Multiple-person buying information system with application to on-line merchandizing

• US 6,473,738 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Slingshot Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: James Gordon Garrett
• Inventors: Garrett, James Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JAKETIC, BRYAN J
• Application Number:
  US09/533,605
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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

Abstract

Techniques for implementing a computer-implemented, multi-party merchandizing service. This service engenders a buying experience that parallels the best aspects of an “in-store” buying experience, but engenders other aspects which can be advantageously provided by a computer system, such as the shopper being able to prepare a list of multiple third parties for whom the shopper desires to purchase selected items. In effect, this list “tags along” with the shopper as the shopper completes an automated search for items to purchase. Then, the shopper can associate a selected item located during the search with individual names on the list, and then initiate an order-fulfillment activity to complete the shopping experience.

Claims

1. A method for merchandising items from a list of items stored in a computer system to a customer communicating with the computer system, the method comprising the steps of

inputting by the customer a list of names for whom the customer may associate items,

automatically saving the name list in the computer system as the name list is inputted,

searching for an item from the list of items by the customer to produce a selected item,

associating by the customer the selected item with a set of names on the name list to generate a selection list,

automatically saving the selection list in the computer system,

submitting by the customer an order request to the computer system to purchase the selected item for the set of names, and

automatically saving in the computer system, upon fulfillment of the order request, a purchase history file for each name in the set of names having a corresponding purchased item.

2. A method for merchandising items from a list of items stored in a computer system to a customer communicating with the computer system, the method comprising the steps of

inputting by the customer a list of names for whom the customer may associate items,

automatically saving the name list in the computer system as the name list is inputted,

searching for an item from the list of items by the customer to produce a selected item,

associating by the customer the selected item with a set of names on the name list to generate a selection list,

automatically saving the selection list in the computer system,

searching for another item from the list- of items by the customer to produce another selected item,

associating, by the customer, said another selected item with another set of names on the name list to generate an augmented selection list,

automatically saving the augmented selection list in the computer system,

submitting by the customer an order request to the computer system to purchase the selected item or said another selected item or both from the augmented selection list in correspondence to the sets of names, and

automatically saving in the computer system, upon fulfillment of the order request, a purchase history file for each name in the sets of names having a corresponding purchased item.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of saving a purchase history file includes the steps of

removing the corresponding purchased item from the augmented selection list, and

automatically re-saving the augmented selection list for later recall by the customer.

4. A method for merchandising items from a list of items stored in a computer system to a customer communicating with the computer system, the method comprising the steps of

inputting by the customer a list of names for whom the customer may associate items,

automatically saving the name list in the computer system as the name list is inputted,

iteratively searching the list of items by the customer to produce an iteratively selected item,

associating by the customer each iteratively selected item with a set of names on the name list to generate a selection list,

automatically saving the selection list in the computer system,

submitting by the customer an order request to the computer system to purchase each iteratively selected item for the corresponding set of names, and

automatically saving in the computer system, upon fulfillment of the order request, a purchase history file for each name in the set of names having a corresponding purchased item.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of saving a purchase history file includes the steps of

removing the corresponding purchased item from the selection list, and

automatically re-saving the selection list for later recall by the customer.

6. A method for on-line merchandising of items to a customer over the Internet during a current on-line session, a list of items being stored remotely on an Internet server, the method comprising the steps of

inputting by the customer a list of parties for whom the customer may associate items,

automatically saving the list of parties on the server as the list of parties is inputted,

searching for an item from the list of items by the customer to produce a selected item,

associating, by the customer, the selected item with at least one of the parties on the list to create a selection list,

automatically saving the selection list on the Internet server for later recall by the customer,

recalling the selection list whenever the customer initiates a new Internet session, and

purchasing at least one selected item in the selection list by the customer.

7. A method for on-line merchandising of items to a customer over the Internet during a current on-line session, a list of items being stored remotely on an Internet server, the method comprising the steps of

inputting by the customer a list of parties for whom the customer may associate items,

automatically saving the list of parties on the server as the list of parties is inputted,

searching for an item from the list of items by the customer to produce a selected item,

associating, by the customer, the selected item with at least one of the parties on the list to create a selection list,

automatically saving the selection list on the Internet server for later recall by the customer,

recalling the selection list and the list of parties whenever the customer initiates a new Internet session,

deleting a name from the list of parties, including any of the items associated with the deleted party in the selection list, and

automatically re-saving the list of parties and the selection list for later recall by the customer.

8. A method for on-line merchandising of items to a customer over the Internet during a current on-line session, a list of items being stored remotely on an Internet server, the method comprising the steps of

inputting by the customer a list of parties for whom the customer may associate items,

automatically saving the list of parties on the server as the list of parties is inputted,

searching for an item from the list of items by the customer to produce a selected item,

associating, by the customer, the selected item with at least one of the parties on the list to create a selection list,

automatically saving the selection list on the Internet server for later recall by the customer,

recalling the selection list and the list of parties whenever the customer initiates a new Internet session,

searching for an additional one of the items by the customer to produce a selected additional item,

associating by the customer the selected additional item with at least one of the parties to augment the selection list, and

automatically re-saving the list of parties and saving the augmented selection list for later recall by the customer.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 further including the step, after the step of re-saving the list of parties and saving the augmented selection list, of submitting by the customer an order request to the Internet server to purchase items stored in the augmented selection list.

10. A method for on-line merchandising of items to a customer over the Internet during a current on-line session, a list of items being stored remotely on an Internet server, a list of parties generated during a prior log-on being stored on the Internet server, and a shopping list composed of a purchase history file and a selection list of un-purchased items, if any, for each of the parties being stored on the Internet server from a prior log-on, the method comprising the steps of

displaying the list of parties to the customer,

inputting by the customer a new party, if any, and automatically adding the new party to the list of parties upon input,

displaying the shopping list upon request of the customer,

searching for an item from the list of items by the customer to determine a selected item,

associating by the customer the selected item with a set of parties on the list of parties to augment the selection list,

if the customer chooses to purchase from the augmented selection list, submitting an order fulfillment request to the Internet server to purchase at least some of the items from the augmented selection list and saving on the Internet server each purchased item in the purchase history file and each un-purchased item in the augmented selection list for a later on-line session, and

if the customer chooses to log-off without purchasing items from the augmented selection list, saving on the Internet server the augmented selection list for a later on-line session.