| United States Patent |
5,960,411
|
|
Hartman
, et al.
|
September 28, 1999
|
Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications
network
Abstract
A method and system for placing an order to purchase an item via the
Internet. The order is placed by a purchaser at a client system and
received by a server system. The server system receives purchaser
information including identification of the purchaser, payment
information, and shipment information from the client system. The server
system then assigns a client identifier to the client system and
associates the assigned client identifier with the received purchaser
information. The server system sends to the client system the assigned
client identifier and an HTML document identifying the item and including
an order button. The client system receives and stores the assigned client
identifier and receives and displays the HTML document. In response to the
selection of the order button, the client system sends to the server
system a request to purchase the identified item. The server system
receives the request and combines the purchaser information associated
with the client identifier of the client system to generate an order to
purchase the item in accordance with the billing and shipment information
whereby the purchaser effects the ordering of the product by selection of
the order button.
RMS Note: Translated into ordinary language, this means they ask you for
some information about you, record it, and send your browser a cookie
containing a customer number to identify you.
Then, every time you click on a page from the same server, the browser
sends back the cookie that it previously got from the same server.
(That is not Amazon's idea; that is what browsers always do with
cookies.) This gives the server your customer number. It uses your
customer number to find your customer information.
| Inventors:
|
Hartman; Peri (Seattle, WA);
Bezos; Jeffrey P. (Seattle, WA);
Kaphan; Shel (Seattle, WA);
Spiegel; Joel (Seattle, WA)
|
| Assignee:
|
Amazon.com, Inc. (Seattle, WA)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
928951 |
| Filed:
|
September 12, 1997 |
| U.S. Class: |
705/26; 705/27; 345/962 |
| Intern'l Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
| Field of Search: |
705/26,27
380/24,25
235/2,375,378,381
395/188.01
345/962
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4937863 | Jun., 1990 | Robert et al. | 380/4.
|
| 5204897 | Apr., 1993 | Wyman | 380/4.
|
| 5260999 | Nov., 1993 | Wyman | 384/4.
|
| 5627940 | May., 1997 | Rohra et al. | 395/12.
|
| 5640501 | Jun., 1997 | Turpin | 395/768.
|
| 5640577 | Jun., 1997 | Scharmer | 395/768.
|
| 5664111 | Sep., 1997 | Nahan et al. | 705/27.
|
| 5715314 | Feb., 1998 | Payne et al. | 380/24.
|
| 5715399 | Feb., 1998 | Bezos | 705/27.
|
| 5727163 | Mar., 1998 | Bezos | 705/27.
|
| 5745681 | Apr., 1998 | Levine et al. | 395/200.
|
| 5758126 | May., 1998 | Daniels et al. | 395/500.
|
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0855687 A2 | Jan., 1998 | EP | .
|
| 0855659 A1 | Jan., 1998 | EP | .
|
| 0845747A2 | Jun., 1998 | EP | .
|
| 0883076A2 | Dec., 1998 | EP | .
|
| WO 95/30961 | Nov., 1995 | WO | .
|
| WO 96/38799 | Dec., 1996 | WO | .
|
| WO 98/21679 | May., 1998 | WO | .
|
Other References
Jones, Chris. "Java Shopping Cart and Java Wallet; Oracles plans to join
e-commerce initiative." Mar. 31, 1997, InfoWorld Media Group.
"Pacific Coast Software Software creates virtual shopping cart." Sep. 6,
1996. M2 Communications Ltd 1996.
"Software Creates Virtual Shopping Cart." Sep. 5, 1996. Business Wire, Inc.
Terdoslavich, William. "Java Electronic Commerce Framework." Computer
Reseller News, Sep. 23, 1996, CMP Media, Inc., 1996, pp. 126,
http://www.elibrary.com/id/101/101/getdoc . . .
[email protected] d&dtype=0.about.0&dinst=. �Accessed Nov. 19,
1998!.
"Internet Access: Disc Distributing Announces Interactive World Wide."
Cambridge Work-Group Computing Report, Cambridge Publishing, Inc., 1995,
http://www.elibrary.com/id/101/101/getdoc . . .
[email protected] a&dtype=0.about.0&dinst=0. �Accessed Nov. 19,
1998!.
Nance, Barry, "Reviews: A Grand Opening for Virtual Storefront With
Middleware." Jun. 1, 1997, CMP Media, Inc. 1997, p. 80,
http://www.elibrary.com/getdoc.egi?id=117 . . .
[email protected] a&dtype=0.about.0&dinst=0. �Accessed Nov. 19,
1998!.
"Go-Cart Shopping Cart Software Features." 1996 GO International, Inc.
http://www.go-cart.com/features.html. �Accessed Nov. 19, 1998!.
"PerlShop Manual (version 2.2)." 1996, ARPAnct Corp.
http://www.w3u.com/grokksoft/shop/perlman.html. �Accessed Nov. 19, 1998!.
"Sax Software Announces Sax NetSell; Sax NetSell's design-time ActiveX
controls make Internet commerce easy."1997, Sax Software Corp.
