Method and system in electronic commerce for uniquely identifying products to improve reliability and confidence in transactions initiated online
First Claim
1. A method for processing a transaction in electronic commerce, the method comprising:
- receiving a transaction message at a computer system through a communication network from a seller, wherein the transaction message comprises a description of goods to be transferred during a transaction between a seller of the goods and a buyer of the goods;
creating a transaction tag to be associated with the goods during the transaction, wherein the transaction tag uniquely identifies the goods in the transaction, and wherein the transaction tag is a physical tag;
sending the transaction tag to the seller;
receiving, at a computer system through a communication network from the seller, a digital image to be associated with the transaction, wherein the digital image comprises an image of the goods on which the transaction tag has been attached, the transaction tag being visible within the digital image; and
sending the digital image from a computer system through a communication network to one or more viewers.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, system, or computer program product facilitates trustworthy electronic commerce by providing a methodology for uniquely identifying a product offered for sale online so as to improve the trustworthiness of a purchase that was initiated electronically. A product for sale in an online auction has a unique, tamper-resistant, physical tag applied to the product, after which the product or object is photographed, either as a digital image or a traditional photograph. The image of the product is then sent to the buyer in some manner. Assuming the buyer agrees to buy the product, the buyer eventually receives the product, presumably with the physically attached, tamper-resistant, tag. The buyer then has increased confidence both before and during the exchange of the product that the product is identical to the product that was described via the image of the product.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for processing a transaction in electronic commerce, the method comprising:
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receiving a transaction message at a computer system through a communication network from a seller, wherein the transaction message comprises a description of goods to be transferred during a transaction between a seller of the goods and a buyer of the goods; creating a transaction tag to be associated with the goods during the transaction, wherein the transaction tag uniquely identifies the goods in the transaction, and wherein the transaction tag is a physical tag; sending the transaction tag to the seller; receiving, at a computer system through a communication network from the seller, a digital image to be associated with the transaction, wherein the digital image comprises an image of the goods on which the transaction tag has been attached, the transaction tag being visible within the digital image; and sending the digital image from a computer system through a communication network to one or more viewers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for processing a transaction in electronic commerce, the method comprising:
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generating a transaction message, wherein the transaction message comprises a description of goods to be transferred during a transaction between a seller of the goods and a buyer of the goods; sending the transaction message to an online sales service that facilitates a purchase transaction between the buyer and the seller; receiving a transaction tag to be associated with the goods during the transaction from the online sales service, wherein the transaction tag uniquely identifies the goods in the transaction, and wherein the transaction tag is a physical tag; generating a digital image to be associated with the transaction, wherein the digital image comprises an image of the goods on which the transaction tag has been attached, the transaction tag being visible within the digital image; and sending the digital image to the online sales service. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. An apparatus for processing a transaction in electronic commerce, the apparatus comprising:
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first receiving means for receiving a transaction message from a seller, wherein the transaction message comprises a description of goods to be transferred during a transaction between a seller of the goods and a buyer of the goods; creating means for creating a transaction tag to be associated with the goods during the transaction, wherein the transaction tag uniquely identifies the goods in the transaction, and wherein the transaction tag is a physical tag; first sending means for sending the transaction tag to the seller; second receiving means for receiving, from the seller, a digital image to be associated with the transaction, wherein the digital image comprises an image of the goods on which the transaction tag has been attached, the transaction tag being visible within the digital image; and second sending means for sending the digital image to one or more viewers. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for processing a transaction in electronic commerce, the apparatus comprising:
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first generating means for generating a transaction message, wherein the transaction message comprises a description of goods to be transferred during a transaction between a seller of the goods and a buyer of the goods; first sending means for sending the transaction message to an online sales service that facilitates a purchase transaction between the buyer and the seller; first receiving means for receiving a transaction tag to be associated with the goods during the transaction from the online sales service, wherein the transaction tag uniquely identifies the goods in the transaction, and wherein the transaction tag is a physical tag; second generating means for generating a digital image to be associated with the transaction, wherein the digital image comprises an image of the goods on which the transaction tag has been attached, the transaction tag being visible within the digital image; and second sending means for sending the digital image to the online sales service. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for processing a transaction in electronic commerce, the computer program product comprising:
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instructions for receiving a transaction message from a seller, wherein the transaction message comprises a description of goods to be transferred during a transaction between a seller of the goods and a buyer of the goods; instructions for creating a transaction tag to be associated with the goods during the transaction, wherein the transaction tag uniquely identifies the goods in the transaction, and wherein the transaction tag is a physical tag; instructions for sending the transaction tag to the seller; instructions for receiving, from the seller, a digital image to be associated with the transaction, wherein the digital image comprises an image of the goods on which the transaction tag has been attached, the transaction tag being visible within the digital image; and instructions for sending the digital image to one or more viewers. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for processing a transaction in electronic commerce, the computer program product comprising:
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instructions for generating a transaction message, wherein the transaction message comprises a description of goods to be transferred during a transaction between a seller of the goods and a buyer of the goods; instructions for sending the transaction message to an online sales service that facilitates a purchase transaction between the buyer and the seller; instructions for receiving a transaction tag to be associated with the goods during the transaction from the online sales service, wherein the transaction tag uniquely identifies the goods in the transaction, and wherein the transaction tag is a physical tag; instructions for generating a digital image to be associated with the transaction, wherein the digital image comprises an image of the goods on which the transaction tag has been attached, the transaction tag being visible within the digital image; and instructions for sending the digital image to the online sales service. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification