Method and apparatus for providing a gift using a mobile communication network and system including the apparatus

• US 10,007,899 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eleven Street Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Choi, Kyung-Lim, Cho, Jae-Hee, Joo, Hyo-Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/755,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2682, 705 27, 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus of providing a gift icon using a communication network. The apparatus includes: a product information management unit configured to provide product information about products to be provided as a gift and Unique Resource Locator (URL) information corresponding to the product information, to a purchaser terminal; a gift icon management unit configured to manage gift icons corresponding to the products, and manage whether the gift icon has been used or not; and a control unit configured to select at least one of the products provided by the product information management unit, and when a receipt terminal to receive the at least one selected product is selected, and then a settlement of the at least one selected product has been finished, provide the gift icon corresponding to the at least one selected product, to the receipt terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus of providing a gift icon using a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a product information management module configured to provide product information about products to be provided as a gift, to a user terminal;

an address book management module configured to

manage an address book including at least one group consisting at least one of a telephone number and e-mail address of a recipient terminal, and

provide the address book in response to a request from the user terminal;

a gift icon management module configured to

manage gift icons corresponding to the products, and

manage whether the gift icon has been used or not; and

a control module configured to

select at least one product of the products provided by the product information management unit in response to a selection from the user terminal, and

when the recipient terminal, from the provided address book, is selected, and then a settlement of the selected at least one product has been finished, provide the gift icon corresponding to the selected at least one product, to the recipient terminal,

wherein, when the gift icon has been used, the apparatus is configured to receive a confirmation message confirming the use of the gift icon, and

wherein, when the apparatus receives the confirmation message, the apparatus prohibits a further use of the gift icon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein, when a button for providing the gift, displayed on a screen of the user terminal is selected, the control module is configured to provide a settlement screen, which corresponds to the selected button for providing the gift, to the user terminal, and,

wherein, when a button for requesting the gift, displayed on a screen of the recipient terminal is selected, the control module is configured to provide a guide message and the settlement screen on a screen of the recipient terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gift icon management module is further configured to manage downloading, using, and usable period expiring of the gift icon, in conjunction with the address book.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user terminal and the recipient terminal are wired terminals or mobile terminals.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the user terminal and the recipient terminal is configured to

operate a software for transmitting and receiving messages or data in real time through the communication network, and

transmit and receive the gift icon through the software.