Self-service catalog manager for stores implemented on a communications network

• US 20050065856A1
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energetic Power Investment Limited
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chow, Jyh-Herng, Roberts, Timothy, Duvall, Jimmy R., Hicks, Sara
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A computerized self-service platform assists merchants in creating and managing stores on a computer network. In one aspect, a system for managing a store includes a product database and an ecommerce storefront, with the ecommerce storefront referencing information in the product database. A product administration module (e.g., a catalog manager) allows the merchant to manage the product database on a self-serve basis. Separating the storefront from the product database can yield numerous advantages.

Claims

1. A method for managing a store implemented on an Internet, the method implemented on a computerized self-service platform and comprising:

storing information concerning products offered for sale through the store in a product database;

storing information concerning a presentation of the store to customers in an e-commerce storefront; and

assisting a user to manage the product database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the self-service platform is accessible by the user through a web URL.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing information concerning a presentation of the store comprises:

storing a web page for a storefront of the store in the e-commerce storefront.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the web page includes a store tag, the store tag referencing information stored in the product database.

5. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising resolving the store tag without resolving a query.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing at least one template for a web page that includes the store tag.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing a wizard to assist the user in using the store tag.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing information concerning products offered for sale comprises:

storing said information in at least one table, each table in the at least one table organized into a plurality of items with at least one item in the plurality of items having at least one option.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein inventory can be managed for each option in the at least one option.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein each table in the at least one table contains a plurality of records, each record corresponding to one item, and wherein a plurality of options for an item is collectively encoded as a single field within the record for the item.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising displaying items in a plurality of items in a table in the at least one table in tabular format, wherein options within an item can be collapsed and expanded within the display.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

assisting the user to define a new table by providing a form with predefined mandatory fields that must be included in the new table;

providing a form with predefined store fields that optionally can be included in the new table; and

providing a form with predefined shopping fields that optionally can be included in the new table.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

assisting the user to define a plurality of groups within the product database, wherein the user can manipulate the product database by manipulating the plurality of groups.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing information concerning products offered for sale through the store in a product database comprises:

storing catalog-related information in a product catalog; and

storing inventory-related information in inventory records.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

assisting the user to define a regular price for a products; and

optionally assisting the user to define a sales price for the product.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database further comprises:

assisting the user to define a plurality of groups within the product database; and

activating all sales prices within a selected group of products in the plurality of groups upon a single action by the user.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

assisting the user to define a plurality of groups within the product database; and

applying a user-defined discount to all prices within a selected group of products in the plurality of groups upon a single action by the user.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

permitting the user to edit the product database only by submitting predefined forms or by importing data.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

before completing a task that will lose data from the product database, warning the user that data will be lost and verifying that the user still desires to complete the task.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

uploading data identified by the user;

verifying that the user desires to commit the uploaded data; and

upon verification, committing the uploaded data.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

publishing a catalog based on the information stored in the product database; and

exporting the published catalog.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

importing a web page created based on the exported catalog; and

storing the imported page in the ecommerce e-commerce storefront.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating the store in real-time as the user publishes edits to the product database.

24. A system for managing a store implemented on an Internet, comprising:

a product database storing information concerning a plurality of products offered for sale through the store;

an e-commerce storefront storing information concerning a presentation of the store to customers, said information referencing information stored in the product database; and

a product administration module coupled to the product database and accessible by a user for managing the product database on a self-serve basis.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the product administration module is accessible by the user through a web URL.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the e-commerce storefront stores a web pages page for a storefront of the store.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the web page includes a store tag, the store tag referencing information stored in the product database.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the product administration module comprises:

a store tag hub to assist the user in using store tags.

29. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

an e-commerce server coupled to the e-commerce storefront for serving web pages to customers, the e-commerce server including a store tag server for resolving store tags included in the web pages.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the product database stores information concerning products offered for sale in a plurality of tables, each table in the plurality of tables organized into items with at least one item having at least one option.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein inventory can be managed for each said at least one option.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the product administration module comprises:

a table management module for managing the plurality of tables; and

an item management module for managing the items.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein the product database comprises:

a product catalog for storing catalog-related information; and

inventory records for storing inventory-related information.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the product administration module comprises:

an inventory management module for managing the inventory records.

35. The system of claim 24 wherein the product administration module comprises:

a publication module for publishing a catalog based on the information stored in the product database.

36. The system of claim 24 wherein the product administration module updates the store in real-time as the user publishes edits to the product database.

37. A method for managing a store implemented on a communications network, the method implemented on a self-service platform and comprising:

storing information concerning a plurality of products offered for sale through the store in a product database;

storing information concerning a presentation of the store to customers in an e-commerce storefront; and

assisting a user in the management of the product database.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein at least some of the information stored in the e-commerce storefront references information stored in the product database.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of storing information concerning the plurality of products offered for sale comprises:

storing said information as items, with at least one item having at least one option, wherein inventory can be managed for each option.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of assisting a user to manage the product database comprises:

allowing the user to define a plurality of groups within the product database, wherein the user can manipulate the product database by manipulating the plurality of groups.