Method and system for integrating transaction mechanisms over multiple internet sites

• US 20040098316A1
• Filed: 06/23/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc., Junglee Corp. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathur, Rakesh, Rajaraman, Anand, Philippe, Yan
• Granted Patent: US 6,882,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method for effecting transactions across multiple vendors in an integrated environment, wherein the user may purchase each of a plurality of items the user finds independent of the vendors. The user'"'"'s selections are received from the user and mapped to selected set of vendors. When the user is finished, she invokes a check-out application to fill in one or many order entry forms for each of the relevant vendors whose goods the user selected during the course of shopping. The check-out application uses common information, such as name, address and credit card number, previously provided by the user in order to fill in the order entry forms for each vendor without requiring the user to fill in these forms. Finally, the check-out application tracks confirmation numbers in a common information store.

Claims

1. A method for effecting transactions across a plurality of vendors in an internet environment, wherein a user may purchase each of a plurality of items the user finds independent of the vendors, comprising the steps:

providing to the user a plurality of items for purchase, said plurality of items drawn from said plurality of vendors;

receiving from said user a selection of goods to purchase;

mapping said selection of goods to purchase to a selected set of vendors;

filling order entry forms corresponding to each of said selected set of vendors whose goods the user selected with previously provided information; and

submitting said order entry forms to said corresponding vendors.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said selection of goods to purchase is indicated by the user by means of clicking an icon.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing to the user a plurality of items for purchase further comprises:

searching said internet environment for said plurality of items matching a set of user specified criterion; and

displaying a result screen of said plurality of items matching said set of user specified criterion.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

passing control to the user after filling order entry forms, wherein the user can perform a confirming operation prior to the submitting step.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

tracking confirmation information returned by said corresponding vendors in response to the submitting step.

6. A method for effecting transactions across a plurality of vendors in an internet environment, wherein a user may purchase each of a plurality of items the user finds independent of the vendors, comprising the steps:

providing to the user a plurality of items for purchase, said plurality of items drawn from said plurality of vendors;

receiving from said user a selection of goods to purchase;

mapping said selection of goods to purchase to a selected set of vendors;

filling order entry forms corresponding to each of said selected set of vendors whose goods the user selected with previously provided information;

passing control to the user after filling order entry forms, wherein the user can perform a confirming operation prior to the submitting step;

submitting said order entry forms to said corresponding vendors; and

tracking confirmation information returned by said corresponding vendors in response to the submitting step.

7. A method for effecting transactions across a plurality of nodes, wherein a user may make a plurality of transactions with said plurality of nodes, comprising the steps:

providing to the user a plurality of transactions from which to choose, said plurality of transactions drawn from said plurality of nodes;

receiving from said user a selection from said plurality of transactions;

mapping said selection of to a selected set of said plurality of nodes;

filling forms corresponding to each of said selected set of nodes selected by the user; and

submitting said forms to said corresponding nodes.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said nodes are web sites on an internet.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said nodes are web sites on an intranet.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said nodes are web sites on an Internet.

11. A system for effecting transactions across a plurality of vendors in an internet environment, wherein a user may purchase each of a plurality of items the user finds independent of the vendors, comprising:

at least one client, in conversation with at least one server in order to effect;

providing to the user a plurality of items for purchase, said plurality of items drawn from said plurality of vendors;

receiving from said user a selection of goods to purchase;

mapping said selection of goods to purchase to a selected set of vendors;

filling order entry forms corresponding to each of said selected set of vendors whose goods the user selected with previously provided information; and

submitting said order entry forms to said corresponding vendors.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said selection of goods to purchase is indicated by the user by means of clicking an icon.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said providing to the user a plurality of items for purchase further comprises:

searching said internet environment for said plurality of items matching a set of user specified criterion; and

displaying a result screen of said plurality of items matching said set of user specified criterion.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein said server and said client are further disposed to:

passing control to the user after filling order entry forms, wherein the user can perform a confirming operation prior to the submitting step.

15. The system of claim 11 said server and said client are further disposed to:

tracking confirmation information returned by said corresponding vendors in response to the submitting step.

16. A computer programming product for effecting transactions across a plurality of vendors in an internet environment, wherein a user may purchase each of a plurality of items the user finds independent of the vendors, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

code for providing to the user a plurality of items for purchase, said plurality of items drawn from said plurality of vendors;

code for receiving from said user a selection of goods to purchase;

code for mapping said selection of goods to purchase to a selected set of vendors;

code for filling order entry forms corresponding to each of said selected set of vendors whose goods the user selected with previously provided information; and

code for submitting said order entry forms to said corresponding vendors.

17. The computer programming product of claim 16 wherein said selection of goods to purchase is indicated by the user by means of clicking an icon.

18. The computer programming product of claim 16 wherein said providing to the user a plurality of items for purchase further comprises:

code for searching said internet environment for said plurality of items matching a set of user specified criterion; and

code for displaying a result screen of said plurality of items matching said set of user specified criterion.

19. The computer programming product of claim 16 wherein further comprising:

code for passing control to the user after filling order entry forms, wherein the user can perform a confirming operation prior to the submitting step.

20. The computer programming product of claim 16 further comprising:

code for tracking confirmation information returned by said corresponding vendors in response to the submitting step.