Abstract:
A system for managing sponsorships. The system generates a compatibility score based on target information provided by a potential sponsor and information obtained from potential sponsorship candidate. The target information includes information on personal characteristics and project/event characteristics deemed desirable by a sponsor in a sponsorship candidate and/or event. The information obtained from the sponsorship candidates includes personal information relating to the candidate and information on projects/events associated with the candidate. The system then presents to the potential sponsorship candidate potential sponsors which have a compatibility score above a predetermined threshold i.e. presents a listing of potential sponsors which best match the user. The user may then elect to accept or reject sponsorship from the listed sponsors.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims the benefit of the filing and priority dates of U.S. patent application No. 62/038,906 filed 19 Aug. 2014, the content of which as filed is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a sponsorship management method and system, of particular but by no means exclusive application in controlling the accessing and deployment of sponsorship. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Sponsorship is used by many companies and individuals as an expression of support of the endeavours of others, commonly of high profile elite in their chosen pursuits. For this reason the terms ‘sponsorship’ and ‘support’ are essentially interchangeable in this context, though the terms ‘sponsor’ and ‘sponsorship’ are generally used herein to denote a formalized level of support, typically involving the provision of some material assistance to the sponsored or supported party in furthering his or her endeavours. 
         [0004]    Sport sponsorship is a typical example. For example, a prominent car driver may be sponsored or supported by a car company, or a famous sport player may be sponsored by a company that provides equipment or other goods associated (or desired to be associated with) that sport, in both cases involving generally involving payment (whether financial or in kind) to the sponsored/supported party. Such sponsorships result from negotiations between the sponsoring and sponsored parties. While some negotiations of this type may be simple and concluded promptly, others may be protracted even where the terms of the negotiation are common in the relevant area. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    According to first broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for managing sponsorship of users by sponsors, comprising:
       a computing system comprising a user interface and a controller having a processor, an operating system and a memory;   wherein the processor is configured:
           to receive personal information pertaining to a user and associated with user identification information that identifies the user;   to receive project information pertaining to a project that is associated with the user;   to receive respective target user information indicative of personal characteristics deemed by one or more sponsors to be desirable in a sponsored user, the target user information being associated with respective sponsor identification information that identifies the respective sponsor;   to receive respective target project information indicative of project characteristics deemed desirable in a sponsored project by the respective sponsors;   to form respective comparisons by comparing the personal information and the project information with the respective target user information and target project information;   to generate respective compatibility scores from the comparisons, the compatibility scores being indicative of how well matched are the project and the respective sponsorships;   to compare the compatibility scores with a compatibility threshold;   to present to the user the respective sponsor identification information associated with at least some of the compatibility scores that satisfy the compatibility threshold via the user interface for user selection or rejection; and   to receive from the user either selection or rejection data, the selection data being indicative of at least one selected sponsor or sponsorship, the rejection data being indicative of rejection at least one rejected sponsor or sponsorship.   
               
 
         [0017]    It will be appreciated that the terms ‘sponsorship’ and ‘sponsor’ used in describing the present invention are intended to embrace all arrangements and parties having the characteristics of ‘sponsorships’ and ‘sponsors’ respectively, however described. 
         [0018]    It should be noted that the information used in forming the comparison and ultimately in the generation of a compatibility score may be in many forms, including simple numerical data (such as age, income, number of children, postcode, number of followers/supporters, number of projects or ‘journeys’, etc), text data (such as job title, project title, project/journey type or category, etc), more complex data (such as image or audio data if a user has uploaded such content) or derived data (obtained, for example, from an analysis of other data or from relationships between the user and other users and/or projects/journeys). 
         [0019]    The compatibility threshold may be predefined or determined dynamically using algorithms applied to target and/or sponsor information. 
         [0020]    In one example, the user may wish to attract the sponsorship of a particular party (whether a person or an organization) that the user, for example, has an interest in, favours or supports. To do so, the user might include, in his or her personal information or project information, text that identifies that party. Then, when the processor compares the personal information and the project information of the user with the target user information and target project information of the party identified by the user, and generates a compatibility score for that user, the appearance of the name of the party in the target user information and/or target project information may, in some implementations, be sufficient to result in a high compatibility score—such that the party is likely or certain to be amongst those whose sponsor identification information is presented to the user for selection by the user. 
         [0021]    The system or the computing system may be distributed. The various components of the system may be accessible via a computer network such as the internet. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the system is arranged: to present to the sponsors associated with the compatibility scores that satisfy the compatibility threshold at least some of the personal information and project information of the user in de-identified (or anonymized) form via the user interface for sponsor review, and upon receiving a sponsor rejection from one or more of the sponsors, to eliminate either the sponsor or the sponsorship of the sponsor from presentation to the user. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the processor is configured to identify the at least one selected sponsor or sponsorship as a sponsor of the user only in response to receiving a user acceptance input from the respective sponsor. 
         [0024]    In another embodiment, the processor is arranged, upon receiving the data indicative of at least one selected sponsor or sponsorship, to associate the at least one selected sponsor as a sponsor of the project of the user. 
         [0025]    The system may be arranged: to receive the personal information from the user interface and to store the personal information in the memory in association with the user identification information; and to receive the project information from the user interface and either (i) to create the project and store the project information in the memory in association with the project (if the project had not previously been created), or (ii) to store the project information in the memory in association with the project (if the project had previously been created). 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, the processor is configured:
       to present a set of predefined project tags to the user via the user interface;   to receive from the user one or more selected project tags selected from the set of project tags via the user interface; and   to store the one or more selected project tags as at least a portion of the project information in the memory.       
 
         [0030]    The project tags may be defined via the user interface from a sponsor computing device, a user computing device, or a system administrator computing device. 
         [0031]    In another embodiment, the processor is configured to receive from the sponsors user group identification information indicative of a group of one or more users. 
         [0032]    The group of users may comprise, for example, one or more members, employees or acquaintances of the respective sponsor. For example, if a sponsor wishes to attract a particular group of users (including, for example, its own members, employees or acquaintances, in the case of those sponsors that have members, employees or acquaintances), the sponsor may submit details of that group of users. 
         [0033]    The processor may be configured to, when generating respective compatibility scores with respect to a particular sponsor, elevate the project or projects of the user if the user is in a group of users received from the particular sponsor (in some examples to or above the compatibility threshold). 
         [0034]    Alternatively, the processor may be configured to present to the user the respective sponsor identification information of any sponsor or sponsors from whom has been received user group identification information indicative of one or more groups of users that include the user, irrespective of whether the compatibility score or scores satisfy the compatibility threshold. 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, the system is arranged: to present to the sponsors presented to the user at least some of the personal information and project information of the user via the user interface for sponsor review, and upon receiving a sponsor rejection from one or more of the sponsors, to eliminate either the sponsor or the sponsorship of the sponsor from presentation to the user. 
         [0036]    In one example, the processor is configured:
       to present a set of predefined project tags to the user via the user interface;   to receive from the user one or more selected project tags selected from the set of project tags via the user interface; and   to store the one or more selected project tags as at least a portion of the project information in the memory;   wherein the set of predefined project tags comprises the respective sponsor identification information (possibly in abbreviated or more concise form) of the sponsor or sponsors from which has been received user group identification information indicative of one or more groups of users that include the user.       
 
