U.S. patent application number 14/592206 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-09 for system and method for quick transactions.
The applicant listed for this patent is Modest, Inc.. Invention is credited to Harper Reed, Dylan Richard, Gauri Sharma.
Application Number | 20150193857 14/592206 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53495548 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150193857 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reed; Harper ; et
al. |
July 9, 2015 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR QUICK TRANSACTIONS
Abstract
A system and application for purchasing one or more items via
quick online transactions from a vendor system is provided. An
electronic shopping page listing products for sale and
corresponding buy selectors is provided on a user device that
includes the quick transaction system. Upon user selection of a buy
selector, the user's log on status and payment information are
determined, and, if necessary, the user is prompted to log on to
the quick transaction application and/or complete any missing user
payment information if necessary. A single click or tap on the buy
selector generates a completed purchase transaction without the
need for a shopping cart or user checkout process. Methods and
machine-readable medium for quick online transactions are also
provided.
Inventors: |
Reed; Harper; (Chicago,
IL) ; Richard; Dylan; (Chicago, IL) ; Sharma;
Gauri; (Chicago, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Modest, Inc. |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53495548 |
Appl. No.: |
14/592206 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61925091 |
Jan 8, 2014 |
|
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|
62082724 |
Nov 21, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0633
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20060101
G06Q030/06 |
Claims
1. A system for providing a quick online transaction, the system
comprising: one or more processors; one or more storage memories; a
display; and, a quick transaction module comprising instructions
for causing the one or more processors to execute a method for
providing a quick online transaction, the method comprising:
providing, on the display, an electronic page including one or more
products for sale by one or more sellers; providing, on the
display, a buy selector associated with at least one of the
displayed products for sale; not providing an electronic cart,
associated with a quick transaction system, for a user to place
products displayed on the electronic page for subsequent purchase;
determining, by the one or more processors, if the user is logged
in to the quick transaction system when the user selects the buy
selector; determining, by the one or more processors, if the quick
transaction system has required user information of the user to
complete a purchase transaction when the user selects the buy
selector; and, providing, by the one or more processors, for an
immediate processing of the purchase transaction if the user is
determined to be logged in to the quick transaction system and the
required user information is present in the quick transaction
system.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: providing, on the
display, a user interface requesting that the user log in to the
quick transaction system if it is determined that the user is not
logged in to the quick transaction system; and, providing for
processing of the purchase transaction after the user logs in to
the quick transaction system and if the required user information
is present in the quick transaction system.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: providing, on the
display, a user interface requesting that the user provide any
missing required user information to the quick transaction system
if it is determined that the quick transaction application does not
have the required user information of the user to complete a
purchase transaction; and, providing for processing of the purchase
transaction after the user provides the missing required user
information to the quick transaction system and if the user is
determined to be logged in to the quick transaction system.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: providing, on the
display, a user interface, the user interface comprising: a request
that the user log in to the quick transaction system if it is
determined that the user is not logged in to the quick transaction
system; and, a request that the user provide any missing required
user information to the quick transaction system if it is
determined that the quick transaction system does not have the
required user information of the user to complete a purchase
transaction; and, providing for processing of the purchase
transaction after the user logs in to the quick transaction system
and the user provides the missing required user information to the
quick transaction system.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising: providing, on the
display, a user interface that includes product options for a
corresponding displayed product for sale when the user selects the
buy selector; and, providing for processing of the purchase
transaction after the user selects one or more of the product
options if the user is logged in to the quick transaction system
and if the quick transaction application has the required user
information of the user to complete the purchase transaction.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: providing, on the
display, a user interface that provides an indication that payment
for the purchase transaction is being processed.
7. The system of claim 6, further comprising: providing, on the
display, another user interface that provides confirmation that the
purchase transaction has been processed and that provides a
continue shopping selector.
8. The system of claim 7, further comprising: providing, by the one
or more processors, for an immediate completion of a second
purchase transaction if the user selects a second buy selector
associated with a second product.
9. The system of claim 7, further comprising: providing, on the
another user interface, an edit selector configured to enable the
user to change an order before a purchased product is shipped.
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: providing, on the
display, an edit selector configured to enable the user to change a
processed order within a preset time defined by the seller; and,
providing, on the display, a display of a countdown of the time
remaining in the preset time for the user to change the processed
order.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising: providing, by the
one or more processors, after the first transaction is complete,
for an immediate completion of a second purchase transaction if the
user selects a second buy selector associated with a second
product.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising providing, by one or
more processors, for batching of multiple purchase transactions
processed within a period of time preset by the seller.
13. The system of claim 1, where a sales price associated with the
product is inclusive pricing of the product price, sales tax and
shipping cost.
14. The system of claim 8, further comprising providing, by one or
more processors, for batching of multiple purchase transactions
processed within a period of time preset by the seller.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising
machine readable instructions for causing one or more processors to
execute a method for providing a quick online transaction, the
method comprising: providing, on the display, an electronic page
including one or more products for sale by one or more sellers;
providing, on the display, a buy selector associated with at least
one of the displayed products for sale; not providing an electronic
cart, associated with a quick transaction system, for a user to
place products displayed on the electronic page for subsequent
purchase; determining, by the one or more processors, if the user
is logged in to the quick transaction system when the user selects
the buy selector; determining, by the one or more processors, if
the quick transaction system has required user information of the
user to complete a purchase transaction when the user selects the
buy selector; and, providing, by the one or more processors, for an
immediate processing of the purchase transaction if the user is
determined to be logged in to the quick transaction system and the
required user information is present in the quick transaction
system.
16. The system of claim 15, further comprising: providing, by the
one or more processors, after the first transaction is complete,
for an immediate completion of a second purchase transaction if the
user selects a second buy selector associated with a second
product.
17. The system of claim 16, further comprising providing, by one or
more processors, for batching of multiple purchase transactions
processed within a period of time preset by the seller.
18. The system of claim 15, further comprising: providing, on the
display, an edit selector configured to enable the user to change a
processed order within a preset time defined by the seller; and,
providing, on the display, a display of a countdown of the time
remaining in the preset time for the user to change the processed
order.
19. A system for providing a quick online transaction, the system
comprising: one or more processors; one or more storage memories; a
display; and, a quick transaction module comprising instructions
for causing the one or more processors to execute a method for
providing a quick online transaction, the method comprising:
providing, on the display, an electronic page including one or more
products for sale by one or more sellers; providing, on the
display, a buy selector associated with at least one of the
displayed products for sale; determining, by the one or more
processors, if the user is logged in to the quick transaction
system when the user selects the buy selector; determining, by the
one or more processors, if the quick transaction system has
required user information of the user to complete a purchase
transaction when the user selects the buy selector; providing, by
the one or more processors, for an immediate processing of the
purchase transaction if the user is determined to be logged in to
the quick transaction system and the required user information is
present in the quick transaction system; providing, by the one or
more processors, after the first transaction is complete, for an
immediate completion of a second purchase transaction if the user
selects a second buy selector associated with a second product;
and, providing, by one or more processors, for batching of multiple
purchase transactions processed within a period of time preset by
the seller.
20. The system of claim 19, further comprising: providing, on the
display, an edit selector configured to enable the user to change a
processed order within a preset time defined by the seller; and,
providing, on the display, a display of a countdown of the time
remaining in the preset time for the user to change the processed
order.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/925,091, filed Jan. 8, 2014, and U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/082,724, filed Nov. 21, 2014,
all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference and
made a part hereof.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a method and
system for purchasing a plurality of items via quick transactions
from a vendor system, and, in particular, to purchasing products on
line without the need to add each of the products to a shopping
cart in order to initiate purchase flow.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Many Web servers and mobile applications have been developed
through which vendors can electronically advertise and sell
products. The products can include items (e.g., music) that are
delivered electronically to the purchaser over the Internet, and
items (e.g., clothing) that are delivered through conventional
distribution channels (e.g., a common carrier). A server and/or
mobile application system may provide on a Web page or application
an electronic version of a catalog that lists the items that are
available. A user, who is a potential purchaser, may browse through
the electronic catalog and select various items that he/she would
like to purchase. Typically, the user loads the selected items in a
shopping cart, and then once the loading of items is completed,
he/she proceeds with their electronic purchase. Sometimes, however,
the user may abandon the shopping cart or decide to switch to
another vendor server or application for a variety of reasons,
including but not limited to a particular desired item not being
found or the item being found elsewhere cheaper.
