U.S. patent application number 14/615161 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-04 for fully customizable mobile greeting card app.
The applicant listed for this patent is American Greetings Corporation. Invention is credited to Rob Matousek, Larry Mosca, Sally Schriner.
Application Number | 20150154676 14/615161 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47068261 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150154676 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Matousek; Rob ; et
al. |
June 4, 2015 |
Fully Customizable Mobile Greeting Card App
Abstract
A system is provided for downloading a fully customizable
greeting card application to a mobile device such as a tablet, the
application simulating the behavior of a child making handmade
cards with blank paper and physical drawing tools and other
decorative effects. The application allows a user to create a card
from a variety of pre-designed greeting card templates or to fully
customize three full pages of a blank greeting card. A completed
greeting card may be electronically mailed to one or more email
recipients or one or more copies of the greeting card can be
ordered and purchased from within the application and may be
printed and sent from a remote fulfillment facility to one or more
specified recipients. The application contains parental controls
for ordering and purchasing the greeting cards while not
interfering with a child's ability to fully express their
creativity through various in-app drawing tools and available
effects.
Inventors: |
Matousek; Rob; (Lakewood,
OH) ; Mosca; Larry; (Van Nuys, CA) ; Schriner;
Sally; (Rocky River, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
American Greetings Corporation |
Cleveland |
OH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47068261 |
Appl. No.: |
14/615161 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13460045 |
Apr 30, 2012 |
|
|
|
14615161 |
|
|
|
|
61969335 |
Mar 24, 2014 |
|
|
|
61481028 |
Apr 29, 2011 |
|
|
|
61486050 |
May 13, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.5 ;
715/202 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0635 20130101;
G06F 3/04817 20130101; G06F 40/186 20200101; H04W 4/50 20180201;
G06F 40/103 20200101; G06F 3/04842 20130101; G06Q 30/0641 20130101;
G06Q 50/01 20130101; G06F 3/0488 20130101; G06Q 30/0601 20130101;
G06F 3/0482 20130101; H04W 4/12 20130101; G06F 40/166 20200101;
G06Q 50/32 20130101; G06F 40/106 20200101; G06Q 30/0621
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20060101
G06Q030/06; G06F 3/0481 20060101 G06F003/0481; G06Q 50/00 20060101
G06Q050/00; G06F 3/0484 20060101 G06F003/0484; G06F 3/0488 20060101
G06F003/0488; G06F 17/24 20060101 G06F017/24; G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482 |
Claims
1. An electronic greeting card system including an application
downloadable to a portable computing device comprising: a server;
an electronic greeting card application program that is downloaded
to the portable computing device from the server; the electronic
greeting card application having a plurality of greeting card
templates for customization by a user, at least one page of the
plurality of greeting card templates being completely blank; a
plurality of electronic drawing tools contained within the
electronic greeting card application, each of the plurality of
electronic drawing tools operative to be selected by a tap of a
user's finger upon the touch screen of the portable computing
device above one of a plurality of icons representing each of the
plurality of electronic drawing tools; wherein once a user has
selected one of the plurality of electronic drawing tools, the user
may customize the greeting card by drawing or writing on the touch
screen of the portable computing device above the electronic
greeting card template.
2. The electronic greeting card system of claim 1, wherein once a
user has customized and saved one of the plurality of greeting card
templates, the user may order and purchase a physical copy of the
customized greeting cards.
3. The electronic greeting card system of claim 1, wherein the
system is further operable to electronically send a rendering of a
saved customized greeting card template to a print facility for
printing a physical copy of the customized greeting card.
4. The electronic greeting card system of claim 3, wherein a user
can choose to pick up the physical copy of the customized greeting
card at the print facility.
5. The electronic greeting card system of claim 3, wherein a user
can choose to have the print facility mail the physical copy of the
greeting card to a recipient.
6. The electronic greeting card system of claim 1, wherein the
electronic drawing tools are selected from the following: a pencil,
a crayon, a marker, a paintbrush, a piece of chalk, a sticker, and
a stamper.
7. The electronic greeting card system of claim 1, wherein the
plurality of greeting card templates are operative to accept a user
photo to be displayed thereon.
8. An electronic greeting card system comprising: a server; an
electronic greeting card application downloadable from the server
to a portable computing device having a touch screen thereon; the
electronic greeting card application operative to provide both
pre-designed greeting card templates with one or more areas which
can be customized by a user with text, photographs, and/or a
digital signature and also blank greeting card templates which can
be completely customized by a user with text, drawings, and/or
photographs; wherein the pre-designed and blank greeting card
templates are customizable through user interaction with the touch
screen of the portable computing device; and wherein physical
printed copies of a customized pre-designed and blank greeting card
templates can be purchased and mailed to one or more recipients
from within the electronic greeting card application.
9. The electronic greeting card system of claim 8, wherein the
blank greeting card templates are customizable with a plurality of
electronic drawing tools available from within the electronic
greeting card application.
10. The electronic greeting card system of claim 9, wherein the
plurality of electronic drawing tools include a pencil, a crayon, a
marker, a paintbrush, a piece of chalk, a sticker and a
stamper.
11. The electronic greeting card system of claim 9, wherein the
user may select to use one of the plurality of electronic drawing
tools by tapping on one of a plurality of icons representing each
of the plurality of electronic drawing tools.
12. The electronic greeting card system of claim 8, wherein each
greeting card template contains four pages.
13. The electronic greeting card system of claim 8, wherein each
page of each of the greeting card templates is electronically
movable by a user by a touch of a finger.
14. The electronic greeting card system of claim 8, wherein the
electronic greeting card application contains safeguards which
prevent a child user from ordering or purchasing a physical copy of
a customized greeting card without parental consent or
participation.