         [0041]    This allows a user to use the sponsor identification information as a project tag, and hence to increase or maximize the likelihood (or, in some cases, guarantee) that the sponsor identification information of the corresponding sponsor is presented to the user for user selection or rejection. This also serves to alert the user to the use of the system, as a sponsor, of a party of which he or she is a member or employee, or of a person with which he or she is acquainted. 
         [0042]    In a certain embodiment, the processor is configured:
       to present a set of predefined sponsorship tags to the one or more sponsors via the user interface;   to receive from the respective sponsors one or more selected sponsorship tags selected from the set of sponsorship tags via the user interface; and   to store the one or more selected sponsorship tags as at least a portion of the target project information or target user information in the memory.       
 
         [0046]    The sponsorship tags may be defined via the user interface from respective sponsor computing devices, a user computing device, or a system administrator computing device. 
         [0047]    Comparing the personal information and the project information with the respective target user information and target project information may include comparing the one or more selected project tags and the one or more selected sponsorship tags. 
         [0048]    In an embodiment, the processor is configured to receive from the user sponsor group identification information indicative of a group of one or more sponsors. 
         [0049]    The group of sponsors may comprise, for example, one or more employers or acquaintances of the user, or organizations of which the user is a supporter or member. For example, if the user wishes to alert particular sponsors to the user&#39;s use of the system, as a user. 
         [0050]    The processor may be configured to, when generating respective compatibility scores with respect to a particular sponsor, elevate the project or projects of the user if the particular sponsor is in a group of sponsors received from the user (in some examples to or above the compatibility threshold). 
         [0051]    Alternatively, the processor may be configured to present to the user the respective sponsor identification information of any sponsor or sponsors identified in the sponsor group identification information, irrespective of whether the compatibility score or scores satisfy the compatibility threshold. 
         [0052]    In one example, the processor is configured:
       to present a set of predefined sponsorship tags to the one or more sponsors identified by the sponsor group identification information via the user interface;   to receive from the respective sponsors one or more selected sponsorship tags selected from the set of sponsorship tags via the user interface; and   to store the one or more selected sponsorship tags as at least a portion of the target project information or target user information in the memory.   wherein the set of predefined sponsorship tags comprises the user identification information (possibly in abbreviated or more concise form) of the user.       
 
         [0057]    The system may include a user computing device for operation by the user and a sponsor computing device for operation by the sponsor, wherein the user computing device and the sponsor computing device are in data communication with the user interface. 
         [0058]    In one embodiment, the user is one of a plurality of users of the system, the memory comprises respective personal information pertaining to the respective users and associated with respective user identification information, and the memory comprises the respective target user information and respective target project information. 
         [0059]    The processor may be configured to determine a price for charging the respective sponsor whose sponsorship is selected by the user as a flat fee per project. 
         [0060]    Alternatively, the processor may be configured to determine a price for charging the respective sponsor whose sponsorship is selected by the user based on the compatibility score of the selected sponsorship. 
         [0061]    The processor may be configured to receive a request from the user or from a sponsor of the user to display a donate button, and to respond by displaying donate button activatable to initiate making of a donation to the user. 
         [0062]    According to second broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method for managing sponsorship, the method comprising:
       receiving personal information pertaining to a user and associated with user identification information that identifies the user;   receiving project information pertaining to a project that is associated with the user;   receiving respective target user information indicative of personal characteristics deemed by one or more sponsors to be desirable in a sponsored user, the target user information being associated with respective sponsor identification information that identifies the respective sponsors;   receiving respective target project information indicative of project characteristics deemed desirable in a sponsored project by the respective sponsors;   forming respective comparisons by comparing the personal information and the project information with the respective target user information and target project information;   generating respective compatibility scores from the comparisons, the compatibility scores being indicative of how well matched are the project and the respective sponsorships;   comparing the compatibility scores with a compatibility threshold;   presenting to the user respective the sponsor identification information associated with at least some of the compatibility scores that satisfy the compatibility threshold via a user interface for user selection or rejection; and   receiving from the user either selection or rejection data, the selection data being indicative of at least one selected sponsor or sponsorship, the rejection data being indicative of rejection at least one rejected sponsor or sponsorship.       
 
         [0072]    The method may include presenting to the sponsors associated with the compatibility scores that satisfy the compatibility threshold at least some of the personal information and project information of the user in de-identified form via the user interface for sponsor review, and upon receiving a sponsor rejection from one or more of the sponsors, eliminating either the sponsor or the sponsorship of the sponsor from presentation to the user. 
         [0073]    In one embodiment, the method includes identifying the at least one selected sponsor or sponsorship as a sponsor of the user only in response to receiving a user acceptance input from the respective sponsor. 
         [0074]    The method may include, upon receiving the data indicative of at least one selected sponsor or sponsorship, associating the at least one selected sponsor as a sponsor of the project of the user. 
         [0075]    The method may include: receiving the personal information from the user interface and storing the personal information in a memory of a computing system in association with the user identification information; and receiving the project information from the user interface and either (i) creating the project and storing the project information in the memory in association with the project, or (ii) storing the project information in the memory in association with the project. 
         [0076]    In one embodiment, the method includes:
       presenting a set of predefined project tags to the user via the user interface;   receiving from the user one or more selected project tags selected from the set of project tags via the user interface; and   storing the one or more selected project tags as at least a portion of the project information in the memory.       
 
         [0080]    In another embodiment, the method includes:
       presenting a set of predefined sponsorship tags to the one or more sponsors via the user interface;   receiving from the respective sponsors one or more selected sponsorship tags selected from the set of sponsorship tags via the user interface; and   storing the one or more selected sponsorship tags as at least a portion of the target project information or target user information in a memory.       
 
