Method and system for electronic commerce using multiple roles

• US 7,716,088 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Mohit, Maryam, Spiegel, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US10/212,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,836 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A computer system for conducting electronic commerce. The system provides multiple electronic shopping carts for each user. Each electronic shopping cart has an indication of items currently within the electronic shopping cart and billing and shipment information. The system generates a display that identifies each of the electronic shopping carts and sends the generated display to a user computer system. The system then receives a selection of one of the identified electronic shopping carts from the user computer system and receives a selection of an item from the user computer system. In response to receiving the selection of the item, the system adds the item to the selected electronic shopping cart. The system then receives an indication to checkout the items in the selected electronic shopping cart from the user computer system. In response to receiving the indication to checkout, the system ships the items in the selected electronic shopping cart in accordance with the shipment information of the selected electronic shopping cart and bills for the items in the selected electronic shopping cart in accordance with the billing information for the selected electronic shopping cart. The system thus allows a user to select each of the electronic shopping carts for adding items to each electronic shopping cart.

Claims

1. A method for specifying an interaction context for a web site, the method comprising:

in a computer system,

providing to a user an indication of interaction contexts, each interaction context associated with information relating to the user interacting with the web site, wherein at least some of the information relates to an item selected for purchase by the user and wherein interactions between the user and the web site may be associated with more than one of the interaction contexts such that the interaction contexts are utilized in the completion of a transaction between the user and the web site, and wherein each of the interaction contexts is selectable by the user as a current interaction context and that the interactions are applied to the current interaction context upon the selection of the current interaction context;

receiving an indication that the user has selected one of the interaction contexts; and

providing to the user an indication of the interaction contexts and the selected interaction context, the selected interaction context being identified as the currently selected interaction context, wherein the interactions between the user and the web site are associated with the selected interaction context, wherein at least one interaction associated with the selected interaction context includes initiating a purchase of the item selected for purchase by the user without having to associate the information relating to the item with another interaction context.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of an interaction context is a button.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided indication of the selected interaction context includes a description of an item.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein when an action is taken with respect to the described item, the action is associated with the selected interaction context.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each interaction context represents a shopping cart and the action is adding the item to the shopping cart of the selected interaction context.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein an action is indicated by dragging and dropping an indication of an item over an indication of an interaction context.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a user indicates a selection of an interaction context by selecting an indication of that interaction context.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the indication is a button.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the selection of the indication is performed by clicking a mouse.

10. The method of claim 1 including receiving from the user naming information for an interaction context.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein an indication of the interaction context includes naming information for that interaction context.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided indication of interaction contexts includes a navigation bar with an indication of each interaction context.

13. The method of claim 1 including receiving from the user a request to add a new interaction context.

14. The method of claim 13 including providing to the user an indication of interaction contexts including an indication for the new interaction context.

15. The method of claim 13 including receiving from the user an indication to initialize information associated with the new interaction context with information associated with another interaction context.

16. The method of claim 1 including receiving from the user a request to remove an interaction context.

17. The method of claim 1 including receiving from the user a request to replace information associated with one interaction context with information associated with another interaction context, wherein at least some of the replaced information relates to an item selected for purchase by the user.

18. The method of claim 1 including receiving from the user a request to set information associated with an interaction context to default information.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein an interaction context represents a gift registry for the user.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a gift associated with the gift registry is shipped according to shipment information of the interaction context and is billed according to information provided by a gift giver.

21. A system for conducting electronic commerce between a user and a vendor, comprising:

a component, executed on a computing device, that provides to the user an indication of electronic commerce contexts, each electronic commerce context relating to electronic commerce conducted between the user and the vendor, wherein interactions between the user and the vendor may be associated with more than one of the electronic commerce contexts such that the electronic commerce contexts are utilized in the completion of a transaction between the user and the vendor, and wherein each of the electronic commerce contexts is selectable by the user as a current electronic commerce context and that the interactions are applied to the current electronic commerce context upon the selection of the current electronic commerce context; and

a component, executed on a computing device, that, upon receiving an indication that the user has selected one of the electronic commerce contexts, provides to the user an indication of the electronic commerce contexts and the selected electronic commerce context, wherein the subsequent electronic commerce includes initiating a purchase of an item selected for purchase by the user without having to associate the information relating to the item with another electronic commerce context.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the indication of an electronic commerce context is a button.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the provided indication of electronic commerce contexts includes a description of an item.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein when an action is taken with respect to the described item, the action is associated with the selected electronic commerce context.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein each electronic commerce context represents a shopping cart and the action is adding the described item to the shopping cart of the selected electronic commerce context.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein an action is indicated by dragging and dropping an indication of an item over an indication of an electronic commerce context.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein a user indicates a selection of an electronic commerce context by selecting an indication of that electronic commerce context.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the indication of that electronic commerce context is a button.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the selection of the indication is performed by clicking a mouse.

30. The system of claim 21 including a component, executed on a computing device, that receives from the user naming information for an electronic commerce context.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein an indication of the electronic commerce context includes naming information for that electronic commerce context.

32. The system of claim 21 wherein the provided indication of electronic commerce contexts includes a navigation bar with an indication of each electronic commerce context.

33. The system of claim 21 including a component, executed on a computing device, that receives from the user a request to add a new electronic commerce context.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the provided indication of electronic commerce contexts includes an indication of the new electronic commerce context.

35. The system of claim 33 including a component, executed on a computing device, that receives from the user an indication to initialize information associated with the new electronic commerce context with information associated with another electronic commerce context.

36. The system of claim 21 including a component, executed on a computing device, that receives from the user a request to remove an electronic commerce context.

37. The system of claim 21 including a component, executed on a computing device, that replaces information associated with one electronic commerce context with information associated with another electronic commerce context, wherein at least some of the replaced information relates to an item selected for purchase by the user.

38. The system of claim 21 including a component that sets information associated with an electronic commerce context to default information.

39. The system of claim 21 wherein an electronic commerce context represents a gift registry for the user.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein a gift associated with the gift registry is shipped according to shipment information of the electronic commerce context and is billed according to information provided by a gift giver.

41. A system for specifying an interaction context, comprising:

means, executed on a computing device, for sending an indication of interaction contexts, each interaction context associated with information relating to interactions with a user while that interaction context was selected, wherein at least some of the information relates to an item selected for purchase by the user and wherein interactions with the user may be associated with more than one of the interaction contexts, and wherein each of the interaction contexts is selectable by the user as a current interaction context and that the interactions are applied to the current interaction context based on the selection of the current interaction context; and

means, executed on a computing device, for, upon receiving an indication that the user has selected one of the interaction contexts, providing to the user an indication of the interaction contexts and the selected interaction context, wherein at least one interaction associated with the selected interaction context includes initiating a purchase of the item selected for purchase by the user without having to associate the information relating to the item with another interaction context.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the indication of an interaction context is a button.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein the provided indication of interaction contexts includes a description of an item.

44. The system of claim 41 including means, executed on a computing device, for receiving from the user naming information for an interaction context.

45. The system of claim 41 wherein the provided indication of interaction contexts includes a navigation bar with an indication of each interaction context.

46. The system of claim 41 including means, executed on a computing device, for adding a new interaction context.

47. The system of claim 41 including means, executed on a computing device, for initializing information associated with an interaction context with information associated with another interaction context.

48. The system of claim 41 including means, executed on a computing device, for removing an interaction context.

49. The system of claim 41 including means, executed on a computing device, for replacing information associated with an interaction context with information associated with another interaction context, wherein at least some of the replaced information relates to an item selected for purchase by the user.

