase details (e.g., car, home, boat details). The family information may include, for example, an indication of one or more users included in the family and / or one or more pets included in the family.

[0036] Database 102 may be populated with pet information via one or more sources. In some embodiments, a source that populates pet information in the database 102 may include, for example, pet owner devices, veterinarian systems, external databases storing pet medical records, smart pet appliances, and wearable devices. Pet owners may be users having associated user accounts that own a pet having corresponding pet information stored on the database 102. The pet owners may populate the database 102 from a pet owner device and / or via a user account with information regarding their pet such as, the pet’s name, age, weight, breed, gender, and photos of the pet. Veterinarians may populate the database 102 from a veterinarian server or via a subscriber account with information pertaining to, for example, medical records, prescription authorizations, past prescription medication usage, suggested diet plans, and / or pet biometric data. Smart pet appliances may include, for example, an automated pet appliance (e.g., an automatic feeder, automated play toy, smart brush) that is connected to the network 105. Smart pet appliances may transmit for storage in the database information pertaining to, for example, pet dietary habits, pet grooming habits, and / or pet exercise habits. Wearable devices may be similar to smart pet appliances except that they are intended to be worn by the pet and generate data about the pet when worn. Some examples of a wearable device may include, for example, a biometric monitoring device, a location tracking collar, and / or a tracking chip implanted into the pet. The wearable devices may populate the database 102 with information pertaining to, for example, pet biometric data and / or pet location data.

[0037] Information may be input into database 102 through one or more methods. For example, pet information may be input via a customer device 106 configured to transmit the information to database 102 via network 105. For example, pet owners may transmit pet information to the database 102 via a customer device 106 in communication with the database 102. Veterinarians and / or external databases storing pet medical records may populate the database 102 with pet information via an external device 112 (e.g., a veterinarian server and / or database) incommunication with the database 102 via network 105. In some embodiments, smart pet appliances (e.g., automatic pet feeders) and / or wearable devices (e.g., a wearable biometric feedback device for a pet) may be external devices 112 configured to populate the database 102 with pet information via network 105. For example, a smart pet appliance is configured to generate pet information and transmit the pet information to the database 102 for storage thereon.

[0038] Pet information may include, for example: age of pet, name of pet, gender of pet, breed of pet, pet health conditions, pet medical records, pet genome information, biometric information of a pet (e.g., paw print, retina scans, facial mapping), physical characteristics of the pet (e.g., height, weight, color), personality traits of the pet (e.g., playful, shy, energetic) and digital images of a particular pet. For example, the pet information for a particular pet may include that the pet is a 3- y ear-old male rottweiler named Tony that weighs 90 pounds, has a playful personality, and the pet information may further include photos of Tony. The pet health conditions information may include information relating to, for example: an indication as to whether the pet is at a healthy weight given its age, breed and gender; an indication of the amount of exercise the pet receives, and an indication of the amount of time the pet spends outdoors and / or indoors. The pet medical records may include information relating to, for example: a list of currently diagnosed ailments (e.g., heartworms, gum disease), a listing of previously diagnosed symptoms and / or ailments such as, for example, whether the pet has experienced heartworms in the past; past and / or previous prescription medications taken, past and / or upcoming scheduled surgical procedures, and / or whether the pet has given birth or is currently pregnant. In some embodiments, the pet information is date and / or time specific. For example, pet information for a particular pet may include the pet’s weight at different points in time and / or a health condition experienced over a period of time. In some embodiments, the medical history included in pet information may include a listing of ailments and / or associate treatments thereof for a pet at different points in time. Breeding records may include an indication of a pet’s biological parents.

[0039] The database 102 may have stored thereon an indication of which user account pet information is associated with. For example, a user Tom may transmit pet information for his pet dog Rufus to the database 102 and the database 102 may have stored thereon and indication that the pet information for Rufus is associated with a user account for Tom. A user account may refer to an account associated with a specific user and with the service provider associated with the marketplace server 108 and / or server 104. For example, user’s Tom and Jerry may each have user accounts associated with the service provider for the marketplace server 108. For sake of brevity, it will beassumed that user’s transmitting pet information to the database 102 have user accounts associated with the service provider for the marketplace server 108 and / or server 104.

[0040] The database 102 may be populated through a variety of channels: pet owners, public databases, medical record repositories, veterinarians, entities that control database, entities having a contractual relationship with controlling entities. Database 102 may be maintained and / or managed by database manager(s). The database manager may establish security protocols, access protocols and commercial rules for populating, managing, maintaining and commercializing the database. In some embodiments, the database manager may be an online retailer for pet related products and / or services.

