Dynamic web storefront technology

• US 20050204281A1
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qommerce Systems, LLC (Brian Yates)
• Original Assignee: Kagi Corporation
• Inventors: Choate, Eric P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A computer implemented method of conducting commerce over the Internet wherein a customer uses a client machine to request a web page through the Internet and a web server receives the request and sends a web page in hypertext mark up language (HTML) format that presents the customer with a form. The customer then enters information regarding a transaction at a web store. The form is set up so that the form values, i.e., the name of each variable, implies a way to store the variable'"'"'s data in a database located in a web server. The forms data is processed into extensible markup language (XML) objects. By using XML path information in the HTML form variable names, the server is able to convert the HTML input into XML objects. This methodology allows the addition of any input fields without having to modify the code or programs residing on the server to accommodate these changes.

Claims

1. A method of conducting commerce with a server over the Internet comprising:

receiving a request for a web page from a consumer;

transmitting the web page over the Internet from the server to the consumer;

prompting for information from the consumer through the web page;

assigning variables with variable names to the information;

incorporating XML path information into the variable names;

submitting the variables to the server;

reading the information from the variables;

placing the information in an XML type format based on the XML path information; and

creating another web page for the consumer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variables are transmitted in a universal resource locator.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein any extra information in the universal resource locator is ignored by the web server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variables are transmitted in hidden HTML form fields.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variables are transmitted by cookies.

6. An apparatus for conducting commerce over the Internet comprising:

a web server for producing a web page having variables therein that incorporate data said variables having variable names that incorporate XML path information;

client software for displaying the web page; and

a connection formed over the Internet for transmitting the web page from the server to the client software and the variables and variable names from the client software to the server, said server further including a database for storing the data in an XML type format based on the XML path information whereby said server creates another web page for the client software based on the data in the XML type format.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the connection including means for transmitting the variables in a universal resource locator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the web server includes means for ignoring any information found in the universal resource locator other than the data and XML path information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the web page further includes hidden HTML form fields for transmitting the data and XML path information over the connection.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the web page further includes cookies for transmitting the data and XML path information over the connection.

11. A method of conducting commerce over the Internet comprising the steps of:

creating a first web page that presents a form for a customer to input information;

assigning variables to information inputted by the customer, each variable having a name that indicates how the information is to be stored;

transferring the variables to a central location;

collecting the variables and storing the information in a database according to the name of each said variable; and

creating a second web page based on the database and a template.

12. A software program residing on a web server that is easily adapted to many different types of Electronic commerce stores comprising:

means for creating a web page readable by a web browser, said web page including a form for a customer to input information;

means for assigning variables to the input information; and

means for naming the variables based on how the variable information is to be stored in XML format.