Group bulk purchase system using network

• US 20010037257A1
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Niki, Toru, Sakura, Masayuki, Yoshida, Masayuki
• Application Number:
  US09/818,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037257A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

In systems for purchasing products through a network, when purchasers makes a group for purchasing products in bulk, a system is provided that makes it easy for each member of the bulk purchase group and the seller of the products to use the group bulk purchase. For this purpose, when a person makes a request for a group bulk purchase, ID for the group bulk purchase is issued. When the purchase using this ID satisfies a predetermined condition, a special favor is given to each person who has requested the purchase.

Claims

1. A group bulk purchase system comprising at least one bulk purchase group management server and at least one terminal connected with each other through a network,

wherein said bulk purchase group management server,

when receiving, from said terminal, a request for a group bulk purchase indicating purchase conditions at least including a name and a number of products to be purchased, notifies said terminal of given ID uniquely corresponding to said group bulk purchase, makes storage means store a purchase state corresponding to said group bulk purchase, updates said purchase state stored in said storage means when a purchase of the product designated in said group bulk purchase is performed using said given ID, and gives a special favor on the basis of the purchase state stored in said storage means.

2. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said special favor is a discount of the purchase price of the product designated in said group bulk purchase.

3. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said special favor is given to each member of said group bulk purchase.

4. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said bulk purchase group management server gives said special favor after the group bulk purchase received is completed.

5. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said purchase conditions include a purchase period of said product.

6. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said purchase conditions include a payment method for said group bulk purchase, and

said bulk purchase group management server performs payment or reception of money by a method designated by said payment method upon at least one of cases of selling said product and of giving said special favor.

7. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said purchase conditions include a payment method for each member of said group bulk purchase, and

said bulk purchase group management server performs payment or reception of money between it and each member by a method designated by said payment method upon at least one of cases of selling said product and of giving said special favor.

8. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein the contents of said group bulk purchase are open to public through a homepage provided in a site of a WWW server.

9. A bulk purchase group management server connected with at least one terminal through a network, wherein

said bulk purchase group management server is notified from said terminal of a request for a group bulk purchase indicating purchase conditions at least including a name and a number of products to be purchased, and

said bulk purchase group management server,

when receiving the request for said group bulk purchase, notifies said terminal of given ID uniquely corresponding to said group bulk purchase, makes storage means store a purchase state corresponding to said group bulk purchase, updates said purchase state stored in said storage means when a purchase of the product designated in said group bulk purchase is performed using said given ID, and gives a special favor on the basis of the purchase state stored in said storage means.

10. A terminal connected through a network with a bulk purchase group management server that, when receiving a request for a group bulk purchase, notifies said terminal of given ID uniquely corresponding to said group bulk purchase, makes storage means store the purchase state corresponding to said group bulk purchase, updates said purchase state stored in said storage means when a purchase of the product designated in said group bulk purchase is performed using said given ID, and gives a special favor on the basis of the purchase state stored in said storage means, wherein said terminal is used for, when making a request for a group bulk purchase to said bulk purchase group management server, notifying said bulk purchase group management server of the request for the group bulk purchase including purchase conditions including at least the name and the number of products to be purchased.

11. A group bulk purchase method comprising the steps of:

opening, to public, the contents of a group bulk purchase in relation to products to be sold;

making a request for said group bulk purchase opened;

purchasing said products corresponding to said group bulk purchase; and

managing a purchase state of said group bulk purchase on the basis of the purchase of said products, and giving a special favor to each member of said group bulk purchase in accordance with said purchase state.

12. A special favor giving program for giving a special favor to each member of a group bulk purchase, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the group bulk purchase input when making the request for said group bulk purchase and indicating purchase conditions at least including a name and a number of products to be purchased;

notifying given ID uniquely corresponding to said group bulk purchase when receiving the request for said group bulk purchase;

making storage means store the purchase state corresponding to said group bulk purchase;

updating said purchase state stored in said storage means when a purchase of the product designated in said group bulk purchase is performed using said given ID; and

giving the special favor on the basis of the purchase state stored in said storage means.

13. A recording medium recording thereon a special favor giving program for giving a special favor in a group bulk purchase, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the group bulk purchase input when making the request for said group bulk purchase and indicating purchase conditions at least including a name and a number of products to be purchased;

notifying given ID uniquely corresponding to said group bulk purchase when receiving the request for said group bulk purchase;

making storage means store a purchase state corresponding to said group bulk purchase;

updating said purchase state stored in said storage means when a purchase of the product designated in said group bulk purchase is performed using said given ID; and

giving the special favor on the basis of the purchase state stored in said storage means.

14. A selling system comprising:

means for opening the definition of a group bulk purchase to public;

means for receiving a request from said group bulk purchase;

means for receiving an order from each member of said group bulk purchase; and

means for calculating a special favor in accordance with the definition of said group bulk purchase and a state of said order,

wherein the special favor calculated by said means for calculating the special favor is given to each member when the order from the last member of said group bulk purchase has completed, or when a purchase period has elapsed.

15. A system according to

claim 14

, wherein said means for receiving the request of said group bulk purchase receives information capable of identifying a purchase period, the number of products to be purchased, and all purchasers when receiving the request of said group bulk purchase.

16. A system according to

claim 14

, further comprising a data base for storing group bulk purchase information received through said means for receiving an order.

17. A system according to

claim 14

, wherein said means for calculating the special favor generates a purchase condition management table made up from information for identifying a purchaser, a purchase period, and a purchase date.

18. A system according to

claim 17

, wherein said means for receiving an order updates said purchase condition management table at the time when the order of an purchaser is completed.