Business method for giving and tracking gifts

• US 7,958,060 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Andrew Miner
• Original Assignee: Michael Andrew Miner
• Inventors: Miner, Michael Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F. Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALMATRAHI, FARIS S
• Application Number:
  US10/677,677
• Time in Patent Office: 2,805 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/333
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A business method for distributing gifts. The method employs a gift wrap which is marked with a specific code number. The wrap is sold by an originator to a customer who places a gift within the wrap and mails or delivers the package to a first recipient. The customer inputs to the originator'"'"'s website information comprising the wrap'"'"'s code number, his name and address and the name and address of the first recipient. Then the first recipient inputs to the website information comprising the code number, his name and address and the name and address of any other recipient to whom the same wrap is sent with another gift. The information is sorted and stored in a database. The customer and first and any subsequent recipient of a wrap access the website over the internet to view the track history of the wrap.

Claims

1. A business method for sending a gift within a wrap, the method comprising the steps of applying an identification code to the wrap, giving the wrap to a first user, inputting into a control system a first input of information received from the first user who has transferred the wrap containing one gift to a second user, the first input of information comprising the identification code together with first data provided by the first user, inputting into the control system a second input of information from the second user to which the wrap and the one gift have been transferred, the second input of information comprising the identification code together with second data provided by the second user, employing the control system to access the first and second inputs of information, displaying the first and second data on a website, receiving an other input comprising third data from a third user to whom the wrap and an other gift have been sent, enabling the control system to access the third data, and displaying the third data on the website.