[0041] The customer device 106 may be a device operated by a user of the marketplace server 108 and / or server 104. For example, the user may be a customer of the products and / or services offered for sale by the service provider. Customers may include individuals such as, for example, subscribers or customers of the service provider associated with the server 104, such as, for example, individuals who have obtained goods and / or services from the service provider. Customers may also include licensees of NFT’s available for licensing via the marketplace server 108. For sake of brevity, only a single customer device is illustrated in Fig. 1, however a plurality of customer devices 106 associated with different customers may be in included in the system 100 and may be in communication with the network 105.

[0042] Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the system 100 of the present disclosure may be configured to enable users to license their pet information to one or more licensees. For example, the system 100 may be configured to enable users to license the pet information, or portions thereof, associated with their user account to licensees (e g., data consumers) such as, for example, veterinarians, marketing agencies, pet breeders, researchers, or any other parties that may have a use for such pet information. In some embodiments, the system 100 of the present disclosure is configured to enable users to license their pet information via a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace. The system 100 may be configured to enable users to license their pet information to licensees in exchange for compensation, such as, for example, a crypto currency.

[0043] The server 104 may be coupled to the database 102 and configured to associate a non- fungible token (NFT) with i) a user account, ii) at least a portion of the pet information, and iii) one or more licensee accounts. Associating an NFT with a licensee account may include executing a smart contract that defines read and / or write privileges to the NFT. In some instances, the smart contract is configured to govern rights and obligations of an owner of the NFT (e.g., the pet owner, a pet data platform, and / or a third-party data rights holder) and the licensee. The smart contract may,for example, define permissions for the license to access and / or exploit the data associated with the NFT. In one instance, for example, the licensee may be granted viewing rights but not edit rights associated with the data and / or the NFT itself. In other instances, the defined permissions may include rights of the licensee to edit data or edit the NFT (e.g., via a sublicense). Conditions and / or restrictions may be placed on a licesee’s ability to exploit the data. In some instances, the system 100 is configured to facilitate one or both of an exclusive and non-exclusive license. For example, the server 104 may enable a pet owner to license a selected digital image of their pet exclusively to a single licensee or non-exclusively to a plurality of licensees.

[0044] In some embodiments, an NFT 200 includes metadata such as a pointer 210. Pointer 210 may be a URL, an address, or some other indicia that may further be associated with a smart contract. Pointer 210 may point to a specific location on database 102 where specific pet information is stored. For example, each ofNFTs 200a-200b on the blockchain network 110 include pointers 210 that are each a URL pointing to a specific location on database 102. Pointer 210 may uniquely point to a specific location on database 102. For example, database 102 may be configured such that the location on database 102 may be precluded from being actively linked to another NFT. Pointer 210 may not be unique to a specific location in database 102 such that more than one NFT pointer 210 may point to same specific location in database 102. For example, where an NFT includes metadata that uniquely points to a particular pet record, a transaction associated with that NFT may be a purchase transaction or an exclusive license transaction. Where a first NFT includes metadata that points to a particular pet record that are also pointed to by a second NFTs, a transaction associated with the NFT may be an exclusive, co-exclusive or non-exclusive license transaction.

[0045] In some embodiments, the pointers are directed to aggregations of data or to derivatives of the data. Aggregations of data may include, for example, aggregations of pet information reflecting multiple pets having one or more common characteristics. For example, and without limiting the generality of the preceding statement, aggregates of pet information may include pet information for all corgi’s associated with system 100 between 2-4 years of age, all cats that have had rabies within a period of time, or pets associated with system 100 that located within (or reside within) a specific geographical region. In some embodiments, an aggregate of pet information may include pet profile information stored on the database 102 for at least two specific pets. Data derivatives may include data inferred from existing pet information and / or user information. For example, user information stored on the database 102 may be associated with pet information. The user information may include purchase history of pet products (e.g., dog foods). A data derivativethereof may be an inference, recorded on the database 102, that that the user’s pet eats the dog food that the user purchases. In some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to generate data derivatives. The server 104 may be configured to query the database 102 for user information (e g., purchase history) and generate a data derivative associated with the corresponding pet information. For example, user information including purchase of a dog heartworm medication is retrieved by the server 104 from database 102 and the server 104 automatically generates a data derivative indicating that the dog associated with the user information is taking heartworm medication. Further to this example, the server 104 automatically causes the data derivative to be stored in the database 102 as pet profile information for the user’s dog.

