Patent Publication Number: US-2016239894-A1

Title: User customized greeting card design system with portal for crowd-sourced artwork

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/263,110, filed Apr. 28, 2014 entitled “USER CUSTOMIZED GREETING CARD DESIGN SYSTEM WITH PORTAL FOR CROWD-SOURCED ARTWORK,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to systems and methods of providing a user customized card design system with a portal used to receive crowd-sourced artwork that users may select to include in customized greeting cards, providing games for bonuses that can be applied to customized greeting cards, and providing greeting card kiosks that may have different portions each having a dedicated functionality. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Greeting card publishers provide a wide array of greeting cards that are available at retail locations. However, oftentimes it may be difficult for a customer to find the perfect greeting card for a given occasion and/or recipient. Conventional greeting card customization systems (such as online electronic greeting card systems) are typically limited by the types of customizations that are available, do not provide a high quality print, and/or fail to engage users in the greeting card customization process. These and other drawbacks exist. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention addressing these and other drawbacks relates to systems and methods of providing a user customized card design system with a portal used to receive crowd-sourced artwork that users may select to include in customized greeting cards, providing games for bonuses that can be applied to customized greeting cards, and providing greeting card kiosks that may have different portions each having a dedicated functionality. The system may receive and process one or more greeting card design parameters used to create a custom greeting card. The greeting card design parameters may include a specification of one or more crowd-sourced content items, a specification of one or more customization options, and/or other information used to generate a custom greeting card. 
     The crowd-sourced content items may include items that are provided by various entities so that others may use the crowd-sourced content items in their own greeting cards. The crowd-sourced content items may be localized. For example and without limitation, the system may provide photographs taken by other users of local landmarks, artwork sourced from local artists, and/or other localized crowd-sourced content items. 
     The system may provide one or more games (via one or more components described herein) that allow the user to win a bonus that can be used in association with a greeting card customization. For example, the bonus may include a discounted price off of a customized greeting card, a discounted or free crowd-sourced content item, a discounted or free customization option (e.g., a special font, paper quality, print resolution, etc.), and/or other benefit. The bonus may be associated with a crowd-sourced content item or a customization option that is provided only by winning the bonus (e.g., is not otherwise available for selection). The game may be free to play such that the bonus may be achieved (and applicable to a greeting card customization) regardless of whether the user actually purchases a customized greeting card or not. 
     Users may specify the one or more greeting card design parameters in various ways. For example, the system may include a greeting card kiosk that provides a user interface used to specify greeting card design parameters. The greeting card kiosk may print the user-customized greeting card and/or provide an electronic version of the customized greeting card (e.g., an “e-greeting card”). In this manner, the user may design and obtain a user-customized greeting card at a greeting card kiosk. 
     A given greeting card kiosk may include one or more portions that each may include a display (e.g., a touch screen display), one or more inputs (which may or may not be incorporated into the display), a printer, a payment input (e.g., a card reader, a smart chip reader, a Near-Field Communication reader, etc.), and/or other components. A given portion may allow users to design a greeting card using the user interface provided by the given portion. Another portion of the given greeting card kiosk may include a print-only portion that only prints greeting cards that have been already customized (which may be identified by a code described below) and does not allow greeting card customization at the kiosk. In this manner, a given kiosk may service users that design custom greeting cards at the kiosk and simultaneously service other users that simply pick up already customized greeting cards, minimizing wait times for the users. 
     The system may provide a user interface via a network (e.g., a website via the Internet) used to specify greeting card design parameters. The user may logon to a website, for example, and customize greeting cards, which may be printed via a user&#39;s printer, and/or provided as an e-greeting card. The system may also transmit greeting card design parameters received via the website to a kiosk for printing the user-customized greeting card. In this manner, the user may design a custom greeting card via a website and indicate a kiosk at which to print the customized greeting card. The system may provide the user with a code or other identification information that identifies the greeting card design parameters. Upon entry of the code at the greeting card kiosk, the greeting card kiosk may obtain the greeting card design parameters associated with the code and print the user-customized greeting card. 
