System and method for email-based e-commerce
First Claim
1. A method for use in an electronic commerce (e-commerce) system, the method comprising:
- storing, by a database, information that includes an identifier of a customer, an email address of the customer, and a plurality of identifiers, each identifier related to a different product;
generating, by at least one processor, an advertising email message that is addressed to the email address of the customer and that includes a plurality of mailto hyperlinks respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined and mutually different quantities of a specific product, and each mailto hyperlink for generating an order reply email message that includes;
a destination address field that indicates an email address of the e-commerce system; and
a body field that indicates the identifier of the customer, the identifier of the specific product and the predetermined and mutually different quantity of the specific product;
transmitting, by an email server, the advertising email message to the email address of the customer;
receiving, by the email server, an order reply email message that indicates an order by the customer for the specific product in the predetermined and mutually different quantity, wherein the order reply email message is responsive to the advertising email message, wherein the order reply email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and wherein the order reply email message includes the identifier of the customer, the identifier of the specific product and the mutually different quantity of the specific product; and
the at least one processor and the email server performing an order execution procedure based on the order reply email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the specific product in the predetermined and mutually different quantity for the customer.
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Accused Products
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.
59 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for use in an electronic commerce (e-commerce) system, the method comprising:
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storing, by a database, information that includes an identifier of a customer, an email address of the customer, and a plurality of identifiers, each identifier related to a different product; generating, by at least one processor, an advertising email message that is addressed to the email address of the customer and that includes a plurality of mailto hyperlinks respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined and mutually different quantities of a specific product, and each mailto hyperlink for generating an order reply email message that includes; a destination address field that indicates an email address of the e-commerce system; and a body field that indicates the identifier of the customer, the identifier of the specific product and the predetermined and mutually different quantity of the specific product; transmitting, by an email server, the advertising email message to the email address of the customer; receiving, by the email server, an order reply email message that indicates an order by the customer for the specific product in the predetermined and mutually different quantity, wherein the order reply email message is responsive to the advertising email message, wherein the order reply email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and wherein the order reply email message includes the identifier of the customer, the identifier of the specific product and the mutually different quantity of the specific product; and the at least one processor and the email server performing an order execution procedure based on the order reply email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the specific product in the predetermined and mutually different quantity for the customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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8. An electronic commerce (e-commerce) system comprising:
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a database configured to store information that includes an identifier of a customer, an email address of the customer, and a plurality of identifiers, each identifier related to a different product; at least one processor configured to generate an advertising email message that is addressed to the email address of the customer and that includes a plurality of mailto hyperlinks respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined and mutually different quantities of a specific product, and each mailto hyperlink for generating an order reply email message that 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 specific product and the predetermined and mutually different quantity of the specific product; an email server configured to transmit the advertising email message and to receive an order reply email message, wherein the order reply email message indicates an order by the customer for the specific product and the predetermined and mutually different quantity, wherein the order reply email message is responsive to the advertising email message, wherein the order reply email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and wherein the order reply email message includes the identifier of the customer, and the identifier of the specific product and the mutually different quantity of the specific product; and wherein the at least one processor and the email server are further configured to perform an order execution procedure based on the order reply email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the specific product in the predetermined and mutually different quantity for the customer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory 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:
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storing information that includes an identifier of a customer, an email address of the customer, and a plurality of identifiers, each identifier related to a different 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 plurality of mailto hyperlinks, respectively associated with a plurality of predetermined and mutually different quantities of a specific product, and each mailto hyperlink for generating an order reply email message that includes; a destination address field that indicates an email address of the e-commerce system; and a body field that indicates the identifier of the customer, the identifier of the specific product and the predetermined and mutually different quantity of the specific product; transmitting, via an email server, the advertising email message; receiving, via the email server, an order reply email message, wherein the order reply email message indicates an order by the customer for the specific product in the predetermined and mutually different quantity, wherein the order reply email message is responsive to the advertising email message, wherein the order reply email message is addressed to the email address of the e-commerce system, and wherein a body of the order reply email message includes the identifier of the customer, and the identifier of the product and the mutually different quantity of the specific product; and performing an order execution procedure based on the order reply email message, wherein the order execution procedure includes purchasing the specific product in the predetermined and mutually different quantity for the customer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification