Method and apparatus for providing gift by using communication network and system including the apparatus

1. A method of providing a gift icon using a communication network, comprising:

a) providing, by a gift provision apparatus, information about products to a user terminal connected with the gift provision apparatus through the communication network;

b) selecting, by the user terminal, at least one of the products, and inputting, by the user terminal, information of a receipt terminal for receiving the at least one of the products, wherein the receipt terminal is separate from the user terminal;

c) transmitting, by the user terminal, to the gift provision apparatus a request message that requests a gift;

d) providing, by the gift provision apparatus, the gift icon to the receipt terminal through the communication network when the gift provision apparatus receives the request message, wherein the gift icon corresponds to the at least one of the products;

when the gift icon has been used, receiving, by the gift provision apparatus, a confirmation message confirming the use of the gift icon; and

when the gift provision apparatus receives the confirmation message, prohibiting, by the gift provision apparatus, a further use of the gift icon.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein step b) comprises:

reading, by the user terminal, an address book including at least one of an e-mail address or a telephone number of the receipt terminal; and the user terminal selecting the information of the receipt terminal from the address book.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the user terminal and the receipt terminal are wired terminals or mobile terminals.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the user terminal and the receipt terminal operate software of enabling messages or data to be transmitted and received in real time through the communication network and transmit and receive the gift icon through the software.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein step d) comprises:

d-1) when the gift icon is transmitted to the receipt terminal, transmitting a message inquiring a storage location of the gift icon to the receipt terminal; and

d-2) when a message requesting transmission of the gift icon is transmitted from the receipt terminal to a predetermined mobile terminal, transmitting the gift icon to the predetermined mobile terminal.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 , wherein step d-2) further comprises:

d-2a) transmitting a message including a unique resource locator (URL) in which the gift icon is stored to the mobile terminal.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein step d-2) further comprises:

d-2b) when the mobile terminal connects to the URL and requests download of the gift icon, downloading the gift icon.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

e) when the receipt terminal accepts the gift icon, registering an acceptance completion message in the gift provision apparatus.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein step d) provides a web page or wap page for settlement to the user terminal when the gift provision apparatus receives the message requesting gift provision, and provides the gift icon when the settlement has been finished.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

f) the gift provision apparatus receiving a message requesting gift reception and delivering the message requesting gift reception to the receipt terminal;

g) when an acceptance message is received from the receipt terminal, providing a wap page or wap page for settlement to the receipt terminal; and

h) when the settlement has been finished, providing the gift icon to the user terminal.

11. The method as set forth in claim 4 , further comprising:

displaying a button for return on a screen of the receipt terminal having received the gift icon; and

when the button for return is selected, providing, by the receipt terminal, information about the at least one of the products and a product list to a user of the receipt terminal, and,

when the gift is selected, transmitting, by the gift provision apparatus, the gift icon corresponding to the at least one of the products to the user terminal, which is a counterpart terminal of the receipt terminal.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 , further comprising:

when a usable period is set, providing a message guiding repayment of money corresponding to the gift icon which is not used for the usable period or conversion to a reserve to the user terminal.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 , further comprising: the gift provision apparatus providing contents of gift icons transmitted for a predetermined period to the user terminal or the receipt terminal.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the gift icon is of a bar-code type.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising:

authenticating validity of the bar-code type gift icon transmitted from a POS (Point Of Sale) terminal installed in a predetermined shop;

transmitting an authentication code corresponding to completion of the authentication to the POS terminal; and

when the bar-code type gift icon has been used, the POS terminal transmitting a message indicating acceptance completion of the gift icon to the gift provision apparatus.

16. The method as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising the gift provision server providing contents of gift icons transmitted for a predetermined period to the user terminal or the counterpart terminal.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 , further comprising:

transmitting the gift icon to the terminal or the first mobile terminal, and displaying a button for return on a screen of the terminal or the first mobile terminal, when settlement has been finished in the counterpart terminal; and

providing a gift list when the button for return is selected, and transmitting a gift icon corresponding to the at least one of the products to the counterpart terminal when one of the gifts is selected from the gift list.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 , wherein the gift icon is of a bar-code type.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 , further comprising:

authenticating validity of the bar-code type gift icon transmitted from a POS (Point Of Sale) terminal installed in a predetermined shop; transmitting an authentication code corresponding completion of the authentication to the POS terminal; and

when the bar-code type gift icon has been used, the POS terminal transmitting a message indicating acceptance completion of the gift icon to the gift provision apparatus.

20. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

setting, by the gift provision apparatus, at least one condition for using the gift icon; and

allowing, by the gift provision apparatus, the gift icon to be used, only when the at least one condition is satisfied.

21. A method of providing a gift icon using a communication network, comprising:

a) providing, by a gift provision apparatus, information about products to a user terminal connected with the gift provision apparatus through the communication network;

b) selecting, by the user terminal, at least one of the products, and inputting, by the user terminal, information of a receipt terminal for receiving the at least one of the products, wherein the receipt terminal is separate from the user terminal;

c) transmitting, by the user terminal, to the gift provision apparatus one message that requests a gift;

d) receiving, by the gift provision apparatus, the information of the receipt terminal with the one message, and providing, by the gift provision apparatus, the gift icon to each of receipt terminals based on the received information, through the communication network when receiving the one message, wherein the gift icon corresponds to the at least one of the products, and wherein the received information includes the information of the receipt terminal and information of other receipt terminals; and

e) displaying, by the each of receipt terminals, a button for returning a return gift on a screen of the each of receipt terminals.