     The system may allow a user to design a custom greeting card using a mobile application and transmit the custom greeting card (e.g., the greeting card parameters) to a nearby greeting card kiosk, which prints the custom greeting card via the portion dedicated to handle greeting card specifications. In this example, the user may establish a direct connection with a given greeting card kiosk (e.g., via BLUETOOTH or other connection), and transmit the greeting card parameters via the direct connection. Alternatively, the mobile application may transmit a code and the greeting card parameters to the system via a network. The user may input the code at the greeting card kiosk, which obtains the greeting card parameters from the system using the code. In this manner, in some implementations, the print-only portion of the kiosk may be used to only “pick up” already customized cards (eg, ones designed using/sent from the system and/or user device). 
     The system may be used not only with respect to customizing and printing greeting cards, but customizing and creating other objects as well. In particular, the system may be used to generate customized three-dimensional objects using three-dimensional printers. In this context, the crowd-sourced content items may include one or more three-dimensional models for shapes that may be incorporated into a customized three-dimensional print. The customization options may include a type of material used to generate the three-dimensional print, a complexity of the three-dimensional shape (e.g., as defined by a number of laminations, depositions, material binding, and/or other three-dimensional printing processes that may be more or less complex than other types of processes), and/or other customizations. 
     Instead of a greeting card specification described herein, for example, the system may generate a three dimensional (digital) model that incorporates the shapes and/or customization options. The model may be used to form a solid three-dimensional shape using conventional three-dimensional printing systems. The three-dimensional model may be developed/customized from scratch by a user or may be customized using a template, using the various features described herein. An at-home three-dimensional printer and/or a kiosk having a three-dimensional printer may be used to print the user-customized object. 
     These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the system and/or method disclosed herein, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system of customizing greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a greeting card customization application, according to an implementation of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a greeting card kiosk for customizing greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a process of customizing greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a process of localizing crowd-sourced content items for selectable inclusion in custom greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a process of providing bonuses related to custom greeting cards based on gameplay and other interactions with media entertainment, according to an implementation of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  for customizing greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. System  100  may generate user-customized greeting cards by providing a user-selectable listing of various crowd-sourced content items and customization options. Upon receipt of a selection of the crowd-sourced content items and/or customization options, the system may generate a greeting card specification, which specifies the selections, used to generate a customized greeting card. The customized greeting card may be provided as a printed greeting card (e.g., via a kiosk) or an electronic greeting card (e.g., over a network as an appropriate graphical image such as PDF, PNG, JPEG, etc.), which may be printed later. 
     The crowd-sourced content items may include items that are provided by various entities so that others may use the crowd-sourced content items in their own greeting cards. The crowd-sourced content items may be localized. For example and without limitation, the system may provide photographs taken by other users of local landmarks, artwork sourced from local artists, and/or other localized crowd-sourced content items. 
     The system may provide one or more games that allow the user to win a bonus that can be used in association with a greeting card customization. For example, the bonus may include a discounted price off of a customized greeting card, a particular crowd-sourced content item, a customization option (e.g., a special font), and/or other benefit. The bonus may be associated with a crowd-sourced content item or a customization option that is provided only by winning the bonus (e.g., is not otherwise available for selection). The game may be free to play such that the bonus may be achieved (and applicable to a greeting card customization) regardless of whether the user actually purchases a customized greeting card or not. The game may be played via a kiosk, via a client device, and/or other device that has access to the system. 
     Other uses of system  100  are described herein and still others will be apparent to those having skill in the art. For example, the system may be used not only with respect to customizing and printing greeting cards, but customizing and creating other objects as well. In particular, the system may be used to generate customized three-dimensional objects using three-dimensional printers. In this context, the crowd-sourced content items may include one or more three-dimensional models for shapes that may be incorporated into a customized three-dimensional print. The customization options may include a type of material used to generate the three-dimensional print, a complexity of the three-dimensional shape (e.g., as defined by a number of laminations, depositions, material binding, and/or other three-dimensional printing processes that may be more or less complex than other types of processes), and/or other customizations. 
