Distributed electronic commerce system with independent third party virtual shopping carts

• US 20070299736A1
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Perrochon, Louis Vincent, Crespo, Arturo E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

An electric commerce system includes a broker that enables third parties to create their own independent shopping carts including items from multiple different merchants. An agent creates and stores a shopping cart containing a plurality items from one or more merchants. The customer can view the shopping cart displayed by the agent to determine whether to make a purchase. If the customer indicates a desire to purchase the items in the cart, the customer is transferred to a broker for the checkout and purchase process. The customer can purchase the items in the shopping cart in a single purchase transaction with the broker, rather than having to deal with each of the merchants. The broker interacts with the merchants to complete the purchase transaction by which the customer buys the items in the cart.

Claims

1. An electronic commerce system comprising:

a shopping cart management module for receiving information regarding a virtual shopping cart created and stored by an agent responsive to a customer indicating a desire to purchase items contained within the virtual shopping cart, the shopping cart adapted to hold items offered by different online merchants; and

a transaction module for enabling the customer to purchase the items within the shopping cart.

2. The electronic commerce system of claim 1, wherein the transaction module enables the customer to purchase the items from the different online merchants in a single transaction.

3. The electronic commerce system of claim 1, wherein the information includes a description of items contained within the cart.

4. The electronic commerce system of claim 1, wherein the shopping cart is displayed on a website managed by the agent that the customer reviews to determine whether to purchase items contained within the shopping cart.

5. The electronic commerce system of claim 1, wherein the shopping cart is designated by a link on a website that directs the customer to the shopping cart.

6. The electronic commerce system of claim 1, wherein items within the shopping cart are each associated with one or more identifiers for keeping track of the items.

7. The electronic commerce system of claim 1, wherein the shopping cart is associated with an identifier for associating the shopping cart with the customer.

8. The electronic commerce system of claim 1, further comprising an accounting module for monitoring transactions that occur via the transaction module, invoicing the customer for the transaction, and crediting the merchants for the transaction.

9. A method of conducting electronic commerce comprising:

receiving information regarding a virtual shopping cart created and stored by an agent responsive to a customer indicating a desire to purchase items contained within the virtual shopping cart, the shopping cart adapted to hold items offered by different online merchants; and

enabling the customer to purchase the items within the shopping cart.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the enabling step enables the customer to purchase the items from the different online merchants in a single transaction.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the information includes price, type, and quantity for items in the shopping cart.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the shopping cart is displayed on a website managed by the agent that the customer reviews to determine whether to purchase items contained within the shopping cart

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining prices of the items, where the customer was not initially provided with prices.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising dynamically updating prices of the items during the purchase.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

contacting a merchant selling an item to confirm a quoted price; and

providing the merchant with an opportunity to refuse to sell the item for that price if the merchant'"'"'s listed price for the item has increased.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring transaction that occurs via the transaction module;

invoicing the customer for the transaction; and

crediting the merchants for the transaction.

17. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for supporting an electronic commerce system, the computer program instructions comprising:

a shopping cart management module for receiving information regarding a virtual shopping cart created and stored by an agent responsive to a customer indicating a desire to purchase items contained within the virtual shopping cart, the shopping cart adapted to hold items offered by different online merchants; and

a transaction module for enabling the customer to purchase the items within the shopping cart.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the transaction module enables the customer to purchase the items from the different online merchants in a single transaction.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the information includes a description of items contained within the cart.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the shopping cart is displayed on a website managed by the agent that the customer reviews to determine whether to purchase items contained within the shopping cart.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the shopping cart is designated by a link on a website that directs the customer to the shopping cart.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the transaction module is further adapted to dynamically update prices of the items during the purchase.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the transaction module is further adapted to obtain approval from the customer for the shopping cart with updated prices.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the shopping cart is associated with an identifier.

25. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising an accounting module for monitoring transactions that occur via the transaction module, invoicing the customer for the transaction, and crediting the merchants for the transaction.

26. A broker in an electronic commerce system, comprising:

a shopping cart management module adapted to receive information regarding a virtual shopping cart created and stored by an agent responsive to a customer indicating a desire to purchase items contained within the virtual shopping cart, the shopping cart adapted to hold items offered by different online merchants; and

a transaction module adapted to enable the customer to purchase the items in the virtual shopping cart, the items from a plurality of different online merchants.

27. The broker of claim 26, wherein the transaction module is further adapted to enable the customer to purchase the items in the virtual shopping cart in a single transaction.

28. The broker of claim 26, wherein the information includes a description of type and price of items contained within the cart

29. The broker of claim 26, wherein the shopping cart is displayed on a website managed by the agent that the customer reviews to determine whether to purchase items contained within the shopping cart.

30. The broker of claim 26, wherein the shopping cart is designated by a link on a website that directs the customer to the shopping cart.

31. The broker of claim 26, wherein items within the shopping cart are each associated with one or more identifiers for keeping track of the items

32. The broker of claim 26, wherein the transaction module is further adapted to dynamically update prices of the items during the purchase.

33. The broker of claim 26, further comprising an accounting module for monitoring transaction that occur via the transaction module, invoicing the customer for the transaction, and crediting the merchants for the transaction.

34. An electronic commerce system, comprising:

shopping cart management means for receiving information regarding a virtual shopping cart created and stored by an agent responsive to a customer indicating a desire to purchase items contained within the virtual shopping cart, the shopping cart adapted to hold items offered by different online merchants; and

transaction means for enabling the customer to purchase the items within the shopping cart.

35. The electronic commerce system of claim 34, wherein the transaction means enables the customer to purchase the items from the different online merchants in a single transaction.

36. The electronic commerce system of claim 34, wherein the information includes a description of items contained within the cart.

37. The electronic commerce system of claim 34, wherein the shopping cart is displayed on a website managed by the agent that the customer reviews to determine whether to purchase items contained within the shopping cart.

38. A method of conducting electronic commerce comprising:

receiving pledges from a plurality of customers to each pay a portion of the total price of an item contained within a virtual shopping cart;

responsive to determining that a sum of portions pledged equals the total price, charging each of the customers the portion pledged by that customer; and

enabling the plurality of customers to purchase the item.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the enabling step enables the customer to purchase a plurality of items from a plurality of merchants in a single transaction.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the shopping cart contains a single item that the customers wish to purchase, the customers each pledging a portion of the total price for the item.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the shopping cart contains a plurality of items that the customers wish to purchase, the customers each pledging a portion of the total price for all of the items in the cart.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein enabling purchasing of the item occurs before the customers are charged, the customers being invoiced for transaction after purchasing the items.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising approving the customers before enabling purchasing of the item.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein the customers invite other customers to view the shopping cart and make pledges.

45. The method of claim 38, further comprising allowing more pledges to be received responsive to determining that the sum of the portions pledged equals the total price.