| 摘要 |
A CHARITY uses a new web service arbitrarily called “FUNDPAL” interactively with an existing social networking organization and service, for example TWITTER”; and a web payment organization and service, for example PAYPAL; to raise money from its followers on TWITTER. After registering with TWITTER, with PAYPAL, and also with FUNDPAL to which it accords authority to send messages to its followers on its behalf, the CHARITY sends timely and topical messages (“tweets”) to its typically many followers, communicating that earmarked donations can be made to the charity. To those responding—“re-tweeting”—that they wish to donate, the charity eventually provides a hyperlink to FUNDPAL acting as its agent. This commences a process where agent FUNDPAL—recognizing that it has been mentioned in a message (“tweet”) of the CHARITY at the social networking site (TWITTER)—responds to any forwarded messages (“tweets”) from followers of the charity by facilitating their immediate charitable donations through PAYPAL. The entire process unwinds so quickly that charitable donations targeted on relief for a specific disaster may literally be made while the disaster is still unfolding. |
| 主权项 |
1. A business method performed by an agent communicatively interactive upon a worldwide communications network interactively with (1) a charity broadcasting at a social networking site, (2) a funds transfer agent, and (3) people following the charity at the social networking site and wishing to make donations to the charity, all upon the worldwide communications network to the end that the charity may expeditiously receive said donations, the method comprising:
the agent enrolls at a social networking site so that it may send messages upon the social networking site as permitted by the social networking site; the charity registers with the social networking site so that it may accumulate followers to which it can send messages as permitted by the social networking site; the charity registers with the agent through the social networking site, giving the agent, enrolled at the social networking site, permission to send messages to followers of the charity upon the social networking site; the charity also registers with the funds transfer agent, giving the charity a capacity to receive monies through the funds transfer agent; then during course of messaging it's followers upon the social networking site, the charity communicates that donations can be made to the charity by forwarding the message to the agent; commencing a process at the agent where the agent, as a follower of the charity at the social networking site, recognizes that it has been mentioned in a message of the charity at the social networking site; and, subsequent to this message the agent receives further forwarded copies of the message of the charity from followers of the charity wishing to donate to the charity in response to the message of the charity; the agent communicates back to all followers of the charity so communicating a wish to donate upon the same social networking site, as it is permitted by the charity to do, and instructs each of these followers so communicating a link to the funds transfer agent at which link the follower may donate to the charity; the follower wishing to donate to the charity follows the link to the funds transfer agent and does so donate, registering his/her donation as a credit at his/her account at the funds transfer agent, and as a debit to the account of the charity at the funds transfer agent. |