         [0084]    The step of comparing the personal information and the project information with the respective target user information and target project information may include comparing the one or more selected project tags and the one or more selected sponsorship tags. 
         [0085]    In one embodiment, the user is one of a plurality of users of the system, respective personal information pertaining to the respective users and associated with respective user identification information are stored in a memory, and the memory comprises the respective target user information and respective target project information. 
         [0086]    The method may include determining a price for charging the respective sponsor whose sponsorship is selected by the user as a flat fee per project. 
         [0087]    Alternatively, the method may include determining a price for charging the respective sponsor whose sponsorship is selected by the user based on the compatibility score of the selected sponsorship. 
         [0088]    The method may include receiving a request from the user or from a sponsor of the user to display a donate button, and responding by displaying donate button activatable to initiate making of a donation to the user. 
         [0089]    According to third broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors controls a computing device to implement the method described above. 
         [0090]    According to fourth broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising the computer program described above. 
         [0091]    It should be noted that any of the various individual features of each of the above aspects of the invention, and any of the various individual features of the embodiments described herein including in the claims, can be combined as suitable and desired. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0092]    In order that the invention can be more clearly ascertained, embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0093]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a system for managing sponsorship according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0094]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram of the controller and user interface of the server of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0095]      FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram of the controller and user interface of the sponsor computer of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0096]      FIG. 2C  is a schematic diagram of the controller and user interface of the user mobile telephone of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0097]      FIG. 3A  is a more detailed schematic diagram of the controller and user interface of the server of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0098]      FIG. 3B  is a more detailed schematic diagram of the controller and user interface of the sponsor computer of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0099]      FIG. 3C  is a more detailed schematic diagram of the controller and user interface of the user mobile telephone of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0100]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  constitute a flow diagram of the user registration, journey creation and sponsorship selection process of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0101]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of the sponsor registration process of the system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0102]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of the operation of system of  FIG. 1  during the progression of a user&#39;s journey. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0103]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for managing sponsorship, shown generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 . In general, system  10  comprises one or more physical or logical computing devices. In this specific embodiment, system  10  is implemented on a computing device in the form of a server  12 , on a sponsor computer  14  (of a sponsor) and on a user computing device in the form of, in this embodiment, a mobile telephone  16  (of a user), as—in both cases—a combination of software and hardware. Server  12 , sponsor computer  14  and mobile telephone  16  are in data communication  18  via a combination of existing telecommunications infrastructure including a third-party telephony network and the internet. 
         [0104]    Broadly, system  10  enables a sponsor (such as a corporation) to sponsor a user (such as an individual) when embarking on a project or ‘journey’. System  10  uses available personal information pertaining to the user (e.g. given name, tag, sex and ‘journey title’) to provide sponsorship to the user in the form of personalised messages of support and encouragement. 
         [0105]    Server  12 , sponsor computer  14  and mobile telephone  16  have user interfaces, as discussed below. That of mobile telephone  16  includes a touch screen  20  and a control button  22 . That of sponsor computer  14  includes a display  24  and a keyboard  26 . 
         [0106]    It should be understood that system  10  may and typically will include a plurality of sponsor computers  14  of respective sponsors and a plurality of user computing devices  16  of respective users, the actual number of each depending on the number of sponsors and the number of users using system  10  (though it should be noted that a single sponsor may employ plural sponsor computers and, likewise, a single user may employ plural user computing devices). For clarity, however, system  10  will generally be described as though it includes only a single sponsor computer and a single user computing device. 
         [0107]    It should also be noted that server  12  includes a website (not shown) that is maintained by an administrator of system  10  on server  12 , and which is accessible via the world wide web. As will be explained below, certain content contributed by both the sponsor (via sponsor computer  14 ) and the user (via mobile telephone  16 ) is made accessible via this website by server  12 . 
         [0108]      FIG. 2A  is a more detailed, schematic block diagram  30  of server  12 , in which for clarity only the more important operative components of server  12  are shown. Server  12  includes a controller  32  having a processor  34  and an operating system  36 . Instructions and data to control operation of processor  34  are stored in a memory  38 , which is in data communication with processor  34 . Typically, server  12  includes both volatile and non-volatile memory and more than one of each type of memory, with such memories being collectively represented by memory  38 . The website (not shown) is stored in memory  38 . 
         [0109]    Controller  32  of server  12  has an input/output (I/O) interface  40  for communicating with peripheral devices of system  10 . Input/output interface  40 , the peripheral devices or both may be intelligent devices with their own memory for storing associated instructions and data for use with the input/output interface  40  or the peripheral devices. 
         [0110]    Controller  32  of server  12  includes a communications interface in the form of a network card  42 . Network card  42  may be used, for example, to exchange data with sponsor computer  14  and mobile telephone  16 , or with the website of system  10  to allow remote interaction with system  10  (as is described below). 
         [0111]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2A , server  12  includes a user interface  50  that includes peripheral devices that communicate with controller  32  and hence allow an administrator to interact with server  12 . User interface  50  is used by an administrator to perform system administrative tasks, and technology support tasks of the server  12  (including controller  32  and included components). 
         [0112]    These peripheral devices comprise a display  52 , a keyboard  54  and a mouse  56 . Additional hardware may be included as part of server  12 , or hardware may be omitted as required for the specific implementation. 
         [0113]    In this embodiment (and commonly in other embodiments), at least some of the operative components of server  12  are distributed; for example, input/output devices  52 ,  54  and  56  are typically provided remotely from controller  32 . 
         [0114]      FIG. 2B  is a more detailed, schematic block diagram  60  of sponsor computer  14 , in which for clarity only the more important operative components are shown. Sponsor computer  14  includes a controller  62  having a processor  64  and an operating system  66 . Instructions and data to control operation of processor  64  are stored in a memory  68 , which is in data communication with processor  64 . Like server  12 , sponsor computer  14  includes both volatile and non-volatile memory, with such memories being collectively represented by memory  68 . 
         [0115]    Controller  62  of sponsor computer  14  has an input/output (I/O) interface  70  and a communications interface in the form of a network card  72 . Network card  72  may be used, for example, to exchange data with server  12  of system  10 . Sponsor computer  14  includes a user interface  80  that includes devices that communicate with controller  62  (via I/O interface  70 ), and hence allow a user to interact with sponsor computer  14 . These devices comprise display  24 , keyboard  26  and a mouse  82 . Additional hardware may be included as part of sponsor computer  14 , or hardware may be omitted as required for the specific implementation. 
         [0116]      FIG. 2C  is a more detailed, schematic block diagram  90  of mobile telephone  16 , in which for clarity only the more important operative components are shown. Mobile telephone  16  includes a controller  92  having a processor  94  and an operating system  96 . Instructions and data to control operation of processor  94  are stored in a memory  98 , which is in data communication with processor  94 . Like server  12 , mobile telephone  16  includes both volatile and non-volatile memory, with such memories being collectively represented by memory  98 . 
         [0117]    Controller  92  of mobile telephone  16  has an input/output (I/O) interface  100  and a communications interface in the form of a network chip  102 . Network chip  102  may be used, for example, to exchange data with server  12  of system  10 . Controller  92  of mobile telephone  16  also includes GPS functionality, and has an antenna suitable for receiving GPS signals and the associated hardware and software for determining the location of the mobile telephone  16  from those signals: these components are shown collectively as “GPS  104 ”. 
         [0118]    Mobile telephone  16  includes a user interface  110  that includes devices that communicate with controller  92  (via I/O interface  100 ), and hence allow a user to interact with mobile telephone  16 . These devices comprise display  20 , control button  22 , a microphone  112  and a speaker  114 . Additional hardware may be included as part of mobile telephone  16 , or hardware may be omitted as required for the specific implementation. 
         [0119]      FIG. 3A  is another schematic view of the user interface  50  and controller  32  of server  12  of  FIG. 2A , with more detail shown in controller  32 . Specifically, processor  34  of controller  32  includes a display controller  120  that controls the view that is displayed on display  52  of server  12 . Processor  34  also includes a registrar  122  (for managing the registration of sponsors and users) and a website interface  124 . 
         [0120]    Processor  34  includes a sponsorship manager  126 , which includes a matching engine  127 . Sponsorship manager  126  acts as a Personal Connection Advertising Engine (PCAE), to facilitate the association of matching users and sponsors but without making the users&#39; personal identification information visible to the sponsors. Processor  34  includes also includes a supporter manager  128  and a promoted journey placement engine  129 . 
