U.S. patent application number 12/047523 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-18 for gift exchange.
Invention is credited to Robert Daniel Sondles.
Application Number | 20080228597 12/047523 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39763615 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080228597 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sondles; Robert Daniel |
September 18, 2008 |
Gift Exchange
Abstract
One embodiment is a method that establishes at a website a group
of individuals desiring to exchange gifts with each other to
celebrate an event. The method receives at the website names and
descriptions of gifts desired by each individual in the group and
provides an interface to enable each individual to select one or
more of the gifts to purchase for one of the individuals.
Individuals are prevented from selecting a gift after the gift is
previously selected by another individual.
Inventors: |
Sondles; Robert Daniel;
(Wadsworth, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Robert Daniel Sondles IV
673 Tamarac Trail
Wadsworth
OH
44281
US
|
Family ID: |
39763615 |
Appl. No.: |
12/047523 |
Filed: |
March 13, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60918148 |
Mar 15, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.73 ;
705/26.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0633 20130101;
G06Q 30/0277 20130101; G06Q 30/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/27 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1) A method for exchanging gifts, comprising: establishing at a
website a group of individuals desiring to exchange gifts with each
other to celebrate an event; receiving at the website names and
descriptions of gifts desired by each individual in the group;
providing at the website an interface to enable each individual to
select one of the gifts to purchase for one of the individuals; and
preventing at the website a first individual in the group from
selecting one of the gifts after a second individual in the group
previously selected the one of the gifts for purchase.
2) The method of claim 1 further comprising, requiring each of the
group of individuals to register with the website before allowing
the individuals to exchange gifts.
3) The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing an interface
for each of the individuals to enter a gift and a hyperlink that
provides a link to purchase the gift.
4) The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing an interface
for each of the individuals to enter a gift and a ranking of the
gift, wherein the ranking provides an indication of importance of
the gift to an individual.
5) The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing an interface
for each of the individuals to enter a gift and a price range for
the gift, wherein the price range indicates a price for the
gift.
6) The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing an interface
for each of the individuals to enter a gift and a description of
the gift, wherein the description of the gift describes the gift so
group of individuals can locate the gift for purchase at a
website.
7) The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing an interface
that visually indicates to the first individual that the one of the
gifts was previously selected by the second individual for
purchase.
8) A tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions
for causing a computer to execute a method, comprising: registering
a group of individuals desiring to exchange gifts with each other
over a website; providing a graphical user interface (GUI) so each
individual in the group can enter at the website names of gifts and
descriptions of the gifts desired to be received; receiving through
the GUI a selection by each individual in the group to purchase one
of the gifts for another individual in the group; and prohibiting
two or more individuals of the group from selecting to purchase a
same gift that is desired by one of the individuals and listed on
the website.
9) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8 further
comprising: providing at the GUI for a first individual a first
list of gifts that the first individual desires to be received in a
gift exchange; providing at the GUI for the first individual a
second list of gifts that other individuals in the group desire to
be received in the gift exchange.
10) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8
further comprising, providing a budgeting tool that tracks an
amount of money that each individual in the group spends on gifts
for other individuals in the group.
11) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8
further comprising, warning a first individual in the group when
the first individual changes a description of a first gift after a
second individual in the group has already selected the first gift
for purchase.
12) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8
further comprising, notifying a first individual in the group when
a second individual in the group changes a description of a gift
that the first individual already selected to purchase for the
second individual.
13) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8
further comprising, entering at the GUI a description of a family
gift for plural individuals in the group.
14) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8
further comprising: providing a text field in the GUI for entering
hyperlinks to the gifts; providing a price field in the GUI for
entering a price range for the gifts; providing a ranking field in
the GUI for entering a priority for the gifts.
15) The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8
further comprising, providing an icon in the GUI that indicates
when another individual in the group has already purchased one of
the gifts.
16) A computer system, comprising: a memory storing an algorithm;
and a processor executing the algorithm to: establish at a website
a group of individuals desiring to exchange gifts with each other
to celebrate an event; receive at the website names and
descriptions of gifts desired by each individual in the group;
provide at the website an interface to enable each individual to
select one of the gifts to purchase for one of the individuals; and
prohibit at the website a first individual in the group from
selecting one of the gifts after a second individual in the group
previously selected the one of the gifts for purchase.
17) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor further
executes the algorithm to present a status of each gift indicating
whether the gift has already been selected by a member in the
group.
18) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor further
executes the algorithm to provide an interface for each of the
individuals to enter a gift and a hyperlink that provides a link to
purchase the gift.
19) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor further
executes the algorithm to provide an interface for each of the
individuals to enter a gift and a ranking of the gift, wherein the
ranking provides an indication of importance of the gift to an
individual.
20) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor further
executes the algorithm to provide an interface for each of the
individuals to enter a gift and a price range for the gift, wherein
the price range indicates a price for the gift.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional
application Ser. No. 60/918,148 filed on Mar. 15, 2007.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Gifts are traditionally exchanged between family, friends,
coworkers, neighbors, etc. during holidays, events, parties and
celebrations. Buying a desirable gift for another individual can be
a challenging task. The purchaser of the gift may not know what the
receiver wants or needs. Furthermore, the purchaser may not know
useful information about the receiver, such as clothing size,
favorite color, likes or dislikes, or other pertinent information
helpful for selecting an appropriate gift.
[0003] In some gift exchanges, one individual is selected or
designated as a contact for a group of people. The individual can
provide different functions, such as coordinate what gifts are
being exchanged or make recommendations to others about what gifts
to buy.
