Abstract:
A consumption investment system permits consumers to deposit value corresponding to their consumables in an investment consumable account as principal, and accrue benefits based on the principal. As with a bank account, the accrued benefits may be based on an interest rate or market valuations, and the consumer may withdraw the accrued benefits based on terms of a contract. Many types of consumable investment instruments may be used much like other types of investments. For example, mutual consumable funds may be established where values of consumables of many participants are pooled, and participants may receive benefits based on corresponding contributions. Consumers that invest in a particular fund (or other consumable investment such as a bank consumable account) may build natural interest and loyalty to the particular fund such as occurs with financial mutual funds. In this way, consumer loyalty may be engendered toward suppliers of consumable items based on capital already invested in the suppliers by way of consumable accounts such as consumable deposits or mutual consumable funds.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a consumption investment system. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    There are many reward incentive systems/techniques that attract consumers to purchase goods and services. For example, “buy one and get one free” is a common technique used to attract consumers for immediate purchases; and the offer of “frequent flyer miles” is used to attract many consumers to purchase airplane tickets from a specific airline. Newer techniques are needed to achieve other qualities of consumer response to further businesses&#39; goals. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention provides a consumption investment system that permits consumers to deposit value corresponding to their consumables in an investment consumable account as principal, and accrue benefits based on the principal. A consumable may be one or more purchased items such as gasoline or groceries, or services such as lawn care or telecommunication services, for example. When a consumable is purchased, the value corresponding to that consumable may be deposited much like money in a bank savings account with the exception that the principal is value of already consumed items or services as opposed to currency which is power for future consumption. Thus, while the principal may not be consumed again, benefits such as interest may accrue and be withdrawn. 
         [0006]    As with a bank account, the accrued benefits may be based on an interest rate or market valuations, and the consumer may withdraw the accrued benefits based on terms of a contract. For example, if a consumable account agreement sets an accrual rate of 5% per year for telecommunications services that are consumed over a three year period (i.e., a three year certificate of consumable deposit), then, similar to a certificate of deposit, corresponding values of the consumed telecommunication services over the three year period may be deposited as the principal. The principal then accrues benefits based on the 5% accrual rate. Thus, if $5,000 of telecommunication services were consumed for each of the three years, then the accrued benefit for each year may be $250, if the interest is determined at the end of each respective year without accounting for when the principal was deposited during the year. Thus, after three years, the consumer may withdraw $750 worth of telecommunication service value in long-distance minutes, for example. The $750 may be applied to further consumption as may be specified by the consumable account agreement. 
         [0007]    Other types of consumable investment instruments may also be applied much like other types of investments. For example, mutual consumable funds may be established where values of consumables of many participants are pooled, and participants may receive benefits based on corresponding contributions. In addition, the accrual rate may be related to market values of the consumed services instead of a fixed or variable interest rates, for example. 
         [0008]    Consumers that invest in a particular fund (or other consumable investment such as a bank consumable account) may build natural interest and loyalty to the particular fund such as occurs with financial mutual funds. If mutual consumable funds are structured around products of a single supplier or a group of suppliers, then the participating consumers would more likely continue to purchase consumables from these suppliers. In this way, consumer loyalty may be engendered toward suppliers of consumable items based on capital already invested in the suppliers by way of consumable accounts such as consumable deposits or mutual consumable funds. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention will be described, with reference to the following figures, wherein like numerals represent like elements, and wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of an exemplary consumption investment system; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary consumption investment relationship; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary consumable account device; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of exemplary consumable accounts; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process of the consumption investment system for suppliers; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process of the consumption investment system for consumers. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary consumable investment system  100  that includes a consumable account device  102 , suppliers  104  and  106 , consumers  108 - 112 , and a network  114 . The network  114  may be a data network, a telephone switching network, etc.; the suppliers  104  and  106  may be retailers, manufacturers, service providers, etc.; and the consumers  108 - 112  may be individuals or businesses that use products and services provided by the suppliers  104  and  106 , for example. 
         [0017]    The consumable investment system  100  provides an ability for the consumers  108 - 112  to take advantage of their past consumption of an item to leverage benefits for future consumption. The item may be any purchasable objects or services. For example, the consumer  108  may purchase food from a grocery store that is a subscriber to the consumable investment system  100 . The value corresponding to the purchased groceries may be deposited in an account as principal for the consumer  108 . After some period of time, the account may yield interest based on the deposited principal in the form of purchasing power at the same grocery store, for example. (Purchasing power also may be for other suppliers  104 - 106 .) The consumer  108  may withdraw the “earned” purchasing power (earned value) by making additional purchases up to a value of the earned value. 