         [0121]    The functions of these components of processor  34  are further described below. 
         [0122]    Memory  38  of controller  32  includes a website  130  of system  10 , a database of registered sponsors and tags  132 , which includes details of each sponsor and of each sponsorship offered by each sponsor, and a database of sponsor content  134 . The details of each sponsorship offered by each sponsor are in the form of target user information indicative of the personal characteristics that the respective sponsor regards as desirable in a sponsored user and target journey information indicative of journey characteristics deemed desirable in a sponsored journey by the sponsor. In both cases, this information may be identical for all sponsorships offered by that sponsor (if more than one is offered) or varied according to specific sponsorship; the result is that target user information and target journey information is associated with each sponsorship. The target user information and target journey information are, in this embodiment, stored as tags, based on selections made by or on behalf of the sponsor from menus of predefined options. This can be done when the respective sponsorship is created, and subsequently modified using the same menus. These menus—in the case of the target user information—may include “minimum age”, “maximum age”, “sex”, “occupation”, “income band”, etc, and—in the case of the target journey information—“financial”, “personal improvement”, “home renovation”, “education”, “travel”, etc. 
         [0123]    Memory  38  of controller  32  also includes a database of registered users and tags  136 , which—for each user-includes personal information, the titles of the user&#39;s project(s) or journey(s)′, and journey information pertaining to the respective journeys associated with that user. The personal information is stored as a combination of free fields and tags, based on information entered by or on behalf of the user when the user creates an account with system  10  via website  130 , and updated if desired from time to time. 
         [0124]    The journey information pertaining to a respective journey that is associated with that user is, in this embodiment, stored as tags the tags are based on selections made by or on behalf of the user from menus of predefined options—which are generally in line with the target journey information menus presented to sponsors. This enables the ready matching of a user&#39;s journey information and a sponsor&#39;s target journey information. 
         [0125]    Memory  38  of controller  32  also includes a database of user content  138 , a database of sponsor and user applications  140  (downloadable respectively to sponsor computer  14  and mobile telephone  16 ), and a supporter database  142 . The contents of memory  38  are further described below. 
         [0126]      FIG. 3B  is another schematic view of the user interface  80  and controller  62  of sponsor computer  14  of  FIG. 2B , with more detail shown in controller  62 . Specifically, processor  64  of controller  62  includes a display controller  150  that controls the view that is displayed on display  24  of sponsor computer  14 . Processor  64  also includes an sponsor application in the form of App  152  (downloaded from sponsor and user applications  140 ), which itself includes several components including a registration module  154  to allow the sponsor to register as a sponsor with system  10 , a sponsorship editor  156  that allows the sponsor to enter and edit the terms of the sponsorship that the sponsor offers to users, a sponsorship monitor  158  that allows the sponsor to inspect the progress, status, supporters, etc, of each user sponsored by that particular sponsor, and a journey promotion requester  159  with which a sponsor can request that a sponsored journey be promoted. 
         [0127]    The functionality of App  152  may instead be provided by website  130 , and hence accessed via a web browser provided in processor  64  of sponsor computer  14 . 
         [0128]    Memory  68  of controller  62  of sponsor computer  14  includes a local database of sponsorship terms  160 , which can be edited off-line if desired and uploaded to registered sponsors and tags  132  as desired, a local content database  162  where sponsor content can be stored and managed before being uploaded as desired to sponsor content  134 , and a performance data database  164  where information concerning sponsored users and supporters (sometimes referred to as ‘followers’) of those sponsored users is stored by sponsorship monitor  158  after being downloaded from server  12 . The local content  162  comprises a logo and other graphical and text material that will—in use—be displayed to the user and his or her supporters during a journey of the user that is sponsored by that sponsor. 
         [0129]    Memory  68  also includes a database of user ‘journeys’ that are currently being sponsored by the sponsor, including the identity of the specific sponsorship(s) selected by the user(s). However, the user and journey information is de-identified (or anonymized) so that the identity of the sponsored user(s) cannot be accessed by the respective sponsors. Sponsorship monitor  158  can access these details as required. 
         [0130]      FIG. 3C  is further schematic view of the user interface  110  and controller  92  of mobile telephone  16  of  FIG. 2C , with more detail shown in controller  92 . Specifically, processor  94  of controller  92  includes a display controller  170  that controls the view that is displayed on display  20  of mobile telephone  16 . Processor  94  also includes a user application in the form of App  172  (downloaded from sponsor and user applications  140 ), which includes several components including a registration module  174  to allow the user to register with system  10 , a journey editor  176  to allow the user to create and edit journeys, including adding tags to each journey in order to characterize that journey, a sponsorship selector  178  to allow the user to select the sponsorship of a sponsor for each journey, and a content poster  180  that allows the user to post content to each journey for display on website  130 . The functionality of App  172  may instead be provided by website  130 , and hence accessed via a web browser provided in processor  94  of mobile telephone  16 . 
         [0131]    Memory  98  of controller  92  of mobile telephone  16  includes a local content database  182  where user&#39;s content can be stored and managed before being uploaded—as desired—to user content  138 , a database of journeys  184  (which includes the title of each journey as nominated by the user and the tags associated with each journey by the user), a database of sponsorships  186  where the user&#39;s sponsorships are recorded (each identified by the respective journey of the user to which the sponsorship is attached, as each user may have a plurality of such journeys), and a database of supporters  188  where the respective user&#39;s supporters are recorded (each also identified by the respective journey of the user that is being supported by the respective supporter). 
         [0132]    The operation of system  10  will now be explained by reference to the various functions implemented by the above-described components thereof. 
         [0133]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  is a flow diagram  190  of the user registration, journey creation and sponsorship selection process of system  10  of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , at  192  a user downloads to mobile telephone  16  and installs App  172  from website  130  of server  12  (via website interface  124 ). At step  194 , the user employs registration module  174  to register with system  10 , as follows: registration module  174  prompts the user for personal information, including given name, sex, email address, etc. At step  196 , App  172  controls mobile telephone  16  to send this personal information to server  12 , server  12  stores the information in registered users and tags  136 , and server  12  creates a page for the (now registered) user in website  130 . The user is now registered as a user with system  10 , and may be regarded as a member. 
         [0134]    A user may be a member or account holder with system  10  without creating a journey, but—if the now registered user wishes to create a journey—he or she, at step  198 , selects a ‘create journey’ button displayed by App  172 . This prompts App  172  to control journey editor  176  to prompt the user, at step  200 , to enter a title for the journey and to prompt the user for journey information, in the latter case by prompting the user to select one or more tags from a menu of predefined tags to characterize the journey. The journey information may include sponsor exclusions, should the user wish to pre-empt any possibility of being offered sponsorship by a particular class of sponsor. For example, a user may select—from a pull-down menu of sponsors&#39; fields of activity—‘alcohol’ as a sponsor exclusion. This makes all sponsorships provided by sponsors in the field of the preparation or sale of alcoholic beverages deemed unavailable, either for association with that user or with the immediate journey (at the election of the user). 
         [0135]    At step  202 , journey editor  176  receives the requested information from the user and, in response, at step  204  journey editor  176  saves the journey title and information to journeys database  184  and App  172  controls mobile telephone  16  to send the journey title and information to server  12 . At step  206 , server  12  stores the journey title and journey information in registered users and tags  136  (associated with the relevant user) and creates a journey tab or page (referred to as a ‘Journeyboard’) for that journey, named after the journey title, on the page of the user in website  130 . Initially that tab—though viewable by an another registered user or an external user-will contain only the user&#39;s name and the journey title. 
         [0136]    At step  208 , server  12  responds to the creation of a journey by controlling sponsorship manager  126  to initiate the process by which sponsorship for that journey is offered to the user. 
         [0137]    At step  210 , matching engine  127  of sponsorship manager  126  accesses and compares the personal information (of the user) and the journey information (of the journey) with the target user information and the target journey information of each available sponsorship and generating a compatibility score from the comparison for each available sponsorship, the compatibility score being indicative of how well matched are the journey and the respective sponsorship. Matching engine  127  employs, in this embodiment, fuzzy logic and heuristic analysis techniques when conducting this comparison so that the resulting compatibility score is greatest for user/sponsorship combinations regarded by the system administrator as optimal, principally from the perspective of the sponsors; hence, the rules embedded in and employed by matching engine  127  for making these comparisons are tunable by the system administrator in order to optimize the outcome and hence match each sponsorship to the journey(s) of greatest value to the respective sponsors. 
         [0138]    This step will generally result in the generation of as many compatibility scores as there are available sponsorships. (In some embodiments, certain information may be used to veto certain journey/sponsorship or user/sponsorship combinations as unsuitable before a compatibility score is generated. For example, certain goods or services offered by a sponsor may be inappropriate for minors, so a sponsor may set an ‘Age Gate’ to prevent their sponsorships being offered to minors. These ‘sponsor exclusions’ have the effect of making such sponsorships ‘unavailable’ for that journey.) 
