Electronic commerce using a transaction network
First Claim
1. A method in a computer network for managing purchase transactions for the Web sites of a plurality of merchants using a transaction network, comprising the steps of:
- for each of the plurality of merchant Web sites, under the control of the merchant Web site;
displaying items available for purchase, each item having a price;
receiving user input from users using Web clients selecting items for purchase; and
for each item selection, forwarding a purchase request to the transaction network indicating the price of the selected item;
under the control of the transaction network;
receiving transaction network purchase requests forwarded from the plurality of merchant Web sites;
for each received purchase request;
discerning the identity of the user; and
generating a pending transaction record indicating the identity of the user, the price of the selected item, and the identity of the forwarding Web site;
periodically determining, for each user whose identity is indicated by a pending transaction record, the sum of the prices of the pending transaction records indicating the identity of the user;
where the determined sum for a user exceeds a billing threshold submitting to a payment processor a request for settlement for the determined sum against an account of the user;
receiving settlement indications from the payment processor each indicating payment of an identified submitted a request for settlement;
for each received settlement indication, for each transaction record whose price is included in the sum of the billing transaction identified by the received settlement indication;
crediting an account of the merchant identified by the transaction record; and
removing the pending status of the transaction record.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a transaction network that facilitates and simplifies purchase transactions between any number of customers and any number of merchants. The transaction network is primarily utilized in the sale and purchase of digital content via a network such as the Internet. The transaction network registers and authenticates customer purchase activities and maintains customer account data including payment information. Once registered, a customer will generally not register again for further purchase activities at participating merchant sites. Additionally, the transaction network provides a single, central authentication mechanism for all participating merchant sites using a single customer identifier and password. Further, the transaction network accumulates purchase information across all of the merchant sites and the ultimate payment processing of those purchase transactions. Payment processing generally occurs on a periodic basis, enabling the accumulation of multiple purchase transactions within a participating customer'"'"'s account. The network additionally preferably provides customers with centralized, automated services for customer account management, product refunds, subscription management, and multiple purchasing accounts linked to the same payment account.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method in a computer network for managing purchase transactions for the Web sites of a plurality of merchants using a transaction network, comprising the steps of:
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for each of the plurality of merchant Web sites, under the control of the merchant Web site;
displaying items available for purchase, each item having a price;
receiving user input from users using Web clients selecting items for purchase; and
for each item selection, forwarding a purchase request to the transaction network indicating the price of the selected item;
under the control of the transaction network;
receiving transaction network purchase requests forwarded from the plurality of merchant Web sites;
for each received purchase request;
discerning the identity of the user; and
generating a pending transaction record indicating the identity of the user, the price of the selected item, and the identity of the forwarding Web site;
periodically determining, for each user whose identity is indicated by a pending transaction record, the sum of the prices of the pending transaction records indicating the identity of the user;
where the determined sum for a user exceeds a billing threshold submitting to a payment processor a request for settlement for the determined sum against an account of the user;
receiving settlement indications from the payment processor each indicating payment of an identified submitted a request for settlement;
for each received settlement indication, for each transaction record whose price is included in the sum of the billing transaction identified by the received settlement indication;
crediting an account of the merchant identified by the transaction record; and
removing the pending status of the transaction record.
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2. A method in one or more computer systems for procuring payment for purchase transactions each originating with a particular user and vendor, comprising the steps of:
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receiving purchase requests each originating at one of a plurality of vendor Web sites, each purchase request indicating a purchase price;
for each received purchase request;
discerning the identity of a user with which the purchase request originated; and
storing a pending transaction record indicating the identity of the user, the purchase price, and the identity of the vendor at whose Web site the purchase request originated;
periodically determining, for each user whose identity is indicated by a pending transaction record, the sum of the prices of the pending transaction records indicating the identity of the user;
where the determined sum for a user exceeds a billing threshold, submitting to a payment processor a billing transaction for the determined sum against an account of the user;
receiving settlement indications from the payment processor each indicating payment of an identified submitted billing transaction;
for each received settlement indication, for each transaction record whose price is included in the sum of the billing transaction identified by the received settlement indication;
crediting an account of the vendor identified by the transaction record; and
removing the pending status of the transaction record.
