SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING A CUSTOMER ACCOUNT

• US 20080097896A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Samuel, Fisher, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An electronic auction system may include a bid validator connected between a network and a customer database. The example bid validator may receive bid information from a customer over the network. The example bid validator may use the bid information to detect whether the customer database includes a customer record for the customer. If no customer record is found in the customer database, the example bid validator may initiate creation of a new customer record and place it in the customer database.

Claims

1. A method of creating a new customer record for an electronic auction system, the method comprising:

receiving bid information from a customer via an electronic network;

based on the bid information, determining whether an existing customer record exists for the customer in a customer database;

creating a new customer record for the customer based on whether the existing customer record is in the customer data base; and

placing the new customer record in the customer database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

validating the bid information; and

placing the bid information in a bid database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the bid information from the customer includes receiving the bid information via at least one of a web-based bid form or electronic mail.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving of the bid information includes receiving an indication of whether the customer wants to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving further bid information from the customer via electronic mail;

validating the further bid information; and

placing the further bid information in a bid database.

6. An electronic auction system comprising:

a bid validator communicatively coupled between a network and a customer database, the bid validator to;

receive bid information from a customer via the network;

based on the bid information, detect whether an existing customer record exists for the customer in a customer database;

initiate creation of a new customer record for the customer based on whether the existing customer record is detected to exist for the customer in the customer data base; and

place the new customer record in the customer database.

7. The electronic auction system of claim 6, wherein the bid validator is communicatively coupled to a bid database, the bid validator further to:

validate the bid information; and

place the bid information in the bid database.

8. The electronic auction system of claim 6, wherein the bid validator is to receive the bid information via the network from at least one of a web-based bid form or from via an electronic mail message.

9. The electronic auction system of claim 8, wherein the bid information received by the bid validator includes an indicator, indicating whether the customer wants to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic mail.

10. The electronic auction system of claim 6, wherein the bid validator is communicatively coupled to a bid database, the bid validator further to:

receive further bid information from the customer via electronic mail;

validate the further bid information; and

place the further bid information in a bid database.

11. A machine-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving bid information from a customer via an electronic network;

based on the bid information, determining whether an existing customer record exists for the customer in a customer database;

creating a new customer record for the customer based on whether the existing customer record is in the customer data base; and

placing the new customer record in the customer database.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

validating the bid information; and

placing the bid information in a bid database.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the receiving of the bid information from the customer includes receiving the bid information via at least one of a web-based bid form or electronic mail.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the bid information includes receiving an indication of whether the customer wants to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic mail.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving further bid information from the customer via electronic mail;

validating the further bid information; and

placing the further bid information in a bid database.

16. An electronic auction system, comprising:

validating means for receiving bid information from a customer via an electronic network;

database searching means for determining whether an existing customer record exists for the customer in a customer database;

record creation means for creating a new customer record for the customer based on whether the existing customer record is in the customer data base; and

database interface means for placing the new customer record in the customer database.

17. The electronic auction system of claim 16, wherein the validating means further being for validating the bid information, and for placing the bid information in a bid database.

18. The electronic auction system of claim 16, wherein the validating means is for receiving the bid information via the network from at least one of a web-based bid form or via an electronic mail message.

20. The electronic auction system of claim 16, wherein the validating means is for receiving further bid information from the customer via electronic mail and for validating the further bid information, the database interface means further being for placing the further bid information in a bid database.

19. The electronic auction system of claim 19, wherein the bid information received by the validating means includes an indicator, indicating whether the customer wants to be kept informed of current high bids via electronic mail.