Patent Application
20070250390
The term “transaction” as used herein denotes an event involving a transfer of goods or services and/or monetary funds. Where goods or services are exchanged for a monetary amount, the transaction may be characterized as a commercial transaction. However, some transactions may not involve the transfer of monetary amounts. For example, a transaction could be a barter activity or a consignment. A transaction may involve the transfer of funds in one direction without an accompanying transfer in the opposite direction, as in the case of a charitable contribution. A transaction may involve the transfer of funds in one direction with a transfer of one or more financial instruments (stocks, bonds, futures, options, warrants, calls, puts, etc) or other monetary amount (as in a currency transfer) in the opposite direction.
The word “automatically” or “automatic” is used herein to denote an activity, operation, function, or process that is executed by a computer or computer system without human intervention. For instance, a computer or computers performing a transaction management process as disclosed herein are programmed to carry out operations of monitoring screens displayed on a user's computer monitor while the user navigates the World Wide Web, determining whether the user is engaged in a transaction during the monitoring of each screen, collecting particulars of a transaction upon detecting that the user is engaged in a transaction, etc. Further automatic processes may include storing in a memory the particulars of the transaction and the particulars of multiple online transactions made by the user, and providing to the user a summary display of collected and stored information pertaining to the online transactions made by the user.
The term “automatically monitoring” is used herein to denote a software-mediated reading, scanning or examining of information on a computer screen to detect, for instance, whether a screen is one in which a user may be executing an on-line transaction. Thus, automatic monitoring pursuant to the instant disclosure does not contemplate the exercise of visual perception.
The term “automatically collecting” as in the phrase “automatically collecting particulars of a transaction” is used to denote a software-implemented extraction of data or information. This may involve accessing a computer RAM to transfer (and duplicate) information from one part of the RAM to another part of the RAM and optionally to permanent storage location in a nonvolatile computer memory.
The word “screen” is used herein to denote the collective textual and graphic information displayed on a computer monitor at any particular instance during computer usage. The term “screen” may also denote a changing pattern of information displayed on a computer monitor.
The term “screen scraper” is used in a broad sense herein to designate software for monitoring or scanning information displayed on a computer monitor and for extracting predetermined kinds of information from the computer. Screen scraper or data extraction software may interface with a computer at any practical or realizable nexus for accomplishing the monitoring and extracting functions. For instance, screen scraper software may take the form of a plug-in for browsers in order to monitor the information passing through or handled by the browser during Internet access. Alternatively or additionally, screen scraper software may function in part to monitor keystrokes on a keyboard. Information may be extracted from a RAM that temporarily holds the information displayed on a monitor screen.
The term “provider” is used herein to designate a party with whom a computer interacts on-line via the World Wide Web and the underlying global computer network known as the Internet in order to carry out a transaction. A provider may be a merchant of goods and/or services. A provider may be a financial service provider such as a stockbroker, a bank, a mutual fund, a commodities dealer, etc. or a provider may be a charitable institution
The terms “purchase data,” “purchasing behavior,” “purchase history information,” etc., are used herein to denote all aspects of online interactions between consumers or shoppers and merchants. These terms therefore include or cover such information as products purchased, the times at which purchases are made, shipping times, product returns, delays in receiving credit for product returns, damage to shipped goods, etc.
The term “online shopping entity” denotes herein a person or object with which it is possible to associate a history of online purchases. Typically, an online shopping entity is a person who uses a computer on the Internet or other network to make purchase of goods and/or services online. However, an online shopping entity as that term is used herein may designate an online computer that is loaded with browser plug-in software for monitoring purchases and extracting data for inclusion in a database of consumer purchasing behavior.
The word “product” as used herein by itself or as part of other terms, for instance, in the terms “product interest,” “product search,” “product purchase,” “product popularity information,” etc., refers broadly to anything for which consideration may be provided. Thus, the word “product” pertains to goods or services that are purchased. In addition, the word “product” may refer to a charitable donation situation. In the latter case, the product purchased may be viewed as the opportunity to help a valued cause.
An online shopping management system illustrated in
The online shopping management system of
As discussed in detail hereinafter, the online shopping management system of
As discussed in greater detail below, software-implemented shopping management unit 24 monitors consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n to detect shopping transactions as they are occurring. As discussed below, unit 24 may memorize or store shipping and payment particulars of the different customers for insertion into appropriate fields in an HTML or XML display screen. Shopping management unit 24 may carry out ancillary functions such as facilitating product marketing by utilizing user order data to provide targeted ads to the consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n via shopping management control panel or “dashboards” (see below).
Consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n are provided with web browser plug-ins, which are applications that run within the customer's web browser to assist in the capture of shopping related transactions and to assist in the process of filling shopping web forms. The plug-ins also communicate with the COSMOS server computer 12 to transmit thereto the customer's order data and save the order data state. The browser plug-ins may also store various user credit and debit card numbers and other payment account information, as well as passwords associated with such accounts. User IDs and passwords for various Web sites may also be stored and automatically entered in appropriate user fields of shopping sites on the World Wide Web.
Browser plug-ins or other screen-scraper software on consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n identify Web pages associated with online product purchases, including shopping home pages, product details pages, shopping cart pages, shipping and billing pages. From the shopping home page, a browser plug-in or other screen-scraper software is able to identify and extract a merchant name and logo. From a product details page, the browser plug-in or other screen-scraper software determines and retrieves product information. From a shopping cart page, the browser plug-in or other screen-scraper software detects and elicits shopping cart line items. From a shipping page, the browser plug-in or other screen-scraper software reads and stores shipping address and method, as warranted. From a billing or payments page, the browser plug-in or other screen-scraper software identified and extracts the billing method and address.
Browser plug-ins or other screen-scraper software may incorporate programming for classifying browsing patterns into states. A classification system may use a Bayesian classification scheme, a hidden Markov model, adaptive filtering (Karpov model), and/or a Viterbi algorithm. The inputs to the algorithms may be http requests, responses and emails, collectively “Data Capture Elements” or “DCEs.” DCEs are tokenized and represented in a vector format using Boolean expressions. For example, a DCE input with respect to the parameter selections electronics (yes), books (no), dvds (yes), categories (yes), wish (no), deals (no), gift (yes), releases (no), top (no), news (no), relations (no), great (no) would have a vector representation “101100100000.” The algorithms process these vectors to make decisions on the state of each DCE. Classificiation may be based on a single vector (Simple Module) or a chain of vectors (i.e., a browing pattern)(Markov module). For example, using a Simple Module pursuant to a Bayesian classification scheme, where the highest posterior value across all states yields the classification results:
In another example using a Markov Module (Bayesian Classification+Markov Chain+Kalman Filter (adaptive filtering)+Viterbi), the state of a DCE based on a chain of DCEs is determined:
Generally, algorithms require training before being able to process new information and properly classify it. Training results in finding the keyword space (pruning based on keyword relevance), the values for conditions for each module/state, and the transition probability matrices for Markov modules. The first step of training is to manually label DCEs with states. The second step is to use the collected DCEs and train the algorithms, conditionals, transition matrices and priors.
Consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n are further provided with email client plug-ins, namely, applications that run within the customer's email clients to assist in the capture of emails sent from merchants with whom the customer has engaged in one or more purchase transactions. The email client plug-ins provide order status updates to the COSMOS server 12 based on the information captured in the email. The COSMOS server 12 also provides email management capabilities, allowing the user to have COSMOS automatically filter emails from selected vendors from their primary email systems and send those emails into COSMOS. This will help the users reduce email clutter in their primary email systems and allow them to manage emails from vendors within the COSMOS system. Email plug-ins may use user feedback in the classification and extraction algorithms to enhance accuracy. In addition, the email plug-ins may enable the user to monitor whether the collected data is accurate and fix errors as warranted (this information may then used to enhance the accuracy of the algorithm).
Consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n are additionally provided with shopping management or desktop user interface software that cooperates with server 12 to enable the users to view their orders, order history, drill-down order information and other views summarizing their shopping activity. The shopping management or desktop user interface software also provides users with the ability to control COSMOS plug-ins settings and interact directly with COSMOS partner merchants.
Shopping management unit 24 of server computer 12 interacts with consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n and more particularly with the plug-ins and shopping management or desktop user interface software on those computers to implement the shopping management functions detailed herein. Those functions include the collection of order, merchant, pricing, payment, shipping, and order status information. Those functions may additionally include order cancellation, returns, and merchant email information; rewards points information; warranty information; and targeted marketing information. Software-implemented incoming shipment generation and tracking unit 26 issues commands to a shipping company to collect from any merchant specific items purchased online by the consumer, and to have such items delivered to the consumer's address. Unit 26 systemically sends the consumer's or COSMOS' unique charging number to the shipping company thereby charging COSMOS or the consumer for the requested shipping. In addition, unit 26 tracks the status of merchandise shipping from different merchants. Shipment generation and tracking unit 26 may periodically consult shipper computers 20a, 20b, . . . 20p via the Internet 14 to obtain updated information as to the status of customers' online purchases.
