Email-based transactions for e-commerce
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating an e-commerce transaction by using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), the method comprising:
- generating, by an e-commerce system, a first message, the first message including a plurality of visible SMTP mailto links that are each associated with a respective non-visible indicia and visible indicia, each non-visible indicia including an SMTP email address of an email account of the system and a respective one of a plurality of transaction identifiers, and each visible indicia corresponding to a particular transaction identifier from the plurality of transaction identifiers, wherein each mailto link causes the generation of an SMTP email message addressed to the email account of the system and including a corresponding particular transaction identifiertransmitting, by the e-commerce system, the first message to a user;
receiving, by the e-commerce system, a SMTP email message from an email address of the user, wherein the SMTP email message is generated in response to a selection of one of the plurality of visible SMTP mailto links and is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, the SMTP email message including the particular transaction identifier from the one of said visible SMTP mailto links that is selected, andperforming, by the e-commerce system, a validation procedure based on the received SMTP email message, the validation procedure comprising comparing the particular transaction identifier of the SMTP email message against information stored in a database to confirm the e-commerce transaction should be executed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An 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.
89 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for facilitating an e-commerce transaction by using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), the method comprising:
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generating, by an e-commerce system, a first message, the first message including a plurality of visible SMTP mailto links that are each associated with a respective non-visible indicia and visible indicia, each non-visible indicia including an SMTP email address of an email account of the system and a respective one of a plurality of transaction identifiers, and each visible indicia corresponding to a particular transaction identifier from the plurality of transaction identifiers, wherein each mailto link causes the generation of an SMTP email message addressed to the email account of the system and including a corresponding particular transaction identifier transmitting, by the e-commerce system, the first message to a user; receiving, by the e-commerce system, a SMTP email message from an email address of the user, wherein the SMTP email message is generated in response to a selection of one of the plurality of visible SMTP mailto links and is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, the SMTP email message including the particular transaction identifier from the one of said visible SMTP mailto links that is selected, and performing, by the e-commerce system, a validation procedure based on the received SMTP email message, the validation procedure comprising comparing the particular transaction identifier of the SMTP email message against information stored in a database to confirm the e-commerce transaction should be executed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for facilitating an e-commerce transaction by using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), the system comprising:
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a communication interface that is communicatively coupled to a device of a user; a memory; and a processor communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory and configured to; generate a first message, the first message including a plurality of visible SMTP mailto links that are each associated with a respective non-visible indicia and visible indicia, each non-visible indicia including an SMTP email address of an email account of the system and a respective one of a plurality of transaction identifiers, and each visible indicia corresponding to a particular transaction identifier from the plurality of transaction identifiers, wherein each mailto link causes the generation of an SMTP email message addressed to the email account of the system and including a corresponding particular transaction identifier transmit, using the communication interface, the first message to a user; receive, using the communication interface, a SMTP email message from an email address of the user, wherein the SMTP email message is generated in response to a selection of one of the plurality of visible SMTP mailto links and is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, the SMTP email message including the particular transaction identifier from the one of said visible SMTP mailto links that is selected, and perform a validation procedure based on the received SMTP email message, the validation procedure comprising comparing the particular transaction identifier of the SMTP email message against information stored in a database to confirm the e-commerce transaction should be executed. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor of an e-commerce system cause the processor to:
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generate a first message, the first message including a plurality of visible SMTP mailto links that are each associated with a respective non-visible indicia and visible indicia, each non-visible indicia including an SMTP email address of an email account of the system and a respective one of a plurality of transaction identifiers, and each visible indicia corresponding to a particular transaction identifier from the plurality of transaction identifiers, wherein each mailto link causes the generation of an SMTP email message addressed to the email account of the system and including a corresponding particular transaction identifier transmit, using the communication interface, the first message to a user; receive, using the communication interface, a SMTP email message from an email address of the user, wherein the SMTP email message is generated in response to a selection of one of the plurality of visible SMTP mailto links and is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, the SMTP email message including the particular transaction identifier from the one of said visible SMTP mailto links that is selected, and perform a validation procedure based on the received SMTP email message, the validation procedure comprising comparing the particular transaction identifier of the SMTP email message against information stored in a database to confirm an e-commerce transaction should be executed.
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Specification