Method and medium for associating a wish list with buddy list screen name
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting wish lists to users, thus making wish lists accessible to such user attributes as buddy lists, or the equivalent. The invention attaches a wish list to an instant messaging name and therefore makes it available to all persons on the user's buddy list. In a further embodiment of the invention, the wish list is attached to an account, such as a wallet. As a result, various conveniences are provided. For example, a member of the user's buddy list can give a gift to the user from the wish list; a group can contribute incrementally to the giving of a gift to the user; an individual can add incremental amounts to his or her wish list to pay for an item on time (as a type of layaway); and relatives and friends can give gifts that they know will be appreciated because the gifts are on the user's wish list.
1. A computer-implemented method for sharing wish list information between buddies, the method comprising the steps of:
maintaining a plurality of wish lists for a plurality of users, each of said wish lists being associated with a specific user by attaching said wish list to an instant messaging account, and comprising at least items offered for sale by a third party not associated with a wish list or buddy list, said items being identified by said associated user as being desired by that associated user;
maintaining a plurality of buddy lists for a plurality of users, each buddy list being associated with a user's instant messaging account and comprising a listing of other users identified by the associated user as having a status such that they can read the associated user's wish list;
making each wish list associated with each user automatically viewable to that associated user and to each of those user on that associated user's buddy list, and only to that associated user and to each of those users on that associated user's buddy list;
receiving requests from multiple users to contribute funds towards a purchase of an item on an associated user's wish list as a gift for the associated user, said multiple users being on said associated user's buddy list;
said multiple users contributing funds toward said purchase;
storing an indication of an amount of contributed funds;
electronically executing the purchase of the item as a gift for the second user when said contributed funds equal a purchase price of said item; and
updating said second user's wish list to delete the purchased item.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request from a first user to purchase an item on a second user's wish list as a gift for the second user further comprises:
receiving a contribution, from said first user to an electronic account associated with said second user, said contribution being equal to a purchase price of the item.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving a contribution from said first user to an electronic account associated with said second user further comprises:
receiving a transfer from an electronic account associated with said first user to an electronic account associated with said second user.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the additional user associated with the wish list comprises one of the multiple users contributing funds.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving requests from multiple users to contribute funds towards a purchase of an item on an additional user's wish list further comprises:
receiving contributions from said multiple users to an electronic account associated with said additional user.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving contributions from said multiple users to an electronic account associated with said additional user further comprises:
receiving transfers from electronic accounts associated with said multiple users to an electronic account associated with said additional user.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
at least one maintained wish list further comprises at leapt one date on which giving gifts to the associated user would be appropriate.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
responsive to receiving at least a contribution from a first user to a gift for a second user, automatically sending a thank you notification to the first user.
9. A computer readable medium containing a computer program product for sharing wish list information between buddies, the computer program product comprising:
program code for maintaining a plurality of wish lists for a plurality of users, each of said wish lists being associated with a specific user by attaching said wish list to an instant messaging account, and comprising at least items offered for sale by a third party not associated with a wish list or buddy list, said items being identified by said associated user as being desired by that associated user;
program code for maintaining a plurality of buddy lists for a plurality of users, each buddy list being associated with a user's instant messaging account and comprising a listing of other users identified by the associated user as having a status such that they can read the associated user's wish list;
program code for making each wish list associated with each user viewable only to that associated user and to those users on that associated user's buddy list;
program code for receiving requests from multiple users to contribute funds towards a purchase of an item on an associated user's wish list as a gift for the associated user, said multiple users being on said associated user's buddy list;
program code for said multiple users contributing funds toward said purchase;
program code for storing an indication of an amount of contributed funds;
program code for electronically executing the purchase of the item as a gift for the second user when said contributed funds equal a purchase price of said item; and
program code for updating said second user's wish list to delete the purchased item.
10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the program code for receiving a request from a first user to purchase an item on a second user's wish list as a gift for the second user further comprises:
program code for receiving a contribution, from said first user to an electronic account associated with said second user, said contribution being equal to a purchase price of the item.
11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the program code for receiving a contribution from said first user to an electronic account associated with said second user further comprises:
program code for receiving a transfer from an electronic account associated with said first user to an electronic account associated with said second user.
12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the program code for receiving requests from multiple users to contribute funds towards a purchase of an item on an additional user's wish list further comprises:
program code for receiving contributions from said multiple users to an electronic account associated with said additional user.
13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the program code for receiving contributions from said multiple users to an electronic account associated with said additional user further comprises:
program code for receiving transfers from electronic accounts associated with said multiple users to an electronic account associated with said additional user.