Managing online shop using instant messaging system

• US 10,021,090 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Randy
• Application Number:
  US15/404,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20170126657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 709 1, 709 2, 709 3, 709 4, 709 12, 705 141, 705 144, 705 1412, 705 1425
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method and a system for managing an online shop use an instant messaging system to allow an auxiliary account to log in and manage an online shop of a primary account user. The primary account user creates an online shop in an online shop server, and associates itself with one or more auxiliary accounts in an instant messaging system. Upon authorization by primary account user to allow an auxiliary account to manage the online shop, the system records an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account. The authorization relation may be recorded in the instant messaging system. Based on the recorded authorization relation, the system allows a user of the authorized auxiliary account to manage the online shop system through the instant messaging system. An instant messaging server serving for this purpose is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for authorization from an auxiliary account at an instant messaging system, the request for authorization including information of the auxiliary account;

receiving a request for authorization verification from a primary account at the instant messaging system in response to the request for authorization from the auxiliary account, the request for authorization verification including login information of an online business associated with the primary account and the information of the auxiliary account;

recording an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account at the instant messaging system upon successful verification;

receiving a request for managing the online business associated with the primary account at the instant messaging system; and

authorizing the auxiliary account to manage the online business associated with the primary account based on the recorded authorization relation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary account is created in the instant messaging system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of the auxiliary account comprises one or more of an account name or a password of the auxiliary account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the login information of the online business associated with the primary account to a server on which the online business is created for verification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an authorization to the auxiliary account based on the authorization relation, the authorization comprising:

an unrestricted authorization having identical privileges of the primary account;

or

a limited authorization for performing limited operations on the online business.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the auxiliary account is authorized to manage the online business associated with the primary account after receiving the request for managing the online business associated with the primary account, wherein the auxiliary account is authorized to manage the online business associated with the primary account in response to determining that the auxiliary account is authorized to manage the online business associated with the primary account.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a process of logging into the online business for the auxiliary account without disclosing the login information of the online business associated with the primary account to a user of the auxiliary account.

8. One or more storage devices storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving a request for authorization from an auxiliary account at an instant messaging system, the request for authorization including information of the auxiliary account;

receiving a request for authorization verification from a primary account at the instant messaging system in response to the request for authorization from the auxiliary account, the request for authorization verification including login information of an online business associated with the primary account and the information of the auxiliary account; and

recording an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account at the instant messaging system upon successful verification, the authorization relation being used for determining whether to authorize the auxiliary account to manage the online business associated with the primary account in response to receiving a request for managing the online business associated with the primary account at the instant messaging system from the auxiliary account.

9. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary account is created in the instant messaging system.

10. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, wherein the information of the auxiliary account comprises one or more of an account name or a password of the auxiliary account.

11. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, the acts further comprising sending the login information of the online business associated with the primary account to a server on which the online business is created for verification.

12. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, the acts further comprising providing an authorization to the auxiliary account based on the authorization relation, the authorization comprising:

an unrestricted authorization having identical privileges of the primary account;

or

a limited authorization for performing limited operations on the online business.

13. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, the acts further comprising determining that the auxiliary account is authorized to manage the online business associated with the primary account based on the authorization relation after receiving the request for managing the online business associated with the primary account from the auxiliary account.

14. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, the acts further comprising performing a process of logging into the online business for the auxiliary account without disclosing the login information of the online business associated with the primary account to a user of the auxiliary account.

15. An instant messaging system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving a request for authorization from an auxiliary account at the instant messaging system, the request for authorization including information of the auxiliary account;

receiving a request for authorization verification from a primary account at the instant messaging system in response to the request for authorization from the auxiliary account, the request for authorization verification including login information of an online business associated with the primary account and the information of the auxiliary account; and

recording an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account at the instant messaging system upon successful verification, the authorization relation being used for determining whether to authorize the auxiliary account to manage the online business associated with the primary account in response to receiving a request for managing the online business associated with the primary account at the instant messaging system from the auxiliary account.

16. The instant messaging system of claim 15, wherein the information of the auxiliary account comprises one or more of an account name or a password of the auxiliary account.

17. The instant messaging system of claim 15, the acts further comprising sending the login information of the online business associated with the primary account to a server on which the online business is created for verification.

18. The instant messaging system of claim 15, the acts further comprising providing an authorization to the auxiliary account based on the authorization relation, the authorization comprising:

an unrestricted authorization having identical privileges of the primary account;

or

a limited authorization for performing limited operations on the online business.

19. The instant messaging system of claim 15, the acts further comprising determining that the auxiliary account is authorized to manage the online business associated with the primary account based on the authorization relation after receiving the request for managing the online business associated with the primary account from the auxiliary account.

20. The instant messaging system of claim 15, the acts further comprising performing a process of logging into the online business for the auxiliary account without disclosing the login information of the online business associated with the primary account to a user of the auxiliary account.