SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING, EDITING, DISTRIBUTING AND VIEWING ELECTRONIC GREETING CARDS

• US 20120276880A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Homma, Masanao, Matousek, Robert, Angorn, Matthew David, Reiss, Daniel Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,600,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A system is provided for downloading an electronic greeting card application to a portable computing device. The system comprising a server, a paper greeting card, and a code printed on the paper greeting card. The electronic greeting card application is downloaded to the portable computing device from the server in response to the portable computing device scanning the code on the paper greeting card. Further herein, a system is provided where a category of greeting cards are contained within the electronic greeting card application, and at least a greeting card within the category of greeting cards. The greeting card comprises a plurality pages, with at least one of the a plurality pages having an option to customize, and each of the a plurality pages being movable by a touch of a finger. The customized greeting card may be previewed and may be sent via various sending mechanisms.

Claims

1. An electronic greeting card system including an application downloadable to a portable computing device comprising:

a server;

a paper greeting card;

a code printed on the paper greeting card;

an electronic greeting card application program that is downloaded to the portable computing device from the server in response to the portable computing device scanning the code on the paper greeting card;

a category of greeting cards provided by the electronic greeting card application;

a greeting card within the category of greeting cards, wherein the greeting card comprises four pages, with at least one of the four pages having an option to customize, and each of the four pages being movable by a touch of a finger; and

a means for selecting a medium to be used to send the greeting card from a group of sending media provided by the electronic greeting card application.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card is email.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card is social networking, such as Facebook®

.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card is text message.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card is postal mail.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is part of a network of servers in a cloud computing environment.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the code is a Quick Response code.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the code is a bar code.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the category of greeting cards has a sub category of greeting cards.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the greeting card is rendered using scalable vector graphics.

11. An electronic greeting card application for a portable computing device, comprising:

a category of greeting cards;

at least one greeting card within the category of greeting cards, wherein the at least one greeting card comprises four pages, with at least one of the four pages having an option to customize, and each of the four pages being movable by a touch of a finger;

a means for previewing the greeting card; and

a means for selecting a medium to be used to send the greeting card.

12. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the category of greeting cards has a sub category of greeting cards.

13. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the greeting cards within the category of greeting cards can be viewed as a grid.

14. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the greeting cards within the category of greeting cards can be viewed as a list.

15. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein at least one of the four pages of the greeting card is customized by adding an electronic signature.

16. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein at least one of the four pages of the greeting card is customized by adding a personalized message.

17. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein at least one of the four pages of the greeting card is customized by adding a digital photograph.

18. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card includes sending the greeting card via email.

19. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card includes sending the greeting card via social networking, such as Facebook®

.

20. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card includes sending the greeting card via social networking, such as Twitter®

.

21. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card includes sending the greeting card via text message.

22. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the medium to be used to send the greeting card includes sending the greeting card via postal mail.

23. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 further including an option to locate a store.

24. The option to locate a store of claim 23 further including the option to locate a store based on a zip code.

25. The option to locate a store of claim 23 further including the option to locate a store that sells paper version of the electronic greeting card.

26. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 further including an option to set user reminders.

27. The option to set user reminders of claim 26 further including the option to connect to a social networking site, such as Facebook®

, to set user reminders.

28. The option to set user reminders of claim 26 further including the option to create user reminders from within the electronic greeting card application.

29. The option to set user reminders of claim 26 further including the option to receive a reminder notification on the day of the reminder, from outside the electronic greeting card application.

30. The option to set user reminders of claim 26 further including the option to receive a reminder notification seven days in advance of the reminder, from outside the electronic greeting card application.

31. The electronic greeting card application of claim 11 wherein the greeting cards are rendered using scalable vector graphics.

32. A method for delivering electronic greeting cards to an electronic greeting card application comprising:

creating new greeting card categories and new greeting cards;

transmitting the new greeting card categories and the new greeting cards to at least one web server;

comparing the new greeting card categories and the new greeting cards with application greeting card categories and application greeting cards on the electronic greeting card application;

retrieving changes to the application greeting card categories based on the comparison to the new greeting card categories, to the electronic greeting card application;

retrieving changes to the application greeting cards based on the comparison to the new greeting cards, to the electronic greeting card application;

storing changes to the application greeting card categories and application greeting cards in a local cache; and

updating the electronic greeting card application with information stored in the local cache.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the web server is part of a network of servers in a cloud computing environment.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein changes to the application greeting card categories include any edits, updates, deletions and additions to the application greeting card categories.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein changes to the application greeting cards include any edits, updates, deletions and additions to the application greeting cards.

36. A system for delivering electronic greeting cards to a portable computing device comprising:

a content merchandising system, which accepts greeting card categories and greeting cards;

a web server, which is updated with the greeting card categories and greeting cards; and

an application, which compares the greeting card categories and the greeting cards with application greeting card categories and application greeting cards disposed on the portable computing device, retrieves changes to the application greeting card categories and application greeting cards and stores them in a local cache of the portable computing device, and updates the portable computing device with information stored in the local cache.

37. The system of claim. 36 wherein the web server is part of a network of servers in a cloud computing environment.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein changes to the application greeting card categories include any edits, updates, deletions and additions to the application greeting card categories.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein changes to the application greeting cards include any edits, updates, deletions and additions to the application greeting cards.