Method and apparatus for automatic product listing

• US 6,947,900 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Drugstore.com Incorporated (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nolan, Sean, Giordano, Joseph III
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/480,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/16
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

On-line purchasing of products from an electronic commerce (e.g., a Web page) seller is assisted by providing users with a list of previously purchased products. The list of products can be used for simplified reordering of a product previously purchased. In one embodiment, the list is categorized based on, for example, product type, purchase date, etc. Additional product information can also be provided when a product is selected from the list.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating electronic product ordering, comprising:

serving a web page to a remote personal electronic device having a browser application to provide access to a user to products for electronic ordering via the personal electronic device, the products including prescription medications and over-the-counter (OTC) medications;

receiving an electronic order made by the user for at least one of the products;

storing in a database user information for the user, including a user identification and a record of the electronic orders made by the user, as well as medical insurance information of a medical insurance card associated with the user, the medical insurance information including an insurance carrier name, a plan name and number, a group number, an insurance card holder name, a member ID, and relationship information indicating relationship of the user and a card holder of the insurance card;

determining with a cookie if the user is a registered user upon access of the web page by the user via the personal electronic device;

determining from the record a list of products previously ordered by the user;

providing automatically on the web page the list of products previously ordered by the user if the user is determined to be a registered user;

submitting electronically a new order for a previously ordered medication in response to the medication being selected from the list via the personal electronic device, wherein the new order is forwarded to a prescription distribution center if the new order is for prescription medication, and to an OTC distribution center if the new order is for over the counter (OTC) medication, the new order including a name and phone number of a doctor prescribing the ordered medication, a name and phone number of a pharmacy, and a prescription number;

receiving an acknowledgement message from one of the prescription distribution center and the OTC distribution center in response to the new order, the acknowledgement message including a national drug code, quantity information, refill information, prescription label information, dosage information, strength information, packaging information, pricing information, usage instructions;

transmitting an electronic order acknowledgement message to the user based on the acknowledgement message received from one of the prescription distribution center and the OTC distribution center, the electronic order acknowledgement message including the ordered medication to be dispensed and a co-payment amount required by the user; and

generating an invoice to a medical insurance carrier indicated in the medical insurance information if submitting the new order for the product comprises submitting an order for a medication covered by the medical insurance carrier.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the list of products further comprises categorizing the products based on one or more of:

product category, date of ordering, and product price.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the frequency of orders of the products to determine a period of time for a subsequent order; and

producing an automatic reminder for the user to indicate that the period of time has expired.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein submitting electronically the new order for the previously ordered product further comprises:

determining a address to which the previously ordered product was shipped;

verifying the address; and

causing the product for which the new order was submitted to be shipped to the address.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising suggesting to the user additional products related to the product selected for submitting the new order.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the list of products further comprises providing the list categorized by product.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein producing the automatic reminder comprises automatically generating an email message to the user.

8. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a response to the automatic reminder; and

automatically reordering a product in response to receiving the response.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-accessible medium having content to provide instructions to cause an electronic device to:

serve a web page to a remote personal electronic device having a browser application to provide access to a user to products for electronic ordering via the personal electronic device, the products including prescription medications and over-the-counter (OTC) medications;

receive an electronic order made by the user for at least one of the products;

store in a database user information for the user, including a user identification and a record of the electronic orders made by the user, as well as medical insurance information of a medical insurance card associated with the user, the medical insurance information including an insurance carrier name, a plan name and number, a group number, an insurance card holder name, a member ID, and relationship information indicating relationship of the user and a card holder of the insurance card;

determine with a cookie if the user is a registered user upon access of the web page by the user via the personal electronic device to determine if the user is a registered user;

determine from the record a list of products previously ordered by the user;

provide automatically on the web page the list of products previously ordered by the user if the user is determined to be a registered user;

submit electronically a new order for a previously ordered medication in response to the medication being selected from the list via the personal electronic device, wherein the new order is forwarded to a prescription distribution center if the new order is for prescription medication, and to an OTC distribution center if the new order is for over the counter (OTC) medication, the new order including a name and phone number of a doctor prescribing the ordered medication, a name and phone number of a pharmacy, and a prescription number;

receive an acknowledgement message from one of the prescription distribution center and the OTC distribution center in response to the new order, the acknowledgement message including a national drug code, quantity information, refill information, prescription label information, dosage information, strength information, packaging information, pricing information, usage instructions;

transmit an electronic order acknowledgement message to the user based on the acknowledgement message received from one of the prescription distribution center and the OTC distribution center, the electronic order acknowledgement message including the ordered medication to be dispensed and a co-payment amount required by the user; and

generate an invoice to a medical insurance carrier indicated in the medical insurance information if submitting the new order for the product comprises submitting an order for a medication covered by the medical insurance carrier.

10. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to determine the list of products further comprises the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to categorize the products based on one or more of:

product category, date of ordering, and product price.

11. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, further comprising the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to:

analyze the frequency of orders of the products to determine a period of time for a subsequent order; and

produce an automatic reminder for the user to indicate that the period of time has expired.

12. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to submit the new order for the previously ordered product further comprises the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to:

determine a address to which the previously ordered product was shipped;

verify the address; and

cause the product for which the new order was submitted to be shipped to the address.

13. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, further comprising the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to suggest to the user additional products related to the product selected for submitting the new order.

14. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to provide the list of products further comprises the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to provide the list categorized by product.

15. An article of manufacture according to claim 11, wherein the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to produce the automatic reminder comprises the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to automatically generate an email message to the user.

16. An article of manufacture according to claim 11, further comprising the content to provide instructions to cause the electronic device to:

receive a response to the automatic reminder; and

automatically reorder a product in response to receiving the response.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for serving a web page to a remote personal electronic device having a browser application to provide access to a user to products for electronic ordering via the personal electronic device, the products including prescription medications and over-the-counter (OTC) medications;

means for receiving an electronic order made by the user for at least one of the products;

means for storing in a database user information for the user, including a user identification and a record of the electronic orders made by the user, as well as medical insurance information of a medical insurance card associated with the user, the medical insurance information including an insurance carrier name, a plan name and number, a group number, an insurance card holder name, a member ID, and relationship information indicating relationship of the user and a card holder of the insurance card;

means for determining with a cookie if the user is a registered user upon access of the web page by the user via the personal electronic device to determine if the user is a registered user;

means for determining from the record a list of products previously ordered by the user;

means for providing automatically on the web page the list of products previously ordered by the user if the user is determined to be a registered user;

means for submitting electronically a new order for a previously ordered product in response to the product being selected from the list via the personal electronic device, the new order including a name and phone number of a doctor prescribing the ordered medication, a name and phone number of a pharmacy, and a prescription number;

means for receiving an acknowledgement message from one of the prescription distribution center and the OTC distribution center in response to the new order, the acknowledgement message including a national drug code, quantity information, refill information, prescription label information, dosage information, strength information, packaging information, pricing information, usage instructions;

means for transmitting an electronic order acknowledgement message to the user based on the acknowledgement message received from one of the prescription distribution center and the OTC distribution center, the electronic order acknowledgement message including the ordered medication to be dispensed and a co-payment amount required by the user;

means for generating an invoice to a medical insurance carrier indicated in the medical insurance information if submitting the new order for the product comprises submitting an order for a medication covered by the medical insurance carrier;

means for analyzing the frequency of orders of the products to determine a period of time for a subsequent order; and

means for producing an automatic reminder for the user to indicate that the period of time has expired.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for determining the list of products further comprises means for categorizing the products based on one or more of:

product category, date of ordering, and product price.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for submitting the new order for the previously ordered product further comprises:

means for determining a address to which the previously ordered product was shipped;

means for verifying the address; and

means for causing the product for which the new order was submitted to be shipped to the address.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for submitting the new order for the previously ordered product comprises means for submitting a new order for medications, wherein submitting the new order for prescription medication comprises forwarding the order to a prescription distribution center, and wherein submitting the new order for over the counter (OTC) medication comprises forwarding the order to an OTC distribution center.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for suggesting to the user additional products related to the product selected for submitting the new order.

22. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for providing the list of products further comprises means for providing the list categorized by product.

23. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for producing the automatic reminder comprises means for automatically generating an email message to the user.

24. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for receiving a response to the automatic reminder; and

means for automatically reordering a product in response to receiving the response.