# US 2014/0156367 A1 · Processing requests to buy items or services > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156367 A1 - Document ID: US20140156367A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/057,221 - Filed: 2013-10-18 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Toru Aihara; Noboru Kamijo; Kazumasa Ochiai; Hidekazu Tanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156367A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0214: Referral reward systems - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method and system for processing shopping information. The shopping information, which pertains to an item purchased by a user, is read from a mobile device, and was scanned by the mobile device from an item tag attached to the item. The item relates to another user. A set of affiliates is determined from analysis of the shopping information. Each affiliate is entitled to receive a reward due to purchase of the item. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing shopping information, said method comprising: reading, from a mobile device by a processor of a computer system, shopping information pertaining to a purchase of an item by a user through use of the mobile device that scanned the shopping information from an item tag attached to the item, said item relating to another user; and said processor determining, from analysis of the shopping information, a set of affiliates wherein each affiliate of the set of affiliates is entitled to receive a reward due to the purchase of the item. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises: determining that the set of affiliates comprises one or more affiliates identified by respective affiliate information included within the shopping information and included on the item tag; or analyzing associations between affiliates and unique identification information denoted as a unique ID and included in the shopping information and on the item tag, in affiliate information external to the shopping information, to determine the set of affiliates as comprising one or more affiliates associated with the unique ID, wherein the unique ID is unique to the item tag or is unique to the item to which the item tag is attached. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises said determining that the set of affiliates comprises one or more affiliates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises said analyzing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the shopping information includes a user ID identifying the user and an affiliate registration intention entry for indicating whether the user intends to register as an affiliate in association with the unique ID, and wherein the method further comprises: said processor determining that the affiliate registration intention entry indicates that the user intends to register as an affiliate in association with the unique ID, and in response said processor including, in the affiliate information, an association between the unique ID and an affiliate ID consisting of the user ID. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the unique ID is unique to a first item tag to which the item is attached. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the unique ID is unique to the item. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of affiliates includes at least two affiliates to form an affiliate chain in accordance with an order in which the at least two affiliates respectively purchased the item, and wherein the method further comprises: said processor determining the reward to be provided to each affiliate of the at least two affiliates, said reward having a magnitude for each affiliate that is a function of a position of each affiliate in the order. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the reward for each affiliate of the at least two affiliates is larger if the position of each affiliate is later in the order. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the reward for each affiliate of the at least three affiliates is larger if the position of each affiliate is earlier in the order. ### Claim 11 A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions which, upon being executed by a processor of a computer system, implement a method for processing shopping information, said method comprising: said processor reading, from a mobile device, shopping information pertaining to a purchase of an item by a user through use of the mobile device that scanned the shopping information from an item tag attached to the item, said item relating to another user; and said processor determining, from analysis of the shopping information, a set of affiliates wherein each affiliate of the set of affiliates is entitled to receive a reward due to the purchase of the item. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises: determining that the set of affiliates comprises one or more affiliates identified by respective affiliate information included within the shopping information and included on the item tag; or analyzing associations between affiliates and unique identification information denoted as a unique ID and included in the shopping information and on the item tag, in affiliate information external to the shopping information, to determine the set of affiliates as comprising one or more affiliates associated with the unique ID, wherein the unique ID is unique to the item tag or is unique to the item to which the item tag is attached. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises said determining that the set of affiliates comprises one or more affiliates. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises said analyzing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the shopping information includes a user ID identifying the user and an affiliate registration intention entry for indicating whether the user intends to register as an affiliate in association with the unique ID, and wherein the method further comprises: said processor determining that the affiliate registration intention entry indicates that the user intends to register as an affiliate in association with the unique ID, and in response said processor including, in the affiliate information, an association between the unique ID and an affiliate ID consisting of the user ID. ### Claim 16 A computer system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program code which upon being executed by the processor via the memory implements a method for processing shopping information, said method comprising: said processor reading, from a mobile device, shopping information pertaining to a purchase of an item by a user through use of the mobile device that scanned the shopping information from an item tag attached to the item, said item relating to another user; and said processor determining, from analysis of the shopping information, a set of affiliates wherein each affiliate of the set of affiliates is entitled to receive a reward due to the purchase of the item. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer system of claim 16, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises: determining that the set of affiliates comprises one or more affiliates identified by respective affiliate information included within the shopping information and included on the item tag; or analyzing associations between affiliates and unique identification information denoted as a unique ID and included in the shopping information and on the item tag, in affiliate information external to the shopping information, to determine the set of affiliates as comprising one or more affiliates associated with the unique ID, wherein the unique ID is unique to the item tag or is unique to the item to which the item tag is attached. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises said determining that the set of affiliates comprises one or more affiliates. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17, wherein said determining the set of affiliates comprises said analyzing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer system of claim 19, wherein the shopping information includes a user ID identifying the user and an affiliate registration intention entry for indicating whether the user intends to register as an affiliate in association with the unique ID, and wherein the method further comprises: said processor determining that the affiliate registration intention entry indicates that the user intends to register as an affiliate in association with the unique ID, and in response said processor including, in the affiliate information, an association between the unique ID and an affiliate ID consisting of the user ID.