Method and system for enabling unregistered users to manage electronic items across sessions

• US 20040117247A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Modani, Natwar, Mittal, Parul A., Agrawal, Aseem, Sureka, Rajendra
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for enabling an e-commerce website to persist electronic items, such as electronic coupons, gift certificates etc., across multiple browsing sessions. Users are offered electronic items over a communications network during a browsing session. In case the user wishes to save the items for a later browsing session, he/she is prompted for an email address. Details pertaining to the selected items are mapped against the email address. Thereafter, e-mail is sent to the user, containing a URL with the email address of the user embedded in it. Alternatively, entire details corresponding to the items selected during a session are embedded in the URL and in this case they need not be mapped against the email address.

Claims

1. A method for managing electronic items for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, over a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

a. presenting the electronic items to the user over the communications network;

b. recording selection of the items made by the user over the communications network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

c. providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

d. accepting choice of items made by the user;

e. accepting an email address from the user over the communications network; and

f. sending an email to the user on the accepted email address over the communications network, the email containing a URL, the URL embedding details related to the accepted choice of items,

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in subsequent browsing session by using the URL sent in the email.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the user with an option to either use or delete atleast one of the selected electronic items.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic item is an electronic coupon offered to the user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic item is shopping cart content used for shopping items on the Internet.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic item is a gift certificate offered to the user.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic items are presented to the user in the form of banner advertisements.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic items are presented to the user by sending a URL at his/her e-mail address.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of recording selection of items further comprises the steps of:

a. associating the user with a unique key;

b. tracking the user session using the unique key; and

c. mapping the user selections of the electronic items to the unique key.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the unique key is a temporary ID generated to identify unregistered users.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the unique key is the user ID for registered users.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of sending e-mail uses an encryption algorithm to encode details of the electronic items on the URL sent through the email.

12. A method for managing electronic items for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, over a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

a. presenting the electronic items to the user over the communications network;

b. recording selection of the items made by the user over the communications network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

c. providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

d. accepting choice of items made by the user;

e. accepting an email address from the user over the communications network;

f. mapping the recorded selections to the email address; and

g. sending an email to the user on the accepted email address over the communications network, the email containing a URL, the URL embedding the accepted email address,

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in subsequent browsing session by using the URL sent in the email.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of recording selection of items further comprises the steps of:

a. associating the user with a unique key;

b. tracking the user session using the unique key; and

c. mapping the user selections of the electronic items to the unique key.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising the step of providing the user with an option to either redeem or delete atleast one of the selected electronic items.

15. A system for managing electronic items for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, the system comprising:

a. a communications network interconnected to a plurality of client computers interfacing with the users; and

b. at least one server computer connected to the communications network, the server computer comprising;

i. means for presenting the electronic items to the user over the communications network;

ii. means for recording selection of the items made by the user over the communications network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

iii. means for providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

iv. means for accepting choice of items made by the user;

v. means for accepting an email address from the user over the communications network; and

vi. means for mapping the recorded selections to the email address, wherein the server computer maps and stores the recorded selections against the email address and sends an email containing a URL at the accepted email address, the email address of the user being embedded in the URL

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in another browsing session by using the URL sent to him/her in the email.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the means for recording selections of, items further comprises:

a. means for associating the user with a unique key;

b. means for tracking the user session using the unique key; and

c. means for mapping the user'"'"'s selections of the electronic items to the unique key.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the communication network is the Internet.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the communication network is a local area network (LAN).

19. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the communication network is a wide area network (WAN).

20. A system for managing electronic items for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, the system comprising:

a. a communications network interconnected to a plurality of client computers interfacing with the users; and

b. at least one server computer connected to the communications network, the server computer comprising;

i. means for presenting the electronic items to the user over the communications network;

ii. means for recording selections of the items made by the user over the communications network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

iii. means for providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

iv. means for accepting choice of items made by the user;

v. means for accepting an email address from the user over the communication network; and

vi. Cans for sending an email to the user on the accepted email address over the communication network, the email containing a URL with information on the selected items embedded in it, whereby the user can retrieve saved items in another browsing session by using the URL sent to him/her in the email.

21. The system as recited in claim 20 wherein the means for recording selection of items further comprises:

a. means for associating the user with a unique key;

b. means for tracking the user session using the unique key; and

c. means for mapping the user selections of the electronic items to the unique key.

22. A system for managing electronic items in a computer network for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, the system comprising:

a. atleast one server computer having an interface for communicating over a computer network with a plurality of client computers, the server computer comprising;

i. means for presenting the electronic items to the user over the network;

ii. means for recording selections of the items made by the user over the network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

iii. means for providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

iv. means for accepting choice of items made by the user;

v. means for accepting an email address from the user over the network; and

vi. means for sending an email to the user on the accepted email address over the network, the email containing a URL with information on the selected items embedded in it,

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in another browsing session by using the information sent to him/her in the email.

23. A system for managing electronic items in a computer network for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, the system comprising:

a. at least one client computer having an interface for communicating over a computer network with a server computer, the client computer comprising;

i. means for selecting the electronic items for adding, using and deleting the electronic items by a user over the network;

ii. means for choosing the selected items to be saved for future browsing session; and

iii. means for receiving an email over the network, the e-mail being sent by the server, the email containing a URL with information on the saved items embedded in it,

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in another browsing session by using the information sent to him/her in the email.

24. A system for managing electronic items over a computer network for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, the system comprising:

a. at least one server computer connected to the network, the server computer comprising;

i. means for presenting the electronic items to the user over the network;

ii. means for recording selection of the items made by the user over the network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

iii. means for providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

iv. means for accepting choice of items made by the user;

v. means for accepting an email address from the user over the network; and

vi. means for mapping the recorded selections to the email address;

wherein the server computer maps and stores the recorded selections against the email address and sends an email containing a URL at the accepted email address, the email address of the user being embedded in the URL,

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in subsequent browsing session by using the URL sent to him/her in the email.

25. A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product having a computer readable program code embodied therein for managing electronic items for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, the computer program code performing the steps of:

a. presenting the electronic items to the user over the communications network;

b. recording selection of the items made by the user over the communications network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

c. providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

d. accepting choice of items made by the user;

e. accepting an email address from the user over the communications network; and

f. sending an email to the user on the accepted email address over the communications network, the email containing a URL, the URL embedding details related to the accepted choice of items,

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in subsequent browsing session by using the URL sent in the email.

26. A computer program product for use with a computer, the computer program product having a computer readable program code embodied therein for managing electronic items for a plurality of users, across multiple browsing sessions, the computer program code performing the steps of:

a. presenting the electronic items to the user over the communications network;

b. recording selection of the items made by the user over the communications network, the selection being made by the user to collect the presented items;

c. providing the user with an option of choosing the recorded items to be saved for future browsing session;

d. accepting choice of items made by the user;

e. accepting an email address from the user over the communications network;

f. mapping the recorded selections to the email address; and

g. sending an email to the user on the accepted email address over the communications network, the email containing a URL, the URL embedding the accepted email address,

whereby the user can retrieve saved items in subsequent browsing session by using the URL sent in the email.