Email-based e-commerce
First Claim
1. A system for facilitating payments from a customer client device to a vendor client device, comprising a payment gateway and a network interface:
- the electronic payment gateway comprising;
a memory storing a database of information that includes at least;
an identifier of a customer;
an email address of the customer; and
an identifier of a product offered by a vendor;
a processor configured to generate a first Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email message, the first SMTP email message being addressed to the email address of the customer and includes a visible SMTP mailto link associated with the at least one product, wherein the visible mailto link includes non visible information including an email address of the system, a unique identifier associated with the product, and the identifier of the customer;
wherein the visible mailto link is configured to, upon selection by a customer on a customer client device, generate a second SMTP email message, that is addressed to the email address of the system and includes the identifier of the customer and the unique identifier associated with the product; and
a network interface configured;
to transmit the first advertising SMTP email message from the e-commerce system to a customer client device; and
to receive the second SMTP email message from the customer client device;
wherein the second SMTP email message indicates an order by the customer for the product, is responsive to the customer selecting the visible mailto link using the customer client device, is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and includes the identifier of the customer and the unique identifier the product; and
the processor and the network interface are further configured to perform an order execution procedure based on the received second SMTP email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the product for the customer from the vendor client device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An email payment gateway having electronic commerce (e-commerce) system may send advertisement emails to customers that are registered with the e-commerce system. The advertisement emails may include mailto hyperlinks. Each mailto hyperlink may be associated with a product that is being offered for sale, and each mailto hyperlink describes an email message that may be generated when that hyperlink is selected. When a mailto hyperlink is selected, the generated email message may include one or more parameters related to the product associated with the hyperlink, such as an identifier of the product. The generated email message may then be transmitted to the e-commerce system. The e-commerce system may receive the message and, based on the parameters in the received message, execute a transaction to purchase the identified product on behalf of the customer.
62 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for facilitating payments from a customer client device to a vendor client device, comprising a payment gateway and a network interface:
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the electronic payment gateway comprising; a memory storing a database of information that includes at least; an identifier of a customer; an email address of the customer; and an identifier of a product offered by a vendor; a processor configured to generate a first Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email message, the first SMTP email message being addressed to the email address of the customer and includes a visible SMTP mailto link associated with the at least one product, wherein the visible mailto link includes non visible information including an email address of the system, a unique identifier associated with the product, and the identifier of the customer;
wherein the visible mailto link is configured to, upon selection by a customer on a customer client device, generate a second SMTP email message, that is addressed to the email address of the system and includes the identifier of the customer and the unique identifier associated with the product; anda network interface configured; to transmit the first advertising SMTP email message from the e-commerce system to a customer client device; and to receive the second SMTP email message from the customer client device; wherein the second SMTP email message indicates an order by the customer for the product, is responsive to the customer selecting the visible mailto link using the customer client device, is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and includes the identifier of the customer and the unique identifier the product; and the processor and the network interface are further configured to perform an order execution procedure based on the received second SMTP email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the product for the customer from the vendor client device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electronic commerce (e-commerce) system for communicating with a customer client device and a vendor client device, comprising:
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an electronic payment gateway comprising; a memory for hosting a database configured to store information that includes at least; an identifier of a customer; an email address of the customer; and an identifier of a vendor; a processor configured to generate a first Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email message, the first SMTP email message including a payment amount, wherein the first SMTP email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and includes a visible SMTP mailto link associated with the payment amount, wherein the visible mailto link includes; non visible information including at least one field that includes an email address of the e-commerce system, a unique identifier associated with the payment amount; and
the identifier of the customer;
wherein the visible mailto link is configured to, upon selection by a customer on a customer client device, generate a second SMTP email message that is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system and includes the identifier of the customer and the unique identifier of the payment amount; anda network interface configured; to transmit the first SMTP email message from the e-commerce system to a customer client device; and to receive the second SMTP email message from the customer client device; wherein the second SMTP email message comprises a confirmation by the customer to pay the payment amount, is responsive to the customer selecting the visible mailto link using the customer client device, and is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and wherein the second SMTP email message includes the identifier of the customer and the unique identifier the payment amount; and wherein the processor and the network interface are further configured to transmit the payment amount from the customer to the vendor based on the received second SMTP email message. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. An electronic commerce (e-commerce) system for communicating with a customer client device and a vendor client device, comprising:
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an electronic payment gateway comprising; a memory for hosting a database configured to store information that includes at least; an identifier of a customer; an email address of the customer; and an identifier of a vendor; a processor configured to generate a first Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email message, the first SMTP email message including at least one payment amount, wherein the first SMTP email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and wherein the first SMTP email message includes a visible SMTP mailto link associated with the payment amount, wherein the visible mailto link includes; non visible information including an email address of the e-commerce system, a unique identifier associated with the payment amount, the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the vendor;
wherein the visible mailto link is configured to, upon selection by a customer on a customer client device, generate a second SMTP email message that is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system and includes the unique identifier associated with the payment amount, the identifier of the customer, and the identifier of the vendor; anda network interface configured; to transmit the first SMTP email message from the e-commerce system to a customer client device; and to receive the second SMTP email message from the customer client device; wherein the second SMTP email message is responsive to the customer selecting the visible mailto link using the customer client device, is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and indicates the desire of the customer to pay the payment amount;
the second SMTP email message including the identifier of the customer and the unique identifier of the payment amount; andwherein the processor and the network interface are further configured to transmit the payment amount based on the received second SMTP email message. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An system for communicating with a customer client device and a vendor client device, comprising:
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a memory for storing information that includes at least; an identifier of a customer; an email address of the customer; and an identifier of a vendor; a processor configured to generate a first Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email message, the first SMTP email message setting forth at least one payment amount, is addressed to the email address of the customer, and includes a visible SMTP mailto link associated with the at least one payment amount, wherein the visible mailto link includes; non visible information including an email address of the e-commerce system, a unique identifier associated with the payment amount, the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the vendor;
wherein the visible mailto link is configured to, upon selection by a customer on a customer client device, generate a second SMTP email message, that is addressed to the email address of the system and includes the identifier of the customer, the unique identifier associated with the payment, and the identification of the vendor; anda network interface configured to transmit the first SMTP email message from the system to a customer client device; and
to receive the second SMTP email message from the customer client device;wherein the second SMTP email message confirms an order by the customer for the payment, is responsive to the customer selecting the visible mailto link using the customer client device, and is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and includes the identifier of the customer, the unique identifier the payment, and the identification of the vendor; and wherein the processor and the network interface are further configured to perform execution of the payment based on the second SMTP email message, wherein execution of the payment includes transferring funds from the customer to the vendor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification