Managing Online Shop Using Instant Messaging System

• US 20100138901A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Jian
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method and a system for managing an online shop use an instant messaging system to allow an auxiliary account to log in and manage an online shop of a primary account user. The primary account user creates an online shop in an online shop server, and associates itself with one or more auxiliary accounts in an instant messaging system. Upon authorization by primary account user to allow an auxiliary account to manage the online shop, the system records an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account. The authorization relation may be recorded in the instant messaging system. Based on the recorded authorization relation, the system allows a user of the authorized auxiliary account to manage the online shop system through the instant messaging system. An instant messaging server serving for this purpose is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for managing an online shop, characterized in that the method comprises:

creating an online shop on an online shop server for a primary account user of a primary account;

creating an auxiliary account in an instant messaging system;

authorizing the auxiliary account to manage the online shop, and recording an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account; and

based on the recorded authorization relation, allowing the auxiliary account to carry out a managing operation on the online shop through the instant messaging system.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the authorization relation is recorded in the instant messaging system.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein allowing the auxiliary account to carry out a managing operation on the online shop comprises:

allowing a user of the auxiliary account to login to the online shop through the instant messaging system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary account is created in the instant messaging system by the primary account user.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary account is created in the instant messaging system, and the auxiliary account is created in the instant messaging system in association with the primary account.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the instant messaging system comprises an instant messaging server connected to the online shop server.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, characterized in that authorizing the auxiliary account to manage the online shop, and recording the authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account comprises:

sending a request for authorization verification from the primary account to the instant messaging system, wherein the request comprises online shop account information for logging in and managing the online shop, and auxiliary account information; and

verifying the online shop account information submitted by the primary account user, and recording the authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account user upon successful verification by the instant messaging system.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the primary account sends the request for authorization verification to the instant messaging system upon receiving a request from the auxiliary account for authorization.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein verifying the online shop account information comprises:

sending the online shop account information to the online shop server; and

verifying the online shop account information, and returning a verification result to the instant messaging system by the online shop server.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein allowing the auxiliary account to carry out a managing operation on the online shop based on the recorded authorization relation comprises:

receiving at the instant messaging system a request of the auxiliary account for logging in and managing the online shop;

determining by the instant messaging system whether the auxiliary account is an authorized to manage the online shop based upon the recorded authorization relation; and

if authorized, allowing the auxiliary account to log in the online shop through the instant messaging system, and if not authorized, denying the request of the auxiliary account.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the instant messaging system receives login information of the online shop from the online shop server to allow the auxiliary account to log in the online shop.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the login information of the online shop account information includes an account name and a password of the primary account.

13. A system for managing an online shop, the system comprising:

an online shop server storing an online shop created by a primary account user; and

an instant messaging system having a primary account and an auxiliary account, the instant messaging system being adapted for receiving an authorization given by the primary account for the auxiliary account to manage the online shop, recording an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account, and allowing the authorized auxiliary account to manage the online shop according to the recorded authorization relation.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the instant messaging system comprises:

an authorization unit, used for authorizing by the primary account user for the user of the auxiliary account to manage the online shop, and for recording the authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account user; and

a management unit, used for conducting a managing operation by the authorized auxiliary account on the online shop according to the recorded authorization relation.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the authorization unit comprises:

an request unit for submitting a request for authorization verification by the primary account, wherein the request includes login information of the online shop, and information of the auxiliary account waiting for authorization; and

a verification unit, used for verifying the login information submitted by the primary account user, and recording the authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account user upon successful verification.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the authorization unit further comprises:

an initiation unit for receiving a request for authorization from the auxiliary account, and for initiating the request unit to submit the request for authorization verification by the primary account.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the verification unit sends the login information of the online shop submitted by the primary account user to the online shop server, and the online shop server verifies the login information and returns a verification result to the verification unit.

18. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the management unit comprises:

a login management and request unit, used for sending a request of the auxiliary account for logging in and managing the online shop; and

a determination unit, used for determining whether the auxiliary account is authorized for managing the online shop based upon the recorded authorization relation, and for logging in the online shop if the auxiliary account is authorized, or denying the request if the auxiliary account is not authorized.

19. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein allowing the authorized auxiliary account to manage the online shop according to the recorded authorization relation comprises:

obtaining, by the instant messaging system, login information of the online shop from the online shop server.

20. An instant messaging system hosting a primary account and an auxiliary account, the instant messaging system comprising:

an authorization unit, used for allowing the primary account to authorize the auxiliary account to manage an online shop owned by the primary account, and recording an authorization relation between the auxiliary account and the primary account; and

a management unit, used for allowing the authorized auxiliary account to manage the online shop according to the authorization relation.