Apparatus and methods for inventory, sale, and delivery of digitally transferable goods

• US 6,799,165 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1998
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eimar M. Boesjes
• Inventors: Boesjes, Eimar M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, AKIBA KANELLE
• Application Number:
  US09/123,778
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/27, 705/26, 705/1, 705/39, 348/3, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 395/712, 717/11
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed herein comprising: a) a storage and distribution means; b) an inventory upload means; c) a product information download means; d) an order upload means; and e) a delivery download means. A method is disclosed herein comprising the steps of: (a) digitally transferring the goods and product information pertaining thereto from a provider of the goods to a storage and distribution means; (b) storing the goods, product information pertaining thereto, order information, and possibly sales information and marketing information on the storage and distribution means; (c) digitally transferring the product information to a shopper; (d) digitally transferring order information from a buyer of the goods to the storage and distribution means; and (e) digitally transferring the goods to the buyer. The storage and distribution means may be used to store digitally transferable goods, product information pertaining thereto, marketing information, and sales information. The storage and distribution means may be provided with one or more network connections, thereby allowing access by providers, shoppers, and buyers. A provider may establish a provider account, thereby allowing the provider access to the storage and distribution means to: a) upload and/or modify goods and/or product information; and/or b) access to marketing and/or sales information pertaining to goods of the provider. Goods and product information from a plurality of providers may be stored, preferably in a searchable form. The product information from a plurality of providers may be searched simultaneously by a shopper, and goods from a plurality of providers may be ordered by and immediately delivered to a buyer in a single order.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a commercial transaction that includes a transfer of digitally transferable goods from a provider to a shopper through a globally accessible computer network, comprising:

providing in the globally accessible computer network a storage and distribution region for storage of an inventory of digitally transferable goods, the storage and distribution region including multiple provider areas assigned to corresponding multiple remotely located providers for storage of digitally transferable goods uploaded by the multiple remotely located providers;

establishing common administrative control of uploading of digitally transferable goods from any of the multiple remotely located providers to the corresponding assigned provider area;

establishing in response to a request by any of the multiple remotely located providers and in operative association with the common administrative control a digitally transferable goods transfer communication link within the globally accessible computer network, the goods transfer communication link providing a pathway by which the remotely located provider can upload a set of digitally transferable goods to and store the set of digitally transferable goods in the corresponding assigned provider area of the storage and distribution region;

establishing within the globally accessible computer network a network connection to the storage and distribution system in response to a request by a shopper for product information about a member item of the set of digitally transferable goods uploaded by one or more of the multiple remotely located providers;

causing in response to a purchase order made by the shopper a transfer of an ordered member item of the set of digitally transferable goods by downloading to the shopper the ordered member item by way of the globally accessible computer network from the storage and distribution region; and

providing for the remotely located provider whose member item was ordered and transferred an accounting record of the transfer of the ordered member item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing through the globally accessible computer network a provider session during which the remotely located provider, in cooperation with the common administrative control, self-manages the provider'"'"'s inventory by accessing the corresponding assigned provider area of the storage and distribution region to modify the stored set of digitally transferable goods.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the remotely located provider modifies the stored set of digitally transferable goods by entering the corresponding assigned provider area and uploading new digitally transferable goods.

4. The method of claim 2, in which the remotely located provider modifies the stored set of digitally transferable goods by entering the corresponding assigned area to remove selected digitally transferable goods.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the common administrative control of uploading digitally transferable goods includes validation of each of the multiple remotely located providers to restrict access to the corresponding assigned provider area, the validation comprising for each of the multiple remotely located providers:

establishing a provider account and assigning to the provider at least one of provider account identification data and a provider password;

collecting from the provider at least one of an electronic mail address, financial information, and identification information;

verifying at least one of the financial information and the identification information; and

transmitting, to the electronic mail address collected from the provider, at least one of the provider account identification data and the provider password.

6. The method of claim 1, in which product marketing and sales information pertaining to a remotely located provider is stored in the storage and distribution region, and further comprising establishing through the globally accessible computer network a provider session during which the remotely located provider, in cooperation with the common administrative control, accesses at least one of the marketing and sales information pertaining to the set of digitally transferable goods of the remotely located provider.

7. The method of claim 1, in which:

the product information about a member item of the set of digitally transferable goods is stored on the globally accessible computer network in a searchable database of product information of the products uploaded by the remotely located providers; and

the request by a shopper for product information about a member item enables the shopper to search the searchable database for the product information.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the shopper has an electronic mail address and the purchase order includes shopper financial information, and further comprising in response to the purchase order made by the shopper:

verifying the shopper financial information;

generating at least one of purchase order identification data and a purchase order password; and

confirming the purchase order by transferring at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password to the electronic mail address of the shopper and requiring shopper confirmation of receipt thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

logging at least one of the shopper electronic mail address, the shopper financial information, and a date/time/network address corresponding to the purchase order made by the shopper; and

storing as sales information at least one of the purchase order information data, electronic mail address of the shopper, the date/time/network address, and the shopper financial information.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the transfer of an ordered member item by downloading the ordered member item to the shopper comprises:

establishing an order storage area in the storage and distribution region for storing the ordered member item and from which the ordered member item may be downloaded to the shopper;

transferring at least one of purchase order identification data and a purchase order password to an electronic mail address of the shopper, at least one of the purchase order identification data and purchase order password being generated in response to the purchase order made by the shopper;

requiring confirmation by the shopper of receipt of at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password; and

placing the ordered member item in the order storage area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising submission by the shopper of at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password to cause the transfer of the ordered member item.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising submission by the shopper of at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password to enable a return of the ordered member item.

