# US 2014/0156442 A1 · Systems and methods for service transactions and charitable donations

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- Number: US 2014/0156442 A1
- Document ID: US20140156442A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/692,405
- Filed: 2012-12-03
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03
- Assignees: Change the World Corporation
- Applicants: Change the World Corporation
- Inventors: Kenneth CUSHING; Jessica BALIK; Saad EL BELEIDY; Mihai RAUTA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156442A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0611: {Request for offers or quotes}
- G06Q 20/00: Payment architectures, schemes or protocols (apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12)
- G06Q 20/384: {using social networks}
- G06Q 30/08: Auctions
- 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

Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed that provide an online marketplace for services from vendors. The method includes providing to service vendors a request for a service that a customer creates on the system. Further, the method includes receiving bids from the service vendors in response to the request for the service. The method further includes receiving a selection of one of the bids from the customer. The method further includes providing a payment to a selected vendor corresponding to the selected one of the bids.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for providing an online marketplace for services from vendors comprising:
providing a request for a service received from a customer to a plurality of the vendors;
receiving a plurality of bids from the plurality of vendors in response to the request for the service;
receiving a selection of one of the plurality of bids from the customer; and
providing a payment to a selected vendor of the plurality of vendors corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of bids.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the request for the service from a set of unconstrained terms received from the customer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the payment includes a donation to one of a plurality of non-profit organizations registered with the online marketplace.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the request for the service specifies the donation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein:
the payment includes a transaction fee and the donation, and
the providing the payment comprises providing an entire amount of the donation to the one of a plurality of non-profit organizations.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the service includes information identifying relationships of the customer in one or more online social networking services.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the bids is automatically generated in response to the request for the service.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising managing a reverse auction among the received plurality of bids.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein:
a first of the plurality of bids is a continuous bid that specifies an opening bid and a minimum bid; and
managing the reverse auction comprises progressively lowering a value of the continuous bid from the opening bid to the minimum bid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of bids identifies mutual relationships between the customer and the vendor in one or more online social networking services.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises posting information associated with the purchase to an online representation of the mutual relationships common to both the customer and the vendor in the one or more of the online social networks.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the bid specifies a price range for the service between a lower value and an upper value; and
the providing the payment comprises receiving an agreement from the customer to pay the lower value upfront and to pay any additional cost of the service up to the maximum value of the range after the service is complete.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the payment for the purchase includes a coupon received from one of the plurality of service vendors.

### Claim 14

A system for providing an online marketplace for services from vendors comprising:
a computing system comprising one or more computing devices communicatively linked via an information network, wherein the one or more computing devices:
provide a request for a service from a customer to a plurality of service vendors;
receive a plurality of bids from the plurality of service vendors in response to the request for the service, one or more of the plurality of bids indicating a mutual relationship with the customer in an online social network;
receive a selection of one of the plurality of bids indicating the mutual relationship for purchase; and
complete the purchase of the service.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the request for the service specifies a donation.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the request for the service includes information identifying relationships of the customer in one or more online social networking services.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices automatically generate at least one of the plurality of bids in response to the service request.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices manages a reverse auction among the received plurality of bids.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein managing the reverse auction comprises progressively lowering a bid value from the opening bid to the minimum bid based on competing bids.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more computing devices posts information associated with the purchase to the mutual relationship.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the payment for the purchase includes a coupon received from one of the plurality of vendors.

### Claim 22

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code stored on a computer-readable storage device that, when executed by one or more computing devices, control one or more computing devices to:
receive a plurality of bids from a plurality of service vendors in response to a request for a service from a customer, one or more of the plurality of bids indicating a mutual relationship with the customer in an online social network;
receive from the customer a selection of one of the plurality of bids indicating the mutual relationship for purchase; and
post information associated with the purchase to a representation of the mutual relationship in one or more online social networks.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the request for the service specifies the donation.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the request for the service includes information identifying relationships of the customer in one or more online social networking services.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the one or more computing devices automatically generate at least one of the plurality of bids in response to the service request.