Methods and apparatus for implementing internet storefronts to provide integrated functions

• US 7,069,271 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Noyes, Shawn, Wessa, Robert, Feuerstein, David Marc, Fadel, Tarek
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): DODDS, HAROLD E
• Application Number:
  US09/706,098
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/9, 707/104.1, 707/200, 705/1, 705/10, 705/26, 708/100, 708/131, 708/141, 708/142, 710/1, 710/5, 710/8, 710/62, 710 72- 74, 717/174
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/948 Product or catalog
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A rapidly deployable, integrated online sales system consisting of a core storefront application that executes on a conventional web database server, a guided buying and sales configuration module for selling products and services, a content management module, a recommendation system for making recommendations during a shopping session, an advertising management system, a profiling system for customizing customer interactions based on the site visitor'"'"'s demonstrated interests, and reporting system that provides an analysis of a user'"'"'s behavior to create the valuable reports. The various components of the desired system are first assembled as a pre-integrated prototype system on a source computer that can be rapidly recreated using pre-written operating system installation scripts which execute during the deployment process, prompting the installer to provide data values used to modify the content of pre-written configuration template files to accommodate the special needs of each individual installation.

Claims

1. An integrated online sales system which comprises, in combination,

a web database server connected to the Internet for storing product, customer and sales transaction data, and

means for installing and managing the integrated operation of a cooperating set of separate application program modules comprising:

a storefront application which executes on said web database server,

a content management application for creating and updating product data stored on said database server,

a recommendation system for analyzing said customer and sales transaction data for predicting the preferences of individual customers and making specific real-time recommendations during a shopping session,

an advertising management application for selectively presenting advertising to each customers during a shopping session, and

a reporting system for analyzing said sales transaction data to generate reports.

2. An integrated online sales system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for installing and managing the integrated operation of said application program modules includes pre-written operating system scripts for rapidly deploying said sales system onto one or more target computers by automatically issuing prompts and accepting data values during the course of the installation of said application program modules to modify said integrated system in accordance with the needs of an individual installation.

4. An integrated online sales system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for installing and managing the integrated operation of said application program modules includes an administration system that provides a Web interface for permitting authorized users to perform centralized system administration functions.

5. The integrated online sales system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said administration system performs a password protected log-in procedure to permit only authorized persons to perform administration functions.

3. An integrated online sales system as set forth in clam 2 wherein said means for installing comprises a set of template configuration files and wherein said scripts when executed issue prompts and accept data for modifying the content of said template configuration files in accordance with the needs of an individual installation.

6. A method for rapidly deploying an integrated online sales system for performing online sales transactions which comprises, in combination, the steps of:

providing a web database server connected to the Internet for storing product, customer and sales transaction data in database tables, and

providing an integrated set of one or more pre-written operating system installation scripts to perform the steps of;

installing a storefront application for execution on said web database server,

installing a content management application for creating and updating product data stored in said database tables,

installing a profiling application for accumulating customer profile data describing the activity of individual customers during shopping sessions,

installing a recommendation application for analyzing said customer profile data and said sales transaction data to predicting the preferences of individual customers and for making specific real-time recommendation to customers during a shopping session,

installing an advertising management application for selectively presenting advertising to each customers during a shopping session, and

installing a reporting application for analyzing said sales transaction data to generate reports.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said pre-written operating system scripts automatically perform the steps of issuing prompts and accepting data values during the course of the installation of said application program modules to modify the operation of applications in accordance with the needs of an individual installation.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7 further comprising the steps of installing an administration application and employing said administration application to present a centralized menu system to an authorized user for performing centralized system administration functions.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said administration system performs a password protected log-in procedure to permit only authorized persons to perform said centralized administration functions using said centralized menu system.

8. The method as set forth in clam 7 wherein each of said applications accesses a configuration file and wherein the steps of issuing prompts and accepting data modify the content of each of said configuration files in accordance with the needs of an individual installation.