Methods for transacting electronic commerce

• US 6,594,692 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1996
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TMI Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Richard R. Reisman
• Inventors: Reisman, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, THOMAS C
• Application Number:
  US08/641,010
• Time in Patent Office: 2,633 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/215, 709/217, 709/221, 709/236, 709/5, 709/2, 705/26, 705/31, 705/6, 705/37, 705/5, 705/32, 705/16, 705/39, 705/14, 705/30, 380/24, 380/25
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/18 Address timing or clocking circuits; Address control signal generation or management, e.g. for row address strobe [RAS] or column address strobe [CAS] signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A novel electronic information transport component can be incorporated in a wide range of electronic information products, for example magazine collections, to automate the mass distribution of updates, such as current issues, from a remote server to a wide user base having a diversity of computer stations. Advantages of economy, immediacy and ease of use are provided. Extensions of the invention permit automated electronic catalog shopping with order placement and, optionally, order confirmation. A server-based update distribution service is also provided. In addition, an offline web browser system, with hyperlink redirection capabilities, a novel recorded music product with automated update capabilities and an Internet charging mechanism are provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for transacting electronic commerce between a remote computer system and a user station over a communications network, the method comprising:

a. during a first user-initiated communications session, (1) receiving at the remote computer system user information for a user not previously identified to the remote computer system from the user station for storage remote from the user station, (2) providing user identification information from the remote computer system to the user station for automatic storage at the user station by software running at the user station, (3) creating an association at the remote computer system between the user identification information and the user information, and (4) using at the remote computer system the user information when processing a first purchase transaction; and

b. during a second user-initiated communications session subsequent to and separate from the first user-initiated communications session, (1) the user identification information is automatically accessed by the software running on the user station and provided to the remote computer system and (2) using at the remote computer system the transported user identification information to gain access to the stored user information when processing a subsequent purchase transaction associated with the communications session,

wherein at least a portion of the communications network includes the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification information is provided from the remote computer system to the user station during the first purchase transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification information comprises a user ID.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the software running on the user station comprises an HTML viewer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second user-initiated communications sessions includes a login, a manifest transmission, a send operation, a fetch operation, and a logout.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second user-initiated communications sessions is established by a login.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second user-initiated communications sessions is ended by a logout.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information is received at the remote computer system before the user identification information is provided from the remote computer system to the user station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information is received at the remote computer system after the user identification information is provided from the remote computer system to the user station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information includes at least one of payment information and shipping information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computer system comprises a server computer that is linked to a merchant'"'"'s order processing system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information is stored at the remote computer system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second communications sessions utilizes an Internet protocol.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during at least one of the firs and second user-initiated communication sessions, providing information enabling the user station to present a catalog of items available for purchase with a user interface that is customized to a respective merchant.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during at least one of the first and second user-initiated communication sessions, providing information enabling the user station to present a catalog of items available for purchase with a look and feel that is customized to a respective merchant.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during at least one of the first and second user-initiated communications sessions, providing information enabling the user station to present (1) an identification of a plurality of items available for purchase, (2) one or more controls enabling a user to select at least two of the plurality of items, and an order placement control enabling the user to place a purchase request for the at least two items in response to the user activating the order placement control.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second purchase transactions are processed on behalf of a user at the user station and wherein the method further comprises receiving at the remote computer system user demographics associated with the user.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a network connection between the user station and the communications network prior to the first user-initiated communications session;

terminating the network connection at the conclusion of the first user-initiated communications session; and

re-establishing the network connection prior to the second user-initiated communications session.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second communications sessions are provided through an online service provider and wherein the method further comprises:

providing, during at least one of the first and second user-initiated communication sessions, information enabling the user station to present a user interface that is developed by a respective merchant independent of the online service provider.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

shutting down and then restarting the user station between the first and second user-initiated communications sessions.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating and then reactivating the software running on the user station between the first and second user-initiated communications sessions.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a network connection between the user station and the communications network prior to the first user-initiated communications session; and

terminating the network connection at the conclusion of the second user-initiated communications session.

45. A system configured to implement the method recited in claim 1.

23. A computer implemented method for transacting electronic commerce between a remote computer system and a user station over a communications network, the method comprising:

a. providing user identification information from the remote computer system to the user station for automatic storage at the user station by software running at the user station;

b. receiving at the remote computer system user information from the user station for storage remote from the user station for a user not previously identified to the remote computer system;

c. creating an association at the remote computer system between the user identification information and the user information; and

d. during each of a plurality of separate user-initiated communications sessions, (1) the user identification information is automatically accessed by the software running on the user station and provided to the remote computer system and (2) the remote computer system uses the provided user identification information to gain access to the stored user information when processing a purchase transaction associated with the communications session,

wherein at least a portion of the communications network includes the Internet.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the user identification information is provided from the remote computer system to the user station during the purchase transaction.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the user identification information comprises a user ID.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the software running on the user station comprises an HTML viewer.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions includes a login, a manifest transmission, a send operation, a fetch operation, and a logout.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions is established by a login.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions is ended by a logout.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the user information is received at the remote computer system before the user identification information is provided from the remote computer system to the user station.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the user information is received at the remote computer system after the user identification information is provided from the remote computer system to the user station.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the user information includes at least one of payment information and shipping information.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the remote computer system comprises a server computer that is linked to a merchant'"'"'s order processing system.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the user information is stored at the remote computer system.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of communications sessions utilizes an Internet protocol.

36. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

during at least one of the plurality of user-initiated communication sessions, providing information enabling the user station to present a catalog of items available for purchase with a user interface that is customized to a respective merchant.

37. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

during at least one of the plurality of user-initiated communication sessions, providing information enabling the user station to present a catalog of items available for purchase with a look and feel that is customized to a respective merchant.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

during at least one of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions, providing information enabling the user station to present (1) an identification of a plurality of items available for purchase, (2) one or more controls enabling a user to select at least two of the plurality of items, and an order placement control enabling the user to place a purchase request for the at least two items in response to the user activating the order placement control.

39. The method of claim 23, wherein the purchase transaction is processed on behalf of a user at the user station and wherein the method further comprises receiving at the remote computer system user demographics associated with the user.

40. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

establishing a network connection between the user station and the communications network prior to a first one of the user-initiated communications sessions;

terminating the network connection at the conclusion of the first one of the user-initiated communications sessions; and

re-establishing the network connection prior to a second one of the user-initiated communications sessions, the second user-initiated communications session being subsequent to the first user-initiated communications session.

41. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of communications sessions are provided through an online service provider and wherein the method further comprises:

providing, during at least one of the plurality of user-initiated communication sessions, information enabling the user station to present a user interface that is developed by a respective merchant independent of the online service provider.

42. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

shutting down and then restarting the user station between first and second ones of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions.

43. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

deactivating and then reactivating the software running on the user station between first and second ones of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions.

44. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

establishing a network connection between the user station and the communications network prior to a first one of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions; and

terminating the network connection at the conclusion of a second one of the plurality of user-initiated communications sessions, the second user-initiated communications session being subsequent to the first user-initiated communications session.

46. A system configured to implement the method recited in claim 23.