15. A method for creating a physical customized greeting card from
within a mobile application comprising the steps of: downloading an
electronic greeting card application to a mobile computing device
with a touch screen; selecting a greeting card having at least
three completely blank pages operable to be fully customized by a
user; selecting one of a plurality of electronic drawing tools by
tapping one's finger on an icon representing said selected drawing
tool; selecting one of a plurality of colors of the selected one of
the plurality of electronic drawing tools by tapping one's finger
on an icon representing said selected color; using one's finger to
draw or write or tap upon one or more of the at least three
completely blank pages of the greeting card; wherein one may
iterate through the at least three completely blank pages by
swiping one's finger to the left or to the right or by tapping on
left and right arrows on the touch screen; saving the customized
greeting card; providing greeting card recipient name and address
information to the electronic greeting card application; providing
payment information to the electronic greeting card information;
wherein the electronic greeting card application will process said
recipient name and address and payment information and send a
rendering of the user's customized greeting card to a print
facility which will print a physical copy of the customized
greeting card and mail said customized greeting card to the
recipient name and address provided by the user.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of adding a
name to a fourth partially customizable page of the greeting
card.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of providing
user email and password information prior to providing the greeting
card recipient name and address information.
18. A system for electronic creation of a physical greeting card
comprising: at least one server accessible via a computer network,
the at least one server having data thereon defining a blank
greeting card template having four pages wherein three of the four
pages are completely blank and a plurality of electronic drawing
tools; a mobile computing device for accessing the at least one
server; a mobile application downloaded from the at least one
server to the mobile device, the mobile application providing
access to the data on the at least one server; wherein a user may
fully customize the blank greeting card template by using one's
finger to interact with the blank greeting card template and the
plurality of electronic drawing tools through mobile application
via a touch screen on the mobile device; and wherein the user may
order and purchase a physical copy of the fully customized
representation of the blank greeting card template from within the
mobile application and have it printed and mailed to a specified
recipient from a remote location.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user may choose to send an
electronic version of the fully customized representation of the
blank greeting card template to a recipient via SMS text message or
email, or to post the electronic version onto a social media
website.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile application also
provides the option to select a pre-designed greeting card template
having one or more areas which can be customized by a user.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/969,335, filed on Mar. 24, 2014. This
application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/460,045, filed on Apr. 30, 2012, which is a
non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/481,028, filed on Apr. 29, 2011 and U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/486,050, filed on May 13, 2011. Each of the
above-referenced patent applications is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is in the field of social expression
products and more specifically, fully customizable electronic
greeting cards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present disclosure and related inventions is directed to
an electronic greeting card application for mobile devices. The
application is geared toward children but may be used in a variety
of circumstances by children and adults alike. It provides users
with the ability to create a greeting card using pre-loaded
greeting card designs in various greeting card categories or to
create a fully customizable greeting card completely from scratch.
To facilitate user customization of the greeting cards, the
application provides a suite of drawing tools, design elements, and
also provides the ability to upload photos or other personal
digital effects. A digital signature can be used to sign the
greeting card in the user's own handwriting. Once a greeting card
has been designed and customized by a user, he/she can either send
the greeting card electronically to a recipient or he/she may
choose to have the greeting card printed at a remote location and
sent either to themselves or to one or more greeting card
recipients.
[0004] The present disclosure and related inventions also provide a
way for parents to allow children to be creative and create a fully
(or partially) customized greeting card without having the expense
of purchasing the wide array of drawing tools available from within
the digital application. It is also a way to keep things tidy with
no clean-up required once the child is done crafting his/her
personalized creation. An actual physical representation of the
child's greeting card can be realized by purchasing one or more
copies of said card and sending same to one or more selected
recipients.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is an exemplary embodiment of the home screen of the
app of the present invention.
[0006] FIG. 2A is an exemplary embodiment of the "Pick-a-Card" grid
view screen.
[0007] FIG. 2B is an exemplary embodiment of the "Pick-a-Card"
single view screen.
[0008] FIG. 3A is an exemplary embodiment of the first page of a
greeting card selected through the "Pick-a-Card" option.
[0009] FIG. 3B is an exemplary embodiment of the first page of the
greeting card of FIG. 3A in edit mode.
[0010] FIG. 4 is an exemplary embodiment of an inside page of a
greeting card selected through the Pick-a-Card" option with text
entry and digital signature features.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of an inside page of a
greeting card selected through the "Pick-a-Card" option, with
picture adding feature.
[0012] FIG. 6A is an exemplary embodiment of the front page of a
greeting card selected through the "Make-a-Card" option, with
partial (first half) tool carousel.
[0013] FIG. 6B is an exemplary embodiment of the front page of a
greeting card selected through the "Make-a-Card" option, with
partial (second half) tool carousel.
[0014] FIG. 7 is an exemplary embodiment of the "Make-a-Card" color
carousel.
[0015] FIG. 8A is an exemplary embodiment of the "Make-a-Card" add
(keyboard) text screen.
[0016] FIG. 8B is an exemplary embodiment of the card of FIG. 8A
with text added via drawing tool.
[0017] FIG. 9 is an exemplary embodiment of a "Make-a-Card"
greeting card panel with drawing and stamps added, and stamp
carousel.
[0018] FIG. 10 is an exemplary embodiment of the rear "Make-a-Card"
greeting card panel.
[0019] FIG. 11 is an exemplary embodiment of the "Cards Read to
Send" screen.
[0020] FIG. 12 is an exemplary embodiment of a screen indicating
that parental/adult involvement is necessary.
[0021] FIG. 13 is an exemplary embodiment of a screen which
requires a parental/adult touch screen gesture.
[0022] FIG. 14 is an exemplary embodiment of the parental/adult
"Sign-In" screen.
[0023] FIG. 15 is an exemplary embodiment of the parental/adult
"Confirmation" screen.
[0024] FIG. 16 is an exemplary embodiment of the "Address/Envelope"
screen.
[0025] FIG. 17 is an exemplary embodiment of the "Review Order"
screen.
[0026] FIG. 18 is an exemplary embodiment of the "Payment"
screen.
[0027] FIG. 19 is an exemplary embodiment of the "Parental
Dashboard".
[0028] FIG. 20 is an exemplary embodiment of the "Settings"
screen.
[0029] FIG. 21 is a flow diagram of an exemplary system environment
for electronically merchandising and delivering greeting card
templates and app updates over the internet.
[0030] FIG. 22 is a flow diagram of an exemplary system environment
for sending user-created designs through the order process.
[0031] FIG. 23 is a flow diagram of an exemplary app user
experience.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The fully customizable greeting card application of the
present invention provides an electronic option for children to
create customized greeting cards. The application simulates the
existing behavior of children making customized handmade greeting
cards from blank, foldable paper, using a variety of physical
drawing tools such as, for example, crayons and markers to write or
draw upon said paper, and using a plurality of embellishments, such
as, for example, stickers and stamps to further embellish and add a
personal touch to the greeting card. The completed greeting card
can be sent electronically to one or more greeting card recipients
or the completed greeting card can be ordered as an in-app purchase
and remotely printed and sent via the U.S. Postal Service to one or
more greeting card recipients. While the greeting card and
associated application is described herein as being directed to
children and described as simulating a child's behavior in creating
a handmade greeting card, it is contemplated that the application
is adaptable to a wide variety of situations and uses and it is
intended that the application may be used by users of any age.
[0033] The application has been described herein as being a mobile
application for download to a mobile computing device, such as an
Apple iPad.RTM.. However, the application may be used with other
mobile devices such as a smart phone, other tablet computers,
laptop computers, and the like. Also, other types of tablet
computers such as the Samsung Galaxy.RTM., the Microsoft
Surface.RTM. and others can be used. The application can be used
with any computing device having a touch screen. The program may be
manipulated by the use of a user's finger or by a stylus or other
touch capacitive device.
[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein
have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary
skill in the art to which this invention applies. The examples set
forth herein are intended to describe particular embodiments only
and are not intended to limit the invention in any way.
[0035] The term "software" or "computer program" as used herein
includes, but is not limited to: one or more computer or machine
readable and/or executable instructions that cause a computer,
microprocessor, logic circuit, or other electronic device to
perform functions, actions and/or behave in a desired manner. The
instructions may be embodied in various forms such as routines,
algorithms, modules or programs including separate applications or
code from dynamically linked libraries. Software may also be
implemented in various forms such as stand-alone programs, apps, a
function call, a servlet, an applet, instructions stored in a
memory or any other computer readable medium, part of an operating
system o other type of executable instructions. It will be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the form of
software is dependent on, for example, requirements of a desired
application, the environment it runs on, and/or the desires of a
designer/programmer or the like.
[0036] "Mobile application" or "Mobile App" or "App" as used
herein, includes, but is not limited to: applications that run on
smart phones, tablet computers and other mobile devices. The terms
"mobile application", "mobile app" and "app" can be used
synonymously with "software". Mobile applications allow users to
connect to services which are traditionally available on a desktop
or notebook platforms. Typically, these services access the
internet or intranet or cellular or wireless fidelity networks to
access, retrieve, transmit and share data.
[0037] The terms "computer", "processor" or "processing unit" as
used herein, includes, but is not limited to: any programmed or
programmable electronic device, microprocessor, logic unit that can
store, retrieve and process data.
[0038] The term "network" as used herein includes, but is not
limited to: a collection of hardware components and computer or
machines interconnected by communications channels that allow
sharing of resources and information, including, without
limitation, the worldwide web or the internet.
[0039] The term "web browser" as used herein, includes, but is not
limited to: a software for retrieving and presenting information
resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource may be a
web page, an image, a video, or any other type of electronic
content.
[0040] The term "server" as used herein, includes, but is not
limited to: a computer or machine or a device on a network that
manages network resources. The general term "server" may include
specific types of servers such as a file server (a computer and
storage device dedicated to storing files), a print server (a
computer that manages one or more printers), a network server (a
computer than manages network traffic), and a database server (a
computer system that processes database queries). Although servers
are frequently dedicated to performing only server tasks, certain
multiprocessing operating systems allow a server to manage other
non-server related resources. A "web server" as used herein,
includes, but is not limited to: a server which serves content to a
web browser by lading a file from a disk and serving it across a
network to a user's web browser, typically using a hyper-text
transfer protocol (HTTP).
[0041] "API files" or "API" or "Application Programming Interface"
as used herein, includes, but is not limited to: an interface
between different software programs or software files which
facilitate the interaction of the different software programs or
software files by way of a specific set of rules and
specifications.
[0042] "Electronic Greeting Card", "e-greeting", "e-greeting card"
or "e-card", as used herein, includes, but is not limited to any
greeting card, or a personalized message or a message which
delivers a pieces of communication from one user to another user or
non-user through electronic media.
Downloading the App
[0043] Once downloaded, the app of the present invention provides
the user with the option of creating a customized greeting card by
starting out with a pre-loaded greeting card template ("Pick a
Card" 12) or by providing a blank slate, akin to a blank piece of
paper, which a user may fully customize ("Make a Card" 10). As
shown in FIG. 1, the "home" screen provides the user with both
create-a-card options plus give the user access to the "Cards Ready
to Send" 14 screen, where previously made greeting cards are saved
and the "Where's My Card?` 16 screen, which provides the status of
previously sent greeting cards. The "Where's My Card" 16 feature is
inaccessible until there are cards which have been sent to order.
These features will be discussed in further detail below.
"Pick-a-Card"
[0044] If the user chooses to create a greeting card using a
pre-loaded greeting card template (the "Pick a Card" 12 option),
the user is given a variety of greeting card categories 18 from
which to choose a suitable greeting card template. These greeting
card categories 18 may include, but are not limited to: birthday;
get well; miss you; thank you; and seasonal holiday cards such as,
for example, Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and
Father's Day. Photo cards are also available in a separate category
and are represented by a "Say Cheese" camera icon. The "Pick a
Card" 12 function can be presented to the user via a grid view,
shown in FIG. 2A, wherein the front face of a variety greeting card
templates 20 are shown on the screen and selectable by the user.
