Methods for creating a gift registry web page with recommendations and assistance

• US 8,433,623 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Lawrence, Sarah, Peterson, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Amee A
• Application Number:
  US13/153,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.8
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

In one embodiment, a graphical user interface presents a gift registry having a number of registered products available to purchase through a retailer. The graphical user interface may present a view of information regarding registered products including an image, a description, and a price associated with each registered product. A recommended product may be presented in relation to a registered product, the recommended product selected as being complementary to the registered product. The recommended product information presented may include a product image, a product description and a product selection control.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a gift registry web page comprising:

providing a registry building graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) to a registrant;

setting a registry type associated with an event;

setting a number of guests invited to the event;

calculating, by a processor using an algorithm, a recommended number of gifts based in part upon the number of guests and the registry type, wherein the recommended number of gifts is distributed between at least a first gift count recommendation associated with a first price range and a second gift count recommendation associated with a second price range;

transmitting for display within the registry building GUI, for each price range, a corresponding gift count recommendation, a corresponding price range, and one of a corresponding currently registered tally and a corresponding remaining count tally; and

interactively building, by the processor, a gift registry through the steps of (a) receiving user selection of a selected item having an item price, (b) determining the corresponding price range for the item price, (c) adjusting the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally, (d) comparing the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally to the corresponding gift count recommendation, and (e) repeating steps (a) through (d).

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein, responsive to determining that the corresponding gift count recommendation is equivalent to the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally displaying, within the registry building GUI, a visual indicator associated with the corresponding price range.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a number of invitees from the registrant through the GUI, wherein setting the number of guests includes equating the number of invitees to the number of guests.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein setting the number of guests includes selecting a default number of guests based upon the registry type.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the registry building GUI includes the steps of:

comparing a current calendar date to a registry creation date to determine registry age;

comparing a current date to an event date to determine a countdown date;

selecting a welcome message based in part upon at least one of the registry age and the countdown date; and

displaying the welcome message in a top region of the registry building GUI.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein

providing the registry building GUI further includes the step of determining a number of registered gifts, and

the welcome message is further based in part upon the number of registered gifts.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the registry building GUI includes a wallpaper control selectable to associate a background image with a gift registry GUI.

8. A computer-implemented method for creating a gift registry web page comprising:

a processor displaying a registry building GUI to a registrant via a computer network;

the processor setting a registry type associated with an event based on user input;

the processor setting a number of guests associated with the event based on one of a user input and a default number according to the registry type;

the processor, using an algorithm, calculating a recommended number of gifts based in part upon the number of guests and the registry type, wherein the recommended number of gifts is distributed between at least a first gift count recommendation associated with a first price range and a second gift count recommendation associated with a second price range;

the processor determining and displaying, for each price range, a corresponding gift count recommendation, a corresponding price range, and at least one of a corresponding currently registered tally and a corresponding remaining count tally; and

the processor interactively building the gift registry through the steps of

(a) receiving via the computer network user selection of a selected item having an item price,

(b) the processor determining the corresponding price range for the item price and adjusting the at least one of the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally,

(c) the processor comparing the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally to the corresponding gift count recommendation, and

(d) repeating steps (a) through (c).

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein responsive to determining that the corresponding gift count recommendation is equivalent to the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally, the processor displays a visual indicator associated with the corresponding price range.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising receiving via user input over the computer network a number of invitees from the registrant, wherein setting the number of guests includes equating the number of invitees to the number of guests.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein setting the number of guests includes the processor selecting a default number of guests based upon the registry type.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein providing the registry building GUI includes the steps of:

the processor comparing a current calendar date to a registry creation date to determine registry age;

the processor comparing a current date to an event date to determine a countdown date;

the processor selecting a welcome message based in part upon at least one of the registry age and the countdown date; and

the processor displaying the welcome message.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein providing the registry building GUI further includes the step of determining a number of registered gifts, and displaying the welcome message based in part upon the number of registered gifts.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the registry building GUI includes a wallpaper control selectable to associate a background image with a gift registry GUI.

15. A method for creating a gift registry via a server computer including a programmable processor executing a program of instructions stored on a computer memory, the server interacting with client computers via a computer network, the method comprising:

a processor setting a number of guests associated with an event based on one of a user input and a default number according to registry type;

the processor, using an algorithm, calculating a recommended number of gifts based in part upon the number of guests and the registry type, wherein the recommended number of gifts is distributed between at least a first gift count recommendation associated with a first price range and a second gift count recommendation associated with a second price range;

the processor determining and displaying, for each price range, a corresponding gift count recommendation, a corresponding price range, and at least one of a corresponding currently registered tally and a corresponding remaining count tally; and

interactively building the gift registry through the steps of

(a) receiving via the computer network user selection of a selected item having an item price,

(b) the processor determining the corresponding price range for the item price and adjusting the at least one of the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally,

(c) the processor comparing the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally to the corresponding gift count recommendation, and

(d) the processor identifying recommended products that are related to the selected item.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein step (d) is practiced according to browsing habits of the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein step (d) is practiced according to previous purchases of the user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein step (d) is practiced according to one of non-user gift registries that also include the selected item and items commonly purchased with the selected item.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein when the at least one of the corresponding currently registered tally or the corresponding remaining count tally matches the recommended number of gifts for one of the first price range and the second price range, step (d) is practiced by identifying only products in the other of the first price range and the second price range.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying a personalized tips message based on one of a number of days since the gift registry was created and a number of registered products in the gift registry.