System for making financial gifts

• US 9,659,323 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morris Friedman
• Original Assignee: Morris Friedman
• Inventors: Friedman, Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US14/083,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1451, 705 261, 705500, 705 267
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for electronic gift giving. An exemplary embodiment includes providing an internet site for access by a giver, prompting the giver to enter giver identification information, prompting the giver to enter recipient information, prompting the giver to enter a value of a monetary gift, providing a plurality of possible recommended gifts or transfers of funds, prompting the giver to recommend at least one gift or transfer of funds to be effectuated using the monetary gift, prompting the giver to select a presentation template from a plurality of recommended presentation templates, prompting the giver to transfer the value of the monetary gift to a gift account, and storing the value of the monetary gift and the at least one recommended gift or transfer in association with the presentation template for delivery to a recipient.

Claims

1. A gift giving system configured to electronically send a monetary gift to a recipient with at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation that the recipient may buy or make, the system comprising:

an Internet interface;

a giver account database accessed through the Internet interface by a giver and storing giver information;

a recipient account database accessed through the Internet interface by the giver and storing recipient information and a monetary gift value selected by the giver;

a computer-implemented recommendation engine coupled to the recipient account database and configured to create a selection of possible recommended gift, purchase or donation recommendations for the recipient based at least in part on the recipient information, and for the giver to choose from; and

a server coupled to the giver account database, the recipient account database and the recommendation engine, wherein the server is configured to electronically present the selection of possible recommended gift, purchase or donation recommendations to the giver on a giver device display, to prompt the giver to select on said giver device at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation that may be obtained or made by the recipient, to create an electronic gift comprising the monetary gift value and the at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation selected by the giver, to electronically transfer the monetary gift value from a giver payment source to a system giver account, and, with the monetary gift value still held in the system giver account, to deliver notification of the electronic gift to a recipient device over the Internet interface, thereby reducing or eliminating stress and waste associated with purchasing, delivery and possible return of unwanted gift items.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to

display the monetary value and the at least one recommendation on the recipient device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is further configured to:

prompt the recipient to accept the value of the monetary gift and, if the gift is acknowledged, to electronically transfer the value of the monetary gift to a recipient account from the system giver account.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the server is further configured to prompt the recipient to select the at least one recommended gift, purchase or donation from at least one online affiliate.

5. A server for a gift giving system, the server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory operably coupled to the processor storing program instructions therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions comprising;

providing an internet site for access by a giver via a giver device;

prompting the giver to enter giver identification information;

storing the giver identification information in a giver data store;

prompting the giver to enter recipient information;

storing the recipient information in a recipient data store;

prompting the giver to enter a value of a monetary gift to be transferred from the giver to the recipient that may be used in any way the recipient chooses;

storing the value of the monetary gift in the giver data store;

accessing the recipient information data store and processing said recipient information to generate one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations;

displaying the one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations on a giver device;

prompting the giver to select at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation that may be obtained or made by the recipient, said selection entered by the giver on said giver device;

prompting the giver to select a presentation template from a plurality of recommended presentation templates;

electronically transferring the value of the monetary gift from a giver payment source to a gift account;

storing the at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation in association with the monetary gift value and the presentation template for delivery to a recipient

sending electronic notification of the monetary gift, the at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation in association with the presentation template to the recipient, said electronic notification including displaying on a recipient device the value of the monetary gift, the purchase or donation recommendation in association with the presentation template, thereby reducing or eliminating stress and waste associated with purchasing, delivery and possible return of unwanted gift items; and

if the recipient electronically acknowledges the gift, electronically transferring the monetary gift value to a recipient account.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the providing a plurality of possible recommended gifts or transfer of funds comprises accessing the monetary gift data store and further basing said generating of said one or more recommendations on the value of the monetary gift.

7. The server of claim 5, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

displaying the presentation template, the at least one recommended gift or transfer of funds, and a notification of the value of the monetary gift on a recipient device.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the notification comprises an Internet link for accessing the presentation template.

9. The server of claim 5, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

providing Internet links to at least one online affiliate offering the at least one recommended gift or transfer of funds.

10. The server of claim 5, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

prompting the giver to personalize the presentation template.

11. The server of claim 5, wherein the presentation template comprises one or more text components, visual images and/or audio elements.