Software-implemented returns generation and tracking unit 28 issues commands to a shipping company to pick-up a return from the customer's house address or other address; alternatively, the system automatically generates a pre-paid return label that the consumer attaches to the return shipment and then she drops-off the return at an authorized drop-off point, such as a Post Office. To that end, unit 28 is connected via the shopping management or desktop user interface software on a user computers 16a, 16b, . . . or 16n to a user printer (not shown) for printing out shipping labels including, for instance, bar-type identification codes. In response to a request from a user computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n, server 12 may submit and channel a pick-up request to a shipping provider. With respect to payment of the shipping costs, unit 28 may be connected to the Internet 14 via a communications interface 34 for purposes of contacting shipper computers 20a, 20b, . . . 20p to make automated payment or prepayment of the shipping charges.
In addition, returns shipment generation and tracking unit 28 tracks shipments to the different merchants of merchandise being returned by individual purchasers. Unit 28 may keep track of the locations of individual purchased items. As indicated, unit 28 may implement merchandise returns by contacting shipper computers 20a, 20b, . . . 20p via the Internet 14 to arrange for pickup and delivery of returns goods. Returns shipment generation and tracking unit 28 may communicate with shopping management unit 24 to update purchase information and to arrange for credits with the appropriate financial institutions via the respective computers 22a, 22b . . . 22q. Returns shipment generation and tracking unit 28 may additionally check for and update payment statuses of orders. To that end, returns shipment generation and tracking unit 28 may interact with external banking and financial systems computers 22a, 22b, . . . 22q to update the status of credit card authorizations and charges. Returns shipment generation and tracking unit 28 may further monitor that returns are received back by the respective merchants and that the merchants have posted credits to the user's payment account. Fraud protection features may be incorporated into the COSMOS system by giving the user access to generated credit card numbers to use in his/her shopping experience. The amount can then be billed to the customer through his/her profile in COSMOS (i.e. through one of the following channels: membership an Internet Service Provider program, supplied credit card number, supplied bank routing information, etc.).
Software-implemented email tracking and sorting unit 30 monitors email to and email from any given consumer computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n pertaining to purchases made by the respective customer. The monitoring of email by email tracking and sorting unit 30 may include automatically reading the content of incoming email to determine whether the email contains confirmation numbers, shipping updates, or cancellation messages, i.e. information pertinent to transaction or purchase order status. Such information may be extracted out of the email and used to update a display of order status information. Email tracking and sorting unit 30 may also provide a message automatically to the user alerting him or her to the new order status.
In an alternative embodiment of a shopping management system, email tracking and sorting unit 30 is relied on exclusively to detect and identify completed consumer transactions. Thus, email is monitored and automatically scanned or read to determine first whether the email consists of a communication between a consumer computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n and a merchant computer 18a, 18b, . . . 18m. Once an email communication is detected as concerning a transaction, the content of the email is mined to extract the transaction particulars.
A shopping management system as disclosed herein may be used to collect information as to individual consumers' buying habits, interests, and predilections. In addition, the information may be collated across transactions of different consumers to determine, for instance, preferences that consumers as a group have with respect to individual labels and merchants. As discussed below, the information as to individual consumer buying behavior may be used to select targeted advertising for presentation to consumers during their negotiation or “surfing” of the World Wide Web. The targeted advertising contemplated herein is derived from the overall purchase histories of the individual consumers and is typically unrelated to the content of the Web pages visited by the individual consumers and to the searches conducted by the consumers. The advertising may be displayed by searching services on the monitors or screens of consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n, together with the results of searches requested via the consumer computers.
Information collected by an online shopping management system with respect to the preferences that consumers have for different online merchants and for different brand-name products may be used by search engines to order the display of results pertaining to consumer product searches. Thus, when a person searches for a particular kind of product, the most popular sites may be displayed first, or otherwise identified in the search results, thereby providing the consumer with information as to the trustworthiness of and quality of service provided by the merchants.
As depicted in
Communications interface 34 distributes incoming information to shopping management unit 24, incoming shipment generation and tracking unit 26, returns shipment generation and tracking unit 28, and email tracking and sorting unit 30 and collects messages therefrom for communication to other computers via the Internet 14.
As illustrated in
Shopping management unit 24 additionally includes a software-implemented module 44 that is connected to purchase transaction detector 38 and screen-scraping or data extraction module 40 for collecting shipping and payment particulars of the different customers. Module 40 communicates with memory 42 for storing therein customer names and one or more shipping addresses of each customer, for example, a home address and a business address, and for storing, for each customer, one or more credit or debit card numbers or electronic funds transfer accounts and passwords. Module 44 is connected directly or indirectly to communications interface 34 for inserting a customer's shipping and payment particulars into appropriate fields in an HTML or XML display screen, with the understanding and consent of the customer. Thus, the customer need not enter the shipping and payment particulars for each individual purchase made via the Internet 14.
