Related product system and method

• US 7,519,548 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cimpress Schweiz GmbH (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies Limited (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Hanechak, Brian D., Dulaney, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond; Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US11/056,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

Computer-implemented systems and methods for automatically creating a second customized product design incorporating information from a first customized product design. Information from a first custom product design is automatically combined with additional automatically selected content to create a new custom product to be promoted to the customer. When possible, information known about the customer, such as the customer'"'"'s geographic location or business interests, is used to select the additional content for incorporation into the design.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method automatically creating a design for a separate second customized product for a customer, the second customized product design being related to an earlier-created design of a first customized product associated with the customer, the method comprising:

retaining the first customized product design and a customer account containing customer information and product information associated with the first customized product design in electronic form;

retaining a plurality of content images in electronic form, one or more of which are associated with one or more search criteria;

retaining an uncustomized design for a second product in electronic form, the uncustomized design having at least a first content area for content retrieved from the first customized product design and a second content area for an image retrieved from the plurality of content images retained in electronic form;

automatically retrieving information from the first customized product design and inserting the retrieved information into the first content area;

analyzing by the computer the customer account information associated with the first customized product design to determine one or more search criteria for selecting a content image from the plurality of content images; and

automatically selecting a content image from the plurality of content images based on the determined one or more search criteria and inserting the selected content image into the second content area such that a second product design customized for the customer is automatically created without requiring the customer to design the second product design.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved information inserted into the first content area is an image of the first customized product.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved information inserted into the first content area is information taken from the design of the first customized product.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second content areas at least partially overlays the other of the first and second content areas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first customized product is associated with a customer account containing customer information and wherein the content image is selected based on at least information contained in the customer account information associated with the first customized product.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the content image is selected based on at least address information contained in the customer account.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the content image contains schedule information for activities in the geographical area of the address contained in the customer account.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the content image is selected further based on at least the time of year when the second customized product is being created such that the schedule information selected is timely.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the schedule information is schedule information for at least one sports team.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a default content image is selected for insertion into the second content area if the determined one or more search criteria is not associated with any of the plurality of content images.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the default image is a calendar.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some content of the first customized product design is identified as being associated with particular subject matter and wherein the content image selected for insertion into the second content area is selected based on that subject matter.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the content image selected for insertion into the second content area is selected based on at least some content of a third customized product associated with the first customized product.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second customized product design is created and presented in response to a request from the customer for the automatic creation of at least one additional producet design.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the second customized product design is created and presented without the request of the customer.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an email to the customer containing an image of the second customized product design.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the email contains a link allowing the customer initiate a process for purchasing products having the second customized product design.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the email contains a link allowing the customer to initiate a process for editing the second customized product design prior to initiating the purchasing process.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an image of the second customized product design to the customer on a Web page.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the Web page displays a link allowing the customer to initiate a process for purchasing products having the second customized product design.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the Web page displays a link allowing the customer to initiate a process for editing the second customized product design.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined one or more search criteria comprises a customer'"'"'s occupation.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined one or more search criteria comprises a customer'"'"'s geographical location.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the content image selected for insertion into the second content area is further selected based on a time of year.