Online shopping system

• US 6,336,100 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1998
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Victor Company of Japan Limited (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M.
• Application Number:
  US09/015,442
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/25-29
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

An online shopping system has a server, at least one virtual store provided on the server and a plurality of pieces of customers terminal equipment electrically connected to the server. Each customer'"'"'s order for at least one commodity being sold by the virtual store is made by the terminal equipment to the server. At least a place where the commodity is kept temporarily such as a 24-hour opened convenience store is selected as a place where the commodity should be delivered when the order is made.

Claims

1. An online shopping system comprising:

a server having a list of data consisting of different locations for different geographical areas on a plurality of stations designated by an on-line shopping service provider, the list having been stored on the server before customers sign up for entering the online shopping system;

at least one virtual store provided on the server, through the virtual store a retailer selling at least a commodity to deliver;

a plurality of pieces of customers'"'"' terminal equipment electrically connected to the server, each customer'"'"'s order for at least one commodity being sold by the retailer through the virtual store being made by each customer'"'"'s terminal equipment to the server; and

a plurality of the stations listed on the server having been designated by the on-line shopping service provider, for temporarily keeping the commodity when ordered by each customer and delivered by the retailer, with each station being a place that is remote from the retailer that sells the commodity ordered through the virtual store,

wherein each customer selects one station located at a place that is most convenient for each customer by selecting only from the plurality of stations listed on the server as a place where the commodity ordered by the customer should be delivered from the retailer that sells the ordered commodity through the virtual store and as a place where the customer can pick up the ordered commodity any time when the customer orders the commodity via the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment, information indicating the one station selected by the customer being sent to the server as the station that is selected by the customer.

7. An online shopping system according to claim 1, wherein the online shopping service provider issues customer identification for picking up the ordered commodity at the station.

2. An online shopping system comprising:

a server having a list of data consisting of different locations for different geographical areas on a plurality of stations designed by a on-line shopping service provider, the list having been stored on the server before customers sign up for entering the online shopping system;

at least one virtual store provided on the server, through the virtual store a retailer selling at least a commodity to deliver;

a plurality of pieces of customers'"'"' terminal equipment electrically connected to the server, each customer'"'"'s order for at least one commodity being sold by the retailer through the virtual store being made by each customer'"'"'s terminal equipment to the server; and

a plurality of the stations listed on the server having been designated by the on-line shopping service provider, for temporarily keeping the commodity when ordered by each customer and delivered by the retailer, with each station being a place that is remote from the retailer that sells the commodity ordered through the virtual store,

wherein order information transmitted from each customer'"'"'s terminal equipment to the server when the order is made includes delivery place information indicating a place selected by the customer as a place where the commodity ordered by the customer should be delivered from the retailer that sells the ordered commodity through the virtual store, the delivery place information indicating at least either one of the customer'"'"'s place of residence, the customer'"'"'s selected place, the customer'"'"'s selected person'"'"'s place of residence or one station located at a place that is most convenient for the customer and only selected from the plurality of stations listed on the server as a place where the customer can pick up the ordered commodity any time the delivery place information indicating a place to which the ordered commodity should be delivered being sent to the server.

3. An online shopping system according to claim 2, wherein the order information is transmitted from the server to another piece of terminal equipment belonging to an owner of the virtual store.

4. An online shopping system according to claim 3, wherein the terminal equipment belonging to the owner of the virtual store is capable of printing out a statement of delivery indicating the order information.

5. An online shopping system according to claim 2, wherein the order information includes information indicating the commodity.

6. An online shopping system according to claim 2, wherein the order information includes information indicating an amount of commodities.

8. An online shopping system according to claim 2, wherein the online shopping service provider issues customer identification for picking up the ordered commodity at the station.

9. An online shopping system comprising:

a server having an area list of data on a plurality of areas, and a station list of data consisting of different locations for different geographical areas on a plurality of stations located in each area and designated by an on-line shopping service provider, and a delivery place list of a plurality of delivery places, the lists having been stored on the server before customers sign up for entering the online shopping system;

at least one virtual store provided on the server, through the virtual store a retailer selling at least a commodity to deliver;

a plurality of pieces of customers'"'"' terminal equipment electrically connected to the server, each customer'"'"'s order for at least one commodity to be sold by the retailer through the virtual store being made by each customer'"'"'s terminal equipment to the server, and each customer only selecting, via each customer'"'"'s terminal equipment, one area from the area list and one station in the selected area from the station list; and

a plurality of the stations listed on the server having been designated by the on-line shopping service provider as a place where the commodity ordered by the customer should be delivered from the retailer that sells the ordered commodity through the virtual store and as a place where the customer can pick up the ordered commodity any time and also as a place that is different from the retailer that sells the ordered commodity through the virtual store, and at least one station located at a place that is convenient for the customer being selected by the customer from the station list,

wherein when the customer orders the commodity via the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment, the customer selects a delivery place of the ordered commodity from the delivery place list that lists delivery places including at least one station selected by the customer.

10. An online shopping system according to claim 9, wherein the delivery place list that lists the delivery places including at least one station selected by the customer, the customer'"'"'s place of residence, the customer'"'"'s selected place and an icon for changing a screen for entering the customer'"'"'s selected person'"'"'s place of residence.

11. A method of online shopping through an online shopping system having a server of an online shopping service provider, at least one virtual store provided on the server, through the virtual store a retailer selling at least a commodity to deliver;

and a plurality of pieces of customers'"'"' terminal equipment electrically connected to the server, the method comprising the steps of;

entering a member profile including customer'"'"'s name and address by the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment accessing the server;

displaying an area list listing data on a plurality of areas on the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment, the area list having been stored on the server before entering the member profile;

selecting one area from the displayed area list;

displaying a station list listing data consisting of different locations for different geographical areas on a plurality of stations in the selected area, on the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment, the station list having been stored on the server before entering the member profile, each station having previously been designated by the on-line shopping service provider as a place where the commodity ordered by the customer should be delivered from the retailer that sells the ordered commodity through the virtual store and as a place where the customer can pick up the ordered commodity any time and also as a place that is different from the retailer that sells the ordered commodity through the virtual store;

selecting one station located at a place that is convenient for the customer from only the station list being displayed on the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment;

transmitting order information for at least one commodity being sold by the retailer through the virtual store from the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment to the server;

displaying a delivery place list that lists delivery places including at least one station selected by the customer and the customer'"'"'s place of residence on the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment; and

selecting a delivery place of the ordered commodity from the delivery place list displayed on the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment.

12. A method of online shopping according to claim 11, further comprising the step of transmitting date information indicating when the commodity has been delivered to the station, from the server to the customer'"'"'s terminal equipment, in the case where the customer selects the station as the delivery place of the ordered commodity.