Screen scraping or data extraction module 40 of shopping management unit 24 may act in particular to detect and record a completed check-out screen after a purchase has been made and a confirmation is displayed. Module 40 works mainly on the confirmation screen to “screen-scrape” the desired information. In addition, module 40 may extract the specific forms and formats of each and every merchant from whom the consumer purchases goods and/or services. Module 40 stores the forms and formats in memory 42, for subsequent recognition, together with the personal information input by the user or consumer in the entry fields on the forms. This information is then accessible by purchase particulars inserter 44 upon a subsequent recognition by modules 40 and 44 of a previously stored form and format. Thus, subsequent shopping is facilitated since a customer will not have to input information on a variety of forms every time she goes to different merchants. The recordation of forms and formats by module 40 in memory substantially enhances accuracy and reliability in the insertion of purchase particulars including user IDs and passwords on check out screens.
Shopping management unit 24 additionally includes a software-implemented transaction summary module 46 for providing to consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n respective summary displays of collected and stored information pertaining to the online purchases made by the respective customers. Transaction summary module 46 may organize the purchase information according to different sorting schemes, at the option of the customer. For instance, purchases may be sorted chronologically or by merchant, type of item or service, cost, shipping method or shipper, etc. The type of item or service may be divided into broad categories such as food, clothing, transportation, telephone and communications, entertainment, business, etc. More specific categories may be included as well. Thus, the entertainment category may be subdivided into electronic goods, video rentals, theater tickets, sports tickets, etc. The individual customers may change from one sorting scheme to another, upon request.
Transaction summary module 46 may be coupled to a generic calculator 48 in server 12 for obtaining therefrom the total costs of various groupings of purchased goods and services. Thus, module 46 may request from calculator 48 the total amount spent on purchases made in a particular month, or the total amount spent on food during a specified period, or the total amount of shipping costs, etc. Transaction summary module 46 is coupled to display coordination unit 32 which organizes and formats the summary information from module 46 for display on the individual consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n.
As depicted in
As depicted in
As further depicted in
In the extraction and sorting of transaction and purchase order information, email tracking and sorting unit 30 must be compatible with in at least one email program, e.g., Microsoft Outlook, and have an ability to intercept and parse new incoming email in that email program. Email tracking and sorting unit 30 implements a classification algorithm that identifies whether an email is incoming from an online merchant/service provider where the customer engaged in a transaction. Email tracking and sorting unit 30 incorporates a data extraction and matching engine that can match customer orders/transaction activity to the email contents and update order statuses and other data accordingly.
If these functions of email tracking and sorting unit 30 are performed on a user computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n, the user computer communicates with server 12 to obtain order information to be used by the classification and data extraction algorithms and push order/transaction updates. On a user computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n, these functions may be performed by an email email plug-in. For instance, the plug-in identifies email originating from a merchant with whom the user placed a pending order (based on the state saved in server 12 and other heuristics). The plug-in may inform server 12 to change the state of an order from “placed” to “confirmed.” The plug-in picks up the relevant information and shipping tracking number from the email and associates it with the customer order.
Email tracking and sorting unit 30 may send email notifications to user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n informing the respective users of order status changes has changed from “confirmed” to “shipped.”
As a backup, email tracking and sorting unit 30 may check the user's email on a regular basis for order confirmation emails to capture new orders that were not captured using desktop capture. Such order may have been placed, for instance, by telephone or other route. If a new order is found, email tracking and sorting unit 30 extracts the same order information as the browser order capture. Checks by email tracking and sorting unit 30 supports all email checking protocols including POP, IMAP and HttpMail. The user has to provide the proper information such as email sign-on info as well as email server address.
A user preferably has the ability to control email plug-in settings. The user is promptly notified, using taskbar pop-ups, about actions the email plug-in is undertaking. The email intercept and data extraction features may be disabled at the user's option.
Email tracking and sorting unit 30 may additionally include email generation and transmission capabilities, carried out by a module 69. Module 69 is connected to the Internet 14 via communications interface 34 and, in response to user commands, sends emails to origination points. Unit 30 may store all received and sent emails for fast and easy communications. Consumers can choose to receive reminders and other information from merchants.
The online shopping management system described hereinabove implements an electronic shopping method wherein screen monitoring module 36 of shopping management unit 24 automatically monitors each screen displayed on a user's computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n monitor while the user navigates the World Wide Web. Purchase transaction detection module 38 automatically determines whether the user is engaged in a purchase transaction during the monitoring of each screen. Screen-scraping or data extraction module 40 automatically collects particulars of a purchase transaction upon detecting that the user is engaged in a purchase transaction and storing the particulars of the transaction in memory 42. For multiple purchases made by multiple users via respective consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n, screen-scraping module 38 stores particulars of the purchases in memory 42. The collected and stored particulars for each online purchase made via consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n may include an identification of a type of consumer or business item purchased, an identification of a seller or merchant of the consumer or business item purchased, and a purchase price. The purchase particulars stored by memory 42 may additionally include, for each online purchase made by the user, shipping fees and taxes paid.
