Methods and systems for online express ordering of goods and services

• US 6,970,838 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Allen, Kamath, Sudesh, Hom, Tyson
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Timothy M.
• Application Number:
  US09/645,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37, 705/29, 705/1, 705/39, 340/5.2
• US Class Current: 705/26.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method of processing an online purchase request from a customer includes steps of receiving a first online purchase request for a first item; retrieving pre-stored information about the customer and generating a first quote that includes an identification of the first item and the retrieved information. Modifications may be made to the first quote, which lasts at least until a consolidation interval has elapsed. The first quote is converted to a first executable order for the first item when a quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified at least for the consolidation interval. A second online purchase request for a second item may be added to the first quote when the second online purchase request is received before the first quote is converted into the first order or when the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time that is less than the consolidation interval. A second quote may be generated when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time greater than the consolidation interval. The quote conversion process may run continuously or may be launched at a selectable interval. The consolidation interval may be measured, for example, from the time at which the quote conversion process is launched.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing a purchase request from a customer over a computer network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first online purchase request for a first item over the computer network;

retrieving pre-stored information about the customer from a database of customer information;

generating a first quote that includes an identification of the first item and the retrieved information;

allowing modifications to be made to the first quote, the first quote lasting at least until a consolidation interval has elapsed, and

launching a quote conversion process, the quote conversion process being configured to determine whether the first quote has remained unmodified at least for the consolidation interval;

converting the first quote to a first executable order responsive to the launching step when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified at least for the consolidation interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received purchase request includes a click of a pointing device coupled to a client computer device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the quote generating step includes a step of generating an order status Web page that is viewable by the customer, the order status Web page displaying selected details of the first quote.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the order status Web page is configured to refer to the first quote as a pending order.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the allowing step allows at least one of the customer, a selected process and at least one authorized person to modify the first quote.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one authorized person includes the customer and a sales representative.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the quote conversion process is launched at a selectable interval.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the consolidation interval is measured from a time at which the quote conversion process is launched.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the quote conversion process runs continuously.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending the first executable order to an order fulfillment system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

adding the second item to the first quote when the second online purchase request is received before the first quote is converted into the first order.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

adding the second item to the first quote when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time that is less than the consolidation interval.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

generating a second quote that includes an identification of the second item and the retrieved information when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time greater than the consolidation interval.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the quote conversion process determines a difference between a time at which a last modification to the first quote was made and a current time and converts the quote to the first order when the difference is greater than the consolidation interval.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending an email to the customer when the first quote is converted into the first order.

16. A computer system configured for processing a customer purchase request over a computer network, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device coupled to said at least one processor;

a plurality of processes spawned and executed by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for;

receiving a first online purchase request for a first item over the computer network;

retrieving pre-stored information about the customer from a database of customer information;

generating a first quote that includes an identification of the first item and the retrieved information;

allowing modifications to be made to the first quote, the first quote lasting at least until a consolidation interval has elapsed, and

launching a quote conversion process, the quote conversion process being configured to determine whether the first quote has remained unmodified at least for the consolidation interval;

converting the first quote to a first executable order responsive to the launching step when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified at least for the consolidation interval.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the received purchase request includes a click of a pointing device coupled to a client computer device.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the quote generating step includes a step of generating an order status Web page that is viewable by the customer, the order status Web page displaying selected details of the first quote.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the order status Web page is configured to refer to the first quote as a pending order.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the allowing step allows at least one of the customer, a selected process and at least one authorized person to modify the first quote.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the at least one authorized person includes the customer and a sales representative.

22. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the quote conversion process is launched at a selectable interval.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the consolidation interval is measured from a time at which the quote conversion process is launched.

24. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the quote conversion process runs continuously.

25. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising the step of sending the first executable order to an order fulfillment system.

26. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

adding the second item to the first quote when the second online purchase request is received before the first quote is converted into the first order.

27. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

adding the second item to the first quote when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time that is less than the consolidation interval.

28. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

generating a second quote that includes an identification of the second item and the retrieved information when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time greater than the consolidation interval.

29. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the quote conversion process determines a difference between a time at which a last modification to the first quote was made and a current time and converts the quote to the first order when the difference is greater than the consolidation interval.

30. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising the step of sending an email to the customer when the first quote is converted into the first order.

31. A machine-readable medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by computing device, causes said computing device to process a customer purchase request over a computer network by performing the steps of:

receiving a first online purchase request for a first item over the computer network;

retrieving pre-stored information about the customer from a database of customer information;

generating a first quote that includes an identification of the first item and the retrieved information;

allowing modifications to be made to the first quote, the first quote lasting at least until a consolidation interval has elapsed;

launching a quote conversion process, the quote conversion process being configured to determine whether the first quote has remained unmodified at least for the consolidation interval;

converting the first quote to a first executable order responsive to the launching step when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified at least for the consolidation interval.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the received purchase request includes a click of a pointing device coupled to a client computer device.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the quote generating step includes a step of generating an order status Web page that is viewable by the customer, the order status Web page displaying selected details of the first quote.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the order status Web page is configured to refer to the first quote as a pending order.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the allowing step allows at least one of the customer, a selected process and at least one authorized person to modify the first quote.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the at least one authorized person includes the customer and a sales representative.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the quote conversion process is launched at a selectable interval.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the consolidation interval is measured from a time at which the quote conversion process is launched.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the quote conversion process runs continuously.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising the step of sending the first executable order to an order fulfillment system.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

adding the second item to the first quote when the second online purchase request is received before the first quote is converted into the first order.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

adding the second item to the first quote when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time that is less than the consolidation interval.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second online purchase request for a second item from the customer, and

generating a second quote that includes an identification of the second item and the retrieved information when the quote conversion process determines that the first quote has remained unmodified for a period of time greater than the consolidation interval.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the quote conversion process determines a difference between a time at which a last modification to the first quote was made and a current time and converts the quote to the first order when the difference is greater than the consolidation interval.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising the step of sending an email to the customer when the first quote is converted into the first order.