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

• US 10,115,090 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eleven Street 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 Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/755,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2682, 705 272, 705 261, 705 2635, 705 2661, 705 2681, 235375, 235376, 358 118
• 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 a method for providing a gift icon by a communication network. The method includes providing information about products to a user terminal connected with the gift provision apparatus through the communication network; when a gift is selected by the user terminal, providing an address book corresponding to the user terminal, to the user terminal; when information of at least one receipt terminal is selected from the address book, providing a message including a URL (Unique Resource Locator) of a gift icon corresponding to a product corresponding to the selected gift, to the selected receipt terminal; and when the receipt terminal connects with the gift provision apparatus using the URL and requests download of the gift icon, providing the gift icon to the receipt terminal.

Claims

1. A method for providing a gift icon, the method performed by a gift provision apparatus through a communication network, the method comprising:

managing a plurality of address books comprising user contact information;

providing information about products to a user terminal connected with the gift provision apparatus through the communication network;

receiving, from the user terminal, selected information on a selected product corresponding to a gift icon, wherein the gift icon includes a usage period identifying a valid usage period for the gift icon;

providing, to the user terminal, an address book corresponding to the user terminal among the managed plurality of address books;

receiving, from the user terminal, a selection of a recipient terminal among the provided address book;

receiving, from the recipient terminal, a redemption signal corresponding to the gift icon, wherein the redemption signal includes the usage period;

determining whether a usage period has elapsed based on the usage period;

when the usage period is determined to have elapsed, transmitting a prohibition message to the user terminal;

when the usage period is determined not to have elapsed, providing, to the user terminal, an electronic message including a Unique Resource Locator (URL) URL directed to the gift icon; and

when the selected recipient terminal connects with the gift provision apparatus using the URL and requests download of the gift icon, managing download of the gift icon and redemption of the selected product.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said providing the message comprises:

when the address book comprises a plurality of groups, and at least one group is selected from the plurality of groups of the address book, transmitting a web page or a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) page, for settlement, to the user terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

confirming settlement has been performed by transferring money or using credit card information, providing the gift icon to the recipient terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing, to the user terminal, at least one of a first guide message regarding a repayment of money corresponding to the gift icon which is determined not to have been used during the usage period, and a second guide message regarding a conversion of the gift icon which is determined not to have been used during the usage period to reserve money.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when at least one of a download period of the gift icon or the usage period of the gift icon is set, and when at least one of the download period or the usable period has expired, prohibiting a download or a usage of the gift icon.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the recipient terminal accepts the gift icon in a shop, registering an acceptance completion message transmitted from a terminal of the shop.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing contents of gift icons transmitted from a predetermined period to the user terminal.