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  System to solicit unknown corporate dataUSPTO Application #: 20060111975Title: System to solicit unknown corporate data Abstract: There is provided a method and system to generate corporate data pertaining to a corporate entity. The system includes an interface to communicate, from a data system and via a communications network, a request to a plurality of users of the data system for corporate information relating to a corporate entity and to receive, at the data system and via the communications network, first corporate information relating to the corporate entity from a first user of the plurality of users of the data system responsive to the request. The system further includes a stored value module automatically to provide a reward to the first user responsive to receipt of the first corporate information relating to the corporate entity. (end of abstract) Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A. - Minneapolis, MN, US Inventors: James F. Fowler, Garth B. Moulton, Peng Chong Sien, Saaed Fattahi, Rajan Madhavan, Kenneth R. Lenga USPTO Applicaton #: 20060111975 - Class: 705014000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, Or Cost/price Determination, Automated Electrical Financial Or Business Practice Or Management Arrangement, Distribution Or Redemption Of Coupon, Or Incentive Or Promotion Program The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060111975. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/601,343, filed Aug. 12, 2004, and entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM TO PROCESS BUSINESS CONTACT INFORMATION", the contents of which is incorporated in its entirety herein. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] This application relates to a method and system to maintain a data management and publication system and, in one example embodiment, a system to collect and maintain information regarding an entity (e.g., contact information regarding a corporate entity). BACKGROUND [0003] Information regarding corporate entities, and individuals employed by those corporate entities, is highly valuable information for potential and actual suppliers, customers and competitors of a corporate entity. Specifically, the sales department of a seller corporation is usually interested in locating individuals at a potential customer corporation who can be contacted to discuss a possible relationship between the seller corporation and the customer corporation. Further, information regarding individuals within a particular corporate entity may be very useful to corporate recruiters. [0004] To meet the demand for business information (e.g., individual and corporate contact information), a number of companies offer such information services. For example, the Hoover's Inc, a Dun and Bradstreet Company, has provided information on US companies and industries since 1990, originally only in print form, but since '93 via its website, Hoover's Online. The Dun and Bradstreet Corporation is a leading provider of business information, and its major divisions are Risk Management Solutions, Sales and Marketing Solutions, Supply Management Solutions, and e-Business Solutions. In order to gather and keep current a collection of business information that rapidly changes, business information companies are required to employ a large number of researchers and analysts, and also to employ sophisticated data gathering technologies. [0005] Social networking services have also emerged as a valuable avenue for users to locate jobs, people and business opportunities. Such social network services typically deploy specialized software to focus on building and verifying social networks for a number of purposes, including business purposes. LinkedIn.com is an example of such an Internet-based social network service, and enables users to locate other users who may be useful to them for business purposes, and that may be connected (by varying degrees) to the seeking users' social network. Such social network services may encourage a user to upload their address book to the social network service. Software deployed by the social network service then matches the entries within the uploaded address book to entries within its database in order to establish connections. [0006] In addition to contact information relating to corporate entities, other business and corporate information may be extremely valuable to external entities. Examples of such information include head count, revenue and organizational structure information. Such information may or may not be published by a particular corporate entity. For example, where the corporate entity is a private entity, such information may be hard to obtain. Accordingly, it is a challenge to the business information companies to gather and publish such information to their customers. [0007] It will also be appreciated that there are a number of technical challenges and difficulties in maintaining a large body of business information. This information, as noted above, is continually evolving. Accordingly, the information gathering systems employed by business information companies typically are required to provide researchers and analysts with access to a large number of sources from which current business information can be a gleaned. The provision of such access, and the management of the resulting data traffic and storage requirements, presents a number of technical challenges. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a system to generate corporate data pertaining to a corporate entity. A system includes an interface to communicate, from a data system and via a communications network, a request to a plurality of users of the data system for corporate information relating to a corporate entity. The interface is further to receive, at the data system and via the communications network, first corporate information relating to the corporate entity from a first user of the plurality of users of the data system responsive to the request. The system also includes a stored value module automatically to provide a reward to the first user, responsive to receipt of the first corporate information relating to the corporate entity. [0009] Other features of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0010] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: [0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a contact information platform, according to one example embodiment. [0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating various service and domain applications, according to one example embodiment. [0013] FIG. 3 is an entity-relationship diagram illustrating a collection of tables, according to one example embodiment. [0014] FIGS. 4-7 are representations of user interfaces, according to one embodiment. [0015] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method to redeem stored value for corporate information, according to one example embodiment; [0016] FIGS. 9-17 are representations of user interfaces, according to one embodiment. [0017] FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating a method, according to an example embodiment, to incentivize the provision of corporate information. [0018] FIGS. 19-24 are representations of user interfaces, according to one embodiment. [0019] FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating a method, according to an example embodiment, to maintain published contact information. Continue reading... Full patent description for System to solicit unknown corporate data Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System to solicit unknown corporate data patent application. Patent Applications in related categories: 20080114652 - Apparatus and method for predicting the performance of a new internet advertising experiment - A computer readable storage medium has executable instructions to identify a new Internet advertising experiment including values. The effectiveness of the values in prior Internet advertising experiments is evaluated. 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