     Instead of a greeting card specification described herein, for example, the system may generate a three dimensional (digital) model that incorporates the shapes and/or customization options. The model may be used to form a solid three-dimensional shape using conventional three-dimensional printing systems. The three-dimensional model may be developed/customized from scratch by a user or may be customized using a template, using the various features described herein. An at-home three-dimensional printer and/or a kiosk having a three-dimensional printer may be used to print the user-customized object. 
     Having described a high level overview of some of the system functions, attention will now be turned to various system components that facilitate these and other functions. 
     System  100  may include a computer system  104 , one or more kiosks  140 , one or more user devices  150 , and/or other components. Each of the various components of system  100  may be communicably coupled to at least one other component, facilitating various ways in which the user may customize a greeting card. For example, and without limitation, the user may customize a greeting card at greeting card kiosk  140 , via one or more websites or other interfaces provided by computer system  104 , via an application of a user device  150  (e.g., a mobile application running on a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc.), and/or other device that can provide the various greeting card design interfaces described herein. 
     A user may make selections of crowd-sourced content items and/or customization options at a given greeting card kiosk  140 . In an implementation, greeting card kiosk  140  may service multiple users simultaneously. For example, to minimize waiting times, a given user may be able to print a customized greeting card while another user is customizing a greeting card at the kiosk. 
     A given greeting card kiosk  140  may include one or more portions that each may include a display (e.g., a touch screen display), one or more inputs (which may or may not be incorporated into the display), a printer, a payment input (e.g., a card reader, a smart chip reader, a Near-Field Communication reader, etc.), and/or other components. A given portion may allow users to design a greeting card using the user interface provided by the given portion. Another portion of the given greeting card kiosk may include a print-only portion that only prints greeting cards that have been already customized and does not allow greeting card customization at the kiosk. 
     For example, a user may design a custom greeting card using a mobile application and transmit the custom greeting card to a nearby kiosk, which prints the custom greeting card via the portion dedicated to handle greeting card specifications. In this manner, in some implementations, the print-only portion of the kiosk may be used to only “pick up” already customized cards (eg, ones designed using/sent from computer system  104  and/or user device  150 ). In this manner, a given kiosk may service users that design custom greeting cards at the kiosk and simultaneously service other users that simply pick up already customized greeting cards, minimizing wait times for the users. 
     Computer system  104  may provide a greeting card design interface (e.g., in the form of a website or other interface) that is used to customize a greeting card. The user may access the card design interface (e.g., via the Internet) to customize a greeting card. Once a greeting card is customized, the user may cause a greeting card specification that specifies the customizations to be transmitted to a particular greeting card kiosk  140  (e.g., one nearby the user) that prints the greeting card. On the other hand, the user may simply download the customized greeting card and print the customized greeting card using a local printer (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ). 
     Computer system  104  may also provide the greeting card specification or an image of the customized greeting card to a user device  150  for printing at a printer connected to the user device. Similarly, the user may customize a greeting card using his/her own user device  150 , which may generate and provide the greeting card specification to a specified greeting card kiosk  140  that prints the greeting card. The user device  150  may provide the greeting card specification to the specified greeting card kiosk  140  via a network (e.g., the Internet) and/or directly via a wireless connection (e.g., BLUETOOTH) or wired connection to the greeting card kiosk. 
     Whichever method is used to generate a customized greeting card, a corresponding greeting card specification may be stored in one or more databases (e.g., database(s)  130 ) in association with the user. In this manner, a history of greeting cards that a given user customized may be later retrieved. In an implementation, the user may allow one or more customization options to be made available for other users. In this manner (apart from personal text, for example), certain customizations may be shared by users so that others may use the customizations as a template for their own custom designs. Such customizations may be stored in the one or more databases so that users may select from among these templates. 
