Methods of purchasing products through a client portal

• US 7,925,548 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guren, Clifford O, Alger, Jeffrey H
• Primary Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/981,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A client portal that is optimized to fulfill a specific function. The portal can include a browser that is dedicated to performing a particular task, such as reviewing and purchasing electronic books. For example, to better perform the specific function, the browser may only be able to directly access sites designated by an authorized party, e.g., the browser'"'"'s publisher. Because the browser is dedicated to performing a single task, the user interface for operating the dedicated browser may be simplified to include only those controls useful for performing the assigned task. Also, the content available for access by the client portal can be controlled by a single authorized party, such as the portal'"'"'s publisher or distributor.

Claims

1. A method of purchasing products through a client portal that is optimized to purchase a specific type of product, the client portal being independently managed, comprising:

connecting the client portal to a network by the client portal having at least one preauthorized network access site as a displayable storefront which limits the use of the portal by not displaying an address line to a user for user-selectable input to access content that has not been previously stored in the client portal'"'"'s memory;

providing a user-selectable list of links to at least one available network site that offers the product that the client portal is optimized to purchase, the network site accessible to the client portal for obtaining new content, wherein the user-selectable list of links includes network sites preselected or maintained by an authorized party and provides access to the network site upon selection by the user;

selecting a different link than the displayable storefront, from the user-selectable list of links when a user desires additional content for inclusion through the client portal;

retrieving, based on the selecting, a vendor'"'"'s catalog content from a pre-selected group of vendors, from the network into the client portal during the client portal'"'"'s connection to the network and having the vendor'"'"'s catalog content being seamlessly rendered, integrated and formatted for viewing through a streamlined interface that only includes the commands necessary to examine and purchase a particular type of goods or services;

managing the client portal independent from any user-selectivity, to benefit the authorized party and the client portal'"'"'s user by maintaining a list of network sites available for access by the portal and facilitating ease-of-use by seamlessly integrating the content retrieval and rendering on the client portal in a single operation, wherein maintaining the list of network sites includes including determining, updating and limiting which network sites are available for access by the client portal;

disconnecting the client portal from the network;

while the client portal is disconnected from the network, selecting an item for purchase from the vendor'"'"'s catalog content with the streamlined interface to facilitate purchase activity and provide a user more time and an ease-of-use experience to continue with additional purchase activity;

reconnecting the client portal to the network; and

during the reconnection of the client portal to the network, sending a purchase request to the vendor for each of the items relating to the purchase activity of the user.

2. The method of purchasing products recited in claim 1, wherein the vendor'"'"'s catalog includes

a first electronic page including a representation of a first item available for purchase through the client portal;

a second electronic page including a representation of a second item available for purchase through the client portal; and

a third electronic page including a representation of a third item available for purchase through the client portal, such that the first page, the second page and the third page are configured for display by the client portal in a sequential order.

3. The method of purchasing products recited in claim 1, wherein the vendor'"'"'s catalog is a catalog offering eBooks for purchase through the client portal.

4. A method of purchasing products through a client portal that is optimized to purchase a specific type of product, the client portal being independently managed, comprising:

connecting the client portal to a network by the client portal having at least one preauthorized network access site as a displayable storefront and limiting the use of the portal by not displaying an address line to a user for user-selectable input to access content that has not been previously stored in the client portal'"'"'s memory;

providing a user-selectable list of links to at least one available network site that offers the product that the client portal is optimized to purchase, the network sites accessible to the client portal for obtaining new content, wherein the user-selectable list of links includes network sites preselected or maintained by an authorized party and provides access to the network sites upon selection by the user;

selecting a different link than the displayable storefront, from the a user-selectable list of links when a user desires additional content for inclusion through the client portal;

retrieving, based on the selecting, from the network into the client portal during the client portal'"'"'s connection to the network both a vendor'"'"'s catalog from a pre-selected group of vendors, and content offered in the vendor'"'"'s catalog and having the content offered in the vendor'"'"'s catalog being seamlessly rendered, integrated and formatted for viewing through a streamlined interface that only includes the commands necessary to examine and purchase a particular type of goods or services;

managing the client portal independent from any user-selectivity, to benefit the authorized party and the client portal'"'"'s user by maintaining a list of network sites available for access by the portal and facilitating ease-of-use by seamlessly integrating the content retrieval and rendering on the client portal in a single operation, wherein maintaining the list of network sites includes including determining, updating and limiting which network sites are available for access by the client portal;

disconnecting the client portal from the network;

while the client portal is disconnected from the network,

selecting content for purchase from the content offered in the vendor'"'"'s catalog with the streamlined interface to facilitate purchase activity and provide a user more time and an ease-of-use experience to continue with additional purchase activity, and

making the selected content available for use through the client portal;

reconnecting the client portal to the network; and

during the reconnection of the client portal to the network, sending a purchase request to the vendor for each of the items relating to the purchase activity of the user.

5. The method of purchasing products recited in claim 4, wherein the vendor'"'"'s catalog includes

a first electronic page including a representation of a first item available for purchase through the client portal;

a second electronic page including a representation of a second item available for purchase through the client portal; and

a third electronic page including a representation of a third item available for purchase through the client portal, such that the first page, the second page and the third page are configured for display by the client portal in a sequential order.

6. The method of purchasing products recited in claim 4, wherein the vendor'"'"'s catalog is a catalog offering eBooks for purchase through the client portal.