Centralized hosting of online E-Commerce activities with collection of tax and consolidated receipt

• US 20070255629A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Tillman
• Original Assignee: Michael Tillman
• Inventors: Tillman, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

One or more networked computers (18) receives input from a customer (12) specifying two or more vendors having vendor web sites (14) from which to purchase goods or services during an online shopping session, receives input from the two or more vendors indicating that the customer has purchased goods or services at the two or more vendor web sites during the online shopping session, and outputs a single online receipt (32) to the customer reflecting all goods or services purchased at the two or more vendor web sites during the online shopping session. Sales tax may be collected from the customer for goods or services purchased during the online shopping session and electronically disbursed tax to one or more tax authorities. Payment for the goods or services purchased during the online shopping session may be electronically collected and disbursed to vendors. Credits for one or more purchased goods or services may also be disbursed. Reports may be generated based on a plurality of data collected during POS transactions.

Claims

1. A method for conducting an online shopping session between an end customer and a vendor through a central host, comprising the steps of:

(a) the end customer contacting the central host to initiate an online shopping session;

(b) the end customer invoking at the central host an address of a vendor site;

(c) the central host entering an idle state for passing through communications between the end customer and the vendor site as the end customer makes purchase selections on the vendor site;

(d) the central host setting a trigger in response to a payment information screen being sent to the end customer by the vendor site;

(e) the central host intercepting payment information of the end customer in response to the trigger;

(f) the central host querying the end customer whether the online shopping session is completed;

(g) if yes, the central host sending an enumerated receipt including all purchase selections from the online shopping session and then closing the online shopping session; and

(h) if no, the central host holding the purchase selections already made and returning to steps (b)-(g) invoking another address for another vendor site.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

the central host calculating appropriate sales taxes in response to the payment information screen;

the central host obtaining payment authorization electronically from the end customer'"'"'s financial institution to collect the taxes; and

the central host adding the collected taxes to the enumerated receipt.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps, after step (e) and before step (f), of:

the central host calculating appropriate sales taxes in response to the payment information screen;

the central host obtaining payment authorization electronically from the end customer'"'"'s financial institution to collect both the cost of the purchase selections and the taxes; and

the central host adding the collected taxes to the enumerated receipt.

4. A software system for conducting an online shopping session between an end customer and a vendor through a central host, the software system operable to perform the steps comprising:

(a) the end customer contacting the central host to initiate an online shopping session;

(b) the end customer invoking at the central host an address of a vendor site;

(c) the central host entering an idle state for passing through communications between the end customer and the vendor site as the end customer makes purchase selections on the vendor site;

(d) the central host setting a trigger in response to a payment information screen being sent to the end customer by the vendor site;

(e) the central host intercepting payment information of the end customer in response to the trigger;

(f) the central host querying the end customer whether the online shopping session is completed;

(g) if yes, the central host sending an enumerated receipt including all purchase selections from the online shopping session and then closing the online shopping session; and

(h) if no, the central host holding the purchase selections already made and returning to steps (b)-(g) invoking another address for another vendor site.

5. The software system of claim 4 further operable to perform the steps of:

the central host calculating appropriate sales taxes in response to the payment information screen;

the central host obtaining payment authorization electronically from the end customer'"'"'s financial institution to collect the taxes; and

the central host adding the collected taxes to the enumerated receipt.

6. The software system of claim 4 further operable to perform the steps, after step (e) and before step (f), of:

the central host calculating appropriate sales taxes in response to the payment information screen;

the central host obtaining payment authorization electronically from the end customer'"'"'s financial institution to collect both the cost of the purchase selections and the taxes; and

the central host adding the collected taxes to the enumerated receipt.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for conducting an online shopping session between an end customer and a vendor through a central host by performing the steps of:

(a) the end customer contacting the central host to initiate an online shopping session;

(b) the end customer invoking at the central host an address of a vendor site;

(c) the central host entering an idle state for passing through communications between the end customer and the vendor site as the end customer makes purchase selections on the vendor site;

(d) the central host setting a trigger in response to a payment information screen being sent to the end customer by the vendor site;

(e) the central host intercepting payment information of the end customer in response to the trigger;

(f) the central host querying the end customer whether the online shopping session is completed;

(g) if yes, the central host sending an enumerated receipt including all purchase selections from the online shopping session and then closing the online shopping session; and

(h) if no, the central host holding the purchase selections already made and returning to steps (b)-(g) invoking another address for another vendor site.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 further having computer-executable instructions stored thereon operable to perform the steps of:

the central host calculating appropriate sales taxes in response to the payment information screen;

the central host obtaining payment authorization electronically from the end customer'"'"'s financial institution to collect the taxes; and

the central host adding the collected taxes to the enumerated receipt.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 further having computer-executable instructions stored thereon operable to perform the steps, after step (e) and before step (f), of:

the central host calculating appropriate sales taxes in response to the payment information screen;

the central host obtaining payment authorization electronically from the end customer'"'"'s financial institution to collect both the cost of the purchase selections and the taxes; and

the central host adding the collected taxes to the enumerated receipt.