System and method for print-on-demand electronic awards for motivation programs

• US 20020120511A1
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Maritz Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maritz Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanes, Mark D.
• Application Number:
  US10/059,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date

Abstract

A system and method for allowing a customer to motivate a participant. From a motivation website, the customer selects and customizes a motivation document and a motivation award to be printed and presented to the participant as an integrated motivation package. In one embodiment, the motivation document and motivation award are printed on a single sheet of paper for presentation to the participant. The customer selects the motivation document from a library of motivation documents or other communications templates. The customer selects the motivation award from a collection of motivation awards including multiple vendor services.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an on-line motivation website for implementing a motivation program allowing a customer to motivate a participant by selecting a motivation package to be provided to the participant;

a first printing program associated with the website for creating an electronic version of the selected motivation package to be transmitted to the customer, the participant, or an agent of the customer or participant; and

a second printing program associated with the customer, the participant, or an agent of the customer or the participant for rendering the transmitted, electronic version of the selected motivation package to a printer for printing the motivation package so that the printed motivation package is capable of being presented off-line to the participant.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the website permits the electronic version of the selected motivation package to be customized on-line by the customer so that the printed motivation package is customized.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the motivation package refers to the selected award and further comprising a customer history database accessible by the customer and maintaining a log of the transactions performed by the customer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the motivation package comprises a motivation document and a motivation award.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the motivation document is selected from a group comprising of a certificate of achievement, an acknowledgment of service certificate, and a team accomplishment certificate.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the motivation award is a gift certificate or a coupon.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the second printing program is a plug-in associated with a web browser of the customer, the participant, or an agent of the customer or the participant.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first printing program and the second printing program communicate via a network.

9. A method for allowing a customer to motivate participants, said method comprising the steps of:

allowing the customer to select via a website accessible on-line a category of integrated motivation packages;

allowing the customer to select one of a plurality of motivation documents related to the selected category and to select one of a plurality of motivation awards related to the selected category, the selected document and the selected award to be presented to the participants as the integrated motivation package; and

allowing the customer to print the selected motivation package at a location designated by the customer or a location designated by the participant receiving the motivation package wherein the selected motivation document and/or award includes customized text relating to motivation of the participant and/or text indicating the name of the participant receiving the motivation package, wherein the web site includes a first application program for assembling a specification representing the selected motivation package, and wherein a second application program associated with the customer renders the specification to a printer or monitor of the customer or participant.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein allowing the customer to print the selected motivation package occurs prior to expiration of a predefined time period.

11. One or more computer-readable media for performing the method recited in claim 9.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the software comprises:

a first application program, associated with the website, for generating an electronic version of the motivation package, said electronic version to be transmitted to the customer for printing; and

a second application program, associated with the customer, the participant, or an agent of the customer or participant, for printing the transmitted, electronic version.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first printing program and the second printing program communicate via a network.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the second application program is a plug-in for an Internet browser.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein prior to executing software to print, further comprising:

receiving a third user signal representing a selection, by the user with the user interface selection device, of a customizing function to customize the selected, specific motivation package; and

in response to the third user signal, executing software to customize the selected, specific motivation package on the display using the customizing function.

18. One or more computer-readable media for performing the method recited in claim 16.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the print component renders the transmitted, created specifications to a printing device at the print location.

12. A system for allowing a customer to motivate a participant by presenting to the participant an integrated motivation package customized by the customer, said system comprising:

a plurality of motivation documents in electronic format;

a plurality of motivation awards in electronic format;

a website accessible on-line by the customer for allowing the customer to select one of the motivation documents and to select at least one of the motivation awards to be presented to the participant as the integrated motivation package; and

software responsive to the customer'"'"'s on-line selections for printing the selected motivation document and the selected motivation award at a location designated by the customer or a location designated by the participant wherein the selected motivation document includes text indicating the motivation and/or text indicating the participant'"'"'s name, such text being optionally designated by the customer.

16. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method for allowing a customer to motivate a participant by presenting to the participant an integrated motivation package, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a list of motivation packages on the display;

receiving a first user signal representing a selection, by the user with the user interface selection device, of a specific motivation package from the list on the display;

in response to the first user signal, displaying the selected, specific motivation package on the display;

receiving a second user signal representing a selection, by the user with the user interface selection device, of a print function; and

in response to the second user signal, executing software to print the selected, specific motivation package using the print function.

19. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components for allowing a customer to motivate a participant, said components comprising:

a generation component for creating the specifications associated with a selected motivation package;

an interface component for accepting the created specifications from the generation component and transmitting the created specifications to a print location designated by the customer or participant; and

a print component for rendering the transmitted, created specifications at the print location for presentation to the participant.