[0004] The method of designating an individual to coordinate a gift
exchange can work well for a small group. The method, however, may
not be practical for larger groups or for groups having individuals
that do not know each other too well. Further, it can be difficult
or burdensome to keep track of what each individual wants, needs or
what each individual is buying for another group member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing plural users connected to the
computer system through one or more networks in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 3 is an exemplary flow diagram of a method for a gift
exchange in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 4 is an exemplary interface for a user to enter gift
information in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for viewing and
selecting gifts in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 6 is an exemplary interface for viewing a gift lift of
a user in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 7 is an exemplary interface for updating the purchase
status of a gift for a user in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 8 is an exemplary interface showing purchased and not
purchased gifts for a user in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 9 is an exemplary interface showing a gift list for a
user in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 10 is an exemplary interface of a budget tool for a
gift exchange in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 11 is a diagram of different user groups in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram for editing a gift in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram for a user deciding on a sub-group
in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention are
directed to apparatus, systems, and methods for organizing and
facilitating an internet-based gift exchange for a group of people.
Members of the group login to an internet website in order to post
gift ideas for themselves and view gift ideas for other members of
the group. Members can anonymously view and reserve the right to
purchase gifts for other members. Gifts can be exchanged in a
variety of circumstances, such as celebrating one or more of
holidays, birthdays, weddings, special or one-time events, etc.
[0019] One exemplary embodiment keeps track of two lists for each
member in the group: a Wish List and a Buy List. The Wish List is a
list of gifts that the user desires for himself or herself. The Buy
List is a list of gifts a group member has chosen to purchase for
other members in the group. These two lists are provided to each
member so members can both share and consume gift information with
other members of the group.
[0020] In one embodiment, every member creates a Wish List by
entering gifts into a webpage. The Wish Lists are then viewed by
other members of the group. The Buy List is a list of gifts, chosen
from the Wish Lists of other members, which the member has decided
to claim the right to purchase for other group members.
[0021] Exemplary embodiments facilitate a group gift exchange by
keeping track of the lists and list information for all members of
the group. List information is displayed or hidden depending upon
the relationship of each user to a particular list. For instance,
all members can access and view the availability of every gift on
the list of another member. At the same time though, individual
members cannot access or view gifts purchased by others for their
own Wish List. In other words a member is not able to determine
what gifts from his or her Wish List have been selected and
purchased by other members.
[0022] When a member selects a gift to purchase from the Wish List
of another member, the Wish List for that member is automatically
updated to signify that the gift is taken and no longer available
for purchase by other members. Once a gift is selected, the
application automatically updates the gift availability as taken or
purchased and lists the chosen gift on the Buy List of the member
who selected the gift. In other words, when a gift is chosen and
marked as taken or purchased, other members can view the gift as
being unavailable to discourage them from buying the same gift.
[0023] Exemplary embodiments also provide visual tools for each
member to use in preparing for a gift exchange. For example, the
application has a budgeting tool that allows each group member to
setup a personal budget for purchasing gifts. The tool
automatically updates the budget based upon the selected purchases
of the user. In one embodiment, the tool maintains a running total
of money spent for buying gifts for other members.
[0024] During the initial stages of the gift exchange process, a
group is established when a user (such as one group member)
navigates to an internet website to sign up and create a new group
for a gift exchange. The user, for example, can enter the email
addresses of other group members. These members of a new group are
then invited through email to join the gift exchange. Once the
members login in and accept the invitation, the members can create
their own personal Wish List by entering information about many
different desired gifts. Members can also enter personal
information that assists other members in selecting gifts. For
instance, members can enter information such as hobbies, favorite
colors, clothes and shoe sizes, topics of interest, etc. As members
continue to create their personal Wish Lists, they can also browse
Wish Lists of other members.
[0025] Once a group member chooses one or more gifts, they can
interact with the application by adding the gift to their Buy List.
Once a group member purchases some gifts from their Buy List they
update their Buy List to mark the gift as purchased. The process is
repeated until they have purchased all the gifts from their Buy
List or they choose to return a gift from their Buy List back to
owner's Wish List.
[0026] Exemplary embodiments are utilized with various systems and
apparatus. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment as a system
10 for implementing a group gift exchange.
[0027] The system 10 includes a host computer system 20 and a
repository, warehouse, or database 30. The host computer system 20
comprises of a processing unit 50 (such as one or more processors
of central processing units, CPUs) for controlling the overall
operation of memory 60 (such as random access memory (RAM) for
temporary data storage and read only memory (ROM) for permanent
data storage) and one or more group gift exchange algorithms 70 for
facilitating and organizing group gift exchanges. The memory 60,
for example, stores data, control programs, and other data
associate with the host computer system 20. In some embodiments,
the memory 60 stores the group gift exchange algorithms 70. The
processing unit 50 communicates with memory 60, database 30, group
gift exchange algorithm 70, and many other components via buses
90.
[0028] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention are not
limited to any particular type or number of databases and/or host
computer systems. The host computer system, for example, includes
various portable and non-portable computers and/or electronic
devices. Exemplary host computer systems include, but are not
limited to, computers (portable and non-portable), servers,
mainframe computers, distributed computing devices, laptops, and
other electronic devices and systems whether such devices and
systems are portable or non-portable.
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system or data processing
network 200 in which an embodiment in accordance with the present
invention is practiced. The data processing network includes a
plurality of computing devices 210 in communication with one or
more networks 220 that is in communication with a computer system
or server 230.
[0030] By way of example, the data processing network 200 can
include an Information Technology (IT) infrastructure that
comprises one or more of computer systems, networks, databases, and
software applications that are responsible for performing
information processing. The IT infrastructure can use computers and
software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, retrieve,
monitor, and analyze information and communications.
[0031] For illustration, multiple users and/or computing devices
210 are shown connected to the host computer system 230. These
users and/or computing devices include a wide variety of electronic
devices that can connect or access networks 220 (such as the
Internet). By way of example, these user and/or computing devices
include a mobile phone 210A, a desktop computer 210B, a personal
digital assistant (PDA) 210C, and a laptop or notebook computer
210N.
