Method and apparatus for facilitating online purchase of regulated products over a data network

• US 7,801,772 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JUNE RAY LIMITED
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Woodward, Franklin Goodhue, Hodge, Randolph Ashton, Wijaya, Joyo, Mills, James Connell, Miller, Andrew Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): THEIN, MARIA TERESA T
• Application Number:
  US11/594,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for implementing electronic commerce transactions via a data network. A regulated item selected by a customer is identified. The regulated item may correspond to an item which satisfies predetermined criteria, indicating that the regulated item is prohibited from being purchased by the customer. Action is then taken to prohibit the purchase of the selected item, via the data network, by the customer. According to one embodiment, the action taken to prohibit the purchase of the regulated item is automatically implemented at a server system configured to implement electronic commerce transactions between an on-line merchant and the customer. According to a specific implementation, the predetermined criteria correspond to regulations which restrict sales of the regulated items to persons in a particular jurisdiction based upon certain criteria such as, for example, time of day, day of week, age of the customer, type of product being sold, etc.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by at least one computing device for facilitating online purchase of regulated products over a data network, said method comprising:

(a) providing an online store for products, at least a portion of the products being regulated products;

(b) receiving interactions from a customer with regard to the online store to create an online order for one or more of the products;

(c) requesting the customer to set a delivery time for the online order;

(d) receiving a requested delivery time for the online order from the customer;

(e) determining, by the at least one computing device, whether the online order includes at least one regulated product;

(f) determining by the at least one computing device, when said determining (e) determines that the online order includes at least one regulated product, whether the requested delivery time is permitted based on at least one regulation associated with the at least one regulated product, the at least one regulated product pertaining to an alcohol product or a tobacco product, and the at least one regulation serving to regulate timing of the sale or delivery of at least alcohol or tobacco products; and

(g) denying the requested delivery time at least for the at least one regulated product when said determining (f) determines that the at least one regulated product is not permitted to be delivered at the requested delivery time.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the requested delivery time is associated with a day of week, and wherein the at least one regulation limits the sale of the at least one regulated product to only certain days of week.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

(h) informing the customer that the requested delivery time is denied when said determining (f) determines that the at least one regulated product is not permitted to be delivered at the requested delivery time.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the at least one regulation depends on a location associated with the customer.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the at least one computing device is at least a part of a server system, and wherein the at least one regulation is acquired from a data store associated with the server system that performs said method, and wherein the data store stores a plurality of regulations for a plurality of different locations.

6. A computer-implemented method performed by at least one computing device for facilitating online purchase of regulated products over a data network, said method comprising:

(a) providing an online store for products, at least a portion of the products being regulated products;

(b) receiving interactions from a customer with regard to the online store to create an online order for one or more of the products;

(c) requesting the customer to set a delivery time for the online order;

(d) receiving a requested delivery time for the online order from the customer;

(e) determining, by the at least one computing device, whether the online order includes at least one regulated product; and

(f) determining by the at least one computing device, when said determining (e) determines that the online order includes at least one regulated product, whether delivery of the online order at the requested delivery time is subject to at least one restriction based on at least one regulation associated with the at least one regulated product, the at least one regulated product pertaining to an alcohol product or a tobacco product, and at least one regulation being related to timing of the sale or delivery of at least alcohol or tobacco products.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein said method further comprises:

(g) informing, when said determining (f) determines that the at least one regulated product is subject to at least one restriction, the customer that delivery of the at least one regulated product is restricted.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein said method further comprises:

(g) informing, when said determining (f) determines that the at least one regulated product is subject to at least one restriction, the customer that delivery of the online order is subject to the at least one restriction.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein the at least one restriction prohibits delivery of the at least one regulated product at the requested delivery time, and wherein following said informing (g), the customer can remove the at least one regulated product from the online order and continue with the requested delivery time or the customer can choose another requested delivery time.

