EMAIL-BASED E-COMMERCE

• US 20120253896A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swoop IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Clover Leaf Environmental Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Killoran, John P. Jr., Peek, Dennis William, Custer, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• 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 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages

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.

Claims

1. A method for use in an electronic commerce (e-commerce) system, the method comprising:

a database storing information that includes;

an identifier of a customer;

an email address of the customer; and

an identifier of a product offered by a vendor;

at least one processor generating an advertising email message,

wherein the advertising email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and

wherein the advertising email message includes a mailto hyperlink, wherein the mailto hyperlink includes;

a destination address field that indicates an email address of the e-commerce system; and

a body field that indicates an email body that includes the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the product;

a network interface transmitting the advertising email message;

the network interface receiving an order email message,

wherein the order email message indicates an order by the customer for the product,

wherein the order email message is responsive to the advertising email message,

wherein the order email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and

wherein a body of the order email message includes the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the product; and

the at least one processor and the network interface performing an order execution procedure based on the order email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the product for the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the order execution procedure includes:

the network interface transmitting one or more messages to a payment processing system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

the database storing credit card information of the customer;

wherein the one or more messages include the credit card information of the customer, and

wherein the payment processing system is a payment gateway that is operated by an acquiring financial institution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the order execution procedure includes:

the network interface transmitting one or more messages to an order fulfillment system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the at least one processor determining, in response to the order email message, whether an order confirmation procedure should be performed; and

in response to a determination that the order confirmation procedure should be performed, the at least one processor and the network interface performing the order confirmation procedure.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor determining whether the order confirmation procedure should be performed is based on one or more of:

the identifier of the customer;

the identifier of the product;

or an identifier of the vendor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the order confirmation procedure includes:

the at least one processor generating a confirmation email message,

wherein the confirmation email message includes text that solicits the customer to confirm the order email message,

wherein the confirmation email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and

wherein the confirmation email message includes a second mailto hyperlink, wherein the second mailto hyperlink includes;

a second destination address field that indicates the email address of the e-commerce system; and

a second body field that indicates a second email body that includes an order identifier associated with the order email message;

the network interface transmitting the confirmation email message;

the network interface receiving a confirmation response email message,

wherein the confirmation response email message is responsive to the confirmation email message,

wherein the confirmation response email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and

wherein a body of the confirmation response email message includes the order identifier and information that indicates whether the order is confirmed or canceled; and

the at least one processor determining whether the order execution procedure should be performed based on the information that indicates whether the order is confirmed or canceled.

8. An electronic commerce (e-commerce) system comprising:

a database configured to store information that includes;

an identifier of a customer;

an email address of the customer; and

an identifier of a product offered by a vendor;

at least one processor configured to generate an advertising email message,

wherein the advertising email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and

wherein the advertising email message includes a mailto hyperlink, wherein the mailto hyperlink includes;

a destination address field that indicates an email address of the e-commerce system; and

a body field that indicates an email body that includes the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the product;

a network interface configured;

to transmit the advertising email message; and

to receive an order email message,

wherein the order email message indicates an order by the customer for the product,

wherein the order email message is responsive to the advertising email message,

wherein the order email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and

wherein a body of the order email message includes the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the product; and

wherein the at least one processor and the network interface are further configured to perform an order execution procedure based on the order email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the product for the customer.

9. The e-commerce system of claim 8, wherein the network interface is further configured to perform the order execution procedure by transmitting one or more messages to a payment processing system.

10. The e-commerce system of claim 9, wherein:

the database is further configured to store credit card information of the customer;

the one or more messages include the credit card information of the customer; and

the payment processing system is a payment gateway that is operated by an acquiring financial institution.

11. The e-commerce system of claim 8, wherein the network interface is further configured to perform the order execution procedure by transmitting one or more messages to an order fulfillment system.

12. The e-commerce system of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one processor is further configured to determine, in response to the order email message, whether an order confirmation procedure should be performed; and

the at least one processor and the network interface are further configured to perform the order confirmation procedure in response to a determination that the order confirmation procedure should be performed

13. The e-commerce system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether the order confirmation procedure should be performed based on one or more of:

the identifier of the customer;

the identifier of the product;

or an identifier of the vendor.

14. The e-commerce system of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one processor is further configured to generate a confirmation email message,

wherein the confirmation email message includes text that solicits the customer to confirm the order email message,

wherein the confirmation email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and

wherein the confirmation email message includes a second mailto hyperlink, wherein the second mailto hyperlink includes;

a second destination address field that indicates the email address of the e-commerce system; and

a second body field that indicates a second email body that includes an order identifier associated with the order email message;

the network interface is further configured;

to transmit the confirmation email message; and

to receive a confirmation response email message,

wherein the confirmation response email message is responsive to the confirmation email message,

wherein the confirmation response email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and

wherein a body of the confirmation response email message includes the order identifier and information that indicates whether the order is confirmed or canceled; and

the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether the order execution procedure should be performed based on the information that indicates whether the order is confirmed or canceled.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor in an electronic commerce (e-commerce) system, will cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing information that includes;

an identifier of a customer;

an email address of the customer; and

an identifier of a product offered by a vendor;

generating an advertising email message,

wherein the advertising email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and

wherein the advertising email message includes a mailto hyperlink, wherein the mailto hyperlink includes;

a destination address field that indicates an email address of the e-commerce system; and

a body field that indicates an email body that includes the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the product;

transmitting, via a network interface, the advertising email message;

receiving, via the network interface, an order email message,

wherein the order email message indicates an order by the customer for the product,

wherein the order email message is responsive to the advertising email message,

wherein the order email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and

wherein a body of the order email message includes the identifier of the customer and the identifier of the product; and

performing an order execution procedure based on the order email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the product for the customer.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the order execution procedure includes:

transmitting, via the network interface, one or more messages to a payment processing system.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

storing credit card information of the customer;

wherein the one or more messages include the credit card information of the customer, and

wherein the payment processing system is a payment gateway that is operated by an acquiring financial institution.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the order execution procedure includes:

transmitting, via the network interface, one or more messages to an order fulfillment system.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, in response to the order email message, whether an order confirmation procedure should be performed; and

in response to a determination that the order confirmation procedure should be performed, performing the order confirmation procedure.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the order confirmation procedure includes:

generating a confirmation email message,

wherein the confirmation email message includes text that solicits the customer to confirm the order email message,

wherein the confirmation email message is addressed to the email address of the customer, and

wherein the confirmation email message includes a second mailto hyperlink, wherein the second mailto hyperlink includes;

a second destination address field that indicates the email address of the e-commerce system; and

a second body field that indicates a second email body that includes an order identifier associated with the order email message;

transmitting, via the network interface, the confirmation email message;

receiving, via the network interface, a confirmation response email message,

wherein the confirmation response email message is responsive to the confirmation email message,

wherein the confirmation response email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and

wherein a body of the confirmation response email message includes the order identifier and information that indicates whether the order is confirmed or canceled; and

determining whether the order execution procedure should be performed based on the information that indicates whether the order is confirmed or canceled.