Systems and methods for voucher-based e-commerce

Abstract

Systems and methods of voucher-based e-commerce may include: receiving from a seller a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale on an electronic commerce platform; generating a listing for the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request; receiving from a plurality of buyers requests to purchase vouchers for the generated listing; assigning to each of the plurality of buyers a voucher based on the purchase request of the corresponding buyer; closing a listing period for the generated listing based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement; after closing, selecting at random a winning buyer from among the plurality of buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing; and notifying the winning buyer of the right to claim the asset.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VOUCHER-BASED E-COMMERCECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 606,005, filed on December 4, 2023. The entire disclosure of the application referenced above is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates in general to the field of electronic transactions and more specifically to systems and methods for executing electronic transactions with vouchers.SUMMARY

[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure include a computer-implemented electronic transaction method. The method includes, using a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory, receiving an input indicating a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale, by a seller, on an electronic commerce platform, generating a listing for the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request, receiving inputs indicating requests, from a plurality of buyers, to purchase vouchers for the generated listing, assigning, based on the requests, vouchers to the plurality of buyers, closing a listing period for the generated listing based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement, subsequent to closing the listing period, selecting at random a winning buyer from among the plurality of buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing and generating and transmitting a notification to the winning buyer of a right to claim the asset.

[0004] In other aspects, the method further includes generating and transmitting a notification to the seller that the winning buyer has the right to claim the asset. The method further includes generating and transmitting a notification to others of the plurality of buyers that they were not the winning buyers. The method further includes removing the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform in response to the at least one predetermined requirement not being satisfied and, subsequent to removing the generated listing, refunding the corresponding voucher to each of the plurality of buyers. Removing the generated listing includes removing the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform in response to the at least one predetermined requirement not being satisfied within a defined time period.

[0005] In other aspects, the plurality of buyers purchase the vouchers for the generated listing with credits established by the electronic commerce platform. The method further includes establishing, for each of the plurality of buyers, an account of credits for the subsequent purchase of vouchers. The method further includes receiving, from each of the plurality of buyers, legal tender in exchange for credits deposited in the respective account of each of the plurality of buyers. The deposited credits are based on a predetermined exchange rate between the credits and the legal tender. The method further includes receiving, from the seller, a reserve for the listed asset. The least one predetermined requirement includes the reserve. The method further includes receiving from the seller a voucher value based on the legal tender before said generating the listing. The method further includes allowing a buyer to use, within a defined period of time, a refunded voucher to participate in other listings.

[0006] An electronic commerce platform includes at least one application server and a plurality of member applications provided on corresponding usercommunications devices, at least some of the plurality of member applications being in network communication with the at least one application server. The at least one application server and each of the plurality of member applications are provided with program instructions to cause the platform to receive, at the at least one application server, from a member seller, a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale on the electronic commerce platform, generate a listing for the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request, receive, at the at least one application server, from a plurality of member buyers, requests to purchase corresponding vouchers for the generated listing, assign, to each of the plurality of member buyers, a voucher based on the purchase request of the corresponding member buyer, close a listing period based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement, select at random a winning member buyer from among the plurality of member buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing, and notify the winning member buyer of the right to claim the asset.

[0007] In other aspects, the program instructions further include instructions to cause the electronic commerce platform to enable each member application as either a seller member application or the buyer member application based on a selection made by the user via the member application. The program instructions further include instructions to cause the electronic commerce platform to notify the member seller that the winning member buyer has the right to claim the asset. The program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to notify others of the plurality of member buyers that they were not the winning member buyer. The program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to remove the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform if the at least onepredetermined requirement has not been satisfied and refund the corresponding voucher to each of the plurality of member buyers.

[0008] In other aspects, the program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to establish credits and allow each of the plurality of member buyers to purchase the voucher for the listed asset with the established credits. The program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to establish, for each of the plurality of member buyers, an account of credits for the subsequent purchase of vouchers. The program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to receive, from each of the plurality of member buyers, legal tender in exchange for credits deposited in the respective account of each of the plurality of member buyers. The deposited credits are based on a predetermined exchange rate between the credits and the legal tender.

[0009] In other aspects, the program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to receive, from the member seller, a reserve for the listed asset. The at least one predetermined requirement includes the reserve. The program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to receive, from the member seller, a voucher value based on the legal tender before generating the listing. The program instructions further include instructions to cause the system to allow a buyer member to use, within a defined period of time, a refunded voucher to participate in other listings.

[0010] A system includes non-transitory memory storing instructions and one or more hardware processors coupled with the non-transitory memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations. The operations include receiving, from a seller, a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale on an electronic commerce platform, generating a listingfor the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request, receiving, from a plurality of buyers, requests to purchase vouchers for the generated listing, assigning, to each of the plurality of buyers, a voucher based on the purchase request of the corresponding buyer, closing a listing period for the generated listing based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement, after said closing, selecting at random a winning buyer from among the plurality of buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing, and notifying the winning buyer of the right to claim the asset.