12. A gift giving system configured to electronically send a monetary gift notification to a recipient with at least one suggestion of a gift item or donation to be purchased or made by the recipient, the system comprising:

an Internet interface;

a giver account database accessed through the Internet interface by a giver and storing giver information;

a recipient account database accessed through the Internet interface by the giver and storing recipient information and a monetary gift value selected by the giver that may be used in any way the recipient chooses; and

a server coupled to the giver account database and recipient account database, wherein the server is configured to access the recipient information database and to process said recipient information and to generate one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations, to display the one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations on a giver device, the server further configured to prompt the giver to select one of said gift, purchase or donation recommendations that may be obtained or made by the recipient, create an electronic gift comprising the monetary gift value and data representative of the at least one gift or donation suggestion for the recipient selected by the giver, to electronically transfer the monetary gift value from a giver payment source to a giver gift account, and to deliver notification of the electronic gift to the recipient over the Internet interface, and, if the recipient electronically acknowledges the electronic gift notification, to subsequently transfer the value of the monetary gift to a recipient account, thereby reducing or eliminating stress and waste associated with purchasing, delivery and possible return of unwanted gift items.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a recommendation database storing a plurality of possible recommended gift items, including gifts, purchases or donations, wherein the server is further coupled to the recommendation database and the at least one gift suggestion is generated by the server based at least in part on the recipient information and the stored possible recommended gift items.

14. A computer-implemented method for electronic gift giving, in which a giver sends a notification of a monetary gift to a recipient that may be used in any way the recipient chooses, with at least one recommendation of a gift, purchase or donation that the recipient may buy or make, the method comprising:

prompting a giver to enter giver identification information on an Internet site;

prompting the giver to enter recipient information;

prompting the giver to enter a value of a monetary gift to be transferred from the giver to the recipient;

receiving electronic catalog data including available merchandise from merchants or transferees including charities or financial institutions;

processing recipient information entered by the giver or already stored in a recipient profile to generate one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations tailored to the recipient, and displaying the one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations on a giver device;

prompting the giver to select, using the giver device, at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation that may be obtained or made by the recipient;

electronically transferring the value of the monetary gift from a giver payment source to a gift account;

sending an electronic gift notification to the recipient indicating the monetary gift and data indicative of the selected at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation, thereby reducing or eliminating stress and waste associated with purchasing, delivery and possible return of possibly unwanted gift items; and

displaying the value of the monetary gift and the at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation on a recipient device; and

if the recipient acknowledges the electronic gift, electronic transferring the value of the electronic gift from the gift account to a recipient account.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a plurality of possible gift, purchase or donation recommendations based on the recipient information, wherein the at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation is selected from the plurality of possible recommended gift, purchase or donation recommendations.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing a plurality of possible recommended gift, purchase or donation recommendations is further based on the value of the monetary gift.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing Internet links to online affiliates offering the at least one recommended gift, purchase or donation, and displaying said Internet links in said electronic gift notification.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising;

returning the value of the monetary gift to the giver if the recipient does not acknowledge the gift.

19. A computer-implemented method for electronic gift giving, in which a giver sends a monetary gift to a recipient that may be used in any way the recipient chooses, with at least one recommendation of a gift, purchase or donation that the recipient may buy or make, the method comprising:

prompting the giver to enter giver identification information after accessing an Internet site using a giver device;

prompting the giver to enter recipient information at the Internet site;

prompting the giver to enter at the Internet site a value of a monetary gift to be transferred from the giver to the recipient;

storing the value of the monetary gift in an electronic data store;

electronically processing said recipient information to generate one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations, and displaying the one or more gift, purchase or donation recommendations on a giver device;

prompting the giver to select, using the giver device, at least one of said gift, purchase or donation recommendations that may be obtained or made by the recipient;

prompting the giver to prepare or select an electronic composition including a visual image comprising a still image or a video;

electronically transferring the value of the monetary gift to a gift account from a giver payment source; and

storing in the electronic data store the at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation in association with the value of the monetary gift and the composition for delivery to a recipient;

sending an electronic notification to a recipient;

if the recipient acknowledges the electronic gift, electronic transferring the value of the electronic gift from the gift account to a recipient account; and

returning the value of the electronic gift to the giver if the recipient does not acknowledge the gift.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending an electronic notification to a recipient; and

displaying the composition, the at least one recommended gift or transfer of funds, and a notification of the value of the monetary gift on a recipient device.

21. The method of claim 19,

providing a plurality of possible gift, purchase or donation recommendations based on the recipient information, wherein the at least one gift, purchase or donation recommendation is selected from the plurality of possible recommended gift, purchase or donation recommendations.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of possible gift, purchase or donation recommendations are generated by a recommendation engine.