IN APPLICATION PURCHASING

• US 20110246290A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Williamson, Richard, Blumenberg, Christopher, Turner, William Bedford, Howard, James Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

The present technology provides a purchasing interface within an application that allows users to purchase a product from another source without leaving the application. The application offers a product for purchase, and a user, desiring to purchase the product can provide an input effective to cause a purchasing interface to be displayed. While the purchasing interface, or information presented therein, comes from the product source, which is different than the application source, it is presented in such a fashion that gives the impression to the user that they are purchasing the product directly from the application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting an application offering a product for purchase, the application being from a first entity;

presenting a purchase interface overlaid the application, the purchase interface being from a second entity; and

completing a sales transaction without navigating away from the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initially presenting a portion of the application offering the product for purchase and upon receiving an input or selection in the portion of the application revealing the full application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase interface is presented after receiving an input into the application offering the product for purchase indicating that the user desires to purchase the product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase interface is translucent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase interface is partially transparent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is an advertisement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is from an application server that targets applications to users.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase interface is for purchasing a product directly from an online store.

9. A product comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable medium; and

machine-executable instructions stored on the machine-readable medium for presenting a portion of an application offering a product for purchase, the application being from a first entity;

receiving an input in the portion of the application;

presenting the full application in response to receiving the input;

receiving a selection in the portion of the application indicating that a user desires to purchase the product;

presenting a purchase interface overlaid the application, the purchase interface being from a second entity; and

completing a sales transaction without navigating away from the application.

10. The product of claim 9, wherein the purchase interface is translucent.

11. The product of claim 9, wherein the purchase interface is partially transparent.

12. The product of claim 9, wherein the application is an advertisement.

13. The product of claim 9, wherein the application is from an application server that targets applications to users.

14. A system for presenting a purchase interface comprising:

a processor configured to present an application offering a product for purchase, the application being from a first entity;

a communications interface configured to communicate with an online store, the online store being an entity offering the product for purchase;

the processor further configured to present a purchase interface overlaid the application, the purchase interface including information received from the online store via the communications interface; and

an input device for receiving inputs effective to cause the communications interface to communicate with the online store to complete a purchase of the product without navigating away from the application.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is two or more processors.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the purchase interface is translucent.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the purchase interface is partially transparent.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the application is an advertisement.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the application is from an application server that targets applications to users.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the purchase interface is for purchasing a product directly from an online store.