[0046] In some embodiments, the database 102 may be configured to periodically receive updated pet information. For example, the database 102 may receive one or more new images of a pet and / or an updated weight value for a pet to be stored as updated pet information on the database 102. The system 100 may be configured to automatically transmit a notification to a data rights holder (e g., a licensee associated with a smart contract) that the pet information was updated. For example, the system 100 may include a communications service configured to detect that pet information minted as an NFT and associated with an existing smart contract has changed since the minting of the NFT and automatically transmit a notification to a networked device of the licensee. In some embodiments, updates to pet information may include the removal of, addition to, or editing of existing pet information that is minted as an NFT. In some embodiments, the image (or other data) associated with the NFT is automatically updated such the prior data is replaced with new data. The data rights holder may thereafter have immediate access to the new data. Updating the data may also act to remove or block the replaced data such that the rights holder can access the new data but not the replaced data. In some instances, existing data is supplemented with new data such that the right holder has immediate access to both the new data and the old data. In some embodiments, data replacement or supplementation is handled by updating the specific data location on database 102 to include old and / or new data or to supplement a data location with a link to the new data that can be accessed, for example, via the NFT metadata.

[0047] In some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to update records stored in the database 102 that are associated with a pointer 210. The database 102 may receive updated pet information from a source via network 105, as described above, and automatically update an existing record that is associated with a pointer 210. The pointer 210 may remain the same as before the updated pet information was received at the database, however, the database record to which the pointer 210 is directed may be altered. For example, there may be an NFT 200b including pointer210 that is associated with the pet medical records, age of a pet, gender of a pet, weight of a pet, and / or breed of a pet included in pet information XYZ as exemplified in Fig. 3. The database 102 may receive an updated weight value for the pet and automatically update the corresponding weight record included in pet information XYZ. The pointer 210 may, following the updated weight value being recorded, point to the location in the database 102 where that updated weight value is stored.

[0048] The server 104 may be configured to automatically associate the NFT with the updated pet information in response to the database receiving the updated pet information. For example, the server 104 may be configured to detect that the weight value for pet information associated with an existing NFT has been updated at the database 102 and in response to detecting the updated weight value, automatically associate the NFT with the updated pet weight value.

[0049] In some embodiments, the server 104 is configured to associate the same pet information with two or more different NFTs to enable, for example, two or more licensees’ access to and use of the pet information. The server 104 may be configured to associate a second NFT with the portion of the pet information and a second licensee account. For example, the server 104 may be configured to associate the same portion of pet information with a first NFT and a second NFT. The server 104 may be configured to associate the first NFT with a first licensee account and the second NFT with a second licensee account that is different than the first licensee account. In some embodiments, the smart contracts generated and / or controlled by the system 100 may define the terms and condition of exploiting an NFT. For example, a smart contract between a user and licensee that includes an NFT having a pointer to pet information may define what privileges the licensee has to view and / or edit the pet information.

[0050] In other embodiments, the server 104 is configured to prevent the same pet information from being associated with two or more NFTs. The server 104 may be configured to prevent a second NFT from being associated with a portion of pet information already associated with an existing NFT. For example, the server 104 is configured to associate a first NFT with a specific portion of pet information, a user account, and a licensee account as discussed above. The server 104 may be configured to prevent that specific pet information from being associated with a second NFT. For example, the system 100 may be configured to determine that pet information is already included in a smart contract (e.g., minted as an NFT) and prevent that pet information from being minted again.

[0051] In some embodiments, the server 104 is configured to associate one or more NFTs with portions of pet information not already associated with an existing NFT. The server 104 may be configured to associate a second NFT with a second distinct portion of the pet information. Forexample, the name and digital images included in pet information associated with a user account may be associated with a first NFT. The server 104 may be configured to associate the age, breed, weight, and medical history included in that same pet information with a second NFT that is also associated with the same user account and which may be associated with a different licensee.

[0052] In some embodiments, system 100 is configured to aggregate a plurality of pet information with a single NFT. The server 104 may be configured to aggregate pet information stored on the database 102 that is associated with a plurality of pets each of which is associated with a different user account, and associate an NFT with the aggregated pet information. For example, the server 104 may be configured to aggregate pet information for male rottweilers associated with a plurality of different user accounts into an NFT such that a licensee account may license the NFT for the aggregated male rottweiler pet information. In some embodiments, the server 104 is configured to aggregate pet information based on shared pet characteristics such as, for example, age, breed, gender, medical history, or a combination thereof. This may be particularly beneficial for licensees seeking to obtain a large dataset for pets exhibiting one or more shared characteristics.