[0004] Accordingly, there is need for a system that completes a
transaction quicker and/or does not require the user to put
products to be purchased in a shopping cart and revisit them before
completing the purchase.
SUMMARY
[0005] According to one embodiment, the disclosed subject
technology relates to a system for providing a quick online
transaction. The system includes one or more processors, one or
more storage memories, a display and a quick transaction module
comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to
execute a method for providing a quick online transaction. The
method includes providing, on the display, an electronic page
including one or more products for sale by one or more sellers and
a buy selector associated with at least one of the displayed
products for sale. The method also includes determining, by the one
or more processors, if a user is logged in to a quick transaction
system when the user selects the buy selector and if the quick
transaction system has required user information of the user to
complete a purchase transaction when the user selects the buy
selector. The method further includes providing, by the one or more
processors, for an immediate processing of the purchase transaction
if the user is determined to be logged in to the quick transaction
system and the required user information is present in the quick
transaction system.
[0006] The disclosed technology further relates to a non-transitory
machine-readable storage medium comprising machine readable
instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for
providing a quick online transaction. The method includes
providing, on the display, an electronic page including one or more
products for sale by one or more sellers and a buy selector
associated with at least one of the displayed products for sale.
The method also includes determining, by the one or more
processors, if a user is logged in to a quick transaction system
when the user selects the buy selector and if the quick transaction
system has required user information of the user to process a
purchase transaction when the user selects the buy selector. The
method further includes providing, by the one or more processors,
for an immediate processing of the purchase transaction if the user
is determined to be logged in to the quick transaction system and
the required user information is present in the quick transaction
system.
[0007] The disclosed technology further relates to a computer
implemented method for providing a quick online transaction. The
method includes providing, on a display of a user device, an
electronic page including one or more products for sale by one or
more sellers and providing, on the display of the user device, a
buy selector associated with at least one of the displayed products
for sale. The method also includes determining, by one or more
processors, if a user is logged in to a quick transaction
application when the user selects the buy selector and providing,
on the display of the user device, a first user interface
requesting that the user log in to the quick transaction
application if it is determined that the user is not logged in to
the quick transaction application. The method further includes
determining, by the one or more processors, if the quick
transaction application has required user information of the user
to complete a purchase transaction when the user selects the buy
selector and providing, on the display of the user device, a second
user interface requesting that the user provide any missing
required user information to the quick transaction application if
it is determined that the quick transaction application does not
have the required user information of the user to complete a
purchase transaction. The method also includes providing, by the
one or more processors, for an immediate completion of the purchase
transaction when the user is determined to be logged in to the
quick transaction application and the required user information is
present in the quick transaction application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] To understand the present disclosure, it will now be
described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which embodiments of the disclosures are illustrated
and, together with the descriptions below, serve to explain the
principles of the disclosure. As will be realized, the subject
technology is capable of other and different configurations and its
several details are capable of modification in various other
respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject
technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are
to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as
restrictive.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an e-commerce system
constructed in accordance with this disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 2a is a table illustrating a database record
corresponding to a shop.
[0011] FIG. 2b is a table illustrating a database record for a
catalog item.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which a new
shopper's information can be gathered.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which an
order can be placed using the disclosed e-commerce system.
[0014] FIG. 5a is a flowchart illustrating a process by which an
order can be modified by a shopper.
[0015] FIG. 5b is a flowchart illustrating a process by which a
return can be processed.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which an
order can be fulfilled.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which items
from one shop can be presented to appropriate shoppers of a
non-competitive shop.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which items
can be automatically reordered.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which
reorders can be generated by the disclosed e-commerce system.
[0020] FIG. 10a is a perspective view of a tote bag constructed in
accordance with the disclosed e-commerce system.
[0021] FIG. 10b is a simplified schematic diagram of a circuit
embedded within the tote bag of FIG. 10a to automatically make
retail purchases.
[0022] FIG. 11a is a side view of a shopping cart constructed in
accordance with the disclosed e-commerce system.
[0023] FIG. 11b is a simplified schematic diagram of a circuit
embedded within the shopping cart of FIG. 11a to automatically make
retail purchases.
[0024] FIG. 12 is a display illustrating a view that a shopper can
receive on first starting a smart phone shopping application.
[0025] FIG. 13 is a display illustrating a view that a shopper can
receive while entering a search term.
[0026] FIGS. 14A-14D illustrate exemplary electronic pages
displayed on a screen of a computing device of a user.
[0027] FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate exemplary user interfaces for
providing the user a selection of options of a chosen product.
[0028] FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate exemplary user interfaces for
obtaining a new shopper's information.
[0029] FIGS. 16D-16E illustrate exemplary user interfaces displayed
to acknowledge the purchase of the selected product by the new
shopper, and to provide options to edit the purchase of the
product, to un-buy the product, and to continue shopping.
[0030] FIGS. 17A-17C illustrate exemplary user interfaces displayed
to acknowledge the purchase of the selected product by an existing
shopper, and to provide options to edit the purchase of the
product, to un-buy the product, and to continue shopping.
[0031] FIGS. 18A-18D illustrate exemplary user interfaces of a
quick transaction application in accordance with the present
disclosure.
[0032] FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a client and server
system for the quick transaction application.
[0033] FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplar quick
transaction application in a system.
[0034] FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conceptual
partial view of an example computer program product.
[0035] FIG. 22 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for
electronically purchasing items without using a shopping cart.
[0036] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conceptual
partial view of an example computer program.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many
different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be
described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the
understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the
embodiments illustrated. Thus, in the following detailed
description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a
full understanding of the subject technology. It will be apparent,
however, that different aspects of the subject technology may be
practiced without some of these specific details. In other
instances, well-known structures and techniques have not been shown
in detail so as not to obscure the disclosure.
[0038] Turning to the Figures and to FIG. 1 in particular, a new
e-commerce system is disclosed. A shop server 102 accepts catalog
information corresponding to a plurality of shops. For example, the
shop server 102 may accept catalogs from a variety of retailers,
such as, for example, a sunglass shop, a ladies business clothing
store, a high fashion shop, a low price fashion shop, a denim
clothing shop, an outdoor clothing store, a footwear store, a plus
sized ladies clothing shop, an Asian gift store, a confectionary, a
bath store, a home goods store, a jewelry store, an adult toy
store, an electronics store, a cell phone store, a music store, an
audio-visual store, a children's clothing store, a children's toy
store, a lingerie shop, and other types of shop. The shop server
102 creates a structured set of electronic catalogs corresponding
to the different shops, and stores those catalogs in the database
108.
[0039] A shopper information server 114 gathers information
regarding shoppers 151, and creates records in the database 108
corresponding to each shopper. The process by which information is
gathered from shoppers is explored in more detail later in this
disclosure.
[0040] In one embodiment, a catalog server 110 presents catalogs of
items from the database 108 to shoppers 151. Similarly, a
transaction server 112 allows shoppers 151 to place orders with
shops and send messages to shop administrators to fulfill those
orders.
[0041] It should be noted that shoppers 151 can use a variety of
means to transact with the disclosed e-commerce system. For
example, shopper 151a utilizes a smart phone, while shopper 151b
utilizes a standard computer and shopper 151c utilizes a tablet
computer. Finally, shopper 151d utilizes a wearable computer
system. The type of computer system used to transact with the
disclosed e-commerce system is not a limitation of the
invention.
[0042] In one embodiment, each electronic catalog comprises a
plurality of database records. FIG. 2a depicts a shop record 202
constructed in accordance with this example. It comprises a shop
identifier 203, which is unique to shops and used to quickly
reference the shop record 202 from another database record. It also
comprises a shop name 204, an administrator identifier 205, and a
physical address 206. The administrator identifier 205 identifies
an administrator record (not depicted) that is used to store access
and contact information for one or more shop administrators. In
addition, the shop record 202 comprises an item list 210 that
references catalog items, as described below.
[0043] FIG. 2b depicts a catalog item record 250 constructed in
accordance with this example. The catalog item record 250 comprises
an item identifier 252, which is unique to items in the database
108 and is used to quickly reference the catalog item record 252
from other records in the database. The catalog item record 250
further comprises an item title 253, a shop identifier
(corresponding to the shop which the item belongs to), a true item
identifier 255, and a list of true item description fields 256.
[0044] A true item identifier 255 corresponds to a generic item
type. For example, a true item identifier 255 can identify a set of
men's running shoes, a pair of sun glasses, or an audio player. The
list of true item description fields 256 comprises a collection of
fields that vary based on the generic item type. For example, for a
set of men's running shoes, the true item description fields 256
could comprise: a) the primary color; b) the secondary color; c)
the shoe size; and d) the type of running shoe (i.e., road, trail,
etc.). Other item types would have other item description
fields.
[0045] Turning to FIG. 3, a flowchart describing one process by
which information from a shopper can be gathered is described. In
step 302, an unregistered visitor either seeks to register or
attempts to place an order, thereby initiating the information
gathering process. In step 304, the user is queried for basic
information; i.e.; the user's name, address, email address, mobile
phone number, communications preferences, billing information, and
billing preferences. With regards to communications preferences, a
user can select, for example, to receive order confirmations by
email, text message, or robo-call. With regards to billing
preferences, a user can select to charge one credit card for
certain types of expenses, such as clothing, and another credit
card for other expenses, such as office supplies. Other payment
forms, such as an online wallet, bit coin address, or gift card can
also be entered. Moreover, the user can setup rules that allow for
"lowest cost routing" of payment. For example, assuming that a user
has three credit cards--one that provides better rates for
transactions in excess of $100, one that provides better rates for
purchases of electronics goods, and one that is designated as
purchases made on behalf of the customer's employer.
[0046] In one embodiment, a profile for the user is created in step
306. In step 308, the shopper is queried regarding as to whether
s/he wants to submit additional information to improve her shopping
experience. If the user prefers to not submit additional
information, execution transitions to step 312, where the process
is exited. However, if the user agrees to submit additional
information, it is gathered in step 310 using any of the profile
building techniques well known in the art.
[0047] One method by which additional information about a
customer's information and preferences can be gathered is through a
user's mobile device. Mobile devices, such as smartphones, tend to
be used by a single person, and accordingly, tend to have reliable
information about that person and that person's preferences.
Accordingly, in one embodiment of the disclosed e-commerce system,
an application running on a mobile device can gather information
regarding the customer, such as the customer's address, phone
number, and potentially payment means, such as credit cards, online
wallets, etc. Further information regarding a customer's
preferences can be gathered through interfaces to other
applications, as well as through interfaces through social networks
and other online identity sources. For example, from a user's
social network, a customer's music and movie likes and dislikes can
be extracted, as well as, in many cases, the brands that a user
likes. From these preferences, similar brands and preferences can
be extrapolated and presented to the user.
[0048] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating one process by which an
order can be placed by a shopper. The disclosed multi-tenant
e-commerce service does not use a "shopping cart." Instead, a
shopper simply selects "buy" or an equivalent device, which
immediately places the order. A confirmation is sent to the user by
the user's preferred communication means, allowing the user to
modify or cancel the order.
[0049] In one embodiment, in step 402, a shopper browses a catalog,
or catalogs, until she/he finds a desired item. The shopper then
presses "order" or an equivalent device in step 404. A confirmation
is sent to the user by the user's preferred communications means in
step 406.
[0050] In addition, the disclosed e-commerce system supports group
ordering. For example, as opposed to pressing "order," a customer
could make an entry that initiates a group order, such as by
pressing an "initiate group order" button. The customer could then
be presented with a screen that allows the customer to input a list
of contacts for other persons who will be participating in the
group ordering and an invoice for the amount due from the
initiating customer. The amount due from the initiating customer
could be an amount set by the initiator, or, alternatively, could
be the amount of the item divided by the number of purchasers. The
system would then generate messages, such as e-mails or text
messages, to the list of contacts specified by the initiating
customer. Each message contains a description of the item ordered,
such as the catalog listing, a listing of the other persons in the
group and their contact information, a listing of which other group
members have agreed to the order, an indication of a recommended
contribution amount, and a button or other means that allows the
user to participate in the group order with a single operation
(such as clicking the button). While the recommended contribution
amount could be automatically determined or set by the initiator,
each contributor could also input a separate amount indicating what
they are willing to contribute to the group purchase.
[0051] FIG. 5a is a flowchart illustrating one process by which a
shopper can modify a placed order. Generally, a shopper will
receive an order confirmation via their preferred communications
method. The order confirmation will contain a way for the user to
modify or cancel their order. For example, an email could contain
two HTML links; one to immediately cancel the order, and another to
modify the order. If the user has chosen to modify or cancel the
order, the process outlined below allows the modification.
[0052] In step 502, a request to modify an order is received. In
step 504, a check is made to determine whether the order has been
processed for shipping. If it has been processed for shipping,
execution proceeds to step 506, where the shopper is informed that
the order has already been processed. In step 508, the shopper is
forwarded to a means to process a return. Returning to step 504, if
the order has not yet processed for shipping, execution transitions
to step 508, where a modification can be made. For example, the
user can modify the quantity of the items ordered, the shipping
address to where the order is to be shipped, the properties of the
product, such as size, quantity, color, features, etc., or some
other type of modification. In addition, the user can modify the
order by applying a coupon, which may be in the form of a code that
is entered. It should be noted that an order cancellation can be
made by modifying the quantity ordered to zero. In step 512, the
process is exited.
[0053] FIG. 5b is a flowchart depicting a process by which a return
can be processed. In step 552 a request is received to return an
item. In step 554, a return label is printed, and in step 556,
instructions for the customer to return the item are printed. In
step 558, a return record is created corresponding to the order
with the status "return in process," and in step 560, the process
exits. The return will then be received and processed by a
warehouse, and the customer's funds returned.
[0054] FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting one process by which an
order placed using the disclosed multi-tenant e-commerce system can
be fulfilled. In step 602 an order is received by a shop. In step
604, a time period is marked off during which the shop is not
permitted to process the order. This can be accomplished by not
forwarding the order to the shop for the prescribed time, or,
alternatively, through a business rule prohibiting the shop from
changing the order status to "in process" for a prescribed period
of time. This time period is required so that shoppers can make
modifications or cancel an order shortly after ordering. In step
606, a determination is made as to whether the customer placed the
order for delivery, or whether the customer intends to pick the
order up. If the customer placed the order for delivery, in step
606 the order is packaged and shipped to the customer, and the
process exits in step 614. However, if the customer placed the
order for pickup, execution transitions to step 610 where the order
is routed to the appropriate physical store closed to the
customer's location. In step 612, the order is prepared for pickup
by the customer by staff at the store, and the process exits in
step 614. This process of order fulfillment allows customers to
seamlessly cancel orders as well as to seamlessly return undesired
goods.
[0055] An important feature of the disclosed multi-tenant
e-commerce system is the function of presenting an item from a
first shop to shoppers of a second non-competitive shop. This is
generally accomplished by gathering a user's preferences, either
directly from the shopper, or by monitoring the user's shopping
habits. It should be noted that the disclosed e-commerce system
encompasses both methods using any of the techniques known in the
art.
[0056] FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting one process by which items
from one shop can be presented while a user is browsing a
non-competitive shop. In step 702 items are presented to a shopper.
In step 704, database 108 is queried for the shopper's preferences.