         [0018]    Similarly, if the “item” is a service such as a wireless telecommunication service from a telecommunication service provider, the consumer  110  may accumulate principal in an account by making cell phone calls, for example. If an agreement between the consumer  110  and the telecommunication service provider specifies a 5% interest rate per year compounded yearly for call time consumed over a period of three years, then, after a three year period making $1000 worth of cell phone calls per year, the consumer  110  may have earned $300 for future cell phone calls (($1000*0.05)+($2000*0.05)+($3000*0.05)). 
         [0019]    Agreements between consumers  108 - 112  and the suppliers  104 - 106  (or other consumable investment providers) may be drafted to achieve various business goals. For example, if long term consumer loyalty to a particular supplier is desired, then the period of the investment may be set longer before withdraw of the earned value is permitted. On the other hand, if the agreement is to encourage consumers  108 - 112  to consume a new item during its introduction, for example, a shorter period may be set so that more immediate gratification may be provided. Other parameters may be specified or adjusted in the agreement such as the interest rate or ability to move the principal between accounts, the ability to merge/split accounts, the ability to have joint accounts, or mutual accounts corresponding to mutual funds, and so on. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , connections between the suppliers  104 - 106 , the consumers  108 - 112 , the consumable account device  102  and the network  114  may have a wide variety of configurations. Depending on the type of business (e.g., retailer, manufacturer, service provider, etc.), the supplier-consumer relationship may take on very different forms relative to the consumable investment system  100 . For example, if the supplier is a retail organization (groceries, hardware stores, department stores, etc.), then the supplier  104 - 106  may issue customer cards, for example. Every time a consumer  108 - 112  enters a store of the supplier  104 - 106  and purchases items, the customer card may be used to identify an account of that consumer  108 - 112  so that the purchase amount-may be deposited into the account as principal. If the supplier  104 - 106  operates in a network environment such as the Internet, then the logon ID may be used to identify an account for depositing any purchase amount as principal. If the supplier  104 - 106  is a telecommunications service provider (e.g., telephone company), then charges for the provided service may be deposited in an account during the course of the billing process, for example. 
         [0021]    The suppliers  104 - 106  and the consumable account device  102  may be related in different manners depending on the specific circumstances. For example, the supplier  104  may be connected to the consumable account device  102  via the network  114 . In this case, the supplier  104  may make deposits to and withdraws from accounts remotely. The supplier  106  is connected directly to the consumable account device  102 , and may communicate with the consumable account device  102  without the network  114  at all. 
         [0022]    The consumable account device  102  may be operated by an organization independent from the suppliers  104 - 106  or may be part of a particular supplier  104 - 106 . For example, a bank may operate the consumable account device  102  and solicit suppliers  104 - 106  to become subscribers to a consumable investment service. If large enough, for example, a supplier  104 - 106  may operate its own consumable account device  102  to provide consumable investment features associated with its business. In this case, the consumable investment device  102  may be connected to different sites of the supplier  104 - 106  via the network  114 , for example. 
         [0023]    The consumers  108 - 112  may also interface directly with the consumable investment device  102 . For example, the consumer  110  may access the consumable investment device  102  via the network  114  to perform various functions on an account much like a financial investment account, for example. Thus, the consumer  110  may move a portion of the principal to another account, change the period for withdrawal (with agreed upon changes in interest rate, for example), or withdraw earned value (even as cash if so specified in the account agreement), for example. The account may be structured to be as flexible, and to include as many features, as the consumers  108 - 112  and the suppliers  104 - 106  (and/or operator of the consumable investment device  102 ) desire. In this way, long term relationship between suppliers  104 - 106  (or the consumable account system operator) and consumers  108 - 112  may be engendered. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary diagram of the relationship between the consumer  108 , the supplier  104 , and the consumable account device  102 . When the consumer  108  purchases items, the supplier  104  may make a deposit to an account of the consumer  108  in the consumable account device  102 . The supplier  104  may make the deposit immediately, on a periodic basis or until a set amount of purchases have been made. In making the deposit, the supplier  104  may provide information relating to the purchases. For example, the supplier  104  may include an identification of the consumer  108  (or an identification of a specific account), a value that corresponds to the purchases to be added to the principal in the account, and any other information depending on the specific circumstances. 
