E-commerce development intranet portal

• US 20010054019A1
• Filed: 01/03/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingrid Perscky De Fabrega
• Original Assignee: Ingrid Perscky De Fabrega
• Inventors: de Fabrega, Ingrid Perscky
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

An intranet providing a multiple-carrel public-access kiosk is disclosed. The intranet provides free access to foreign and domestic informational e-commerce intranet sites as well as e-mail and public service educational and informational materials. The kiosk accepts anonymous pre-paid cards issued by a local franchisee of a network of c-commerce intranets that includes the local intranet. The franchisee owns or leases kiosks and also provides a walk-in e-commerce support center where e-commerce support services and goods, such as pre-paid accounts for access to paid services at a kiosk, can be purchased. The paid services provided by the carrel include video-conference and chat room time, playing and/or copying audio-visual materials such as computer games and music videos, and international e-commerce purchase support services such as customs and currency exchange. The third-party sponsored public service materials include audio-visual instructional materials in local dialects introducing the user to the use of the kiosks services and providing training for using standard business software programs. Sponsors include pop-up market research questions in the sponsored public service information and receive clickstream date correlated with the user'"'"'s intranet ID and answers to the original demographic questions answered by the user.

Claims

1. A public-access e-commerce service portal providing a user access to an internet, said portal comprising:

a computer including a display screen, a card reader adapted to read financial account information from a card, an input device adapted to provide alphanumeric and screen-coordinate selected by the user, a drive unit adapted to read data from and write data to a removable data storage medium, and a printer unit, said computer being programmed to permit a user to selectively operate the units after said user enters a valid log-on ID, to establish a log-on ID for a new user after receiving answers manually input to the computer by the new user in response to predetermined demographic questions, and programmed to test the validity of financial account information, PIN number and log-on ID entries made by users;

a video camera connected to the computer, said computer being programmed to use said video camera to provide video-conference service to the user;

a telecommunications link adapted to connect the computer to an e-commerce intranet providing free services to the user, said free services including information resources and free access to selected e-commerce intranet sites and live contact with an intranet agent and live contact with an intranet agent at an e-commerce service facility.

2. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising a second telecommunications link, said second link being a switched link, said computer being further programmed to initiate a call back over the switched link when a service selected by the user requires a fee to be paid by the user.

3. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising a paid-service indicator adjacent said card reader, said indicator connected to the computer to indicate when the computer is providing a paid service that has elapsed-time charges.

4. The portal of

claim 1

wherein the computer is programmed to provide an idle-time display including full motion video entertainment clips, said computer re-initiating the idle-time display after a user enters a valid log-on ID after the user selects a free service and then does not make a further selection within a predetermined time period.

5. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising an office service unit, said computer being programmed to provide word processing services.

6. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising a laptop service unit including electric power and data connectors for use by a laptop computer.

7. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising multiple carrels, said carrels being connected to a shared first link and adapted to respond to a respective separate second call-back telecommunications link to transfer user ID and PIN number information between the e-commerce service facility and the user.

8. The portal of

claim 1

, further comprising means for substituting a log-on display for an idle-time display for a limited period of time.

9. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising means for limiting use of a free audio-visual service within a predetermined period of time.

10. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising demo means for selectably implementing free demo displays including one of said full motion video entertainment clips, said demo displays being more extensive than said clip, and means for limiting the frequency of implementing said free demo.

11. The portal of

claim 1

further comprising a private booth adapted to enclose a user and said computer.

12. A public-access e-commerce service network, said, network comprising:

a plurality of e-commerce portals, each portal having a computer adapted to read financial account information from a card, respond to alphanumeric and screen-coordinate information selected by the user, read data from and write data to a removable data storage medium, selectively print information for the user, and provide video-conference service to a user aid computer being programmed to permit a user to selectively operate the units after said user enters a valid log-on ID, programmed to establish a log-on ID for a new user after receiving answers manually input to the computer by the new user in response to predetermined demographic questions, and programmed to test the validity of financial account information, PIN number and log-on ID entries made by users; and

a respective telecommunications link adapted to/connect each of the computers to an e-commerce intranet, said intranet providing free services to the user, said free services including information resources sponsored by members of the intranet, and user access to selected e-commerce intranet sites, and to an e-commerce service facility.

13. The network of

claim 12

wherein said intranet service facility provides pre-paid accounts enabling users to obtain paid intranet services.

14. The network of

claim 13

wherein said intranet service facility provides pre-paid cards enabling users to obtain paid intranet services.

15. The network of

claim 12

wherein said intranet service facility further comprises means for providing paid e-commerce support services.

16. A method of providing public access to e-commerce activities comprising the steps of.

providing a log-on ID to a user upon receiving answers from the user to predetermined questions;

providing selectable access to a plurality of paid and free services after validating a user ID entered by a user, said free services including access to selected e-commerce intranet sites;

providing access to each paid service selected by a user after validating a respective PIN number entered by the user.

17. The method of

claim 16

wherein the portal provides a plurality of free services to the user using a first link, and provides the log-on ID to the user and receives the log on ID and PIN number from the user by using a separate, switched second communications link.