Based on those preferences, a list of items most likely to be of
interest to the shopper is compiled in step 706. In step 708, any
items that would compete with offerings of the shop that the
customer is presently browsing are filtered out. In step 710, the X
items that are most likely to appeal to the customer are presented
to the customer within the shop that s/he is browsing. Generally X
should be a fairly small number, such as 1-3 items, although
certain embodiments could present more items to a user.
[0057] FIG. 8 depicts a flowchart describing one process by which
certain items can be flagged for automatic reordering. In step 802,
after an item is ordered a check is made to determine if it is one
that is often ordered periodically. Items that are often ordered
periodically include staple foods, such as rice, cleaning products,
such as bleach, and personal care products, such as deodorant. In
addition, other items may be flagged for reordering by a particular
customer, or by the collective shopping patterns of all customers
of the system. If the recently ordered item is not that is often
ordered periodically, the process exits in step 806. However, if
the recently ordered item is one that is often ordered
periodically, execution transitions to step 804, where a
communication to the shopper that ordered the item is generated and
transmitted to the shopper, and in step 805, the item is marked for
reordering on a standard schedule. The process then exits in step
806.
[0058] With regards to the communication generated in step 804, it
can be for example, an email, a text message, or a robo-call, as
indicated by the shopper's preferences (if a preference is set). In
the communication, the user will be notified that a periodic order
has been created, and given an option to modify the reorder period,
or cancel it entirely. For example, an email can contain a
hyperlink to a page allowing the user to set the reorder period or
cancel the reorder entirely.
[0059] Turning to FIG. 9, a flowchart depicting one process by
which periodic reorders can be automatically generated. The
depicted process is to be run at a periodic interval, such as one
time per day, and can be run for every shopper in the database. In
step 902, a shopper's record is queried to determine if there are
any item reorders. If there are not, the process exits in step 910.
However, if there are item reorders, the list of reorder items is
iterated in step 906, and, for each item reorder that should be
ordered at the time the process is ran, a new order is generated
and processed in step 908 as discussed earlier in this disclosure.
The process then exits in step 910.
[0060] Another feature of one embodiment of the disclosed
e-commerce solution is to allow lowest cost routing of orders by
merchants (as well as by consumers as previously discussed). For
example, it is well known that different payment processors charge
different rates depending on various factors, such as the
particular card that is presented. Accordingly, a merchant can
configure the e-commerce system so that payments by, for example,
Discover Card, are processed by a first processor, while American
Express payments are processed by a second processor, and payments
by Mastercard and Visa are processed by a third processor.
[0061] In addition, the system can periodically send
communications, such as emails and SMS texts to shoppers that use
the system. The communications can contain catalog listings of
items that the shoppers are likely to be interested in based on the
shopper's buying patterns, or that merchants are attempting to
promote to certain classes of shoppers. In addition, the listings
can contain indicia that allow the user to easily purchase the
listed items. For example, an email or push notification can
contain a button for each item listed in the communication; by
pressing the button, the user can purchase the item with a single
click as outlined herein. Similarly, an SMS communication can
indicate a numeric code that the user replies with to purchase a
particular item.
[0062] One issue that arises with conventional e-commerce solutions
is that customers can abandon an order prior to completing it. This
can lead to items being "orphaned" in the shopping cart. Items can
be orphaned for a variety of reasons. First, the user can
intentionally abandon the order. This would occur, for example, if
the user did not want the items. Second, a user may experience a
technical issue, such as a hardware or software crash, or a network
issue, prior to completing the order. Or third, a user may have
something more urgent arise, that distracts her attention from
shopping prior to her completing the order. In cases two and three,
both the user and the store are missing the benefit of completing
the order.
[0063] In accordance with one embodiment, a communication, such as
an email, SMS text, or push notification is generated and sent to a
shopper after items are orphaned in a shopping cart for some period
of time, such as, for example, four hours. The communication
contains a listing of the items in the abandoned cart, and a
"complete order" (or equivalent) device. By pressing the complete
order (or equivalent) device, the order is completed, and the items
in the cart are sent to the shopper.
[0064] The disclosed e-commerce system also envisions improving on
the traditional retail shopping experience by providing a novel new
way to shop for goods. This embodiment is explained with reference
to FIGS. 10a and 10b. In particular, the disclosed shopping system
would allow customers of a retail store to purchase items simply by
placing them in a specialized tote bag 1000. The tote bag 1000
contains a simple circuit woven into one of the interior walls or
bottom comprising a battery, an active RFID device, and a wireless
transceiver (such as an 802.11 transceiver). Each tote bag 1000
will need to be registered to a particular person who will need to
have a preregistered payment means, such as a credit card or online
wallet. To use this system, every item in the store must include a
passive RFID, which, when brought in proximity to the active RFID
of the tote bag 1000 signals a purchase by the tote bag's 1000
owner.
[0065] Turning to FIG. 10b, a simple block diagram of the tote bag
circuit is disclosed. A battery 1002 powers an active RFID 1004.
The active RFID 1004 can detect when a passive RFID coupled to a
retail item (not shown) is brought into close proximity, such as
when the item is placed in the tote. When this occurs, the active
RFID 1004 signals the microprocessor 1006, which then causes the
active RFID 1004 to read an identifier stored in the passive RFID
corresponding to the item to which the passive RFID is attached.
This identifier is then passed to the microprocessor 1006, which
then uses the transceiver 1008 to transmit the item identifier to a
store server (not shown) which completes the purchase on behalf of
the user.
[0066] Given that the tote bag 1000 may come into contact with
items that are within the store, but are not placed inside the tote
bag 1000, there is a possibility that items could be spuriously
purchased. One way to prevent this would be to shield the outside
of the tote bag 1000 to prevent even a close coupling of the active
RFID 1004 to a passive RFID (not shown) from activating the active
RFID.
[0067] In another embodiment of the disclosed retail shopping
service, consumers can utilize a mobile computing device to check
out a shopping cart. Generally, consumers will register their
mobile device with the shopping cart, which will operate similarly
to the previously described tote bags 1000. Turning to FIGS. 11a
and 11b, each shopping cart 1100 incorporates a circuit board 1102.
In addition, in embodiments that are intended to mate with smart
phones, a cradle 1104 can be provided.
[0068] The circuit 1102 can comprise a battery 1112, a mobile
device mating circuit 1114, a microprocessor 1116, an active RFID,
and a wireless transceiver 1120. The mobile device mating circuit
1114 can be a wired circuit, a wireless circuit, or both. For
example, the mobile device mating circuit 1114 can be a wireless
mating circuit, such as, for example, a Bluetooth wireless mating
circuit. In such an embodiment, a customer would need to obtain an
identifier (such as a number) from the shopping cart 1100, and
input that into an application on the user's mobile computer
device, which would then mate with the shopping cart 1100. The
mobile device mating circuit 1114 can also be a wired circuit, such
as, for example, a USB circuit. In such an embodiment, the user
would physically mate a USB port on her device with a USB connector
on the shopping cart 1100, which would activate an application on
the user's mobile computing device allowing the user to confirm
that the mating had occurred.
[0069] After the user's mobile computing device was mated with the
mobile device mating circuit 1114, the microprocessor 1116 verifies
that the user's mobile device contains a valid payment option. The
active RFID 1118 and wireless transceiver operate similarly to the
same devices in the tote bag embodiment.
[0070] In particular, in one embodiment, the active RFID 1118 can
be mounted in a central position within the shopping cart 110. The
active RFID 1118 detects when a passive RFID coupled to a retail
item (not shown) is brought into close proximity; i.e., by the
shopper moving it to within a few inches of the active RFID 1118.
When this occurs, the active RFID 1118 signals the microprocessor
1116, which causes the active RFID 1118 to read an identifier
stored in the passive RFID corresponding to the item to which the
passive RFID is attached. This identifier is then passed to the
microprocessor, which then uses the transceiver 1120 to transmit
the item identifier to a store server (not shown) which completes
the purchase.
