Method and apparatus for providing an online ordering system of a retail establishment

• US 20060026076A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James M. Raymond
• Original Assignee: James M. Raymond
• Inventors: Raymond, James M.
• Application Number:
  US10/909,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026076A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method is provided for ordering a product from a retail establishment using a network. The method includes, but is not limited to, sending a first web page to a client device using a network, wherein the first web page is sent from a server and comprises product information of a retail establishment; receiving a product order from the client device at the server using the network, the product order identifying a product selected for purchase from the retail establishment; and sending a purchase request from the server to a credit card authorization terminal of the retail establishment using the network, the purchase request comprising the product order.

Claims

1. A method of ordering a product from a retail establishment using a network, the method comprising:

sending a first web page to a client device using a network, wherein the first web page is sent from a server and comprises product information of a retail establishment;

receiving a product order from the client device using the network, the product order identifying a product selected for purchase from the retail establishment; and

sending a purchase request to a credit card authorization terminal of the retail establishment using the network, the purchase request comprising the product order.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before sending the first web page to the client device:

sending a second web page to the client device, wherein the second web page is received from the server and comprises a plurality of retail establishments; and

receiving a retail establishment identifier from the client device at the server using the network, the retail establishment identifier identifying the retail establishment selected from the plurality of retail establishments.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching a database for messaging information of the credit card authorization terminal at the server;

selecting the messaging information of the credit card authorization terminal at the server; and

using the messaging information to send the purchase request from the server to the credit card authorization terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the purchase request from the server to the credit card authorization terminal comprises:

sending the purchase request from the server to a message server; and

sending the purchase request from the message server to the credit card authorization terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

searching a database for messaging information of the credit card authorization terminal at the message server;

selecting the messaging information of the credit card authorization terminal at the message server; and

using the messaging information to send the purchase request from the message server to the credit card authorization terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the network comprises using messaging protocols.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase request is selected from the group consisting of an instant message, an e-mail message, a short message, a multimedia message, a Hypertext Markup Language message, and a conversational hypertext access technology message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request for contact information from the server to the client device using the network before sending the purchase request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the contact information is selected from the group consisting of an instant message address, an e-mail address, a short message address, a multimedia message address, a conversational hypertext access technology address, a telephone number, and a street address.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving electronic payment information from the client device at the server using the network; and

sending the electronic payment information from the server to the credit card authorization terminal of the retail establishment using the network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an order processing time from the client device at the server using the network, wherein sending the purchase request from the server to the credit card authorization terminal occurs when a current time is greater than or equal to the order processing time.

12. A method of processing a product order at a retail establishment using a network, the method comprising:

receiving a purchase request from a server at a credit card authorization terminal using a network, the purchase request comprising a product order received from a client device; and

presenting the purchase request at the credit card authorization terminal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a plurality of responses to the purchase request at the credit card authorization terminal; and

sending a response selected from the plurality of responses from the credit card authorization terminal to the client device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the response selected from the plurality of responses from the credit card authorization terminal to the client device comprises:

sending the response from the credit card authorization terminal to the server; and

sending the response from the server to the client device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the response selected from the plurality of responses from the credit card authorization terminal to the client device comprises:

sending the response from the credit card authorization terminal to a message server;

sending the response from the message server to the server; and

sending the response from the server to the client device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the response is selected from the group consisting of an instant message, an e-mail message, a short message, a multimedia message, a Hypertext Markup Language message, and a conversational hypertext access technology message.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving electronic payment information from the server at the credit card authorization terminal using the network; and

processing the electronic payment information at the credit card authorization terminal.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the purchase request at the credit card authorization terminal comprises printing the purchase request at the credit card authorization terminal.

19. A computer program product for allowing a user to place an order for a product from a retail establishment using a network, the computer program product comprising:

computer code configured to;

send a first web page to a client device using a network, wherein the first web page comprises product information of a retail establishment for display at the client device;

receive a product order from the client device using the network, the product order identifying a product selected for purchase from the retail establishment; and

send a purchase request to a credit card authorization terminal of the retail establishment using the network, the purchase request displayed at the credit card authorization terminal and comprising the product order.

20. A server for providing a user with the capability to place an order for a product from a retail establishment using a network, the server comprising:

a communication interface, the communication interface configured to;

send a first web page to a client device;

receive a product order from the client device; and

send a purchase request to a credit card authorization terminal of the retail establishment;

a server application, the server application comprising computer code configured to;

select the first web page sent to the client device, wherein the first web page comprises product information of a retail establishment selected for display at the client device;

process the product order received from the client device, the product order identifying a product selected for purchase from the retail establishment; and

prepare the purchase request sent to the credit card authorization terminal, the purchase request displayed at the credit card authorization terminal and comprising the product order;

a memory, the memory configured to store the server application; and

a processor, the processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the server application.

21. A system for providing a user with the capability to place an order for a product from a retail establishment using a network, the system comprising:

a client device, the client device comprising;

a client device communication interface, the client device communication interface configured to;

receive a first web page from a server; and

send a product order to the server;

a communication application, the communication application comprising computer code configured to;

display the first web page, wherein the first web page comprises product information of a retail establishment selected for display; and

accept the product order, the product order identifying a product selected for purchase from the retail establishment;

a client device memory, the client device memory configured to store the communication application; and

a client device processor, the client device processor coupled to the client device memory and configured to execute the communication application;

the server comprising;

a server communication interface, the server communication interface configured to;

send the first web page to the client device;

receive the product order from the client device; and

send a purchase request to a credit card authorization terminal of the retail establishment;

a server application, the server application comprising computer code configured to;

select the first web page sent to the client device;

process the product order received from the client device; and

prepare the purchase request sent to the credit card authorization terminal, the purchase request comprising the product order;

a server memory, the server memory configured to store the server application; and

a server processor, the server processor coupled to the server memory and configured to execute the server application;

a credit card authorization terminal, the credit card authorization terminal comprising;

a terminal communication interface, the terminal communication interface configured to receive the purchase request;

a terminal application, the terminal application comprising computer code configured to display the purchase request;

a terminal memory, the terminal memory configured to store the terminal application; and

a terminal processor, the terminal processor coupled to the terminal memory and configured to execute the terminal application; and

the network, wherein the network is configured to provide communication between the client device, the server, and the credit card authorization terminal.