APPROACH FOR PROCESSING ELECTRONIC ORDERS

• US 20070192212A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slingshot Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: E Centives Inc.
• Inventors: Padala, Sailendra, Hendrikse, Norbert, Javangula, Pradeep
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

Processing an electronic order involves receiving from a mobile customer device first order data for an order that contains less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order. Additional information required by the merchant to completely process the order is retrieved. Second order data is generated based upon the first order data and the additional information. The second order data contains at least the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order. The second order data is provided to a merchant for processing.

Claims

1. A method for processing electronic orders comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving from a mobile customer device first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile customer device;

retrieving, based upon the device identification data, at least one data item that is not contained in the first order data, but that is required to completely process the order;

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order; and

providing the second order data to the merchant for processing.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving customer authentication data for a customer associated with the mobile customer device, and

authenticating the customer using the customer authentication data.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the customer authentication data includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the customer, and

the method further comprises authenticating the customer using the PIN.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first order data includes customer identification data that identifies a customer,

the method further comprises retrieving, based upon the customer identification data, order fulfillment information associated with the customer, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes billing information for the customer,

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the customer includes retrieving billing information for the customer, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the billing information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes shipping information for the customer, and

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the customer includes retrieving shipping information for the customer.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data in a format required by the merchant to completely process the order.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

retrieving product information based upon the first order data, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the product information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

determining that the merchant cannot completely process the order, and

providing the second order data to a second merchant for processing.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the order is for a particular product or service,

the order cannot be completely processed by the merchant, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, the second order data includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process an order for a second product or service.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first order data and the device identification data are received from the mobile customer device over a wireless communications link.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile customer device is a mobile telephone and the device identification data is a telephone number for the mobile telephone.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile customer device is a personal digital assistant.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile customer device is a mobile personal computer.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the order is for a particular product or service,

the order cannot be completely processed by the merchant, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, the second order data includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process an order for a second product or service.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving from a mobile customer device first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile customer device;

retrieving, based upon the device identification data, at least one data item that is not contained in the first order data, but that is required to completely process the order;

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order; and

providing the second order data to the merchant for processing.

16. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving customer authentication data for a customer associated with the mobile customer device, and

authenticating the customer using the customer authentication data.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the customer authentication data includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the customer, and

the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of method further comprises authenticating the customer using the PIN.

18. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the first order data includes customer identification data that identifies a customer,

the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of retrieving, based upon the customer identification data, order fulfillment information associated with the customer, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes billing information for the customer,

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the customer includes retrieving billing information for the customer, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the billing information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes shipping information for the customer, and

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the customer includes retrieving shipping information for the customer.

21. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data in a format required by the merchant to completely process the order.

22. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

retrieving product information based upon the first order data, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the product information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining that the merchant cannot completely process the order, and

providing the second order data to a second merchant for processing.

25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the first order data and the device identification data are received from the mobile customer device over a wireless communications link.

26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the mobile customer device is a mobile telephone and the device identification data is a telephone number for the mobile telephone.

27. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the mobile customer device is a personal digital assistant.

28. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the mobile customer device is a mobile personal computer.

29. A computer system for processing electronic orders comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes one or more sequences of one more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

receiving from a mobile customer device first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile customer device;

retrieving, based upon the device identification data, at least one data item that is not contained in the first order data, but that is required to completely process the order;

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order; and

providing the second order data to the merchant for processing.

30. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving customer authentication data for a customer associated with the mobile customer device, and

authenticating the customer using the customer authentication data.

31. The computer system as recited in claim 30, wherein:

the customer authentication data includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the customer, and

the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of authenticating the customer using the PIN.

32. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the first order data includes customer identification data that identifies a customer,

the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of retrieving, based upon the customer identification data, order fulfillment information associated with the customer, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

33. The computer system as recited in claim 32, wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes billing information for the customer,

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the customer includes retrieving billing information for the customer, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the billing information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

34. The computer system as recited in claim 32, wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes shipping information for the customer, and

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the customer includes retrieving shipping information for the customer.

35. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data in a format required by the merchant to completely process the order.

36. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of retrieving product information based upon the first order data, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the product information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

37. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein the memory further includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining that the merchant cannot completely process the order, and

providing the second order data to a second merchant for processing.

38. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the order is for a particular product or service,

the order cannot be completely processed by the merchant, and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, the second order data includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process an order for a second product or service.

39. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein the first order data and the device identification data are received from the mobile customer device over a wireless communications link.

40. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein the mobile customer device is a mobile telephone and the device identification data is a telephone number for the mobile telephone.

41. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein the mobile customer device is a personal digital assistant.

42. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein the mobile customer device is a mobile personal computer.

43. An apparatus for processing electronic orders comprising:

an information repository; and

a transaction facilitator communicatively coupled to the information repository, wherein the transaction facilitator is configured to;

receive from a mobile customer device over a wireless communications link first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile customer device;

retrieve from the information repository, based upon the device identification data, at least one data item that is not contained in the first order data, but that is required to completely process the order;

generate, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order, and

provide the second order data to the merchant for processing.

44. The apparatus as recited in claim 43, wherein:

the merchant is configured with a web-based order interface, and

the second order data is provided directly to the merchant, circumventing the web-based order interface.