Patent ID: 6609106
Filing Date: 2003-08-19
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A system for providing an online multi-merchant gift registry service over a distributed network, with the capability to support multiple online merchants of any size and from any net-accessible location in the world, the system comprising:a plurality of service provider (SP) sites connected to the distributed network, each SP site running at least one service application to provide an online service to users over the distributed network; a plurality of user computers connected to the distributed network, each user computer running at least one client application for accessing online services of the SP sites; a gift registry site connected to the plurality of SP sites, the gift registry site running at least one gift registry service, the gift registry site including a user database containing authentication information of users that have registered to use the gift registry service, and an SP database containing authentication information of service providers that have registered to participate in the gift registry service, the registered users accessing the SP sites from the user computers over the distributed network; a database which stores user-specific customization data, the customization data specifying preferences of the registered users with respect to online services of the SP sites, the customization data provided to the SP sites by the online multi-merchant gift registry service to enable the SP sites to customize the online services to the preferences of individual registered users; a database which stores service provider information, the service provider information specifying communication information necessary for establishing secure connections between the service providers and the gift registry site; a database which stores registered events, the registered event database maintaining for each event a list of gift items and distribution lists associated with said event; a database which stores wish list items; a database which stores user reminders; a database which stores SP notifications, the SP notifications being triggered by registered events, the SP notifications causing the SP sites to perform site-specific actions; and an authentication protocol for enabling the gift registry service to authenticate users and service providers, and communication links with service providers' systems, the authentication protocol implemented by software components of the service providers' sites and the gift registry site.