[0011] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0013] FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a system according to the teachings provided herein;

[0014] FIG. 1 B is a flow chart representation of one embodiment of a method according to the teachings provided herein; and

[0015] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an example computing device configured to implement functions of the systems and methods of the present disclosure.

[0016] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles and aspects of the invention. However, the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents.

[0018] Electronic commerce (“E-commerce”) includes a variety of advertising, marketing, and incentivizing strategies designed to target advertising, acquire and retain customers, and increase sales. For example, in voucher-based electronic commerce, retailers and / or third party entities issue vouchers or voucher / discount codes to incentivize customers to purchase items. As one example, an online retailer (or, “E-tailer”) may generate vouchers associated with specific discounts, products, promotions, and so on. Customers / users apply or redeem the vouchers (e.g., during a checkout process) to obtain a corresponding discount for a purchase or item.

[0019] Voucher-based electronic commerce systems and methods according to the present disclosure provide techniques for managing and assigning vouchers to users, tracking vouchers, and conducting sales / purchases in accordance with the assigned vouchers as described below in more detail.

[0020] One embodiment of a system 10 for voucher-based electronic commerce is illustrated in FIG. 1A and may comprise at least one application server 12. System 10 may be used in whole or in part to create an electronic commerce platform (not separately shown), and thus may also be referred to herein as an electronic commerce platform. Application server 12 may be operatively associated with one or more networks 14, such as the Internet, either directly or via any of a variety of intermediate networks, such as wireless networks (not shown). System 10 may beoperatively connected to one or more databases or memory systems 16, one or more payment gateways 18, and one or more messaging services 20. Each of the various memory system(s) or database(s) 16, payment gateway(s) 18, and messaging service(s) 20 also may be operatively associated with network 14 so that application server 12 is in network communication with the various systems 16, 18, and 20.

[0021] The memory system(s) or database(s) 16 may be used to store information relating to the operation of system 10, the various users or members interacting with system 10, as well as information required to interface with other ancillary systems and devices that may be operatively associated with system 10, such as payment gateway(s) 18 and messaging service(s) 20.

[0022] As will be described in much greater detail herein, payment gateway(s) 18 may be used to facilitate the purchase of credits using legal tender. As such, payment gateway(s) 18 may comprise any of a wide range of services, such as PayPal or Stripe, that are well-known in the art or that may be developed in the future that are or would be suitable for such purposes.

[0023] One or more messaging service(s) 20 may be used to facilitate the exchange of messages between various users, administrators, and agents using system 10. As such, messaging service(s) 20 may comprise any of a wide range of messaging services, such as TalkJS, that are well-known in the art or that may be developed in the future that are or would be suitable for providing such a messaging function.

[0024] System 10 may also include a plurality of user or member applications 22, each of which may be provided on a corresponding user communications device 24.User communications devices 24 may comprise any of a wide range of communications devices suitable for communicating with network 14 such as, for example, smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, and the like. Each user communications device 24 may include a user interface (Ul) system 26 to allow the user of user communications device 24 to interact with the user or member application 22 provided thereon. In some embodiments, the user interface system 26 may comprise a touch screen display (D) 28, although other types of user interface systems are known and could be used as well.

[0025] When launched or activated by the user, the user or member application 22 may be operatively connected to application server 12 via user communications device 24 and network(s) 14. In some embodiments, and as will be described in further detail below, the user or member application 22 may be operable in either a ‘buyer mode’ or a ‘seller mode,’ based on a selection made by the user via member application 22. When operated in the buyer mode, member application 22 operates as a ‘buyer member application and will provide options and functionalities to allow the user of member application 22 to act as a buyer. When operated in the seller mode, member application 22 operates as a ‘seller member application’ and will provide options and functionalities to allow a user of the member application 22 to act as a seller.

[0026] In some embodiments, system 10 may also comprise at least one administrative application 30. Administrative application 30 may be provided on at least one administrative communications device 32 that is in network communication with application server(s) 12, e.g., via network(s) 14. Administrative application 30 allows one or more system administrator(s) (not shown) to access and control system 10 to perform certain operations associated with the functions and operationsimplemented by system 10. The administrative communications device(s) 32 may comprise any of a wide range of computer systems, such as smart phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, or the like. The administrative communications device 32 may be provided with a suitable user interface (III) system 34 that may include, for example, a display system (D) 36, a keyboard (K) 38, and a pointer system (P) 40 or other input device, such as a mouse or trackpad. In some embodiments, display system 36 may comprise a touch screen display.

[0027] In some embodiments, system 10 may also comprise one or more agent applications 42, each of which may be provided on a corresponding agent communications device 44. As will be described in further detail herein, agent application(s) 42 may be operated by one or more agents. An agent may be a third- party user who acts as a representative assisting sellers (e.g., asset providers) in managing transactions and listings on system 10. Agent communications device(s) 44 may comprise any of a wide range of communications devices suitable for communicating with network 14 such as, for example, smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, and the like. Each agent communications device 44 may include a user interface (III) system 46 to allow the user or agent (not shown) of the agent communications device 44 to interact with the agent application 42 provided thereon. In some embodiments, the user interface system 46 may comprise a touch screen display (D) 48, although other types of user interface systems are known and could be used as well. When launched or activated by the user or agent, the agent application 42 may be operatively connected to application server 12 via agent communications device 44 and network(s) 14.

