Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO FACILITATE VOTING USING PORTABLE
DEVICES
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001/2] In some embodiments, the instant invention relates to methods
and systems for
voting. In some embodiments, the instant invention relates to computer methods
and
computer systems for voting on corporate issues of publicly traded companies.
BACKGROUND
[0003] There arc Internet-based voting systems. For example,
Proxyvotc.com is a
web-based voting system capturing shareholders' voting instructions for
corporation's
meeting agenda. Figure I shows a screen of Proxyvote.com's meeting agenda
page.
[0004] Telephone Voting is another option available to voters as an
alternative to the
web-based voting such as Proxyvote.com.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] In some embodiments, the instant invention can provide a
computer-
implemented method that at least include the steps of: providing, by a
computer system, to a
mobile electronic device of a voter, information identifying a plurality of
vote issues;
enabling the mobile
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electronic device of the voter to transmit to the computer system at least one
vote of the voter on
at least one vote issue from the plurality of the vote issues, wherein the
enabling is based at least
in part on: at least one first software instruction that instructs the mobile
electronic device of the
voter to present a first vote issue from the provided plurality of vote
issues, at least one second
software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter
to receive a first vote
from the voter on the first vote issue from the provided plurality of vote
issues, wherein the voter
submits the first vote by a first single action performed immediately after
the presentation of the
first vote issue and without any intervening action, at least one third
software instruction that
instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to transmit the received
first vote from the
voter on the first vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues to
the computer system, at
least one fourth software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic
device of the voter to
present a second vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues, at
least one fifth software
instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to
receive a second vote from
the voter on the second vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues,
wherein the voter
.. submits the second vote by a second single action performed immediately
after the presentation
of the second vote issue and without any intervening action, at least one
sixth software
instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to
transmit the received second
vote from the voter on the second vote issue from the provided plurality of
vote issues to the
computer system, wherein the first vote is transmitted by the mobile
electronic device of the
voter to the computer system before the second vote is transmitted by the
electronic device of the
voter to the computer system; and processing, by the computer system, the
first and the second
votes of the voter as official votes of the voter on the first and second vote
issues from the
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provided plurality of vote issues hereby enabling the voter to separately vote
on each vote issue
from the provided plurality of vote issues.
[0006] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include receiving from the mobile electronic device of the voter at
least one
authentication identifier.
[0007] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include identifying the mobile electronic device of the voter as a
particular mobile
electronic device based, at least in part, on one or more of the following
characteristics: a) a
brand, b) a model, and c) a geographic location.
[0008] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include reformatting the information identifying the plurality of vote
issues for displaying
on the particular mobile electronic device.
[0009] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include: providing at least one access instruction to the voter, where
the at least one
access instruction is in coded on a paper document, and where the at least one
access instruction
allows the voter to receive, utilizing the mobile electronic device, the
information identifying the
plurality of vote issues. In some embodiments of the instant invention, the at
least one access
instruction allows the voter to receive, by performing a single action with
the mobile electronic
device, the information identifying the plurality of vote issues. In some
embodiments of the
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instant invention, the single action is when the voter taps on a button of the
mobile electronic
device, instructing the mobile electronic device to acquire the at least one
access instruction. In
some embodiments of the instant invention, the at least one access instruction
is encoded on the
paper document in at least one QR code. some embodiments of the instant
invention, the mobile
electronic device acquires the at least one access instruction by acquiring at
least one image of
the at least one QR code.
[00010] lii some embodiments, the instant invention can provide a
computer system that at
least includes the following components: a non-transient memory having at
least one region for
storing computer executable program code; and at least one processor for
executing the program
code stored in the non-transient memory, wherein the program code that at
least includes: code to
provide to a mobile electronic device of a voter, information identifying a
plurality of vote
issues; code to enable the mobile electronic device of the voter to transmit
to the computer
system at least one vote of the voter on at least one vote issue from the
plurality of the vote
issues, wherein the enabling is based at least in part on: at least one first
software instruction that
instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to present a first vote
issue from the provided
plurality of vote issues, at least one second software instruction that
instructs the mobile
electronic device of the voter to receive a first vote from the voter on the
first vote issue from the
provided plurality of vote issues, wherein the voter submits the first vote by
a first single action
performed immediately after the presentation of the first vote issue and
without any intervening
action, at least one third software instruction that instructs the mobile
electronic device of the
voter to transmit the received first vote from the voter on the first vote
issue from the provided
plurality of vote issues to the computer system, at least one fourth software
instruction that
instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to present a second vote
issue from the
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provided plurality of vote issues, at least one fifth software instruction
that instructs the mobile
electronic device of the voter to receive a second vote from the voter on the
second vote issue
from the provided plurality of vote issues, wherein the voter submits the
second vote by a second
single action performed immediately after the presentation of the second vote
issue and without
any intervening action, at least one sixth software instruction that instructs
the mobile electronic
device of the voter to transmit the received second vote from the voter on the
second vote issue
from the provided plurality of vote issues to the computer system, wherein the
first vote is
transmitted by the mobile electronic device of the voter to the computer
system before the
second vote is transmitted by the electronic device of the voter to the
computer system; and code
to process the first and the second votes of the voter as official votes of
the voter on the first and
second vote issues from the provided plurality of vote issues hereby enabling
the voter to
separately vote on each vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues.
[00011] In some embodiments, the instant invention can provide a mobile
electronic
device that at least includes the following components: at least one processor
programmed to
execute program code received by the mobile electronic device from a computer
system, wherein
the mobile electronic device and the computer system are connected through a
network and
wherein the program code at least includes: code to provide to the voter
information identifying a
plurality of vote issues; and code to enable the mobile electronic device to
transmit at least one
vote of the voter on at least one vote issue from the plurality of the vote
issues, wherein the
enabling is based at least in part on: at least one first software instruction
that instructs the
mobile electronic device of the voter to present a first vote issue from the
provided plurality of
vote issues, at least one second software instruction that instructs the
mobile electronic device of
the voter to receive a first vote from the voter on the first vote issue from
the provided plurality
of vote issues, wherein the voter submits the first vote by a first single
action performed
immediately after the presentation of the first vote issue and without any
intervening action, at
least one third software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic
device of the voter to
transmit the received first vote from the voter on the first vote issue from
the provided plurality
of vote issues, at least one fourth software instruction that instructs the
mobile electronic
device of the voter to present a second vote issue from the provided plurality
of vote issues, at
least one fifth software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic
device of the voter to
receive a second vote from the voter on the second vote issue from the
provided plurality of
vote issues, wherein the voter submits the second vote by a second single
action performed
immediately after the presentation of the second vote issue and without any
intervening action,
at least one sixth software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic
device of the voter to
transmit the received second vote from the voter on the second vote issue from
the provided
plurality of vote issues, wherein the first vote is transmitted by the mobile
electronic device of
the voter before the second vote is transmitted by the electronic device of
the voter hereby
enabling the voter to separately vote on each vote issue from the provided
plurality of vote
issues.
