Method and apparatus for creation, personalization, and fulfillment of greeting cards with gift cards or integrated bookmarks

• US 7,478,143 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arroweye Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arroweye Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Anderson, Jill M., Friedman, Doron, Huse, Brian J., Singhvi, Ajay
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean; Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US11/530,229
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/246, 709/217, 709/219, 206/232, 715/513, 401/240.6
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42

Abstract

An automated fulfillment system enables gift cards and/or bookmarks to be embedded or sent along with personalized greeting cards. In the present invention, a method, system and apparatus enables a person to 1) purchase a gift card from either a Internet Website, Catalog, and/or retail kiosk, 2) choose a retail quality greeting card, 3) personalize the greeting card, and 4) send the personalized greeting cards as a gift with a gift card and/or bookmarks embedded inside the greeting card. The reverse is also possible, i.e. a user can purchase a greeting card, personalize the greeting card, and then assign that greeting card to have a gift card inserted therein. In other embodiments the greeting card itself may serve as a bookmark or the bookmark may include a gift card.

Claims

1. In a computer system connectable to a computer network, a method comprising:

(a) maintaining in memory a compilation of bookmark templates;

(b) maintaining in memory data identifying one of the bookmark templates and any user defined modifications thereto;

(c) maintaining in memory data associating said one bookmark template and any user defined modifications thereto with a gift card;

(d) printing on demand a personalized bookmark comprising the identified bookmark template in conjunction with any user defined modifications thereto and bookmark data reference thereon;

(e) printing, with a process separate and apart from the printing of the personalized bookmark, a gift card having a gift card data reference thereon;

(f) comparing the bookmark data reference and the gift card data reference to determine a relationship therebetween;

(g) combining the gift card with the personalized bookmark; and

(h) shipping the gift card combined with the personalized bookmark to a designated recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the personalized bookmark is removably integrated into a greeting card.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the gift card has at least two surfaces and wherein (e) comprises:

(e1) printing a first of the at least two gift card surfaces.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein (e) comprises:

(e1a) printing at least a first of the two gift card surfaces with at least a portion of an image from at least one panel of the personalized bookmark.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein (f) comprises:

(f1) reading the bookmark reference data;

(f2) reading the gift card reference data; and

(f3) confirming that the personalized bookmark represented by the read bookmark reference data and gift card represented by the read gift card reference data are associated.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein (g) comprises:

(g1) attaching the gift card to a panel of the bookmark.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein (g) comprises:

(g1) inserting the gift card into a panel of the bookmark.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein (c) comprises:

(c1) maintaining in memory data representing any of a bookmark identifier, bookmark modification identifiers, destination address, gift card identifier, gift card value, and vendor transaction identifier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein (d) comprises:

(d1) printing a personalized bookmark upon the occurrence of a predetermined event selected from;

receipt of a computer instruction, the occurrence of a temporal event, and the notification of a completed task.

10. In a computer system connectable to a computer network, a method comprising:

(a) maintaining data associating a bookmark with the gift card;

(b) generating on demand a personalized bookmark with a bookmark data reference thereon;

(c) using the bookmark data reference to initiate generation of a gift card, with a process separate from the personalized bookmark, and having a gift card data reference thereon;

(d) reading the bookmark reference data;

(e) reading the gift card reference data; and

(f) determining if the personalized bookmark represented by the read bookmark reference data and gift card represented by the gift card reference are associated;

(g) combining the gift card with the personalized bookmark, if the personalized bookmark represented by the read bookmark reference data and gift card represented by the gift card reference are associated; and

(h) shipping the gift card with the personalized bookmark to a designated recipient, if the personalized bookmark represented by the read bookmark reference data and gift card represented by the gift card reference are associated.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the personalized bookmark comprises a bookmark template and any user defined modifications thereto and wherein (b) comprises:

(b1) printing a bookmark template in conjunction with any user defined modifications thereto upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the predetermined event is selected from the group consisting of:

receipt of a computer instruction, the occurrence of a temporal event, and the notification of a completed task.

13. In a computer system connectable to a computer network, a method comprising:

(a) maintaining data associating a personalized gift card with a personalized bookmark;

(b) generating a gift card with a gift card data reference thereon;

(c) using the gift card data reference to initiate generation of a personalized bookmark, with a process separate from the gift card, and having a bookmark data reference thereon; and

(d) comparing the gift card data reference and the bookmark data reference to determine if a relationship exists therebetween;

(e) combining the gift card with the personalized bookmark, if a relationship exists associating the gift card with the personalized bookmark; and

(f) shipping the gift card with the personalized bookmark to a designated recipient, if a relationship exists associating the gift card with the personalized bookmark.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein (d) comprises:

(d1) reading the bookmark reference data;

(d2) reading the gift card reference data; and

(d3) confirming that the personalized bookmark represented by the read bookmark reference data and gift card represented by the gift card reference are associated.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein (c) comprises:

(c1) utilizing the gift card data reference to access one of a plurality of bookmark templates stored in memory in conjunction with any user defined modifications thereto and a bookmark data reference; and

(c2) printing the bookmark template in conjunction with any user defined modifications thereto upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.