Interactive Gifting System and Method

• US 20100017278A1
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilopen Products LC
• Original Assignee: Wilopen Products LC
• Inventors: Kramer, Gordon, Wilen, Kevin, Wilen, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.200
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/045 Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/285 Gift cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0218 based on score
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and system for gifting using interactive multimedia and a gifting system. The gifting system can include a gift card, a website for redeeming the gift card, a plurality of gift representations corresponding to actual gift items, and means for advertising additional retail products or services to consumers. The gift card can also include a greeting card and a unique card identifier associated with the user. The methods and systems can be used to advertise products to consumers, which can be purchased for personal use or for gifting. The system can be used to direct consumers to a card issuer'"'"'s website. The system can include a customizable avatar to read aloud text converted to an audio speech file that relates to the gift item. The system can also include a game in which points redeemable for gift items are awarded to the website'"'"'s users for answering advertisement-related questions correctly.

Claims

1. A gifting system comprising:

a website accessible by a gift giver via a communications network, wherein the website includes account management features that permit the gift giver to transfer funds to a card issuer;

a gift card, the gift card comprising a unique card identifier;

a remote server connected to the communications network;

funds data associated with the gift card and stored on the remote server, wherein the funds data relate to the funds transferred by the gift giver to the card issuer; and

means for the gift giver to deliver the gift card to a recipient.

2. The gifting system of claim 1, wherein the means to deliver comprises an electronic greeting card.

3. The gifting system of claim 1, wherein the gift card comprises a physical gift card, wherein the gift card is detachably connected to a tongue of an envelope.

4. The gifting system of claim 3, wherein the gift card is inserted into and concealed within a pouch of the envelope when the envelope is configured in an unsealed closed configuration.

5. The gifting system of claim 3, wherein the gift card is pulled from a pouch of the envelope so as to be visible when the envelope is configured in an open configuration.

6. The gifting system of claim 3, wherein the gift card is detachable at a perforation from an affixed portion that is connected to an inner surface of the envelope tongue.

7. The gifting system of claim 6, wherein, once detached, the gift card is insertable into a pouch of the envelope, and wherein the envelope is sealable in a sealed closed configuration for delivery to the recipient.

8. The gifting system of claim 1, wherein the gift card comprises a physical gift card that is attached by adhesive to an inner surface of a tongue of an envelope.

9. The gifting system of claim 1, wherein the means for delivering comprises an envelope and a greeting card.

10. The gifting system of claim 1, wherein the gifting system further comprises a catalog that is contained within an envelope.

11. The gifting system of claim 1, wherein the gift card system comprises an envelope wherein the envelope is manufactured around the gift card and other contents that are enclosed within the envelope.

12. The gifting system of claim 9, wherein the envelope comprises a detachable stub.

13. The gifting system of claim 12, wherein the detachable stub is connected to a tongue of the envelope.

14. The gifting system of claim 12, wherein the detachable stub comprises a gift representation.

15. The gifting system of claim 14, wherein the gift representation comprises an image of a gift item that is redeemable by the recipient using the gift card.

16. A method of gifting comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a printed material comprising a plurality of gift representations each representing an actual gift item;

(b) assigning a unique printed alphanumeric identifier stored on a server to each of the plurality of gift items represented by the plurality of gift representations;

(c) associating tracking data with each alphanumeric identifier;

(d) providing a website connected to the server via a communications network by which a user can purchase at least one gift item selected from among the plurality of gift representations appearing in the printed material;

(e) requiring the user to enter the alphanumeric identifier assigned to the selected gift item into a graphical user interface of the website;

(f) requiring the user to provide personal information through the graphical user interface of the website; and

(g) associating the alphanumeric identifier with the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the alphanumeric identifier is a hexadecimal number.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the alphanumeric identifier is a stock keeping unit (SKU).