[0028] The application server 12 and each of the user or member applications 22 may be provided with computer software or program code that cause the system toperform a method 50 (FIG. 1 B) to implement a voucher-based e-commerce transaction. The program code may be provided on application server 12 or database / memory system 16.

[0029] FIG. 1 B shows an example of the method 50 according to the present disclosure. One or more systems, computing devices, processors or processing devices, etc. described herein, individually or collectively, may be configured to perform the steps / functions of the method 50. At step 52, the method 50 may include receiving, from a seller, a listing request for an asset (an asset, item, etc. to be sold to a buyer) to be listed for sale on the electronic commerce platform of system 10. The listing request may come from a user of one of the user communication devices 24. In the particular embodiments shown and described herein, the listing request is generated by member application 22 when operating in the ‘seller mode.’ The listing request is received by application server(s) 12 via network(s) 14. In the particular embodiments shown and described herein, the listing request may contain information about the asset to be listed, a reserve established by the seller, and a voucher value or dollar amount of the voucher. If all of the requirements for the listing have been met, e.g., as may be determined by member application 22 when operating in the ‘seller mode’ and / or application server 12, application server 12 may then generate a listing based on the listing request. The listing is provided on the electronic commerce platform of system 10 and is available for viewing by other members or users of system 10. At step 54, the method 50 includes, in response to receiving the listing request, generating a listing for the asset.

[0030] Users / buyers interested in purchasing the listed asset may purchase vouchers. A voucher purchase request may be produced or generated by themember application 22 provided on the corresponding user communication device24. In the particular embodiments shown and described herein, the voucher purchase request is generated by the member application 22 when operating in the ‘buyer mode.’ The voucher purchase request is received by application server(s) 12, e.g., via network(s) 14, at step 56. Thereafter, application server 12 may assign, at step 58, a voucher to the requesting buyer. This process may be repeated for other buyers interested in purchasing vouchers for the listed asset.

[0031] In the particular embodiments shown and described herein, and as will be described in much greater detail below, vouchers are purchased with credits that are established by system 10. Prior to initiating the voucher purchase request, each buyer will have created an account and will have purchased some number of credits with legal tender. The particular exchange rate between the legal tender and credits may be established in advance by system 10. For example, in one embodiment, the exchange rate may be such that 1 credit is equal to 1 U.S. Dollar. Of course, other exchange rates and currencies (e.g., legal tender) may be used. In the particular embodiments shown and described herein, the purchase of credits may be made via one or more payment gateways 18 (FIG. 1A) operatively associated with system 10.

[0032] The vouchers assigned to the buyers are linked to the generated listing. If the listing is still open, as determined at step 60, method 50 will continue to receive voucher purchase requests at step 56. In some examples, the listing may be closed in response to the seller’s reserve being met. In other examples, the listing may be closed in response to a defined time period being reached / exceed. In still other examples, the listing may be close in response to at least the seller’s reserve being met and the defined time period being reached / exceed. In other words, in some examples, the purchased vouchers may exceed the seller’s reserve (e.g., by up to apredetermined amount above the seller’s reserve, such as a voucher cap or maximum). On the other hand, if the listing is closed, such as would be the case if the seller’s reserve has been met, then method 50 will randomly select, at step 62, a winning buyer from among the buyers who purchased vouchers for the listed asset. Thereafter, method 50 may notify the winning buyer at step 64. By way of example, a reservoir sampling algorithm may be used to make the random selection.

[0033] In some instances, such as, for example, if the reserve has not been met after a defined time period, the system 10 and method 50 will remove the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform. Thereafter, the system and method may refund to the buyers the purchased vouchers. In some embodiments, buyers may use refunded vouchers for subsequently listed assets.

[0034] Method 50 may be better understood by considering an example voucherbased e-commerce transaction. Suppose a seller would like to list a vehicle on the electronic commerce platform of system 10. The seller would, with the assistance of the member application 22 operating in the seller mode, provide details about the vehicle. The details may include written material as well as photos or images. The seller may also set a reserve price for the vehicle, such as, for example, a reserve of $10,000. The seller may also set a price for each voucher, such as, for example, US$1. The system 10 will then assign a minimum of 10,000 vouchers for the listed vehicle. That is, at least 10,000 vouchers must be sold to various buyers within a defined time period. The defined time period may be any of a wide range of times, such as some number of hours or days. After the system 10 generates the listing for the vehicle, e g., at step 54, potential buyers may review the generated listing via the member applications 22 provided on their respective user communications devices 24. Buyers interested in the vehicle may then purchase vouchers. In an embodimentwherein the system has established the value of a credit at US$1 , and because the seller has set the value of a voucher at US$1 , one credit (e.g., in the account of the buyer) would purchase one voucher. Once the seller’s reserve has been met (e.g., $10,000) or 10,000 vouchers, the system 10 will then randomly select a winning buyer from among the buyers who purchased vouchers for the vehicle. The winning buyer will then be notified, and the transaction between the buyer and the seller completed.

