Gift selection and fulfillment system

• US 7,117,168 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kidegift, Inc.
• Inventors: Eaton, Francis W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US10/094,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20030171997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

The invention provides a method for gift selection and fulfillment, especially suited to children, which comprises: contacting a potential gift giver by conventional advertising; providing information to the potential gift giver for contacting an order accepting system; obtaining an order from the gift giver that includes a set of gift selection criteria; supplying a computer program for comparing that is used for comparing the gift selection criteria with a set of gift selection rules; and generating a set of gift choices and storing the gift choices in a database record-keyed to a unique access code: notifying the recipient of the unique access code to make a gift choice by means of a connection to a computer network; generating a display of the available gift choices along with a personal message and photo of the gift giver, keyed to the unique access code; recording the recipient'"'"'s gift selection and generating a delivery order for delivery of the gift selected to the recipient. The method may that further comprise obtaining from the gift giver information regarding other children to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions; storing the information with gift giver contact information; and sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery. The method may include having the set of gift selection rules include special interest items. The method may also include gift selection rules that are provided by a team having one or more experts in child development, and with input from children.

Claims

1. A method for gift selection and fulfillment which comprises:

advertising to a potential gift giver;

providing information to the potential gift giver for placing an order;

obtaining an order from the gift giver that includes a set of gift selection criteria;

using a computer program for comparing the gift selection criteria with a set of gift selection rules;

generating a set of gift choices based on said gift selection criteria and said set of gift selection rules and storing the set of gift choices in a computer database record that includes a unique access code;

notifying a gift recipient of the unique access code with instructions to make a gift selection from the set of gift choices by establishing a connection to a computer network;

in response to the unique access code transmitted by the gift recipient generating a display of the set of gift choices;

recording the gift recipient'"'"'s gift selection and generating a delivery order for delivery of the gift selected to the gift recipient.

2. A method according to claim 1 that further comprises obtaining from the gift giver information regarding additional persons to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions;

storing the information with gift giver contact information; and

sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of gift selection rules includes special interest items.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the gift selection rules are provided by a plurality of child development experts.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein age and gender are considered in generating the set of gift choices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the display of the set of gift choices includes a personal message and photo of the gift giver.

7. A method for gift selection and fulfillment for a child which comprises contacting a potential gift giver;

obtaining an order for a gift from the gift giver including information regarding the child including age, gender, birth date and special interests;

using a computer program for comparing the information regarding the child to a plurality of potential gift choices selected by a team that includes at least one child development expert;

generating a set of gift choices for the child based on said information regarding the child and said potential gift choices coded to a unique access code;

supplying the unique access code to the child;

providing the child with a display of the set of gift choices by a computer network from a location remote from the child;

receiving a gift selection from the child transmitted over a computer network and shipping the selected gift to the child.

8. A method according to claim 7 that further comprises obtaining from the gift giver information regarding other children to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions;

storing the information with gift giver contact information; and

sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein the team includes at least one child.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of potential gift choices includes special interest items.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of potential gift choices are provided by a plurality of child development experts.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein age and gender are considered in generating the set of gift choices.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the display of the set of gift choices includes a personal message and photo of the gift giver.

14. A method for gift selection and fulfillment for a child which comprises:

advertising to a potential gift giver;

providing information to the potential gift giver for placing an order;

obtaining an order from the gift giver that includes a set of gift selection criteria;

using a general purpose computer for comparing the gift selection criteria with a set of gift selection rules formulated by a team comprising a child development expert;

generating a set of gift choices based on said gift selection criteria and said gift selection rules and storing the set of gift choices in a database record keyed to a unique access code;

notifying the child of the unique access code to make a gift selection from the set of gift choices by use of a connection to a computer network;

in response to a connection established with the unique access code generating a display of the set of gift choices along with a personal message and photo of the gift giver, keyed to the unique access code;

recording the child'"'"'s gift selection and generating a delivery order for delivery of the gift selected to the child.

15. A method according to claim 14 that further comprises obtaining from the gift giver information regarding other children to whom the gift giver wishes to give gifts on specified occasions;

storing the information with gift giver contact information; and

sending a reminder of the specified gift occasion to the gift giver to initiate a new gift selection and delivery.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the set of gift selection rules includes special interest items.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the gift selection rules are provided by a team comprising a plurality of child development experts.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the gift selection rules are provided by a team including a plurality of child development experts with additional input from one or more additional children.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein there is input from at least one additional child whose age is within one year of the age of the child.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein age and gender are considered in generating the set of gift choices.