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

• US 7,734,719 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arroweye Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 4YOURSOUL.COM
• Inventors: Friedman, Doron, Huse, Brian J., Singhvi, Ajay
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean; Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US12/044,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/246, 700/233, 715/513
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 to be embedded or sent along with personalized greeting cards. 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 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 inside therein.

Claims

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

(a) maintaining in memory a greeting card template;

(b) maintaining in memory data identifying the greeting card template and user defined modifications thereto;

(c) maintaining in memory order data associating said greeting card template and the user defined modifications thereto with a gift card;

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

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

(f) comparing the greeting card data reference and the gift card data reference to determine if said references match the order data;

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

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

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the personalized greeting card template has a front panel wherein (d) comprises:

(d1) printing front panels of the personalized greeting card.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the gift card has at least two panels and wherein (e) comprises:

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

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

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

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the greeting card template has n panels where n>

2 and wherein (c1) comprises;

(c1a) printing greater than two panels on card stock.

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

(f1) reading the greeting card reference data;

(f2) reading the gift card reference data; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(d1) printing a personalized greeting card upon the occurrence of a predetermined event selected from the group consisting of;

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

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

(a) maintaining order data associating a greeting card with the gift card;

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

(c) using the greeting card data reference to initiate generation of a gift card separate from the greeting card and having a gift card data reference thereon;

(d) reading the greeting card reference data;

(e) reading the gift card reference data;

(f) determining if the personalized greeting card represented by the read greeting card reference data and the gift card represented by the gift card data reference match at least a portion of the order data;

(g) combining the gift card with the personalized greeting card, if the personalized greeting card represented by the read greeting card reference data and gift card represented by the gift card reference data match the order data; and

(h) shipping the gift card with the personalized greeting card to a designated recipient, if the personalized greeting card represented by the read greeting card reference data and gift card represented by the gift card reference data match at least a portion of the order data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the personalized greeting card comprises a greeting card template and user defined modifications thereto and wherein (b) comprises:

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

13. The method of claim 12 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.

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

(a) maintaining order data associating a personalized gift card with a personalized greeting card;

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

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

(d) comparing the gift card data reference and the greeting card data reference to determine if said references match at least a portion of the order data;

(e) combining the gift card with personalized greeting card, it said references match the order data; and

(f) shipping the gift card with the personalized greeting card to a designated recipient, if said references match at least a portion of the order data.

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

(d1) reading the greeting card reference data;

(d2) reading the gift card reference data; and

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

16. The method of claim 14 wherein (c) comprises:

(c1) utilizing the gift card data reference to access a greeting card template stored in memory in conjunction with user defined modifications thereto and a greeting card data reference; and

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

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the gift card has at least two panels and wherein (b) comprises:

(b) printing at least one panel on gift card stock.

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

(a) maintaining in memory order data identifying a template and user defined modifications thereto and data associating the template with a gift card;

(b) upon the occurrence of a first predetermined event, printing a personalized greeting card comprising the identified template in conjunction with the user defined modifications thereto and greeting card data reference thereon;

(c) upon the occurrence of a second predetermined event, generating a gift card separate from the greeting card, the gift card having a gift card data reference thereon;

(d) comparing the gift card data reference and the greeting card data reference to determine if said references match at least a portion of the order data;

(e) combining the gift card with the personalized greeting card; and

(f) shipping the gift card combined with the personalized greeting card to a designated recipient.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein one of the first and second predetermined events are selected from the group consisting of:

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

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second predetermined events occur simultaneously.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second predetermined events occur in a sequence.

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

(a) maintaining in memory a greeting card template;

(b) maintaining in memory order data identifying the greeting card template, user defined modifications thereto, and data associating the greeting card template with a gift card;

(c) printing, in a sequence, a plurality personalized greeting cards, the plurality of personalized greeting cards comprising an identified greeting card template in conjunction with the user defined modifications thereto and a greeting card data reference thereon;

(d) printing, in a sequence and as a process separate from the plurality of personalized greeting cards, a plurality of gift cards, the gift cards having a respective gift card data reference thereon;

(e) comparing the greeting card data reference of a greeting card having a position in the sequence of personalized greeting cards with the gift card data reference of a gift card having a similar position in sequence of gift cards to determine if said references match at least a portion of the same order data;

(f) combining the gift card with the personalized greeting card, if the personalized greeting card represented by the greeting card data reference and gift card represented by the gift card data reference match at least a portion of the order data; and

(g) shipping the gift card combined with the personalized greeting card to a designated recipient.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the gift cards have a plurality of panels and wherein (d) comprises:

(d1) printing at least one panel on gift card stock.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the gift cards have a plurality of panels and wherein (d) comprises:

(d1) printing at least one panel on gift card stock with an image associated with the personalized greeting card.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the gift cards have a plurality of panels and wherein (d) comprises:

(d1) printing at least one panel on gift card stock with an image having a complementary theme with a panel of the associated personalized greeting card.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the gift cards have a plurality of panels and wherein (d) comprises:

(d1) printing at least one panel on gift card stock with a user uploaded image associated with the personalized greeting card.

27. A computer program product for use with a computer system operatively coupled to a computer network comprises a computer usable storage medium having program code embodied thereon, the program code comprising:

(a) program code for maintaining in memory a greeting card template;

(b) program code for maintaining in memory order data identifying the greeting card template and user defined modifications thereto;

(c) program code for maintaining in memory data associating said greeting card template and the user defined modifications thereto with a gift card;

(d) program code for printing a personalized greeting card comprising the identified greeting card template in conjunction with the user defined modifications thereto and greeting card data reference thereon;

(e) program code for printing a gift card printing of the greeting card and having a gift card data reference thereon;

(f) program code for comparing the greeting card data reference and the gift card data reference to determine if said references match at least a portion of the same order data;

(g) program code for enabling shipping of the gift card combined with the personalized greeting card to a designated recipient if said references match at least a portion of the same order data.

28. A computer system connectable to a computer network comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a memory coupled to the processor for storing order data comprising;

(i) data identifying a greeting card template and user defined modifications thereto; and

(ii) data associating said greeting card template with a gift card;

(c) a printer coupled to the processor;

(d) program logic for printing on demand a personalized greeting card comprising the identified greeting card template in conjunction with user defined modifications thereto and a greeting card data reference thereon;

(e) program logic for generating a personalized gift card with a process separate from the printing of the greeting card and having a gift card data reference thereon;

(f) program logic for comparing the greeting card data reference and the gift card data reference to determine if said references match at least a portion of the order data; and

(g) program logic for enabling shipping of the gift card combined with the personalized greeting card to a designated recipient if said references match at least a portion of the same order data.