[0035] However, if the reserve was not met within the defined period for the sale, then the system 10 will remove the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform. Any vouchers purchased for the vehicle will then be refunded to the buyers.

[0036] In other embodiments, method 50 may further include the following aspects, either separately or in combination:

[0037] Notifying the seller that the winning buyer has the right to claim the asset and notifying others of the plurality of buyers that they were not the winning buyers;

[0038] Removing the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform if the at least one predetermined requirement has not been satisfied and, after the generated listing is removed, refunding the corresponding voucher to each of the plurality of buyers;

[0039] Establishing, for each of the plurality of buyers, an account of credits for the subsequent purchase of vouchers;

[0040] Receiving from each of the plurality of buyers legal tender in exchange for credits deposited in the respective account of each of the plurality of buyers, the deposited credits based on a predetermined exchange rate between the credits and the legal tender;

[0041] Receiving from the seller a reserve for the listed asset and wherein the at least one predetermined requirement comprises the reserve;

[0042] Receiving from the seller a voucher value based on the legal tender before generating the listing; and

[0043] Allowing a buyer to use within a defined period of time a refunded voucher to participate in other listings;

[0044] In still other embodiments, the program instructions provided on application server 12 and the member applications 22 may further cause the system 10 to perform the following functions, either separately or in combination:

[0045] Enabling each member application as either a seller member application or the buyer member application based on a selection made by the user via the member application;

[0046] Notifying the member seller that the winning member buyer has the right to claim the asset;

[0047] Notifying others of the plurality of member buyers that they were not the winning member buyer;

[0048] Removing the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform if the at least one predetermined requirement has not been satisfied and refund the corresponding voucher to each of the plurality of member buyers;

[0049] Establishing credits and allow each of the plurality of member buyers to purchase the voucher for the listed asset with the established credits;

[0050] Establishing, for each of the plurality of member buyers, an account of credits for the subsequent purchase of vouchers;

[0051] Receiving from each of the plurality of member buyers legal tender in exchange for credits deposited in the respective account of each of the plurality of member buyers, the deposited credits based on a predetermined exchange rate between the credits and the legal tender;

[0052] Receiving from the member seller a reserve for the listed asset and wherein the at least one predetermined requirement comprises the reserve;

[0053] Receiving from the member seller a voucher value based on the legal tender before generating the listing; and

[0054] Allowing a buyer member to use within a defined period of time a refunded voucher to participate in other listings.

[0055] In some embodiments, system 10 may include a non-transitory memory storing instructions and one or more hardware processors coupled with the non- transitory memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations that include:

[0056] Receiving from a seller a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale on an electronic commerce platform; generating a listing for the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request; receiving from a plurality of buyers requests to purchase vouchers for the generated listing; assigning to each of the plurality of buyers a voucher based on the purchase request of the corresponding buyer; closing a listing period for the generated listing based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement; after the closing, selecting at random a winning buyer from among the plurality of buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing; and notifying the winning buyer of the right to claim the asset.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 1A, one or more components of the system 10 (e.g., the application server 12, the administrative communications device 32, the agent communications device 44, etc.) may be configured to implement various voucher management and tracking functions, withdrawal functions, refund functions, fee management functions, and so on as described below in more detail.

[0058] In some examples, the administrative application 30 provided on the administrative communications device 32 may be configured to implement / display an administrative dashboard, which may facilitate selection of and navigation to and from one or more other dashboards / screens. For example, an inventory dashboard may provide an interface for managing an overall voucher inventory (e.g., an inventory of all vouchers requested and purchased, assigned, etc. for respective listed assets, values of the vouchers, etc.). For example, the inventory dashboard may be configured to display (e.g., present on the display 36 of the device 32) a total number of available vouchers for an asset as well as tracking statuses / characteristics / categories for respective vouchers. Example tracking statuses include, but are not limited to: active (or inactive); refunded; ready for redeem; frozen; and expired. In this manner, categorization of vouchers provides a clear visual representation of a current distribution and utilization status of existing vouchers.

[0059] In some examples, the system 10 facilitates configuration of asset value ranges (i.e., ranges of values for assets listed via the system 10) via a voucher configuration dashboard. Each asset value range may have configurable / adjustable upper and lower limits (e.g., adjustable using input fields for entering numerical values for the upper and lower limits). The application 30 may be configured to validate inputs to ensure the inputs for the upper and lower limits meet requiredcriteria (e.g., numerical, non-negative values). Changes to configurations for vouchers for a specific asset may be updated in real-time (e.g., automatically reflected in the listing of the asset).

