Flower Delivery Apparatus and System

Abstract

An apparatus, method and system for use in the shipment, delivery, and display of flowers. The apparatus comprises a preferably translucent enclosure with a lid, housing a removable tray assembly. The removable trays have aligned openings for the insertion of flower stems. The enclosure itself is configured to be stacked conveniently on a pallet for bulk shipment and delivery. The system and method comprise providing an interface for users to order flowers contained in the enclosure and delivering the enclosure with a customized multimedia electronic greeting.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A system for ordering flowers comprising
 a server adapted to communicate wirelessly with a user computer and a recipient computer;   a warehouse computer adapted to communicate with said server;   a printer adapted to communicate with said warehouse computer;   said server being specially programmed to receive a flower order comprising a personalized message from said user computer;   said warehouse computer being specially programmed to
 display said flower order to a warehouse worker and print a card comprising a link to said personalized message for said flower order; 
   said server being adapted to receive said link to said personalized message from said recipient computer and transmit said multimedia message to said recipient computer whereby a user may place said flower order using said user computer, a warehouse worker may view said flower order on said warehouse computer, prepare and assemble said flower order and ship said flower order to said recipient, and said recipient may receive said personalized message from said server by accessing said link with said recipient computer.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said link is selected from the group containing a QR code and a URL, said flower order s shipped in a translucent rectangular container, and said card is positioned in said container such that said link is viewable through said container. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  further comprising an NFC programmer connected to said warehouse terminal wherein said warehouse terminal is adapted to cause said NFC programmer to program an NFC with said link whereby said warehouse worker can insert said NFC into said flower order and said recipient may access said personalized message by opening said link with said recipient's smartphone by reading said NFC. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  further comprising an RFID reader connected to said warehouse terminal wherein said warehouse terminal is adapted to access said RFID reader and associate an RFID tag with said link whereby said warehouse worker can insert an RFID transmitter into said flower order and said recipient may access said personalized message by reading said RFID with said recipient's computer and opening said link. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said personalized message is an original-content message and is selected from the (group comprising a text message, an html message, a picture message, a video message, and an audio message. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said personalized message comprises one or more of text, a picture, a video, and a sound. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said server is a webserver adapted to communicate with said user computer and said recipient computer through a wide area network via a hypertext text transmission protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said server is adapted to communicate with said user computer and said recipient computer via SMS messages. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said user computer is selected from the group comprising a smartphone, a smart watch, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, and a desktop computer. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said recipient computer is selected from the group comprising a smartphone, a smart watch, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, and a desktop computer. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said user computer is provided by a retail store and adapted to communicate with said server through a network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said server is further adapted to receive a response message from said recipient computer and transmit said response message to said user computer. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said response message is selected from the group comprising a text message, an audio message, a video message, an electronic greeting card, and a multimedia message. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said server is further adapted to provide reminders to said user on the anniversaries of special events and receive orders for flowers from said user in response to said reminders. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 6  wherein said flower order comprises an order for a gift other than flowers. 
     
     
         21 . A system for ordering towers in a rectangular container,
 said system comprising
 a server adapted to communicate wirelessly with a user computer and a recipient computer, 
 a warehouse computer adapted to communicate with said server, 
 a printer adapted to communicate with said warehouse computer, 
 said server being specially programmed to receive a flower order comprising an original content multimedia message from said user computer, 
 said warehouse computer being specially programmed to 
 display said flower order to a warehouse worker and print a card comprising a link to said original content multimedia message for said flower order, 
 said server being adapted to receive said link to said original content multimedia message from said recipient computer and transmit said original content multimedia message to said recipient computer; 
   said rectangular container comprising   at least one translucent area and one open face,   a removable lid adapted to cover said open face,   a removable tray assembly comprising an upper tray and a lower tray,   said upper tray being spatially separated from and connected to said lower tray by a plurality of upper removable separating posts,   said lower tray being spatially separated from the bottom of said rectangular enclosure by a plurality of lower removable supporting posts,   said upper tray and said lower tray comprising a plurality of aligned openings adapted to be large enough to permit a flower stem to pass through said aligned openings and small enough to support a flower blossom,   said upper tray comprising at least two opposed edge indentations adapted to facilitate removal of said removable tray assembly from said rectangular enclosure   whereby a user may place said flower order using said user computer, a warehouse worker may view said flower order on said warehouse computer, assemble said flower order into said translucent rectangular container, add water to said translucent rectangular container, place said card in said rectangular container such that said link is viewable through said at least one translucent area container and ship said filled rectangular container to said recipient, and said recipient may receive said multimedia message from said server by accessing said link with said recipient computer.