[00012] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the first and the
second votes of
the voter are official votes of the voter on the first and second vote issues
from the provided
plurality of vote issues.
[00012a] In accordance with an aspect of an embodiment, there is provided a
computer-
implemented method comprising: storing, by a processor, in a database a
plurality of control
numbers where each control number is uniquely linked to a user, an event, a
stock, questions
and number of shares of the stock; sending, by the processor, a control number
of the plurality
of control numbers to a user device; receiving, by the processor, an
identifier of the user device
and the control number from the user device; retrieving, by the processor,
using the received
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control number, questions linked to the control number; building, by the
processor, a
questionnaire for the event linked to the control number using the retrieved
questions;
displaying, by the processor, each question of the questionnaire to the user
according to the
identifier of the user device; receiving, by the processor, votes to each sent
question from the
user device; and recording, by the processor, the votes based on the number of
shares of stock
linked to the control number.
[00012b] In accordance with another aspect of an embodiment, there is
provided a
computer system comprising: a processor; a computer readable medium having
stored thereon
executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to perform the
steps of: storing, in a database a plurality of control numbers where each
control number is
uniquely linked to a user, an event, a stock, questions and number of shares
of the stock;
sending a control number of the plurality of control numbers to user device;
receiving an
identifier of the user device and the control number from the user device;
retrieving using the
received control number, questions linked to the control number; building a
questionnaire for
the event linked to the control number using the retrieved questions;
displaying each question
of the questionnaire to the user according to the identifier of the user
device; receiving votes to
each sent question from the user device; and recording the votes based on the
number of shares
of stock linked to the control number.
[00012c] In accordance with yet another aspect of an embodiment, there is
provided a
computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that,
when executed
by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00013] The present invention will be further explained with reference
to the attached
drawings, wherein like structures are referred to by like numerals throughout
the several views.
The drawings shown are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead
generally being placed
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CA 2779834 2018-09-05
upon illustrating the principles of the present invention. Further, some
features may be
exaggerated to show details of particular components.
[00014] FIG. 1 is an exemplary screen of Proxyvote.com described in the
Background
section.
[00015] FIGS. 2A-2G show some embodiments of the instant invention.
[00016] FIG. 3 shows a screen utilized in another embodiment of the
instant invention.
[00017] FIGS. 4A-4E show yet some other embodiments of the instant
invention.
[00018] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of a computer and network
system
utilized in some embodiments of the instant invention.
[00019] FIG. 6 shows yet another exemplary embodiment of a computer and
network
system utilized in some other embodiments of the instant invention.
[00020] FIG. 7 shows yet another exemplary embodiment of the instant
invention.
[00021] The figures constitute a part of this specification and include
illustrative
embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and
features thereof.
Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be
exaggerated to show
details of particular components. In addition, any measurements,
specifications and the like
shown in the figures are intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive.
Therefore, specific
structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted
as limiting, but
merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to
variously employ the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00022] Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed,
other objects
and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following
description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying figures. Detailed embodiments of the present
invention are
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disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed
embodiments are merely
illustrative of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. In
addition, each of the
examples given in connection with the various embodiments of the invention
which are intended
to be illustrative, and not restrictive.
[00023] Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take
the meanings
explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The phrases "In some
embodiments" and "in some embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer
to the same
embodiment(s), though it may. Furthermore, the phrases "in another embodiment"
and "in some
other embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to a different
embodiment, although
it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be
readily
combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
[00024] In addition, as used herein, the term "or" is an inclusive "or"
operator, and is
equivalent to the term "and/or," unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. The term "based
on" is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not
described, unless the
context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification,
the meaning of "a,"
"an," and "the" include plural references. The meaning of "in" includes "in"
and "on."
[00025] In addition, as used herein, the term "official vote(s)" means
information used for
calculating (e.g., by a voting tabulator) the numerical voting requirements of
a voting (e.g., a
number of votes that are "For" on a voting issue (e.g., management's
proposal).
[00026] In some embodiments, in contrast to some web-based voting systems,
as detailed
above regarding Proxyvote.com and illustrated by Figure 1, the instant
invention can provide a
different experience due to its display and flow that is modified to provide a
positive voting
experience that behaves like a native application on any electronic device,
including personal
8
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mobile devices such as, but not limiting to, tablets (e.g., iPad), smart
phones (e.g., iPhone,
Blackberry, etc) and other similar devices.
[00027] As illustrated in Fig. 2A, in some embodiments, for a voting on
corporate issues,
the instant invention can display a screen 200 that offers the following
voting options:
[00028] a) Vote Boards recommendations (201);
[00029] b) Vote according to my instructions (202); and
[00030] c) View Management recommendations (203).
[00031] In some embodiments, by selecting/clicking on the "Vote Boards
recommendations" option (201), the instant invention allows the user to
automatically vote all of
the proposals, in a one-selection (i.e., a single action fashion), as
Management has recommended
and route the voter to, for example, a "Thank You" screen.
[00032] In some embodiments, the single action includes, but not limited
to. a single click
on the respective control displayed to the user. In some embodiments, the
single action is an
action performed immediately after the presentation of the vote issue and
without any
intervening action.
[00033] In some embodiments, the single action is an action performed
immediately after
the presentation of the vote issue and without any intervening action, but not
necessarily
immediately after the first presentation or every presentation of the vote
issue.
[00034] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides a
functionality to view
management recommendations by going through an icon "Mgmt Rees" (205) in a
footer menu
(204). In some embodiments, by choosing the "Mgmt Rees" option (205), the
instant invention
can sequentially present to the user each proposal on the agenda (e.g., a
single proposal per a
9
embodiments, other items are individually displayed and each item is voted
with the single
action. In some embodiments, voting on a first proposal or an other item can
automatically
cause the next proposal to be displayed to the voter.