The user may scroll up and down the grid view by swiping up or down
on the touch screen. Alternately, the "Pick a Card" 12 function can
be presented in a single card view, shown in FIG. 2B, by selecting
the "grid" icon 21B on the upper right side of the screen (user can
likewise switch back to the single card view by tapping the
"single" icon 21A) wherein the front face of a single greeting card
20 template is shown on the screen at a time and the user can
iterate through each template by swiping left or right, on a
card-by-card basis. The greeting cards 20 are visualized on a
carousel of greeting cards which can be browsed with the swipe of a
finger. Each greeting card 20 has a pre-defined "resting point" on
the carousel which it will "snap" into if close enough thereto.
Snapping into this point may also activate information pop-ups and
voiceovers to let the user know what can be done with each
particular card. In both the grid view and the single card view, a
group of icons representing various greeting card categories 18 is
shown at the bottom portion of the screen. The user may select a
category 18 from the carousel, upon which the main content area of
the carousel will be refreshed only with greeting cards 20 which
fall into the category selected by the user. Since many users of
the application may be children below an age at which they can
read, heavy use of iconography and voiceover are used to aid in
navigation (e.g. smiley face for "thank you", heart for Valentine's
Day, etc.). The user may swipe his/her finger to the right or to
the left to view, select, and navigate between any of the available
greeting cards 20. For example, a user may swipe to the right to
move from the first card to the least card, while the user may
swipe left to move from the last card to the first card. While
browsing through the available greeting card templates 20, a user
may select a particular greeting card template 20 by tapping on the
particular card in order to view the inside greeting card sentiment
and/or artwork. The user is able to easily navigate through each
page of the greeting card 20 by interacting with the user
interface. Since the user interface is a touch screen, the user may
tap on a greeting card 20 to open the selected card's interactive
view. The application depicts a conventional, folded four page
paper card having four pages, including a front cover page (page 1
P1), a left inside page (page 2 P2), a right inside page (page 3
P3) and a rear page (page 4 P4). The greeting card 20 may, in other
embodiments contain less than four pages, such as one, two or three
pages, or the greeting card may contain multiple greeting card
pages which include embodiments with greater than four pages. This
disclosure will refer to the preferred embodiment as having four
pages, although other numbers of pages have been contemplated and
are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. To
move between the various pages P1-P4 of the greeting card 20, the
user may tap and drag the greeting card panel P1-P4 to either the
left or the right. For example, the user may tap and drag from
right to left of page 1 P1, to view the inside right page (page 3
P3) of the greeting card. To view the inside left page (page 2 P2)
from the inside right page (page 3 P3) the user may tap page 3 P3
and drag from right to left. To move back to the inside right page
(page 3 P3) the user may tap page 2 P2 and drag from left to right.
To move to the rear page (page 4 P4) with page 2 P2 facing forward,
the user may tap page 3 P3 and drag from right to left. Once the
user finds an appropriate greeting card 20, he/she can select the
"Personalize" icon to begin adding personalized sentiment to the
selected greeting card template 20. Once the user has chosen to
personalize a particular greeting card 20, the greeting card
appears in an "edit" view wherein the user my iterate through the
greeting card pages P1-P4 by tapping the right 22R or left 22L
arrows contained on the sides of each greeting card page. Each
greeting card template 20 contains specified areas on the greeting
card 20 which can be personalized by the user. For example, as
shown in FIG. 3A, the front page P1 of a birthday greeting card 20
may contain an editable text box 24 into which the user can enter
the greeting card recipient's name. Other greeting cards 20 may
contain text editable portions which contain an icon such as a
pencil and/or a phrase such as "Tap to Write a Message", indicating
to the user where to tap on the template to begin adding
personalized text or data. Once the user taps onto the editable
portion of the template, a virtual keyboard 26 appears and he or
she may add the recipient's name or other personalized text
sentiment, as shown in FIG. 3B. The inside pages of the greeting
card may contain additional text boxes for adding text sentiment.
One example, shown in FIG. 4A, contains a text box on the inside
right panel of the greeting card indicated by the text box 24,
"typewriter" icon 28 and the phrase "Tap to Write Message". Tapping
into this box 24 will cause the virtual keyboard 26 to appear on
the screen so the user can enter a text message. Also on this page
is a box 30 with a "pencil" icon 32 and the phrase "Tap to Sign
Your Card". When the user taps into this box 30, he/she is able to
add his/her digital signature. The user will first be prompted to
select a line width in which he/she would like his/her signature to
appear. Then he/she can sign his/her signature on the box 30 with
his/her finger. The user may tap the "trash can" icon located below
the signature box to erase his/her signature, or he/she may tap the
"done" icon to return to the greeting card. Other editable areas 34
of the greeting card template are indicated as being able to accept
a user-uploaded picture or other digital data. These editable areas
34 may be indicated by a camera icon 36 or the phrase "Tap to Add a
Picture", as shown in FIG. 5. Simply tapping on this section 34 of
the template will initiate the upload process by displaying a
search screen onto which the user can enter or select the path and
select the specific file which the user wants to upload to the
greeting card template 20. Alternatively, the application may allow
the user to take a picture with the camera on the portable device
and use said picture in the greeting card 20. During the editing
process, a set of icons is available to the user along a top
portion of the template or screen which allow the user to save a
particular template ("disk" icon 40), to delete data entered
("trash can" icon 38) into a particular template, to zoom in on
("magnifying glass" icon 42) a particular area of a selected
template, or to finish editing the greeting card ("done" icon 46).
When the user is satisfied with the greeting card, he/she can
select the "done" icon 46 to be taken directly to the "Cards Ready
to Send" 14 screen wherein the completed greeting card 20, along
with any other saved (but not yet sent) greeting cards 20 will
appear.
"Make-a-Card"
[0045] If the user chooses to create a fully customizable blank
greeting card 50 from scratch (the "Make a Card" option), he/she
will be presented with a blank screen symbolizing the cover page P1
of the greeting card 50, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The first
three pages P1-P3 of the blank greeting card 50 are fully
customizable, wherein the first three pages P1-P3 are completely
blank until the user adds text, artwork, a photo or other digital
upload, or a combination thereof. Each page of the first three
pages P1-P3 of the blank greeting card 50 is separately
customizable to simulate the drawing of a paper greeting card
wherein each page is separately personalized. The application may
"auto save" between pages. An "up" arrow ("A") 48U at the bottom of
the screen can be selected which reveals a suite of tools 52
available to the user, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The suite of
tools 52 (also referred to herein interchangeably as "tool box" or
"tool carousel") will appear as a scroll or carousel across the
bottom portion of the screen. Icons representing the various tools
52A-52N appear in a row along the carousel 52. The user can scroll
through the carousel 52 by moving his/her finger left and right
along the carousel. The drawing tools include, but are not limited
to: fat paintbrush 52A; thin paintbrush 52B; thin paintbrush 52C;
regular pencil 52D; crayon 52E; colored pencil 52F; marker 52G;
tube of paint 52K and chalk 52H. Selecting a specific drawing tool
52A-52N will reveal a plurality of the chosen drawing tool 52A-52N
in various colors. For example, if the "crayon" icon 52E is
selected from the tool carousel 52, the selections on the carousel
change into a plurality of crayons 52E, each of a different color
as shown in FIG. 6C. To draw with a particular colored crayon 52E,
the user simply picks (taps) the crayon 52E and begins to draw or
write with his/her finger on the blank greeting card 50, as shown
in FIG. 7. To change back to a different drawing tool 52A-52N, the
user can select the "back" arrow 54 to return to the original suite
of tools 52. The tool carousel 52 is hidden from view while the
user is editing the greeting card 50 with a selected tool 52. It
can also be manually removed or hidden from the screen by selecting
the "down" arrow ("") 48D. Also, as mentioned above, while the user
is editing the greeting card 50, to move between pages P1-P4 of the
greeting card 50, the user must use the "right" 22R or "left" 22L
arrow, located at the right and left side of the greeting card 50.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the user can insert a text box 56 for
inserting text from the virtual keyboard 26 by selecting the "ABC"
icon 52L from the tool carousel. As shown in FIG. 8B, the user may
also write text sentiment by selecting one of the many drawing
tools 52A-52N. The user may also use one of the many drawing tools
52A-52N to draw a picture 58, and add other decorative effects by
using the stamp feature 52N, as shown in FIG. 9. The tool carousel
52 located across the bottom of the screen (shown in FIGS. 6A and
6B) gives the user the option of selecting from various tools
52A-52N to decorate pages one (1) through three (3) P1-P3 of the
blank greeting card 50. For example, in addition to the drawing
tools mentioned above the tool carousel 52 may additionally
contain, but is not limited to: a "camera" icon 52M (for uploading
a personal photo); a "sticker" icon 52N (for adding various
stickers); an "ABC" icon 52L (for adding text sentiment); a "stamp"
icon 52N (for adding decorative stamps); a "frame" icon 52M (for
adding a frame around a photo). The user can add text via a pop-up
keyboard 26 by selecting the "ABC" icon 52L from the tool carousel
52. The user may alternatively use his/her finger to draw text onto
the card. Selecting the "camera" icon 52M allows a user to either
upload a picture from his/her mobile device or to take a picture
with his/her device and then add said picture to the greeting card
50. Once a picture has been uploaded, the user may edit the photo
by using various touch screen gestures. For example, a user may
pinch or stretch the screen to zoom or place and turn two or more
fingers on the photo to rotate or tilt the photo. The "stamp" 52N
or "sticker" 521 icon can be used to add a variety of stamps 52N or
stickers 521 onto the greeting card 50 by first selecting, for
example, the "stamp" icon 52N. Then, the tool carousel 52 will
change into the various stamp options 52N. After selecting a
particular stamp 52N, the user may then just tap on a particular
area of the card 50 to place the stamp 52N on that area (as shown
in FIG. 9). The "sticker" option 521 is used in the same manner.
There may be some special stickers 521 on the sticker carousel
which have a cost associated therewith. These stickers 521 may
contain certain licensed content or characters. If the user selects
a sticker 521 which is not free, a message will pop-up indicating
that there is a cost associated with the sticker along with the
actual cost. If the user opts to purchase the sticker 521, he/she
must involve a parent/adult to complete the purchase. An "eraser"
icon 52J is available so that the user may easily clear any
unwanted hand-draw art. The eraser 52J does not erase parts of
stamps 52N, stickers 521, text 52L or photos 52M. Any of the tools
52 located on the tools carousel 52 can be used on any of the first
P1, second P2 or third page P3 of the blank greeting card 50. On
the back cover or last page P4 of the greeting card 50, shown in
FIG. 10, the phrase "Made by" appears in an text box 60, after
which the user may enter his/her name to further personalize the
greeting card 50. As mentioned above with the "Pick-a-Card" 12
option, a series of icons is available across the top of the screen
while the user is editing the "Make-a-Card" greeting card 50. The
user can delete the entire card by selecting the "trash" icon 38.
Selecting the "trash" icon 38 will prompt a message box asking the
user if he/she is sure he/she wants to delete the current card. The
user may also undo a previous action by selecting the "undo" or
"back" arrow icon 62. The user may also save his/her work by
selecting the "save" disk icon 40 or he/she may zoom the particular
page by selecting the "zoom" magnifying glass icon 42. Once the
user is satisfied with his/her work, the "done" icon 46 may be
selected. Once the "done" icon 46 has been selected, the user is
automatically directed to the "Cars Ready to Send" 14 screen
wherein the completed greeting card 50, along with any other saved
(but not yet sent) greeting cards will appear.
Saving Customized Greeting Cards
[0046] Once a greeting card 20 or 50, whether made from scratch or
from an existing template, is saved by the user, the completed card
is visible from the "Cards Ready to Send" 14 screen, which is
accessible through the main menu. If the "saved card" area is
empty, the user is encouraged to make a greeting card and given the
option to "Make a New Card" 10 or "Pick a Card" 12. If there are
saved cards 20 or 50, the front page P1 of each saved card 20 or 50
is shown on this screen, as shown in FIG. 11. Tapping on the front
face P1 of one of the completed cards 20 or 50, brings up the front
face P1 of the greeting card 20 or 50 along with a "trash can" icon
38 wherein the user can delete the greeting card 20 or 50, a
"pencil" icon 62 wherein the user can edit the saved greeting card
20 or 50, and the "mailbox" icon 64 wherein the user can initiate
the send process. The user may store up to "X" completed greeting
cards 20 or 50.
Sending a Customized Greeting Card
[0047] As discussed in further detail below, once a child user has
created a customized greeting card and is ready to send said card
to a recipient, he/she must involve his/her parent or an adult to
further accomplish this task. For example, if the child user taps
on the "send" mailbox icon, he/she will be prompted to get his/her
parent to complete the mailing process, as shown in FIG. 12.
Send Options
[0048] The user (parent/adult) has the option of sending the
child's customized greeting card 20 or 50 to a physical facility
which is operative to receive, print and mail the customized
greeting card 20 or 50 to the intended recipient. The user may
alternatively opt to send an electronic version of the child's
customized greeting card via SMS text message, email or to post the
greeting card to a social media website, such as Facebook.RTM. or
Twitter.RTM.. The electronic version of the greeting card may also
be sent to a photo finishing website, such as Snapfish.RTM. or
Shutterfly.RTM.. Another available option is for the user to send
the customized greeting card 20 or 50 to a local retail store for
printing and pickup. In this case, the user may enter his/her zip
code to view a list of nearby retail locations with the print and
pickup service.
"where's My Card?"
[0049] Once a greeting card has been sent to a recipient, by
including a parent or other adult in completing the send process,
discussed in detail below, the user may visit the "Where's My
Card?" screen via the main menu, as shown in FIG. 13. The "Where's
My Card` screen is a visual way for a child to understand the stage
of the printing/mailing process in which their greeting card is
currently located. For example, a visual path is shown between
"sending" the greeting card and having the greeting card
"delivered" to the recipient. For each "sent" greeting card, a
child can visit this page to watch how each greeting card is
progressing through the send/print/mail/deliver process. This
option will only appear in the application if there are cards to be
mailed to a recipient.
Parental/Adult Participation
[0050] While a child may open the greeting card application and
create a greeting card (whether by picking a greeting card template
20 or by creating a greeting card from scratch 50), parental or
adult participation is necessary for the child to actually order
and send, print or mail a greeting card 20 or 50. A "parental
gateway" (also referred to herein interchangeably as
"authentication gateway") separates the child-enabled portions of
the application from the order, payment and mailing process. The
"parental gateway" on the application assumes that a child is of an
age that he/she may be unable to read. In order to reach the order
and payment screen, the application asks the user to perform some
non-common function or gesture, such as, for example, swipe from
left to right using two fingers or swipe right with three fingers,
as shown in FIG. 14. The actions requested by the application
frequently change so that a child cannot memorize the action.
[0051] Once the parent or adult has entered through the "parental
gateway", he/she may decide to "take a tour" of the application,
especially if it is his/her first time using the application. The
"take a tour" option will guide the adult user through a series of
screens to show the various capabilities and options provided by
the application. Text instruction or descriptions may also appear
on the screen. Once the user has completed the "take a tour"
option, or if he/she bypasses this option, he/she must sign in to
the application or if it is the first time ordering greeting cards
through the application, he/she must create an account, as shown in
FIG. 15. The account creation process begins by entering a unique
email address 66 and password 68. Once the unique email address 66
and password 68 are established, the adult must further provide the
application with a first name, last name, and birthday. The user
has the option of allowing the application to use the provided
email address to send emails and updates relating to the
application. For security reasons, adults/parents are required to
re-authenticate or provide login credentials each time they access
the parental dashboard (discussed in further detail below). Also,
the application may require re-authentication after inactivity for
a pre-determined amount of time.
[0052] The adult user has the option of sending his/her child's
greeting card 20 or 50 electronically via email to a recipient or
to order one or more copies of the greeting card 20 or 50 and have
them sent either to themselves, whereby they can personally mail or
deliver said card, or have the application mail the greeting card
20 or 50 directly to the specified recipient(s). If the user
decides to have the greeting card 20 or 50 mailed out by the
application, the application sends a digital file containing the
customized greeting card 20 or 50 to a fulfillment center which
receives, prints and mails out the greeting card(s). The physical
product that is printed at the fulfillment center is made with the
same quality of store bought greeting cards.
[0053] The authorization required to print and send a selected
personalized greeting card to a provided recipient address via the
U.S. Postal Service is, as a precaution, set to "no" as the default
selection 70, as shown in FIG. 16. This requires the adult-user to
actively change the "no" to "yes" to have the select greeting card
20 or 50 mail to the provided recipient. The adult-user must then
provide both the sender 72 and the recipient 74 addresses, as shown
in FIG. 17. This may be provided manually by typing the addresses
72, 74 into the application or the addresses 72, 74 may
alternatively be selected from the adult-user's contacts or from
the adult-user's address book created on the Cardstore.com website.
Addresses selected from My Contacts or Cardstore address book may
be edited once they are imported to the application. The adult-user
may be prompted to add the edited changes to the Cardstore address
book. The application will notify the adult-user of any errors in
the provided address and allow the adult-user to correct said
errors. Once any address errors have been corrected, the adult-user
will receive an order summary 76, including the cost and also
provide the adult-user with the option to add and apply a
promotional code, as shown in FIG. 18. Once the application has
determined that the provided addresses and optional promotional
codes contain no errors, the adult-user is then prompted to enter
payment information 78, shown in FIG. 19. The adult-user has the
option of saving entered credit card information for later use.
Whether or not provided credit card information is saved for later
use, once the credit card information is determined to be
error-free, the user is then prompted to submit payment. After
payment is submitted, a confirmation email is sent to the provided
email address. The adult-user may the return to the application
home screen or to the "Where's My Card" 16 screen, as described
above.
[0054] A parent dashboard 80 is available to view order history
80A, view and edit account information 80B; and view, edit and add
to saved payments 80C. If the adult-user has previously ordered
greeting cards through the application, the order history 80A will
show the front face P1 of each previously ordered greeting card 20
or 50 along with the order number, send date, recipient, price and
status (sent, delivered, etc.), as shown in FIG. 20. The adult-user
may also view and update account settings 82 including adjusting
the application volume 82A; turn application sound effects on/off
82B; turn voiceover on/off 82C; view the application privacy policy
82D; view the application terms and conditions 82E; view
application information 82F and/or frequently asked questions 82G;
or sign in/out of account 82H, as shown in FIG. 21.
Hardware/Software
[0055] Once the application is downloaded to a portable computing
device, the app provides a system for merchandising and delivery
greeting cards (both physical and electronic). FIG. 22 depicts a
flow diagram of this exemplary system environment 100 for
electronically merchandising and delivering greeting card content
over the internet, consistent with the exemplary methods described
herein. In one embodiment, the system environment 100 may include,
but is not limited to: a content merchandising system 110, a
content delivery platform (not shown), a cloud service system 120
and a plurality of portable computing devices 130.
[0056] The content merchandising system 110 may consist of any
number of computers or serves that the merchandiser uses to program
and create electronic and physical greeting card templates and card
categories to be downloaded to users' portable computing devices.
The content delivery platform is the software platform which
enables the content merchandiser to program and create electronic
greeting cards and card categories to be downloaded to the users'
portable computing devices. A content merchandiser may include the
owner/host/provider of the app or a third party provider which
provides content, such as card categories or greeting card
templates, to the owner/host/provider for use in the content
merchandising system 110. A cloud service system 120 is a
collection of servers, including web servers 125.
[0057] Using the content merchandising system 110, a content
merchandiser programs card categories and electronic greeting card
templates into the content delivery platform. Programming card
categories may include, but are not limited to: creating new card
categories, deleting existing card categories, and modifying
existing card categories. Categories may correspond to birthdays,
anniversaries, or any other type of holidays or events. Similarly,
programming electronic greeting cards may include, but is not
limited to: creating new greeting card templates, deleting existing
greeting card templates, and modifying existing greeting card
templates. After the card categories and/or greeting card templates
are programmed into the content delivery platform, the changes 140
are propagated or transmitted into the cloud service system 120.
Changes 140 include any edits, updates, deletions and additional to
the card categories and/or greeting card templates. The cloud
service system 120 may include or interact with a plurality of web
servers 125 that are disposed in communication with the system
environment 100.
[0058] A plurality of portable computing devices 130 with the
downloaded app monitor the cloud service system 120 for changes
140. Once changes 140 are recognized by the plurality of portable
computing devices 130, any of said devices 130 request the changes
140 from the cloud service system 120. Depending on the type of
portable computing device 130, making the request for changes 140,
an Application Programming Interface (API) 160 of the content
delivery platform serves up or transmits changes 140 that
correspond to the type of portable computing device 130 making the
request. The changes 140 are stored in the portable computing
device 130 local cache 150 for later use. Local cache 150 in each
portable computing device may assist in reducing network bandwidth,
improving User Interface (UI) responsiveness, enabling offline
usage and preserving battery life. When the app is loaded
initially, the app will download a content catalog and card content
through the API 160. The app also requests card content for new
categories and cards based on respective device screen sizes and
resolutions (i.e., pixel density). The API 160 provides a nearest
match for the requested sizes, so that resources for a particular
tablet computer, for example, will serve larger or smaller content
than resources for other smaller or larger screened devices. In one
embodiment, subsequent for the content changes 140 are then made by
comparison to the applicable local cache 150, each time checking
whether the existing content has changed. If the cache has changed,
before downloaded the new changes, the app will check with the
server whether or not the content has been modified. This
validation step helps to prevent unnecessary requests for redundant
data. In another embodiment, subsequent requests for the content
changes 140 are made to the API 160 without first checking for
changes to the existing content in the local cache 150. Here, new
content is simply requested from the API 160, and any new content
provided therein by the API 160 is cached in the local cache
150.
[0059] On the back end of the application, once a user has created
and finalized a customized greeting card, the system is configured
to send a rendering of the greeting card to be printed and mailed
to the intended recipient. This configuration includes a system of
hardware and software (both physical and virtual) which is
logically separated into a client application, which includes, but
is not limited to: one or more web servers, one or more application
servers per step (for example, Product Rendering 210 and Product
Submit 220, each being a step), and facilities capable of
generating physical custom greeting cards. In one embodiment, shown
in FIG. 23, user-created designs captured on the electronic device
230, consisting of but not limited to images and text data, are
communicated over a network to one or more web servers via an
Application Programming Interface (API) 260. The application
utilizes any network capabilities supported by the computing
device. The web servers 240 communicate these designs to the
Product Rendering Service 210. The Product Rendering Service 210,
itself running on one or more application servers, converts the
design into a specific layout of proper alignment and quality to be
printed as a physical greeting card. The layout is then
communicated to the Order Submit Service 220. The Order Submit
Service 220, itself running on one or more application servers,
converts the card design output from the Product Rendering Service
210 into a format compatible with the Print Facility 250. The Print
Facility uses the data from the Order Submit Service 220 to print
high quality greeting cards based on the user-created designs from
the computing device.
