Method and apparatus for providing a gift using a mobile communication network and system including the apparatus

• US 10,115,091 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eleven Street Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Choi, Kyung-Lim, Cho, Jae-Hee, Joo, Hyo-Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy, Andrew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/755,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261, 705 2635, 705 2681, 705 271, 705 272, 235375, 235376, 358 118
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system for providing a gift icon using a communication network. The system includes: a user terminal configured to receive information about products, select a product, and receive information about a selection of at least one receipt terminal to receive the selected product, information about whether the receipt terminal receives a gift icon corresponding to the selected product or not, and information about whether the gift icon has been used or not; and a gift provision apparatus configured to provide the information about products to the user terminal, provide the gift icon to the receipt terminal, and manage downloading, using, and usable period expiring of the gift icon.

Claims

1. A system for providing a gift icon using a communication network, the system comprising:

a user terminal configured to;

receive product information about products,

select a product provided by the received product information,

transmit selecting information about the selected product, and

receive responding information about a selection of a terminal to receive the selected product, the responding information comprising;

reception information identifying whether the terminal receives a gift icon corresponding to the selected product, wherein the gift icon includes a usage period identifying a valid usage period for the gift icon, and

status information identifying a usage status of the gift icon; and

a gift provision apparatus configured to;

provide the product information about products to the user terminal,

receive the selecting information from the user terminal,

provide the gift icon corresponding to the selected product to the terminal,

receive, from the terminal, a redemption signal corresponding to the gift icon,

wherein the redemption signal includes the usage period,

determine whether a usage period has elapsed based on the usage period, and

when the usage period is determined to have elapsed, transmit a prohibition message to the terminal, and

manage downloading and redemption of the gift icon.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user terminal is configured to request a gift provision for each group included in an address book, which is in conjunction with the user terminal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user terminal and the terminal are mobile terminals.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the user terminal and the terminal is configured to:

operate a software application for transmitting and receiving messages or data in real time through the communication network, and

transmit and receive the gift icon through the software application.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a recipient terminal configured to;

download the gift icon from the gift provision apparatus,

store the downloaded gift icon, and

receive the selected product corresponding to the gift icon from an affiliated shop appointed by the gift icon, or receive a message prohibiting a use of the gift icon from the gift provision apparatus when a usable period of the gift icon has expired.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the recipient terminal is configured to:

display a button for returning on a screen of the recipient terminal after a reception of the gift icon, and

when the button for returning and a predetermined product are selected, transmit a gift icon corresponding to the predetermined product to the user terminal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gift provision apparatus is configured to transmit the message prohibiting the use of the gift icon to the recipient terminal when the product corresponding to the gift icon is accepted in the appointed affiliated shop and when the usable period of the gift icon has expired.