Patent ID: 7013292
Filing Date: 2006-03-14
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for enabling a plurality of gift givers to each make a respective commitment for a monetary contribution of any giver-desired amount toward a gift for a gift recipient, the method comprising: receiving at a centralized gift registry computer system gift ideas supplied by the gift recipient; storing the gift ideas in a memory which is part of, or accessible to, said gift registry computer system; providing to the gift givers, based on the stored gift ideas and in response to requests supplied to said gift registry computer, an on-line display of the gift ideas, wherein the on-line display of the gift ideas reflects uncommitted balances of purchase prices for one or more of the gift ideas having a partial purchase option; receiving at said gift registry computer system commitments from the gift givers for monetary contributions toward a purchase price of a gift having the partial purchase option selected from the on-line display of gift ideas; combining the commitments for monetary contributions and updating the display; automatically generating a purchase request for the selected gift if the total of the combined commitments is equal to or greater than the selected gift's purchase price; and attempting to satisfy the purchase request, wherein the commitment of each giver that commits to make a monetary contribution is for any giver-desired portion of the uncommitted balance of the selected gift's purchase price.