[0032] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram 300 for a user displaying the flow
of activities in an exemplary embodiment.
[0033] According to block 310, a user navigates to a website and
registers with the system. A user initially logs into the system to
setup and/or begin a group gift exchange. Here, the user can enter
personal information, such as a username, password, email address,
name, address, etc. The initial user can be designated as a group
coordinator or group founder, for example.
[0034] During the initial registration phase, the group coordinator
forms a group for an upcoming gift exchange. The group can be
formed for a specific event (such as a birthday, a holiday,
wedding, special event, etc.) or for a non-specific event for group
members to exchange gifts. In order to form the group, the group
coordinator enters a group name (for example, John's Birthday
Party) and designates one or more other users as group members. By
way of example, the other group members are designated with one or
more of a name, password, email address, phone number, address,
etc.
[0035] According to block 320, the system sends notification to
other users designated in the group and solicits these users to
register and/or accept the invitation to join the group. For
example, an email or text message is automatically sent to each
user as an invitation to join the group gift exchange established
by the group coordinator. The message or invitation can include the
name of the group coordinator, a description of the gift exchange
(for example, John's Birthday Party), and a hyperlink or Universal
Resource Locator (URL) for accessing a website or webpage to join
and/or register for the group gift exchange.
[0036] According to block 330, the invited users login to the
system to register and/or confirm membership to the requested
group. Here, each user can enter personal information, such as a
username, password, email address, name, address, etc. as shown in
block 340.
[0037] According to block 350, the users are provided with a
variety of user options. Such options include, but are not limited
to, one or more of entering gifts for himself or herself, viewing
or browsing personal gifts of other group members, browsing
personal buy list, conducting system messaging (for example,
leaving or transmitting a text or email message to another group
member), subscribing to notifications, using various tools (such as
a budget management tool), using a checklist, and subscribing to
community news, to name a few examples.
[0038] FIG. 4 is an exemplary interface 400 (such as a graphical
user interface, GUI) for a user to enter gift information in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment. This interface enables a
user to enter a description of gifts that the user desires for
other group members to purchase for him or her.
[0039] In one embodiment, the GUI includes various fields, boxes,
or data entry location for the user to enter information about the
gift. A title field 405 enables a user to provide a title for the
gift. A description field 410 enables the user to provide a
description of the gift. Some gifts can be available for purchase
or viewing on the internet. As such, box 415 enables a user to
enter a URL for navigating to the gift. Other boxes include an
indication 420 whether the gift is considered a priority or
important gift, a price range 425 for the gift, an indication 430
whether the gift is a family gift (i.e., intended for more than one
person), a ranking 435 for the gift (i.e., how important is this
gift compared to other gifts), a group designation identifier 440,
and a gift owner 445 (i.e., for whom is the gift intended). Once
the gift descriptive information is entered in the fields, the user
clicks on a signal icon 450 to add the gift to his or her Wish
List.
[0040] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram 500 of a method for viewing and
selecting gifts in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The
flow diagram shows the process that a user experiences while
choosing one or more gifts for another user within a group.
Generally, the starting point is choosing which user's gift list to
browse. The user then decides which gift to give the other group
member and reserves this gift so other users do not give the same
gift to the other group member.
[0041] Initially, a user logs into the website or system. Once the
user is verified or authenticated, he or she is directed to one or
more user groups for which creation and enrollment have already
occurred. A user selects one of the groups (if multiple groups
exists) and then can view a list of group members according to
block 510.
[0042] According to block 520, the user selects a member of the
group. Alternatively, the user can first select between multiple
groups if the user belongs to more than one group. Then the user
would select a group member from the selected group.
[0043] According to block 530, the user browsed the gifts that have
been entered for the selected member. In other words, the user can
browse or view the other member's Wish List (i.e., the gifts that
the other user designated as being wanted or desired for the gift
exchange).
[0044] According to block 540, a question is asked whether the user
desires to select a gift for the other member. If the answer to
this question is "no" then flow proceeds to block 580 and the
method ends. Here, the user could be taken to a home page of the
gift exchange, choose to browse a Wish List belonging to another
member or navigated to another website location.
[0045] If the answer to the question is "yes" then flow proceeds to
block 550 where the availability of the selected gift is altered in
the system. At this stage, the user has decided to select a
specific gift for another member. Before the user selected the
gift, the gift was designated as being available (i.e., able to be
chosen by any group member). After the user selects the gift,
however, this designation changes to unavailable so another member
cannot also select the same gift. This change in designation
prevents two group members from selecting the same gift for the
same group member.
[0046] According to block 560, the selected gift is added to the
users Buy List. In other words, the system tracks which gifts the
user has selected to buy for other group members.
[0047] According to block 570, a question is asked whether the user
desires to select another gift for a group member. If the answer to
this question is "no" then flow proceeds to block 580 and the
method ends. If the answer to this question is "yes" then flow
proceeds to block 550.
[0048] Once a user selects or purchases a gift from the Wish List
of another user, other members of the group are prohibited or
prevented from selecting or purchasing the same gift. This process
ensures that two different users do not select and purchase the
same gift for one of the users. Users can be prevented from
selecting a gift in a variety of ways. For example, gifts that are
previously selected can be visibly be designated as not available
for selection or purchase. For example, the screen or GUI can
display a box, icon, or note indicating that the gift is not
available for selection. Further, a user can be prevented from
selecting such a gift as the selection option is not available or
displayed to the user. If the user attempts to select the gift, the
user is provided with a notice notifying the user that the gift is
not available or previously selected by another user. For instance,
a warning can appear on the display or screen stating that the gift
is taken or not available. Alternatively, once a gift is selected,
this gift could be visibly deleted from other users. Thus, users
will not be aware that such a gift was on a user's Wish List since
the gift will not appear on their screen or display.
