Shipping Address Population Using Online Address Book

• US 20090043668A1
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panderi Technology Services LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kaye, Evan John
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method for automatically generating a custom name list for use in an order form which can be submitted to an Internet shopping site to complete an order. The method utilizes address book data, stored primarily online utilizing a third party service. In one method, names and addresses are read from an address book database and incorporated into a form which enables the user to easily select recipients for one or more gifts.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating purchases of gift items that are made available for purchase from a host server, comprising the steps of:

a) retrieving at least a set of names of potential gift recipients from an address book on a third party server; and

b) displaying in a selection form at a client station said set of names combined with one or more gift items available through said host server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein address book data on said third party server was populated by data transferred from a downloaded component on said client station that had read said client station address book data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reading of said client station address book data was permitted by a user following a prompt for permission to access the client station address book.

4. The method of claim 1, including the additional step of a user interacting with the cells in said selection form and submitting to the host server the associations between said one or more gift items and said set of names.

5. A method for facilitating purchases of gift items made available for purchase by a host server, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a matrix of selection cells which coordinate information in an address book with a set of gift items;

b) enabling the user to interact with one or more selection cells so as to select one or more cells and thereby define associated gifts in the set of gift items with information in the address book; and

c) after interacting with the one or more selection cells, submitting to the host server for purchase only the associated gifts from the set of gift items, while any remaining gift items in the set of gift items lacking an association with information in the address book is not submitted.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the interaction with the selection cells comprises selecting a checkbox.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the interaction with the selection cells comprises selecting a radiobutton.

8. The method of claim 5, including the additional step of displaying any prior gift item associations that were made in a previous session with the host server so as to advise a user of a possible repeat gift item purchase.