[0071] FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate one embodiment of a smart phone
application for use with the disclosed multi-tenant e-commerce
system. Turning to FIG. 12, one embodiment of a view is depicted
that a shopper that has already registered with the e-commerce
system could see on first entering the application. The view
depicted is customized to the shopper, and does not depict the
listings on any particular store. Rather, based on the preferences
of the user as determined by information submitted by the user or
by monitoring the user's activities, products of many different
shops can be displayed. FIG. 13 depicts a search by a shopper. In
this embodiment, discovery of items is driven by the user's
preferences and by searches conducted for specific items. As
depicted, a standard soft keypad is used to enter a search
term.
[0072] As explained herein, a potential purchaser may browse
through an electronic catalog of an application or Web page of a
vendor and select various items that he/she would like to purchase.
Typically, the user loads the selected items into an electronic
shopping cart, and then once the loading of items is completed,
he/she proceeds with their electronic purchase. However, shopping
carts add little to no value in the online shopping experience, as
many times the shopping cart serves as a vehicle for delay and
abandonment, rather than serving as a vehicle for quick
transactions. Indeed, consumers often place items in a shopping
cart, showing an intent to purchase, but then forget, get
distracted or abandon the shopping cart for a variety of reasons.
In the past, electronic commerce software has generally attempted
to shoe horn the concepts of a physical shopping experience into
software. However, the user experience of the traditional physical
shopping experience does not match the actions of modern,
electronically savvy consumers.
[0073] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a system and
method for purchasing a plurality of items via quick transactions
from a vendor system. The quick transaction system, which does not
require loading the items selected for purchasing in a shopping
cart, eliminates wasteful steps that have little relevance in
online shopping, thereby quickening the purchasing transactions of
the purchaser/user.
[0074] In one example, after accessing a screen of a vendor's
electronic store, for example, an online catalog, mobile retail
application, or website, using a computing device, when a consumer
decides to purchase an item found on the screen, the user will
select to buy the item, typically by clicking/tapping on a "buy"
button. If the consumer is not logged in and/or has not previously
entered all of the required information to complete a transaction,
the quick transaction system generates and displays a user
interface asking the user to log in or enter the unknown user
information that is required to complete the transaction, such as
billing address, shipping address, and payment method. As the
consumer continues to electronically select additional items to
purchase in the electronic store by selecting the "buy" button for
each additional item, the transaction for the additional item is
automatically processed. This allows the consumer to quickly buy
the products in which the consumer is interested. As such, the
quick transaction system does not require loading the selected
items into a shopping cart, and instead allows every transaction to
be discrete. Therefore, each purchased item/SKU will be a separate
transaction. The consumer is able to transact and operate within
the electronic store the same way that they currently do, but
instead of having an extra step of placing each item into a cart,
they will be able to immediately purchase each item.
[0075] In one implementation, the quick transaction system will
handle the batching of individual transactions into one batch
transaction that will be the aggregate of the set. This will allow
shipping and packing to be more intelligent. Batching is done on
the back end based on preset retailer information. For example, a
retailer may define a grouping window whereby all transactions that
occur within a specific timeframe may be grouped for discounted
shipping. Accordingly, if a first item is purchased in a first
transaction and the consumer subsequently is browsing to
potentially make a second purchase in a second transaction within
the preset grouping window, the quick transaction system may adjust
certain pricing, such as the shipping cost, of the second purchase
if the second purchase can be shipped with the first purchase.
[0076] In one embodiment the quick transaction system is associated
with an application, such as a mobile application. In such an
example, the application is referred to as a quick transaction
application. The quick transaction system, including such a quick
transaction application, may be provided on any suitable computing
device, such as a server, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a
smartphone, a wearable computer system and the like. The quick
transaction system may be linked to one or more electronic sales
systems, such as electronic commerce systems, applications,
websites, and the like. As explained herein, a user may be required
to onboard or sign up for the quick transaction system. The user
may then browse through a sales website, mobile application or
online product catalog to identify and purchase products or
services, for example. Alternatively, the user may be required to
sign up for the quick transaction system, i.e., onboard, after
selecting a product for purchase.
[0077] FIGS. 14A-14D illustrate exemplary electronic pages
displayed on a screen 2130 of a computing device 2120 (e.g.,
smartphone) of a user during product browsing. As shown in FIGS.
14A-14C, when the user accesses a vender site, such as via a mobile
application, to browse for products of interest, electronic pages
2140 are displayed that include a set of products 2150 and
corresponding "Buy" buttons or icons 2160 and prices 2170. For
example, all of the displayed products 2150 may be from the vendor
who owns the vendor site. As another example, some of the displayed
products 2150 may be from the vendor who owns the vendor site and
other displayed products 2150 may be from other vendors, which may
be selected based on determining user preferences. Alternately, the
electronic pages 2140 that are displayed to the user may not be
based on the user entering a vendor site, but may instead be based
on preferences of the user determined by information submitted by
the user and/or by monitoring the user's activities, so that
products 2150 of different vendors may be displayed without the
user ever entering a specific vendor site.
[0078] In one example, once the user selects the "Buy" button or
icon 2160 associated with a selected product 2155 on a screen 2130
of a vendor site, the quick transition system will immediately
process the transaction. If, however, the user desires to select a
different size or color, for example, of the product, the system
generates and displays a user interface 2180, such as shown in FIG.
14D, which identifies additional details or options for the
selected product 2155. In the example shown in FIG. 14D the
selected product 2155 is a Backpack. The displayed user interface
2180 shown in FIG. 14D includes the opportunity for the user to
review additional options for the Backpack by selecting the "Select
Size, Color" button/icon 2190 for selecting an alternate size and
color of the Backpack. Alternately, if the user does not want to
select an alternate size and/or color of the Backpack, the system
provides a "Buy" button/icon 2165 for immediate purchasing of the
identified Backpack.
[0079] In accordance with the present disclosure, the quick
transaction system does not display a "shopping cart" button to
enable the user to load a selected product into a shopping cart and
to keep on browsing for additional products prior to purchasing the
selected product. Instead, the quick transaction system provides a
"Buy" button/icon that has a complete ecommerce experience built
within. No additional shopping cart processing is required. The
entire infrastructure for completing the transaction exists
internally within the system upon selecting the "Buy" button/icon.
Further, since the transaction processing begins immediately upon
selecting the "Buy" button/icon, the consumer is not sent to
another site or page to complete the transaction. This process is
not limited to an electronic retail shopping website or mobile
application. Such system could be provided in an email, a tweet, an
electronic game, etc. Upon selection of the "Buy" button/icon,
regardless of the type of application in which the "Buy"
button/icon is located, if the user is known and has previously
onboarded, the transaction will be immediately processed.
[0080] In one embodiment, once the user has selected a product that
he/she is interested in purchasing, such as the Backpack product
shown in FIG. 14D, and if the user is interested in viewing
additional options for the Backpack, such as by selecting the
"Select Size, Color" button/icon 2190 in FIG. 14D, the quick
transition system generates and displays additional user
interfaces, such as interfaces 2200 shown in FIGS. 15A-15C, to
allow the user to select additional options, such as color and size
options, for the Backpack. For example, the system may then direct
the user to an interface as shown in 15A, which includes a picture
of the default color and size of the selected product 2155 (e.g.,
the Backpack), as well as a "More Patterns" button 2210. In this
example, if the user selects the "More Patterns" button 2210
provided on screen 2200 of FIG. 15A, the system may direct the user
to screen 2200 shown in FIG. 15B. After the user has selected a
color option and a size option for the Backpack, as shown in FIG.
15C, and after the user has tapped the "Buy" button/icon 2165 shown
in FIG. 15C, in this example the transaction (i.e., the purchase)
will be processed if the user is logged in to the application. At
that point the transaction will be processed as shown in FIG.
16D.
[0081] If the user is not logged in or if the consumer is a new
user, the system will request additional information from the user.
In one example where the consumer is a new user, the quick
transaction system displays additional user interfaces, for example
such as interfaces 2310, 2320, 2330 shown in FIGS. 16A-16C, to
request entry by the user of additional required information, such
as email address, shipping address, and mode of payment.
Additionally, other displayed user interfaces (not shown) may
request additional information, such as employment information and
education information by the new user. The system or application
also determines if the user information entered by the user (i.e.,
billing address, billing credit card, etc.) is valid.