[0049] FIG. 6 is an exemplary interface 600 for viewing a Wish Lift
belonging to a user in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. For
instance, the figure provides an exemplary interface of a gift from
another user's Wish List.
[0050] The user can select a gift from the Wish List of another
member. Once this selection is made (for example, the user clicks
on or selects with a menu option) a particular gift, detailed
information about the selected gift is presented to the user. By
way of example, this information includes, but is not limited to,
one or more of fields shown in GUI 600. Title 610 shows the title
of the gift provided by the other member (for example, downhill
sled). Description 620 provides the description of the gift that
was previously entered by the gift owner. This description explains
that the other member desires a downhill sled with black or gray
color, no runners, a seat, a steering wheel and brakes. URL 630
provides a URL for navigating to view or purchase the desired gift
(here, a URL for purchasing the downhill sled). The other displayed
boxes or fields include price range 640, ranking 650 for the gift,
group designation 660 (for example, showing the group name),
availability 670 (showing whether this gift has been previously
selected or chosen by another group member), and gift owner 680
(showing for whom the gift is intended). The icon 690 enables the
user to select the displayed gift for purchase.
[0051] The gift display interface shows the availability status 670
as well as the gift owner. This information provides a distinction
or difference between a user viewing their personal Wish List and a
user viewing another user's Wish List. A user cannot view the
availability status of his or her taken gifts, as this would ruin
the surprise of gift giving. In other words, the user is not able
to determine which of his gifts have been selected for purchase by
the other members.
[0052] FIG. 7 is an exemplary interface 700 for buying a gift for a
user in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The Buy List for a
user represents the gifts that the user has selected to buy for
other group members. The system keeps track of which gifts to user
has chosen or designated to buy for one or more of the other
members.
[0053] FIG. 7 shows that user A has selected to buy a downhill sled
for user B and a remote control car for user C. These gifts appear
on the Buy List because user A browsed through the respective Wish
Lists for users B and C and chose gifts to purchase for these other
users. The Buy List helps organize which gifts are purchased and
which need to be purchased. This information is only visible to the
Buy List owner. In other words, once a gift is added to the Buy
List the gift can be marked as purchased for the benefit of the Buy
List owner. The owner of the Buy List can return to their Buy List
and update the purchase status of the gift to "Purchased", update a
gift previously marked as "Purchased" back to "taken" or remove the
gift making it available for other users to purchase. The gifts are
organized by username in this exemplary embodiment.
[0054] FIG. 7 shows various fields or boxes that assist a user in
organizing, viewing, and tracking which gifts have been selected.
One field 705 designates a specific user; for example, showing a
selected gift 710 for user B. The gift is enclosed in the box
identified by 710. Region 715 shows the gift title (for example, a
downhill sled) with the gift being selected or chosen for purchase
by user A on a date 720 (for example, Nov. 2, 2006). Purchase
status field 730 indicates that the gift is taken (i.e., selected
for purchase by user A), and block 750 provides a description of
the gift. Other items include the toggling purchased icon 740
(enabling user A to indicate to the system that the designated gift
has actually been purchased or not purchased for user B), return
gift icon 745 (indicating that user A will no longer buy the gift
and it can be re-designated as available for the other members to
select and the gift is removed from user A's Buy List), URL 755,
ranking 760, and price range 765.
[0055] FIG. 8 is an exemplary interface 800 showing purchased and
not purchased gifts for a user in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment. Exemplary embodiments track or record which gifts have
been purchased by the user. The user is able to see which gifts are
purchased and which gifts still need to be purchased. The purchase
status is only seen by the owner of the Buy List.
[0056] FIG. 8 shows that user A has selected to purchase two gifts
for user B. These gifts include a downhill sled, shown in gift
title box 810, and a remote control car, shown in gift box 840. Box
820 shows that the downhill sled gift is taken (i.e., user A has
designated or claimed the right to buy this gift for user B). Once
user A buys the gift, user A can select icon 830 to indicate the
gift is purchased. Once a gift is purchased, an indication is
provided to user A that this gift was previously purchased. For
example, box 840 is colored, hashed, or otherwise marked with a
different background to indicate that the remote control car is
purchased. Icons 830 and 860 are used to change the purchase status
field (820 and 850) for this gift as being purchased or not
purchased.
[0057] FIG. 9 is an exemplary interface 900 showing a gift list for
a user in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. This figure
illustrates the gift list (or Wish List) for user B. In other
words, the display lists or shows which gifts that user B wants
other group members to buy for user B. Note in this example that
the availability status of the gift is not shown. Also note the
ability to delete and edit each gift, shown by the appearance of
the buttons on the GUI. The gift list owner is the only user that
can see this view of his or her gift list, unless he or she has
authorized another member from their subgroup to view the list.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 9, user A has two gifts on the gift list: a
downhill sled shown in field 910 of box 905 and a remote control
car shown in box 955 of field 952. Field 905 includes various other
fields or boxes, such as delete 920 (enabling user B to delete a
gift from his or her list), a date field 925 (showing the date on
which the gift was entered into the system), an edit icon 930
(enabling the user to edit the gift), a description field 935
(providing a description of the gift), a URL field 940 (providing a
hyperlink on the internet to the gift), ranking 945 (showing the
level of importance of the gift for the user B), and a price range
950 (showing a price range for the gift). Lastly, icon 915 is
selected when user B wants to add a new gift to his or her gift
list, the system presents an interface such as exemplary interface
400 in FIG. 4.
