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US 2014/0279282 A1Published application
System for conducting electronic commerce
OwnerJonathan Begginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer system operated by a retailer, and optionally by an independent gift service provider, affords the intended recipient of a gift the opportunity to make a virtual gift exchange. Instead of physically receiving the gift, the recipient is enabled by the computer system to view a representation of the gift and to make various selections concerning the disposition of the gift, including exchange for credit, replacement by a product or products of equal, lesser, or greater value, or designation of a new recipient who then stands in the place of the originally designated recipient.
Claims6
A system for conducting electronic commerce comprising:
- a computer system programmed to generate a gift service website, said computer system being accessible by a retailer offering a variety of products for sale, and allowing the retailer, when a customer orders and pays for a selected product, to cause information concerning the selected product to be displayed on the gift service website to an intended recipient;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to allow the intended recipient to obtain electronic access to said information concerning the selected product;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to offer the intended recipient a choice from among the options of (c) accepting the product selected by the customer, (d) selecting a product offered by the retail website of equal or lesser value than that of the product selected by the customer, and (e) selecting a product offered by the retail website of greater value than that of the product selected by the customer, whereby a product to be shipped to the recipient is the product selected by the customer or a product selected by the intended recipient;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to issue a credit to the intended recipient when the product chosen by the intended recipient is of lesser value than that of the product selected by the customer;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to receive a payment electronically from the intended recipient when the product chosen by the intended recipient is of greater value than that of the product selected by the customer;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to allow the intended recipient to enter a designated shipping address;
- and
- wherein said computer system is programmed to supply the retailer with said designated shipping address and with the identity of the product to be shipped, whereby the retailer can cause said product to be shipped to be delivered to the intended recipient.
5 more elements
A system for conducting electronic commerce comprising:
- a computer system comprising at least one computer, said computer system being programmed to generate a retail website and a gift service website;
- wherein, on the retail website a variety of products is offered for sale, and a customer, using a web browser, can select a product from said variety of products for purchase, enter an order for the selected product, and pay for the selected product;
- wherein said retail website is linked to said gift service website;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to cause said customer to be offered, on said retail website, a choice among options including:
- (a) having a selected product shipped to a recipient address, and (b) having information concerning the selected product displayed on the gift service website to an intended recipient;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to allow the intended recipient to obtain electronic access to information concerning the selected product by display on the gift service website after the selected product has been paid for by the customer;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to offer the intended recipient a choice from among the options of (c) accepting the product selected by the customer, (d) selecting a product offered by the retail website of equal or lesser value than that of the product selected by the customer, and (e) selecting a product offered by the retail website of greater value than that of the product selected by the customer, whereby a product to be shipped to the recipient is the product selected by the customer or a product selected by the intended recipient;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to issue a credit to the intended recipient when the product chosen by the intended recipient is of lesser value than that of the product selected by the customer;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to receive a payment electronically from the intended recipient when the product chosen by the intended recipient is of greater value than that of the product selected by the customer;
- wherein said computer system is programmed to allow the intended recipient to enter a designated shipping address;
- and
- wherein said computer system is programmed to supply the retailer with said designated shipping address and with the identity of the product to be shipped, whereby the retailer can cause said product to be shipped to be delivered to the intended recipient.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.