SYSTEM, METHOD AND GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR MANAGING CONTACTS AND CALENDARS WITHIN AN ONLINE CARD SYSTEM

• US 20150235291A1
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Berger, Kelly, Asar, Adnan, Chang, Kevin, Holloway, Matthew, Chen, Eugene, Salvador, Kris
• Granted Patent: US 9,881,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system, a method, and a user interface are described for personalizing and sending stationery/cards. A reminder list on the user interface includes a list of reminder entries each identifying an upcoming event including events generated based on a specified relationship between the user and one or more contacts of the user. A recommendation region is populated one or more recommended stationery/card designs associated with one of the entries in the reminder list. A stationery/card personalization engine provides the user with a set of personalization options related to the selected stationery/card design, and generates personalized stationery based on the selected stationery/card design and the user input.

Claims

1. A method for personalizing stationery/cards using a wireless device interacting with a computer-network system enabled by an online stationery/card service, comprising:

communicating with a wireless device by a computer server to enable a user of the wireless device to personalize and send non-electronic stationery/cards;

enabling a reminder list displayed on the wireless device by the computer server, wherein the reminder list comprises a plurality of reminder entries each identifying an upcoming event associated with one or more contacts of the user stored in a contacts database, wherein the reminder list is organized based on a prioritization scheme with a highest priority event selected within the reminder list;

enabling a recommendation region displayed on the wireless device by the computer server;

automatically populating, by the computer server, the recommendation region with one or more recommended stationery/card designs for the highest priority event in the reminder list;

receiving, by a stationery/card personalization engine, user'"'"'s selection of one of the one or more recommended stationery/card designs in the recommendation region on the wireless device;

providing the user with a set of personalization options related to the selected stationery/card design; and

generating a personalized stationery/card based on the selected stationery/card design and the user'"'"'s input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer server is configured to populate the recommendation region with one or more recommended stationery/card designs based on an upcoming event and an identity of the contact associated with the highest priority event in the reminder list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer server is configured to populate the recommendation region with one or more recommended stationery/card designs based on a preference, interest, and taste of the contact and the upcoming event associated with the highest priority event in the reminder list.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing a user'"'"'s contacts data stored in the contacts database by a stationery/card contacts module, the contacts data including the relationship data specifying a relationship between the user and one or more of the contacts; and

automatically generating, by a stationery/card calendar module, stationery/card calendar events in the user'"'"'s calendar database based on the contacts data stored within the contacts database, wherein at least some of the calendar events are generated based on the specified relationship between the user and each of the contacts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacts database stores relationships between the user and the contacts of the user, wherein at least some of the upcoming events are related to the relationships between the user and the contacts of the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reminder service comprises prioritization logic for prioritizing the list based at least in part on the relationships between the user and the contacts of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer server enables the user to transfer the one or more contacts from a social network to the contacts database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stationery/card calendar events include milestones associated with each of the contacts in the contacts database and wherein the reminder list includes entries associated with the milestones.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one of the milestones associated with the contacts comprises a birth date, a wedding anniversary, or Valentine'"'"'s Day.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship between the user and one of the contacts comprises a familial relationship and wherein the event generated comprises a day associated with that familial relationship.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a schedule calendar displayed on the wireless device by the computer server; and

allowing the user to schedule the delivery date for the personalized stationery/card.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the reminder list and the recommendation region are displayed on the wireless device by a mobile application installed on the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating and transmit a print job by a print module to print the personalized stationery/cards and envelopes containing the address information for the user-selected contacts.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the reminder list comprises at least one a face image of a contact associated with one of the reminder entries.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the reminder entries by the computer server; and

automatically populating the recommendation region with one or more recommended stationery/card designs based on an upcoming event and an identity of the contact associated with the one of the reminder entries selected by the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more recommended stationery/card designs are based on with a preference, interest, and taste of the contact and the upcoming event associated with the one of the reminder entries selected by the user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the user by the stationery/card personalization engine, a design element selected from the group consisting of a stationery/card theme, a stationery/card color, a stationery/card format, a stationery/card size, and a number of photos used in the selected stationery/card design.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the user to incorporate a photo in the selected stationery/card design.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

allowing the user to select a photo stored on the wireless device, from a cloud image storage, from a web-based image storage, or from a social network.

20. A method for personalizing stationery/cards using a wireless device interacting with a computer-network system enabled by an online stationery/card service, comprising:

communicating with a wireless device by a computer server to enable a user of the wireless device to personalize and send non-electronic stationery/cards;

enabling a reminder list displayed on the wireless device by the computer server, wherein the reminder list comprises a plurality of reminder entries each identifying an upcoming event associated with one or more contacts of the user stored in a contacts database, wherein the computer server is configured to receive a selection of one of the reminder entries by the user;

enabling a recommendation region displayed on the wireless device by the computer server;

automatically populating, by the computer server, the recommendation region with one or more recommended stationery/card designs based on an upcoming event and an identity of the contact associated with the one of the reminder entries selected by the user; and

receiving, by a stationery/card personalization engine, user'"'"'s selection of one of the one or more recommended stationery/card designs in the recommendation region on the wireless device;

providing the user with a set of personalization options related to the selected stationery/card design; and

generating a personalized stationery/card based on the selected stationery/card design and the user'"'"'s input.