Automated system for managing baby care products

• US 8,032,426 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: La Niear, Charlotte Vallory, Williams, Rodney Bernard, Moeggenberg, Katherine Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zukanovich; Brandy A
• Application Number:
  US12/715,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20110218848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/26.1, 705/26.8, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• 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 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/18 for washing or drying persons

Abstract

A computer-based online system for managing a plurality of registries of baby care product selections, where each of the plurality of registries is uniquely associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, and where each baby care product selection corresponds to a baby care product selected at the online system or one of a plurality of retailers, includes a database to electronically store data records corresponding to the plurality of registries, and an application server communicatively coupled to the database. The application server includes a baby care product selector to automatically process a request to add a baby care product selection to a specified one of the plurality of registries, and update at least one data record in the database in accordance with the request, wherein the request is automatically generated by an application running on a smart device; and a purchase manager to automatically process a purchase selection, where the purchase indication is associated with a selection of a certain baby care product included in the specified one of the plurality of registries for purchase by a participant.

Claims

1. A computer-based online system for managing a plurality of recurring purchase accounts, comprising:

a memory that stores at least the following;

a contribution manager that causes the computer-based online system to process a first request to contribute a specified amount to a recurring purchase account selected from the plurality of purchase;

accounts, the first request including a category of baby care products to apply the specified amount; and

a balance manager that causes the computer-based online system to receive a second request from a user associated with the recurring purchase account to apply at least a portion of an amount available in the recurring purchase account toward a purchase of a specified item, wherein the balance manager further causes the computer-based online system to determine whether the specified item is a product in the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account, and wherein only in response to determining that the specified item is a product in the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account, the balance manager causes the computer-based online system to grant the second request,

wherein each of the plurality of recurring purchase accounts is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, and wherein each of the plurality of recurring purchase accounts is for use with a particular category of baby care products.

2. The computer-based online system of claim 1, wherein the category is limited to age-specific versions of a non-durable good.

3. The computer-based online system of claim 2, wherein the non-durable good is diapers.

4. The computer-based online system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores data for providing a network interface to cause the computer-based online system to communicate with an external server operated by a financial institution to complete a first financial transaction associated with the first request and a second financial transaction associated with the second request.

5. The computer-based online system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores data for providing a digital asset interface to cause the computer-based online system to receive at least one of the first request and the second request from an online system for managing a plurality of registries of baby care product selections, wherein the recurring purchase account defines a baby care product selection in one of the plurality of registries.

6. The computer-based online system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores at least the following:

a notification manager to cause the computer-based online system to generate a notification in response to the first request, wherein the notification is electronically transmitted to the user associated with the recurring purchase account;

wherein the notification includes at least one of the following;

the specified amount and an identity of a participant who contributed the specified amount.

7. The computer-based online system of claim 6, wherein the notification manager generates the notification according to a preference setting of the user associated with the recurring purchase account, wherein the preference setting is included in a data record stored in the database.

8. The computer-based online system of claim 1, further comprising:

a web server to provide an electronic store limited to the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account, wherein the electronic store is accessible online only by the plurality of users.

9. The computer-based online system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores a coupon generator to cause the computer-based online system to generate an electronic coupon redeemable only for a product in the category of baby care products.

10. The computer-based online system of claim 1, wherein the balance manager further causes the computer-based online system to receive from the user a financial goal that is based on a desired duration of use for the category of baby care products and wherein upon receiving the first request to contribute a specified amount to a recurring purchase account, the balance manager further causes the computer-based online system to calculate a remaining duration for meeting the financial goal.

11. A method for managing a plurality of recurring purchase accounts, comprising:

processing, by a computing device, a first request to contribute a specified amount to a recurring purchase account selected from the plurality of purchase accounts, the first request including a category of baby care products to apply the specified amount;

receiving a second request from a user associated with the recurring purchase account to apply at least a portion of an amount available in the recurring purchase account toward a purchase of a specified item;

determining whether the specified item is a product in the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account;

only in response to determining that the specified item is a product in the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account, granting the second request; and

receiving from the user a financial goal that is based on a desired duration of use for the category of baby care products and wherein upon receiving the first request to contribute a specified amount to a recurring purchase account, the balance manager further causes the computer-based online system to calculate a remaining duration for meeting the financial goal,

wherein each of the plurality of recurring purchase accounts is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, and wherein each of the plurality of recurring purchase accounts is for use with a particular category of baby care products.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the category is limited to age-specific versions of a non-durable good.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the non-durable good is diapers.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating with an external server operated by a financial institution to complete a first financial transaction associated with the first request and a second financial transaction associated with the second request.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving at least one of the first request and the second request from an online system for managing a plurality of registries of baby care product selections, wherein the recurring purchase account defines a baby care product selection in one of the plurality of registries.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a notification in response to the first request, wherein the notification is electronically transmitted to the user associated with the recurring purchase account,

wherein the notification includes at least one of the following;

the specified amount and an identity of a participant who contributed the specified amount.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating the notification according to a preference setting of the user associated with the recurring purchase account, wherein the preference setting is included in a data record stored in the database.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing an electronic store limited to the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account, wherein the electronic store is accessible online only by the plurality of users.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating an electronic coupon redeemable only for a product in the category of baby care products.