OSAKA, April 28 -- KYODO JBN/AsiaNet
In 2000, we, AD.Ken Corporation, applied patent applications in several countries for a business model in which exchanging points acquired by consumption activity are exchanged on a Web. Following grant of patent in Taiwan in May, 2003, our U.S. patent application received a notice of allowance in December, 2003, and U.S. Patent No.6,721,743 was issued on April 13, 2004 accordingly.
The characteristic feature of our patent lies in that points received from real shops, EC sites or credit card payments are defied as "communication points" at the time of on-line-processing. Reward points issued by real shops, as well as shops on a Web, or points issued by credit card payments are also included in our definition of "communication points" at the time of server processing. This feature gives our patent sufficient competitive strength as intellectual property against preceding point-exchanging models.
Summary of Patent
Our patent relates to a system which enables an exchange of user points in a site of operating company and in a site of allied company in terms of "communication points" through the use of on-line service on a Web. An exchange rate can be set flexibly according to a company. Patent is granted for a system for managing points in a sequential procedure, authentication system for identifying an individual user, etc.
Communication Points
Points are regarded as value points when they are within a single company, but they are regarded as communication points once transmitted to a server to be shared. For instance, the case where points obtained by a credit card payment at a real shop are handled by on-line processing through the system is applicable to this definition.
Preset of Exchange Rate
An exchange rate is flexibly preset between an operating company and participating company, or among participating companies to relativise the value of points to keep balance. Unrealized debit caused by points is reduced by the preset of exchange rate, so the accounting valuation can be adjusted.
Real Time Settlement
Real time exchange is pursued through a customer-use terminal unit (PC terminal, cellphone, or IC card), a central unit (exchange server), and cooperate-use terminal unit (participating company server) to enhance the user's convenience.
We have started to operate an actual settlement system (multi-point settlement system) centered on points by combining the real time point exchange settlement of our patent with other settlement function of various kinds (credit card, bank remittance, or internet settlement). In our operating system, compensation of point deficiency with other settlement becomes possible, so onerous procedure of the conventional point exchange model is alleviated, and as a result the highest level of user convenience can be realized.
Presently, unutilized points in the world including miles of airline-companies are presumed to be 400 billion dollars (THE NIKKEI, April 2004). We believe our patents will have significant effect on the point exchange model service market which has been advanced in US and Asia.
Source: AD.Ken Corporation
Contact: Mr.Sakakibara or Mr.Furukawa
AD.Ken Corporation
Zipcode 556-0021 3-1-3 Saiwaicho Naniwa-ku Osaka
Tel: +81-6-6561-7778
Fax: +81-6-6568-2493
e-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.adken.co.jp/download/patent_info.zip
--Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--