System and method of planning a funeral

Abstract

An apparatus, computer-implemented method and program product to arrange and fund a funeral or other memorial service. A program receives user input requesting information associated with funeral products, services and homes. The program associates the user input with a budgetary, profile, home locator, or step-based parameter. Each parameter logically links to an information field stored within the database. A central web server retrieves information associated with the parameter for inclusion within a funeral plan.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus, comprising: 
       a memory;
 a database resident in the memory, the database storing pricing information associated with a plurality of products and services offered by a plurality of funeral service providers, wherein each funeral service provider is associated with a distinct set of products and services from the plurality of products and services, wherein the database maintains pricing information for the set of products and services associated with each funeral service provider; and 
 a program configured to receive user input from a user to obtain requested pricing information on a product or service offered by a selected funeral service provider among the plurality of funeral service providers, access the database to retrieve the requested pricing information, and output the requested pricing information to the user. 
 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to recommend a funeral service provider from the plurality of funeral service providers to the user in response to user input. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to recommend the funeral service provider based on criteria chosen from the group consisting of: location, services, products, capacity, pricing information, appearance and reputation. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to receive user input to select a collection of products and services to include in the funeral plan. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the program is configured to receive user input to select a collection of products and services to include in the funeral plan, wherein the program receives user input associated with a budgetary parameter, wherein the program is further configured to suggest a budget-based funeral plan from among a plurality of budget-based funeral plans based on the budgetary parameter, each budget-based funeral plan associated with a collection of goods and services meeting a budgetary criterion. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the program is configured to receive user input to select a collection of products and services to include in the funeral plan, wherein the program receives user input associated with a profile parameter, wherein the program is further configured to suggest a profile-based funeral plan from among a plurality of profile-based funeral plans based on the profile parameter, each profile-based funeral plan associated with a collection of goods and services meeting a profile criterion. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the program is configured to receive user input to select a collection of products and services to include in the funeral plan, wherein the program receives user input associated with a step-based parameter, wherein the program is further configured to suggest a step-based funeral plan from among a plurality of step-based funeral plans based on the step-based parameter, each step-based funeral plan associated with a collection of goods, services and educational data meeting a step-based criterion. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program processes the funding of the funeral plan using a payment method selected from the group consisting of: an electronic debit, credit card, insurance, or trust fund. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to personalize aspects of the funeral plan to reflect a religious, professional, personal, or ethnic desire of a deceased in response to user input. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to store contact information for a family member, friend or associate of a user for notification of a decedent's death. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to electronically store the funeral plan for later retrieval. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to initiate the display of funeral plan on a web site. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to modify the funeral plan in response to user input. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein user input is directed to a web site, wherein retrieval of the product or service from the database is accomplished through the web site, wherein the program comprises a web server configured to interact with the user and interface with the database. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the pricing of the service or product is guaranteed, wherein the program is configured to initiate the display of an image or text representing terms of the guarantee. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to initiate a display of an electronic image representative of the product or service. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to schedule a meeting with a death care professional in response to user input. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the program is configured to initiate the display of contact information that enables the user to communicate personally or electronically with a funeral service provider representative. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to retrieve an estimated cost for a non-guaranteed item from the database. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the program is configured to retrieve an estimated cost from the database for a non-guaranteed item, wherein the non-guaranteed item is selected from the group consisting of: floral arrangement, musical performance, clergy, transportation and honorarium costs. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the program is configured to store a currency value indicative of client funds budgeted for the non-guaranteed item. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to store donation information. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to initiate a payment status display for the funeral plan. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the pricing information includes bids from at least a subset of the plurality of funeral service providers. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to relate an offer for the product or service from the user to at least a subset of the plurality of funeral service providers, wherein the offer includes a price range. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program associates and recommends a complementary item from the plurality of products and services in response to a user selecting the product or service. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to provide to the user educational information, counseling and an Internet link relating to the product or service. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to verify availability of the product or service. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the program is configured to encrypt user data and funeral plan information in conjunction with creating a funeral plan. 
     
     
         59 - 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . An apparatus for creating an online funeral plan, comprising:
 a program configured to interface with a plurality of funeral service provider web sites; and   a central database coupled to the program and configured to store information associated with a plurality of products and services;   wherein the program is configured to forward user input from a selected funeral service provider web site from the plurality of funeral service provider web sites to the central database to retrieve information associated with a product or service from the database in response to user input directed to the selected funeral service provider web site.   
     
     
         68 . The apparatus of  claim 67 , wherein the program is configured to allow retrieval of information from the database in response to interaction with a user via the selected funeral service provider web site to only a subset of the database that corresponds to products and services offered by a funeral service provider associated with the selected funeral service provider web site. 
     
     
         69 . A computer-implemented method for creating an online funeral plan that adheres to a theme, the method comprising:
 selecting a thematic grouping among a plurality of thematic groupings from a database based upon theme-related input received from a user, wherein each thematic grouping comprises a collection of a product and/or services related to a distinct theme; and   outputting information for a product or service associated with the selected thematic grouping to the user.