USER INTERFACE SYSTEM WITH LINK SUPPORT SEARCHING

• US 20120204088A1
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enpulz LLC
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Winslade, Christopher C.
• Application Number:
  US13/449,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20120204088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 : Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance

Abstract

An online sales/automatic rebate and coupon redemption system provides online customers automatic retrieval and redemption of all applicable rebates and coupons during purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system purchases from merchants using applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system makes it possible to automatically retrieve coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site. The system provides coupons to potential customers via email, based on customer profile, geographical information, etc. Manufacturers and merchants can update coupon value and content based on ongoing sales and volume of customer activity.

Claims

1. An electronic user interface system comprising:

a user device comprising a user interface that supports electronic browsing by a user for information via a communication network;

said user device receives input from the user, the input relating to information being displayed on a display of the user device;

said user device, responsive to the input, automatically identifies and obtains additional link information supporting the information being displayed; and

said user device displays and enables the user to select a link corresponding to the identified and obtained additional link information, for vectoring to a web page supporting the information being displayed and corresponding to the link.

2. The electronic user interface system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication.

3. The electronic user interface system of claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages.

4. The electronic user interface system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet.

5. The electronic user interface system of claim 1, wherein the additional link information is obtained from a remote database.

6. A method for use by a user device comprising a user interface that supports electronic browsing by a user for information via a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, input relating to information being displayed on a display of the user device;

responsive to the input, automatically identifying and obtaining additional link information supporting the information being displayed;

displaying, on the display of the user device, a link corresponding to the identified and obtained additional link information, wherein selection of the link enables the user device to vector to a webpage supporting the information being displayed and corresponding to the link.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet.

10. An electronic user interface system comprising:

a user device comprising a user interface that supports electronic browsing by a user for information via a communication network;

said user device receives via the user interface, a search request from a user;

said user device obtains via the communication network, search results responsive to the search request;

said user device receives input from the user, the input relating to information being displayed on a display of the user device;

said user device, responsive to the input, automatically identifies and obtains additional link information supporting the information being displayed; and

said user device displays and enables the user to select a link corresponding to the identified and obtained additional link information, for vectoring to a web page supporting the information being displayed and corresponding to the link.

11. The electronic user interface system of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication.

12. The electronic user interface system of claim 11, wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages.

13. The electronic user interface system of claim 10, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet.

14. The electronic user interface system of claim 10, wherein the input comprises a selection of one of a plurality of items in the search results.

15. The electronic user interface system of claim 10, wherein the additional link information is obtained from a remote database.

16. An electronic user interface system comprising:

a user device comprising a user interface that supports electronic browsing by a user for information via a communication network;

said user device receives input from the user, the input relating to information being displayed on a display of the user device;

said user device, responsive to the input, automatically performs a search for link information supporting the information being displayed;

said user device receives the link information resulting from the search;

said user device displays a link corresponding to the received link information, to enable vectoring to a web page supporting the information being displayed and corresponding to the link.

17. The electronic user interface system of claim 16, wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication.

18. The electronic user interface system of claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages.

19. The electronic user interface system of claim 16, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet.

20. The electronic user interface system of claim 16, wherein the search is performed on a remote database.

21. A method for use by a user device comprising a user interface that supports electronic browsing by a user for information via a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, input relating to information being displayed on a display of the user device;

responsive to the input, automatically performing a search for link information supporting the information being displayed;

receiving the link information resulting from the search; and

displaying, on the display of the user device, a link corresponding to the received link information;

wherein selection of the link enables the user device to vector to a webpage supporting the information being displayed and corresponding to the link.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the search is performed on a remote database.

26. An electronic user interface system comprising:

a user device comprising a user interface that supports electronic browsing by a user for information via a communication network;

said user device receives via the user interface, a search request from a user;

said user device obtains via the communication network, search results responsive to the search request;

said user device receives input from the user, the input relating to information being displayed on a display of the user device;

said user device, responsive to the input, automatically performs a further search for link information supporting the information being displayed;

said user device receives the link information resulting from the further search; and

said user device displays a link corresponding to the received link information, to enable vectoring to a web page supporting the information being displayed and corresponding to the link.

27. The electronic user interface system of claim 26, wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication.

28. The electronic user interface system of claim 27, wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages.

29. The electronic user interface system of claim 26, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet.

30. The electronic user interface system of claim 26, wherein the input comprises a selection of one of a plurality of items in the search results.

31. The electronic user interface system of claim 26, wherein the further search is performed on a remote database.