Method and apparatus for communicating with a card distribution center for management, selection, and delivery of social expression cards
DCFirst Claim
1. An electronic system for management, selection, and delivery of social expression cards directed by a plurality of independent customers wherein each customer communicates from a remote site to a distribution center, the system comprising:
- a) a customer access terminal at each remote site having1) an input device for customer input and selection of card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data,2) memory device for storage of data in the form of data records, including the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data,3) display means for displaying textual and graphical information representative of the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data,4) a processor coupled to the display means, memory device, and input device for processing and controlling display of the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data to facilitate card selection and ordering for generating a card order responsive thereto, and for generating and storing in the memory, records of order history and order status, said card recipient data, order history data, order status data, and recipient occasion data operatively linked to facilitate on-going management of card selection and card delivery by the customer with respect to each recipient of the customer; and
b) a communications link coupling the customer access terminal to the distribution center to permit communication of the card order to the distribution center for processing of the card order.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for communicating with a card distribution center for selecting, ordering, and sending social expression cards using a personal computer. The user can enter names and addresses of card recipients into the system wherein the information is maintained in a database. The system displays digitized images of the cards on a display screen which are retrieved from a card database. From the cards displayed, the user can select cards for designated recipients and enter personalized messages and a digitized signature. The user may then send the order to a card distribution center, which processes the order, retrieves and prints the selected card images, including any user messages or user signature, and mails the cards to designated recipients or customers. The system maintains a database of all recipients, addresses, associated occasions and dates, card preferences, relationships and order history.
391 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An electronic system for management, selection, and delivery of social expression cards directed by a plurality of independent customers wherein each customer communicates from a remote site to a distribution center, the system comprising:
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a) a customer access terminal at each remote site having 1) an input device for customer input and selection of card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data, 2) memory device for storage of data in the form of data records, including the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data, 3) display means for displaying textual and graphical information representative of the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data, 4) a processor coupled to the display means, memory device, and input device for processing and controlling display of the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data to facilitate card selection and ordering for generating a card order responsive thereto, and for generating and storing in the memory, records of order history and order status, said card recipient data, order history data, order status data, and recipient occasion data operatively linked to facilitate on-going management of card selection and card delivery by the customer with respect to each recipient of the customer; and b) a communications link coupling the customer access terminal to the distribution center to permit communication of the card order to the distribution center for processing of the card order. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An electronic system for management, selection, and delivery of social expression cards directed by a user, the system comprising:
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(a) a printing device for generating the social expression card; (b) a user access terminal having; 1) an input device for user input and selection of card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data, 2) memory device for storage of data retained in the form of data records, including the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data, 3) display means for displaying textual and graphical information representative of the card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data, and 4) a processor coupled to the display means, memory device, and input device for controlling display of card recipient data, recipient occasion data, card design data, and card selection data to facilitate card selection and ordering for generating a card order responsive thereto, and for generating and storing in memory, records of order history and order status; and (c) said card recipient data, order history data, order status data and recipient occasion data operatively linked to facilitate on-going management of card selection and card delivery by the customer with respect to each recipient of the customer. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification