NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING A MULTI-SELLER PROMOTION AND TRANSACTION ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120209727A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enpulz LLC
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Winslade, Christopher C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• 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. A network infrastructure supporting a plurality of user devices via an Internet, the network infrastructure comprising:

a first interfacing system that couples via the Internet with a first web browser application operating on a first advertiser'"'"'s system of a first seller, the first interfacing system providing first web page data to the first web page browser application to support receipt of a first group of advertising data, monitoring of activity relating to the first group of advertising data, review of accounting information based on the activity, and modifications relating to the first group of advertising data, the first group of advertising data corresponding to a first sales advertisement, and the first group of advertising data including first limitation data, first inventory data, and first price data;

a second interfacing system via a program interface receives at least a portion of a plurality of second group of advertising data in a single interaction, the plurality of second group of advertising data originating from a second advertiser'"'"'s system of a second seller, the plurality of second groups of advertising data corresponding to a plurality of second sales advertisements, each group of the plurality of second groups of advertising data including second limitation data, second inventory data, and second price related data;

a multi-seller portal system that receives first user input data via the Internet from a second web browser application operating on a first of the plurality of user devices of a first user, the multi-seller portal system responds to the receipt by placing within a virtual shopping cart both a first representation of the first group of advertising data and a second representation of a second group of advertising data of the plurality of second groups of advertising data;

the multi-seller portal system delivers via the second web browser application cross-selling opportunity data related to the first group of advertising data;

the multi-seller portal system responding to second user input data received via the Internet from the second web browser by managing payment, shipping, reporting, and inventory updating, the shipping management including calculating shipping costs based in part on an address of the first user, the payment management including managing collection of funds from the first user based on a total amount due and managing transfer of a first portion of the funds to the first seller and a second portion of the funds to the second seller, the first portion of the funds being related to the first price data; and

an accounting system that identifies a first service charge amount owed by the first seller and a second service charge amount owed by the second seller.

2. The network infrastructure of claim 1, further comprising a third party servicing system that interacts to provide at least a portion of a third group of advertising data of the plurality of second groups of advertising data for combination with third party web page data, the combination being used to support a presentation via a third web browser application operating on a second of the plurality of user devices of a second user.

3. The network infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the multi-seller portal system saves the virtual shopping cart for the first user.

4. The network infrastructure of claim 1, further comprising a first database, and the second interfacing system performs first mapping of the plurality of second groups of advertising data received into storage within the first database.

5. The network infrastructure of claim 4, wherein the second interfacing system performs second mapping of a plurality of third groups of advertising data into storage within the first database, the first mapping being different than the second mapping.

6. The network infrastructure of claim 5, wherein the difference between the first mapping and the second mapping is due to organizational differences between the second groups of advertising data and the third groups of advertising data.

7. The network infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the multi-seller portal system supports ratings associated with the first seller and the second seller.

8. The network infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the first group of advertising data include price reduction data, and the first representation in the virtual shopping cart accounts for the price reduction data.

9. The network infrastructure of claim 1, further comprising a first database which stores the first group of advertising data and the plurality of second groups of advertising data, and wherein a single seller server system of the second seller delivers seller'"'"'s web page data to some of the plurality of user devices, the seller'"'"'s web page data constructed from at least a portion of the plurality of second groups of the advertising data.

10. The network infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the multi-seller portal system supports a comparison display via the second web browser application of at least a portion of the first group of advertising data and at least a portion of a third group of advertising data, and wherein the comparison display includes one or both of a pricing information comparison and a rating.

11. The network infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the first group of advertising data and the plurality of second groups of advertising data comprise a plurality of auction advertising information, and wherein the multi-seller portal hosts a plurality of auctions based on the plurality of auction advertising information.

12. A network infrastructure supporting a plurality of buyer devices via an Internet, the network infrastructure comprising:

a first database having a storage structure;

a first interfacing system that couples via the Internet with a first advertiser system of a first seller, a second advertiser system of a second seller and a third advertiser system of a third seller;

the first interfacing system receives and stores in the first database a first group of advertising data of the first seller, a second group of advertising data of the second seller, and a third group of advertising data of the third seller, the first group of advertising data including first sales item data, first limitation data and first price data, the second group of advertising data including second sales item data, second limitation data and second price data, the third group of advertising data including third sales item data, third limitation data and third price data, the first sales item data being related to the third sales item data;

the first interfacing system supporting data deliveries relating to the first group of advertising data, the second group of advertising data, and the third group of advertising data;

a multi-seller portal system that couples via the Internet with both a first buyer device of the plurality of buyer devices and a second buyer device of the plurality of buyer devices, the multi-seller portal system gathering both first buyer information of a first buyer via the first buyer device and second buyer information of a second buyer via the second buyer device;

the multi-seller portal system, based on first input data received from the first buyer device, delivers first web page data that supports a visual comparison of the first group of advertising data and the third group of advertising data, the first web page data being provided at least in part based on the relationship between the first sales item data and the third sales item data;

the multi-seller portal system, based on second input data received from the first buyer device, delivers second web page data that supports a visual display of a virtual shopping cart, the virtual shopping cart including first content, second content and a cart total amount due, the first content corresponding to the first group of advertising data, the second content corresponding to the second group of advertising data, and the cart total amount due being based on the first price data, the second price data, and shipping costs calculated at least in part based on a first address of the first buyer;

the multi-seller portal system, based at least in part on at least one of the first input data and the second input data, delivers cross-selling opportunity data that is related to the first group of advertising data;

the multi-seller portal system, based on third input data, manages a collection corresponding to the cart total amount due from the first buyer;

the multi-seller system manages a delivery of a first collected portion to the first seller and a second collected portion to the second seller, and an accounting for services rendered, the accounting involving a first service charge amount owed by the first seller and a second service charge amount owed by the second seller; and

a posting system, coupled to the first database, that interacts to provide via the Internet at least a portion of the third group of advertising data for combination with remote third party web page data, the combination being used to support a presentation on the second buyer device.

