Electronic device with light-generating sources to illuminate an indicium

• US 10,140,611 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johansson, Jesper M., Carr, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Obeid, Mamon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oussir, El Mehdi
• Application Number:
  US13/681,252
• Time in Patent Office: 2,199 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50, 705 75, 705 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to, in part, providing a third party with access to at least some information in a user'"'"'s account maintained by a host. The agent may assist a user in selecting an item, purchasing the item, customizing the item, and/or performing other actions. The agent may interact with the user during the assistance. In various embodiments, the user may provide the agent with a token that allows the agent to gain at least temporary access to at least a portion of the user'"'"'s account. In some instances, the agent may purchase the item for the user using information in the user'"'"'s account, such as payment information, shipping address information, and/or other information. The agent may place an item, such as a special order item in a virtual shopping cart or other location, which may be stored with the user'"'"'s account.

Claims

1. A system providing temporary third-party access to an account of a user, the system comprising:

a host computing device including memory and one or more processors, the host computing device maintaining the account of the user and an electronic marketplace of a third-party merchant, wherein the host computing device enables an agent of the third-party merchant to conduct a transaction with the third-party merchant on behalf of the user using the account of the user and without creating a different account; and

an agent device operable by an agent of the third-party merchant; and

wherein the host computing device includes computer-executable instructions maintained in the memory which, when executed by the one or more processors, performs operations comprising;

receiving, from a user device, a first request to transact with the third-party merchant using the electronic marketplace;

authenticating the user to access the account of the user;

establishing, via a marketplace application installed on the user device, a communication session between the user device and the agent device;

receiving, via the marketplace application, a second request to generate a token, wherein the second request includes parameters indicating one or more actions performable by the agent on behalf of the user, and wherein the token authorizes the agent device to access the account of the user;

generating, based at least in part on receiving the second request, the token;

associating the parameters with the token;

transmitting the token to at least one of the user device or the agent device;

receiving, from the agent device, a third request to access the account of the user, the third request including at least the token;

verifying an authenticity of the token;

receiving, via the marketplace application and based at least in part on verifying the authenticity of the token, at least one action of the one or more actions from the agent device, the at least one action based at least in part on information conveyed from the user to the agent during the communication session, the at least one action satisfying the parameters;

receiving, from the user device, a confirmation authorizing the at least one action; and

performing, based at least in part on receiving the confirmation, the at least one action.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing account data to the agent based at least in part on the verifying the authenticity of the token, wherein the account data corresponds to the account of the user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more actions include placing an item in a virtual shopping cart.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more actions include purchasing an item on behalf of the user using payment information stored in the account of the user.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the agent, and

wherein account data corresponding to the user is provided to the agent device based at least in part on the authenticating the agent and the verifying the authenticity of the token.

6. A method, comprising:

establishing, via a marketplace application installed on a user device associated with a user, a communication session between the user device and a sales representative device associated with a sales representative of a third-party merchant;

maintaining, by a host computing device, an account of the user and an electronic marketplace of the third-party merchant;

receiving, from the user device via the marketplace application, a first request to generate a token, wherein the token allows the sales representative device to access the account of the user on behalf of the user and without creating a different account;

generating, by the host computing device and based at least in part on receiving the first request, the token;

associating the token with parameters, the parameters including at least an expiration of the token;

transmitting the token to the user device;

receiving, from the sales representative device and based at least in part on the user providing the token to the sales representative during the communication session, a second request to redeem the token;

verifying that the second request satisfies the parameters;

providing, based at least in part on verifying the second request, the sales representative with access to the account of the user;

receiving, during the communication session and based at least in part on information conveyed from the user to the sales representative while the sales representative is assisting the user in selecting an item for purchase, one or more actions associated with account data or the account of the user;

receiving, from the user device, a confirmation authorizing the one or more actions; and

performing, based at least in part on receiving the confirmation, the one or more actions, wherein the one or more actions include at least placing the item in a virtual shopping cart associated with the account of the user.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more actions further include purchasing the item on behalf of the user, the item being a customized item or a special order item selected by the sales representative based at least in part on the information conveyed to the sales representative.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the account of the user includes at least one payment type and at least one shipping address.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the access allows the sales representative to perform at least one of adding the item to the account of the user or purchasing the item using a payment type stored in the account of the user.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the parameters further include designating the payment type to be used based at least in part on the sales representative purchasing the item on behalf of the user.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising causing purchase of the item using the payment type stored in the account of the user.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the access allows the sales representative to access at least a portion of the account data in the account of the user, the account data including at least one of payment information, contact information, or transaction information.

13. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the access allows the sales representative to modify the account data by performing at least one of processing a return, updating payment information, updating contact information, or updating transaction information.

14. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, from the sales representative device, sales representative credentials, and wherein

providing the sales representative access to the account of the user is based at least in part on verifying the sales representative credentials.

15. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

encrypting, prior to the transmitting the token, the token.

16. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the token is a unique alphanumeric code generated based at least in part on receiving the first request.

17. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the parameters causes at least some of the account data corresponding to the account of the user to be masked from the sales representative.

25. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the token is provided to the sales representative during the communication session between the sales representative device and the user device.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, performs acts comprising:

establishing, via a marketplace application installed on a user device associated with a user, a communication session between the user device an agent device associated with an agent;

receiving, by a host computing device via the marketplace application, a first request to generate a digitally encrypted token, wherein the digitally encrypted token provides at least limited access to data in an account of the user based at least in part on a redemption of the digitally encrypted token;

generating, by the host computing device and based at least in part on receiving the first request, the digitally encrypted token;

receiving, from the agent device, the digitally encrypted token;

verifying an authenticity of the token;

receiving, by the host computing device, at least one of agent credentials or an agent password;

redeeming, based at least in part on the verifying and receiving the at least one of the agent credentials or the agent password, the digitally encrypted token;

receiving, from the agent device and based at least in part on information communicated between the agent device and the user device during the communication session, a selection of an item from the agent on behalf of the user;

receiving, from the user device, a confirmation authorizing the selection of the item from the agent; and

receiving, from the agent device and based at least in part on receiving the confirmation, a second request to at least;

access at least a portion of the data in the account of the user, or

modify at least the portion of the data in the account of the user.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the second request includes at least a purchase request to purchase the item on behalf of the user using payment information included in the account of the user.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the selection of the item is contingent on the agent credentials being correct credentials.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the digitally encrypted token is received by the agent directly from the host computing device.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein receiving the digitally encrypted token includes receiving input of the digitally encrypted token into a data field used for submission of the digitally encrypted token to the host computing device.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the selection of the item includes at least one of a customization of the item or information provided by the user during the communication session.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the communication session includes voice-based communication during which the user and the agent verbally interact while the agent selects the item.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the digitally encrypted token is associated with a quantity limit of redemptions.