[0082] Referring to FIG. 16D, once the required information has
been provided by the new user, or if the user is an existing user
that has already logged in, the quick transaction system displays a
user interface 2340 that provides an indication 2350 that the
system is processing the transaction. After the purchase
transaction has completed processing, the quick transaction system
provides confirmation 2370 (e.g., a receipt), such as in a user
interface 2360 shown in FIG. 16E, that the purchase transaction has
been completed. The system also provides an opportunity for the
user to edit or unbuy this purchase through an "Edit or Unbuy"
button/icon 2390 provided in user interface 2360. The "Edit or
Unbuy" button/icon 2390 enables the user to change or cancel the
order before the purchased product is shipped. Additionally, the
system provides the user the ability to continue shopping through a
"Continue Shopping" button/icon 2380, which is also provided on
interface 2360 in this example. Because the system has smart
batching technology, the system also allows for perks to entice the
user to continue shopping, such as free or discounted shipping for
additional products purchased within a period of time preset by the
retailer.
[0083] As shown in FIGS. 17A-17C, if the user is not a new
purchaser and is logged in to the system, after the user selects
the "Buy" button/icon 2165 to buy the product as shown in FIG. 17A,
the quick transaction system automatically displays the user
interface 2340 shown in FIG. 17B that provides the indication 2350
that it is processing the transaction, and the system will then
provide a completed transaction screen 2360 as shown in FIG.
17C.
[0084] In accordance with the present disclosure, a user should
onboard or log in to the system to conduct a transaction.
Accordingly, once the user conducts a first transaction, as that
user continues to browse additional items to purchase, and upon
selection of an additional item for purchase, such as in one
example selecting the "Buy" button/icon 2160 associated with a
products shown in FIGS. 14A-14C, the purchase transaction for the
additional item is automatically processed. Thus, once the user
clicks on the "Buy" button/icon 2160 associated with a second
product 2150, as displayed, for example, in FIGS. 14A-14C, or in
any other electronic page 2140 accessed by the user using his
computing device 2120, the quick transition system will
automatically process the transaction.
[0085] In an alternate embodiment, rather than waiting for a user
to select to "buy" a product before determining if the user is
logged in and completed the onboard process, upon detection of a
user browsing a web page or navigating through an application where
the user has not logged in or is logged in but not all of the
required information has been entered in to the system, the quick
transaction system is configured to generate and display
interfaces, such as interfaces 2510, 2520, 2530 shown in FIGS.
18A-18C, that include requests for the consumer's information that
is required to complete a transaction (e.g., email address,
shipping address, billing information).
[0086] As shown in FIG. 18D, regarding the "quick buying" aspect of
the system, the quick transaction system informs the user, such as
through a user interface 2540, that a transaction is completed
instantly with saved payment information after the "Buy" button is
selected. Similarly, regarding the "Easy editing" aspect of the
system, as shown in FIG. 18D the quick transaction system informs
the user that he/she can change any parameter of his/her purchase,
even after he/she purchases items. Further, as also shown in FIG.
18D regarding the "Honest pricing" aspect of the system, the quick
transaction system informs the user that the system provides all
inclusive pricing so that the consumer knows the exact price they
will pay for an item, inclusive of shipping, tax, etc. Finally, as
shown in FIG. 18D, the displayed interface includes a "Start
Shopping" button/icon 2550, which once selected by the user allows
for instant processing and instant checkout with one tap buying
based on saved onboarded information.
[0087] As shown in FIG. 19, the quick transaction system may be
provided on a client-server system 2600. For example, the quick
transaction system may be provided on an application on a user's
electronic device 2610, where the quick transaction application
connects to sales websites or online stores through the server 2620
of a seller or retailer over a network 2640. Alternately, the quick
transaction application may connect to a third party, which then
transmits the transaction to the seller or retailer. A separate
server based website 2630 may also be provided. The separate server
based website 2630 may be configured to provide the same quick
transaction system features to registered users as the computing
device based quick transaction application. For example, a user may
log in directly to the quick transaction system website 2630 and
purchase products without loading them in a shopping cart.
[0088] As shown in FIG. 20, the quick transaction system may be an
application program interface (API) 2700 that interacts with one or
more systems involved in an electronic or online purchase
transaction. For example, the API 2700 is configured to interface
with a retailer system 2710, with the user through a Client device
and/or application 2720. The API 2700 may further interface with
one or more databases 2730, such as a Client Info database 2730
that may provide client information, which includes saved payment
information.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 21, a block diagram illustrating
components of the server of FIG. 20 is provided. As shown, server
2800 includes a server engine 2802, various Web pages 2804, a quick
transaction application 2806, a customer database 2808, a purchase
database 2810, and an inventory database 2812. The server engine
2802 is configured to receive HTTP requests to access Web pages
identified by URLs and provides the Web pages to the various client
systems. The customer database 2808 contains customer information
for various purchasers or potential purchasers. As stated, the
customer information includes purchaser-specific order information
such as the name of the customer, billing information, and shipping
information. The purchase database 2810 contains an entry for each
purchase that has not yet been shipped to a purchaser. The
inventory database 2812 contains a description of the various items
that may be ordered. Alternately, a plurality of servers 2800
having one or more of the components identified above may be
utilized, and the various servers 2800 and/or components of the
various servers 2800 will be in communication.
[0090] In accordance with the present disclosure, the quick
transaction system may be an application program interface (API)
that interacts with one or more systems involved in an electronic
or online purchase transaction. For example, the API may interface
with a retailer system through a Retailer Control Panel and through
a Retailer backend system. The API may also interface with the user
through a Client device and/or application.
[0091] Now referring to FIG. 22, a flow chart of the process 2900
for quick transaction/cartless purchasing of items accessed on a
web page or application is shown. Once initiated, at Step 2902, by
a purchaser accessing an item website of a vendor or a vendor
application, the quick transaction system is configured to monitor
the user access and browsing of the associated web pages and
application screens, at Step 2904. Upon detection a clicking or
otherwise selecting the "buy" button/icon by the customer to
purchase a first item, at Step 2906, if the user is not logged in
to the system or if not all of the required information for the
particular user has been previously entered into the system, the
quick transaction system is configured to trigger a user interface
requesting the customer's information, at Step 2908.
[0092] For example, the user may be queried for basic information
such as the user's name, address, email address, mobile phone
number, communications preferences, billing information, and
billing preferences. With regards to communications preferences, a
user may select, for example, to receive order confirmations by
email, text message, or robo-call. With regards to billing
preferences, a user may select, for example, to charge one credit
card for certain types of expenses, such as clothing, and another
credit card for other expenses, such as office supplies. Other
payment forms may also be entered (e.g., online wallet, bit coin
address, a gift card and the like). Further, the user may set up
rules that allow for "lowest cost routing" of payment. For example,
the user may have three credit cards, one that provides better
rates for transactions in excess of $100, one that provides better
rates for purchases of electronic goods, and one that is designated
for purchases made on behalf of the user's employer.
[0093] Subsequently, once the user completes his/her entry of the
requested information, the quick transaction system is configured
to verify and store the customer's information, at Step 2910.
Moreover, upon verification of the customers' information, the
quick transaction system is configured to complete the purchasing
process of the first item, which may include the purchase of a
multitude of the first item, at Step 2912. If however, the consumer
is logged in and has previously entered all of the requested
customer information, after selecting the "Buy" button/icon in Step
2906, the system will proceed directly to Step 2912 to complete the
purchase transaction.
[0094] As the user continues to seek additional items to purchase,
the quick transaction system retains the customer's information for
the next detection of selecting the "Buy" button/icon by the same
purchaser. As such, once the quick transaction system detects the
next selection of the "Buy" button/icon by the purchaser who
intends to purchase a second item, at Step 2914, the quick
transaction system is configured to automatically display a user
interface to complete the purchasing of the second item, without
requesting any customer information, and provide a purchasing
confirmation to the customer, at Step 2916.