[0060] In some examples, percentage values for each configured asset value range may be defined. For example, users may enter numerical percentage values corresponding to a percentage of the value of the asset.

[0061] In some examples, the system 10 may be configured to calculate / provide a voucher value for a particular asset (e.g., an estimated value of one voucher for the asset). As one example, a voucher value / price may be calculated in accordance with:Voucher value = asset value * (tiered percentage 1 100). (Equation 1 )

[0062] In an example, for assets valued at $99.00 or less, the voucher value may be automatically set to $1.00. Conversely, for assets valued at $100.00, the voucher value can be calculated using Equation 1. Voucher value calculations can be performed in real-time during creation / listing of an asset, editing of asset characteristics or value, and / or when other parameters are modified.

[0063] In some examples, the system 10 may be configured to calculate a minimum and maximum number of available vouchers (e.g., a voucher quantity range) for a particular asset. In one example, the minimum number of vouchers can be calculated in accordance with:Minimum vouchers = (asset value (minimum threshold amount) / voucher value).

[0064] Conversely, the maximum number of vouchers can be calculated in accordance with:Maximum vouchers = (asset value (maximum threshold amount) / voucher value).

[0065] For both minimum and maximum number of vouchers calculations, results of the calculations can be rounded up to the nearest whole number. Minimum and maximum numbers of vouchers may be updated in real-time (e.g., as presented / displayed to users, for use in various calculations, etc.) as asset values are changed / adjusted.

[0066] Voucher values may be displayed along with the respective assets (e.g., on a same page / post detailing the asset for sale, on asset cards in summary or post views, etc.). The voucher values as displayed on various pages / display sections can be updated automatically / dynamically as asset values or other relevant parameters change.

[0067] Administrators (e.g., users of the administrative application 30) can edit voucher values associated with specific asset posts / listings. For example, the administrative dashboard may include an asset post / listing section with a selectable “edit” option. In some examples, the application 30 presents editable fields for inputting or modifying voucher values for selected asset posts / listings. Edited voucher values can be dynamically updated and reflected in real-time across the platform. A confirmation message may be displayed indicating the success / acceptance of voucher value edits.

[0068] In some examples, the system 10 is configured to implement functions associated with withdrawal of assets / funds from the platform, requesting refunds, and / or tasks for managing earnings (i.e., earnings from sales of vouchers / assets). For example, a “Request a Withdrawal” section or button may be provided to users (e.g., providers or sellers of an asset) via a respective dashboard / UI, such as a provider dashboard implemented / displayed on a user communications device 24.The “Request a Withdrawal” section may only be available when a user / provider is logged in (e.g., via the member application 22).

[0069] For example, within the “Request a Withdrawal” section, a provider’s total earnings may be displayed in credits (as defined herein) and / or one or more selected currencies, along with a conversion rate from credits to respective currencies. The total earnings may be calculated and presented based on a total number of vouchers earned (e.g., sold) and the conversion rate.

[0070] As one example, the “Request a Withdrawal” section includes a “Withdraw” button. When a provider selects the “Withdraw” button, a form or field for inputting a desired withdraw / refund amount is provided (e.g., via the display 28). In response to a provider’s request a withdrawal of funds / earnings (e.g., a request made via an input at the device 24), the system 10 (e.g., the application server 12 or another component of the system 10) may confirm that the provider has the requested amount of earnings available and either process the request or provide an indication that the requested earnings are not available. Further, the system 10 confirms whether the provider’s bank account or other financial transaction services information has been added to the system 10 by the provider. A message may then be displayed indicating that the request has been successfully submitted and received and is awaiting review (e.g., an administrator).

[0071] Administrators can review and manage withdrawal requests using the administrative communications devices 32. For example, the administrative dashboard may include a “Withdrawal Requests” section allowing the administrator to view posts / entries of all withdrawal requests made by providers. The requests may include details including, but not limited to, provider name, a provider ID, a requested amount, provider’s bank account information, and a request status (e.g.,“acknowledged,” “in progress,” “completed,” etc.). The administrator can approve individual requests (e.g., by clicking a button, such as a “Grant Request” button), causing corresponding funds to be sent / transferred to the provider’s account and. In some examples, request statuses can be changed automatically (e.g., upon approval / granting of a request by the administrator), while in other examples the administrator can change the request status manually within the dashboard. Granting a request and transferring funds to the provider causes the requested amount to be deducted from the provider’s total earnings.

[0072] The system 10 may be configured to prevent duplicate withdrawal requests. For example, the system 10 can track any pending withdrawal requests that are still being processed and prevent providers from using the same funds in a new withdrawal request until the previous request is marked as "Done.” If a provider attempts to submit a new withdrawal request while a previous request is still pending, a message notifying them that the previous withdrawal must be completed before submitting a new request can be displayed. If a provider attempts to request a withdrawal for an amount that has already been allocated to a pending withdrawal request, the request can be blocked and an error message can be displayed (e.g., an error message stating that requests for new withdrawals cannot be completed until a previous request is completed). In some examples, only amounts that are not part of other pending or in-progress withdrawal requests are available for subsequent withdrawal requests.

[0073] In some examples, the system 10 is configured to implement functions associated with management of fees (e.g., via a “Fee Management” section of the administrative dashboard). Using the “Fee Management” section, administrators can create and edit percentage values (e.g., percentage values for both posting andparticipation fees). Administrators can define asset value ranges to which fee percentages apply. Input fields can be provided for entering numerical percentage values for both posting and participation fees. Inputs can be validated (e.g., by the application 30) to ensure inputs meet required criteria (e.g., non-negative, numerical values). Existing (e.g., previously entered / provided) fee percentages may be editable via the administrative dashboard.

[0074] In some examples, posting fees can be calculated in accordance with: posting fee = (Posting Percentage x Asset Value) 1 100. The asset value used may be the minimum threshold amount specified for the asset. Conversely, participation fees can be calculated in accordance with: Participation Fee = (Participation Percentage x Asset Value) I 100. The asset value may be the minimum threshold amount specified for the asset. Fee calculations can be performed in real-time during asset creation and / or in response to any changes in relevant parameters.

[0075] An example winner selection process implemented by the system 10 is described below. In one example, the winner selection process may be initiated / triggered when either: the asset’s purchasing goal for vouchers is met; or the asset’s duration has ended and the minimum claim threshold is reached. Upon one or more trigger conditions being met, the system 10 can automatically initialize a random selection process to select the winner.

[0076] As one example, a list of all purchased vouchers for the asset is compiled and a unique identifier is assigned to each voucher (e.g., based on a respective position in the list). The list can be shuffled / randomized one or more times. A random number (e.g., from 1 to the total number of purchased vouchers) is generated, and the voucher with the identifier or position in the list that matches the generated random number is selected as the winner.

[0077] In some examples, a unique identifier is assigned to each voucher, such as a sequential number from 1 to N (where N is the total number of active / purchased vouchers). A list of the vouchers is created, with each of the vouchers having respective assigned identifier. The list can be shuffled / randomized using a cryptographically secure random number generator. The shuffling process ensures that each voucher has an equal probability of being in any position in the list. A random integer R (where 1 < R < N) can then be generated using a cryptographically secure random number generator. A voucher is selected based on R (e.g., a voucher at a position index R-1 in the list).

[0078] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an example computing device 200 configured to implement functions of the systems and methods described herein according to the present disclosure. For example, one or more of the computing devices 200 may implement or be implemented by the one or more components of the system 10. Systems described herein may implement a single computing device, a plurality of computing devices, etc., configured to individually and / or collectively perform functions related to the systems and methods of the present disclosure.

[0079] The computing device 200 may include control circuitry 204 that may be, for example, one or more processors or processing devices, a central processing unit processor, an integrated circuit or any suitable computing or computational device, an operating system 208, memory 212, executable code 216, input devices or circuitry 220, and output devices or circuitry 224. The control circuitry 204 (or one or more controllers or processors, possibly across multiple units or devices) may be configured to implement functions of the systems and methods described herein. More than one of the computing devices 200 may be included in, and one or more ofthe computing devices 200 may act as the components of, a system according to embodiments of the disclosure. Various components of the computing device 200 may be implemented with same or different circuitry, same or different processors or processing devices, etc.

[0080] The operating system 208 may be or may include any code segment (e.g., one similar to the executable code 216 described herein) configured and / or configured to perform tasks involving coordination, scheduling, arbitration, supervising, controlling or otherwise managing operation of the control circuitry 204 (e.g., scheduling execution of software programs or tasks or enabling software programs or other hardware modules or units to communicate). The operating system 208 may be a commercial operating system. The operating system 208 may be an optional component (e.g., in some embodiments, a system may include a computing device that does not require or include the operating system 208). For example, a computer system may be, or may include, a microcontroller, an application specific circuit (ASIC), a field programmable array (FPGA), network controller (e.g., CAN bus controller), associated transceiver, system on a chip (SOC), and / or any combination thereof that may be used without an operating system.

[0081] The memory 212 may be or may include, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SD-RAM), a double data rate (DDR) memory chip, Flash memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, cache memory, a buffer, a short-term memory unit, a long-term memory unit, or other suitable memory units or storage units. The memory 212 may be or may include a plurality of memory units, which may correspond to same or different types of memory or memory circuitry. The memory212 may be a computer or processor non-transitory readable medium, or a computer non-transitory storage medium, e.g., RAM.

[0082] The executable code 216 may be any executable code, e.g., an application, a program, a process, task, or script. The executable code 216 may be executed by the control circuitry 204, possibly under control of the operating system 208. Although, for the sake of clarity, a single item of the executable code 216 is shown, a system according to some embodiments of the disclosure may include a plurality of executable code segments similar to the executable code 216 that may be loaded into the memory 212 and cause the control circuitry 204 to carry out methods described herein. Where applicable, the terms “process” and “executable code” may be used interchangeably herein. For example, verification, validation and / or authentication of a process may mean verification, validation and / or authentication of executable code.