[00023] In some embodiments, the font size can be driven by a database
of device
resolution, screen-size and/or capabilities of the voter's device such that
each voting item is
optimally presented allowing the voter to vote in the single action.
[00024] In some embodiments, the instant invention allows for a modified
vote
confirmation. As described in the Background section and shown in Figure 1, a
typical web-
based voting experience is at least a multi-step process where a plurality of
voting issues are
presented to a voter first (Step 1), then a voter makes selections on the
voting issues (Step 2),
the voter submits the plurality of vote decisions/selection (Step 3), the
voter is asked to confirm
his or her selection and finally to vote the shown selections on the
confirmation page (Step 4).
In contrast, in accordance with the instant invention, in some embodiments,
the inventive
confirmation page immediately follows the single-action voting and represents
that the voter
has voted in the single action and no further action from the voter is
required to effectuate his
or her vote. In some embodiments, the instant invention allows the user to
return to the voting
screen by, for example, selecting a "Change your vote" option (229) to vote
again on the
previously voted issue(s).
In some embodiments, as shown for example in Figures 2F and 2G, the instant
invention
allows for a functionality of automatically dialing a call to a telephone
voting system by .
making a single-action selection of a "Vote by Phone" option (233) on a footer
menu. In some
embodiments, the selecting the "Vote by Phone" option (233), a call to the
telephone voting
CA 2779834 2018-09-05
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embodiments, other items are individually displayed and each item is voted
with the single
action. In some embodiments, voting on a first proposal or an other item can
automatically
cause the next proposal to be displayed to the voter.
[00040] In some embodiments, the font size can be driven by a database
of device
resolution, screen-size and/or capabilities of the voter's device such that
each voting item is
optimally presented allowing the voter to vote in the single action.
[00041] In some embodiments, the instant invention allows for a modified
vote
confirmation. As described in the Background section and shown in Figure I, a
typical web-
based voting experience is at least a multi-step process where a plurality of
voting issues are
presented to a voter first (Step 1), then a voter makes selections on the
voting issues (Step 2), the
voter submits the plurality of vote decisions/selection (Step 3), the voter is
asked to confirm his
or her selection and finally to vote the shown selections on the confirmation
page (Step 4). In
contrast, in accordance with the instant invention, in some embodiments, the
inventive
confirmation page immediately follows the single-action voting and represents
that the voter has
voted in the single action and no further action from the voter is required to
effectuate his or her
vote. In some embodiments, the instant invention allows the user to return to
the voting screen
by, for example, selecting a "Change your vote" option (229) to vote again on
the previously
voted issue(s).
[00042] In some embodiments, as shown for example in Figures 2E and 2F,
the instant
invention allows for a functionality of automatically dialing a call to a
telephone voting system
by making a single-action selection of a "Vote by Phone" option (233) on a
footer menu. In some
embodiments, the selecting the -Vote by Phone" option (233), a call to the
telephone voting
11
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system is automatically launched and, for example, the voter's control number
is automatically
provided to the telephone voting system.
[00043] In some embodiments, the selecting the "Vote by Phone" option
(233) allows the
voter to vote on some proposals using the voting screen and on others through
the telephone
voting system. In some embodiments, the confirmation page (228) is
automatically updated with
a combination of vote decisions made by the voter through the voting
screen(s)(e.g., 206, 216,
222) and through the telephone voting system.
[00044] Additional Illustrative Examples of Some Embodiments of the
Instant Invention
[00045] Example 1
[00046] In some embodiments, the instant invention enables the Internet's
proxy vote web
sites to be fully integrated with e-delivery communication to portable devices
of limited
computer interface abilities. In some embodiments, the instant invention
enables the retail
shareholder to vote using portable devices of limited computer interface
abilities. In some
embodiments, the instant invention enables the retail shareholder to vote
using their mobile
phone by providing e-mail with a smart link that logs them directly into the
proxy voting web
site and land on a page displaying the agenda to be voted on. From there they
should be able to
clearly read the agenda language and easily submit their voting instructions.
In some
embodiments, the instant invention increases shareholder participation.
[00047] Example 2
[00048] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more of
the
following functionalities:
[00049] 1) E-delivery Integration - Ability for user to open c-delivery
e-mail on mobile
device, click link to Proxyvote.com and land on agenda to be voted.
12
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[00050] 2) Mobile device support - The application should be functional
in all mobile
devices that support web browsing.
[00051] 3) Authentication and Authorization - Control number and PIN
based
authentication as well as Meeting and control number authorization.
[00052] 4) Proxy Voting - Display of agenda to be voted on based on control
number and
capture of voting instructions.
[00053] 5) Viewing of Electronic Proxy Material - Ability for
shareholder to click links to
HTML and PDF versions of Proxy Material and view on their mobile device.
[00054] 6) Legal Proxy.
[00055] 7) Notice and Access Fulfillment - Ability for shareholders to
request printed
copies of proxy material for Notice and Access mailings.
[00056] 8) Display of Appointee Language - Display of Appointee
language prior to
agenda when applicable.
[00057] 9) Shareholder Forum and VSM content when applicable -
Display of
Shareholder Forum and Virtual Annual Meeting content when applicable.
[00058] 10) Multi Lingual Capabilities - Support for English, French
and Dutch
languages.
[00059] 11) Blocking of Certain Agenda Types - Ability to block user
from accessing
agendas not supported in this release and display a message. Examples included
Canadian jobs
and Contest short slates.
[00060] 12) Confirmation E-mails - Provide e-mail confirmation box on
final page that
allows user to request an e-mail confirmation. Have users e-mail address
filled in as default if
available.
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[00061] 13) Contest short slate agendas - On contest opposition
agendas with short
slate enabled, display a text box with custom verbiage (customizable thru
Workbench) preceding
it. This text box will be used by the voters to vote for the nominees that are
not displayed on the
voting page.
[00062] 14) On Canadian jobs (BC service type), display an Appointee
text box that
allows a shareholder to supply the name of an individual who will serve as
their Proxy at the
meeting and vote on their behalf
[00063] 15) Annual Interim Questions (AIQ) may apply to Canadian jobs
only. Allows
the shareholder to request Annual Interim Financial Statements through extra
questions to be
displayed at the bottom of the agenda page.