[0095] As stated above, each purchased item has a separate
purchasing transaction associated with it, and the customer's
information is requested only for the first purchasing transaction,
and only then if the customer is not already logged in. The quick
transaction system is also configured to generate and display
another user interface, after the purchase of the second item, for
example, to inform the purchaser whether the first purchased
item(s) and the second purchased item(s) may be shipped together on
the same day or on different days based on their respective
inventories. Additionally, on the back end of the quick transaction
system, retailers are able to define grouping windows for batching
of transactions to provide a benefit to both the retailer and the
consumer.
[0096] In various embodiments, as explained above, the system
allows for unbuying and/or modifying previously processed orders.
Additionally, the system may also allow in certain embodiments for
various promotions or benefits to the user post processing,
including, but not limited to, the batching of certain orders for
shipping, and promotions based on spend thresholds.
[0097] In one embodiment, immediately upon the user selecting to
"buy" a product, the system processes the order. Once the order is
processed, in one embodiment an electronic receipt or confirmation
is provided to the user, signifying that the order is completed,
and the system locks the order. Additionally, at that time the
system may create one or more different thresholds, including but
not limited to an (1) edit time value, a (2) batch duration time,
which is also referred to as the order cutoff time; and (3) free
shipping qualification based on certain thresholds. In one
embodiment, the edit time value is a period of time set by the
retailer/seller within which the user may modify or unbuy their
order following the completion of the order. Typically, the edit
time is configured by the retailer/seller as part of their system
configuration. For example, if the seller sets the edit time at 2
hours, when a buyer makes a purchase at 4:15, the buyer has until
6:15 to either unbuy or modify that order. After 6:15, in this
example, the order is marked as unchangeable and the buyer/user can
no longer make changes through the system to that order.
[0098] Similarly, in one embodiment, a batch relates to orders that
are designated to be shipped to the same address and which are
placed within a certain window of time, or before a certain
deadline, both of which are defined by the seller/retailer, so that
they can be passed to fulfillment together. Doing so helps the
user/buyer not have to repeatedly pay separate shipping for items
purchased within a buying session, and it also allows for
logistical efficiencies for the retailer. Like the edit time value,
the batch duration time is a period of time set by the
retailer/seller within which all orders by a user that are
designated to be shipped to the same address can be shipped
together. Alternately, the batch duration time may be a deadline
whereby all orders by a user that are designated to be shipped to
the same address can be shipped together. For example, if the batch
duration time is set at 3 hours, and the buyer makes a purchase at
4:15, all subsequent orders of the buyer that are designated to be
shipped to the same address and which are completed prior to 7:15
will be batched together and the buyer will typically receive a
reduced shipping rate for all batched purchases. As an alternate
example, the seller/retailer may set a given time of day, such as
5:00 pm, as a batch deadline, whereby all orders made from the
prior day at 5:01 pm until the present day at 5:00 pm, and which
are designated to be shipped to the same address, will be batched
together for shipment purposes. In such an embodiment, the batch
would contain all completed purchases for the same address into a
shipment so that it can be passed to the fulfillment system for
processing at the same time every day, which in this example is
5:00 pm. Once a user buys an item, the system reminds the buyer
about the time they have left to add to their order for reduced or
no additional shipping cost.
[0099] Further, in one embodiment the system allows the
retailer/seller to offer free shipping to the user based on certain
requirements, such as attaining a threshold for dollars spent or
items purchased in a session. For example, in one embodiment, the
system will prompt the user after their make their first purchase
about the additional money they need to spend, i.e. the `spend
threshold`, within a time threshold determined by the retailer, to
qualify for free shipping. Once the user hits the spend threshold
within the time threshold, the shipping costs the user was charged
when purchasing their prior item(s) will be reversed. Similarly,
once a user buys an item, the system reminds the buyer about the
time they have left to add to their order for reduced or no
additional shipping cost.
[0100] In various embodiments, the system provides indicators on
the various displays viewed by the user, e.g., website pages or
application screens, of the time needed to qualify additional
purchases for reduced shipping, the time/amount needed to qualify
additional or all purchases for free shipping, or the time allowed
and/or remaining for unbuying or editing an order.
[0101] Below are two examples of buying scenarios under the
disclosed system:
EXAMPLE 1
[0102] Retailer threshold configuration: Edit time is 2 hours, free
shipping qualification is $50, and batch duration time is 3
hours.
[0103] Buyer X logs into the system, an application on her
smartphone, to make purchases. At 2:45 pm, Buyer X views Wrinkle
Cream and is shown a price of $29.99, which is inclusive of
shipping and tax. Buyer X selects "buy." The system knows: (1)
Buyer X has 2 hours to change anything about this order, (2) if
Buyer X spends $50 total in over two hours she will qualify for
free shipping, and (3) anything Buyer X orders in the next 3 hours
could go in the same box, and she can receive reduced shipping
costs.
[0104] At 2:47 pm, after her first purchase, Buyer X views a new
product list. The footer on the screen states "spend $20.01 more by
5:45 to get free shipping on your Wrinkle Cream." As identified,
the system will calculate the difference in spend that will allow
the user to earn free shipping.
[0105] At 2:53 pm, Buyer X buys an Insulated Family Cooler in Cali
Stripes. Buyer X is charged the price of the item as well as tax.
Buyer X is NOT charged for shipping because she has hit the
threshold for $50 within the two hour window.
[0106] At 3:43 pm, Buyer X changes her mind about the Insulated
Family Cooler and modifies it to the Emma Pink version since she is
within the 2 hour edit time window.
[0107] At 4:45 pm, the initial order is marked as unchangeable and
batching countdown starts. At 4:53 pm, the second order is marked
as unchangeable and another batching countdown starts. Buyer X then
sets her smartphone down for a while.
[0108] At 5:40 pm, Buyer X turns her smartphone back on and gets
back into the application. The footer on the home view states "FREE
SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS PLACED UNTIL 5:45 pm." At 5:44 pm, Buyer X
buys Bug Spray. Buyer X is charged the price of the item as well as
tax. Buyer X is NOT charged for shipping because she is still
inside of the batching window of her first purchase.
[0109] At 5:46 pm, Buyer X views the `home` product list on the
application. All prices are now inclusive of the cost of shipping
and the footer now shows "PRICES INCLUDE TAXES AND SHIPPING". At
5:47 pm, Buyer X buys a Wine Glass, and is charged the price of the
item as well as the price of shipping and tax. The system knows:
(1) Buyer X has 2 hours to change anything about this order, (2) if
she spends $50 total in over two hours, she will qualify for free
shipping, (3) anything she orders in the next 3 hours could go in
the same box, and we can save the user on shipping costs.
[0110] At 7:44 pm, the third order is marked as unchangeable and
another batching countdown starts.
[0111] At 7:45 pm, the first order batching countdown ends. The
system checks for all of the orders that are unchangeable that
could be batched together; it finds the first, second and third
orders and puts them together into a shipment. That shipment is
sent to the identified shipping address. The process will also
invalidate the countdowns associated with any of the items in the
shipment.
EXAMPLE 2
Retailer threshold configuration: Edit time to 2 hours, and order
cutoff time is 5 pm.
[0112] Buyer X logs into the system, an application on her
smartphone, to make purchases. At 2:45 pm, Buyer X views Wrinkle
Cream and is shown a price of $29.99, which is inclusive of
shipping and tax. Buyer X selects "buy." The system knows: (1)
Buyer X has 2 hours to change anything about this order, (2)
anything Buyer X orders until 5 pm could go in the same box, and
she can save shipping costs.
[0113] At 2:47 pm, after her first purchase, Buyer X views a new
product list. The footer on the screen states "REDUCED SHIPPING
COSTS ON ALL ORDERS PLACED UNTIL 5:00 pm."
[0114] At 2:53 pm, Buyer X buys an Insulated Family Cooler in Cali
Stripes. Buyer X is charged the price of the item, tax, as well as
the incremental cost of shipping. She is ONLY charged for the
incremental cost of shipping because she has made the second order
before the batching cutoff time (5 pm) of the day.