         [0139]    The comparison may be performed and the compatibility scores generated in any reasonable manner. Generally, certain characteristics will be regarded as of low importance to a sponsor—and can be flagged as such when they are selected at the creation of a sponsorship. For example, some services provided by a sponsor (such financial services) may be directed to both sexes, so the sex of the user will not be selected as a criterion when the sponsorship is created. However, other services (such as ‘facials’)—though not exclusively for one sex—may be predominantly used by one sex. In this example, when a provider of such services selects target journey information, it would select ‘female’ as the preferred sex and, optionally, weight that criterion as ‘high’ or ‘very high’. Certain age groups or income ranges may also be regarded as especially desirable to a sponsor, which would accordingly weight those criteria as ‘high’ or ‘very high’. 
         [0140]    Other characteristics may be treated as absolute, and weighted as ‘fixed’. In other words, if the sponsor selects ‘financial’ as the type of journey they wish to sponsor, that sponsor may, optionally, flag that characteristic as ‘fixed’—which would result in a vetoing of sponsorship of any journeys that are not described by the user as ‘financial.’ (Indeed, doing so may result in that sponsorship being deemed unavailable for non-financial journeys, as described above.) 
         [0141]    All these factors are employed by matching engine in generating compatibility scores. 
         [0142]    At step  212 , sponsorship manager  126  compares the compatibility scores of the sponsorships with a compatibility threshold and selects only those sponsorships that satisfy that compatibility threshold (in this embodiment, exceed the threshold). The compatibility threshold may be predefined (say, 75%) or determined dynamically using algorithms applied to target and/or sponsor information. 
         [0143]    At step  214 , sponsorship manager  126  controls server  12  to transmit the selected sponsorships (and associated details) to mobile telephone  16 . At step  216 , sponsorship selector  178  displays details—including the identity of each sponsor—of the selected sponsorship(s) to the user on display  20  for user selection. At step  218 , the user controls sponsorship selector  178  to select one of the displayed sponsorship(s) (or to select ‘opt out’ of sponsorship, discussed below). (In an alternative embodiment, sponsorship selector  178  displays the details of only one sponsorship—that with the highest compatibility score—to the user on display  20  for user approval, and if the user rejects the displayed sponsorship, sponsorship selector  178  displays the details of the sponsorship with the next highest compatibility score, and so on until a sponsor/sponsorship is selected. If none are selected, sponsorship is deemed to have opted-out of sponsorship.) If the user selects one of one of the displayed sponsorship(s), at step  220 , sponsorship selector  178  responds by saving the selected sponsorship to sponsorships  186  and controlling mobile telephone  16  to transmit the identity of the user and selected sponsorship to server  12 , and de-identified information concerning the user and the journey to sponsor computer  14 . 
         [0144]    (In this embodiment, the user may select only one sponsorship per journey, but in another embodiment the user may select a plurality of sponsorships (if a plurality have satisfied the threshold at step  212 ); if so, sponsorship selector  178  saves the selected sponsorships to sponsorships  186  and controls mobile telephone  16  to transmit the identity of the user and selected sponsorships to server  12 , and de-identified information concerning the user and the journey to the respective sponsor computers  14 , if more than one sponsor is associated with the selected sponsorships.) 
         [0145]    At step  222 , server  12  and sponsor computer  14  update—respectively—registered users and tags  136  and sponsored journeys  166 . In the former case, this involves amending the record of the user to indicate that the user is now sponsored with the selected sponsorship(s) of the corresponding sponsor(s); in the latter instance, sponsorship monitor  158  updates sponsored journeys  166 . Processing then ends. 
         [0146]    It will be noted that the sponsor does not control who selects their sponsorship (provided that the sponsorship matches the journey to an acceptable degree). However, optionally, server  12  may provide de-identified information to sponsors that will enable them to target their sponsorships not only on journey tags/categories of the journey but based on other journeys the individual user is making (even if the sponsor does not want to sponsor those journeys). For example, a bank may be interested in Finance journeys but particularly so if the user is also on a “getting married” journey (as the user may be more likely to desire a home loan). 
         [0147]    As described above, there may be more than one sponsor per journey. However, sponsorship selector  178  may alternatively be configured to allow the user to select only one sponsor from the displayed matching sponsors for any particular journey, such that there can be at most one sponsor per journey. 
         [0148]    It should also be noted that, once a journey has been created, the user can also use journey editor  176  to edit the journey (should its characteristics or title require refinement) or flag the journey as completed—which also has the effect of terminating any sponsorships of that journey. This includes the option of adding a “donate” button to the journey. The “donate” button, if selected by the user using journey editor  176 , is then added by journey editor  176  to the journey. The “donate” button encourages the general public to donate to the user; if activated (such as by a supporter), system  10  responds by facilitating payment (by conventional means) of a donation to the user. 
         [0149]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram  220  of the sponsor registration process of system  10  of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , at  222  the party that wishes to become a sponsor (in this embodiment assumed to be a corporate entity) downloads App  152  from website  130  of server  12  (via website interface  124 ) to sponsor computer  14  and installs App  152 . At step  224 , that party controls registration module  154  to initiate registration as a sponsor with system  10 . At step  226 , registration module  154  responds by prompting the party for name, business field and location of local content  162 , which the party does, and at step  228 , to enter details of each sponsorship offered by that party in the form of the target user information and the target journey information, which is entered also as described above. This information, which the party enters and/or selects, constitute the detailed selection criteria to be used by matching engine  127 . In this step, the party may be displayed one or more default selection criteria, so selection may be in the form of accepting at least some of these default values. 
         [0150]    Also, the party may create a plurality of combinations of selection criteria (that is, sets of target user information and target journey information) allows the prospective sponsor to target different ideal user/journey combinations without increasing the number of sponsorships being offered. The party may also offer a plurality of sponsorships, which may have the same or different sets of target user information and target journey information, but doing so should be distinguished from offering—say-one sponsorship associated with plural sets of target user information and target journey information. 
         [0151]    At step  230 , that party selects or enters the maximum number of journeys it is willing to sponsor (which may be entered as an overall value or separate values for each type of sponsorship that party is offering) and the sponsorship budget (with payments to be made automatically by conventional techniques when a sponsorship is selected by a user for a journey). System  10  bills a flat fee per journey, currently set at $1. It is envisaged that this flat fee will be charged to each sponsor irrespective of length and quality of the journey and irrespective of how many events occur on the journey. However, billing may alternatively be based on, for example, the number of events that occur in a journey, the number of journey supporters, or otherwise. In one alternative billing approach, the fee per journey is based on the compatibility score of the selected sponsorship; for example, a 99% score might command a fee per journey  3   x  the base rate, a 85% score 2× the base rate, and so forth. 
         [0152]    Once this information has been entered, at step  232  App  152  controls sponsor computer  14  to send this information and local content to server  12 , where—at step  234 —server  12  stores it in registered sponsors and tags  136  and sponsor content  134  (identified by sponsor). The party is now registered with system  10  as a sponsor. 
         [0153]    In an alternative sponsor registration technique, the required information and content is provided by the sponsor to the administrator of system  10  by any other convenient means, and the administrator of system  10  uses registrar  122  to enter the required information and content into registered sponsors and tags  136  and sponsor content  134  of server  12 . Processing then ends. 
         [0154]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram  240  of the operation of system  10  during the progression of a user&#39;s journey (created previously as explained by reference to  FIG. 4 ). A journey may comprise any project of a user that involves a sequence of steps executed over time. A typical journey might thus comprise travel, construction of a home, a handyman project, a relationship, a money-saving plan, a weight-loss program or an academic course. 
         [0155]    At step  242 , the user employs content poster  180  to select a journey of that user and to post content to that journey. The content may be a text message or other content (graphical, audio or video) stored previously by the user in local content  182 . At step  244 , the user employs content poster  180  to post the desired content and, in response, content poster  180  transmits the content to server  12  at step  246 . Server  12 , at step  248 , saves the content that it has received from content poster  180  to user content  138  and makes that content viewable when another registered user or an external user next visits this journey&#39;s tab in the user&#39;s page on website  130 . 
         [0156]    Steps  242  to  248  can be repeated as often as desired by the user as the journey progresses. However, at step  250  after the first instance of the posting of content for a particular journey, sponsorship manager  126  of server  12 —identifies that the posting is the first for the journey, so deeming this event to be the commencement of the journey—responds by posting the welcome message(s) of the sponsor(s), previously stored in sponsor content  134  by the respective sponsors. The welcome message(s) also appear, therefore, on that journey&#39;s page. For example, a welcome message may comprise a corporate logo or banner of the sponsor and words appropriate for the user (e.g. “Michael”) and the type of sponsorship (e.g. a campaign title of a promotional campaign of the sponsor of which the sponsorship is a part), such as:
       Michael, good luck on your journey!   New digs #port Melbourne   [corporate logo of sponsor]       
 