[00064] 16) Custom Branded Web Sites - Provide capability to custom
brand the mobile
proxy voting website site for an issuer, fund or broker.
[00065] 17) Investor Delivery Support - Have proxy voting website and
PV Mobile
site incorporate the functionality of Investor Delivery. Requires Investor
Delivery exit strategy.
[00066] Example 3
[00067] In some embodiments of the instant invention, e-delivery e-mails
are sent nightly
to all shareholders that have opted in for that delivery service. In some
embodiments of the
instant invention, the e-mails contain information about a company's annual
meeting along with
a link to, for example, Proxyvote.com. In some embodiments of the instant
invention, the e-mails
are sent in either text or HTML format. In some embodiments of the instant
invention, the link to
proxy vote is always clickable. In some embodiments of the instant invention,
the actual URL to
Proxyvote.com has the shareholders control number embedded in so that Proxy
vote can accept
this parameter and automatically log them in.
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[00068] Example 4
[00069] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the following is
an exemplary
integration and flow between e-delivery e-mails and a proxy voting website:
[00070] 1) User receives e-delivery e-mail on their mobile device.
[00071] 2) From the same mobile device, the user clicks link to a proxy
voting website in
their e-mail.
[00072] 3) The proxy voting website recognizes that a mobile device is
attempting to
access it and redirects them to the Mobile proxy voting website application,
keeping all of the
URL parameters (control number) in place.
[00073] 4) The instant invention parses control number out of the Query
String and
authenticates the user.
[00074] 5) Upon successful authentication the user is routed to the
Agenda Page which
displays the agenda that is associated with the control number they logged in
with.
[00075] Example 5
[00076] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more of
the
following additional functionalities:
[00077] 1) supporting any mobile device that supports web browsing
[00078] 2) unbeknownst to the user, proxy voting website will detect
that they are
accessing the site from a mobile device and route them to a mobile compatible
web site.
.. Depending on the type of mobile device being used, the web site will be
rendered to best provide
all of the site features and functionality in a manner that allows for optimum
usability. The end
result should be a delighted shareholder as a result of their extremely quick
and successful
mobile proxy voting experience
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[00079] Example 6
[00080] In some embodiments, a user interface of a user's device can be
optimized for
mobile devices and provides the user with an app-like (e.g., iPone's applets)
experience.
[00081] Example 7: Authentication and Authorization
[00082] In some embodiments, the instant invention uses a 12 digit control
number to
authenticate and authorize a shareholder. The control number is associated
with the company's
meeting and agenda to be voted on. There arc business rules that prevent
meetings to be voted on
or after meeting date as well as certain control number status codes that are
not votabte. These
business rules are mostly handled through authentication API.
[00083] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more of
the
following additional functionalities:
[00084] 1) The mobile web application will need to call in to the proxy
voting website's
authentication API (e.g., getAccountDetails) to authenticate the control
number and retrieve all
of the associated account business data required to proceed.
[00085] 2) Upon successful authentication the user should be routed to the
agenda page
for voting.
[00086] 3) If authentication or authentication failed, the appropriate
error message should
be displayed. Examples of error messages follow:
[00087] PROXY VOTING
[00088] Example 8
[00089] In some embodiments, the instant invention can display agenda to
be voted on
based on control number and capture of voting instructions.
16
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=
[00090] Example 9: Viewing of Electronic Proxy Material
[00091] In some embodiments, the instant invention can provide
electronic access to
meeting-related materials (e.g., Annual Reports, Proxy Materials) in PDF or
HTML format.
[00092] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more
of the
following additional functionalities:
[00093] 1) The mobile proxy voting website should allow viewing of this
electronic
material. The links will be viewable and clickable from the Agenda page.
[00094] 2) The links will be retrieved by calling into the Meeting API.
[00095] 3) In addition, the instant invention can track every time a
Material link is clicked.
This is accomplished by calling into the Material Link API.
[00096] Example 10: Legal Proxy
[00097] In some embodiments, the instant invention can allow a
shareholder to indicate
that they will attend the meeting and vote their shares in person (and in the
process forfeit the
ability to do so online). This process is referred to as requesting Legal
Proxy. Once a request for
Legal Proxy is processed, the user will no longer be able to access the Agenda
screen and vote in
proxy voting website. Figure 3 shows an exemplary screen of the legal proxy
language provided
to the voter.
[00098] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more
of the
following additional functionalities:
[00099] I) The mobile voting web can record the shareholder consent for
attending a
fleeting and submitting the votes at the meeting.
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CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[000100] .. 2) The mobile voting web can allow the shareholder to provide
their email
address if they wish to be notified when their votes are recorded for the
tabulation. This e-mail
address should default if available.
[000101] 3) All the validations for the legal proxy is at the meeting
level, A Legal proxy
.. block will appear to the shareholder based, for example, on the following
conditions in the
meeting DTO are met:
[000102] If the Meeting_Type_cd is not `R'
[000103] .. If the Vote instruction is not '4'
[000104] If the Market_Key is not 'BC' or `DE'
[000105] In some embodiments, Table 1 provides exemplary exceptions on when
the Legal
Proxy can be presented to the shareholder.
Table 1
Meeting Types Exceptions
Vote Meeting Type
Instruction Code Meeting Type Legal Option
4 R Registered No
3 R Beneficial Yes
Beneficial Yes
1 R Beneficial Yes
Beneficial Yes
[000106] .. Any combinations of other meeting type codes and Vote instructions
(except R
and 4) have legal option. Vote instruction code '4' may indicate it's a
registered meeting
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[000107] Example 11
[000108] Notice and Access Fulfillment
[000109] In some embodiments, when a job mails using Notice and Access
(no paper
material was mailed to the shareholder by default ¨ the shareholder has to
explicitly request it), a
shareholder can request an email or paper delivery of the electronic materials
and can also elect
to enroll for email or paper delivery of this material in the future. In some
embodiments, there
arc the following fulfillment options that the shareholder can choose from on
Notice and Access
mailings:
[000110] 1) Please send a full set of proxy materials related to this
control number to the
same address as the Notice at no cost to me.
[000111] 2) Please send a full set of proxy materials by mail for all
future meetings to the
same address as the Notice at no cost to me and email the proxy materials
related to this control
number to the email address below.