[0083] In some examples, the memory 212 may include non-volatile memory having the storage capacity of a storage system. In other examples, the computing device 200 may include or communicate with a storage system and / or database. Such a storage system may include, for example, flash memory, memory that is internal to, or embedded in, a micro controller or chip, a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, a CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive, a Blu-ray disk (BD), a universal serial bus (USB) device or other suitable removable and / or fixed storage unit. Content may be stored in the storage system and loaded from the storage system into the memory 212 where it may be processed by the control circuitry 204.

[0084] The input circuitry 220 may be or may include any suitable input devices, components, or systems, e.g., physical sensors such as accelerometers, thermometers, microphones, analog to digital converters, etc., a detachablekeyboard or keypad, a mouse, etc. The output circuitry 224 may include one or more (possibly detachable) displays or monitors, motors, servo motors, speakers and / or any other suitable output devices. Any applicable input / output (I / O) devices may be connected to the control circuitry 204. For example, a wired or wireless network interface card (NIC), a universal serial bus (USB) device, or external storage device may be included in the input circuitry 220 and / or the output circuitry 224. It will be recognized that any suitable number of input devices and output devices may be operatively connected to the control circuitry 204. For example, the input circuitry 220 and the output circuitry 224 may be used by a technician or engineer in order to connect to the control circuitry 204, update software, and the like.

[0085] Embodiments may include an article such as a computer or processor non- transitory readable medium, or a computer or processor non-transitory storage medium, such as for example memory, a disk drive, or USB flash memory, encoding, including or storing instructions (e.g., computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor or controller, carry out methods disclosed herein), a storage medium such as the memory 212, computer-executable instructions such as the executable code 216, and a controller such as the control circuitry 204.

[0086] The storage medium may include, but is not limited to, any type of disk including magneto-optical disks, semiconductor devices such as read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), flash memories, electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, including programmable storage devices.

[0087] Embodiments of the disclosure may include components such as, but not limited to, a plurality of central processing units (CPU) or any other suitable multipurpose or specific processors or controllers (e.g., controllers similar to the control circuitry 204), a plurality of input units, a plurality of output units, a plurality of memory units, and a plurality of storage units, etc. A system may additionally include other suitable hardware components and / or software components. In some embodiments, a system may include or may be, for example, a personal computer, a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a terminal, a workstation, a server computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a tablet computer, a network device, or any other suitable computing device.

[0088] In some embodiments, a system may include or may be, for example, a plurality of components that include a respective plurality of central processing units, e.g., a plurality of CPUs as described, a plurality of CPUs embedded in an on-board system or network, a plurality of chips, FPGAs or SOCs, microprocessors, transceivers, microcontrollers, a plurality of computer or network devices, any other suitable computing device, and / or any combination thereof. For example, a system as described herein may include one or more devices such as the control circuitry 204.

[0089] The computing device 200 may include and / or communicate with one or more storage devices or databases 228. For example, the storage database 228 may correspond to a storage device (e.g., a semiconductor storage device, such as a solid-state drive (SSD)) of the computing device 200, a remote storage device or database, a cloud computing system, etc. The storage database 228 may store data accessible by one or more components of the system 10.

[0090] In some examples, the computing device 200 may implement an artificial intelligence (Al) engine configured to execute one or more Al or machine learning (ML) models, etc. trained using data (“training data”) obtained during operation of the system 10. Various components of the training data, an Al engine, ML models, etc. may be stored within the computing device 200 or external to the computing device 200 (e.g., in a remote server, a cloud computing system, etc.).

[0091] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although any systems, methods, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in practice for testing of the present invention, the preferred systems, methods, and materials are described herein.

[0092] In understanding the scope of the present invention, the articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element. The term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, and / or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, and / or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including,” “having” and their derivatives. Any terms of degree such as “substantially,” “about” and “approximate” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. When referring to a measurable value, such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, these terms are meant to encompass variations of at least ±20% or ±10%,more preferably ±5%, even more preferably ±1%, and still more preferably ±0.1 % from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate and as would be understood by persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains.

[0093] Throughout this disclosure, various aspects of the invention may be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in a range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed sub-ranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1 , 2, 2.6, 3, 4, 5, 5.7, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

[0094] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within a method may be executed in different order (or concurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Further, although each of the embodiments is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented in and / or combined with features of any of the other embodiments, even if that combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the describedembodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments with one another remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0095] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (for example, between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including “connected,” “engaged,” “coupled,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “on top of,” “above,” “below,” and “disposed.” Unless explicitly described as being “direct,” when a relationship between first and second elements is described in the above disclosure, that relationship can be a direct relationship where no other intervening elements are present between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship where one or more intervening elements are present (either spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0096] In some implementations, a controller is part of a system, which may be part of the above-described examples. The controller, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein.