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3. One or more computer memories collectively containing a data structure for purchasing items from different vendors, the data structure comprising:
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a first Web page, under the control of a first vendor, containing information describing a first item and a first link to a purchasing system not under the control of the first vendor, the first link activatable by users to purchase the first item;
a second Web page, under the control of a second vendor distinct from the first vendor, containing information describing a second item and a second link to the purchasing system, the purchasing system also not under the control of the second vendor, the second link activatable by users to purchase the second item;
instructions stored in a purchasing system, the instructions responding to the activation of the first link by;
identifying the user activating the first link;
establishing an account for the identified user if one has not yet been established;
causing the purchase of the first item to be posted to the account of the identified user; and
providing the first item to the identified user, the instructions responding to the activation of the second link by;
identifying the user activating the second link;
establishing an account for the identified user if one has not yet been established;
causing the purchase of the second item to be posted to the account of the identified user; and
providing the second item to the identified user. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method in a computer system for generating payment requests incorporating multiple purchase transactions, comprising the steps of:
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receiving purchase transaction indications, each purchase transaction indication indicating an amount and identifying one of a plurality of customers;
for each customer;
periodically determining the sum of the amounts of the received purchase transaction indications identifying the customer that have not been incorporated in a payment request; and
when the determined sum exceeds a billing threshold, generating a new payment request for the customer in the amount of the sum that incorporates the received purchase transaction indications identifying the customer that have not been incorporated in a payment request. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to generate billing transactions incorporating multiple purchase transactions by performing the steps of:
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receiving purchase transaction indications, each purchase transaction indication indicating an amount and identifying one of a plurality of customers; and
for each customer;
periodically determining the sum of the amounts of the received purchase transaction indications identifying the customer that have not been incorporated in a billing transaction; and
when the determined sum exceeds a billing threshold, generating a new billing transaction for the customer in the amount of the sum that incorporates the received purchase transaction indications identifying the customer that have not been incorporated in a billing transaction. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A computer system for generating billing transactions incorporating multiple purchase transactions, comprising:
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a receiver that receives purchase transaction indications, each purchase transaction indication indicating an amount and identifying one of a plurality of customers;
an adder that, for each customer, periodically determines the sum of the amounts of the received purchase transaction indications received by the receiver that identify the customer that have not been incorporated in a billing transaction; and
a billing transaction generator that, when the sum determined by the adder exceeds a billing threshold, generates a new billing transaction for the customer in the amount of the sum that incorporates the received purchase transaction indications identifying the customer that have not been incorporated in a billing transaction.
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12. A method in a computer system for aggregating charge transactions entered into by a customer, the method comprising the steps of:
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over time, receiving a stream of charge transactions entered into by the customer, each charge transaction having an amount;
identifying a time at which the sum of the amounts of the received charge transactions exceeds a threshold amount; and
submitting to a payment processor a payment request for the sum of the received charge transactions. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to process charge transactions entered into by a customer by performing the steps of:
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receiving a stream of charge transactions entered into by the customer, each charge transaction having an amount;
identifying a time at which the sum of the amounts of the received charge transactions exceeds a threshold amount; and
submitting to a payment processor a settlement request for the sum of the received charge transactions. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A computer memory device storing a charge aggregation data structure for storing information about charge transactions directed to a particular form of payment, the form of payment having a minimum threshold for charges against the form of payment, the data structure comprising a plurality of records each representing a distinct charge transaction, each record indicating an amount for the transaction it represents, at least some of the records indicating amounts below the minimum threshold for the form of payment,
such that the data structure may be accessed to combine a plurality of the charge transactions into a single aggregate transaction having an amount corresponding to the combined amounts indicated by the records that is in excess of the minimum threshold, such that the aggregate transaction may be charged against the form of payment.