[000112] 3) Please send a full set of proxy materials related to this
control number by email
to the email address below.
[000113] 4) Please send a full set of proxy materials related to this
control number by mail
for this meeting and for all future meetings to the same address as the Notice
at no cost to me.
[000114] ln some embodiments, Option (1) & (2) are for enrolling in the
Fulfillment
Request Service for Proxy materials by email, so the email address is
mandatory, when a
shareholder chooses either ( I) or (2).
[000115] In some embodiments, Option (3) and (4) is for enrolling in the
Fulfillment
Request Service for proxy materials by mail or printed copies of the
materials, so the email
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CA 02779834 2012-06-13
address is optional. The email address provided with either of these options
will be ignored or
recorded in the database for future use.
[000116] Example 12
[000117] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more
of the
following additional functionalities:
[000118] 1) The mobile proxy voting website can capture fulfillment
requests (the
fulfillment option may be made available up until 12 months after meeting
date.) Since voting is
typically allowed only until Meeting Date, the agenda page should not allow
voting and only
fulfillment between Meeting Date and 12 months after. In some embodiments, the
fulfillment
options can be also presented as follows:
[000119] 1) Please send the proxy materials related to this control
number to the same
address as the Notice at no cost to me.
[000 I 20] 2) Please send a full set of proxy materials related to this
control number by email
to the following email address: __
[000121] 3) [ ] Check this box if you'd like to select this preference for
all future mailings.
[000122] Exam le 13: Display of Appointee Language
[000123] In some embodiments of the instant invention, a proxy voting
website can display
an Appointee Block, static verbiage relating to the agenda being presented, on
the agenda page
just above where the votable agenda is displayed. In some embodiments of the
instant invention,
the display of this section is dynamic and dependent on the existence of a
"Flash ID".
[000124] Example 14:
[000125] Shareholder Forum and VSM content when applicable.
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[000126] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the mobile proxy
voting website
shareholder portal page is an interim page that is only displayed if the user
has logged in to a
meeting that has mailed Notice and Access, or that Issuer has a Shareholder
Forum or Virtual
Shareholder Meeting available.
[000127] The Shareholder Forum is a venue for validated shareholders of an
Issuer to
collaborate with the Issuer and other shareholders. The Virtual Annual Meeting
is a web
application that hosts an Issuer's annual meeting live online. Validated
shareholders can vote,
ask questions, and view material while watching the meeting in real time.
[000128] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more
of the
following additional functionalities:
[000129] 1) The mobile proxy voting website can display information when
a Shareholder
forum and/or Virtual Meeting is available.
[000130] 2) Displaying dynamic content on the agenda page.
[000131] 3) Using indicators (available in the MeetingDTO after calling
the
getMeetingDetails API) should be referenced to determine if a Shareholder
forum and/or Virtual
Meeting are available.
[000132] Example 15: Multi-Lingual Capability
[000133] In some embodiments, the instant invention can have one or more
of the
following additional functionalitics:
[000134] 1) Multilanguage support (e.g., English, French, Dutch, etc.).
[000135] 2) Providing a wizard to define a default site for each language
and market
specifically. For example, the below matrix, Table 2, shows the exemplary
correspondence to
Site ID's:
21
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Table 2.
SITE ID = SITE NAME.= MARIKEI. ==SITE LANGUAGE L ANG U AG E_CD
0 Default C EN
(Generic Site)
Default Canada BC EN 1
site
-1 Canada French BC FR 2
default site
Default NI, NL 3
NetherLand site
[000136] In some embodiments, English is a default language. In some
embodiments, users
are given the ability to toggle between English, French and Dutch on the home
page. Once the
user logs in with their control number their language preference, as returned
by the Account API
can be used throughout their user session.
[000137] Example 15: Blocking Of Certain Agenda Types
[000138] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides ability to
block user from
accessing agendas not supported in this release and display a message.
Examples included
Canadian jobs and Contest short slates.
[000139] Example 16: Confirmation E-mails
[000140] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides e-mail
confirmation box on
final page that allows user to request an e-mail confirmation. Have users e-
mail address filled in
as default if available.
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[000141] Example 17: Contest short slate agendas
[000142] In some embodiments, the instant invention provides contest
opposition agendas
with short slate enabled, display a text box with custom verbiage preceding
it. In some
embodiments, contest opposition agendas will be used by the voters to vote for
the nominees that
are not displayed on the voting page.
[000143] Example 18: Canadian Appointee Name
[000144] On Canadian jobs (BC service type), in some embodiments, the
instant invention
can display an Appointee text box that allows a shareholder to supply the name
of an individual
who will serve as their Proxy at the meeting and vote on their behalf.
[000145] Canadian Annual Interim Questions (AIQ)
[000146] In some embodiments, the instant invention may allow the
shareholder to request
Annual Interim Financial Statements through extra questions to be displayed at
the bottom of the
agenda page.
[000147] Example 19: Investor Delivery Support
[000148] In some embodiments, the instant invention may provide a
functionality of
electronic delivery of proxy and investment-related materials. In some
embodiments, the instant
invention may require Investor Delivery exit strategy.
[000149] Example 20
[000150] In some embodiments, the instant invention can be implemented
as shown in
Figures 4A-4E.
[000151] Example 21:
[000152] In some embodiments, the instant invention can provide a
functionality to initiate
a voting (e.g., shareholder proxy voting) on a mobile electronic device when a
voter uses a
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
mobile electronic device to acquire initiation instruction(s) that activate
the voting process on the
user's mobile electronic device. In some embodiments, the initiation
instruction(s) can be coded
into Quick Response Code(s) (e.g., QR code, 2D Bar Code or any other suitable
scanable
identifier) on a physical printed form(s)/document(s) mailed to voters. In
some embodiments,
shoppers with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software may
scan the image of
the QR Code displayed through an electronic device by the inventive computer
system causing
the phone's browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. This act of
linking from
physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks.
For example,
Google's mobile Android operating system supports the use of QR codes by
natively including
the barcode scanner (ZXing) on some models and the browser supports URI
redirection, which
allows QR Codes to send metadata to existing applications on the device.
Another example,
Nokia's symbian operating system is also provided with a barcode scanner,
which is able to read
QR Codes.
