PRIOR APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the following two applications, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety:

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/370,488, filed on August 4,

2022.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/510,524, filed on June 27,

2023.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to improved techniques in the creation and distribution of audiovisual messages related to gifting.

BACKGROUND

[0003] The current solution for messaging associated with gifts is limited to antiquated paper based messaging that does not correlate with the way people communicate today — digitally. Digital communication includes video with robust, animated elements, filters and augmentation including positionable, animated typography and “sticker” elements like confeti and characters as well as facechanging filters and lighting or color effects. By using one’s likeness and/or voice the gift giver can capture a more complete and natural sentiment at the moment a recipient opens a gift. In addition, the recipient can respond in kind in real time or open a video chat to share the gift opening experience.

[0004] Current solutions are inauthentic, cumbersome and time consuming, i.e., the purchaser must browse aisles of cliche cards to find one that closely but may not entirely suit their message. Currently, if a gift message is dictated or received by the merchant in an e-commerce or phone order channel, the message is transcribed by the merchant by hand to a small card note. This process intermpts order fulfdlment and the result is not in the handwriting or style of the sender. [0005] Such prior art systems, include:

[0006] Hallmark and other traditional card makers. These are non-occasion based, non-customizable, cliche printed cards that must be purchased in store separate from the gift itself. Specifically, these products are expensive cards with clunky pre-printed QR code with security risk to anyone browsing in-store. These cards are purchased separately from the gift, requiring time investment from the sender and cannot be married with an ecommerce or phone order transaction that is shipped to the recipient directly. Therefore, this does not enhance the gift experience for the recipient. It also does not resolve the requirement of convenience of point of purchase sale (in store or online). There are no video customization or special effect options. There is no opportunity for marketing/ communication from the gift merchant or brand to the recipient. There is no sender or recipient user based archive or profile.

[0007] VideoGreet, a Shopify platform specific plug-in. This is limited to Shopify transactions only. Video Greet delivers QR code image files only to the merchant. It requires the merchant to download, layout and print the QR codes that are sold to the merchant in advance of sale to the customer. There is no sender or recipient user-based archive or profile. There is no direct marketing channel for brands or merchants.

SUMMARY

[0008] This disclosure regarding improved gift messaging applications (that may be known as SWAQ or SWAQ!, for Sealed With A QR code) resolves the disconnect between the cunent state of gift messaging and the way people actually communicate — digitally. Think traditional handwritten gift notes, expensive, prefab, cliche cards or 100 character laser-printed, after-thoughts versus Instagram Stories positionable typography, Snapchat style filters, libraries of animated stickers. SWAQ enhances gift messages by creating a direct, time- based (video) message specific to the recipient on a particular occasion. As well, SWAQ provides user accounts to archive sent and received messages, a friend network activity feed and a profile to share a personal registry with others to solve the problem of what to buy.

[0009] A gift buying customer visits a website and selects the option to add a video message to be delivered with the gift either on the product page or within the checkout environment. Immediately after checkout, the same customer receives an email containing a link to create a new video message or upload an existing video from their library. The customer can customize the video with animated or still stickers, themes, typography , and music. When the user completes their customization, the video is instantly associated with the QR code that is added to the gift order. Customers can also add videos to orders purchased by phone or in-store. Merchants have the option to log in to the SWAQ portal to send the link to the gift buying customer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0010] The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments. [0011] Figure 1 shows a schematic of the technical architecture of a system using SWAQ.

[0012] Figure 2 shows a recipient’s view of landing page post-scan of a QR code via SWAQ.

[0013] Figure 3 shows a SWAQ merchant portal overview.

[0014] Figure 4 shows an end screen / final screen of video for a recipient of a message via SWAQ.

[0015] Figure 5 shows a SWAQ merchant landing page configuration portal. [0016] Figure 6 shows a SWAQ merchant end screen configuration portal. [0017] Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] What is SWAQ? SWAQ is a white-labeled, mobile friendly, web-based application that attaches enhanced custom video messages to physical gifts via pre-printed and print on-demand any automatic identification and data capture mechanism such as QR codes using seamless back-end integration with online and in-store checkout platforms.

[0020] SWAQ is a web-based mobile application that replaces analog gift notes with social media style video messages that arrive with gifts via QR codes that are either issued on demand with back-end integration or issued in advance as high quality, pre-printed labels and cards. As a “B to B to C” business, SWAQ provides a variety of no code, low code and fully integrated turnkey solutions for merchants to offer a video message to gift purchases at the point of sale.

[0021] How Does SWAQ Work? SWAQ enables a gift giver to add a video message to the experience of opening a gift either by issuing QR codes on demand through seamless back-end integration or by assigning URLs embedded in high quality, gift-like, serialized, variable, pre-printed QR codes that are attached to a gift item or placed in its box for the recipient to scan as part of the gift experience. This, therefore, replaces paper-based gift notes (whether handwritten, typewritten, or laser/inkjet printed) with enhanced, custom video messages.

[0022] QR codes will be identified as part of the gift with messaging that includes structured data like, “[Recipient Name], scan to view a video message from [Sender Name]” as well as by fitting inside existing standard, common-practice, gift note sized envelopes. Pre-printed QR codes will take the form of an adhesive label to stick to any gift box or packaging or mounted to a card stock to place into an envelope.

[0023] Although QR codes are discussed herein, any automatic identification and data capture mechanism operating as a unique identifier for the gift may be used. [0024] Technical Architecture. Turning to Figure 1, shown is a schematic 100 of an exemplary technical architecture of a SWAQ system. In this architecture, Users 102 interact with a Merchant Website 108, a SWAQ Receiver 104 interacts with a User Device 110, and a SWAQ Sender 106 interacts with a second User Device 112. The second User Device 112 may interact with a group of Video Filters and Animation 114, including Face Filters 116, Stickers 120, and Giphy 118.

[0025] The Merchant Device 108, the User Device 110, and the second User Device 112 interact with a Load Balancer 126, located within a central processer 185 (which could be either real or virtual). Also located within the central processor 185 are a content delivery network (CDN) 122, an API for public domain name system (DNS) 124, a Secret Manager 130, a Certificate Manager 132, a Scheduled Tasks Module 134, an Experience Backed Cluster 136, a Messaging module 141, a Storage Layer 152, and a System Monitoring module 138.

[0026] The Experience Backed Cluster 136 incorporates a SWAQ API Services Docker and On Demand Scaling. The Experience Backed Cluster 136 interfaces with the Load Balancer 126, the Scheduled Tasks module 134, and the Messaging module 141. [0027] The Messaging module 141 includes a Messaging bus 142. The Storage Layer 152 include a Redis Cache 158, Video Storage 160, and a Database 154. [0028] A Merchant 128 engages in a Shopify One-time Onboard by interfacing with the central processer 185.

[0029] An Ecommerce Platform module 144 having a Shopify module 145 interfaces with the central processor 185.

[0030] An External User Engagement module 146 having an Email Exchange module 147 interfaces with the central processor 185.

[0031] An External Payment Services module 148 having a Payment Gateway module 149 interfaces with the central processor 185.

[0032] An External Analytics Services module 149 having an Analytical and Reporting module 149 interfaces with the central processor 185.

[0033] A Developers & Monitoring Team 140 interface with the System Monitoring module 138.

[0034] How will users purchase a “SWAQ” message? A user can purchase a SWAQ wherever or however they purchase a gift.

[0035] In e-commerce, a user can purchase a SWAQ video message either on a product listing page or within the checkout environment by adding it to the list of items being purchased in their cart.

[0036] In-store, a user purchasing a gift in-person can elect to add a SWAQ video message to the gift at the register. The merchant can choose to print a newly issued QR code or simply assign a pre-printed QR code to the gift purchase in the SWAQ merchant portal. The SWAQ web-based merchant portal allows merchants to track all SWAQ activity, issue new QR codes or assign pre-printed QR codes to an order.

[0037] On the phone, order fulfillment of SWAQ video messages will work in the same way the in-store purchases will work.