     Computer system  104  may include one or more computing devices  110 . Although only computing device(s)  110  is illustrated as having processor(s)  112 , and storage device(s)  114 , each of computing device(s)  110 , kiosk(s)  140 , and user device(s)  150  may include one or more processors  112 , one or more storage devices  114 , and/or other components. Processor(s)  112  may be programmed by one or more computer program instructions, which may be stored in storage device(s)  114 . The one or more computer program instructions may include, without limitation, a greeting card customization application  120 . As such, at least a portion of greeting card customization application  120  may program the physical processors of computer system  104 , kiosk  140 , and/or user device  150  to perform one or more of the various operations described herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , greeting card customization application  120  may include, for example, enrollment instructions  202 , crowd-sourced content items instructions  204 , gaming instructions  206 , customization instructions  208 , advertising instructions  210 , and/or other instructions  212 . 
     In an implementation, enrollment instructions  202  may program a physical processor (e.g., of computer system  104 , kiosk  140 , and/or user device  150 ) to enroll a user to use the system. As used hereinafter, for convenience, the various instructions will be described as performing an operation, when, in fact, the various instructions program the processors to perform the operation. Enrollment instructions  202  may enroll a user to create custom greeting cards, sign up to be a provider of crowd-sourced content items, and/or other otherwise enroll the user to use the system. 
     Enrollment instructions  202  may receive user information such as, for example, a full name, user credentials for future logons (e.g., a username and password), demographic information, payment information used to pay for customized greeting cards (e.g., credit card number, debit card number, PAYPAL identifier, etc., although in some implementations, a user may input payment information at a kiosk or otherwise at the time when a purchase takes place), and/or other user information. The user information may be stored in a user account in one or more databases (e.g., database(s)  130 ). 
     In an implementation, crowd-sourced content items instructions  204  may receive one or more crowd-sourced content items from a given user that are offered to other users for inclusion into their respective greeting cards. Each crowd-sourced content item may be associated with a location. For example, a photograph may be automatically or manually geocoded such that Exchangeable image file format (“Exif”) or other data includes a geotag that indicates the location where the photograph was taken. Crowd-sourced content items instructions  204  may extract the geotag information to obtain the location associated with the photograph. 
     In other examples, crowd-sourced content items instructions  204  may receive a location of an artist that provided the crowd-sourced content item. In other examples, crowd-sourced content items instructions  204  receive a location depicted by a crowd-sourced content item. In these examples, a provider of the crowd-sourced content item may provide a description of a landmark or other location depicted by the crowd-sourced content item. In any event, a given crowd-sourced content item may be associated with a location so that the location may be used to determine which kiosks or other locations that the given crowd-sourced content item should be made available. 
     Crowd-sourced content items instructions  204  may provide a crowd-sourced content interface that various devices (e.g., greeting card kiosk  140 , user device  150 , etc.) may use to upload the crowd-sourced content items. For example, using the crowd-sourced content interface, a user may upload one or more crowd-sourced content items. In another implementation, the crowd-sourced content interface may act as an Application Programming Interface (“API”) through which mobile applications and other client-executed applications may use to provide crowd-sourced content items. For example and without limitation, a user&#39;s mobile device may be programmed with a mobile application that interfaces with the API to provide crowd-sourced content items. The mobile application may include, for example, a “share” button that allows a user to upload crowd-sourced content items such as photographs to be added to the pool of crowd-sourced content items that may be included by other users in their respective custom greeting cards. 
     Crowd-sourced content items instructions  204  may monitor the incorporation of any of the crowd-sourced content items in order to allocate a payment or royalty to the provider of the crowd-sourced content items. For example, crowd-sourced content items instructions  204  may track each time that a crowd-sourced content item from a given user is incorporated into a custom greeting card and provide the given user with a payment (or otherwise credit a user account). The royalty may include a cash payment/credit, a discount off a greeting card customization, a free customized greeting card, and/or other value or benefit. 