User Operation and Flow of App
[0060] FIG. 24 shows a user flow diagram which outlines the user
experience 300 when interacting with the app. The home screen 310
is the hub for the entire app experience and where all "roads" lead
from and eventually back to. The home screen options will focus on
the primary activities of the app, namely, "Make-a-Card" 320 (3
fully customizable blank pages) and "Pick-a-Card" 330 (greeting
card template with customization areas), with access to "Cards
Ready to Send" 340 (provides access to each saved greeting card).
The home screen (as well as all other app screens) also provides a
banner along the top of the screen which provides access to a help
menu (onboarding experience, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
regarding how to interaction with the application) and a global
settings menu (control basic app settings such as volume,
background music, and voiceover options, privacy policy, terms of
service, feedback and information about the app). The home screen
also include access points to "Make-a-Card" 320, "Pick-a-Card" 330,
"Cards Ready to Send" 340, "Where's My Card" 350 and the "Parental
Dashboard" 360. Also, the first the time app is launched after
install, users will be prompted to take a tour of the application.
This will be repeatable via the global help settings 370.
[0061] The "Pick-a-Card" 330 option provides a plurality of
greeting card templates having various customization areas. The
greeting card templates are located on a carousel that can be
browsed with the swipe of a finger. If the user selects a category
from the smaller carousel below, then the main content area will be
refreshed with cards from only that category, and the label at the
top will show the category name. This screen also allows the user
to choose (filter) card choices based on pre-defined categories
such as holiday, occasion, event, or person (family/friend). When a
category is selected, the cards for that category appear in the
main content area above. Each of the pre-designed greeting cards in
each category allow for various levels of customization based on
the pre-defined templates. Customization options include, but are
not limited to: adding customized text via a keyboard, uploading a
personal photo, and adding a digital signature.
[0062] The "Make-a-Card" 320 option provides the user with the
ability to create a fully customizable greeting card wherein three
(3) pages of a four (4) page greeting card are blank and fully
customizable by the user. The "tools" and "colors" area of the
"Make-a-Card" 320 screen provide most of the user functionality.
The tool and color selection are a two-step process whereby only
the "tools" tray is visible until the user selects a tool. Once a
tool is selected, the tray changes to offer a series of that
selected tool in a plurality of different colors. Tools include,
but are not limited to: crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint
brushes (large and small), watercolors, spray paint, chalk, rubber
stamps (pre-set size), stickers (including message stickers with
pre-set size), picture frames, photo inserts, insert text box
(pre-set fonts and colors). An "eraser" icon only clears hand-drawn
art and does not erase parts of stamps, stickers, text or
photos.
[0063] The "Cards Ready to Send" 340 screen provides access to each
saved greeting card. Tapping on a card in this view brings up the
card in preview. The user can delete a card from this screen by
tapping the "trash can" icon. Users will be asked to confirm this
action prior to deletion. Users can also opt to edit or send the
greeting card. Tapping the "send" icon will alert the user (kids)
that parents (adults) are needed to proceed. In order to send the
card, the user will be forced to the password-protected
"Authentication Gateway" 380, described in further detail
below.
[0064] The "Preview Card" 390 screen appears whenever a user opts
to edit a previously saved greeting card. The selected card appears
on the screen along with a "trash can" icon wherein the user can
delete the greeting card, a "pencil" icon wherein the user can edit
the greeting card, and a "mailbox icon" wherein the user can send
the greeting card. As mentioned above, if a child selects the send
option, he/she will be alerted that a parent/adult is needed to
proceed. The parent/adult is then prompted to login to the
application using his/her email and password.
[0065] The "Where's My Card" 350 screen allows the user to check
the status of his/her sent card. Cards that have been "sent" will
appear in a single-row carousel so that the user can see the order
status of any of the cards in process. Because the API does not
provide a status after "shipped", based on a pre-determined time
lapse, the card will move through the ordering sequence. Fun
visuals will help the user (child) know if the card has been sent
or not, is in processing, being shipped or suspected to have been
delivered. Only one card is able to be tracked at a time. The
selected card's visual state will change to indicate which card is
being tracked. Cards will be removed from this screen under two
conditions: the parent (adult) trashes the card in the "Ready to
Send" 360D screen on the "Parent Dashboard" 360; or after thirty
(30) days from the day the parent sends the card. Parents (adults)
will be able to access the "Send a Card" 400 feature from behind
the "Authentication Gateway" 380 which is not accessible by the
child.
[0066] The "Global Settings" 370 page allows access to various app
controls such as volume control, sound effect and voice over on/off
options, the app privacy policy, terms and conditions, information
about the app, an option to provide feedback regarding the app, and
an option to sign into the app.
[0067] The "Authentication Gateway" 380 is the area of the app
beyond which user login is required. Existing customers will be
prompted for sign in information and new customers will be prompted
to register. Baseline registration information may include email
address, password, and birthday. Users under the age of thirteen
(13) will not be permitted to register for an account. Once a user
is logged into the app, they can proceed to the "Parent Dashboard"
360 screen or they may opt to "Sent a Card" 400 including entering
payment information and recipient address information.
[0068] The "Parent Dashboard" 360 is available behind the
"Authentication Gateway" 380 for registered users. This screen
provides the user (parent/adult) with the ability to update
customer or account information 360A, change notification settings,
view order history 360B and saved payment data, edit cards and view
cards which are ready to send. The "Ready to Send" 360D area of the
"Parent Dashboard" 360 displays a collection of cards that the
child user has selected to "send".
[0069] The "Send a Card" 400 screen is accessible beyond the
"Authentication Gateway" 380 for registered users to select a card
which is ready to send. As mentioned above, users must login to the
app using their credentials. New users will be prompted to create
an account. Before sending a card, the user must acknowledge that
the card they are submitting is correct and ready for printing.
[0070] The foregoing embodiments of the present invention have been
presented for the purposes of illustration and description. These
descriptions and embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or
to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously
many modifications and variations are possible in light of the
above disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in
order to best explain the principle of the invention and its
practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art
to best utilize the invention in its various embodiments and with
various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated. It is intended that the invention be defined by the
following claims.
* * * * *