Method and system for universal gift registry

• US 8,032,428 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: XO Group Incorporated (KNOT Worldwide Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: XO Group Incorporated (KNOT Worldwide Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hsu, Hans, Ali, Inte
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US12/714,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/27.1, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A universal gift registry providing a partial payment option for gift givers and a mandatory and contingent gift substitution for gift recipients. The gift recipient registers any type of gift idea from any store or establishment, for any occasion with an associated gift amount in the registry. The registrant is able to name their own gift price by selecting a gift amount not necessarily the same as the retail cost of the gift idea. The gift recipient also indicates whether they will accept a contingent substitute of gift or cash if the system is unable to provide the gift idea at the gift amount. The recipient can also select mandatory substitution of gift or cash. A gift giver is also able to select a gift idea and make a partial contribution toward purchase of the gift idea.

Claims

1. A gift registry computer system configured to enable a gift giver to make a contribution towards a gift on a gift list of a gift recipient, the gift registry computer system comprising:

a communications interface for communicating over a communications network, the communication network being accessible to the gift giver and the gift recipient;

a memory in communication with the communications interface for storing the gift list; and

a processor in communication with the memory and the communications interface, the processor configured to;

retrieve the gift list from the memory;

generate a web page comprising gifts of the gift list;

transmit the gift list web page to the gift giver over the communications network;

receive a commitment from the gift giver for a monetary contribution towards an amount less than all of the uncommitted balance of a gift'"'"'s purchase price, wherein the gift is included on the gift list web page; and

generate, based at least in part on an indication made by the gift recipient when selecting the gift, a substitution request to provide the total of a plurality of gift givers'"'"' monetary contributions to the gift recipient as a substitution if the total is less than the gift'"'"'s purchase price; and

generate a request to send a message to the gift giver when the substitution request has been satisfied.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the substitution comprises one of a gift certificate and an amount of currency.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a request to credit an account of the gift recipient if the substitution is the amount of currency.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a request to send an electronic mail message to the gift recipient in response to generating the substitution request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the gift list web page includes:

a designation of a partial purchase option for the gift and is responsive to receiving a selection of the partial purchase option, thereby allowing the gift giver to provide the commitment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the gift list stored in the memory comprises gifts selected from a catalog of a retailer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a notification that the purchase request or the substitution request has been satisfied.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a request to credit an account of the gift recipient for the total.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an election from the gift recipient for the gift; and

generate the substitution request in response to the election.

11. A method implemented on a gift registry computer system, including a processor in communication with a memory and a communications interface, for enabling a gift giver to make a contribution towards a gift on a gift list of a gift recipient of the gift registry computer system, the method comprising:

retrieving, by the processor, the gift list from a memory of the gift registry computer system;

generating, by the processor, a web page comprising gifts of the retrieved gift list;

transmitting, by the processor, the gift list web page over a communications network to the gift giver;

receiving, by the processor, a commitment from the gift giver for a monetary contribution towards an amount less than all of the uncommitted balance of a gift'"'"'s purchase price, wherein the gift is included on the gift list web page; and

generating, by the processor based at least in part on an indication made by the gift recipient when selecting the gift, a substitution request to provide the total of a plurality of gift givers'"'"' monetary contributions to the gift recipient as a substitution if the total is less than the gift'"'"'s purchase price; and

generating, by the processor, a request to send a message to the gift giver when the substitution request has been satisfied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the substitution comprises one of a gift certificate and an amount of currency.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, a request to credit an account of the gift recipient if the substitution is the amount of currency.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, a request to send an electronic mail message to the gift recipient in response to generating the substitution request.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the gift list web page includes:

a designation of a partial purchase option for the gift and is responsive to receiving a selection of the partial purchase option, thereby allowing the gift giver to provide the commitment.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the gift list stored in the memory comprises gifts selected from the catalogs of a plurality of retailer stores.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a notification that the substitution request has been satisfied.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, a request to credit an account of the gift recipient for the total.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an election from the gift recipient for the gift, and wherein the substitution request is generated in response to the election.