     In an implementation, gaming instructions  206  may provide media entertainment such as games, videos, music, images, etc. (hereinafter referred to as “games” for convenience). A given game may include an objective to be achieved, such as a skill-based objective, a chance objective, and/or other objective. Upon satisfaction of the objective, gaming instructions  206  may award the user with a bonus. The bonus may be related to customized greeting cards. For example, the bonus may include a discount off of the purchase price of a customized greeting card, a free customization option that is otherwise not free, a customization option that is not otherwise offered at all unless the objective is achieved, a reduced price customization option, a free customized greeting card, a buy one get one free offer, and/or other bonus that relates to a customized greeting card. 
     The bonus may be applied to a greeting card being customized and/or be applied to a future customized greeting card for the user. As such, the bonus may be stored in a user account associated with a user who won the bonus. The bonus may be variable such that different levels of bonuses are provided depending on a level of performance of the objective. For example, a bonus may provide a larger discount for higher levels of performance and a lower discount for a lower level of performance. In particular, a game may include a random wheel spin, with each spot on the wheel associated with a different bonus and/or different level of bonus (or not bonus at all). Another game may include providing higher discounts for higher scores. Other types of variable bonuses depending on gameplay may be used as well. Furthermore, other types of interactions with different types of media entertainment may be used to provide bonuses and/or variable bonuses. For example, selection of a displayed advertisement from a sponsored advertiser may result in a bonus, listening to a portion of music may result in a bonus, etc. 
     In an implementation, customization instructions  208  may provide a user interface that includes a user-selectable listing of one or more customization options and/or crowd-sourced content items. The customization options may include, without limitation, text to be added, a text font, predefined text to be modified, graphics, a card style (e.g., single sheet, bi-fold, multi-fold, etc.), a card orientation (e.g., horizontal, vertical, etc.), a type of occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc), a card size, a paper quality (or other media quality such as different types of plastics, polymers, wires, alloys, etc. used in three-dimensional prints), a print resolution, postage, customer-provided images (e.g., apart from the crowd-sourced content), images taken at a camera of a kiosk (if so equipped), and/or other customizations. 
     In an implementation, customization instructions  208  may use one or more greeting card templates that may be customized by a user. The template may include one or more components (e.g., graphic, text, etc.) that may be retained, moved, deleted, duplicated, or modified to create a customized greeting card. One or more user-selected crowd-sourced content items and/or one or more user-selected customization options (including custom text input) may be added to the template as well. The template may include text (or prose) that is recommended by the system and may be modified by a given user. Different text may be recommended by the system based on different types of occasions related to a given greeting card and/or based on different themes (e.g., humorous, thoughtful, etc.) of a given greeting card. 
     In an implementation, other users&#39; customized greeting cards may be used as a template as well. For example, a user may customize a greeting card and grant permission for the system to use the user&#39;s customized greeting card as a template for others to use (which may include first removing any personal content such as customized text). In this example, customization instructions  208  may store the user&#39;s customized greeting card as a template for later use by others. Furthermore, customization instructions  208  may track the use of such templates in order to allocate a royalty for the providing user. As with the royalty for crowd-sourced content items, the royalty may include a cash payment/credit, a discount off a greeting card customization, a free customized greeting card, and/or other value or benefit. 
     Upon selection of one or more crowd-sourced content item, one or more customization options, and/or one or more templates, customization instructions  208  may add the selections to a greeting card specification. Once all selections (including user input such as customized text) have been made, customization instructions  208  may generate a customized greeting card using the greeting card specification. For example, customization instructions  208  may generate a print file that is used to print the customized greeting card via a printer of a greeting card kiosk  140 . Alternatively or additionally (depending on where the customized greeting card is to be printed), customization instructions  208  may generate an electronic version of the customized greeting card based on the greeting card specification. The electronic version may be emailed, downloaded, stored such that the electronic version is accessible via a link (e.g., a Uniform Resource Locator link), and/or otherwise provided to a recipient. 
     In an implementation, pricing for the customized greeting card may be based on various pricing factors. For example, the pricing factors may include, without limitation, a selected crowd-sourced content item (some items may be more costly than others—and some may be free), a selected customization option (e.g., selected fonts, types of paper, print resolution, etc.), a selected template, whether a coupon code has been input, any bonuses that were awarded, and/or other pricing factors. 