[0097] Broadly speaking, the controller may be defined as electronics having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operation, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g.,software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), defining operational parameters for carrying out a particular process or method.

[0098] The controller, in some implementations, may be a part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or all or a part of a host computer system. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g. a server) can communicate with a system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. Thus as described above, the controller may be distributed, such as by comprising one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and working towards a common purpose, such as the processes and methods described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (such as at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that combine to control a process or method.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented electronic transaction method, comprising, using a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory: receiving an input indicating a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale, by a seller, on an electronic commerce platform; generating a listing for the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request; receiving inputs indicating requests, from a plurality of buyers, to purchase vouchers for the generated listing; assigning, based on the requests, vouchers to the plurality of buyers; closing a listing period for the generated listing based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement; subsequent to closing the listing period, selecting at random a winning buyer from among the plurality of buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing; and generating and transmitting a notification to the winning buyer of a right to claim the asset.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating and transmitting a notification to the seller that the winning buyer has the right to claim the asset.

3. The method of one of claims 1 or 2, further comprising generating and transmitting a notification to others of the plurality of buyers that they were not the winning buyers.

4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising: removing the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform in response to the at least one predetermined requirement not being satisfied; and subsequent to removing the generated listing, refunding the corresponding voucher to each of the plurality of buyers.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein removing the generated listing comprises removing the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform in response to the at least one predetermined requirement not being satisfied within a defined time period.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the plurality of buyers purchase the vouchers for the generated listing with credits established by the electronic commerce platform.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-6, further comprising establishing, for each of the plurality of buyers, an account of credits for the subsequent purchase of vouchers.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, further comprising receiving, from each of the plurality of buyers, legal tender in exchange for credits deposited in the respective account of each of the plurality of buyers, wherein the deposited credits are based on a predetermined exchange rate between the credits and the legal tender.

9. The method of any one of claims 1-8, further comprising receiving, from the seller, a reserve for the listed asset, wherein the at least one predetermined requirement comprises the reserve.

10. The method of any one of claims 1-9, further comprising receiving from the seller a voucher value based on the legal tender before said generating the listing.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-9, further comprising allowing a buyer to use, within a defined period of time, a refunded voucher to participate in other listings.

12. An electronic commerce platform, comprising: at least one application server; a plurality of member applications provided on corresponding user communications devices, at least some of said plurality of member applications being in network communication with the at least one application server; said at least one application server and each of said plurality of member applications being provided with program instructions to cause the platform to: receive, at the at least one application server, from a member seller, a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale on the electronic commerce platform; generate a listing for the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request; receive, at the at least one application server, from a plurality of member buyers, requests to purchase corresponding vouchers for the generated listing;assign, to each of the plurality of member buyers, a voucher based on the purchase request of the corresponding member buyer; close a listing period based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement; select at random a winning member buyer from among the plurality of member buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing; and notify the winning member buyer of the right to claim the asset.

13. The electronic commerce platform of claim 12, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the electronic commerce platform to enable each member application as either a seller member application or the buyer member application based on a selection made by the user via the member application.

14. The electronic commerce platform of claims 12 or 13, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the electronic commerce platform to notify the member seller that the winning member buyer has the right to claim the asset.

15. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 12- 14, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to notify others of the plurality of member buyers that they were not the winning member buyer.

16. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 13- 15, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to:remove the generated listing from the electronic commerce platform if the at least one predetermined requirement has not been satisfied; and refund the corresponding voucher to each of the plurality of member buyers.

17. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 13- 16, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to: establish credits; and allow each of the plurality of member buyers to purchase the voucher for the listed asset with the established credits.

18. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 13- 17, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to establish, for each of the plurality of member buyers, an account of credits for the subsequent purchase of vouchers.

19. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 13- 18, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to receive, from each of the plurality of member buyers, legal tender in exchange for credits deposited in the respective account of each of the plurality of member buyers, wherein the deposited credits based on a predetermined exchange rate between the credits and the legal tender.

20. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 13- 19, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to receive, from the member seller, a reserve for the listed asset, wherein the at least one predetermined requirement comprises the reserve.

21. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 13- 20, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to receive, from the member seller, a voucher value based on the legal tender before generating the listing.

22. The electronic commerce platform of any one of claims 13- 21 , wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to cause the system to allow a buyer member to use, within a defined period of time, a refunded voucher to participate in other listings.

23. A system, comprising: non-transitory memory storing instructions; and one or more hardware processors coupled with the non-transitory memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving, from a seller, a listing request for an asset to be listed for sale on an electronic commerce platform; generating a listing for the asset on the electronic commerce platform based on the listing request; receiving, from a plurality of buyers, requests to purchase vouchers for the generated listing; assigning, to each of the plurality of buyers, a voucher based on the purchase request of the corresponding buyer; closing a listing period for the generated listing based on the satisfaction of at least one predetermined requirement;after said closing, selecting at random a winning buyer from among the plurality of buyers that purchased vouchers for the generated listing; and notifying the winning buyer of the right to claim the asset.

Images