Electronic commerce system and method

• US 20010004735A1
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Published: 06/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kindo, Toshiki, Yoshida, Hideyuki, Shida, Takehiko
• Application Number:
  US09/738,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20010004735A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The electronic commerce system enables a seller to register items composing a product in a combination of the items with an item database, further enables a coordinator to coordinate the combination of the items based on registered items, and stores the combination of items in a coordinate database. Meanwhile, the system opens the coordinate database to the public for a consumer to receive an order of an item from the consumer, and clears up payments of the charge from an account of the consumer to the seller when the transaction is completed.

Claims

1. An electronic commerce system using an information communication network, comprising

an item database with which a seller registers items composing a product in a combination of the items to open to the public for a coordinator;

a coordinate database with which the coordinator registers combinations of items that the coordinator coordinates using the items registered with the item database; and

a settlement mechanism that opens the coordinate database to the public for a consumer to receive an order of an item from the consumer, while clearing up payments of a charge from an account of the consumer and to the seller when transaction is completed.

2. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

at least one virtual coordinator which assists the consumer in searching the coordinate database according to a request from the consumer.

3. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 2

, wherein the virtual coordinator presents the combinations of items coordinated to the consumer, receives a response indicative of whether the consumer is interested in each presented combination of items, and based on the reply from the consumer, searches for a combination of items coordinated suitable for a preference of the consumer.

4. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 3

, wherein when an item is returned from the consumer who purchased the item, the virtual coordinator searches for a combination of items coordinated suitable for the preference of the consumer in which information on a returned item is reflected.

5. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 1

, wherein a concept board on which concepts of the coordinator are displayed is open to the public for the coordinator, and combinations of items coordinated according to the concepts are registered with the coordinate database for each concept.

6. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 2

, wherein the coordinate database stores coordinate data having combinations of items coordinated, and image-words and coordinator identification name, attached to respective combinations, which the coordinator assigns to each combination of items coordinated, and the virtual coordinator fetches item data, an image-word and the coordinator identification name contained in each combination of items coordinated as keywords, and searches for a combination of items suitable for a preference of the consumer corresponding to a degree of keywords being contained in the coordinate data replied from the consumer on whether the data interests the consumer.

7. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 1

, wherein the consumer is capable of placing an order for the commination of items coordinated collectively.

8. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 1

, wherein items to be coordinated are invited and open to the public on a web server.

9. The electronic commerce system according to

claim 1

, wherein concepts of coordination are invited and open to the public on a web server.

10. A seller terminal for use by a seller in registering items composing a product in a combination of the items, wherein the seller accesses to the electronic commerce system according to either of

claims 1

to

9

via an information communication network to be authenticated to access to the system, and registers the items with the item database.

11. A consumer terminal for use by a consumer in searching for and placing an order for one or more items composing a product in a combination of the items, wherein the consumer accesses to the electronic commerce system according to either of

claims 1

to

9

via an information communication network to register the consumer with the system to be a purchaser, receives a plurality of combinations of items coordinated which are presented from the electronic commerce system, and places an order for an item among the combinations of the items presented.

12. An electronic commerce method using an information communication network, comprising the steps of:

registering by a seller items composing a product in a combination of the items with an item database to open to the public for a coordinator;

registering by the coordinator combinations of items that the coordinator coordinates using the items registered with the item database with a coordinate database; and

opening the coordinate database to the public for a consumer to receive an order of an item from the consumer, while clearing up payments of a charge from an account of the consumer and to the seller when transaction is completed.