MIRRORING A STOREFRONT TO A SOCIAL MEDIA SITE

• US 20140379497A1
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Varma, Ajit Kalidindi, Robinson, Joseph Loree, Reiss, Jesse, Lin, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,229,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Method, systems, and apparatus for mirroring a storefront to a social media site. A social media interface system mirrors an online or offline storefront of a merchant to an account of the merchant on a social media site. The system receives a copy of an electronic message from a user device of the merchant. The system parses the copy of the message and determines that the message is related to the item and related to an online store or physical store of the merchant. The system then inserts a tag into the copy of the message, the tag linking the message to an online storefront of the online store or an offline storefront of the physical store. The system posts the copy of the message, including the tag, in the account of the merchant on a social media site.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a social media interface system, a copy of an electronic message sent from a merchant computer of a merchant to an inventory management system for updating an inventory of items for sale at a physical store of the merchant or an online store of the merchant;

parsing the copy of the electronic message by a message parser of the social media interface system to determine one or more keywords in the electronic message;

determining, by the message parser, that the one or more keywords indicate that the electronic message describes an item that is offered by the merchant to sell at the physical store or the online store, wherein the determining includes;

identifying one or more words or phrases indicating an offer to sell; and

identifying the item from the inventory stored on an inventory management system coupled to the social media interface system using at least one of the one or more keywords;

in response to the determining, retrieving a link from a user registry using an account name of the merchant, the link being directed to the online store of the merchant or including an address of the physical store, wherein the link is associated with the account name in the user registry, and is previously entered by the merchant or generated for the merchant;

inserting the link as a tag of the one or more keywords of the electronic message, the tag operable to cause the one or more keywords, upon receiving a click or touch input when being viewed in a browser;

to direct the browser to display a web page of the online store, or

to display a location of the physical store corresponding to the address; and

posting the electronic message that includes the tag on an account of the merchant on a social media cite.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the words or phrases describe prices or discounts of the item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the copy of the electronic message includes a duplicate of a message for providing a discount of the item.

4. A method comprising:

receiving, by a social network interface system, a duplicate of an electronic message sent by a merchant from a user system to a social network site storing messages of the merchant and providing the stored messages for display in a browser;

parsing the duplicate of the electronic message by a message parser of the social network interface system to determine one or more keywords in the electronic message;

determining, by the message parser, that the one or more keywords indicate that the message describes an item that is offered by the merchant to sell at an online store of the merchant, wherein the determining includes;

identifying one or more words or phrases indicating an offer to sell; and

identifying the item from an inventory of the merchant stored on an inventory management system coupled to the social network interface system using at least one of the one or more keywords;

in response to the determining, retrieving a link from a user registry using an account name of the merchant, the link being directed to the online store of the merchant and being associated with the account name in the user registry, wherein the link is previously entered by the merchant or generated for the merchant; and

providing the link to a server of a social media site for posting in a message on the social media site.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the words or phrases describes prices or discounts of the item.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the link is a uniform resource locator (URL) link to the online store.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the link to the server comprises providing the link to an application program that executes on the for inserting the link as a tag of the one or more keywords of the electronic message, such that the one or more keywords is configured to receive a click or touch input when being viewed in the browser and, upon receiving the click or touch input, direct the browser to the online store.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the link to the server comprises generating the message that includes the link and providing the message to the server for posting.

9. A method of automatically inserting links into electronic messages, comprising:

receiving a copy of an electronic message sent from a source to a destination;

parsing the copy of the electronic message, including identifying one or more keywords indicating that the electronic message is related to selling or buying an item;

in response, determining, based on identity information of the source, a link to access an online store or payment system of the source, the online store or payment system being configured to facilitate the selling or buying; and

providing the link to one or more servers at the destination for presenting in the electronic message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the destination includes the one or more servers programmed to provide a social networking or microblogging service; and

the electronic message is an electronic mail or a feed to the social networking or microblogging service.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the identity information includes a registered user identifier of the source.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the link to one or more servers comprises tagging the copy of the electronic message using the link and providing tagged copy to the one or more servers.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the link to one or more servers comprises providing the link to the one or more servers for the one or more servers to insert the link into the electronic message as tags.

14. A system for automatically inserting links into electronic messages, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a copy of an electronic message sent from a source to a destination;

parsing the copy of the electronic message, including identifying one or more keywords indicating that the electronic message is related to selling or buying an item;

in response, determining, based on identity information of the source, a link to access an online store or payment system of the source, the online store or payment system being configured to facilitate the selling or buying; and

providing the link to one or more servers at the destination for presenting in the electronic message.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the destination includes the one or more servers programmed to provide a social networking or microblogging service; and

the electronic message is an electronic mail or a feed to the social networking or microblogging service.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the identity information includes a registered user identifier of the source.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein providing the link to one or more servers comprises tagging the copy of the electronic message using the link and providing tagged copy to the one or more servers.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein providing the link to one or more servers comprises providing the link to the one or more servers for the one or more servers to insert the link into the electronic message as tags.

19. A non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a copy of an electronic message sent from a source to a destination;

parsing the copy of the electronic message, including identifying one or more keywords indicating that the electronic message is related to selling or buying an item;

in response, determining, based on identity information of the source, a link to access an online store or payment system of the source, the online store or payment system being configured to facilitate the selling or buying; and

providing the link to one or more servers at the destination for presenting in the electronic message.

20. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, wherein:

the destination includes the one or more servers programmed to provide a social networking or microblogging service; and

the electronic message is an electronic mail or a feed to the social networking or microblogging service.

21. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, wherein the identity information includes a registered user identifier of the source.

22. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, wherein providing the link to one or more servers comprises tagging the copy of the electronic message using the link and providing tagged copy to the one or more servers.

23. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, wherein providing the link to one or more servers comprises providing the link to the one or more servers for the one or more servers to insert the link into the electronic message as tags.