METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING PURCHASE TRANSACTIONS ACROSS A NETWORK

• US 20110246361A1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John E. Geering
• Original Assignee: John E. Geering
• Inventors: Geering, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system that provides information and records information to facilitate a purchase transaction across a network. The system operates by receiving a request for billing information relating to a purchase transaction from a remote computer system. In response to the request, the system retrieves the billing information from a local store in the local computer system, and sends the billing information to the remote computer system. After the remote computer system completes the purchase transaction, the system receives confirmation information for the purchase transaction from the remote computer system. The system records this confirmation information in the local store in the local computer system. This enables a user of the local computer system to subsequently look up the confirmation information based on a purchase transaction identifier. In one embodiment of the present invention, retrieving the billing information involves asking the user of the local computer system if the billing information can be released to the remote computer system. If the user confirms that the billing information can be released to the remote computer system, the local computer system sends the billing information to the remote computer system.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for facilitating a purchase transaction using a computerized apparatus in communication with a network, comprising:

electronically retrieving at least some of the billing information from an electronic storage device;

sending the retrieved billing information to the remote computer system so that the remote computer system can complete the purchase transaction; and

receiving confirmation information for the purchase transaction from the remote computer system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the billing information comprises at least one of:

credit card information for the purchase transaction;

a billing address for the purchase transaction; and

/or

a shipping address for the purchase transaction.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising electronically recording the confirmation information in the electronic storage device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the act of electronically retrieving at least some of the billing information from the electronic storage device in the networked computer system comprises:

providing a query about whether the billing information can be released to the remote computer system;

receiving a response to the query; and

electronically retrieving at least some of the billing information from the electronic storage device if the response to the query indicates that the billing information can be released to the remote computer system.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the act of sending the retrieved billing information to the remote computer system comprises:

providing a query about whether the billing information can be released to the remote computer system;

receiving a response to the query; and

sending the retrieved billing information to the remote computer system only if the response to the query indicates that the billing information can be released to the remote computer system.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the act of electronically retrieving at least some of the billing information from the electronic storage device comprises:

providing a query for a password for the billing information;

receiving a response to the query, the response including a user password;

determining if the user password matches the password for the billing information; and

if the determination is made that the user password matches the password for the billing information, electronically retrieving at least some of the billing information from the electronic storage device.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the act of sending the retrieved billing information to the remote computer system comprises:

providing a query for a password for the billing information;

receiving a response to the query, the response including a user password;

determining if the user password matches the password for the billing information; and

if the determination is made that the user password matches the password for the billing information, sending the retrieved billing information to the remote computer system.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the confirmation information comprises at least one of:

a confirmation number for the purchase transaction;

a list of items involved in the purchase transaction;

a total amount for the purchase transaction;

a seller'"'"'s name for the purchase transaction;

a date of the purchase transaction; and

shipping information related to the purchase transaction.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising, prior to receiving the request for the billing information:

providing a query for the billing information;

in response to the query, receiving the billing information; and

recording the received billing information in the electronic storage device.

31. A computerized apparatus for facilitating purchase transactions, comprising:

apparatus configured to obtain billing information that has been provided by a user;

an electronic storage device that is configured to store at least some of the billing information;

apparatus configured to retrieve at least some of the billing information from the electronic storage device, and to send the retrieved billing information to a remote computer apparatus; and

wherein the apparatus configured to retrieve is further configured to receive confirmation information for the purchase transaction from the remote computer apparatus.

32. The computerized apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a recording mechanism that is configured to electronically record the confirmation information in the electronic storage device.

33. The computerized apparatus of claim 31, wherein the billing information comprises at least one of:

credit card information for the purchase transaction;

a billing address for the purchase transaction; and

/or

a shipping address for the purchase transaction.

34. The computerized apparatus of claim 31, wherein the apparatus configured to retrieve is further configured to:

provide a query about whether the billing information can be released to the remote computer apparatus; and

send the retrieved billing information to the remote computer system if a response to the query indicates that the billing information can be released to the remote computer apparatus.

35. The computerized apparatus of claim 31, wherein the apparatus configured to retrieve is further configured to:

provide a query for a password for the billing information;

receive a response to the query, the response including a user password;

determine if the user password matches the password for the billing information; and

if the user password matches the password for the billing information, electronically retrieve at least some of the billing information from the electronic storage device.

36. The local computerized apparatus of claim 31, wherein the confirmation information comprises at least one of:

a confirmation number for the purchase transaction;

a list of items involved in the purchase transaction; and

/or

a total amount for the purchase transaction.

37. The local computerized apparatus of claim 31, wherein the confirmation information comprises at least one of:

a seller'"'"'s name for the purchase transaction;

a date of the purchase transaction; and

/or

shipping information related to the purchase transaction.

38. A method for facilitating a purchase transaction using a networked computerized apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining billing information data submitted by a user;

storing the billing information data in a storage device on the networked computerized apparatus;

authenticating the user via the receipt of authentication data obtained from the user, and if the authentication is successful, granting access to the stored billing information;

sending the stored billing information to a remote computerized apparatus in order to facilitate execution of the purchase transaction; and

receiving confirmation information for the purchase transaction from the remote computerized apparatus.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the granting of access to the stored billing information facilitates the purchase transaction by obviating reentering of billing information by the user every time the user wishes to make a purchase.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the authentication data comprises a user password, and the act of authenticating the user comprises comparing a user password received from the user with a password associated with the stored billing information.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the received confirmation information is stored with other confirmation information, the received confirmation information and other confirmation information being for a plurality of purchase transactions involving various web sites on a network.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the received confirmation information comprises at least:

a confirmation number for the purchase transaction;

a list of items involved in the purchase transaction; and

a total amount for the purchase transaction.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the received confirmation information comprises at least:

a seller'"'"'s name for the purchase transaction;

a date of the purchase transaction; and

shipping information related to the purchase transaction.

44. A method for facilitating a plurality of purchase transactions using a networked computerized apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining billing information data submitted by a user;

storing the billing information data in a storage device on the networked computerized apparatus;

authenticating the user for a first purchase via receipt of authentication data obtained from the user, and if the authentication is successful, granting access to the stored billing information;

sending the stored billing information to a second computerized apparatus in order to facilitate execution of the purchase transaction;

receiving confirmation information for the purchase transaction from the second computerized apparatus; and

subsequently granting access to the stored billing information pursuant to a second purchase transaction by the same user, wherein the user is required to only re-enter the authentication data, and not the billing information, for the second purchase.

45. A method for facilitating one or more purchase transactions using a networked computerized apparatus, the method comprising:

authenticating a user for a purchase via receipt of authentication data obtained from the user, and if the authentication is successful, granting access to stored billing information having previously been submitted by the user;

storing the billing information data in a storage device on the networked computerized apparatus;

sending the stored billing information to a second computerized apparatus in order to facilitate execution of the purchase transaction; and

receiving confirmation information for the purchase transaction from the second computerized apparatus.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising subsequently granting access to the stored billing information pursuant to another purchase transaction by the same user, wherein the user is required to only re-enter the authentication data, and not the billing information, for the another purchase.