Transaction summary module 46 provides to the user a summary display of collected and stored information pertaining to the online purchases made by the user. Module 46 organizes the displayed information according to any one of a plurality of different sorting schemes. The different sorting schemes may be by type of item purchased, by seller, and by price. The different sorting schemes may optionally include listing displayed information by shipping fees and taxes paid.
The purchase transaction summary displays on the monitors of consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n may include information pertaining to shipping status of purchased items. This information is collected, collated, and presented by shipping generation and tracking unit 26. The displayed shipping status may include shipment method and expected delivery date. The displayed status may further include information about delays and shipping problems. As indicated above, the shipping status information is typically obtained from the shipper computer 20a, 20b, . . . 20p via the Internet 14 and is sorted and organized by shipping status display module 52 for presentation to the respective users via computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n.
The summary display provided by display coordination unit 32 may include interactive options for the user. For example, as discussed above, returns shipping generation and tracking unit 28 executes return options selectable by the user in response to the display of possible options by returns execution module 56 in cooperation with display coordination unit 32. Returns status module 58 displays to the user information tracking the status of the return shipments.
To reduce shipping costs for users of the COSMOS system, online buyers may be aggregated into a singular unit or “client” group. This aggregation may also facilitate the logistics of shipping, for example, by combining shipments to or from different users where the shipments are being sent to the same or proximate locations. Pursuant to this aggregation agenda, the “shipper” is not the merchant but is instead the customer. The customer essentially sends his or her shipper to pick the merchandise up and deliver it. So, for example, a user of the shipping management system may utilize it to electronically signal a designated shipping company to pick up a purchased item at the user's home address or at the address of the merchant, and deliver it to the user's address or the merchant's address, and the system will electronically submit to the shipping company a unique billing number assigned to the user so that the user becomes responsible for managing the shipment and return of his purchase and is responsible for paying the cost of such shipment which will be automatically billed by the system to his credit card.
The comprehensive online shopping management method performed by server computer 12 is performed while the user surfs the Web, making purchases at the Web sites of different merchants. Typically, at least some of the online purchases are made by the user after conducting a Web search using a search engine.
Server computer 12 may perform the additional service of providing credit card alerts to users. Alerts pertain to the charging or crediting of the users' credit or debit cards. Thus, where user returns a purchased item to a merchant, the system will track the return of such item and alert the user's credit card provider that a credit is due from the merchant. The system will then inform the user when such credit is received.
Credit card data is incorporated when charges are made, and when credits are received for returns. Normally, one does not know when he or she receives a credit for a return and has to wait and see the next month's credit card statement. The COSMOS system may alert users by retailer exactly when credit is received.
A shopping services provider, that is, a company carrying out the purchase tracking methodology described hereinabove, communicates with customers via the Internet 14 and assists customers in recording and organizing information pertaining to purchases made by the customers over the Internet from a plurality of different merchants via a plurality of different websites. In addition, that company may extend to the customers one or more and preferably three of more of the following: (i) providing credit card alerts to the customers via Internet 14, (ii) tracking merchandise shipments, (iii) providing insurance against incomplete merchandise receipt, (iv) providing an extended return period, providing a guaranteed return period, (v) providing an extended warranty period, (vi) providing a guaranteed warranty period, (vii) providing insurance on returned merchandise, (viii) providing frequent buyer points, (ix) providing gift cards, and (x) providing an alternative dispute resolution procedure. Users are aggregated into a single cohesive “client” or “group” so that the users become an entity whereby each user can organize, control, manage, and pay for, his own individual shipping and return functions as they relate to items purchased and recorded on the system.
Additional services extended to customers in an on-line shopping management system pursuant to the present invention may include shipment holding features, for example, holding users' purchases while the users are on vacation. Another service is to provide, to selected merchants, additional shipping methods such as local store pick-ups. A selectable setting may enable or require shopping management unit 24 of server computer 12 to automatically email user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n when there is a change of a previously identified nature detected in the status of the respective user's purchases. For example, a shipping status message may be automatically dispatched when an order previously placed by a user arrives at a pick-up location.
It is to be noted that the system and methodology described hereinabove may be carried out in different ways. Pursuant to one scenario, consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n download software which tracks the respective users' online purchasing behavior and then sends data back to COSMOS server 12 for translation onto the consumers' Web pages on the COSMOS system. Alternatively, consumers essentially go shopping “through” the COSMOS system when they hit the shopping buttons on their ISP providers such as Yahoo! and aol. In that case, there is an imbedded link to COSMOS system at that level. The system becomes activated when the user is directed to “shop” through the system's computers 12, so that whenever the user goes on the World Wide Web he invisibly takes along with him the system's tracking and recording devices.
Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various functions of the COSMOS system may be performed on consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n and other functions performed on server computer 12. Thus, various components of server computer 12 illustrated in
Where users' personal information (names, addresses, credit or debit card numbers, purchases, email, etc.) are stored in some form in memory 42 of a server computer 14, access to the consumers' COSMOS pages, sorted by retailer, is obtained only after entry of a PIN or other code, and a password. Thus, the user is assisted in enjoying the shopping experience without annoying intrusions.
The online shopping management system can be used to track requests for catalogs, samples, swatches, and other product information by vendor. Thus, any transactions made over the Web may be tracked and summarized for display. As indicated elsewhere herein, the COSMOS system can equally apply to services purchased online.
The online shopping management system described hereinabove is equally applicable to businesses as well as individuals. Any “person” who orders items or services over the internet for free or for payment can use the system and manage their activity through the system. Thus, the word “user” is used herein to designate artificial or legal entities, as well as natural persons.
Many of COSMOS functions operate independently of the seller or provider of the items or services. In most cases the data is collected with the consent of the shopper, not the shipper or provider.
With respect to the shipping and return functions performed by the computer modules shown in
The shopping management or desktop user software on user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n may run in an offline mode and synchronize data and request order changes on connection (in the way the Outlook mail program works in an offline mode).
In order to implement protection against credit card fraud, the shopping management or desktop user interface software on user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n is configured to cooperate with shopping management unit 24 and credit card/bank tracking and sorting unit 33 to utilize one time credit card numbers for discrete purchases over limited periods of time and/or with limited numbers or merchants.
The COSMOS server 12 can interface to any search engine and help, complete, perfect, control, and manage the output of the search which leads to an online transaction. The COSMOS server 12 may enable a user to access and manage their on-line shopping not only from home computers but from any computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n connected to the Internet 14. Users are thus able to see orders captured by COSMOS, view the status of the orders, change settings and request changes and services the same way the users can do that from their COSMOS desktop control panels.
It is to be noted that the COSMOS system described herein may also track other kinds of financial transactions other than purchases of goods and services. For instance, where an individual user engages in charitable contributions, the COSMOS system may track the amounts and dates of the donations, as well the charities and other not-for-profit organizations that receive the funds. The charities may be organization by kind and amount donated, etc.
Even if no money exchanges hands, the COSMOS system may be used to track amounts or numbers and kinds of goods and services which are being transferred. This functionality can be useful in consignment arrangements as well as in the provision of sample goods and services.
The COSMOS on-line shopping management system may additionally include ancillary on-line services such as instant messaging, whereby users can share their positive and negative shopping experiences with friends and family.
Many of the functions performed by server computer 12 may be performed in whole or in part by browser and email plug-ins and/or by shopping management or desktop user interface software on user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n. Thus, the various data collection and sorting functions may be performed centrally or locally or in a portioned load distributed among one or more server computers 12 and user computers16a, 16b, . . . 16n. Where shopping management operations are carried at least in part by user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n, the functional blocks depicted in
As indicated above, the shopping management system of
In addition, the shopping management system of
As illustrated in
Database 72 is accessed via an advertising management server 76 either via the Internet 14 or directly via a dedicated data bus 78. Server 76 is also connected via the Internet 14 or a dedicated bus 80 to an advertisement database 82. In response to requests arriving from search engine servers 84 and other Web page servers 86 over the Internet 14, advertising management server 76 accesses database 72 to determine the buying habits, interests, etc, of individual consumers (corresponding to respective user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n) and selects from advertisement database 82 online advertisements that conform to the buying habits, interests, etc., of the individual consumers. The advertisements are transmitted to the requesting search engine servers 84 and other Web page servers 86 for relay to respective consumer computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n for display on the consumer computers' monitors together with search results or Web pages for viewing by the consumers.
In accordance with consumer purchasing behavior stored in database 72, advertising management server 76 may also provide recommendations as to rewards and free gifts to be offered to the users of user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n. Database 72 enables advertising management server 76 to select rewards and gifts in the same way that the server selects advertisements, that is, by comparing the purchase behavior of individual users with the collective purchase behavior of other users. Where there is a sufficient degree of overlap between the purchasing behavior of an individual online shopping entity and the purchasing behavior of a group of other online shopping entitites, purchases made by the group may be used to predict potential purchasing interests of the individual.
Shopping management server 12 and advertising management server 76 may be implemented by separate computers. Alternatively, as indicated by phantom box 88, servers 12 and 76 may be implemented by a single computer, with databases 72 and 82 being segregated parts of a common memory connected to the single computer.
Advertising management server 76 may be connected to advertiser computers 90a, 90b . . . via the Internet 14, for obtaining advertisements (graphics, copy, sound bites, etc) for inclusion in database 82. Alternatively or additionally, the advertisement contents of database 82 may be input directly via input peripherals (not shown) connected to server 76.
