System and method for combining fulfillment of customer orders from merchants in computer-facilitated marketplaces

• US 8,577,740 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, Jason, Shepherd, Joel, Griffith, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Application Number:
  US13/485,236
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Combining fulfillment of customer orders from merchants in computer-facilitated marketplaces. An order management system may include a virtual shopping cart interface that may be used with a number of merchants. Each merchant may be registered to receive fulfillment services from a fulfillment services provider for inventory items the merchant offers in commerce. The virtual shopping cart interface may be configured to receive requests to indicate various items within a virtual shopping cart corresponding to a customer. Different inventory items offered by different merchants may be placed within the virtual shopping cart. In response to the customer'"'"'s request to finalize an order, the order management system may instruct the fulfillment services provider to ship the items in the virtual shopping cart to the customer. A single shipment may include items offered by several different merchants, and each of the merchants may be the merchant of record for its respective inventory item.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to said memory;

wherein said instructions are executable by at least one of said one or more processors to implement an order management system;

wherein said order management system is configured to;

receive orders for inventory items, wherein each of the ordered inventory items is ordered from one of a plurality of merchants, wherein at least some of said received orders are placed on behalf of a given one of a plurality of customers and include respective unique identifiers that correspond to said given customer, wherein each given one of said plurality of merchants is registered to receive inventory fulfillment services provided by a fulfillment services provider for inventory items offered in commerce by said given merchant, wherein the fulfillment services provider is distinct from said plurality of merchants, wherein the inventory fulfillment services include shipping inventory items to customers, and wherein at least two of said plurality of merchants are configured to present their own independent respective shopping interfaces to said customers;

dependent upon said respective unique identifiers, determine that said at least some of said received orders comprise at least two inventory items each ordered from a different respective merchant of said plurality of merchants on behalf of said given customer;

in response to said determining, instruct said fulfillment services provider to ship the at least two inventory items to said given customer in one or more shipments, wherein at least one shipment of said one or more shipments comprises two or more of the at least two inventory items each ordered from said different respective merchant, and wherein each of said different respective merchants is a merchant of record for its respective ordered inventory item.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said order management system is further configured to determine said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for a particular fulfillment service for said at least some of said received orders dependent upon inventory items included in said at least some of said received orders.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein to determine said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for said particular fulfillment service, said order management system is further configured to determine whether a total value of said inventory items included in said at least some of said received orders exceeds a threshold value.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said particular fulfillment service comprises reduced-cost or free shipping.

5. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said particular fulfillment service comprises expedited shipping.

6. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said particular fulfillment service comprises a fulfillment service other than shipping.

7. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said order management system is further configured to notify said given customer of said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for said particular fulfillment service.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said order management system is further configured to apply said particular fulfillment service to said at least some of said received orders dependent upon said given customer'"'"'s approval.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said order management system is further configured to determine said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for a credit against a past, current, or future transaction dependent upon inventory items included in said at least some of said received orders.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said respective unique identifiers corresponding to said given customer is configured to indicate said given customer and a respective one of said at least some of said received orders placed on behalf of said given customer with a corresponding one of said plurality of merchants.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said unique identifiers comprise respective alphanumeric tokens.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein inclusion of a particular one of said unique identifiers in a corresponding one of said at least some of said received orders for inventory items ordered from a particular one of said plurality of merchants is dependent upon said given customer providing said particular unique identifier to said particular merchant.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said unique identifiers comprise respective browser cookies configured to be stored within a browser environment corresponding to said given customer.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein inclusion of a particular one of said unique identifiers in a corresponding one of said at least some of said received orders for inventory items ordered from a particular one of said merchants is dependent upon said particular merchant retrieving said respective browser cookie corresponding to said particular unique identifier from said browser environment corresponding to said given customer.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said instructions are further executable by at least one of said one or more processors to implement an inventory management system, wherein said inventory management system is configured to:

implement a registration interface;

receive, from a given one of said plurality of merchants, via said registration interface, a registration request to receive inventory fulfillment services from said fulfillment services provider for a given one of said inventory items;

determine whether said registration request is valid; and

in response to determining that said registration request is valid, provide to said given merchant via said registration interface, information for conveying units of said inventory item to said fulfillment services provider.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

an order management system receiving orders for inventory items wherein each of the ordered inventory items is ordered from one of a plurality of merchants, wherein at least some of said received orders are placed on behalf of a given one of a plurality of customers and include respective unique identifiers that correspond to said given customer, wherein each given one of said plurality of merchants is registered to receive inventory fulfillment services provided by a fulfillment services provider for inventory items offered in commerce by said given merchant, wherein the fulfillment services provider is distinct from said plurality of merchants, wherein the inventory fulfillment services include shipping inventory items to customers, and wherein at least two of said plurality of merchants are configured to present their own independent respective shopping interfaces to said customers;

dependent upon said respective unique identifiers, said order management system determining that said at least some of said received orders comprise at least two inventory items each ordered from a different respective merchant of said plurality of merchants on behalf of said given customer;

in response to said determining, said order management system instructing said fulfillment services provider to ship the at least two inventory items to said given customer in one or more shipments, wherein at least one shipment of said one or more shipments comprises two or more of the at least two inventory items each ordered from said different respective merchant, and wherein each of said different respective merchants is a merchant of record for its respective ordered inventory item.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising said order management system determining said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for a particular fulfillment service for said at least some of said received orders dependent upon inventory items included in said at least some of said received orders.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein determining said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for said particular fulfillment service comprises said order management system determining whether a total value of said inventory items included in said at least some of said received orders exceeds a threshold value.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said particular fulfillment service comprises reduced-cost or free shipping.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said particular fulfillment service comprises expedited shipping.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said particular fulfillment service comprises a fulfillment service other than shipping.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising said order management system notifying said given customer of said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for said particular fulfillment service.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising said order management system applying said particular fulfillment service to said at least some of said received orders dependent upon said given customer'"'"'s approval.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising said order management system determining said given customer'"'"'s eligibility for a credit against a past, current, or future transaction dependent upon inventory items included in said at least some of said received orders.

25. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein each of said unique respective identifiers corresponding to said given customer is configured to indicate said given customer and a respective one of said at least some of said received orders placed on behalf of said given customer with a corresponding one of said plurality of merchants.

26. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said unique identifiers comprise respective alphanumeric tokens.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein inclusion of a particular one of said unique identifiers in a corresponding one of said at least some of said received orders for inventory items ordered from a particular one of said plurality of merchants is dependent upon said given customer providing said particular unique identifier to said particular merchant.

28. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said unique identifiers comprise respective browser cookies configured to be stored within a browser environment corresponding to said given customer.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein inclusion of a particular one of said unique identifiers in a corresponding one of said at least some of said received orders for inventory items ordered from a particular one of said merchants is dependent upon said particular merchant retrieving said respective browser cookie corresponding to said particular unique identifier from said browser environment corresponding to said given customer.

30. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

an inventory management system implementing a registration interface;

said inventory management system receiving, from a given one of said plurality of merchants, via said registration interface, a registration request to receive inventory fulfillment services from said fulfillment services provider for a given one of said inventory items;

said inventory management system determining whether said registration request is valid; and

in response to determining that said registration request is valid, said inventory management system providing to said given merchant, via said registration interface, information for conveying units of said inventory item to said fulfillment services provider.