     In an implementation, customization instructions  208  may provide a preview of the generated custom greeting card. The preview may include a two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional preview of the custom greeting card. The preview may present a graphical representation of the custom greeting card that is rotatable, opened, closed, and/or otherwise manipulated to provide a user with an ability to view the custom greeting card before purchase and/or before printing. 
     In an implementation, advertising instructions  210  may obtain advertisements and/or other promotions from one or more advertisers for inclusion into the various interfaces described herein. The advertisements may be stored in one or more advertising databases (e.g., database(s)  130 ). The advertisements, when selected by a user, may provide additional income to the operator of system  100  through prior agreements between the operator and the advertisers. Furthermore, the system may provide the user with a bonus or other incentive related to a customized greeting card to select or otherwise interact with a given advertisement. 
     The various instructions described herein are exemplary only. Other configurations and numbers of instructions may be used, so long as the processor(s)  112  are programmed to perform the functions described herein. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that although the various instructions are illustrated in  FIG. 1  as being co-located within a single processing unit, in implementations in which processor(s)  112  includes multiple processing units, one or more instructions may be executed remotely from the other instructions. 
     The description of the functionality provided by the different instructions described herein is for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to be limiting, as any of instructions may provide more or less functionality than is described. For example, one or more of the instructions may be eliminated, and some or all of its functionality may be provided by other ones of the instructions. As another example, processor(s)  112  may be programmed by one or more additional instructions that may perform some or all of the functionality attributed herein to one of the instructions. 
     The various instructions described herein may be stored in a storage device  114 , which may comprise random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and/or other memory. The storage device may store the computer program instructions (e.g., the aforementioned instructions) to be executed by processor  112  as well as data that may be manipulated by processor  112 . The storage device may comprise floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, tapes, or other storage media for storing computer-executable instructions and/or data. 
     The various components illustrated in  FIG. 1  may be coupled to at least one other component via a network, which may include any one or more of, for instance, the Internet, an intranet, a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a SAN (Storage Area Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a wireless network, a cellular communications network, a Public Switched Telephone Network, and/or other network. In  FIG. 1  and other drawing Figures, different numbers of entities than depicted may be used. Furthermore, according to various implementations, the components described herein may be implemented in hardware and/or software that configure hardware. 
     The various databases  130  described herein may be, include, or interface to, for example, an Oracle™ relational database sold commercially by Oracle Corporation. Other databases, such as Informix™, DB2 (Database 2) or other data storage, including file-based, or query formats, platforms, or resources such as OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing), SQL (Structured Query Language), a SAN (storage area network), Microsoft Access™ or others may also be used, incorporated, or accessed. The database may comprise one or more such databases that reside in one or more physical devices and in one or more physical locations. The database may store a plurality of types of data and/or files and associated data or file descriptions, administrative information, or any other data. 
       FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a greeting card kiosk  300  for customizing greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. As illustrated, greeting card kiosk  300  may include one or more different portions  302  (illustrated in  FIG. 3  as portions  302 A,  302 B, . . . ,  302 N). A given portion  302  may be the same as (e.g., have identical components) or be different from (e.g., have different components) another given portion  302 . As illustrated, portion  302 A is different from portion  302 B and therefore they may each provide different functions. However, greeting card kiosk  300  (as illustrated) should not be viewed as limiting. For example, a greeting card kiosk may include only a single portion  302  or have multiple portions  302  that are identical to one another. 
     Each portion  302  may be modular in that any one of several portions  302  may be connected to one another to form a greeting card kiosk  300  having an arbitrary number of portions  302 . In other examples, each portion  302  may be manufactured together with other portions such that they form a unitary structure. Furthermore, each portion  302  may be configured or arranged with respect to other portions according to particular needs (and not necessarily placed in a side-by-side configuration), so long as each portion  302  is accessible by a respective user. Of course, greeting card kiosk  300  may instead include only a single portion  302 . 
