Automated on-line commerce method and apparatus utilizing shopping servers which update product information on product selection

• US 6,725,222 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CBS Interactive Inc. (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Original Assignee: CNET Networks Incorporated (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Musgrove, Timothy A., Hood, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOULES, JACK M
• Application Number:
  US10/373,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/104.1, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network

Abstract

An on-line commerce method and apparatus. A user can select products for purchase from plural merchant servers by examining product information stored on a shopping server. The product information related to selected products is verified by accessing a checkout page of each merchant server. The verified information is then presented to the user for confirmation. Upon confirmation, buy procedures are executed on each merchant server to purchase the products using existing account information for the user at each merchant server.

Claims

1. A method of effecting commerce in a networked computer environment comprising the steps of:

identifying a user of a client computer to a shopping server having a database;

selecting plural products through an integrated shopping interface, based on product information in the database, for purchase from plural merchant servers that are remote from the shopping server;

verifying the product information related to the selected products selected in said selecting step by communicating updated information related to the selected products from the merchant servers to the shopping server;

presenting verified product information verified in said verifying step to the user for confirmation of a purchase; and

executing a buy procedure on the merchant servers for purchase of the selected products from the merchant servers if the user confirms the purchase.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the database comprises a product database having product information and a shopper database having shopper information.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

checking if there is account information in the shopper database related to the user for the merchant servers;

establishing an account related to the user with the merchant servers if said checking step indicates that there is not account information in the shopper database related to the user for the merchant servers; and

wherein said executing step comprises executing a buy procedure on the merchant computer in association with the account information related to the user for the merchant server.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising displaying a buy form to the user containing information from the shopper database corresponding to the user and to be used in the buy procedure.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said executing step comprises manually executing a buy procedure of the merchant servers through an interface of the merchant servers.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said executing step further comprises filtering out form submissions sent by the merchant servers and filling in the filtered forms with information related to the user from the shopper database.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said executing step comprises automatically executing a purchase procedure on the shopping server, the buy procedure of the merchant servers being integrated into the purchase procedure.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said verifying step comprises accessing a checkout page of each of the merchant servers and downloading the products information related to the selected product from the checkout pages.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a first cookie on the shopping server containing a merchant server session identification;

establishing a second cookie on the client computer identifying a user session between the client computer and the shopping server corresponding to the merchant serve identification; and

correlating the second cookie with a transaction record established in connection with the first cookie.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

spawning a buy process in the shopping server for accomplishing said selecting step; and

updating a transaction record based on the status of the buy process.

11. A computer architecture for effecting commerce in a networked environment comprising:

a client computer;

a shopping server executing an agent server application, said shopping server including a memory device having a database stored therein;

plural merchant servers executing a commerce server application and being remote from said shopping server; and

a communication channel coupling said merchant servers with said shopping server and said shopping server with said client computer;

wherein, said agent server application is operative to permit the user of said client computer to select a plural products through an integrated shopping interface based on product information in said database for purchase from said merchant servers, verify the product information related to the selected product by requesting updated information related to the selected product from said merchant servers over said communication channel, present verified product information to the user for confirmation of a purchase, and execute a buy procedure on said merchant servers for purchase of the selected products from said merchant server if the user confirms the purchase.

12. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said agent server application is operative to identify the user of said client computer.

13. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said database comprises a product database having product information and a shopper database having shopper information.

14. An architecture as recited in claim 13, wherein said agent server application is operative to display a buy form to the user containing information from the shopper database corresponding to the user and to be used in the buy procedure.

15. An architecture as recited in claim 13, wherein said agent server application is operative to check if there is account information in said shopper database related to the user for said merchant servers, establish an account related to the user with said merchant servers if there is not account information in said shopper database related to the user for said merchant servers, and execute a buy procedure on said merchant servers in association with the account information related to the user for said merchant server.

16. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said agent server application is operative to automatically execute a purchase procedure on said shopping server, the buy procedure of said merchant servers being integrated into the purchase procedure.

17. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said agent servers application is operative to permit the user to manually execute a buy procedure of said merchant servers through an interface of said merchant server.

18. An architecture as recited in claim 17, wherein said agent server application is operative to filter out form submissions sent by said merchant servers and fill in the filtered forms with information related to the user from said shopper database.

19. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said agent server application is operative to access a checkout page of said merchant servers and download the product information related to the selected product from the checkout pages.

20. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said agent server application is operative to establishing a first cookie on said shopping server containing a merchant servers session identification, establish a second cookie on said client computer identifying a user session between said client computer and said shopping server corresponding to the merchant serve identification, and correlate the second cookie with a transaction record established in connection with the first cookie.

21. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said agent server application includes a main process operative to spawn a buy process for accomplishing selection of products and update a transaction record based on the status of the buy process.

22. An architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said communication channel comprises the Internet.

23. A method of effecting commerce with at least one of plural merchants in a networked computer environment using a shopping server having an integrated shopping interface, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a product for purchase from a merchant server that is remote from the shopping server;

communicating information related to the selected product from the merchant server to the shopping server;

presenting to the user a confirmation page containing the information related to the selected product; and

executing a buy procedure on the merchant server for purchase of the selected products from the merchant server if the user confirms the purchase.