System and method for ordering items

• US 7,395,261 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amy Hobbs Atzel
• Original Assignee: Amy Hobbs Atzel
• Inventors: Atzel, Amy Hobbs
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US09/717,529
• Time in Patent Office: 2,779 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 6, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/102, 709/203, 705/26, 705/27, 715/500, 715/505, 715/513
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for retrieving items, the method includes the steps of receiving a text request comprising a unique identifier identifying an electronic file and unformatted text, parsing the text request to identify the unique identifier, and requesting the electronic file associated with the unique identifier. Where the request comprises more than one unique identifier, the unique identifiers are provided to a user for selection of one or more of the unique identifiers and the user is queried to order the file associated with the selected unique identifiers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for retrieving a plurality of electronic files over a wide area network, the method comprising:

providing a browser window comprising a web page executed on a computer, wherein the web page comprises a form, wherein the form is capable of receiving a text request string from an electronic mail message;

receiving in said form a text request string comprising unique identifiers and unformatted text, wherein the unique identifiers uniquely identify electronic files;

parsing the text request string to identify the unique identifiers in the string, wherein identifying includes matching based on selected criteria;

providing the unique identifiers to a user for selection of a plurality of said unique identifiers, wherein the number of unique identifiers provided to the user for selection is the same as the number of electronic files for retrieval;

querying a user to order the electronic files identified by the selected unique identifiers, wherein a plurality of electronic files ordered are delivered to a user electronically.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein files identified by the selected unique identifiers are delivered electronically as a bundle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the file is selected from multimedia files, image files, document files, and program files.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing step is executed by a client computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing step is executed by a server computer.

6. A computer-implemented method for retrieving a plurality of items over a wide area network, the method comprising:

providing a browser window comprising a web page executed on a computer, wherein the web page comprises a form, wherein the form is capable of receiving a request from an electronic mail message;

receiving in said form a request comprising unique identifiers and data, wherein the unique identifiers identify unique items;

parsing the request to identify the unique identifiers, wherein identifying includes matching based on selected criteria;

providing the unique identifiers to a user for selection of a plurality of said unique identifiers, wherein the number of unique identifiers provided to the user for selection is the same as the number of items for retrieval;

querying a user to order the items identified by the selected unique identifiers, wherein a plurality of items ordered are delivered to a user electronically.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the items are files selected from multimedia files, image files, document files, and program files.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein items identified by the selected unique identifiers are delivered electronically as a bundle.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the parsing step is executed by a client computer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the parsing step is executed by a server computer.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the request comprises text.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the request comprises an image.

13. A computer-implemented system for retrieving a plurality of items over a wide area network comprising:

a browser window comprising a web page executed on a computer, wherein the web page comprises a form, wherein the form is capable of receiving a request from an electronic mail message;

a request module receiving a request comprising unique identifiers and data wherein the unique identifiers identify unique items;

a parser module identifying the unique identifiers, wherein identifying includes matching based on selected criteria;

a display module that provides the unique identifiers to a user for selection of one or more a plurality of the unique identifiers;

wherein the number of unique identifiers provided to the user for selection is the same as the number of items for retrieval;

an order module that enables a server system to process an order for the a plurality of items identified by the unique identifiers;

wherein a plurality of items ordered are delivered to a user electronically.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the items are files selected from multimedia files, image files, document files, and program files.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein items identified by the selected unique identifiers are delivered electronically as a bundle.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the parser module is implemented on a server computer.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the parser module is implemented on a client computer.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the request comprises an image.