SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE USING PERSONAL AND BUSINESS NETWORKS

• US 20130218722A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Overstock.com Incorporated
• Inventors: MacDonald-Korth, Holly C., Peterson, Samuel Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Electronic commerce over a publicly accessible computer network such as the Internet is facilitated and leveraged by a computer system that forms a community of computer user parties based on personal and business connections of the parties involved. Personal connections are created between users by invitation and mutual acceptance. Business connections are created between users when a transaction takes place between those users. Users search to perform any one or more of a variety of actions such as to purchase products, browse departments and categories for purchasing products, or explore the connections between the parties involved to find items to buy. Different groupings of the parties involved may be the users themselves and other buyers/sellers in the business network, the users themselves and their friends in the personal networks, or some combination of buyers/sellers and friends from each of the types of networks. A computer or server at a site in the network implements an architecture whereby various pages viewed by a user have links to enable them to find products.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating electronic commerce, the method comprising:

registering a plurality of users on a computer of a communications network, each of the plurality of users being electronically interconnected so that the plurality of users define a community of users;

establishing a business network of business relationships for the community through electronic commerce with the plurality of users;

making business ratings of electronic commerce with other users within the community;

sharing the business network and the business ratings among the plurality of users within the community;

receiving from a first user within the community a request inviting a second user within the community to join the first user'"'"'s business network so that the first user can leverage the business relationships of the second user;

sending a confirmation to the invited second user of association with the first user that invited the second user; and

receiving a request from a third party user browsing another user'"'"'s business network and, if the third party user is registered in the community, and the third party user and said another user share at least one other user that is in both the third party user'"'"'s and said another user'"'"'s business networks, then allowing the third party user to see at least one of the users within the community that link the third party user and said another user, thereby indicating to the third party user how the third party user is connected to said another user.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the business ratings comprise both a qualitative assessment responsive to textual or graphic comments for describing users within the business network, and a quantitative assessment responsive to a relative scale for comparing users within the business network.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein, if an invited user is not already registered in the community, allowing the invited user to register and participate in the community.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein both the first user and the invited second user are members of one another'"'"'s joined business network responsive to receipt of the confirmation.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some users within the community with whom a user communicates or transacts business become part of the user'"'"'s business network, and wherein the electronic commerce comprises at least one of buying goods, selling goods, buying services, or selling services.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising users either performing keyword searches or browsing taxonomy of other users'"'"' business networks within the community to locate either products or services in which the users are interested in electronic commerce.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising graphically illustrating and providing links to each of said at least one of the users within the community to the third party user.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein selecting one of said at least one of the users responsively displays the business networks, the business ratings, and links to either products or services being offered for sale of the selected one of said at least one of the users so that a user can browse the business networks of interconnected users.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising organizing business transactions that are formed by selecting users from other users'"'"' respective business networks within the community.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising participating in business transactions that are formed by selecting users from other users'"'"' respective business networks within the community.