[0059] FIG. 10 is an exemplary interface 1000 of a budget tool for
a gift exchange in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The
gift exchange budget tool is one of the many optional tools
available to each user. This tool enables the user to enter a
maximum spending amount into the analysis tool that creates
multiple views of the data for the user, such as a bar chart, pie
chart, quick members view and gift cost breakdown per user. The
gift exchange budget tool also uses the current purchases to
determine the remaining amount of gift capital.
[0060] By way of example, the GUI 1000 provides a budget field 1010
wherein the user can enter a dollar amount or budget amount for a
particular group exchange or for individual group members. The
budget field includes amounts 1020 that are entered and/or
automatically calculated as the user buys gifts for members. For
example, assume user A budgets $100 for gifts in a gift exchange.
If user A then purchases a gift for $20 for user B, the budget of
user A is automatically updated to show user A spent: $20 and
remaining: $80.
[0061] A recalculation field 103) is also provided so a user can
change or adjust the budget. Further, a distribution list 1040
shows how the money is being distributed between various members of
the group. By way of example, the user has spent $20 on Anne, $40
on Jamie, $100 on Philip, etc. One or more graphs, charts,
diagrams, etc. (shown at 1050) can be simultaneously displayed as a
visual indication of the budget for the gift exchange.
[0062] FIG. 11 is a diagram 1100 of a different user groups in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment. This figure helps explain
the idea of groups and subgroups in the exemplary embodiment. The
large box 1105 that forms the perimeter is the group (labeled as
"Example of a Group"). Within this group are various individual
members 1110 (shown as members A, B, C, and D) and subgroups 1120
and 1130. The members can be single users or subgroups of people.
The members of the group all exchange gifts with some or every
member or subgroup of the group. For instance, members E and F
exchange gifts with each other and with members A, B, C and D,
while members G, H, I, and J exchange gifts with each other and
members G, H, I and J. Members A, B, C, and D can exchange gifts
with each other or members of subgroups 1120 and/or 1130.
[0063] FIG. 12 is a flowchart 1200 for the process of a user
editing one of his or her own gifts after it has been posted to his
or her own Wish List.
[0064] According to block 1210, a user edits a previously entered
gift. For example, the user decides to remove a gift after the gift
was previously added to his or her Wish List.
[0065] According to block 1220, the user is warned or notified of
consequences of editing the gift. For example, the user is warned
that another user may have already purchased or selected the
gift.
[0066] According to block 1230, a question is asked whether the
edited gift has been previously selected for purchase by another
member. If the answer to this question is "no" then flow proceeds
to block 1240, and the updates are made to the gift. In this
instance, no other member has selected to gift. So, the user can
edit the gift without consequence since another user has not
promised or selected it for purchase. If the answer to the question
is "yes" then flow proceeds to block 1250. Here, updates are made
to the gift and the other member is notified that the user has
edited the gift. In other words, if the user chooses to edit the
gift and another member has taken the gift, that member is notified
of the changes immediately after they happen.
[0067] By way of example, suppose user A provides a gift, titled
downhill sled, with black as a color preference. User B then
selects to purchase this gift for user A. Later, user A changes the
description to indicate red as the preferred color preference. User
B is immediately notified (for example, through an email or text
message or notification of some kind within the system) that user A
has changed an attribute such as the description of the gift.
[0068] FIG. 13 is a flowchart 1300 for the process of deciding what
type of users to form a subgroup. The flowchart assumes at least
two users and gives several example reasons for choosing to form a
subgroup. A subgroup has many benefits, for example a Wish List
shared between the group in addition to each user having a personal
Wish List.
[0069] According to block 1310, a family or group members register
in the same group gift exchange. For example, family members
register for a birthday or holiday gift exchange.
[0070] According to block 1320, a question is asked whether the
family or group has small children that need assistance entering
gifts. For example, one or more family members are too small or
unable to use or access a computer for communicating with the
system. If the answer to the question is "yes" then flow proceeds
to block 1360 and a subgroup is created for these users. If the
answer to this question is "no" then flow proceeds to block
1330.
[0071] According to block 1330, a question is asked whether the
family or group desires to receive family or group gifts. For
example, one or more family members may want to collectively
receive a single gift for multiple persons in a group. In this
manner, one user can buy a single gift for a family or group of
individuals. If the answer to the question is "yes" then flow
proceeds to block 1360 and a subgroup is created for these users.
If the answer to this question is "no" then flow proceeds to block
1340.
[0072] According to block 1340, a question is asked whether the
family or group wants to share a gift list and/or buy list. If the
answer to the question is "yes" then flow proceeds to block 1360
and a subgroup is created for these users. If the answer to this
question is "no" then flow proceeds to block 1350 where subgroups
are not formed and members remain as individuals.
[0073] One embodiment uses gift data and gift metadata. Gift data
describes the gift, and gift metadata is the information about each
gift that the application uses to manipulate functionality of the
website and/or graphical user interface. A member adds a new gift
into the system by entering a gift title, a gift description, a
price, gift priority, hyper link where the item can be found on the
web, whether it is a Sub Group gift, and other information about
each gift. A few select gifts, which are most desired, can be
marked as "Priority" gifts. Since priority gifts are visually
marked, other members know the importance of the gift to the
member.
[0074] Gifts have certain properties and information upon which the
application hides or displays depending upon the user viewing the
list. The author of the gift cannot view the gift availability of
his or her own gifts, as this would take away the element of
surprise. In other words, the author of a gift is not able to
determine which one or ones of his or her gifts are being purchased
or selected for purchase by other group members.
[0075] When a gift is denoted as a Sub Group Gift or Family Gift,
the gift behaves differently and appears at the bottom of the Wish
List for all the Sub Group members. There is also gift information
that is stored when certain events take place, such as a gift being
marked as "Gift Taken."
[0076] The Wish List is a container for all of the gifts entered by
each user. Each gift contains basic information about the item,
such as the title, description, price, a link where the gift can be
found on the Internet, gift type, the gift availability and other
information about each gift. The Wish List is the group of gifts
that the user is hoping to receive. Users go to the Wish List in
order to add new gifts, edit existing gifts and delete gifts from
their Wish List. Each member's Wish List is the list in which every
member views for gift information but not all of the Wish List
information is displayed to each member. Specifically, the gift
owner is not able to view the gift availability of their own gifts
as this would spoil the surprise of a gift exchange. Also, when a
member is viewing another member's Wish List, the viewing member
will observe that some gifts have already been claimed by other
members. These gifts cannot be chosen to be purchased because
another member has already claimed that right. Gifts in the Wish
List can be sorted by a few properties such as date added, price,
availability and other information.
[0077] Wish Lists display two broad types of gifts, individual
gifts and Sub Group Gifts (also known as Family Gifts). Sub Group
Gifts are gifts that are for the small group such as a family board
game, a puzzle, etc. These gifts are entered into the system the
similar way an individual gift is added: the member checks a box
denoting a Sub Group Gift. In order to list a Sub Group gift, the
member has to belong to a Sub Group. Every Wish List owned by a Sub
Group member has two sections, individual section and a Sub Group
section. Those members not in a Sub Group do not have a Sub Group
section. The same list of Sub Group Gifts is displayed for every
member in the Sub Group under the Sub Group section of the Wish
List.
[0078] Upon entering a new gift into the application, the gift
Availability Status is set as "Available" meaning the gift can be
taken and purchased by other participating members. Once another
member claims the gift, the status of the gift will change to
"Unavailable" or "taken". The other members will not know who has
chosen to get the gift but only that the gift is no longer
available for giving or selection.
[0079] When viewing other members' Wish Lists, group members will
also be shown advertisements related to the items in the Wish
Lists. The ads are customized to assist the group members in
finding a gift requested in another member's Wish List. The
advertisements that appear on the Wish List portion of the
application are filtered based upon the gift listed above the
advertisement. The gift titles and gift descriptions are used to
return relevant results in the form of ads that could be very
beneficial to the group members. For example, if one of the other
group members listed a particular model of digital camera, the
brand and model could be used to filter the advertisement search
results, presenting the group member with multiple places to
purchase the item or the best prices for an item listed in the
advertisement.
[0080] The Buy List is a feature built into the system that helps
organize gift purchasing. The Buy List keeps track of gifts a
member has chosen to get for other members in the group, as well as
the purchase status of those gifts. When a member chooses to get a
gift for another member, they navigate to the appropriate gift
within another member's Wish List and interact with the system to
claim the gift. Next, the gift is added to the member's Buy List
with the Purchase Status set to Not Purchased (taken but not
purchased). This gift is no longer available for other group
members to purchase. When the member has physically purchased or
acquired the gift they can go back to their Buy List and change the
status of that gift to "Purchased". This helps the member keep
track of which gifts from the system are purchased and which gifts
still need to be purchased. The gifts in the Buy List are organized
by member name and have the ability to be sorted by different
parameters such as date, purchase status and alphabetically by
member name. The purchase status data is only available to the
owner of the Buy List.
[0081] In one embodiment, the Buy List is dynamic and allows
multiple options for users in Multiple Groups and Sub Groups. A Buy
List will display all gifts from one or more groups, regardless of
the number of Groups a user is enrolled in. The ability of the Buy
List to span groups is only applicable to a user that is in
multiple groups. It provides all of the Buy List information for
that user regardless of the current group. There is an extra option
regarding Buy List content for users in a Sub Group. Normally, the
Buy List is comprised of gifts selected by one group member. The
additional option available to the users within a Sub Group is to
have the ability to share a Buy List between the Sub Group members.
In other words, every member of the sub group can view, add gifts
and return gifts to the same Buy List. An exception is that the
gifts that are taken off of other individual Sub Group member Wish
Lists are not displayed to the gift owner on the shared Buy List.
In other words, a sub group member would not be able to see one of
their own gifts in the Sub Group Buy List (or shared Buy List). For
example, suppose members A, B and C are in a Sub Group. If member A
chooses a gift for member B, member B will not be able to view this
gift on the shared Buy List. However, member C will be able to view
the gift for member B in the Shared Buy List. When a shared Buy
List is chosen to be printed, the application asks if the user
wants to included the intra-group gifts. Lastly, a shared Buy List
can be filtered to display only the current Group gifts or even use
a different shade of color to denote gifts from another group.
[0082] The Buy List can also host advertisements that are helpful
for both the company that hosts the application and the members
that use the application. Advertisements are displayed on the Buy
List pages that are helpful in terms of ad revenue for the hosting
company. The ads can come from a service in which the
advertisements are tailored based upon the page content. The title
and description can be used as content on which to filter or query
the advertisement listings. The advertisements will be beneficial
to the group members as it will provide price selection and
different retail choices right on the group member's Buy List page.
For example, member A chooses the gift "Rubber Over-Shoes" from
member B's Wish List. When member A views his/her Buy List there
will be a few advertisements listed on the page in which different
retailers are providing a link to their Rubber Over-Shoes and
possibly providing the price in the advertisement.
[0083] Groups can be formed around a variety of individuals. For
example, a group within the application is defined to be a group of
people that know each other or have something in common. For
example a group might be coworkers, friends or a family. The
application is designed to host many groups at the same time; these
groups usually act independent of the other groups. A group is
composed of individuals and zero or more Sub Groups. Further, two
groups can exist in the system without any of the members of either
system knowing about each other. Members could also be in one or
more groups. Members can be in only one Sub Group per group but if
the member is in multiple groups, the member can be in many Sub
Groups, one per group.
[0084] A Sub Group is comprised of two or more Group members that
choose to be associated with each other; there are many options
associated with a Sub Group. An example of a Sub Group would be a
four-person family that would like to have a common Wish List in
addition to individual gift lists. The common Wish List shared by
all members in the Sub Group is a Wish List composed of gifts that
are for all the members of the Sub Group. By way of example a Sub
Group can choose one of two Wish List options. First, the Sub Group
could choose to share one Wish List. The second option is that
members would have their own Wish List in addition to a shared Wish
List for the Sub Group. The members in a Sub Group can choose to
share a common Buy List or they each have an individual Buy List.
Sub Groups can also extend permission to members within the Sub
Group to administer the Wish Lists of the other Sub Group members.
For example, a family made up of two adults and one child can
benefit from this feature. The parents can manage both children's
Wish Lists without having to login as the child.
[0085] There are several tools within the system that enable the
members to organize gift giving, communicate with each other, set
system preferences and facilitate a group gift exchange. Examples
of such tools include, but are not limited to, a Shopping
Checklist, Community Posts, Messaging, Notifications, Budget
Management, Random Gift Assignment and Group Administrator
Controls.
[0086] The Shopping Checklist is a tool for keeping track of gift
recipients outside of the application. This tool allows users to
use the application to be the single place of record for gift
giving. This list is similar to the Buy List, in that it stores
gifts, their recipients and the purchase status of each gift. The
next couple of tools, the Community Post and Messaging, provide all
members with tools for communication within their group.
[0087] The Community Post tool provides all members in the group
with the ability to post a message or reply to a current post,
within the Group news board. This tool provides a way for all of
the group users to post messages to the rest of the group. Once a
topic is posted, any of the other group members can reply to this
post once or more times. The next tool provides the ability to
communicate to a select person or people within the group.
[0088] The Messaging tool provides a way for members to communicate
with other members of their group via individual messages sent back
and forth. It provides a way to send private messages to select
group members. The Messaging tool can be compared to a slim down
version of email, except the only recipients available are the
other group members. The Community Post and the Messaging tool both
allow communication between the members of the group; this next
tool provides communication between a member and the system.
[0089] The purpose of the Notification tool is to notify members of
events that happen within the system. Members create notifications
by subscribing to an event. Here are a few examples of events, when
a certain member enters a new gift, when a member edits a gift, and
when a certain member logs into the system. When that event occurs
the subscriber would be notified that the event took place. Members
have the ability to subscribe or unsubscribe to one or multiple
notifications. Notifications can be sent to the member's Messaging
tool.
[0090] The History Tool gives the user a chance to recall previous
actions as well as view the Wish List of a group member that the
was recently viewed. When working within an application, users can
make mistakes. This tool will give group members the ability to
back and undo the last few commands. For example, if a user chooses
to delete one of their gifts by accident, the member simply chooses
to undo that item and the deletion is reversed. The History Tool
also allows a member to recall the Wish List of another group
member that has been recently viewed.
[0091] The application's Budget tool provides members with a way to
plan and keep track of their gift exchange expenditures. The tool
provides the user with financial information based upon group data
and individually entered data. The tool is capable of providing
information such as overall gift expenditures and a guideline for
gift pricing based on a desired expense amount. The tool provides
views of the information using pie charts, max spending charts and
has the possibility to move the information into your current
financial planning software. It will be possible for financial
institutions to provide information about financing and give a
member the ability to sign up for a line of credit loan or other
financial help within the site.
[0092] The Group Administration tool has many purposes, such as
paying any fees associated with the service usage, invite new
members to the group, set preferences within the site, general
administration for the group such as adding or removing group
members, resetting passwords and setting up Sub Groups. The
Administration Controls are only visible to the group administrator
or group creator.
[0093] The System tools are not for members of the site, they are
for the Group Gift Exchange administrators. The System Tools
include one interface to create new accounts, organize billing,
collect payments, store and retrieve customer data, manage
relations between partners and check system statistics. This
interface facilitates all the management necessary to keep start
and perform upkeep on the site.
[0094] Upon signing up, the user to create the group with the
application can choose to be the group administrator, volunteer
another group member to take this role or choose to have all
members administer the group; there are certain abilities of the
administrator. The administration can invite members via email or
other means to become members within a new group. The
administration does this by accessing certain menus that allow the
addition of new users. The administration simply provides the
required information; this makes each group virtually self
sustaining. Members of the group can be invited via email or simply
with the login information. The administrator/s can set up Sub
Groups and a takes care of a few other group policy settings. The
administrator can create the usernames for all of the new members
and is responsible for notifying them by email or another way. Upon
receiving the welcome email the new member follows the link
provided, signs into the system with temporary information. Upon
entry for the first time, the new member is prompted to setup their
own account by and entering a small amount of information such as a
new password and username for their member account within the
system, clothing size information and other general questions
regarding gifts. The administrators set any and all group settings
and preferences for the Group.
[0095] Exemplary embodiments can also handle situations in which
existing members can be included in more than one group. If a
current member accepts an invitation to be part of another group
within the application, that member would be able to accept the
invitation and would then be part of both groups. The member would
then choose which group to work within after logging into the
system or they can have the option of working with both groups at
the same time. The only sections in the system that are enabled to
view data from both groups are the Buy List and Shopping Checklist
sections.
[0096] The group administrator can pick and choose how the rules
will be enforced upon signing up the group. Some rules revolve
around choosing gifts from other member's Wish Lists and editing
gifts on a member's own Wish List.
[0097] The first rule is called the Return Date rule and is
apparent when choosing to get a gift for another group member. Once
a gift appears on the member's Buy List, the rule comes into
effect. The rule states that when a gift is marked as "Gift Taken"
it needs to be returned or marked as "Purchased" within three days
or it will automatically be returned to the pool of available gifts
after the three day period. The return date is three days by
default and can be adjusted to five days, seven days or turned off
by the group administrator.
