Payment service capable of being integrated with merchant sites

• US 8,355,959 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bui, Hong Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/436,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 705/27.1, 705/26, 705/26.7, 705/50, 709/203, 715/205, 715/760
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• 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 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A computer-implemented service integrates with merchant sites to enable registered users of the service to perform purchase transactions on the merchant sites. In one embodiment, a merchant can incorporate a reference to a display object served by the service into coding of a page of the merchant'"'"'s site. When the page is loaded by a user'"'"'s browser, the reference causes the browser to request the display object from the service for display on the page. If the user is recognized by the service, the service may return a personalized display object that includes functionality for the user to perform a purchase transaction using the service. Also disclosed are embodiments that enable users to initiate transfers of personal account information to the merchant sites.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first server system that operates in a first network domain, said first server system storing account information, including payment information, of a user, said first server system providing a service for enabling users to perform payment transactions on merchant sites; and

a second server system that operates in a second network domain that is distinct from the first network domain, said second server system hosting a merchant site, including a page that includes a reference to a display object served by the first server system, said reference configured to cause browsers that load the page from the second server system to request the display object from the first server system for display on the page;

said first server system operative to transmit, to a user computing device of the user, a browser cookie for storage on the user computing device, said browser cookie corresponding to the first network domain but not the second network domain, said browser cookie including information that identifies the user to the first server system;

said first server system being responsive to a browser request from the user computing device for said display object by at least (1) using the browser cookie, as transmitted with the request, to identify the user, and (2) transmitting a personalized display object to the user computing device for display on the page of the merchant site, said personalized display object personalized with information associated with the user and providing functionality for the user to perform a payment transaction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the page is an item detail page corresponding to an item that is available for purchase from the merchant site, and the display object provides functionality for the user to use said service to purchase the item from the merchant site.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the personalized display object is a purchase object that provides functionality for the user to use said service to complete a purchase from the merchant site.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the purchase object includes a text entry box for user entry of a password for authenticating with said service.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the purchase object is a single-action purchase object that enables the user to complete the purchase with a single selection action.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first server system is responsive to user selection of the single-action purchase object by using the payment information of the user to initiate collection of payment on behalf of the merchant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first server system is additionally responsive to user selection of the single-action purchase object by redirecting a browser running on the user computing device to a second page of the merchant site.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user comprises a name of the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the display object is a graphic.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first server system provides functionality for the user to log into the service and view a history of purchase transactions performed by the user across a plurality of merchant sites.

11. A method of providing payment functionality on a page of a merchant site that is hosted by a server in a first network domain, said page including a reference to a display object served from a second network domain, the method comprising:

by a computer system that operates in the second network domain and provides a service for enabling users to conduct purchase transactions on merchant sites;

receiving and storing account information of a user, including a name of the user and payment information of the user;

transmitting, to a user computing device associated with the user, a browser cookie for storage on the user computing device, said browser cookie being associated with the second network domain but not the first network domain;

receiving, from the user computing device, a request for the display object, said request generated by the user computing device in response to the reference included in said page of the merchant site; and

responding to the request by transmitting to the user computing device, for display within the page, a personalized display object that includes the name of the user, said personalized display object providing functionality for the user to interact with the computer system to perform a purchase transaction on the merchant site.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the page is an item detail page corresponding to an item that is available for purchase on the merchant site, and the personalized display object provides functionality for the user to purchase the item on the merchant site.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the personalized display object includes a text entry box for user entry of a password associated with the service.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the personalized display object is a single-action purchase object that enables the user to complete the purchase transaction with a single selection action.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, by said computer system, responding to user selection of the single-action purchase object by redirecting the user computing device to another page of the merchant site.

16. A system, comprising:

a server that operates in a first network domain, said server programmed to provide a payment service that enables users to perform payment transactions on merchant sites, including a merchant site hosted in a second network domain that is distinct from the first network domain; and

a database coupled to the server, said database storing account information, including payment information, of users registered with the payment service;

said server programmed to implement a process that comprises;

transmitting a browser cookie associated with the service to a user computing device for storage thereon, said browser cookie corresponding to the first network domain but not the second network domain; and

receiving, from the user computing device, a request for a display object to display on a page of the merchant site, said request including said browser cookie; and

responding to the request by transmitting, to the user computing device for display on the page of the merchant site, a personalized display object that includes a name of a user associated with the user computing device, said personalized display object providing functionality for the user to perform a payment transaction on the merchant site using the payment service.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein personalized display object includes a text entry box for user entry of a password for authenticating with said payment service.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the personalized display object is a single-action purchase object that enables the user to complete a purchase transaction with a single selection action.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the server is responsive to user selection of the single-action purchase object by redirecting a browser running on the user computing device to a second page of the merchant site.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the server is further responsive to user selection of the single-action purchase object by using payment information of the user, as stored in the database, to initiate collection of a payment on behalf of the merchant site.