         [0160]    Periodically, shown at exemplary step  252 , additional messages of support are posted by sponsorship manager  126  of server  12  on behalf of the sponsor. The Information used to generate the welcome message would typically comprise the given name and sex of the user, the journey title (e.g. New digs #portmelb), the campaign title (e.g. “Buy Ready”), a support icon (intended to communicate the sponsor&#39;s support of the journey), a sponsor logo and the sponsor&#39;s preferred colour(s). 
         [0161]    In addition to facilitating the posting of a welcome message and any additional messages of support, sponsorship manager  126  may also be controlled by sponsorship editor  156  (under sponsor control) to display a “donate” button. If the sponsor uses sponsorship editor  156  to add a “donate” button to a particular sponsorship (whether before or after the sponsorship is selected by the user), sponsorship manager  126  of server  12  posts the “donate” button, either—at the election of the sponsor—as a part of the welcome message or as (or accompanying) an additional message of support. The “donate” button encourages the general public to donate to the user; if activated (such as by a supporter), system  10  responds by facilitating payment (by conventional means) of a donation to the user. 
         [0162]    Sponsorship manager  126  of server  12 , as shown at exemplary step  254 , also draws on the same information periodically to generate a personalised automated progress indicator that illustrates visually how far through the journey the user has progressed. This progress indicator is intended to assist the user in tracking progress. The user, when creating the journey with journey editor  176 , can choose to activate this progress indicator functionality and to select how long the journey is to last and with what frequency a progress indicator should be displayed (e.g. as each third or quarter of the journey is passed). 
         [0163]    Thus, if the user activates the progress indicator functionality, selects a journey time of a year and a progress indicator frequency of each third of the journey, a message will be displayed once a third of the year has passed (such as “Congratulations, Sarah, you are 33% through your journey!”) and another message will be displayed once a further third of the year has passed (such as “Congratulations, Sarah, you are 67% through your journey!”). 
         [0164]    At step  256  sponsorship manager  126  of server  12  determines whether the journey has been completed, such as because the user-entered journey duration (as described above) has passed or because the user has manually terminates the journey. If the journey is not completed, processing returns to step  242  or  248 , where the user or sponsorship manager  126  posts further messages. Otherwise, if the journey is determined to have been completed, processing continues at step  258  where sponsorship manager  126  posts a completion of a journey message or messages, according to the number of sponsorships, again drawing on the information listed above. Such a message might read: “Sam, congratulations on completing your journey!” accompanied by corporate logo, etc. Processing then ends. 
         [0165]    System  10  includes various other features. Website  130  provides a facility to permit other registered users to support a journey of a user. When such a user selects the support control on a specific journey, that other user is registered as a supporter by supporter manager  128  in supporter database  142  in memory  38  of server  12 . The details of the supporters of a particular journey of a respective user are also transmitted to that user&#39;s mobile telephone  16  and stored in supporters database  188 . Those supporters may themselves post comments for display to the journey&#39;s page, and their images—if posted (which will typically be so for registered users)—are displayed in a Support Centre tab of the journey&#39;s page. The logo of the sponsor is also displayed in the Support Centre. As the number of supporters increases, the sponsor&#39;s logo may be kept located in the fixed place—determined either relative to the screen or relative to the images of other registered users. 
         [0166]    In addition, sponsorship manager  126  periodically transmits to sponsor computer  14  data concerning the number of views of each sponsored journey&#39;s page, so that the sponsor can assess the value of the sponsorship. This data is received by sponsorship monitor  158  and stored in performance data  164 , and may be viewed and interrogated by the sponsor by operating sponsorship monitor  158 . 
         [0167]    Also, a user can opt out of sponsorship by paying system  10  a fee, which is set at the same rate the sponsors are charged. Opting out of sponsorship removes any sponsorship events from occurring. 
         [0168]    Typically, a user will post a picture for display on a journey page and designated as that journey&#39;s “Profile Picture.” Once a sponsorship has been added to the journey, sponsorship manager  126  can superimpose a sponsor&#39;s banner (personalised with the user&#39;s first name and the sponsor&#39;s campaign title) on that Profile Picture (such as along the top or bottom edge), so that Profile Picture combines the user and sponsor content. The resulting Profile Picture visually connects the sponsor to the journey. 
         [0169]    Server  12  also supports promoted journeys, which are managed by promoted journey placement engine  129 . Promoted journey placement engine  129  is remotely controllable via user interface  80  of sponsor computer  14  to create and control certain aspects of a promoted journey. 
         [0170]    As a result, the promoted journey gives the sponsor the ability to feature a promoted journeymaker (viz. a registered user with a journey) on an inspiring or otherwise interesting journey. A promoted journey is featured to give it more prominence and hence gain it (and its sponsor&#39;s advertising or other displayed material) more attention. Unlike a sponsored but unpromoted journey, the sponsor—using promoted journey placement engine  129 —can control all posts on the journey&#39;s Journeyboard to enable carefully controlled context. 
         [0171]    The sponsor, from user interface  80  of sponsor computer  14 , controls journey promotion requester  159  to submit a request to promoted journey placement engine  129  to promote a specific journey sponsored by that sponsor. This prompts promoted journey placement engine  129  to mark that journey as promoted, and to control server  12  to bill the sponsor a greater amount (e.g. 2× or 3× the currently applicable rate) for that journey. 
         [0172]    Promoted journeys are promoted to other registered users and visitors (i.e. external users) at various promotion points, including website  130 , as posts on Journeyboards, and as Promoted Journeyboxes on the user&#39;s page. This helps increase the volume of supporters sharing the promoted journey. 
         [0173]    Finally, tables 1 to 3 summarize the elements of the basic model of this embodiment, which has three facets: the registered user (and in particular his or her mobile telephone  16 ), server  12  (or more specifically sponsorship manager (or PCAE)  126 ), and the sponsor (and in particular sponsor computer  14 ). 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Registered Users 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 REGISTERED USERS 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Journey Specific 
               