13. A system for conducting a commercial transaction that includes a transfer of digitally transferable goods from a provider to a shopper through a globally accessible computer network, comprising:

a storage and distribution region provided in the globally accessible computer network for storage of an inventory of digitally transferable goods, the storage and distribution region including multiple provider areas assigned to corresponding multiple remotely located providers, for storage of digitally transferable goods uploaded by the multiple remotely located providers;

an administrative control sub-system for establishing common administrative control of uploading of digitally transferable goods from any of the multiple remotely located providers to the corresponding assigned provider area;

a digitally transferable goods transfer communication link, established within the globally accessible computer network in response to a request by any of the multiple remotely located providers and in operative association with the administrative control sub-system, the goods transfer communication link providing a pathway by which the remotely located provider can upload a set of digitally transferable goods to and store the set of digitally transferable goods in the corresponding assigned provider area of the storage and distribution region;

a network connection to the storage and distribution system established within the globally accessible computer network in response to a request by a shopper for product information about a member item of the set of digitally transferable goods uploaded by one or more of the multiple remotely located providers;

a digitally transferable goods download communication link, established within the globally accessible computer network in response to a purchase order made by the shopper, for transferring an ordered member item of the set of digitally transferable goods to the shopper from the storage and distribution region; and

an accounting sub-system for providing for the remotely located provider whose member item was ordered and transferred an accounting record of the transfer of the ordered member item.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the administrative control sub-system is programmed to enable the remotely located provider to establish, through the globally accessible computer network, a provider session during which the remotely located provider self-manages the provider'"'"'s inventory by accessing the corresponding assigned provider area of the storage and distribution region to modify the stored set of digitally transferable goods.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the administrative control sub-system is programmed to enable the remotely located provider to modify the stored set of digitally transferable goods by entering the corresponding assigned provider area and uploading new digitally transferable goods.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the administrative control sub-system is programmed to enable the remotely located provider to modify the stored set of digitally transferable goods by entering the corresponding assigned area to remove selected digitally transferable goods.

17. The system of claim 13, in which the administrative control sub-system includes a provider validation sub-system for validating each of the multiple remotely located providers to restrict access to the corresponding assigned provider area, the provider validation subsystem being programmed for:

establishing for each of the multiple remotely located providers a provider account and assigning to the provider at least one of provider account identification data and a provider password;

collecting from the provider at least one of an electronic mail address, financial information, and identification information;

verifying at least one of the financial information and the identification information; and

transmitting, to the electronic mail address collected from the provider, at least one of the provider account identification data and the provider password.

18. The system of claim 13, in which product marketing and sales information pertaining to a remotely located provider is stored in the storage and distribution region, and the administrative control sub-system is programmed to enable the remotely located provider to access, during a provider session established through the globally accessible computer network and in cooperation with the common administrative control sub-system, at least one of the marketing and sales information pertaining to the set of digitally transferable goods of the remotely located provider.

19. The system of claim 13, in which:

the product information about a member item of the set of digitally transferable goods is stored on the globally accessible computer network in a searchable database of product information of the products uploaded by the remotely located providers; and

the administrative sub-system is programmed to enable, in response to a request by a shopper for product information about a member item, the shopper to search the searchable database for the product information.

20. The system of claim 13, in which the administrative control sub-system includes a purchase order sub-system for receiving the purchase order, the purchase order including at least one of a shopper electronic mail address and shopper financial information, and the purchase order sub-system being programmed for, in response to the purchase order made by the shopper:

verifying the shopper financial information;

generating at least one of purchase order identification data and a purchase order password; and

confirming the purchase order by transferring at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password to the electronic mail address of the shopper and requiring shopper confirmation of receipt thereof.

21. The system of claim 20, in which the purchase order sub-system is further programmed for:

logging at least one of the shopper electronic mail address, the shopper financial information, and a date/time/network address corresponding to the purchase order made by the shopper; and

storing as sales information at least one of the purchase order information data, electronic mail address of the shopper, the date/time/network address, and the shopper financial information.

22. The system of claim 13, in which:

the storage and distribution region includes an order storage area, established in response to the purchase order, for storing the ordered member item and from which the ordered member item may be downloaded to the shopper; and

the administrative control sub-system is programmed for

generating at least one of purchase order identification data and a purchase order password in response to the purchase order,

transferring at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password to an electronic mail address of the shopper,

requiring confirmation by the shopper of receipt of at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password, and

placing the ordered member item in the order storage area.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the administrative control sub-system is further programmed for receiving from the shopper at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password to cause the transfer of the ordered member item.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the administrative control sub-system is further programmed for receiving from the shopper at least one of the purchase order identification data and the purchase order password to enable a return of the ordered member item.