[0038] Sender/Creator User Journey. E-commerce/Online - After purchasing a SWAQ from a merchant partner, the gift purchasing user (sender/creator) will immediately receive an automated email to create a new video message within the SWAQ web-based application. The SWAQ application will either be branded as a SWAQ environment or it will leverage the branding of the merchant through whom the SWAQ was originally purchased, or both.

[0039] Within the application the user will have the option to upload a previously recorded video in their library or as a video file from their device's directory, or to open the device’s native camera application to shoot a new video.

[0040] Once the footage is complete, the user elects to upload the video.

[0041] After upload, the user can enhance the video in several ways: [0042] - By editing the video footage itself.

[0043] - By selecting thematic templates or frames: SWAQ provides an abundant resource of occasion-based frames through which the video will play. SWAQ will also provide sentiment based (celebration, congratulations, condolences, thoughtful, etc.) templates without explicit occasion. SWAQ also provides the tools to create your own template and share that template with other SWAQ users. [0044] - By adding animated elements or “stickers”, that can be selected from a large library of elements searchable and sorted by occasion and mood. Stickers can be scaled, rotated and repositioned by the creator user.

[0045] - By adding custom, personalized, animated, positionable, scalable typographic messages.

[0046] - By adding music to the video through partnerships with licensed providers.

[0047] - By applying filters to the footage. Filters can include face augmentation or manipulation, color and lighting enhancements and special effects.

[0048] Recipient User Journey. SWAQ gift recipients open the special SWAQ gift message envelope or merchant provided gift packaging to reveal and scan the SWAQ QR code and therefore view the custom message from the gift giving sender. This may include accessing a user landing page 200 as shown in Figure 2. [0049] The recipient will have the option to reply in kind with a custom SWAQ message, with a pre-written choice of text messages or with their own text message. Also, a SWAQ user will have the option to return the gifting gesture with another gift of their own through the integration of partner platforms in the reply experience.

[0050] The recipient will also be able to open a video chat to share the gift opening experience in real time.

[0051] Recipients can also share received messages to their preferred social media platform.

[0052] SWAQ User Onboarding. SWAQ senders and recipients will have the option to create user accounts in order to manage their SWAQ messages with the ability to:

[0053] - Archive both sent and received SWAQ messages;

[0054] - View the number of scans for sent messages including the date and time of each scan;

[0055] - Set an expiration date for a sent message;

[0056] - Limit the number of scans for a sent message;

[0057] - Connect social media accounts to share content as well as access the libraries of content from those platforms;

[0058] - Access a feed of activity within their network of contacts and contacts of contacts;

[0059] - Enable notifications for any of the above features; and

[0060] - Create a personal registry profile for other users to solve the problem of what to buy and when. This registry also offers merchants the ability to market to users based on their preferences. For example, if a sender views a recipient's registry for gift ideas, they can be exposed to offers and similar items from participating merchants.

[0061] Merchant Experience and Opportunities.

[0062] Merchants can choose from 3 ways of reselling SWAQ video messages.

[0063] 1. No code: Merchants can order pre-printed, vanable QR codes that are identified with a human-readable, sequential number. Upon sale, across any of their channels, the merchant has two options to fulfill with SWAQ message order. [0064] A. The merchant may scan an unused QR code to load a form and enter the gift buying user’s email address or mobile number and, optionally, its own order reference. Completing this form triggers a link to create the video message to be sent by email or SMS to the sending user.

[0065] B. The merchant can select a physical, pre-prmted QR code by identifying a human-readable number and similarly locate that QR code in the SWAQ merchant portal. Then, the merchant enters the sending user’s email address or mobile number to trigger a link to create the video message to be sent by email or SMS to the sending user.

[0066] 2. Low code: Merchants can order pre-printed, variable QR codes that are identified with a human readable sequential number. Upon sale across any channel (with some API integration), the merchant has two options to fulfill with SWAQ message order.

[0067] A. An API integration can determine the next available unique, sequential, pre-printed QR code and automatically assign it to the order and send an email or SMS to the gift buying user.

[0068] i). If the next available QR code is damaged, misapplied or lost then the merchant can reassign the gift buying user’s video to another QR code in their inventory using a reassign tool in the merchant portal without having to resend an email or SMS to the user.

