Method and system for providing order status information using an update status flag

• US 8,180,683 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Fisher, Alan S., Kaplan, Samuel Jerrold
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US13/293,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 188 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.8, 705/26.81
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• 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: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and system for providing account status information using an update status flag to receive status information pertaining to a customer account. It is determined whether the received status information is new relative to further status information stored within a status record pertaining to the account. The status record is updated to include the received status information if the received status information is new. The updated message indicating the received status information is then composed and sent to the customer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, status of an order;

using a processor associated with the server, detecting the status;

updating an order record with the status;

generating a message containing the status; and

transmitting the message over a network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting the status.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the status in a status database.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

periodically detecting that the status has been updated,

the message generated in response to the status having been updated.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the status includes shipping status.

6. A system comprising at least one computer processor and computer storage configured to execute:

a status receiver to receive status of an order;

a status requester to detect the status;

a status updater to update an order record with the status; and

a messenger module to generate a message containing the status and to transmit the message over a network.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the status requester is to request the status.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising a status database to store the status.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the messenger module is configured to:

periodically detect that the status has been updated, and

generate the message in response to the status having been updated.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the status includes a shipping status.

11. A machine-readable storage device having executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a server, status of an order;

detecting the status;

updating an order record with the status;

generating a message containing the status; and

transmitting the message over a network.

12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 11, the method further comprising requesting the status.

13. The machine readable storage device of claim 11, the method further comprising storing the status in a status database.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 11, the method further comprising:

periodically detecting that the status has been updated, and

generating the message in response to the status having been updated.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 11 wherein the status includes shipping status.

16. A system comprising:

a first means for receiving, at a server status of an order;

a second means for detecting the status;

a third means for updating an order record with the status; and

a fourth means for generating a message containing the status and for transmitting the message over a network.