[000153] In
some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, QR code can be printed on a Proxy
Notice which is provided to shareholders. In some embodiments, initiation
instruction(s)
encoded/embedded in a QR code can include an online locator (e.g., web site,
"cloud" source
pointer) for voting choices and/or voting material. For
example, in some embodiments,
initiation instruction(s) encoded/embedded in a QR code can include a resource
locator and
voter's unique identifier (e.g., a unique number assigned by vote conducting
authority or an
intermediary that is responsible for gathering votes), as, for example,
follows: URL for
ProxyVote.com and the voter's embedded control number:
www.proxyvote.com/O[control
number] (e.g., www.proxyvote.com/012345678912.)
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[000154] In some embodiments, initiation instruction(s) encoded/embedded
in a QR code
can include an online locator for voting choices, the voter's unique
identifier, and/or the voter's
authentication information.
[000155] In some embodiments, initiation instruction(s) encoded/embedded
in a QR code
can include an online locator for voting choices and instructions to identify
and/or authenticate
the voter by, for example, performing one of the following, but not limiting
to, by utilizing the
voter's mobile electronic device:
[000156] a) identifying the mobile electronic device that the user uses
to assess the voting;
[000157] b) determining that the user owns the mobile electronic device
that the user uses
to assess the voting; and
[000158] c) electronically requesting from a service provider to confirm
the identity of the
user who uses the mobile electronic device which is used to assess the voting.
[000159] In some embodiments, for example, after the user/voter scans a
QR code,
initiation instruction(s) encoded/embedded in the QR code can include instruct
the user's mobile
electronic device to directly bring the user into voting without performing
any additional
identification and/or authorization procedures.
[000160] In some embodiments, a shareholder can use the built-in camera
of their mobile
device to scan the barcode with an embedded control number and the URL for
ProxyVote.com
and be taken directly to ProxyVote.com. In some embodiments, the invention
allows to combine
the voting process of the present invention with a single click access to
voting and/or voting
materials (e.g., DEF14A) by, for example but not limiting to, just pressing a
button on the mobile
device.
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[000161] In some embodiments, the inventive computer system and methods
may utilize
devices that can communicate via IEEE 802.11b, a wireless networking standard,
e.g., wireless
chipsets.
[000162] In some embodiments, the inventive computer system and methods
may utilize
devices with technologies such as NetSense, UPnP, iReady, Bluetooth as a
communication
medium.
[000163] In another embodiment, a remote voting system can dynamically
configure the
voter's mobile device with a user interface for voting in accordance with the
described
embodiments of the present invention. To do so, for example, the voter's
mobile device can
transmit user interface information that specifies components of a user
interface. The user
interface information can be structured in an open format. The components can
be related to
application level control of the service provided by the network appliance.
For example, the
networked device can use XML to format name-value pairs, i.e., names of
components and
current values associated with the components. The host then generates the
user interface from a
component repository and sets values as indicated by the networked device.
[000164] In some embodiments, the user interface can also display
components related to
lower level control such as an information about the networked device (e.g.,
on, off, online,
offline, error, product category, UPC, and the like); communications
configuration (e.g., IP
address, port, network connection, and the like); position intelligence (e.g.,
data from Global
positioning system (GPS), position on a floor plan, etc.) and/or location
intelligence (neighboring
networked/non-networked device(s)).
[000165] In some embodiments, the instant invention can utilize Near
field
communications, or NEC, which is a set of short-range wireless technologies,
typically requiring
26
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
a distance of 10 cm or less. NFC operates at 13.56 MHz and at rates ranging
from 106 kbit/s to
848 kbit/s. NFC always involves an initiator and a target; the initiator,
typically, actively
generates a RF field that can power a passive target.
[000166] In some embodiments, the encoded paper documents or posters
displayed in
corporate meetings are initiators and voters' mobile devices are targets. This
can enable NFC
targets to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or
cards that do not
require batteries.
[000167] In some embodiments, NFC can be an open platform technology
standardized in,
for instance, ECMA-340 and ISO/IEC 18092 standards. These standards specify
the modulation
schemes, coding, transfer speeds and frame format of the RF interface of NFC
devices, as well as
initialization schemes and conditions required for data collision-control
during initialization for
both passive and active NFC modes. Furthermore, they also define the transport
protocol,
including protocol activation and data-exchange methods.
[000168] In some embodiments, voters' electronic device may utilize the
CCD (Charge
Coupled Device) which is a solid state image pickup device for ciccro-
optically converting the
optical image of a code, and the F/E-IC (Front End integrated Circuit)
includes a CDS
(Correlation Double Sampling) circuit for performing correlation double
sampling used to
remove image noise, an AGC (Automatic Gain Control) for performing gain
adjusting, an A/D
(Analog-to-Digital) converter for performing digital signal conversion, a CCD
mechanism which
.. is typically supplied with a vertical synchronization signal (hereinafter,
referred to as a VD) and
a horizontal synchronization signal (hereinafter, referred to as an SD) from
the CCD and
controlled by a CPU, and a TG (Timing Generator) for generating a driving
timing signal for the
F/E-1C.
27
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[000169] In some embodiments, the instant invention can provide a
computer-implemented
method that at least include the steps of: providing, by a computer system, to
a mobile electronic
device of a voter, information identifying a plurality of vote issues;
enabling the mobile
electronic device of the voter to transmit to the computer system at least one
vote of the voter on
at least one vote issue from the plurality of the vote issues, wherein the
enabling is based at least
in part on: at least one first software instruction that instructs the mobile
electronic device of the
voter to present a first vote issue from the provided plurality of vote
issues, at least one second
software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter
to receive a first vote
from the voter on the first vote issue from the provided plurality of vote
issues, wherein the voter
submits the first vote by a first single action performed immediately after
the presentation of the
first vote issue and without any intervening action, at least one third
software instruction that
instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to transmit the received
first vote from the
voter on the first vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues to
the computer system, at
least one fourth software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic
device of the voter to
present a second vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues, at
least one fifth software
instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to
receive a second vote from
the voter on the second vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues,
wherein the voter
submits the second vote by a second single action performed immediately after
the presentation
of the second vote issue and without any intervening action, at least one
sixth software
instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to
transmit the received second
vote from the voter on the second vote issue from the provided plurality of
vote issues to the
computer system, wherein the first vote is transmitted by the mobile
electronic device of the
voter to the computer system before the second vote is transmitted by the
electronic device of the
28
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
voter to the computer system; and processing, by the computer system, the
first and the second
votes of the voter as official votes of the voter on the first and second vote
issues from the
provided plurality of vote issues hereby enabling the voter to separately vote
on each vote issue
from the provided plurality of vote issues.
