System and method for giving gifts and displaying assets in a social network environment

• US 20080189188A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgenstern, Jared
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,657 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 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and method is described for giving gifts via a social network and displaying icons representing assets that have been acquired via the social network. In various embodiments, the assets include real assets, digital assets, and virtual assets. Digital assets that have been acquired via the social network environment may also be displayed. In some embodiments, the assets are received as gifts or in trade from another user of the social network environment.

Claims

1. A method for representing ownership of an asset in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user of the social network environment to purchase the asset;

purchasing the asset from a vendor on behalf of the user; and

displaying an association between the purchased asset and the user in the social network environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchased asset comprises a real asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchased asset comprises a virtual asset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchased asset comprises a digital asset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the association comprises displaying the digital asset on a webpage associated with the user in the social network environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the association comprises displaying an icon representing the asset on a webpage associated with the user in the social network environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring money from the user to the vendor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein purchasing the asset comprises:

receiving money from the user;

transferring the money to the vendor;

receiving the asset from the vendor; and

providing the asset to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein purchasing the asset further comprises:

transferring the money from the user to the vendor; and

transferring the asset from the vendor to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendor is a third party vendor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendor is another user of the social network environment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendor is the social network provider.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a fee from the vendor.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a fee from the user.

15. A method for buying a gift in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user of the social network environment to purchase the gift;

receiving from the first user an identity of a second user of the social network environment designated to receive the gift;

purchasing the gift from a vendor;

providing the gift to the second user; and

displaying an association between the gift and the second user on a webpage associated with the second user in the social network environment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving a request to purchase the gift further comprises:

providing a list of one or more gifts to the first user; and

receiving a selection from the first user of a gift in the list.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the gift to the second user comprises delivering the gift directly to the second user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the gift to the second user comprises notifying a vendor that the second user is entitled to receive an asset from the vendor.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the gift to the second user comprises directing a vendor to deliver the gift to the second user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the gift comprises a real asset.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the gift comprises a virtual asset.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the gift comprises an icon.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the gift comprises a digital asset.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein displaying an association further comprises displaying the gift on a webpage associated with the first user in the social network environment.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein displaying an association further comprises displaying the gift on a webpage associated with the second user in the social network environment.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the gift to the second user only if the second user accepts the gift.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a fee from the vendor.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a fee from the user.

29. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining if the second user accepts the gift and wherein displaying an association further comprises displaying an icon representing the gift on a webpage associated with the second user only if the second user accepts the gift.

30. A method for representing a digital asset in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user of the social network environment to purchase the digital asset;

purchasing the digital asset from a vendor on behalf of the user;

receiving the digital asset from the vendor; and

displaying the digital asset on a webpage in the social network environment associated with the user.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising displaying an icon representing the digital asset.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising transferring the digital asset to the user.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising displaying contents of the digital asset.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising attaching advertising to the digital asset.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a fee from the vendor.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a fee from the user.