Method and apparatus for screening transactions across a global computer network

• US 7,925,539 B1
• Filed: 12/20/1999
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Singh, Vikram, McClung, Lisa, Hetfleisch, Karl-Heinz, Leong, Gilbert C. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy; Andrew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US09/468,403
• Time in Patent Office: 4,131 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/38, 705/51, 705/18, 705/22, 705/27, 705/28, 235/376, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/383, 235/385
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method for screening purchases and sorting the types of products sought to be purchased over a computer network, such as the Internet, is disclosed. The invention includes providing a user interface for a customer to access an automated seller facility, the facility having two types of product categories, unrestricted and restricted. Access to the facility takes place over a global computer network, with the user interface configured to allow the customer to enter customer data for the purpose of purchasing products from the automated seller facility. The invention next includes receiving the customer data, comprising an account number and a product order from the customer, and specifying a desired product to be purchased over the computer network. The invention further includes determining whether the product desired by the customer falls within the restricted product category, and if it does, the system provides for checking whether the customer is in fact an authorized buyer of such a restricted product. A customer authorization code is only issued if the customer is an authorized buyer of restricted products or if the desired product falls within the unrestricted product category. The authorization code therefore indicates that both the customer and the product order have been accepted to purchase the desired product. Conversely, if the customer and product order have not been accepted, the product order is rejected.

Claims

1. A method for screening transactions using a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a user interface for customer access to an automated seller facility having unrestricted and restricted product categories, the access taking place over a computer network, the user interface allowing a customer to enter customer data to purchase products from the automated seller facility;

receiving the customer data comprising an account number, if any, and a product order, specifying a desired product from the customer over the computer network;

determining whether the desired product is in the restricted product category, and if so, then checking whether the customer is an authorized buyer of such restricted product; and

accepting the product order only if at least one of at least two conditions are satisfied, the at least two conditions comprising;

if the customer is an authorized buyer of restricted products and if the desired product is in the unrestricted product category, thereby indicating the customer and the product order have been accepted for purchasing the desired product, and if not, rejecting the product order.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the product order is a purchase offer in which the customer offers to purchase the desired products.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of accepting the product order is further defined as having additional conditions, the additional conditions including ensuring that the customer is not in a restricted location, and ensuring that the desired product is not being shipped to a restricted location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of a seller defining a set of terms and conditions and checking whether the customer has changed the seller defined terms and conditions in the product purchase offer, and if so, ensuring that such changes are satisfactory to the seller.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a plurality of required fields and wherein the method further includes the step of confirming that each required field in the user interface has been completed, and if not, then restricting the customer from transacting until all required fields are complete.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the customer data further includes a method of payment, and includes the step of checking whether the method of payment is an authorized method of payment for the customer.

7. The method of claim 5 further including the step of transmitting the customer data and product order to a processing center after receiving the customer data and product order with all required fields in the user interface having been completed.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of transmitting customer data and product order information to a processing center includes transmitting the customer data from a global processing center to a regional processing center.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining whether the desired product is in the restricted product category, and if so, then checking whether the customer is an authorized buyer of such restricted product further includes requesting permission to check the customer'"'"'s credit status, and if permitted, checking the credit status, and if not, rejecting the purchase offer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of checking whether the customer is an authorized buyer occurs at the processing center.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer data is defined further to comprise customer billing and shipping addresses.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the restricted product category can include at least one of:

medical equipment and product/service information pertaining to medical equipment and services.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein customer designates a destination country for receiving the desired product and wherein the medical equipment is properly registered in the destination country.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the buyer is one of a licensed purchaser of medical equipment and an authorized distributor of medical equipment to authorize a sale.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the automated seller facility comprises a supplier network of computers having a first tier computer system programmed to receive and ensure the completeness of the customer data, as well as a second tier computer system programmed to receive the customer data from the first system and ensure that the customer is an authorized purchaser of the desired product.

16. The method of claim 2 further comprises the step of sending an electronic contract to purchase the desired product to the customer after the seller accepts the purchase offer from the customer.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer network is a globally accessible computer network having global and regional processing centers.

18. The method of claim 1 further including the step of clearing any red flags, prior to shipping the desired product.

19. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by one or more computers, causes the one or more computers to:

acquire customer information comprising an account number, if any, and a product order specifying a desired product from a customer at a user interface, so that the customer may access an automated seller facility having unrestricted and restricted product categories;

determine whether the desired product is in the restricted product category, and if so, then checking whether the user is an authorized buyer of such restricted product;

accept the product order if either the customer in an authorized buyer of products in the restricted products category or if the desired product is in the unrestricted product category, thereby indicating the customer and the product order have been accepted for purchasing the desired product, and if not, reject the product order.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the restricted product category can include at least one of:

medical equipment and product/service information related to medical services and equipment.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the product order is a purchase offer in which the customer offers to purchase the desired products, and wherein a contract is not formed until the offer to purchase is accepted by the automated seller facility after pre-specified conditions are satisfied.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the acquisition of customer information further includes a confirmation that each required field in the user interface has been completed, and if it has not, then customer access is restricted until all required fields are complete.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the customer information further includes a method of payment, and if the customer and order have been authorized, then checking whether the method of payment is an authorized method of payment for that customer.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the computer program stored thereon further causes the one or more computers to check whether the customer has changed a set of terms and conditions defined in the user interface of the product purchase offer, and if so, ensuring that such changes are satisfactory to the automated seller facility.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the computer program stored thereon further causes the one or more computers to create and send an offer declination if pre-specified conditions are not satisfied.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the computer program stored thereon further causes the one or more computers to provide a pre-populated form in response to an account number entry by an existing customer requiring customer confirmation of data therein.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the act of acceptance of the product order is further defined as requiring an assurance that the customer is not in a restricted location and that the desired product is not being shipped to a restricted location.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the computer program stored thereon causes the one or more computers to further check whether the customer is one of a licensed purchaser of medical equipment and an authorized distributor of medical equipment, when checking whether the customer is an authorized buyer, and the restricted products are further defined to include medical equipment.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein checking whether the customer is an authorized buyer further includes checking the customer'"'"'s credit status and authorizing the customer'"'"'s designated lending institution, if any.

30. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the signal representing a sequence of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to screen transactions received over a computer network by:

connecting a customer accessible computer to at least one seller computer via a network;

transmitting customer information comprising an account number, if any, and a product order over the network to the at least one seller computer; and

delineating between non-restricted products that can be purchased by a general group of purchasers and restricted products that can be purchased only by pre-approved purchasers.

31. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the one or more processors are further caused to screen transactions by automatically determining, using the customer information, whether the customer is one of the pre-approved purchasers.

32. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the one or more processors are further caused to screen transactions by determining whether the desired product is a restricted product.

33. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the restricted product can include at least one of:

medical equipment and product/service information related to medical equipment and services.

34. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the one or more processors are further caused to screen transactions by providing an authorization code indicating that the customer is approved for further processing to determine if the desired product is a restricted product.

35. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the one or more processors are further caused to screen transactions by confirming that the customer information is entered such that each required field in a user interface has been completed, and if not, returning the information to the customer for completion.

36. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the pre-approved purchasers are further defined to include licensed health care professionals and authorized health care distributors.

37. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the one or more processors are further caused to accept the product order only if the customer is not in a restricted location and the desired product is not being shipped to a restricted location.

38. The computer data signal of claim 30 wherein the product order is a purchase offer in which the customer offers to purchase the desired products.

39. The computer data signal of claim 38 wherein the one or more processors are further caused to screen transactions by checking whether a set of terms and conditions defined by the seller in the product purchase offer have been changed by the customer, and if so, ensuring that such changes are satisfactory to the seller.

41. The network-based system of claim 38 wherein the product order is a purchase offer in which the customer offers to purchase the desired products.

42. The network-based system of claim 41 wherein the second tier computer system is further programmed to issue a customer authorization code if the customer is an authorized buyer or if the desired product is in the unrestricted product category, thereby indicating that the customer and product purchase offer have been approved for purchasing the desired product, and if not, then rejecting the purchase offer.

43. The network-based system of claim 41 wherein a set of terms and conditions are provided by the second tier system based on a country of origin of the user and checks whether the user has changed any of the terms and conditions in the purchase offer, and if so, ensures that such changes are satisfactory to the seller.

40. A network-based system for screening transactions comprising:

a customer accessible computer from which a user may order a desired product from a seller facility having unrestricted and restricted product categories;

a supplier network of computers including;

a first tier computer system programmed to receive customer data transmitted from the customer accessible computer including a product order specifying the desired product and an account number, if any, the first system programmed to confirm that the customer data and order are complete; and

a second tier computer system programmed to receive the customer order and data transmitted from the first system, determine whether the desired product is from the restricted product category, and if so, check to ensure that the customer is an authorized purchaser of such restricted product.

44. The network-based system of claim 40 wherein the restricted product category can include at least one of:

medical equipment and product/service information pertaining to medical equipment and services.

45. The network-based system of claim 40 wherein the second tier system programmed to receive the customer data comprises global and regional processing centers.

46. The network-based system of claim 40 wherein an authorized purchaser is further defined as having indicated a method of payment for the desired product, and, if purchasing the product from the restricted product category, ensuring the user is authorized to purchase the desired product.

47. The network-based system of claim 40 wherein the supplier network is a globally accessible network having global and regional processing centers.