[0098] The second rule is called the Responsible Edit Rule and it
has three settings. This rule exists because editing a gift can be
problematic if a member chooses to edit the details of a gift that
another member has already chosen to get for that member. The three
settings are On, Off and Notify. When this rule is turned on, the
application provides the most protection to somebody that might
have purchased a gift. Upon editing a gift, the application sends
out a notification to all of the members in the group asking for
permission to edit the gift. The gift owner has to wait 24 hours
for the edit to take effect and can be notified by another group
member that the edit would cause a problem. The owner then has
another chance to commit the change to the gift.
[0099] The second setting for the Responsible Edit Rule is
completely off, which gives the gift purchaser no protection from a
gift they have on their Buy List from being editing. This setting
does nothing to notify the user of a change in the gift details.
The gift can be edited by the gift owner. The last setting is
called the Notify and it provides the most flexibility to all group
members. In the event that the gift has been edited under this
setting, the application sends a notification to the member that
has the gift on their Buy List. The notification includes the
original gift information and the new changes. If none of the other
members have this gift on their Buy List, there is no notification
sent out and the gift is simply updated.
[0100] The Freeze Date rule puts a final day of editing and
returning on the Wish Lists. This means that gift owners cannot
edit gifts and members cannot return gifts from their Buy List on
or after the Freeze Date. This rule was created to ensure that a
bunch of gifts are not dumped back into the pool of free gifts
without enough time for other members to put the gifts on the Buy
List and purchase them. This date is set for five days, by default,
in advance of the date of the party or gift exchange.
[0101] The Group Gift Exchange Algorithm is meant to be able to fit
into an existing web site with ease. The existing website can
create a new button on the page that once logged in can allow a
user to add a gift to their Wish List from the host company's web
site. One example of how this can be achieved is that the company's
website can be updated so that when the user presses the button,
the gift information, such as title, description, price, and link
is sent in XML directly to the web site hosting the Group Gift
Exchange Algorithm.
[0102] The Group Gift Exchange can be a 2 Tier or N Tier
application depending upon the size of the user base and wants for
the hosting company. The application can be developed with multiple
languages including but not limited to C#, Java, C++, PHP, Python,
VB, etc. The data store can be anything from a flat-file database
to a database server. The Group Gift Exchange can be developed to
use Web Services and XML to increase operability so that the front
end of the software application can be written in a different
language than the middle tier or backend; for example a C#
presentation and Middle Tier. The hosting and requesting operating
systems can be any operating system. The Group Gift Exchange
application can be accessed via a desktop application, web browser,
any type of computer that has a web browser such as a laptop
computer, desktop computer, hand-held, third party application, or
virtually device with the ability to connect to another device.
[0103] With exemplary embodiments, a single or multiple individuals
are not required to organize a gift exchange. Exemplary embodiments
make distribution of the Wish List easier and create community
among group members in the process. Embodiments also organize the
gift giving, the information is available from any Internet
Connected PC (or any connected PC that has the software depending
upon the setup). Furthermore, exemplary embodiments offer tools to
help in the organization and accuracy of gift shopping and provide
an opportunity for the application host to place advertisements
within the application. This is due to the fact that the members of
the group frequently visit the application for updates to other
member Wish Lists and to complete their gift giving.
[0104] In one exemplary embodiment, one or more blocks or steps
discussed herein are automated. In other words, apparatus, systems,
and methods occur automatically. As used herein, the terms
"automated" or "automatically" (and like variations thereof) mean
controlled operation of an apparatus, system, and/or process using
computers and/or mechanical/electrical devices without the
necessity of human intervention, observation, effort and/or
decision.
[0105] Definitions: As used in the specification and the claims,
the following words are defined as follows:
[0106] The word "group" means two more individuals (i.e., human
beings) that have a unifying interest.
[0107] The word "member" means one of an individual of a group.
Members in a group gift exchange are limited to certain number of
individuals who perform a specified task or have a common interest.
For example, in order for an individual to become a member of a
group gift exchange, the individual is first invited to join the
group then accepts to become a member.
[0108] Blocks in diagrams or numbers (such as (1), (2), etc.)
should not be construed as steps that must proceed in a particular
order. Additional blocks/steps may be added, some blocks/steps
removed, or the order of the blocks/steps altered and still be
within the scope of the invention. Further, methods or steps
discussed within different figures can be added to or exchanged
with methods of steps in other figures. Further yet, specific
numerical data values (such as specific quantities, numbers,
categories, etc.) or other specific information should be
interpreted as illustrative for discussing exemplary embodiments.
Such specific information is not provided to limit the
invention.
[0109] In the various embodiments in accordance with the present
invention, embodiments are implemented as a method, system, and/or
apparatus. As one example, exemplary embodiments and steps
associated therewith are implemented as one or more computer
software programs to implement the methods described herein. The
software is implemented as one or more modules (also referred to as
code subroutines, or "objects" in object-oriented programming). The
location of the software will differ for the various alternative
embodiments. The software programming code, for example, is
accessed by a processor or processors of the computer or server
from long-term storage media of some type, such as a CD-ROM drive
or hard drive. The software programming code is embodied or stored
on any of a variety of known media for use with a data processing
system or in any memory device such as semiconductor, magnetic and
optical devices, including a disk, hard drive, CD-ROM, ROM, etc.
The code is distributed on such media, or is distributed to users
from the memory or storage of one computer system over a network of
some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other
systems. Alternatively, the programming code is embodied in the
memory and accessed by the processor using the bus. The techniques
and methods for embodying software programming code in memory, on
physical media, and/or distributing software code via networks are
well known and will not be further discussed herein.
[0110] The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the
principles and various embodiments of the present invention.
Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those
skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.
It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace
all such variations and modifications.
* * * * *