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23. A memory device storing an aggregate charge data structure, the aggregate charge data structure being suitable for submission to a payment processor for payment, the data structure comprising:
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a consumer identifier identifying a consumer that has charged a multiplicity of purchase transactions, each purchase transaction having an amount; and
an aggregate charged amount constituting the sum of the amounts of a constituent plurality of the multiplicity of purchase transactions charged by the consumer, at least one of the amounts of the constituent purchase transactions falling below a minimum threshold for submitting charges to a payment processor for payment, such that the data structure may be submitted to a payment processor for payment in place of the constituent purchase transactions. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method in a computer system for identifying a user using a user computer system among a group of users, the method using a potentially non-unique member identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) registering the user by;
(1) obtaining for the user a member identifier that is potentially not unique;
(2) after obtaining the solicited member identifier in step (a)(1), storing a unique identifier for the user on the user computer system in conjunction with the obtained member identifier; and
(b) identifying the user by;
(1) soliciting from the user the member identifier of the user;
(2) receiving from the user, in response to step (b)(1), the member identifier of the user;
(3) reading from the user computer system the unique identifier stored in conjunction with the member identifier received in step (b)(2);
(4) identifying the user using the unique identifier read in step (b)(3). - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method in one or more computer systems for purchasing products offered for sale by multiple vendors, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a single, contiguous set of user interface interactions for establishing the identity of the user;
establishing the identity of the user based on the single, contiguous set of user interface interactions received in the receiving step;
purchasing an item offered for sale by a first vendor based on the user identity established in the establishing step; and
purchasing an item offered for sale by a second vendor distinct from the first vendor based on the user identity established in the establishing step. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method in one or more computer systems for accessing multiple access-restricted Web sites, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a single, contiguous set of user interface interactions for establishing the identity of the user;
establishing the identity of the user based on the single, contiguous set of user interface interactions received in the receiving step;
granting access to a first access-restricted Web site based on the user identity established in the establishing step; and
granting access to a second access-restricted Web site distinct from the second access-restricted Web site based on the user identity established in the establishing step. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A transaction network for vending digital content from a plurality of merchants comprising:
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for each merchant, a transaction engine for conducting transactions with customers to purchase digital content and deliver purchased digital content; and
a network service center for collecting indicia of transactions entered into with each merchant and submitting payment requests for the collected transactions to a payment processor. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. The transaction network of 39 wherein the network service center further receives from the payment processor indications of the payment of the submitted payment requests, and, for each received indication, credits the merchants with which the transactions aggregated into the request where conducted.
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41. A method in one or more computer systems for providing to a customer automatic refund support for a purchase transaction, the method comprising:
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generating for the customer a display soliciting information supporting a request for refund of the purchase transaction;
receiving from the customer, in response to the generated display, information supporting a request for refund; and
automatically generating a request for refund incorporating the received information, such that the customer requests a refund of the purchase transaction without additional interaction. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. A method in one or more computer systems for enabling a subscriber to manage content subscriptions from a plurality of content sources, the method comprising:
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displaying for the subscriber an indication of each of a plurality of content subscriptions entered into by the subscriber, at least two of the content subscriptions being with different content sources;
receiving from the subscriber a selection of the indication of a selected content subscription; and
on behalf of the subscriber, performing a subscription management operation with respect to the selected content subscription. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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48. A method in one or more computer systems for providing a plurality of purchasing accounts for purchasing digital content, all of the purchasing accounts of the plurality being associated with a single payment account, the method comprising:
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storing payment information for the payment account that is usable to procure payment for digital content purchases made using any of the plurality of purchasing accounts;
storing for each of the purchasing accounts a different account identifier;
in response to each purchase request specifying content received in connection with the account identifier of one of the purchasing accounts;
completing a purchase of the specified content, and providing the specified content; and
utilizing the payment information stored for the payment account to procure payment for digital content purchases completed using any of the plurality of purchasing accounts. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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Specification