Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Automated electrical financial or business practice or... – Discount or incentive
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-27
2001-05-01
MacDonald, Allen R. (Department: 2765)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Automated electrical financial or business practice or...
Discount or incentive
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226621
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to awards programs for improving use of limited resources. In particular, it relates to awards programs for raising the level of occupancy of rental property.
Awards programs of various kinds are well known for improving sales of products.
A first class of awards program provides participants with awards for regular purchases of a particular company's goods or services. Sometimes the awards will be provided by the company from which the goods or services are purchased. Often, though, the awards will be provided by a sponsoring company, who will gain advertising from the awards program. In an example of such an awards program, customers purchase goods or services, and are awarded points providing discounts on airline tickets. This class of awards program is not specifically addressed by the present invention.
A second class of awards program provides customers or clients with awards for introducing new customers or clients to the company. Such an awards program clearly benefits the introducing customer who is provided with the award, and benefits the company by generating new customers without advertising. The cost to the company can be easily quantified, and provides a guaranteed return in increased revenue brought by the new customer which will more than offset the award. Such programs are often provided by utility companies, such as telecommunications providers, but have always provided a constant award for attracting new customers. This class of awards program is addressed by the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a computer controlled system for administering an awards program for increasing use of a limited resource by giving a participant in the program an award for increasing the use of the limited resource. Participants will generally be users of the resource. The value of an award is related to the level of usage of the resource. As the value of an award is dependent on the level of usage of the resource, the program generates more interest from participants, and accordingly makes it more likely that the participant will be more active in finding new customers for the resource, as the participant will be more focused on the awards program.
In a first aspect of the invention, the value of an award decreases as the level of usage of the resource increases. As the resource gets closer to being completely used, more revenue will be generated by the resource. The beneficiary of the profits from the resource, who will typically be the owner of the resource, is therefore less and less concerned about increasing the level of usage, and is inclined to pay out less of an award. Furthermore, as the value of an award decreases with increasing level of usage, the participant is given a sense of urgency to get the award at its current value before it decreases.
In a second aspect of the invention, the value of an award increases as the level of usage of the resource increases. While this might not initially seem to be in the interests of the beneficiary of the use of the resource, such an awards program has fundamental advantages over an awards program in which the value of an award decreases or remains constant. Increasing the value of an award with increasing level of usage gives a much stronger incentive for the participant to increase the use of the resource. It also gives an impression that the participants are in partnership with the beneficiary of the use of the resource, and prevents resentment of the beneficiary who would otherwise be benefiting from the increased use of the resource, while providing less and less to the participants. Furthermore, increasing the value of an award as the level of usage increases gives a much more positive image to the participant.
In a specific example of this aspect of the invention, the value of an award increases linearly with increased level of usage of the resource. This gives a simple, positive image for the participant, giving the participant an impetus to find new customers of the resource.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for administering such a program wherein the resource is an apartment property, wherein increased use of the resource constitutes a person becoming a resident in the property, and wherein the participants are residents in the property.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for administering such a program wherein the resource is an office property, wherein increased use of the resource constitutes a company becoming a tenant in the property, and wherein the participants are employees of the tenants in the property.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for administering such a program wherein the resource is a retail property, wherein increased use of the resource constitutes a company becoming a tenant in the property, and wherein the participants are employees of tenants in the property.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for administering such a program wherein the resource is an industrial property, wherein increased use of the resource constitutes a company becoming a tenant in the property, and wherein the participants are employees of tenants in the property.
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MacDonald Allen R.
Piper Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe
Thompson Forest O
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