Electronic solicitations for internet commerce

• US 6,101,485 A
• Filed: 03/26/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yee, Raymond, Zimmerman, Marshall L., Toohey, James J., Szabo, Robert M., Fortenberry, Keith N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayes, John W.
• Application Number:
  US09/048,518
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 705/27, 705/26, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method for engaging in electronic commerce over the Internet, comprising the steps of: programming a first electronic mail (e-mail) message to include: a description of at least one product available for sale by an electronic commerce (e-commerce) site; a shopper selectable indicia for indicating that the shopper has chosen to purchase the at least one product; and, a shopper activatable link back to the e-commerce site for transmitting a second e-mail message including the shopper'"'"'s choice to purchase the at least one product; transmitting the e-mail message over the Internet to at least one potential shopper; and, in response to receiving the second e-mail message transmitted back to the e-commerce site by activation of the link by the at least one potential shopper, consummating the purchase of the at least one product by the at least one potential shopper.

Claims

1. A method for engaging in electronic commerce over the Internet, comprising the steps of:

programming a first electronic mail (e-mail) message to include;

a description of at least one product available for sale by an electronic commerce (e-commerce) site;

a shopper selectable indicia for indicating that said shopper has chosen to purchase said at least one product; and

, a shopper activatable link back to said e-commerce site for directly transmitting to said e-commerce site a second e-mail message including said shopper'"'"'s choice to purchase said at least one product;

transmitting said first e-mail message over the Internet from said e-commerce site directly to at least one potential shopper; and

,

in response to receiving said second e-mail message transmitted back to said e-commerce site by activation of said link by said at least one potential shopper, consummating said purchase of said at least one product by said at least one potential shopper.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of programming said e-mail message to include descriptions of a subset of a larger inventory of products available for sale by said e-commerce site.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising the steps of:

programming said shopper activatable indicia to include, for each said product in said subset, a first activatable icon for selecting said product for purchase and a second activatable icon for entering a quantity of said product to be purchased; and

,

including in said second e-mail message data representing information corresponding to said activatable icons as activated.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising the step of programming said first e-mail message to include a third activatable icon for accessing a search utility at said e-commerce site.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising the step of programming said first e-mail message to include a fourth activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

6. The method of claim 3, comprising the step of programming said first e-mail message to include a third activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

programming said shopper activatable indicia to include a first activatable icon for selecting said at least one product for purchase and a second activatable icon for entering a quantity of said at least one product to be purchased; and

,

including in said second e-mail message data representing information corresponding to said activatable icons as activated.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of programming said first e-mail message to include an activatable icon for accessing a search utility at said e-commerce site.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of programming said first e-mail message to include an activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

programming said first e-mail message to include a first activatable icon for accessing a search utility at said e-commerce site; and

,

programming said first e-mail message to include a second activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

11. A computer programmed with a routine set of instructions for generating an electronic mail (e-mail) message for engaging in electronic commerce (e-commerce) over the Internet, the computer comprising:

means for including in said first e-mail message a graphical user interface (GUI), said GUI including a description of at least one product available for sale by an e-commerce site;

a shopper selectable indicia for indicating that said shopper has chosen to purchase said at least one product; and

, a shopper activatable link back to said e-commerce site for directly transmitting from said shopper to said e-commerce site a second e-mail message including said shopper'"'"'s choice to purchase said at least one product;

means for transmitting said first e-mail message over the Internet from said e-commerce site directly to at least one potential shopper; and

,

means operable in response to receiving said second e-mail message transmitted back to said e-commerce site by activation of said link by said at least one potential shopper, consummating said purchase of said at least one product by said at least one potential shopper.

12. The computer of claim 11, wherein said GUI includes descriptions of a subset of a larger inventory of products available for sale by said e-commerce site.

13. The computer of claim 11, wherein said GUI includes a first activatable icon for selecting said products from said subset of products for purchase and a second activatable icon for entering a quantity of said selected products to be purchased.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein said GUI includes a third activatable icon for accessing a search utility at said e-commerce site.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein said GUI includes a fourth activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

16. The computer of claim 13, wherein said GUI includes a third activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

17. The computer of claim 11, wherein said GUI includes a first activatable icon for selecting said at least one product for purchase and a second activatable icon for entering a quantity of said at least one product to be purchased.

18. The computer of claim 11, wherein said GUI includes an activatable icon for accessing a search utility at said e-commerce site.

19. The computer of claim 11, wherein said GUI includes an activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

20. The computer of claim 11, wherein said GUI includes:

a first activatable icon for accessing a search utility at said e-commerce site; and

,

a second activatable icon for accessing a shopping utility at said e-commerce site.

21. A computer programmed with a routine set of instructions for generating an electronic mail (e-mail) message for engaging in electronic commerce (e-commerce) over the Internet, the computer comprising:

means for generating an e-mail message having a graphical user interface (GUI) enabling a recipient of said e-mail message over the Internet to order at least one product from an e-commerce site without logging on to said e-commerce site, said GUI having at least one activatable link for transmitting purchase data directly back to said e-commerce site;

means for transmitting said e-mail message over the Internet from said e-commerce site directly to at least one potential shopper; and

,

means operable in response to receiving said purchase data, transmitted back to said e-commerce site by activation of said link, for consummating said purchase of said at least one product by said at least one potential shopper.