               
                   
                 Personal Identification 
               
               
                   
                 Information (PII) Attributes - 
               
               
                   
                 journey specific 
               
               
                   
                 Journey Specific Content 
               
               
                   
                 Non-PII attributes 
               
               
                   
                 User designated Sponsor 
               
               
                   
                 exclusions/limitations 
               
               
                   
                 Sponsor acceptance 
               
               
                   
                 User Home Page 
               
               
                   
                 PII attributes, System-wide 
               
               
                   
                 Non-PII attributes, System-wide 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 PCAE 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Personal Connection Advertising Engine (PCAE): provides 
               
               
                 personalisation with no visibility to Personal Identification Information 
               
               
                 (PII) to sponsors 
               
               
                 The PCAE anonymously combines sensitive user and sponsor 
               
               
                 information behind a firewall-like barrier to create targeted, relevant, 
               
               
                 context sensitive sponsorship (and hence advertising) placement with 
               
               
                 registered users, the advertising being embedded in user content - 
               
               
                 persistent, dynamic, durable and focused advertisement placements 
               
               
                 Matching Rules Engine: 
               
               
                 Tags + PII + non-PII + user exclusions =&gt; Sponsor compatibility score 
               
               
                 Uses fuzzy logic and heuristic analysis techniques to optimise matches 
               
               
                 Sponsor Ranking, Bidding, and Selection Engine - picks Sponsor for 
               
               
                 each new Journey 
               
               
                 Ranks each sponsor passing the basic criteria vs other sponsors and 
               
               
                 sponsor criteria 
               
               
                 Applies Sponsor bid criteria and premium settings/rankings and prices 
               
               
                 the sponsorship 
               
               
                 Auto/manual acceptance by Sponsor (depending on thresholds) 
               
               
                 uses fuzzy logic and heuristic analysis techniques to drive selection 
               
               
                 analytics 
               
               
                 Sponsor Appointment Engine: 
               
               
                 Manages, resolves “inappropriate matches” due to sponsor or user 
               
               
                 criteria 
               
               
                 Manages rejection of sponsorship by sponsor 
               
               
                 Presents one or more sponsors to user, with sponsor name, icon &amp; 
               
               
                 sponsor introductory text for user to accept/choose the sponsor for their 
               
               
                 journey, or opt out of sponsorship (for a “sponsor free” journey) 
               