Search engine server computer 84 is connected to the Internet 14 in part for maintaining a portal thereon. Server 84 is programmed to (1) conduct searches for information via the Internet in response to search requests or queries from user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n, (2) transmit, to the user computers, results of respective searches conducted via the Internet, and (3) transmit, to the user computers, advertisements selected from advertisement database 82 by advertising management server 76 in accordance with buying habits of individual users as codified in purchasing behavior database 72. The advertisements are transmitted to user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n together with the search results for simultaneous display with the search results on user computer monitors. The advertisements are selected in accordance with buying habits of individual users, independently of search queries and independently of the results of the searches.
In a modified online advertising system, screen scraping or data extraction module 40 communicates with advertising management server 76 for receiving therefrom advertisements and other consumer oriented information for display on monitors of user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n. Screen scraping or data extraction module 40 may be configured to alert advertising management server 76 as to when user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n are engaged in product searching and/or purchasing activities, so that advertising management server 76 may provide the user computers with ancillary consumer data such as (a) the relative popularities of different online merchants with respect to the sales of particular consumer products or services, (b) the relative popularities of different brands, (c) the relative popularities of different styles or colors of a particular kind of consumer product, or (d) other products in which the individual online shoppers may be interested.
The system of
The computer or user identification information may be placed in computer memory (typically on a disk drive) by the same browser plug-in that monitors online purchases and extracts data relevant thereto for transmission to purchasing behavior database 72. The identity information may include a designation peculiar to the user computer, but may additionally include one or more user names and addresses extracted by the browser plug-in software during online purchase activity.
As further illustrated in
In the modified online advertising system, advertising management server 76 may itself incorporate user computer identification module 90 and advertising insert module 96 (
As additionally illustrated in
Search results modification module 98 may be implemented by generic digital processing circuits as modified by programming to identify product searches and to retrieve merchant sales statistics. Search results modification module 98 is connected to search engine module 94 in part for adding, to search results, information pertaining to merchant activity at least with respect to consumer goods identified in search requests. Search results modification module 98 and search engine module 94 may present the merchant sales activity information in any form. For instance, an indication may be made next to each merchant listed in a search results page as to the amount of sales activity experienced by that merchant with respect to the respective product or consumer item. Alternatively, a separate search list may be provided, for instance, in a column at the margin of the user's computer screen, where online merchants are arranged in an order of decreasing sales volume for the searched item. This statistical listing of merchant popularity may be supplemented by a statistical listing of merchant reliability, for instance, a separate listing of merchants in an order of increasing (or decreasing) number of product returns or proportions of purchased products that are returned.
In an alternative method for presenting merchant popularity and reliability statistics to the operators of user computers 16a, 16, b, . . . 16n, advertising management server 76 may itself incorporate program-modified circuitry for presenting to the operators of computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n the merchant statistics. The merchant popularity and optional reliability lists may be provided on “message toast” windows or screen inserts displayed on the user computer monitors during the display of search results on consumer items or merchants. Such information on merchants may alternatively or additionally be displayed in pop-up or “message toast” windows or inserts when a user computer 16a, 16b, . . . 16n is on a merchant Web site, for example, looking at particular products of types of products. The pop-up window or message toast may display not only statistics regarding the particular merchant, but may present the popularities and reliabilities of other merchants for comparison. In addition, advertising management server 76 may provide the online users and potential shoppers with statistics as to related products, for instance, the popularities of different colors or styles of the product on the user's computer screen, or the popularities of different but related products. In this modified system, the selection and transmission of merchant and product popularity and reliability data by advertising management server 76 to user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n is triggered by signals from the user computers to advertising management server 76 indicating that the user computers are online and conducting a search or on a merchant Web site looking at consumer products.
As depicted in
In an alternative advertising system described above, advertisement selection module 104 forwards selected advertisements directly to respective user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n for simultaneous display with Web pages displaying virtually any other kinds of information. As indicated above, the advertisements are unrelated to the primary content displayed on the monitors of user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n. To select advertisements from database 82, a particular user's purchasing habits are compared with the purchasing habits of other online shoppers as codified in database 72. Where there is overlap, the future consumer interests of the particular user are predicted from the online purchasing behavior of the mass of online shoppers who have purchased goods similar in part to goods purchased by the particular user. Thus, it may be that a user who has purchased golf equipment online may also have an interest in purchasing asset management software. Another user who has purchased jet skis online might also have an interest in after-market automobile accessories. As further depicted in
In providing search results to user computers 12a, 12b, . . . 12c or to other user computers not served by shopping management server 12 and its associated functionality, search engine computer 84 transmits, for at least some individual types of products searched, information pertaining to sellers of the individual types of products. The information pertaining to sellers of the individual types of products typically includes sales volume of different sellers (popularity data), either explicitly or implicitly via a classification scheme (e.g., four stars for high sales volume, one or no stars for low or insignificant sales volume, pertaining to a particular product category such as athletic shoes or, more specifically, Nike™ running shoes).