     A given portion  302  may include one or more components, such as, without limitation, a user interface component  304 , a printer  306 , a network interface  308 , a direct wireless or wired communication port  310 , a payment input  312 , and/or other components. User interface component  304  may include a display (e.g., a touch screen or other display), one or more user inputs such as a keyboard, and/or other user interface components. When not used to customize a greeting card, the display may provide graphical movements and other media content to attract users to the greeting card kiosk. The user inputs may be standalone (e.g., a hard keyboard separate from the display) and/or may be incorporated within the display itself (e.g., a soft keyboard provided by the display). 
     Printer  306  may print a customized greeting card. Printer  306  may include, for example, an Inkjet printer, a laser printer, and/or other type of printer that can print in color and/or black and white. 
     Network interface  308  may allow portion  302  to communicate via a network (such as the Internet). Direct wireless or wired communication port  310  may allow portion  302  to directly communicate with a user device (e.g., via BLUETOOTH or other direct wireless/wired connection). 
     Payment input  312  may include a reader that can read a payment device such as a credit card, debit card, smart chip, NFC-enabled payment device, and/or other payment devices. This allows the user to pay at the kiosk (although the user may also or alternatively pay using a pre-stored payment account as described herein, along with verification of user credentials). 
     As illustrated, portion  302 A includes a user interface component  304 A, a printer  306 A, a network interface  308 A, a direct wireless or wired communication port  310 A, and a payment input  312 A. In this manner, portion  302 A may be considered a “full service” portion that allows a user to design a custom greeting card using the user interface component  304 A and print the custom greeting card once designed. The user may also import, via network interface  308 A and/or direct wireless or wired communication port  310 A, a greeting card that was previously customized. 
     As illustrated, portion  302 B includes a printer  306 B, a network interface  308 B, a direct wireless or wired communication port  310 B and a payment input  312 B. Portion  302 N includes a user interface component  304 N, a printer  306 N, a network interface  308 N, a direct wireless or wired communication port  310 N, and a payment input  312 N. Because portion  302 B does not include a user interface component  304 A, portion  302 B may be considered a “print-only” portion that allows the user to print greeting cards that were already customized by the user. 
     Portion  302 B may include minimal inputs to allow the user to enter a code corresponding to the customized greeting card (which may have been already customized from the user&#39;s home via a website provided by computer system  104  or from a user&#39;s mobile device via a mobile application). Alternatively, the greeting card kiosk may receive the code via network interface  308 B and/or direct wireless or wired communication port  310 B. For example, the user may provide a command from a mobile application executing on the user&#39;s mobile device that causes the code to be transmitted to the greeting card kiosk via the Internet (or other network) and/or via BLUETOOTH (or other direct wireless connection). In some implementations, the greeting card kiosk may include an identifier affixed on a surface of the kiosk that may be entered into the user&#39;s mobile device in order to properly address the greeting card kiosk and/or portion of the greeting card kiosk. 
     As illustrated, portion  302 N may be considered a full service kiosk based on its components. In an implementation, a given portion  302  may be switched between a full service portion and a print-only portion. For example, when demand for printing already customized greeting cards is high, greeting card kiosk  300  may switch portion  302 N to a print-only portion such that a user may not design a custom greeting card using portion  302 N. Likewise, greeting card kiosk  300  may switch portion  302 N back to a full service kiosk if demand to design custom greeting cards at the kiosk is high. Of course, this pre-supposes that the portion  302 N includes an appropriate user interface component  304 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a process  400  of customizing greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. The various processing operations and/or data flows depicted in  FIG. 4  (and in the other drawing figures) are described in greater detail herein. The described operations may be accomplished using some or all of the system components described in detail above and, in some implementations, various operations may be performed in different sequences and various operations may be omitted. Additional operations may be performed along with some or all of the operations shown in the depicted flow diagrams. One or more operations may be performed simultaneously. Accordingly, the operations as illustrated (and described in greater detail below) are exemplary by nature and, as such, should not be viewed as limiting. 
     In an operation  402 , one or more crowd-sourced content items that are selectable by a user to be included in a user-customized greeting card may be obtained. 
     In an operation  404 , one or more user interfaces may be provided. The one or more user interfaces may include the one or more crowd-sourced content items for selectable inclusion into the user-customized greeting card, and a first set of one or more customization options that are selectable to customize the user-customized greeting card. 
     In an operation  406 , a selection of at least one crowd-sourced content item and/or a selection of at least one customization option via the one or more user interfaces may be received and processed. For example, a user may select a greeting card template, customize the cover and/or customize any inside portion of the greeting card (if the greeting card includes an inside portion). Such customizations can include addition of at least one crowd-sourced content item and/or selection of at least one customization option. 
     In an operation  408 , the user-customized greeting card based on the at least one crowd-sourced content item and the at least one customization option may be generated. In an operation  410 , the user-customized greeting card may be provided by printing the user-customized greeting card, providing the user-customized greeting card in an electronic form to the user or other recipient, and/or otherwise providing a representation of the user-customized greeting card. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a process  500  of localizing crowd-sourced content items for selectable inclusion in custom greeting cards, according to an implementation of the invention. 
     In an operation  502 , a plurality of crowd-sourced content items may be stored. For example, the crowd-sourced content items may be stored in one or more databases. An individual crowd-sourced content item may be associated with a location. For example, the location be a location from which the crowd-sourced content item was created, a location depicted by the item, a location associated with an artist or other provider of the item, and/or other location associated with the item. 
     In an operation  504 , a target location for which a greeting card to be customized relates may be identified. For example, a target location may include the location of a greeting card kiosk where a greeting card is to be customized. In this example, the location of the greeting card kiosk may be used to identify crowd-sourced content items to provide to the greeting card kiosk. In another example, a target location may include the location of a user device (e.g., identified based on Global Positioning System, cell tower localization, and/or other location techniques). In this manner, the user device may be provided with crowd-sourced content items that are specific to the location of the user device. In another example, a target location may include a location that is input by the user. In this manner, the user may customize a greeting card using crowd-sourced content items that relate to the location that the user chooses (e.g., the user would like to create a postcard to commemorate a vacation at a particular locale and include crowd-sourced content items related to the locale). 
     In an operation  506 , crowd-sourced content items that are within a proximity of the target location may be identified. The proximity may be expressed as a circular area defined by a radius and the target location. The proximity may be predefined and/or configurable by a user or the system. In an operation  508 , the identified crowd-sourced content items may be provided for selectable inclusion into a customized greeting card. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a process  600  of providing bonuses related to custom greeting cards based on gameplay and other interactions with media entertainment, according to an implementation of the invention. 
     In an operation  602 , a game or other entertainment media may be provided. The game or other entertainment media may be provided via a greeting card kiosk, a user interface (e.g., website) of a computer system that provides greeting card customizations, a mobile application at a user device, and/or other communication channel through which the game or other entertainment media may be provided. 
     In an operation  604 , an interactive event related to the game or other entertainment media may be received and processed. For example, the interactive event may include an in-game input by the user, an in-game action by the game&#39;s artificial intelligence, a passage of time viewing media content such as videos, and/or other interactive event. 
     In an operation  606 , a determination of whether the interactive event triggers a bonus related to the custom greeting card may be made. For example, a user may perform some game objective that merits a bonus that may be used in association with customizing a greeting card. If the interactive event triggers a bonus, then the bonus may be associated with the user (e.g., in a memory and/or user account of the user) in an operation  608 . 
     In an operation  610 , a determination of whether the game or other entertainment media is over may be made. If the game or other entertainment media is over, any bonuses accumulated during the game or other entertainment media may be provided in an operation  612 . On the other hand, if the game or other entertainment media is not over, then processing may return to operation  604 , where an interactive event may be received. 
     Other implementations, uses and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification should be considered exemplary only, and the scope of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited only by the following claims.