System and method for providing personalized messaging

• US 10,389,671 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Inventors: Westphal, Geoffry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fiorillo, James N
• Application Number:
  US14/024,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709204, 709203, 709231, 4554122, 455466, 715200, 715232, 707769, 34053913, 705 267, 705 30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

A user associates a supply chain event with a personalized message. The system causes the personalized message (or a link thereto) to be sent to a recipient using a selected dissemination method when the supply chain event occurs.

Claims

1. A non-transient computer readable storage media have stored thereon instructions for making a recorded video and/or audio message available to a second party, the instructions performing steps comprising:

providing to a client computing device one or more user interface elements by which a first party, different than the second party, associates a specific triggering event originating from a third party, different than the second party and the first party, with the recorded video and/or audio message and an address used to electronically transmit the recorded video and/or audio message to the second party upon the occurrence of the specific triggering event;

monitoring a supply chain management system associated with the third party to discern the occurrence of the specific triggering event; and

upon the occurrence of the specific triggering event automatically causing at least one of a link to the recorded video and/or audio message and the recorded video and/or audio message to be electronically transmitted to the second party via use of the address;

wherein the third party is a vendor of a product, the first party is a purchaser of the product, the second party is an intended recipient of the ordered product, and the specific triggering event comprises a product order placed with the vendor by the first party being provided with a status within the supply chain management system of having been completed, out for shipment, delivered, or picked up, a wizard is invoked at a predetermined point in an on-line process used by the first party to place the product order with the vendor, and the wizard functions to provide the user-interface elements on the client computing device.

2. The non-transient computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the recorded video and/or audio message is received from the client device.

3. The non-transient computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the recorded video and/or audio message is selected from a plurality of recorded video and/or audio messages stored on a storage device located remotely from the client device.

4. The non-transient computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the address comprises an email address.

5. The non-transient computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the address comprises a cellular phone number.

6. The non-transient computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions automatically extract a plurality of addresses from a contacts list on the client computing device from which the address used to electronically transmit the recorded video and/or audio message is selected.

7. A method for making a recorded video and/or audio message available to a second party, the method comprising:

providing to a client computing device one or more user interface elements by which a first party, different than the second party, uses a camera and/or a microphone associated with a computing device to record a video and/or audio message;

providing to the client computing device one or more user interface elements by which the first party associates a specific triggering event originating from a third party, different than the first party and the second party, with the recorded video and/or audio message;

providing to the client computing device one or more user interface elements by which the first party associates an address with the recorded video and/or audio message;

monitoring a supply chain management system associated with the third party to discern the occurrence of the specific triggering event; and

upon the occurrence of the specific triggering event automatically causing at least one of a link to the recorded video and/or audio message and the recorded video and/or audio message to be electronically transmitted to the second party via use of the address;

wherein the third party is a vendor of a product, the first party is a purchaser of the product, the second party is an intended recipient of the ordered product, and the specific triggering event comprises a product order placed with the vendor by the first party being provided with a status within the supply chain management system of having been completed, out for shipment, delivered, or picked up, a wizard is invoked at a predetermined point in an on-line process used by the first party to place the product order with the vendor, and the wizard functions to provide the user-interface elements on the client computing device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the address comprises an email address.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the address comprises a cellular phone number.