Half-Graphical User Interface Order Processing System and Method

• US 20100049656A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Inventors: Roubal, Eric Gunter, Bartake, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A half-graphical user interface (Half-GUI) order processing (HGOP) system with single sign on and its method of use is described. A set of web services may be utilized for order processing in an electronic commerce system which allows a merchant to host a product catalog and shopping cart, but post the transaction to an e-commerce system in one simple transaction. In response to a shopping cart request and utilizing single sign on technology, the HGOP system exposes a single checkout form, prepopulated with customer account information to a merchant web site. If no edits are required, the transaction posts and an order confirmation/thank you page is displayed. If edits are required or a new customer account is required, the customer'"'"'s account is updated or created.

Claims

1. An electronic order processing system comprising

an e-commerce system operatively configured to host shopping cart and back-end order processing functions;

and

a merchant web site operatively coupled to the e-commerce system via a pre-existing communication network, the merchant web site operatively configured to host a product catalog and to provide a shopping cart interface to the shopping cart processing function and the product catalog, the shopping cart interface being provided through a web page on the merchant web site such that a customer may submit an order for an item.

2. The electronic order processing system of claim 1 wherein the e-commerce system further comprises a single sign on process module which utilizes customer information collected by the merchant web site to match the collected customer information with an account in the e-commerce system and to maintain synchronization between the e-commerce system and the merchant web site whereby seamless access to both the merchant web site and the e-commerce system can be provided to a customer.

3. The electronic order processing system of claim 2 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively configured to provide prepopulated data to the merchant web site for use in a checkout web page based on a match between the customer information with the account in the e-commerce system.

4. The electronic order processing system of claim 2 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively configured to provide order history for the customer based on a match between the customer information with the account in the e-commerce system.

5. The electronic order processing system of claim 1 wherein merchant web site is operatively configured to utilize an encryption key in sending a communication to the e-commerce system over the pre-existing communication network, the encryption key having been previously provided to the merchant web site by the e-commerce system.

6. The electronic order processing system of claim 1 wherein merchant web site is operatively configured to utilize an posting universal resource locator (URL) address in sending a communication to the e-commerce system over the pre-existing communication network, the posting URL having been previously provided to the merchant web site by the e-commerce system.

7. The electronic order processing system of claim 1 wherein the e-commerce system further comprises a module operatively configured to provide the back-end processing function, the processing function being selected from a group consisting of:

payment processing, account management, order fulfillment, and distribution logistics.

8. The electronic order processing system of claim 1 wherein the e-commerce system further comprises a module operatively configured to provide the back-end processing function, the processing function comprising account creation using information provided by the customer in a checkout web page on the merchant web site.

9. The electronic order processing system of claim 1 wherein merchant web site shopping cart interface to the product catalog is operatively configured to allow the customer to make a product selection and display information pertaining to the selected product.

10. A method for processing an electronic order received by an e-commerce system operatively coupled via a pre-existing communication network to an online merchant web site, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a message via the pre-existing communication network from the merchant web site operated by a third party, the message comprising customer information and shopping cart information;

matching the received customer information with an account in the e-commerce system to maintain synchronization between the e-commerce system and the merchant web site whereby seamless access to both the merchant web site and the e-commerce system can be provided to a customer;

creating a shopping cart based on the received shopping cart information; and

sending prepopulated data to the merchant web site for use in a checkout web page based on the matched account in the e-commerce system such that the customer may submit the electronic order for an item utilizing the prepopulated data.

11. A method of claim 10 further comprising a step of providing order history for the customer to the merchant web site based on the matched account in the e-commerce system.

12. A method of claim 10 further comprising a step of decrypting the received message based on an encryption key previously provided to the merchant web site by the e-commerce system.

13. A method of claim 10 wherein the receiving step comprises receiving the message at a posting universal resource locator (URL) address previously provided to the merchant web site by the e-commerce system.

14. A method of claim 10 further comprising a step of performing a back-end order process associated with the order, the back-end order process being selected from a group consisting of:

payment processing, account management, order fulfillment, and distribution logistics.

15. A method of claim 10 further comprising steps of:

receiving an order confirmation from the merchant web site initiated by the customer;

sending order details to the merchant web site via pre-existing communication network; and

sending an order notification to the customer via the pre-existing communication network.

16. A method of claim 10 further comprising steps of:

receiving an order confirmation from the merchant web site initiated by the customer;

sending order details to the merchant web site via pre-existing communication network; and

sending an software license entitlement to the customer via the pre-existing communication network.

17. A method of claim 10 further comprising steps of:

receiving an order confirmation from the merchant web site initiated by the customer; and

sending order details to the merchant web site via pre-existing communication network such that the merchant web site may utilize the order details in a subsequent communication with the customer.

18. A method of claim 10 further comprising steps of:

receiving an order confirmation from the merchant web site initiated by the customer; and

updating the account in the e-commerce system based on the received order confirmation.

19. A method of claim 10 further comprising a step of creating an account in the e-commerce system using information provided by the customer in the checkout web page on the merchant web site.

20. An order processing web service operatively configured to manage communications via a pre-existing communication network between an electronic commerce system and a merchant web site, the web service comprising:

a single sign on process module operatively configured to receive a message via the pre-existing communication network from the merchant web site, the message comprising customer information and shopping cart information, the single sign on process module further being operatively configured to (i) match the customer information with an account in an account management database in the e-commerce system, (ii) provide prepopulated data to the merchant web site for use in a checkout web page based on a match between the customer information with the account in the e-commerce system and (iii) maintain synchronization between the e-commerce system and the merchant web site whereby seamless access to both the merchant web site and the e-commerce system can be provided to a customer; and

a shopping cart processing module operatively configured to create a shopping cart based on the received shopping cart information.

21. The web service of claim 20 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively coupled to a back end processing module in the e-commerce system and operatively configured to provide order history for the customer to the merchant web site based on the matched account in the e-commerce system.

22. The web service of claim 20 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively configured to decrypt the received message based on an encryption key previously provided to the merchant web site by the e-commerce system.

23. The web service of claim 20 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively configured to receive the message at a posting universal resource locator (URL) address previously provided to the merchant web site by the e-commerce system.

24. The web service of claim 20 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively coupled to a back end processing module in the e-commerce system, the processing module being operatively configured to perform a function selected from a group consisting of:

payment processing, account management, order fulfillment, and distribution logistics.

25. The web service of claim 20 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively configured to receive an order confirmation from the merchant web site associated with the checkout web page and to update the matched account in the e-commerce system based on the received order confirmation.

26. The web service of claim 20 wherein the single sign on process module is operatively configured to create an account in the e-commerce system using information provided by the customer in the checkout web page on the merchant web site.

27. The web service of claim 20 further comprising a processing module operatively configured to:

(i) receive an order confirmation from the merchant web site initiated by the customer, (ii) send order details to the merchant web site via pre-existing communication network, and (iii) send an order notification to the customer via the pre-existing communication network.

28. The web service of claim 20 further comprising a processing module operatively configured to:

(i) receive an order confirmation from the merchant web site initiated by the customer, (ii) send order details to the merchant web site via pre-existing communication network, and (iii) send a software license entitlement to the customer via the pre-existing communication network.

29. The web service of claim 20 further comprising a processing module operatively configured to:

(i) receive an order confirmation from the merchant web site initiated by the customer, and (ii) send order details to the merchant web site via pre-existing communication network such that the merchant web site may utilize the order details in a subsequent communication with the customer.