         [0025]    The value deposited may relate to the purchases in any desired way. For example, the value may correspond directly to an amount of the purchases, or to a number of times that the consumer  108  visited the supplier  104  (e.g., a number of times the consumer entered a supplier store and made a purchase, a number of calls made, etc.). 
         [0026]    The principal may correspond to a value associated with an amount spent during a set period of time. For example, a point may be accumulated for each dollar spent with a specific supplier  104 - 106 . During certain promotion time periods, the supplier  104 - 106  may double the point-to-dollar value to encourage greater use by existing customers and to attract new customers. Additionally, the principal may be based on a table of values that is associated with certain products or services. For example, a sandwich shop that uses punch outs on a card that gives the consumer a free sandwich after a set number of punch outs may assign a different number of punch outs to different types of sandwiches. Thus, one sandwich may be worth one punch out while another may be worth three, irrespective of price. Other relationships between the amount deposited and the purchase may be established depending on the goals desired to be achieved. 
         [0027]    The deposit to an account may be negative when, for example, a penalty is incurred. A consumable account agreement may specify that if the consumer does not purchase a certain amount of items (valued in dollars, for example) for a specified period of time, then the principal would be reduced by a specified amount. In a service business, a penalty may be incurred if service from another supplier is used instead of service from a specified supplier, resulting in a negative deposit being made. In this way, consumers  108 - 112  may be further encouraged to be loyal to a particular supplier  104 - 106 . 
         [0028]    As mentioned above, the consumer  108  may access the consumable account device  102  independently, if desired. The consumer  108  may be provided capabilities such as starting an account, withdrawing earned interest, transferring principal between accounts, adjusting account parameters such as adding or dropping suppliers (if the consumable account device  102  is supplier independent), or adding or dropping items for participation in the consumable investment system  100 . For example, if the supplier is a telecommunications service supplier and offers a complete array of services, the consumer  108  may desire to try out a new advertised service and to include the use of the new service as part of the account. Thus, the consumer  108  may be provided a full featured interface to maintain and modify the account. 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  shows a block diagram illustrating an exemplary consumable account device  102  that includes a controller  200 , a memory  202  (which may include large databases shared in a variety of memory types such as disks, tapes, RAM, etc.), an account manager  204 , a supplier interface  206 , a consumer interface  208 , and a network interface  210 . All the above components may be coupled together by a bus  212 . While  FIG. 3  shows the consumable account device  102  using a bus architecture, any other type of architecture may be used as is well known to one of ordinary skills in the art. 
         [0030]    After a consumer  108 - 112  purchases an item from a subscribing supplier  104 - 106 , the supplier  104 - 106  may transmit information relating to the purchase to the consumable account device  102 . When the transmitted information is received, the supplier interface  206  accepts the information and forwards it to the controller  200 . After initial verification (identify supplier, valid account number, etc.), the controller  200  may command the account manager  204  to process relevant portions of the information. 
         [0031]    Similarly, a consumer  108 - 112  may make a purchase from a supplier who may not be a subscriber to a consumable investment system  100  but may offer products or services whose manufacturers or service providers do provide consumable investment systems  100 . In these situations, it may be necessary for the consumer  108 - 112  to transmit the information relating to the purchase to the consumable account device  102  of an appropriate consumable investment system  100 . For example, a small hardware retailer may sell tools by several manufacturers and each tool manufacturer may provide a consumable investment system  100  for its products. The consumer may purchase a set of screwdrivers from one manufacturer and a new power saw from another. However, because the hardware retailer may not be a subscriber to the manufacturers&#39; consumable systems, the consumer  108 - 112  may transmit the purchase information via the network  114  to both tool manufacturers&#39; consumable account devices  102  for deposit into the respective accounts of the consumer  108 - 112 . 
         [0032]    For purchase information transmitted by the consumer  108 - 112  (e.g.; via the network  114  or via mail) to the consumable account device  102 , the consumer interface  208  receives the purchase information and forwards it to the controller  200 . As with information received from subscribing suppliers  104 - 106 , the controller  200  may perform an initial verification of the purchase information (e.g., consumer identification, account number verification, password, etc.) and may command the account manager  204  to process the appropriate information in the manner described above for information transmitted by subscribing suppliers  104 - 106 . 
         [0033]    The suppliers  104 - 106  may not be subscribers to a consumable investment system  100 , but may offer the service of transmitting the consumer  108 - 112  purchase information to a consumable account device  102 . In the hardware retailer example above, the retailer may provide the service of transmitting the consumer&#39;s purchase information to the various manufacturers&#39; consumable account devices  102 . 
         [0034]    The account manager  204  may maintain an exemplary database  300  shown in  FIG. 4  for each subscribing supplier  104 - 106  and/or for each subscribing consumer  108 - 112 . The database  300  may include many fields such as fields  302 - 312  for storing needed information to process a consumer account. The field  302  may be an account ID; the field  304  may be a value of a principal; the field  308  may be an interest rate; the field  310  may be a balance remaining of an earned interest; and the field  312  may indicate the maturation date of the account, for example. Other fields may also be included and some of the fields  302 - 312  may not be needed as specific implementation circumstances may dictate. 
         [0035]    A consumer  108 - 112  may have one or more accounts with the same supplier  104 - 106  for different products of the supplier  104 - 106 . For example, the supplier  104 - 106  may be a telecommunications supplier and offers many different types of services such as a cell phone service, a paging service and an Internet access provider service. A consumer  108 - 112  of the telecommunication supplier&#39;s services may wish to keep a separate account for each of the three offered services where a different interest rate and maturation date may be agreed upon for each type of service. 
         [0036]    When the command from the controller  200  is received, the account manager  204  may extract an account ID from the received information and update the principal. For example, if the principal is simply the amount in dollars of purchased items, then the account manager  204  may add new purchased amounts to the principal. If the principal is a number of times the consumer  108 - 112  visited the supplier  104 - 106  and made a purchase, then the account manager  204  may increment the principal with this information. 
         [0037]    Subscribing suppliers  104 - 106  and consumers  108 - 112  may continue to provide purchase information to the account manager  204  for deposit into principals of consumer accounts or as may be agreed to in account agreements. At agreed to time intervals defined by the maturation dates  312  of the accounts  302 , for example, earned values for the accounts  302  may be determined by the account manager  204  and (based on principals  304  and the rates  308 ) may be stored in the balances  310  of the consumer&#39;s accounts  302 . 
         [0038]    The maturation dates  312  and the rates  308  may be set differently for each of accounts  302 , depending on respective account agreements. For example, the rate  308  for Account  1  may be 5% while the rate  308  for Account  2  may be 13%. The consumers  108 - 112  may withdraw the accrued earned value in the balances  310  also based on the account agreements. 
         [0039]    When the suppliers  104 - 106  or the consumers  108 - 112  initiates contact with the consumable account device  102 , either directly or via the network  114 , the controller  200  interacts with the supplier  104 - 106  or consumer  108 - 112  to assure that the proper consumer account information is accessed by validating a consumer identification for example. The validation may be accomplished automatically via passwords stored in a consumer card, for example, or conducted interactively with a consumer  108 - 112 . After validating the consumer/supplier identification and determining the nature of the desired transaction, the controller  200  may provide appropriate information extracted from the database  300  to the supplier  104 - 106  or consumer  108 - 112 . Information may also be provided to the account manager  204  for performing appropriate processes. 
         [0040]    For example, if the information received requires a deposit into an account  302 , the deposit amount may be forwarded to the account manager  204  to perform the needed process. In addition, the account manager  204  may support other account management activities such as the transfer of principal between accounts, withdrawal of earned value, adjust account parameters such as adding or dropping suppliers, or adding or dropping items for participation in the consumable investment system. 
         [0041]    The account manager  204  may process the database  300  on a periodic basis. For example, at the end of each day, the account manager  204  may update each of the accounts  302  to determine accrued earned value, if any, and any processing that may have been required by the suppliers  104 - 106  or consumers  108 - 112 , but was deferred. 
         [0042]    Other types of processing may also be required depending on features that may be offered. For example, consumers  108 - 112  may be offered checking or earned value cards that permit one consumer  109 - 112  to transfer earned value or principal to another consumer  108 - 112 . In such circumstances, the account manager  204  may perform check clearing house type processing or “cash card” type processing. 
         [0043]    To support the above suggested features, the account manager  204  may be implemented in a distributed manner and may have different portions with specialized functions, much like banks and credit organizations. The account manager  204  may be coupled to the controller  200  over the network  114  and different portions of the account manager  204  may not be in communication with other portions of the account manager  204  due to the functional partitioning of required tasks. In addition, the controller  200  itself may also be distributed as implementation circumstances may dictate. 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  shows a flowchart of an exemplary process of the controller  200  for interaction with the suppliers  104 - 106 . In step  1000 , the controller  200  receives information from the supplier  104 - 106  and goes to step  1002 . In step  1002 , the controller  200  determines if the supplier  104 - 106  is a subscriber. If the supplier  104 - 106  is a subscriber, the controller  200  goes to step  1004 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  1030 . In step  1004 , the controller  200  performs verification of the supplier, (e.g., password, personal identification number, account number, etc.) and goes to step  1006 . In step  1006 , the controller  200  accesses the supplier&#39;s consumable accounts and goes to step  1008 . In step  1008 , the controller  200  determines if the supplier  104 - 106  has purchase information for deposit into consumer accounts. If so, the controller  200  goes to step  1010 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  1012 . In step  1010 , the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  to make the deposits and goes to step  1012 . 
         [0045]    In step  1012 , the controller  200  determines if the supplier  104 - 106  requests one or more new consumer accounts to be established. If new accounts are to be established, the controller  200  goes to step  1014 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  1016 . In step  1014 , the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  to establish the new accounts based on the information provided by the suppliers  104 - 106  and goes to step  1016 . 
         [0046]    In step  1016 , the controller  200  determines if the supplier  104 - 106  requested account parameter changes. If parameter changes are requested, the controller  200  goes to step  1018 ; otherwise the controller  200  goes to step  1020 . In step  1018 , the controller  200  changes the account parameters as specified by the supplier  104 - 106  and goes to step  1020  and ends. 
         [0047]    In step  1030 , the controller  200  queries whether the supplier  104 - 106  desires to be a subscriber of the consumable investment system. If the supplier  104 - 106  desires to subscribe, the controller  200  goes to step  1032 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  1036 . In step  1036 , the controller  200  sends a parting message to the supplier  104 - 106  and goes step  1020  and ends. In step  1032 , the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  to add the supplier  104 - 106  as a new subscriber and establish requested accounts, and the process goes to step  1006 . 
         [0048]      FIG. 6  shows a flowchart depicting an exemplary process of the controller  200  for interaction with a consumer  108 - 112 . In step  2000 , the controller  200  receives information from the consumer  108 - 112  and goes to step  2002 . In step  2002 , the controller  200  determines if the consumer  108 - 112  is a subscriber. If a subscriber, the controller  200  goes to step  2004 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  2034 . In step  2004 , the controller  200 , performs verification of the consumer (e.g., password, etc.) and then goes to step  2006 . In step  2006 , the controller  200  accesses the appropriate consumer consumable accounts and goes to step  2008 . 
         [0049]    In step  2008 , the controller  200  determines whether the consumer  108 - 112  has purchase information for deposit into their account. If a deposit is requested, then the controller  200  goes to step  2010 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  2014 . In step  2010 , the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  to deposit the appropriate amount in the consumer account and goes to step  2014 . 
         [0050]    In step  2014 , the controller  200  determines whether a transfer of principal is requested. If a transfer is requested, the controller  200  goes to step  2016 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  2020 . In step  2016 ; the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  to open appropriate accounts and perform the requested transfer(s), and the process goes to step  2020 . 
         [0051]    In step  2020 , the controller  200  determines whether the consumer  108 - 112  requests a withdrawal of earned value. If a withdrawal is requested, then the controller  200  goes to step  2022 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  2026 . In step  2022 , the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  to withdraw the requested earned values and perform the appropriate account processing, and the process goes to step  2026 . 
         [0052]    In step  2026 , the controller  200  determines whether the consumer  108 - 112  requested an account modification. If an account modification is requested, then the controller  200  goes to step  2028 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  2032  where the process ends. In step  2028 , the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  make the appropriate modification to the account and goes to step  2032  and ends. 
         [0053]    In step  2034 , the controller  200  queries whether the consumer  108 - 112  desires to become a subscriber. If the consumer  108 - 112  desires to subscribe, the controller  200  goes to step  2036 ; otherwise, the controller  200  goes to step  2040 . In step  2036 , the controller  200  commands the account manager  204  to perform new subscription processing for  108 - 112  the consumer, (e.g., set up a consumer account) and goes to step  2006 . In step  2040 , the controller  200  outputs a parting message and goes to step  2032  and ends. 
         [0054]    While this invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, exemplary embodiments of the invention as set forth herein are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.