[0053] In some embodiments, two or more NFTs are associated with overlapping data stored in database 102. For example, a first NFT may point to data in database 102 that aggregates all data for a particular breed of dog - Irish setters for example. A second NFT may point to data in database 102 that aggregates all data for dogs with homes in a particular geographic region - e.g., the Florida panhandle. An acquirer or licensee of NFT 1 would have some of the same data as an acquirer or licensee of NFT 2 - e.g., Irish setters in the Florida panhandle.

[0054] In some embodiments, the marketplace server 108 is configured to provide prospective licensees access to search, filter, and license pet information associated with one or more user accounts. For example, the marketplace server 108 may be configured to generate a pet information marketplace user interface (UI) configured to enable licensees having a licensee account the ability to search for specific pet information (e.g., pictures of dogs less than 3 months old) offered to be licensed. In some embodiments, the indication of pet information offered to be licensed at the marketplace UI may include an indication of a price to license that pet information. In some embodiments, the marketplace server 108 is configured to mint a non-fungible token on a blockchain in response to an indication of offer acceptance from the licensee account. For example, the marketplace server 108 may receive an indication at the marketplace UI of an acceptance from a licensee account to license the pet information associated with a user account. In response to receiving the indication of acceptance, the marketplace server 108 may be configured to cause the server 104 to create the NFT and store the NFT on the blockchain network 110. In someembodiments, the server 104 is configured to execute a smart contract between the user account and the licensee account. For example, the server 104 in response to creating an NFT and storing the NFT on the blockchain network 110 may automatically assign ownership of that NFT to the licensee.

[0055] In some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to facilitate push and pull marketing models simultaneously. The system 100 may be configured to enable NFT owners to publish offers for sale (e.g., a push marketing model) and for prospective buyers of NFTs to publish requests for NFTs based on one or more parameters (e.g., a pull marketing model). For example, and as described above, the system 100 may enable a user to publish at the marketplace UI an indication of pet information for sale. The system 100 may further enable prospective licensees (e.g., data researchers, buyers) to publish at the marketplace UI, a request for pet information based on one or more criterion. For example, a request for pet information published at the marketplace UI may include that a researcher wishes to acquire pet information for male golden retrievers between the ages of 3-5 that have experienced heartworms in the past six months. The system 100 may be configured to enable owners of pet information that falls within a provided criteria to interact with the published request and either accept or deny the request.

[0056] In some embodiments, the system 100 includes a digital wallet associated with a user account and / or licensee account. The digital wallet may be configured to enable the transfer of funds (e.g., crypto-currency) from one digital wallet to another and / or transfer pet information minted as an NFT from one digital wallet to another. In some embodiments, the server 104 is configured to facilitate a value transfer from a digital wallet associated with a licensee account to a digital wallet associated with a user account. In some embodiments, a minted NFT may be stored in a user’s digital wallet and the server 104 may be configured to initiate a value transfer from the corresponding digital wallet of the licensee into the digital wallet of the corresponding user account. For example, in response to a smart contract being generated between a pet information owner and a licensee, the system 100 may automatically transfer an amount of funds from the licensees digital wallet to the pet information owners digital wallet. In some embodiments, the smart contract may include an indication of the amount of funds and specific NFTs to be transferred. In some embodiments, the digital wallet may be created by the server 104 and stored on database 102. In other embodiments, the digital wallet may be a pre-existing digital wallet created by a user having an associated user account and stored on a customer device 106.

[0057] In some embodiments, the database 102 and / or server 104 is configured to receive electronic data from the one or more external devices 112 and automatically associate an NFT withthe received electronic data. An external device 112 may generate electronic data associated with a pet and automatically transmit that data to the database 102. The server 104 may be configured to detect that the electronic data has been stored on the database 102 and, in response, automatically associate the electronic data with an existing NFT. For example, an external device 112 may be a device wearable by a pet that is configured to generate biometric data associated with the pet and transmit that biometric data to the database 102. Further to this example, that biometric data may be relevant to medical records for pet information included in a currently minted NFT. The server 104 may be configured to detect that the biometric data was transmitted from the wearable device to the database 102 and automatically associate that biometric data with the corresponding NFT. The external device 112 may enable the real-time generation of electronic data associated with existing NFTs and automatically transmit that data to the database 102 such that the server 104 may automatically update the existing NFT to include a pointer to that electronic data. A wearable device configured to generate biometric data is a single example of a type of external device 112, however other external devices useful for generating pet specific data may be included in the system 100. For example, the electronic device 112 may be, for example, automatic pet food dispensers and / or veterinarian servers associated with the pet. In some embodiments, the system 100 may include a combination of two or more different external devices 112.

