WISH LIST ASSOCIATED WITH BUDDY LIST SCREEN NAME

• US 20090112729A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: SHAH, Ketan
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• 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 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting wish lists to users, thus making wish lists accessible to such user attributes as buddy lists, or the equivalent. The invention attaches a wish list to an instant messaging name and therefore makes it available to all persons on the user'"'"'s buddy list. In a further embodiment of the invention, the wish list is attached to an account, such as a wallet. As a result, various conveniences are provided. For example, a member of the user'"'"'s buddy list can give a gift to the user from the wish list; a group can contribute incrementally to the giving of a gift to the user; an individual can add incremental amounts to his or her wish list to pay for an item on time (as a type of layaway); and relatives and friends can give gifts that they know will be appreciated because the gifts are on the user'"'"'s wish list.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for sharing wish list information between users, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a plurality of wish lists for a plurality of users, each of said wish lists being associated with a specific user and comprising at least items offered for sale by a third party not associated with a wish list, said items being identified by an associated user as being desired by said associated user;

making each wish list associated with each user automatically viewable to said associated user and to other users;

associating said items on said wish list with an account;

receiving requests from multiple users to contribute funds towards a purchase of an item on an associated user'"'"'s wish list as a gift for said associated user;

said multiple users contributing funds towards said purchase;

storing an indication of an amount of contributed funds in said account;

electronically executing a purchase of said item as a gift for said associated user when said contributed funds equal a purchase price of said item; and

updating said associated user'"'"'s wish list to delete said purchased item from said wish list.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating a thank-you note for each user that contributed funds towards said purchase; and

electronically transmitting said thank-you note to each user.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said account comprises a wallet mechanism.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving from a user dates of events associated with said user.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

displaying said dates of events associated with said user along with said user'"'"'s wishlist.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein said dates of events comprise at least one of said user'"'"'s birthday and said user'"'"'s marriage anniversary date.

7. A computer readable medium containing a computer program product for sharing wish list information between users, the computer program product comprising:

program code for maintaining a plurality of wish lists for a plurality of users and comprising at least items offered for sale by a third party not associated with a wish list, said items being identified by an associated user as being desired by said associated user;

program code for making each wish list associated with each user viewable to that associated user and to other users;

program code for associating each wish list with an account;

program code for receiving requests from multiple users to contribute funds towards a purchase of an item on said user'"'"'s wish list as a gift for said user;

program code for said multiple users contributing funds toward said purchase of said item;

program code for storing an indication of an amount of contributed funds in said account;

program code for electronically executing a purchase of said item as a gift for said user when said contributed funds equal a purchase price of said item; and

program code for updating said user'"'"'s wish list to delete said purchased item from said wish list.

8. A computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

program code for generating a thank-you note for each user that contributed funds towards said purchase of said item; and

program code for electronically transmitting said thank-you note to each user.

9. A computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein said account comprises a wallet mechanism.

10. A computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

program code for receiving from a user dates of events associated with said user.

11. A computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

program code for displaying said dates of events associated with said user along with said user'"'"'s wishlist.

12. A computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein said dates of events comprise at least one of said user'"'"'s birthday and said user'"'"'s marriage anniversary date.