Gift selection and fulfillment system

• US 20030171997A1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Francis W. Eaton
• Inventors: Eaton, Francis W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

The invention provides a method for gift selection and fulfillment, especially suited to children, which comprises: contacting a potential gift giver by a means not requiring use of a computer; providing information to the potential gift giver for contacting an order accepting means not requiring use of a computer; obtaining an order from the gift giver that includes a set of gift selection criteria; comparing the gift selection criteria with a set of gift selection rules; generating a set of gift choices and storing the gift choices in a database record-keyed to a unique access code; notifying the recipient of the unique access code by a means other than electronic mail to make a gift choice by means of a connection to a computer network; generating a display of the available gift choices along with a personal message and photo of the gift giver, keyed to the unique access code; recording the recipient'"'"'s gift selection and generating a delivery order for delivery of the gift selected to the recipient. The method may that further comprise obtaining from the gift giver information regarding other children to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions; storing the information with gift giver contact information; and sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery. The method may include having the set of gift selection rules include special interest items. The method may also include gift selection rules that are provided by a team having one or more experts in child development, and with input from children.

Claims

1. A method for gift selection and fulfillment which comprises:

contacting a potential gift giver by a means not requiring use of a computer;

providing information to the potential gift giver for contacting an order accepting means not requiring use of a computer;

obtaining an order from the gift giver that includes a set of gift selection criteria;

comparing the gift selection criteria with a set of gift selection rules;

generating a set of gift choices and storing the gift choices in a database record that includes a unique access code;

notifying the recipient of the unique access code by a means other than electronic mail to make a gift choice by means of a connection to a computer network;

generating a display of the available gift choices along with a personal message and photo of the gift giver, keyed to the unique access code;

recording the recipient'"'"'s gift selection and generating a delivery order for delivery of the gift selected to the recipient.

2. A method according to claim 1 that further comprises obtaining from the gift giver information regarding other children to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions;

storing the information with gift giver contact information; and

sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of gift selection rules includes special interest items.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the gift selection rules are provided by a plurality of experts in child development.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein age and gender are considered in gift selection.

6. A method for gift selection and fulfillment for a child which comprises contacting a potential gift giver;

obtaining an order for a gift including information regarding the child including age, gender, birth date and special interests;

comparing the information regarding the child to a set of gift choices selected by a team that includes at least one child development expert;

generating a set of gift choices for the particular child coded to a unique access code;

supplying the unique access code to the child by means other than electronic mail;

providing the child with a display of available gift choices along with a personal message and photo of the gift giver;

receiving a gift selection from the child and shipping the selected gift to the child.

7. A method according to claim 6 that further comprises obtaining from the gift giver information regarding other children to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions;

storing the information with gift giver contact information; and

sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein the team includes at least one child.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the set of gift selection rules includes special interest items.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the gift selection rules are provided by a plurality of experts in child development.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein age and gender are considered in gift selection.

12. A method for gift selection and fulfillment for a child which comprises:

contacting a potential gift giver by a means not requiring use of a computer;

providing information to the potential gift giver for contacting an order accepting means not requiring use of a computer;

obtaining an order from the gift giver that includes a set of gift selection criteria;

comparing the gift selection criteria with a set of gift selection rules formulated by a team comprising a child development expert;

generating a set of gift choices and storing the gift choices in a database record-keyed to a unique access code;

notifying the recipient of the unique access code by a means other than electronic mail to make a gift choice by means of a connection to a computer network;

generating a display of the available gift choices along with a personal message and photo of the gift giver, keyed to the unique access code;

recording the recipient'"'"'s gift selection and generating a delivery order for delivery of the gift selected to the recipient.

13. A method according to claim 12 that further comprises obtaining from the gift giver information regarding other children to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions;

storing the information with gift giver contact information; and

sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the set of gift selection rules includes special interest items.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the gift selection rules are provided by a team comprising a plurality of experts in child development.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein age and gender are considered in gift selection.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the gift selection rules are provided by a team including a plurality of experts in child development with additional input from one or more children.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein there is input from at least one child whose age is within one year of the age of the recipient.