13. The network infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the multi-seller portal system saves the virtual shopping cart for the first user.

14. The network infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the multi-seller portal system manages order fulfillment for the first seller.

15. The network infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the first group of advertising data include price reduction data, and the first representation in the virtual shopping cart accounts for the price reduction data.

16. The network infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the multi-seller portal system provides a browsing interface for accessing the first group of advertising data, and wherein the browsing interface is arranged based on categories.

17. The network infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the multi-seller portal system provides a search interface for accessing the first group of advertising data.

18. A network infrastructure supporting a plurality of user devices via an Internet, the network infrastructure comprising:

a first interfacing system that couples via the Internet with a first web browser application operating on a first advertiser'"'"'s system of a first seller, the first interfacing system providing first web page data to the first web page browser application to support receipt of a first group of advertising data, monitoring of activity relating to the first group of advertising data, review of accounting information based on the activity, and modifications relating to the first group of advertising data, the first group of advertising data corresponding to a first sales advertisement, and the first group of advertising data including first limitation data, first inventory data, and first price data;

a second interfacing system via a program interface receives at least a portion of a plurality of second group of advertising data in a single interaction, the plurality of second group of advertising data originating from a second advertiser'"'"'s system of a second seller, the plurality of second groups of advertising data corresponding to a plurality of second sales advertisements, each group of the plurality of second groups of advertising data including second limitation data, second inventory data, and second price related data;

a multi-seller portal system that receives first user input data via the Internet from a second web browser application operating on a first of the plurality of user devices of a first user;

the multi-seller portal system responding to receipt of the first user input data by delivering to the second web browser application operating on the first of the plurality of user devices of the first user, a link that when selected by the first user, vectors the second web browser application of the first of the plurality of user devices to a web page to enable the first user to complete a sales transaction relating to the first sales advertisement; and

an accounting system that identifies a first service charge amount owed by the first seller and a second service charge amount owed by the second seller.

19. The network infrastructure of claim 18, further comprising an email interface through which emails are launched to selected users of the plurality of user devices.

20. The network infrastructure of claim 18, wherein a geographical region limitation is considered relating to the first group of advertising data.

21. The network infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the multi-seller portal sends an email to the first user after processing of certain events.

22. The network infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the multi-seller portal system supports ratings associated with the first seller and the second seller.

23. The network infrastructure of claim 18, further comprising a first database which stores the first group of advertising data and the plurality of second groups of advertising data, and wherein a single seller server system of the second seller delivers seller'"'"'s web page data to some of the plurality of user devices, the seller'"'"'s web page data constructed from at least a portion of the plurality of second groups of the advertising data.

24. The network infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the multi-seller portal system provides a browsing interface for accessing the first group of advertising data, and wherein the browsing interface is arranged based on categories.

25. The network infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the multi-seller portal system provides a search interface for accessing the first group of advertising data.

26. The network infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the multi-seller portal system supports a comparison display via the second web browser application of at least a portion of the first group of advertising data and at least a portion of a third group of advertising data, and wherein the comparison display includes one or both of a pricing information comparison and a rating.

27. The network infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the first group of advertising data and the plurality of second groups of advertising data comprise a plurality of auction advertising information, and wherein the multi-seller portal hosts a plurality of auctions based on the plurality of auction advertising information.

28. A method supporting Internet interaction of a plurality of buyer devices, the method comprising:

receiving and storing in a first database, a first group of advertising data of a first seller, a second group of advertising data of a second seller, and a third group of advertising data of a third seller, the first group of advertising data including first sales item data, first limitation data and first price data, the second group of advertising data including second sales item data, second limitation data and second price data, the third group of advertising data including third sales item data, third limitation data and third price data, the first sales item data being related to the third sales item data;

supporting data deliveries relating to the first group of advertising data, the second group of advertising data, and the third group of advertising data;

gathering, via the Internet and a first buyer device of the plurality of buyer devices, first buyer information of a first buyer;

gathering, via the Internet and a second buyer device of the plurality of buyer devices, second buyer information of a second buyer;

delivering, based on first input data received from the first buyer device, first web page data that supports a visual comparison of the first group of advertising data and the third group of advertising data, the first web page data being provided at least in part based on the relationship between the first sales item data and the third sales item data;

delivering, based on second input data received from the first buyer device, second web page data that supports a visual display of a virtual shopping cart, the virtual shopping cart including first content, second content and a cart total amount due, the first content corresponding to the first group of advertising data, the second content corresponding to the second group of advertising data, and the cart total amount due being based on the first price data, the second price data, and shipping costs calculated at least in part based on a first address of the first buyer;

delivering, based at least in part on at least one of the first input data and the second input data, cross-selling opportunity data that is related to the first group of advertising data;

managing, based on third input data, a collection corresponding to the cart total amount due from the first buyer;

managing a delivery of a first collected portion to the first seller and a second collected portion to the second seller, and an accounting for services rendered, the accounting involving a first service charge amount owed by the first seller and a second service charge amount owed by the second seller; and

providing, via the Internet, at least a portion of the third group of advertising data for combination with remote third party web page data, the combination being used to support a presentation on the second buyer device.

29. The network infrastructure of claim 28, wherein a geographical region limitation is considered relating to the first group of advertising data.

30. The network infrastructure of claim 28, comprising sending an email to the first user after processing of certain events.