               
                 Sponsorship/Promoted Journey Price Computation Engine: 
               
               
                 computes price to sponsor a specific journey based on match ranking 
               
               
                 and sponsor weights &amp; wallet limits; computes 
               
               
                 computes price to place a promoted journey on registered user&#39;s home 
               
               
                 based on criteria home based on match ranking and sponsor weights &amp; 
               
               
                 wallet limit 
               
               
                 Dynamic content delivery engine - delivers sponsor content to user with a 
               
               
                 journey including 
               
               
                 sponsor tailored message content, personalised, words, icons, images 
               
               
                 places content per dynamic business rules based on brokering 
               
               
                 preferences/payment level of sponsors and end users sponsor 
               
               
                 management criteria (within overall system boundaries 
               
               
                 choice of triggers based on Journey Specific information 
               
               
                 standard and sponsor configured trigger and content “packages” 
               
               
                 provided to drive content 
               
               
                 placement of sponsor content based on dynamic and journey specific 
               
               
                 attributes 
               
               
                 Promoted Journey Placement Engine - matches System-wide user info 
               
               
                 (PII and non PII) with sponsor target criteria to select user candidates for 
               
               
                 each specific promoted journey 
               
               
                 leverages Matching, Sponsor Ranking, Conflict Resolution, Price 
               
               
                 Computation engines to select registered users (no PII transferred to 
               
               
                 Sponsor) to receive the Sponsor&#39;s promoted journey on their home page 
               
               
                 (and where it is positioned) 
               
               
                 Reports to sponsor on number and quality of matches for the promoted 
               
               
                 journey, and allows authorisation or modification of selections offered. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 3 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Sponsors 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Sponsor (a.k.a. TSOM: The Sponsor of Me ™) 
               
               
                   
                 TSOM target criteria: PII, Non PII, Journey 
               
               
                   
                 Specific tags, Premium criteria and weights 
               
               
                   
                 TSOM tailored message content configuration: 
               
               
                   
                 phrases, triggers, images, placement 
               
               
                   
                 Journey acceptance criteria and approval 
               
               
                   
                 thresholds 
               
               
                   
                 Wallet management - manual acceptance, 
               
               
                   
                 automated approval parameters, daily/frequency 
               
               
                   
                 other limiting cost or volume parameters 
               
               
                   
                 Promoted Journey criteria and 
               
               
                   
                 Promoted Journey content 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0174]    Table 4 is a more comprehensive summary of the information about a user that is making a journey that either the user is prompted for when registering with system  10  and when creating his or her journey, or which is determined by the server  12 . 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 4 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 User information 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 JOURNEY 
               
               
                 INFORMATION 
                 SPECIFIC? 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 first name &amp; sex 
                 NO 
               
               
                 location of user 
                 NO 
               
               
                 other registration details 
                 NO 
               
               
                 number of unique system supporters of the user 
                 NO 
               
               
                 (determined and regularly updated by server 12) 
               
               
                 sponsor exclusions set by user 
                 YES or NO 
               
               
                 number of other journeys and tags on those journeys 
                 NO 
               
               
                 count by sponsor of users other current journeys 
                 NO 
               
               
                 (determined and regularly updated by sponsorship 
               
               
                 manager 126) 
               
               
                 journey title 
                 YES 
               
               
                 journey description 
                 YES 
               
               
                 location of journey 
                 YES 
               
               
                 journey tags selected (topic, subtopic, sub-sub) 
                 YES 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0175]    Table 5 contains a more comprehensive summary of the data flow from a user with a journey to server  12  and of the data flow from server  12  to a user with a journey. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 5 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Data Flow from User to Server and Server to User 
               
             
          
           
               
                 USER TO SERVER 
                 SERVER TO USER 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Journey specific and system- 
                 Notice of sponsor selected or “select 
               
               
                 wide attribute 
                 your sponsor” information 
               
               
                 Personal identification 
                 Placement of sponsor content in the 
               
               
                 information and other 
                 user&#39;s journey per the user and sponsor 
               
               
                   
                 criteria in the Sponsorship Manager 
               
               
                 Sponsor limitations, rejection 
                 Tailored, personalised messages of 
               
               
                 criteria and specific sponsor 
                 support, awards, recognition from sponsor 
               
               
                 selection/rejection 
                 to user as posts, banners, icons, etc. 
               
               
                   
                 Tailored placement of sponsor content 
               
               
                   
                 Promoted Journeys placed on homepage 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0176]    Table 6 is a more comprehensive summary of the data flow from a sponsor to server  12  and of the data flow from system  10  to a sponsor. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 6 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Data Flow from Sponsor to Server and Server to Sponsor 
               
             
          
           
               
                 SPONSOR TO SERVER 
                 SERVER TO SPONSOR 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Personal identification information 
                 Report (without any identifiable 
               
               
                 target criteria (i.e. target user 
                 personal identification information) 
               
               
                 information) 
                 of user rejected sponsorship with 
               
               
                   
                 reason code 
               
               
                 Additional target criteria (i.e. target 
                 Report of match score &amp; ranking 
               
               
                 project information), premium 
                 for journeys they are placed as 
               
               
                 factors, and priority of criteria 
                 sponsors for 
               
               
                 Bidding instructions, limits and 
                 Report of page views on their 
               
               
                 controls, including parameter than 
                 sponsored journeys 
               
               
                 required manual approval 
               
               
                 Response for manual approval 
                 “Reach” report of unique 
               
               
                 request 
                 supporters per journey 
               
               
                 Target criteria based on site-wide 
                 Report of current active sponsored 
               
               
                 user characteristics for promoted 
                 journeys 
               
               
                 journey placement 
               
               
                 Message and content tailoring 
               
               
                 (words, icons, images), frequency, 
               
               
                 trigger instructions (default or 
               
               
                 journey), and placement instructions; 
               
               
                 includes tailored “pick me” message 
               
               
                 content 
               
               
                 Promoted journey content 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0177]    Table 7 contains a more comprehensive summary of the sponsor inputs. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 7 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Sponsor Inputs 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 SPONSOR INPUTS 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Personal identification information target criteria, journey 
               
               
                   
                 specific and system-wide 
               
               
                   
                 Other criteria (e.g. journey specific tags/sub-tags) 
               
               
                   
                 User exclusions (e.g. none &lt;18 years old) 
               
               
                   
                 Premium criteria (what will pay extra for) e.g. number of 
               
               
                   
                 supporters, type of journey, or user) 
               
               
                   
                 Priority setting/weighting of all criteria 
               
               
                   
                 Bidding, approval, payment controls and limits (e.g. per 
               
               
                   
                 journey limit, journeys total or per day limit), wallet limit 
               
               
                   
                 Target criteria and priorities for promoted journey content 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0178]    Finally, it should be understood to those persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It should also be understood that the reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country. 
         [0179]    In the claims which support and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.