System and method for electronic shopping using an interactive shopping agent

• US 6,868,392 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ogasawara, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAQ, NAEEM U
• Application Number:
  US09/350,818
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• 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 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy

Abstract

An electronic shopping system which utilizes an electronic shopping agent (ESA) for allowing communication between customers and retailers during Internet shopping. The ESA has access to a customer database and a retailer database. When a request for an item/service is received by the ESA from a customer, the customer profile information is retrieved from the customer database. Appropriate retailers are also selected from the retailer database. The customer profile information and customer request is bundled as a request for proposal (RFP) and forwarded to the selected retailers for servicing. The retailers, upon receipt of the RFP submit proposals to the ESA for forwarding to the requesting customer. The proposals are catered to the requesting customer'"'"'s needs and preferences. The ESA may analyze the proposals and select the best proposal(s) prior to their forwarding to the requesting customer. The ESA may further provide market survey reports to the retailers based on information accumulated on the customers using the system.

Claims

1. An electronic shopping system comprising:

a customer interface for enabling receipt of a customer-specific merchandise or service request;

a customer database system for storing a plurality of customer records, each record including customer profile data and merchandise and service request history data for a plurality of past and present merchandise and service requests submitted by the customer;

a retailer database system for storing a plurality of retailer records, each record including retailer merchandise or service data;

an electronic shopping agent having access to the customer database system and the retailer database system, the electronic shopping agent being configured to locate a customer record corresponding to the requesting customer from the customer database system, and further being configured to identify a retailer from the retailer database system based on the received request, and generate a request for proposal based on the customer-specific merchandise or service request, customer profile data, and merchandise and service request history data;

means coupled to the electronic shopping agent for transmitting the request for proposal to a computer system of the identified retailer;

means for performing a search for a product or service based on the merchandise or service request, customer profile data, and merchandise and service request history data;

means coupled to the electronic shopping agent for receiving from the identified retailer, in response to the request for proposal, information on a product or service selected during the search;

means for updating the customer record in response to the receipt of information on the product or service; and

means coupled to the electronic shopping agent for forwarding to the requesting customer the information on the product or service.

2. The electronic shopping system of claim 1, wherein the customer interface includes an Internet connection.

3. The electronic shopping system of claim 1, wherein the electronic shopping agent generates a market survey report from data in the customer database system.

4. The electronic shopping system of claim 1, wherein the electronic shopping agent provides privacy protection to the customer by deleting the identity of the customer when generating the merchandise or service request.

5. The electronic shopping system of claim 1 further comprising a merchandise information database system for storing a plurality of merchandise records, each record including merchandise or service data.

6. The electronic shopping system of claim 1, wherein each retailer record includes an information storage area for maintaining proposal history data for a plurality of matching products or services submitted by the retailer.

7. The electronic shopping system of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving information on a plurality of matching products or services from a plurality of identified retailers, the electronic shopping agent being configured to select a recommended product or service from the plurality of matching products or services for forwarding to the requesting customer.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a product database storing product or service information, wherein the electronic shopping agent is further configured to search the product database for additional information on the product or service and forward to the requesting customer the additional information along with the information received from the identified retailer on the product or service.

9. An electronic shopping agent having access to a customer database system and a retailer database system, the customer database system storing a plurality of customer records, and the retailer database system storing a plurality of retailer records including retailer merchandise or service data, the electronic shopping agent comprising:

means for receiving a customer-specific merchandise or service request;

means for locating a customer record corresponding to the requesting customer from the customer database system the customer record including customer profile data and merchandise and service request history data for a plurality of past and present merchandise and service requests submitted by the customer;

means for identifying a retailer from the retailer database system based on the received request;

means for generating a request for proposal based on the customer-specific merchandise or service request, customer profile data, and merchandise and service request history data;

means for transmitting the request for proposal to a computer system of the identified retailer;

means for performing a search for a product or service based on the merchandise or service request, customer profile data, and merchandise and service request history data;

means for receiving from the identified retailer, in response to the request for proposal, information on a product or service selected during the search;

means for updating the customer record in response to the receipt of information on the product or service; and

means for forwarding to the requesting customer the information on the product or service.

10. The electronic shopping agent of claim 9 further comprising means for generating a market survey report from data in the customer database system.

11. The electronic shopping agent of claim 9 further comprising means for providing privacy protection to the customer by deleting the identity of the customer when generating the merchandise or service the request.

12. The electronic shopping agent of claim 9 further comprising:

means for receiving information on a plurality of matching products or services from a plurality of identified retailers; and

means for selecting a recommended product or service from the plurality of matching products or services for forwarding to the requesting customer.

13. The electronic shopping agent of claim 12 further comprising a means for searching a product database for additional information on the product or service, wherein the means for forwarding forwards to the requesting customer the additional information along with the information received from the identified retailer on the product or service.

14. In an electronic shopping system including an electronic shopping agent with access to a customer database system and a retailer database system, the customer database system storing a plurality of customer records, and the retailer database system storing a plurality of retailer records including retailer merchandise or service data, a method of establishing communication between a customer and a retailer through the electronic shopping agent, the method comprising the, steps of:

receiving a customer-specific merchandise or service request;

locating a customer record corresponding to the requesting customer from the customer database system, the customer record including customer profile data and merchandise and service request history data for a plurality of past and present merchandise and service requests submitted by the customer;

identifying a retailer from the retailer database system based on the received request;

the electronic shopping agent generating a request for proposal based on the customer-specific merchandise or service request, customer profile data, and merchandise and service request history data;

transmitting the request for proposal to a computer system of the identified retailer;

performing at a retailer site a search for a product or service based on the merchandise or service request, customer profile data, and merchandise and service request history data;

receiving from the identified retailer, in response to the request for proposal, information on a product or service selected during the search;

updating the customer record in response to the receipt of information on the product or service; and

forwarding to the requesting customer the information on the product or service.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of generating a market survey report from data in the customer database system.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of providing privacy protection to the customer by deleting the identity of the customer when generating the merchandise or service request.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

receiving information on a plurality of matching products or services from a plurality of identified retailers; and

selecting a recommended product or service from the plurality of matching products or services for forwarding to the requesting customer.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

searching a product database for additional information on the product or service; and

forwarding to the requesting customer the additional information along with the information received from the identified retailer on the product or service.