[000170] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include receiving from the mobile electronic device of the voter at
least one
authentication identifier.
[000171] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include identifying the mobile electronic device of the voter as a
particular mobile
electronic device based, at least in part, on one or more of the following
characteristics: a) a
brand, b) a model, and c) a geographic location.
[000172] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include reformatting the information identifying the plurality of vote
issues for displaying
on the particular mobile electronic device.
[000173] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the step of the
providing, to the
mobile electronic device of the voter, the information identifying the
plurality of vote issues can
further include: providing at least one access instruction to the voter, where
the at least one
access instruction is in coded on a paper document, and where the at least one
access instruction
allows the voter to receive, utilizing the mobile electronic device, the
information identifying the
plurality of vote issues. In some embodiments of the instant invention, the at
least one access
29
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
instruction allows the voter to receive, by performing a single action with
the mobile electronic
device, the information identifying the plurality of vote issues. In some
embodiments of the
instant invention, the single action is when the voter taps on a button of the
mobile electronic
device, instructing the mobile electronic device to acquire the at least one
access instruction. In
some embodiments of the instant invention, the at least one access instruction
is encoded on the
paper document in at least one QR code, some embodiments of the instant
invention, the mobile
electronic device acquires the at least one access instruction by acquiring at
least one image of
the at least one QR code.
[000174] In some embodiments, the instant invention can provide a
computer system that at
least includes the following components: a non-transient memory having at
least one region for
storing computer executable program code; and at least one processor for
executing the program
code stored in the non-transient memory, wherein the program code that at
least includes: code to
provide to a mobile electronic device of a voter, information identifying a
plurality of vote
issues; code to enable the mobile electronic device of the voter to transmit
to the computer
system at least one vote of the voter on at least one vote issue from the
plurality of the vote
issues, wherein the enabling is based at least in part on: at least one first
software instruction that
instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to present a first vote
issue from the provided
plurality of vote issues, at least one second software instruction that
instructs the mobile
electronic device of the voter to receive a first vote from the voter on the
first vote issue from the
provided plurality of vote issues, wherein the voter submits the first vote by
a first single action
performed immediately after the presentation of the first vote issue and
without any intervening
action, at least one third software instruction that instructs the mobile
electronic device of the
voter to transmit the received first vote from the voter on the first votc
issue from the provided
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
plurality of vote issues to the computer system, at least one fourth software
instruction that
instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter to present a second vote
issue from the
provided plurality of vote issues, at least one fifth software instruction
that instructs the mobile
electronic device of the voter to receive a second vote from the voter on the
second vote issue
from the provided plurality of vote issues, wherein the voter submits the
second vote by a second
single action performed immediately after the presentation of the second vote
issue and without
any intervening action, at least one sixth software instruction that instructs
the mobile electronic
device of the voter to transmit the received second vote from the voter on the
second vote issue
from the provided plurality of vote isSues to the computer system, wherein the
first vote is
transmitted by the mobile electronic device of the voter to the computer
system before the
second vote is transmitted by the electronic device of the voter to the
computer system; and code
to process the first and the second votes of the voter as official votes of
the voter on the first and
second vote issues from the provided plurality of vote issues hereby enabling
the voter to
separately vote on each vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues.
[000175] In some embodiments, the instant invention can provide a mobile
electronic
device that at least includes the following components: at least one processor
programmed to
execute program code received by the mobile electronic device from a computer
system, wherein
the mobile electronic device and the computer system are connected through a
network and
wherein the program code at least includes: code to provide to the voter
information identifying a
plurality of vote issues; and code to enable the mobile electronic device to
transmit at least one
vote of the voter on at least one vote issue from the plurality of the vote
issues, wherein the
enabling is based at least in part on: at least one first software instruction
that instructs the
mobile electronic device of the voter to present a first vote issue from the
provided plurality of
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CA 02779834 2012-06-13
vote issues, at least one second software instruction that instructs the
mobile electronic device of
the voter to receive a first vote from the voter on the first vote issue from
the provided plurality
of vote issues, wherein the voter submits the first vote by a first single
action performed
immediately after the presentation of the first vote issue and without any
intervening action, at
least one third software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic
device of the voter to
transmit the received first vote from the voter on the first vote issue from
the provided plurality
of vote issues, at least one fourth software instruction that instructs the
mobile electronic device
of the voter to present a second vote issue from the provided plurality of
vote issues, at least one
fifth software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the
voter to receive a
second vote from the voter on the second vote issue from the provided
plurality of vote issues,
wherein the voter submits the second vote by a second single action performed
immediately after
the presentation of the second vote issue and without any intervening action,
at least one sixth
software instruction that instructs the mobile electronic device of the voter
to transmit the
received second vote from the voter on the second vote issue from the provided
plurality of vote
issues, wherein the first vote is transmitted by the mobile electronic device
of the voter before
the second vote is transmitted by the electronic device of the voter hereby
enabling the voter to
separately vote on each vote issue from the provided plurality of vote issues.
[000176] In some embodiments of the instant invention, the first and the
second votes of
the voter are official votes of the voter on the first and second vote issues
from the provided
plurality of vote issues.
[000177] Illustrative Operating Environments of Some Embodiments of the
Instant
Invention.
[000178] Example 21
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[000179] Figure 5 illustrates one embodiment of an environment in which
the present
invention can operate. However, not all of these components may be required to
practice the
invention, and variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be
made without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. In some embodiment, the
system hosts a
.. large number of members and concurrent transactions. In other embodiments,
the system is
based on a scalable computer and network architecture that incorporates varied
strategies for
assessing the data, caching, searching, and database connection pooling. An
example of the
scalable architecture is an architecture that is capable of operating multiple
servers.