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of:

(h) analyzing the tracking data, personal information, browsing habits, and shopping habits of the user collected during the user'"'"'s access to the website to determine the user'"'"'s predicted shopping preferences; and

(i) presenting an advertisement to the user based upon the user'"'"'s predicted shopping preferences.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method farther comprises at least one of the following additional steps:

(j) purchasing a gift item through the website to be gifted by the user to a gift recipient, wherein the user is a gift giver;

(k) delivering a gift card to the gift recipient, wherein the gift card comprises a gift representation of the actual gift item selected and purchased by the gift giver;

(l) redeeming the gift card for the actual gift item by the gift recipient providing the gift recipient'"'"'s personal information through the graphical user interface of the website;

(m) recording data related to the shopping and purchasing activities of the gift giver and gift recipient accessing the website;

(n) suggesting gift items to the gift giver for purchase by the gift giver during the gift giver'"'"'s subsequent visits to the website based upon the gift giver'"'"'s shopping and purchasing activity data;

(o) permitting the gift recipient to redeem the gift card for the gift item selected and purchased for the gift recipient by the gift giver; and

(p) permitting the gift recipient to reject the gift item selected and purchased by the gift giver and to select a different gift item chosen by the gift recipient.

21. A method of gifting comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a gifting system comprising a retail website that comprises a plurality of items for sale, wherein the retail website is communicatively connected to a server via a communications network;

(b) providing text related to each of the plurality of gift items;

(c) displaying an avatar comprising software via a graphical user interface of the website;

(d) equipping the gifting system with text-to-speech software;

(e) linking the text-to-speech software to a database comprising preselected user information, wherein the database is stored on a server;

(f) using the text-to-speech software, converting the text and preselected user information into audio data;

(g) programming the avatar to visually appear to read the text;

(h) dynamically personalizing the avatar to visually appear to read the preselected user information; and

(i) playing the audio data aloud to a user using an audio playback device communicatively connected to the website.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises at least one additional step selected from the group consisting of:

(j) directing at least one of a gift giver and a gift recipient to the retail website using a gift card;

(k) programming the avatar to state the user'"'"'s name in a greeting upon access of the user to the website; and

(l) programming the avatar to state personal information associated with the user at least once during each access to the website by the user.

23. A method of gifting comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a list of gift representations corresponding to a plurality of gift items from which a gift giver may select one or more of the plurality of gift items for purchase;

(b) selecting a gift item from among the list of gift representations;

(c) using a computer, accessing a website that is communicatively connected to a communications network;

(d) collecting and transmitting first personal information related to the gift giver through the website to a data storage device;

(e) collecting and transmitting second personal information related to a gift recipient and provided by the gift giver to the data storage device;

(f) purchasing the gift item selected from among the gift representations;

(g) creating an electronic greeting card from the gift giver to the gift recipient using the first and second personal information, wherein the electronic greeting card comprises an electronic gift card, wherein the electronic gift card comprises a gift representation of the gift item selected by the gift giver;

(h) transmitting the electronic greeting card from the gift giver to the gift recipient using the second personal information and communications software comprising access to the communications network;

(i) using the electronic gift card, directing the gift recipient to the website; and

(j) redeeming the gift representation for the gift item.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the list comprises a printed material displaying the gift representations.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises at least one additional step selected from the group consisting of:

(k) printing the electronic gift card upon its receipt by the gift recipient; and

(l) redeeming the printed electronic gift card for the gift item at a retail store.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of:

(m) prior to redeeming the gift card, permitting the gift recipient to select a different gift item than the gift item selected by the gift giver; and

(n) permitting the gift recipient to assign the gift card to a third party for purposes of gifting the gift item to the third party, wherein the third party can redeem the gift card to receive the gift item.

27. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) playing an advertisement viewed by a user, wherein the advertisement comprises information related to a retail item;

(b) asking the user a series of questions related to the retail item;

(c) awarding the user points based upon the number of questions answered correctly by the user; and

(d) permitting the user to redeem the points earned for a reward item.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the reward item comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a downloadable video, a downloadable music file, a downloadable audio file, a downloadable audiobook, a streaming video file, a streaming audio file, a downloadable image file, a downloadable computer screen saver, a downloadable video file, a movie rental voucher, and other suitable retail goods and services.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the retail item comprises a good or a service.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

(e) permitting the user to gift either the points earned or the reward item selected by the user to a gift recipient.