Interactive information services system and associated method for facilitating purchasing transactions

• US 20040187154A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Anthony J. Wasilewski
• Inventors: Wasilewski, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system are provided to permit a network operator to capture transaction data relating to transactions between a subscriber and a service provider that are conducted via a communications network established by the network operator, such as a cable television network. In operation, the subscribers are provided with information relating to items offered by one or more service providers. The subscriber can transmit a purchase order. A headend of the communications network receives and analyzes the purchase order to capture transaction data. If the service provider is different than the network operator, the headend also relays a copy of the purchase order to the third party service provider such that the purchase order can be filled. Since the network operator has captured information relating to the purchase order, however, the network operator can charge the service provider and/or the subscriber for utilizing its network to facilitate the transaction.

Claims

1. A method of providing a virtual shopping mall coupling subscribers with a plurality of providers in an interactive system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the subscribers information relating to items provided by the plurality of providers;

encrypting a purchase order formed by the subscriber selecting at least one item provided by at least one of the plurality of providers;

transmitting the encrypted purchase order to a processor of a central operator, the processor for coupling the subscribers with the plurality of providers;

decrypting the encrypted purchase order;

analyzing the decrypted purchase order to determine an appropriate provider that provides the selected at least one item; and

transmitting the encrypted purchase order to the appropriate provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the appropriate provider that is offering the at least one item selected by the subscriber is a different entity than the central operator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises billing one of the appropriate provider and the subscriber for utilizing the interactive system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the appropriate provider is the central operator, and wherein the method further comprises filling the decrypted purchase order without relaying the encrypted purchase order to a third party provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase order includes a payment information section for including a subscriber'"'"'s method of payment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the appropriate provider receives an encrypted purchase order including the payment information for the at least one selected item.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of transmitting a copy of the encrypted purchase order to the processor, wherein a first encrypted purchase order is decrypted and analyzed by the processor, and a second encrypted purchase order is directly transmitted to the appropriate provider subsequent to the analyzing step.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a digital signature of the subscriber to the purchase order prior to the transmitting step.

9. An interactive system for providing a virtual shopping mall coupling a subscriber with a plurality of providers, the interactive system comprising:

a subscriber terminal for providing a subscriber with information relating to a plurality of items offered by the plurality of providers, wherein a purchase order is formed by the subscriber selecting at least one item offered by the plurality of providers;

a encryption device for encrypting the purchase order;

a processor of a network operator for receiving the encrypted purchase order, wherein the processor decrypts and analyzes the purchase order to determine an appropriate provider, and wherein the processor transmits the encrypted purchase order to the appropriate provider.

10. The interactive system of claim 9, wherein the appropriate provider that is offering the at least one item selected by the subscriber is a different entity than the network operator.

11. The interactive system of claim 10, wherein the processor further bills the appropriate provider and the subscriber for utilizing the interactive system.

12. The interactive system of claim 9, wherein the appropriate provider is the network operator, wherein the processor fills the purchase order without relaying the encrypted purchase order to a third party provider.

13. The interactive system of claim 9, wherein the purchase order includes a payment information section for including a subscriber'"'"'s method of payment.

14. The interactive system of claim 13, wherein the appropriate provider receives an encrypted purchase order including the payment information for the at least one selected item.

15. The interactive system of claim 9, wherein the subscriber terminal creates a copy of the purchase order prior to encrypting, wherein a first encrypted purchase order is decrypted and analyzed by the processor, and a second encrypted purchase order is directly transmitted to the appropriate provider subsequent to the processor determining the appropriate provider.

16. The interactive system of claim 9, wherein the subscriber terminal applies a digital signature of the subscriber to the purchase order prior to transmitting to the network operator.