Sharing information about purchases

• US 7,478,054 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Jacobi, Jennifer, Bezos, Jeffrey P., Adams, Warren, Snodgrass, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUCHANAN, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US09/718,445
• Time in Patent Office: 2,976 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A facility for notifying a first user about a purchase made by a second user is described. The facility detects that the second user has purchased an item. The facility further determines that the first user has a purchase notification relationship with the second user. The facility then provides to the first user a notification that the second user has purchased the item.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a notified customer about a purchase made by a purchasing customer, comprising:

in a computing system, detecting that the purchasing customer has purchased an item for a person other than the notified customer, wherein the notified customer is not a party to the purchase transaction;

in the computing system, determining that the notified customer has a purchase notification relationship with the purchasing customer; and

via the computing system, providing to the notified customer a notification that the purchasing customer has purchased the item, the notification identifying the purchasing customer and including a link to additional information regarding the purchasing customer'"'"'s purchase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a notification that the purchasing customer has purchased the item is provided to the notified customer by displaying a visual indication of the purchase on a Web page requested by the notified customer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a notification that the purchasing customer has purchased the item is provided to the notified customer by sending a message to the notified customer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the sent message is an electronic mail message.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the sent message is an instant message.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the sent message is a pager message.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the sent message is a snail mail message.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the sent message is a voice mail message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing for the notified customer a purchase notification relationship with the purchasing customer in response to an instruction from the purchasing customer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing for the notified customer a purchase notification relationship with the purchasing customer in response to an instruction from the notified customer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing for the notified customer a purchase notification relationship with the purchasing customer in response to a comparison of characteristics of the notified and purchasing customers.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification is only provided in response to authorization from the purchasing customer with respect to the item.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification includes a control for obtaining additional information about the product.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification includes a control for purchasing the product.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises receiving an order from the purchasing customer for the item.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises receiving an order from a third customer ordering the item as a gift for the purchasing customer.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises receiving input from the purchasing customer indicating that the purchasing customer owns the item.

18. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to notify a notified customer about a purchase made by a purchasing customer, by a method comprising:

in the computing system, detecting that the purchasing customer has purchased an item for a recipient other than the notified customer, wherein the notified customer is not a party to the purchase transaction;

in the computing system, determining that the notified customer has a purchase notification relationship with the purchasing customer; and

via the computing system, providing to the notified customer a notification that the purchasing customer has purchased the item, the notification identifying the purchasing customer and including a link to additional information regarding the purchasing customer'"'"'s purchase.

19. A computing system for notifying a notified customer about a purchase made by a purchasing customer, comprising:

a processor and memory together comprising;

a purchase detection subsystem that detects that the purchasing customer has purchased an item for a recipient other than the notified customer, wherein the notified customer is not a party to the purchase transaction;

a purchase notification relationship subsystem that determines that the notified customer has a purchase notification relationship with the purchasing customer; and

a notification subsystem that provides to the notified customer a notification that the purchasing customer has purchased the item, the notification identifying the purchasing customer and including a link to additional information regarding the purchasing customer'"'"'s purchase.

20. The computing system of claim 19 wherein the recipient is the purchasing customer.