Patent ID: 8490182

Claim:
An apparatus for processing and communicating electronic project incentive data for a plurality of projects respectively identified by electronic project identification (ID) data, the apparatus comprising: a computer-based circuit having a plurality of executable modules including an authentication module configured and arranged to authenticate project manager user ID data based upon predefined project manager authorization level data for a particular project ID having different predefined project manager authorization level data sets, each authentication level specifying authorization for accessing, inputting and controlling project identification data, incentive data and client authentication data; a project manager module configured and arranged control the input and processing of project identification data, incentive data and client authentication data for each project ID, based upon user-input ID data and an authentication command provided by the authentication module in response to the ID data; an incentives module configured and arranged to, for each project ID, generate achievement data in response to incentive data received from a project manager, the achievement data characterizing a degree of achievement of an incentive associated with the incentive data, and update incentive-related data fields based upon the generated achievement and the project ID; and a client module configured and arranged to provide the updated incentive-related data for access by a remote client circuit apparatus via a communications network, based upon electronic authentication data provided by the remote client apparatus and stored authorization data input via the project manager module for the project ID.