Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating online gift shopping

• US 8,978,978 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitchem, M. Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): KELLY, RAFFERTY D
• Application Number:
  US11/311,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,375 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 705/26
• US Class Current: 235/383
• 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 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for facilitating online gift shopping includes: receiving an order for a gift for a recipient from an online shopper via a computer network; providing a gift notice for the recipient to inform the recipient that the gift has been ordered for the recipient; receiving a reply to the gift notice from the recipient via the computer network, wherein the reply includes gift feedback information; and updating a recipient profile responsive to the reply and based on the gift feedback information from the recipient, wherein the recipient profile is associated with the recipient. Computer program products and systems for facilitating online gift shopping are also provided.

Claims

1. A, comprising:

receiving, at a server, an order for a gift for a recipient selected by an online shopper via a computer network, the order comprising a cellular telephone number of a device associated with the recipient of the gift;

querying, by the server, a profile database for the recipient;

retrieving, by the server, a profile from the profile database that is associated with the recipient;

retrieving, from the profile, a list of devices associated with the recipient;

comparing, by the server, the order for the gift to the list of devices associated with the recipient;

determining, by the server, the gift is compatible with one device in the list of devices associated with the recipient;

recommending, by the server, the gift in response to determining the gift is compatible with the list of devices associated with the recipient; and

sending, from the server, a gift notice to the cellular telephone number to inform the recipient that the gift has been ordered for the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the gift is incompatible with the list of devices associated with the recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for a thank you note from the recipient to the online shopper.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a reply from the recipient.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the recipient, a rejection of the gift.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the recipient, a rejection of all gifts from the online shopper.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, from the list of devices associated with the recipient, that the recipient will accept the gift.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring a third party approval for the gift.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the profile of the recipient.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a list of recommended gifts associated with the recipient.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the order for the gift.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for a list of rejected gifts associated with the recipient.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing code that when executed causes a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a recipient profile associated with a recipient of a gift selected by an online shopper via a computer network;

deriving, from the recipient profile, a list of devices associated with the recipient;

comparing the gift to the list of devices associated with the recipient;

determining the gift fails to match information associated with the list of devices;

predicting a refection of the gift in response to a failure of the match;

prompting the recipient for an in lieu gift from a wish list in lieu of the gift selected by the online shopper;

receiving a reply from the recipient that rejects the gift selected by the online shopper and instead requests the in lieu gift from the wish list;

retrieving the wish list from the recipient profile that specifies potential gifts selected by the recipient;

displaying the wish list to the recipient;

receiving a selection from the recipient of the in lieu gift from the wish list; and

processing an order for the in lieu gift in lieu of the gift selected by the online shopper.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise informing a cellular telephone number that the in lieu gift has been ordered for the recipient.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise adding the gift to a list of rejected gifts associated with the recipient.

16. A system for facilitating online gift shopping, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code stored that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a recipient profile associated with a recipient of a gift selected by an online shopper via a computer network, the recipient identified by a cellular telephone number;

deriving, from the recipient profile, a list of devices associated with the recipient;

comparing the gift selected by the online shopper to the list of devices associated with the recipient;

determining the gift fails to match information associated with the list of devices;

predicting a rejection of the gift in response to the gift failing to match the information associated with the list of devices;

retrieving a wish list in response to the rejection, the wish list specifying potential gifts selected by the recipient;

sending a message to the cellular telephone number requesting selection of an in lieu gift from the wish list in lieu of the gift selected by the online shopper;

receiving a reply from the cellular telephone number, the reply rejecting the gift selected by the online shopper and instead requesting the in lieu gift from the wish list; and

sending a gift notice to the cellular telephone number to inform the recipient that the in lieu gift has been ordered for the recipient.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise adding the gift to a list of rejected gifts associated with the recipient.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise processing the order for the in lieu gift.