System and method for managing customer address information in electronic commerce using the internet

• US 9,424,582 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Ku, Young Bae
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Allen J
• Application Number:
  US12/483,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,629 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for managing customer address information in electronic commerce using the Internet are provided. Customers'"'"' detailed address information is received from customer terminals connected over the Internet, a unique address number corresponding to the detailed address information is produced, and the produced unique address number and the corresponding detailed address information are separately stored and managed in separate database (DBs), thereby effectively preventing leakage of the customers'"'"' detailed address information due to hacking or a malicious program.

Claims

1. A system for managing customer address information in electronic commerce using a computer network, the system comprising:

a customer address database (DB) for storing a unique address number for each customer, the customer address DB comprising;

a seller address DB for storing a unique address number for each seller, and

a buyer address DB for storing a unique address number for each buyer, the seller address DB being included in the buyer address DB;

an integrated address DB for storing address information corresponding to the unique address number for each customer, in an integrated manner; and

a management server configured to protect a leakage of customer address information through the computer network, the management server comprising a first physical server having a first processor and a second physical server having a second processor, the first processor of the first physical server being configured to receive the customer address information from a plurality of customer terminals coupled over the computer network, and the first processor of the first physical server being configured to produce the unique address number for each customer corresponding to the customer address information, and the first processor of the first physical server being configured to store the produced unique address number for each customer in the customer address DB, and the second processor of the second physical server being configured to store the customer address information corresponding to the unique address number for each customer in the integrated address DB, the customer address DB being configured to store the unique address number only once for the customer address information such that the unique address number is extractable each time the customer address information is input from the customer terminal, the management server being coupled to the customer address DB and the integrated address DB through different administrator accounts, and the management server is further configured to temporarily store the customer address information in a separate temporary table in response to the management server not being connected over a computer internet network with the integrated address DB for communication, and to store the customer address information, taken from the separate temporary table, in the integrated address DB in response to the management server being connected over the computer internet network with the integrated address DB for communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management server is configured to extract the unique address number each time the address information is input by a customer at one of the customer terminals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer is a seller or a buyer subscribing as a member through a web server of the management server.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a backup integrated address DB interworking with the integrated address DB for synchronizing and backing up the customers address information for each unique address number stored in the integrated address DB, wherein:

based on the integrated address DB not operating, the management server is connected to the backup integrated address DB.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer address DB stores only the unique address numbers.

6. A computer-implemented method for managing customer address information in electronic commerce using a computer network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, using a computer system, customers'"'"' address information from customer terminals and producing a unique address number for each customer corresponding to the address information;

(b) storing, using a computer system, the produced unique address number for each customer in a customer address DB coupled to a first physical server of the computer system, the customer address DB comprising;

a seller address DB for storing a unique address number for each seller; and

a buyer address DB for storing a unique address number, for each buyer, the seller address DB being included in the buyer address DB;

(c) storing, using a computer system, the address information corresponding to the unique address number for each customer in an integrated address DB coupled to a second physical server of the computer system, the integrated address DB being separate from the customer address DB, the first and second physical servers being coupled to the customer address DB and the integrated address DB through different administrator accounts, the customers'"'"' address information being stored in a separate temporary table in response to a management server not being connected over a computer internet network with the integrated address DB for communication, and the customers'"'"' address information being stored, taken from the separate temporary table, in the integrated address DB in response to the management server being connected over the computer internet network with the integrated address DB for communication; and

(d) storing, using a computer system, the unique address number only once for the customers'"'"' address information such that the unique address number is extractable each time the customer'"'"'s address information is input from a customer terminal.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein step (a) further comprises producing one unique address number for the same ones among the customers'"'"' address information input from the customer terminals.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising storing, using the computer system, the produced unique address number in the customer address DB and storing the address information corresponding to the unique address number in the integrated address DB.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising connecting, using the computer system, to a backup integrated address DB interworking with the integrated address DB for synchronizing and backing up the customers'"'"' address information for each unique address number stored in the integrated address DB when the integrated address DB does not operate.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the customer address DB stores only the unique address numbers.

11. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a software application, said software application comprising instructions that when executed by said processor implement operations comprising:

(a) receiving, using a computer system, customer address information from customer terminals and producing a unique address number for each customer corresponding to the address information;

(b) storing, using a computer system, the produced unique address number for each customer in a customer address DB coupled to a first physical server of the computer system, the customer address DB comprising;

a seller address DB for storing a unique address number for each seller; and

a buyer address DB for storing a unique address number for each buyer, the seller address DB being included in the buyer address DB;

(c) storing, using a computer system, the address information corresponding to the unique address number for each customer in an integrated address DB coupled to a second physical server of the computer system, the integrated address DB being separate from the customer address DB, the first and second physical servers being coupled to the customer address DB and the integrated address DB through different administrator accounts, the customers'"'"' address information being stored in a separate temporary table in response to a management server not being connected over a computer internet network with the integrated address DB for communication, and the customers'"'"' address information, taken from the separate temporary table, being stored in the integrated address DB in response to the management server being connected over the computer internet network with the integrated address DB for communication; and

(d) storing, using a computer system, the unique address number only once for the customers'"'"' address information such that the unique address number is extractable each time the customer'"'"'s address information is input from a customer terminal.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the customer address DB stores only the unique address numbers.