Patent ID: 8533015
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for creating an electronic referral system with a cloud communications network, comprising: receiving securely a request message including a plurality of electronic information from an application on a first target network device with one or more processors to create an referral entity on an electronic referral application in a cloud computing application on a server network device with one or more processors via a cloud communications network comprising a plurality of cooperating networks including a public communication network, and one or more private networks, one or more community networks and one or more hybrid networks, wherein a user of the first target network device is an existing customer, client or patient of a provider of professional services; creating a unique referral identifier tracking code including a Quick Read (QR) bar code on the electronic referral application in the cloud computing application on the server network device using the plurality of electronic information from the request message; creating an electronic referral entity on the electronic referral application in the cloud computing application on the server network device including a plurality of cloud services including a cloud software application including a cloud service for an electronic referral service, a cloud computing platform including a cloud service for the electronic referral service and a cloud computing infrastructure including a cloud service for electronic referral service, wherein the electronic referral entity including the plurality of cloud services uses less bandwidth and less processing cycles to provide the electronic referral service via the cloud communications network than via a non-cloud communications network; sending securely the created electronic referral entity from the electronic referral application in the cloud computing application on the server network device back to the application on the first target network device via the cloud computing network; generating automatically from the electronic referral application in the cloud computing application on the server network device on a printing device with one or more processors a plurality of non-electronic referral entities including the created unique electronic referral identifier for the first target network device; providing automatically the created electronic referral entity from the first target network device to a plurality of other target network devices each with one or more processors via the cloud computing network, the plurality of other target network devices including a pre-determined association with the first target network device; making the generated plurality of non-electronic referral entities available to a plurality of other entities associated with the first target network device; and receiving an individual created unique referral identifier tracking code from the created electronic referral entity scanned from one of the plurality of non-electronic referral entities from one of the plurality of other target network devices to automatically schedule an appointment at a provider of professional services and automatically record a referral discount for a fee charged by the provider of the professional services and automatically record a referral credit for the first target network device at provider of the professional services from the electronic referral application in the cloud computing application on the server network device when received from the one of the plurality of other target devices anywhere on any of the plurality of cooperating networks comprising the cloud computing network.