[000180] In some embodiments, client devices 502-504 include virtually
any computing
device capable of receiving and sending a message over a network, such as
network 505, to and
from another computing device, such as servers 506 and 507, each other, and
the like. In
embodiments, the set of such devices includes devices that typically connect
using a wired
communications medium such as personal computers, multiprocessor systems,
microprocessor-
based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, and the like. In
embodiments, the
set of such devices also includes devices that typically connect using a
wireless communications
medium such as cell phones, smart phones, pagers, walkic talkies, radio
frequency (RP) devices,
infrared (IR) devices, CBs, integrated devices combining one or more of the
preceding devices,
or virtually any mobile device, and the like. Similarly, in some embodiments,
client devices 502-
504 are any mobile device that is capable of connecting using a wired or
wireless communication
medium such as a PDA, POCKET PC, wearable electronic device (such as cellular
phone, smart
phone, or other equivalent mobile devices), and any other device that is
equipped to
communicate over a wired and/or wireless communication medium.
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[000181] In some embodiments, each client device within client devices
502-504 includes a
browser application that is configured to receive and to send web pages, and
the like. In
embodiments, the browser application is configured to receive and display
graphics, text,
multimedia, and the like, employing virtually any web based language,
including, but not limited
to Standard Generalized Markup Language (SMGL), such as HyperText Markup
Language
(HTML), a wireless application protocol (WAP), a Handheld Device Markup
Language
(HDML), such as Wireless Markup Language (WML), WMLScript, JavaScript, and the
like. In
embodiments, The Investor Network is programmed in either Java or .Net.
[000182] In embodiments, client devices 502-504 are further configured to
receive a
message from the another computing device employing another mechanism,
including, but not
limited to email, Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service
(MMS), instant
messaging (IM), internet relay chat (IRC), mIRC, Jabber, and the like.
[000183] In embodiments, network 505 is configured to couple one
computing device to
another computing device to enable them to communicate. In embodiments,
network 105 is
enabled to employ any form of computer readable media for communicating
information from
one electronic device to another. Also, in embodiments, network 505 includes a
wireless
interface, andlor a wired interface, such as the Internet, in addition to
local area networks
(LANs), wide area networks (WANs), direct connections, such as through a
universal serial bus
(USB) port, other forms of computer-readable media, or any combination
thereof. In
embodiments, on an interconnected set of LANs, including those based on
differing architectures
and protocols, a router acts as a link between LANs, enabling messages to be
sent from one to
another.
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
[000184] Also, in some embodiments, communication links within LANs
typically include
twisted wire pair or coaxial cable, while communication links between networks
may utilize
analog telephone lines, full or fractional dedicated digital lines including
Ti, T2, T3, and T4,
Integrated Services Digital Networks (1SDNs), Digital Subscriber Lines (DSLs),
wireless links
including satellite links, or other communications links known to those
skilled in the art.
Furthermore, in embodiments, remote computers and other related electronic
devices could be
remotely connected to either LANs or WANs via a modem and temporary telephone
link, in
essence, in embodiments, network 505 includes any communication method by
which
information may travel between client devices 502-504, and servers 506 and
507.
[000185] Example 22
[000186] Figure 6 shows another exemplary embodiment of the computer and
network
architecture that can support the disclosed systems and methods of the instant
invention. The
client devices 602a, 602b thru 602n shown each comprises a computer-readable
medium, such as
a random access memory (RAM) 608 coupled to a processor 610. The processor 610
executes
computer-executable program instructions stored in memory 608. Such processors
comprise a
microprocessor, an AS1C, and state machines. Such processors comprise, or are
in
communication with, media, for example computer-readable media, which stores
instructions
that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps
described herein.
Embodiments of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, an
electronic, optical,
magnetic, or other storage or transmission device capable of providing a
processor, such as the
processor 610 of client 602a, with computer-readable instructions. Other
examples of suitable
media include, but are not limited to, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic
disk, memory
chip, ROM, RAM, an AS1C, a configured processor, all optical media, all
magnetic tape or other
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
magnetic media, or any other medium from which a computer processor can read
instructions.
Also, various other forms of computer-readable media transmit or carry
instructions to a
computer, including a router, private or public network, or other transmission
device or channel,
both wired and wireless. The instructions comprise code from any computer-
programming
language, including, for example, C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java, Python,
Peri, and JavaScript.
[000187] Client devices 602a-n also comprise a number of external or
internal devices such
as a mouse, a CD-ROM, DVD, a keyboard, a display, or other input or output
devices. Examples
of client devices 602a-n are personal computers, digital assistants, personal
digital assistants,
cellular phones, mobile phones, smart phones, pagers, digital tablets, laptop
computers, Internet
appliances, and other processor-based devices. In general, a client device
602a are any type of
processor-based platform that is connected to a network 206 and that interacts
with one or more
application programs. Client devices 602a-n operate on any operating system
capable of
supporting a browser or browser-enabled application, such as MicrosoftTM,
WindowsTm, or
Linux. The client devices 202a-n shown include, for example, personal
computers executing a
browser application program such as Microsoft Corporation's Internet
Explorercm, Apple
Computer, Inc.'s Safari, Mozil la Firefox, Google Chrome, and/or Opera.
[000188] Through the client devices 602a-n participants 612a-n
communicate over the
network 606 with the system. As shown in Figure 6, server devices 604 and 613
are also
coupled to the network 606.
[000189] For the purposes of this disclosure, a computer readable medium is
a medium that
stores computer data/instructions in machine readable form. By way of example,
and not
limitation, a computer readable medium can comprise computer storage media as
well as
communication media, methods or signals. Computer storage media includes
volatile and non-
36
CA 02779834 2012-06-13
volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or
technology for
storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data
structures, program modules
or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM,
ROM, EPROM,
EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology; CD-ROM, DVD, or
other
optical storage; cassettes, tape, disk, or other magnetic storage devices; or
any other medium
which can be used to tangibly store the desired information and which can be
accessed by the
computer.
[000190] Further, the present invention may, of course, be implemented
using any
appropriate computer readable medium, computer system(s), computer hardware
and/or
computer software. In this regard, those of ordinary skill in the art are well
versed in the type of
computer hardware that may be used (e.g., a mainframe, a mini-computer, a
personal computer
("PC"), a network (e.g., an intranct and/or the Internet)), the type of
computer programming
techniques that may be used (e.g., object oriented programming), and the type
of computer
programming languages that may be used (e.g., C++, Basic). The aforementioned
examples are,
of course, illustrative and not restrictive.
[000191] While a number of embodiments of the present invention have been
described, it
is understood that these embodiments are illustrative only, and not
restrictive, and that many
modifications may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Further, any steps
described herein may be carried out in any desired order (and any steps may be
added and/or
deleted).
37