10. A method of claim 6, wherein the requested delivery time is associated with a day of week, and wherein the at least one regulation limits the sale of the at least one regulated product to only certain days of week.

11. A method of claim 6, wherein the at least one restriction requires an appropriate recipient to be present to receive the delivery.

12. A method of claim 6, wherein the at least one regulation depends on a location associated with the customer.

13. A method of claim 12, wherein the at least one regulation is acquired from a data store associated with a server system that performs said method, and wherein the data store stores a plurality of regulation limitations for a plurality of different locations.

14. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for facilitating online purchase of regulated products over a data network, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for providing an online store for products, at least a portion of the products being regulated products;

computer program code for receiving interactions from a customer to interact with regard to the online store to create an online order for one or more of the products;

computer program code for requesting the customer to set a delivery time for the online order;

computer program code for receiving a requested delivery time for the online order from the customer;

computer program code for determining whether the online order includes at least one regulated product; and

computer program code for determining, when it is determined that the online order includes at least one regulated product, whether delivery of the online order at the requested delivery time is subject to at least one restriction based on at least one regulation associated with the at least one regulated product, the at least one regulated product pertaining to an alcohol product or a tobacco product, and at least one regulation serving to regulate timing of the sale or delivery of at least alcohol or tobacco products.

15. A computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one regulation depends on a location associated with the customer.

16. A computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one regulation is acquired from a data store associated with a server system that performs said method, and wherein the data store stores a plurality of regulation limitations for a plurality of different locations.

17. A computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the requested delivery time is associated with a day of week, and wherein the at least one regulation limits the sale of the at least one regulated product to only certain days of week.

18. A computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for informing, when it is determined that the at least one regulated product is subject to at least one restriction, the customer that delivery of the at least one regulated product is restricted.

19. A computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for informing, when it is determined that the at least one regulated product is subject to at least one restriction, the customer that delivery of the online order is subject to the at least one restriction.

20. A computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the at least one restriction prohibits delivery of the at least one regulated product at the requested delivery time, and wherein after the customer has been informed that delivery of the online order is subject to at least one restriction, the customer can remove the at least one regulated product from the online order and continue with the requested delivery time or the customer can choose another requested delivery time.

21. A system for facilitating online purchases via a data network, said system comprising:

at least one CPU; and

a memory,

said system being configured to;

provide an online store for products, at least a portion of the products being regulated products;

receive interactions from a customer with regard to the online store to create an online order for a plurality of the products;

request the customer to set a delivery time for the online order;

receive a requested delivery time for the online order from the customer;

determine whether the online order includes at least one regulated product; and

determine, when it is determined that the online order includes at least one regulated product, whether delivery of the online order at the requested delivery time is subject to at least one restriction based on at least one regulation associated with the at least one regulated product, the at least one regulated product pertaining to an alcohol product or a tobacco product, and the at least one regulation being related to timing of the sale or delivery of at least alcohol or tobacco products.

22. A system of claim 21, wherein said system is configured to inform the customer that delivery of the at least one regulated product is restricted.

23. A system of claim 21, wherein said system is configured to inform the customer that delivery of the online order, due to the at least one regulated product, is subject to the at least one restriction.

24. A system of claim 23, wherein the at least one restriction prohibits delivery of the at least one regulated product at the requested delivery time, and wherein the customer can remove the at least one regulated product from the online order and continue with the requested delivery time or the customer can set another delivery time.

25. A system of claim 21, wherein the requested delivery time is associated with a day of week, and wherein the at least one regulation limits the sale of the at least one regulated product to only certain days of week.

26. A system of claim 21, wherein the at least one restriction requires a recipient older than a specific age be present to receive the delivery.

27. A system of claim 21, wherein the at least one regulation depends on a location associated with the online order.

28. A system of claim 21, wherein the at least one regulation depends on a delivery location for the online order.

29. A system of claim 21, wherein the at least one regulation depends on a location associated with the customer.