[0058] In some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to determine a confidence score related to the accuracy of pet information stored on the database 102. In some embodiments, the confidence score may be based on, at least partially, purchase history data stored on the database 102. The database 102 may have stored thereon purchase history data associated with one or more user accounts and the server 104 may be configured to determine a confidence score related to the accuracy of the pet information stored on the database 102 based on the purchase history data associated with the user accounts. For example, pet information associated with a user account may include information related to a female house cat, however, the purchase history for that user account may include indications of only purchases for dog specific products. As such, the server 104 may be configured to determine a low confidence score that the pet information associated with the female house cat is accurate. Conversely, pet information for a user account may include information related to an adult male golden retriever and the purchase history for that user account may include purchases of medications for dogs within a weight range that corresponds to the average golden retriever. In such instances, the server 104 may be configured to determine a high confidence score for the accuracy of the male golden retriever pet information. In some instances, the system 100 is configured to increase a value of pet information based on the confidence scorethereof. For example, pet information having a greater confidence score than another may have a higher value. In some embodiments, data may include a confidence score that is fixed in time. IN other instances, data confidence score may rise or fall depending on aspects of associated data (e.g., purchase history). In some embodiments, NFT value automatically rises with an increase in confidence score and automatically falls with a reduction in confidence score.

[0059] In some embodiments, the database 102 has stored thereon veterinarian data associated with one or more user accounts and the server 104 is configured to determine the confidence score related to the accuracy of the veterinarian data based on a pet medical history associated with the user account. Veterinarian data may be uploaded to the database 102 via a veterinarian server (e.g., an external device 112) and the server 104 may be configured to automatically associate that data with a user account. The server 104 may be configured to compare that veterinarian data to existing medical history for pet information associated with that user account to determine the accuracy of the veterinarian data. For example, veterinarian data may be uploaded to the database 102 that indicates a pet associated with the user account has diabetes. The server 104 may be configured to query the database 102 and determine that the medical history of the pet includes that the pet is overweight and as such may determine a high confidence score that the veterinarian data is accurate.

[0060] Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown another system diagram for the system 100 illustrating exemplary interactions, inputs and outputs of components included in the system 100. The database 102 as described above may include the “User Info DB”, “Pet Information DB”, “Contract DB” illustrated in Fig. 4. The services illustrated in Fig. 4 may be representative of different functionalities of the server 104 and / or marketplace server 108 shown in Fig. 1 and discussed above. For example, the server 104 may include a pet information service configured to receive pet information from a customer device 106 and store the pet information in a pet database (e.g., database 102). The server 104 may include a user information service configured to receive user information (e.g., pet owner information) and store that information in a user info database (e.g., database 102).

[0061] In some embodiments, the server 104 and / or marketplace server 108 includes a contract service configured to generate and monitor smart contracts in response to the licensing of pet information pointed to in a minted NFT. For example, the contract service may be configured to receive a request from a marketplace service to initiate a value transfer of an NFT with a currency (e.g., cryptocurrency). The NFT may include a pointer to pet information and be stored in an NFT digital wallet and the currency may be stored in a digital wallet of the licensee. Each digital wallet may be included in a wallet database accessible by the contract service via a wallet service of themarketplace server 108 and / or server 104. The contract service may be configured to cause the value transfer of the NFT and cryptocurrency and generate a smart contract stored in a contract database. In some embodiments, a smart contract stored in a contract database includes one or more of: a unique contract identifier, an indication of the buyer and seller involved in the smart contract, a unique identifier of the buyer’s digital wallet, and a unique identifier of the sellers digital wallet.

[0062] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the exemplary embodiments shown and described above without departing from the broad inventive concepts thereof. It is to be understood that the embodiments and claims disclosed herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the description and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the description and the drawings provide examples of the embodiments envisioned. The embodiments and claims disclosed herein are further capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.

[0063] Specific features of the exemplary embodiments may or may not be part of the claimed invention and one or more of the disclosed features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined in whole, or in part. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a”, “an” and “the” are not limited to one element but instead should be read as meaning “at least one”. Finally, unless specifically set forth herein, a disclosed or claimed method should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the steps may be performed in any practical order.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A system for licensing pet information, the system comprising: a database having stored thereon pet information associated with a user account; and a server, coupled to the database, and configured to: associate a non-fungible token with i) the user account, ii) a portion of the pet information and iii) a licensee account.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is further configured to: execute a smart contract between the user account and the licensee account.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the non-fungible token includes a pointer to the database, the database is configured to periodically receive updated pet information, and wherein the server is configured to automatically associate the non-fungible token with the updated pet information in response to the database receiving the updated pet information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is configured to associate a second non-fungible token with the portion of the pet information and a second licensee account.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is configured to prevent a second non-fungible token from being associated with the portion of the pet information.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is configured to associate a second non-fungible token with a second distinct portion of the pet information.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a marketplace server configured to mint the non-fungible token on a blockchain in response to an indication of offer acceptance from the licensee account.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a digital wallet associated with the user account, wherein the server is configured to facilitate a value transfer from an account associated with the licensee account to the digital wallet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is configured to receive electronic data from one or more external devices and the server is configured to automatically associate the non-fungible token with the electronic data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the external device includes at least one of an automatic pet food dispenser, electronic device wearable by the pet, a veterinarian server associated with the pet.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic device wearable by the pet is configured to generate biometric data associated with the pet and transmit the biometric data to the database.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is configured to store updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data and associate the non-fungible token with the updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to: aggregate pet information stored on the database that is associated with a plurality of pets each of which is associated with a different user account; and associate the non-fungible token with the aggregated pet information.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the database has stored thereon, purchase history data associated with one or more user accounts, and wherein the server is configured to determine a confidence score related to the accuracy of the pet information stored on the database based on the purchase history data associated with one or more user accounts.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the database has stored thereon, veterinarian data associated with one or more user accounts, and wherein the server is configured to determine a confidence score related to the accuracy of the veterinarian data stored on the database based on a pet medical history associated with the user account.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein pet information includes one or more of pet genome information, pet images, pet veterinarian data, and pet personality traits.

17. In a system for licensing pet information having a database with pet information stored thereon, the pet information associated with a user account and a server, coupled to the database, a method performed via the server comprising: associating, a non-fungible token with i) the user account, ii) a portion of the pet information, and iii) a licensee account.

18. The method performed by the server of claim 17 further comprising: executing a smart contract between the user account and the licensee account.

19. The method performed by the server of claim 17, wherein the non-fungible token includes a pointer to the database, the database is configured to periodically receive updated pet information, and the method further comprising automatically associating the non-fungible token with the updated pet information in response to the database receiving the updated pet information.

20. The method performed by the server of claim 17 further comprising associating a second non-fungible token with the portion of the pet information and a second licensee account.

21. The method performed by the server of claims 17 further comprising preventing a second non-fungible token from being associated with the portion of the pet information.

22. The method performed by the server of claim 17 further comprising associating a second non-fungible token with a second distinct portion of the pet information.

23. The method performed by the server of claim 17 further comprising minting the non- fungible token on a blockchain in response to an indication of offer acceptance from the licensee account.

24. The method performed by the server of claim 17, further comprising facilitating a value transfer from an account associated with the licensee account to a digital wallet associated with the user account.

25. The method performed by the server of claim 17, further comprising automatically associating the non-fungible token with electronic data received by the database from one or more external devices.

26. The method performed by the server of claim 17, wherein the external device includes at least one of an automatic pet food dispenser, electronic device wearable by the pet, a veterinarian server associated with the pet.

27. The method performed by the server of claim 17, further comprising via an electronic device wearable by the pet, generating biometric data associated with the pet and transmitting the biometric data to the database.

28. The method performed by the server of claim 17, further comprising via the database, storing updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data and associating the non-fungible token with the updated pet data based on the transmitted biometric data.

29. The method performed by the server of claim 17, further comprising: aggregating pet information stored on the database that is associated with a plurality of pets each of which is associated with a different user account; and associating the non-fungible token with the aggregated pet information.

30. The method performed by the server of claim 17, further comprising determining a confidence score related to the accuracy of the pet information stored on the database based on purchase history data associated with one or more user accounts that is stored on the database.

31. The method performed by the server of claim 17, further comprising determining a confidence score related to the accuracy of the veterinarian data associated with one or more user accounts stored on the database based on a pet medical history associated with the user account.

32. The method performed by the server of claim 17, wherein pet information includes one or more of pet genome information, pet images, pet veterinarian data, and pet personality traits, and the method further comprising: determining a confidence score related to the accuracy of the veterinarian data associated with one or more user accounts stored on the database based on a pet medical history associated with the user account.

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