Giving gifts and displaying assets in a social network environment

• US 7,970,657 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgenstern, Jared
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Will
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davison; Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US11/796,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 272, 705/319
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• 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 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and method is described for giving gifts via a social network and displaying icons representing assets that have been acquired via the social network. In various embodiments, the assets include real assets, digital assets, and virtual assets. Digital assets that have been acquired via the social network environment may also be displayed. In some embodiments, the assets are received as gifts or in trade from another user of the social network environment.

Claims

1. A method for representing ownership of an asset in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user of the social network environment to purchase the asset for a second user;

recording information about a purchase of the asset from a vendor;

associating, by a server for the social networking environment, the purchased asset with a profile of the second user;

sending for display to a viewing user an association between the purchased asset and the second user on a feed display page;

sending for display to the viewing user, in connection with the association between the purchased asset and the second user, information indicating that a third user, with whom the viewing user has established a connection in the social network, owns the asset, and information including a name of the first user who gave the asset to the second user, on the feed display page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchased asset comprises a real asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchased asset comprises a virtual asset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchased asset comprises a digital asset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying to a viewing user the association comprises displaying the digital asset on a webpage associated with the profile of the second user in the social network environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying to a viewing user the association comprises displaying an icon representing the asset on a webpage associated with the profile of the second user in the social network environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein recording information about the purchase of the asset comprises recording information about transferring money from the user to the vendor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein recording information about the purchase of the asset comprises recording information about:

receiving money from the user;

transferring the money to the vendor;

receiving the asset from the vendor; and

providing the asset to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein recording information about the purchase of the asset further comprises recording information about:

transferring the money from the user to the vendor; and

transferring the asset from the vendor to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendor is a third party vendor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendor is another user of the social network environment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendor is the social network provider.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a fee from the vendor.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a fee from the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing user comprises the first user, the second user, or another user who has an established connection with the first user or the second user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association comprises displaying the association on a web page associated with the first user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association comprising displaying the association on a news feed display page in the social network environment.

18. A method for buying a gift in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user of the social network environment to purchase the gift;

receiving from the first user an identity of a second user of the social network environment designated to receive the gift;

recording information about a purchase of the gift from a vendor;

associating, by a server for the social networking environment, the purchased gift with a profile for the second user;

sending for display to a viewing user an association between the purchased gift and the second user in the social network environment on a feed display page;

sending for display to the viewing user, in connection with the association between the purchased gift and the second user, information indicating that a third user, with whom the viewing user has established a connection in the social network, owns the gift, and information including a name of the first user who gave the gift to the second user, on the feed display page.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving a request to purchase the gift further comprises:

providing a list of one or more gifts to the first user; and

receiving a selection from the first user of a gift in the list.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein recording information about the purchase of the gift comprises recording information about delivering the gift directly to the second user.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein recording information about the purchase of the gift comprises recording information that the second user is entitled to receive a gift from the vendor.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein recording information about the purchase of the gift comprises recording information about directing a vendor to deliver the gift to the second user.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the gift comprises a real asset.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the gift comprises a virtual asset.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the gift comprises an icon.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the gift comprises a digital asset.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association further comprises displaying the gift on a webpage associated with the first user in the social network environment.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association further comprises displaying the gift on a webpage associated with the second user in the social network environment.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving information about whether the second user accepted the gift.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a fee from the vendor.

31. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a fee from the user.

32. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining if the second user accepts the gift and wherein displaying to a viewing user an association further comprises displaying an icon representing the gift on a webpage associated with the second user only if the second user accepts the gift.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the viewing user comprises the first user, the second user, or another user who has an established connection with the first user or the second user.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association comprises displaying the association on a web page associated with the first user.

35. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association comprises displaying the association on a news feed display page in the social network environment.

36. A method for representing a digital asset in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user of the social network environment to purchase the digital asset for a second user;

recording information about a purchase of the digital asset from a vendor for the user;

associating, by a server for the social networking environment, the digital asset with a profile for the second user;

sending for display to a viewing user an association between the digital asset and the second user on a feed display page;

sending for display to the viewing user, in connection with the association between the digital asset and the second user, information indicating that a third user, with whom the viewing user has established a connection in the social network, owns the digital asset, and information including a name of the first user who gave the digital asset to the second user, on the feed display page.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising displaying an icon representing the digital asset.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising recording information about the transfer of the digital asset to the user.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising displaying contents of the digital asset.

40. The method of claim 36, further comprising attaching advertising to the digital asset.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising receiving a fee from the vendor.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising receiving a fee from the user.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the viewing user comprises the first user, the second user, or another user who has an established connection with the first user or the second user.

44. The method of claim 36, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association comprises displaying the association on a web page associated with the second user.

45. The method of claim 36, wherein displaying to a viewing user an association comprises displaying the association on a news feed display page in the social network environment.

46. A method for buying a gift in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user of the social network environment to purchase the gift;

receiving from the first user an identity of a second user of the social network environment designated to receive the gift;

recording information about a purchase of the gift for the second user;

associating, by a server for the social networking environment, the purchased gift with a profile for the second user;

sending for display to a viewing user an association between the purchased gift and the second user in the social network environment on a news feed display page in the social network environment;

sending for display to the viewing user, in connection with the association between the purchased gift and the second user, a link to the profile of the second user and a link to purchase the gift, information indicating that a third user, with whom the viewing user has established a connection in the social network, owns the gift, and information including a name of the first user who gave the gift to the second user, on the news feed display page.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the viewing user comprises the first user, the second user or another user who has an established connection with the first user or the second user.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the news feed display page displays a plurality of purchased gifts associated with users of the social network environment who have established connections with the viewing user.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the gift comprises a real asset.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein the gift comprises a virtual asset.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein the gift comprises an icon.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein the gift comprises a digital asset.