50. The system of claim 41 wherein an interaction context represents a gift registry for the user.

51. The system of claim 41 wherein an interaction context is an electronic commerce context.

52. A method for specifying an interaction context for a web site, the method comprising:

in a computer system,

receiving from the web site a message indicating that a user is to select one of a plurality of interaction contexts, each interaction context associated with information relating to the user interacting with the web site while in that interaction context, each interaction context representing a shopping cart, wherein interactions between the user and the web site may be associated with more than one of the interaction contexts such that the interaction contexts are utilized in the completion of a transaction between the user and the web site, and wherein each of the interaction contexts is selectable by the user as a current interaction context and that the interactions are applied to the current interaction context based on the selection of the current interaction context; and

in response to receiving the message,

causing to display to the user an indication of each interaction context;

receiving from the user an indication that the user has selected one of the interaction contexts;

sending to the web site an indication of the selected interaction context so that the web site associates subsequent interactions with the user with the selected interaction context; and

causing to display to the user an indication of each interaction context with the selected interaction context being identified as the one with which subsequent interactions with the user are associated,

wherein at least one subsequent interaction with the selected interaction context includes adding an item for purchase to the selected interaction context, wherein at least one other subsequent interaction associated with the selected interaction context includes initiating a purchase of the item without associating the item with another interaction context.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the interaction contexts are electronic commerce contexts.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein each interaction context represents a shopping cart and including receiving from the user an indication to add an item to the shopping cart of an interaction context.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the adding is indicated by the user dragging and dropping an indication of the item over a displayed indication of an interaction context.

56. The method of claim 52 including receiving from the user naming information for an interaction context and sending the naming information to the web site.

57. The method of claim 52 wherein the indications of interaction contexts are displayed as a navigation bar.

58. The method of claim 52 including in response to receiving from the user a request to add a new interaction context, sending the request to the web site.

59. The method of claim 52 wherein an interaction context represents a gift registry for the user.

60. A method for specifying an interaction context for a web site, the method comprising:

in a computer system,

providing to a user an indication of interaction contexts, each interaction context associated with information relating to the user interacting with the web site, each interaction context representing a shopping cart, wherein interactions between the user and the web site may be associated with more than one of the interaction contexts such that the interaction contexts are utilized in the completion of a transaction between the user and the web site, and wherein each of the interaction contexts is selectable by the user as a current interaction context and that the interactions are applied to the current interaction context upon the selection of the current interaction context;

receiving an indication that the user has selected one of the interaction contexts; and

providing to the user an indication of the selected interaction context, wherein the interactions between the user and the web site are associated with the selected interaction context,

wherein the provided indication of the selected interaction context includes a description of an item, wherein when an action is taken with respect to the described item, the action is associated with the selected interaction context, wherein the action is at least one of;

adding the item to the selected interaction context, and

initiating a purchase of the item without associating the item with another interaction context.

61. A method for specifying an interaction context for a web site, the method comprising:

in a computer system,

providing to a user an indication of interaction contexts, each interaction context associated with information relating to the user interacting with the web site, wherein interactions between the user and the web site may be associated with more than one of the interaction contexts such that the interaction contexts are utilized in the completion of a transaction between the user and the web site, and wherein each of the interaction contexts is selectable by the user as a current interaction context and that the interactions are applied to the current interaction context reflective of the selection of the current context;

receiving an indication that the user has selected one of the interaction contexts;

providing to the user an indication of the selected interaction context, wherein the interactions between the user and the web site are associated with the selected interaction context; and

receiving an indication that the user has dragged and dropped an indication of an item over an indication of an interaction context to associate the item with that interaction context.

62. A method for specifying an interaction context for a web site, the method comprising:

in a computer system,

providing to a user an indication of interaction contexts, each interaction context associated with information relating to the user interacting with the web site, wherein interactions between the user and the web site may be associated with more than one of the interaction contexts such that the interaction contexts are utilized in the completion of a transaction between the user and the web site, and wherein each of the interaction contexts is selectable by the user as a current interaction context and that the interactions are applied to the current interaction context upon the selection of the current interaction context;

receiving an indication that the user has selected one of the interaction contexts;

providing to the user an indication of the selected interaction context, wherein the interactions between the user and the web site are associated with the selected interaction context, wherein at least one interaction associated with the selected interaction context includes initiating a purchase of an item selected by the user without associating information relating to the item with another interaction context;

receiving from the user a request to add a new interaction context;

providing to the user an indication of interaction contexts including an indication for the new interaction context; and

receiving from the user an indication to initialize information associated with the new interaction context with information associated with another interaction context.