As shown in
Advertising management server 76 may access database 72 in part for purposes of organizing, collating, condensing, and ordering the information contained therein both respect to individual consumers and individual online retailers and merchandisers. To that end, advertising management server 76 reads through information on purchases made through a common computer 16a, 16b, . . . or 16n to determine the most frequently purchased kinds of consumer items. Advertising management server 76 may collate, categorize and condense consumer purchase information in database 72 in conjunction with categories of advertisements as stored in database 82. Of course, at least some of this organizing, collating, categorizing, and condensing, of consumer purchase history information may be effectuated upstream of database 72, for instance, by shopping management software placed on user computers 12a, 12b, . . . 12n, alone or in cooperation with programming on server computer 12.
Data may be organized and stored in database 72 pursuant to different classification levels. Thus, consumer purchasing behavior may be organized by product categories first in broad fields such as transportation, information technology, domestic goods, entertainment, health, etc. Each broad class is then repeatedly subdivided until one reaches the level of specific goods, such as Adidas running shoes. Accordingly, the field of entertainment may be subdivided into vacations/trips, games, vehicles, performing arts, books, music, sports equipment, sports clothing, etc. Sports equipment is subdivided by specific sports such as football, baseball, downhill snowboarding, mountain bicycling, canoeing, etc. Each sport is subdivided by the types of equipment peculiar to that sport. Thus, baseball equipment includes outfield gloves, catcher mitts, first baseman gloves, bats, balls, helmets, catcher masks, etc. Baseball uniforms and caps as well as shoes may be located in a clothing category. Finally, you have the equipment divided by brands.
It is to be noted that the examples provided herein as to use of accumulated consumer purchase data are merely illustrative. There are myriad ways that consumer purchase data can be organized and statistically analyzed, not merely by merchant or product classification. One may organize by affinity to a type of offering, or by consumer demographics or psychographic parameters. Database 72 preferably has multiple layers of data sets.
The product purchases made via user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n may be collated and organized by the various product categories. Thus, a particular user may have an online purchasing history with concentrations of purchases in water skiing equipment and home barbecue accessories. A comparison with data on the purchasing behavior of other online shoppers who also purchase water skiing equipment and home barbecue accessories may reveal, for example, that such shoppers are also inclined to purchase vacations to Rio de Janeiro. Accordingly, when the particular user is online, modeled advertisements directed to that user might be directed to vacation packages to Rio de Janeiro, as well as to swimming suits and specialty cookware.
Shopping management server 12 and advertising management server 76 may be implemented by the same computer or computers as search engine server 84. Alternatively, as indicated above, these servers 12, 76, 84 may be realized as individual and distinct computers communicating withy each other either via dedicated buses or via the Internet 14.
Server 86 may be any computer connected to a computer network such as the Internet for maintaining an electronic site or page accessible via the computer network. As discussed above with reference to
As noted hereinabove, advertising management server 76 selects advertisements from database 82 in accordance with consumer purchase history data in database 72. Database 72 is accessed pursuant to computer identification information from user computer identification module 94 of server 84 or 86. The advertisements are selected independently of search results determined by search engine server 84 and independently of Web page content distributed by server 86. The advertisements are transmitted to the user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n together with the search results from search engine server 84 or together with the site or page from server 86, for simultaneous display therewith.
In an alternative system described above, advertisement selection module 104 may transmit advertisements directly to user computers 16a, 16b, . . . 16n for display simultaneously with search results from search engine server 84 or Web site or pages from server 86.
The collecting of data pertaining to consumer purchase behavior May the implemented by email reading software resident on the user computer or, alternatively, on a server computer of an Internet service provider. The email reading software detects whether a particular email concerns a purchase transation and if so extracts the purchase information from the email. The software may correlate information among several pieces of email correspondence to obtain all the information necessary to properly characterize the purchase transaction. The email reading software automatically determines whether an email evidences online purchase activity by a user and, upon detecting from the user's email that the user has entered into an online transaction, extracts particulars of the transaction from email to or from the user. Typically, email confirmation from merchants contains useful purchase transaction information. The extracted particulars of the purchase transaction are transmitted to a database of consumer purchasing behavior, as described hereinabove. An identity of an online shopping entity associated with the user computer is automatically established for reference in future online activity performed by the online shopping entity.
Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/794,430 filed Apr. 24, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/801,162 filed May 17, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/851,433 filed Oct. 13, 2006.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60794430 | Apr 2006 | US | |
| 60801162 | May 2006 | US | |
| 60851433 | Oct 2006 | US |