[0069] B. A merchant can activate a device camera within the merchant portal or within their own ecommerce back-end in order to scan and automatically assign a pre-prmted QR code to an order and send an email or SMS to the gift buying sender.

[0070] 3. Full integration: Merchants with their own printing solution can request on demand, via API, a new unique QR code as a digital file for an order. The QR code can be part of a layout that includes the sender and recipient names on the order and then printed at their convenience. The sending user automatically receives an email or SMS to create their video. [0071] White-labeling, Co-Branding, Branding: Branded user experience and templates. Figure 3 shows opportunities 300 for branding on a merchant portal overview.

[0072] Direct Marketing: In addition to custom branded templates, through the SWAQ application, merchants will have a unique opportunity to have screen time impressions with the recipients of gifts purchased through their channels with the ability to market related products and services as well as follow up at regular intervals or the anniversary of occasions. These screen impressions will take the form of promotional real estate dedicated to the merchant that they can configure in the SWAQ merchant portal. There are 3 opportunities to configure such promotions:

[0073] 1. On the landing page to which the gift recipient is directed to upon scan of the QR code. On this page, in addition to the thumbnail button that will play the video message, the merchant can configure a call-to-action text like “$10 off your first order” and a button URL and text like “Shop [Store Name]”. Figure 4 shows the user view 400 and Figure 5 shows the merchant configuration view 500 of these features.

[0074] 2. In the final frame of the video, also know n as the ‘end screen’ of the video, the merchant will have the ability to configure their logo and two lines of promotional text like, “10% off Spring Flowers.” “Use promo code: BLOOMINIO.” Figure 6 shows the merchant configuration view 600 of these features. Since this promotion is embedded in the last frame of the video, wherever the video goes, that promotion will be seen. On certain social media platforms these embedded promotions can be clickable to direct new' customers to the merchant’s preferred website. Additionally, the merchant can configure these promotions at any time period or for unique sets of recipients with different concurrent promotions.

[0075] 3. In the reply experience the merchant can offer promotions for that customer if the customer wants to return the gift gesture. [0076] In the user’s personal registry, the user can save promotions from the merchant to share with friends.

[0077] Taken together, the conditions set by the merchant that govern the mechanisms of how the gifting process from sender to recipient will work may be called “gifting conditions”.

[0078] Corporate Gifting. The SWAQ merchant portal and/or API can group unique QR codes so that they all link to one message. These messages are typically used as a marketing tool/video sales pitch to customers, partners, clients, or as employee appreciation gestures.

[0079] A merchant user that is fulfilling a single order of tens or thousands of units being shipped to an equal number of recipients can either generate sufficient QR codes on demand and group them so that they link to the same video, or they can select and group from an existing inventory of pre-printed QR codes. Upon grouping, the merchant simply enters one email address or mobile number for the party responsible for creating the video. When the gifting user completes a video, it is instantly associated with all the QR codes in the group. Additionally, since the QR codes are unique, the merchant can track the views of the video of the individual recipients as well as configure promotions (as outlined above) for that specific group. The group can be edited at any time to add, remove, or replace QR codes due to damage or changes in the order. Since such promotions can be unique to a particular group, the reselling merchant can choose to allow their customer, the corporate client, to take advantage of the promotional real estate.

[0080] “Premium” thematic templates and/or custom thematic templates and stickers. For merchants whose brand has additional perceived value, there will be an opportunity to charge a higher base price for the video message to their customers with an implied access to exclusive themes based on their brand. For example. Tiffany’s can charge a premium when reselling a SWAQ through their platform to offer access to a template using the Tiffany color scheme, logo, and other proprietary elements. Similarly, the merchant can pass on to corporate gifting clients the ability to add custom stickers for that group of messages. [0081] Administrative access to user engagement. Through a SWAQ provided portal, merchants can view the sender and recipient activity around the gift experience of their merchandise and leverage this data to strategize their own promotional activity using an API endpoint dedicated to user behavior.

[0082] CONCLUSION

[0083] In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings. [0084] Moreover, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and botom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises ... a”, “has ... a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains ... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

[0085] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.