[0115] At 3:43 pm, Buyer X changes her mind about the Insulated
Family Cooler and modifies it to the Emma Pink version since she is
within the 2 hour edit time window.
[0116] At 4:45 pm, the initial order is marked as unchangeable and
batching countdown starts. At 4:53 pm, the second order is marked
as unchangeable and another batching countdown starts. Buyer X then
sets her smartphone down for a while.
[0117] At 4:56 pm, Buyer X turns her smartphone back on and gets
back into the application. The footer on the home view states
"REDUCED SHIPPING COSTS ON ALL ORDERS PLACED UNTIL 5:00 pm." At
4:57 pm, Buyer X buys Bug Spray. Buyer X is charged the price of
the item, tax, as well as the incremental cost of shipping. She is
ONLY charged for the incremental cost of shipping because she is
before the batching cutoff time (5 pm) of the day.
[0118] At 5:06 pm, Buyer X views the `home` product list on the
application. All of the prices are now inclusive of the cost of
shipping, the footer now shows "PRICES INCLUDE TAXES AND SHIPPING".
At 5:47 pm, Buyer X buys a Wine Glass, and is charged the price of
the item as well as the price of shipping and tax. The system
knows: (1) Buyer X has 2 hours to change anything about this order,
(2) anything she orders in the next .about.23 hours (until 5 pm the
following day) could go in the same box, and we can save the user
on shipping costs.
[0119] At 6:56 pm, the third order is marked as unchangeable.
[0120] At 7:00 pm, the daily order batching cutoff occurs. This
occurs a full edit time after the configured order cutoff time. The
system checks for all of the orders that are unchangeable that
could be batched together; it finds the first three orders and puts
them into a shipment. That shipment is sent to fulfillment.
[0121] At 7:47 pm, the fourth order is marked as unchangeable.
[0122] At 7:00 pm (next day), order batching cutoff occurs. The
system checks for all of the orders that are unchangeable that
could be batched together; it finds the forth order only, and puts
it into a shipment. That shipment is sent to fulfillment.
[0123] Days later Buyer X receives two shipments, staggered by a
day. The first containing her first three orders, the second (which
arrive a day later) containing her fourth.
[0124] In some examples, the discussed application may be
implemented as computer program instructions encoded on a
computer-readable storage media in a machine-readable format. FIG.
23 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conceptual partial view of
an example computer program product 3000 that includes a computer
program for executing a computer process on a computing device,
arranged according to at least some examples presented herein. The
example computer program product 3000 may be provided using a
non-transitory computer readable medium 3001. The non-transitory
computer readable medium 3001 may include one or more programming
instructions 3002 that, when executed by one or more processors may
provide functionality or portions of the functionality described
above with respect to FIGS. 14A-22. Thus, for example, referring to
the example shown in FIG. 22, one or more features of blocks 2902,
2904, 2906, 2908, 2910, 2912, 2914, and/or 2916 may be undertaken
by one or more instructions associated with the non-transitory
computer readable medium 3001.
[0125] In some implementations, the non-transitory computer
readable medium 3001 may encompass a computer recordable medium
3003, such as, but not limited to, memory, read/write (R/W) CDs,
R/W DVDs, etc. The one or more programming instructions 3002 may
be, for example, computer executable and/or logic implemented
instructions.
[0126] Many of the above-described features and applications are
implemented as software processes that are specified as a set of
instructions recorded on a computer readable storage medium (also
referred to as computer readable medium). When these instructions
are executed by one or more processing unit(s) (e.g., one or more
processors, cores of processors, or other processing units), they
cause the processing unit(s) to perform the actions indicated in
the instructions. Examples of computer readable media include, but
are not limited to, RAM chips, EPROMs, etc. The computer readable
media does not include carrier waves and electronic signals passing
wirelessly or over wired connections.
[0127] In this specification, the term "software" is meant to
include firmware residing in read-only memory or applications
stored in magnetic storage, which can be read into memory for
processing by a processor. Also, in some implementations, multiple
software aspects of the subject disclosure can be implemented as
sub-parts of a larger program while remaining distinct software
aspects of the subject disclosure. In some implementations,
multiple software aspects can also be implemented as separate
programs. Finally, any combination of separate programs that
together implement a software aspect described here is within the
scope of the subject disclosure. In some implementations, the
software programs, when installed to operate on one or more
electronic systems, define one or more specific machine
implementations that execute and perform the operations of the
software programs.
[0128] A computer program (also known as a program, software,
software application, script, or code) can be written in any form
of programming language, including compiled or interpreted
languages, declarative or procedural languages, and it can be
deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a
module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for
use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need
not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored
in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one
or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single
file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple
coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub
programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed
to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are
located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and
interconnected by a communication network.
[0129] These functions described above can be implemented in
digital electronic circuitry, in computer software, firmware or
hardware. The techniques can be implemented using one or more
computer program products. Programmable processors and computers
can be included in or packaged as computing devices, which include
mobile devices. The processes and logic flows can be performed by
one or more programmable processors and by one or more programmable
logic circuitry. General and special purpose computing devices and
storage devices can be interconnected through communication
networks.
[0130] Some implementations include electronic components, for
example, microprocessors, storage and memory that store computer
program instructions in a machine-readable or computer-readable
medium (alternatively referred to as computer-readable storage
media, machine-readable media, or machine-readable storage media).
Some examples of such computer-readable media include RAM, ROM, and
flash memory. The computer-readable media can store a computer
program that is executable by at least one processing unit and
includes sets of instructions for performing various operations.
Examples of computer programs or computer code include machine
code, for example, is produced by a compiler, and files including
higher-level code that are executed by a computer, an electronic
component, or a microprocessor using an interpreter.
[0131] While the above discussion primarily refers to
microprocessor or multi-core processors that execute software, some
implementations are performed by one or more integrated circuits,
for example, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or
field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In some implementations,
such integrated circuits execute instructions that are stored on
the circuit itself.
[0132] Aspects of the subject technology described in this
specification can be implemented in a computing system that
includes a retailer server, which includes the above-discussed
application and client info database, and a client computer having
a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user
can interact with an implementation of the subject technology
described in this specification, or any combination of one or more
such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components
of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of
digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples
of communication networks include a local area network ("LAN") and
a wide area network ("WAN"), an inter-network (e.g., the Internet),
and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., ad hoc peer-to-peer networks).
[0133] The client computer and retailer server are generally remote
from each other and typically interact through a communication
network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of
computer programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other. In some aspects, a server
transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a client device (e.g., for
purposes of displaying data to and receiving user input from a user
interacting with the client device). Data generated at the client
device (e.g., a result of the user interaction) can be received
from the client device at the server.
[0134] It is understood that any specific order or hierarchy of
steps in the processes disclosed is an illustration of example
approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that
the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be
rearranged, or that all illustrated steps be performed. Some of the
steps may be performed simultaneously. For example, in certain
circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be
advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components
in the embodiments described above should not be understood as
requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be
understood that the described program components and systems can
generally be integrated together in a single software product or
packaged into multiple software products.
[0135] The previous description is provided to enable any person
skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described
herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily
apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles
defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims
are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are
to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims,
wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to
mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather
"one or more." Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term
"some" refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his)
include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice
versa. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience
only and do not limit the subject disclosure.
[0136] A phrase such as an "aspect" does not imply that such aspect
is essential to the subject technology or that such aspect applies
to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure
relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or one or
more configurations. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or
more aspects and vice versa. A phrase such as a "configuration"
does not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject
technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations
of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to a configuration
may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A
phrase such as a configuration may refer to one or more
configurations and vice versa.
[0137] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an
example or illustration." Any aspect or design described herein as
"exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or
advantageous over other aspects or designs.
[0138] While the foregoing has described what are considered to be
the best mode and/or other examples, it is understood that various
modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter
disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples,
and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications,
only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by
the following claims to claim any and all applications,
modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the
present teachings.
* * * * *