[54] DATA COLLECTION AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR REGISTERING CHARGES AND ROYALTIES TO USERS
[76] Inventor: Michael T. Rossides, 3666 Upton St., NW., Washington, D.C. 20008
[21] Appl. No.: 72,386
[22] Filed: May 21,1993
[51] Int. CI.* G06F 15/00; H04M 1/64
[52] U.S. Q 364/401; 364/402;
379/112; 379/114; 379/121; 379/126
[58] Field of Search 364/401, 402; 379/112,
379/114, 121, 126, 213
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,054,756 10/1977 Cornelia et al 379/89
4,585,904 4/1986 Mincone et al 379/88
4,850,007 7/1989 Marino et al 379/67
5,003,584 3/1991 Benyacar et al 379/119
5,008,929 4/1991 Olsen et al 379/112
Primary Examiner—Gail O. Hayes
Assistant Examiner—Gita D. Shingala
[57] ABSTRACT
Self-organizing data-base that charges users who find data in it and pays users who supply the data found. Has a built in feedback mechanism, called the Pay-off Meter (POM), that tells users what data needs supplying based on the number of request for that data over time. The POM outputs an expected Pay-off for supplying a piece of data. A sensitive and potent feedback loop is created insuring that the more a piece of data is requested during a period of time, the more likely the data will be supplied by a requestor or by someone a requestor tells of the pay-off.
1 Claim, 3 Drawing Sheets