Baron, Chris and Bob Weil, "Implementing a Web Shopping Cart," Dr. Dobb's
Journal, Sep. 1996, pp. 64, 66, 68-69, and 83-85.
Hoque, Reaz, "A Shopping Cart Application with JavaScript," Web Techniques,
May 1998, pp. 63, 65-66, and 68.
|
Primary Examiner: Trammell; James P.
Assistant Examiner: Smith; Demetra R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Perkins Coie LLP
Claims
1. A method of placing an order for an item comprising:
under control of a client system,
displaying information identifying the item; and
in response to only a single action being performed, sending a request to
order the item along with an identifier of a purchaser of the item to a
server system;
under control of a single-action ordering component of the server system,
receiving the request;
retrieving additional information previously stored for the purchaser
identified by the identifier in the received request; and
generating an order to purchase the requested item for the purchaser
identified by the identifier in the received request using the retrieved
additional information; and
fulfilling the generated order to complete purchase of the item
whereby the item is ordered without using a shopping cart ordering model.
RMS Note: Note that this list of elements includes a several things that any
E-commerce web site must do. The result is a long list of elements,
only a few of which have to do with one-click purchasing.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying of information includes
displaying information indicating the single action.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the single action is clicking a button.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the single action is speaking of a sound.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein a user of the client system does not need
to explicitly identify themselves when placing an order.
6. A client system for ordering an item comprising:
an identifier that identifies a customer;
a display component for displaying information identifying the item;
a single-action ordering component that in response to performance of only
a single action, sends a request to a server system to order the
identified item, the request including the identifier so that the server
system can locate additional information needed to complete the order and
so that the server system can fulfill the generated order to complete
purchase of the item; and
a shopping cart ordering component that in response to performance of an
add-to-shopping-cart action, sends a request to the server system to add
the item to a shopping cart.
7. The client system of claim 6 wherein the display component is a browser.
8. The client system of claim 6 wherein the predefined action is the
clicking of a mouse button.
9. A server system for generating an order comprising:
a shopping cart ordering component; and
a single-action ordering component including:
a data storage medium storing information for a plurality of users;
a receiving component for receiving requests to order an item, a request
including an indication of one of the plurality of users, the request
being sent in response to only a single action being performed; and
an order placement component that retrieves from the data storage medium
information for the indicated user and that uses the retrieved information
to place an order for the indicated user for the item; and
an order fulfillment component that completes a purchase of the item in
accordance with the order placed by the single-action ordering component.
10. The server system of claim 9 wherein the request is sent by a client
system in response to a single action being performed.
11. A method for ordering an item using a client system, the method
comprising:
displaying information identifying the item and displaying an indication of
a single action that is to be performed to order the identified item; and
in response to only the indicated single action being performed, sending to
a server system a request to order the identified item
whereby the item is ordered independently of a shopping cart model and the
order is fulfilled to complete a purchase of the item.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the server system uses an identifier
sent along with the request to identify additional information needed to
generate an order for the item.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the identifier identifies the client
system and the server system provides the identifier to the client system.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the client system and server system
communicate via the Internet.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the displaying includes displaying an
HTML document provided by the server system.
16. The method of claim 11 including sending from the server system to the
client system a confirmation that the order was generated.
17. The method of claim 11 wherein the single action is clicking a mouse
button when a cursor is positioned over a predefined area of the displayed
information.
18. The method of claim 11 wherein the single action is a sound generated
by a user.
19. The method of claim 11 wherein the single action is selection using a
television remote control.
20. The method of claim 11 wherein the single action is depressing of a key
on a key pad.
21. The method of claim 11 wherein the single action is selecting using a
pointing device.
22. The method of claim 11 wherein the single action is selection of a
displayed indication.
23. The method of claim 11 wherein the displaying includes displaying
partial information supplied by the server system as to the identity of a
user of the client system.
24. The method of claim 11 wherein the displaying includes displaying
partial shipping information supplied by the server system.
25. The method of claim 11 wherein the displaying includes displaying
partial payment information supplied by the server system.
26. The method of claim 11 wherein the displaying includes displaying a
moniker identifying a shipping address for the customer.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a computer method and system for placing
an order and, more particularly, to a method and system for ordering items
over the Internet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks
that are interconnected through communication links. The interconnected
computers exchange information using various services, such as electronic
mail, Gopher, and the World Wide Web ("WWW"). The WWW service allows a
server computer system (i.e., Web server or Web site) to send graphical
Web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The remote
client computer system can then display the Web pages. Each resource
(e.g., computer or Web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by a
Uniform Resource Locator ("URL"). To view a specific Web page, a client
computer system specifies the URL for that Web page in a request (e.g., a
HyperText Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") request). The request is forwarded to
the Web server that supports that Web page. When that Web server receives
the request, it sends that Web page to the client computer system. When
the client computer system receives that Web page, it typically displays
the Web page using a browser. A browser is a special-purpose application
program that effects the requesting of Web pages and the displaying of Web
pages.
Currently, Web pages are typically defined using HyperText Markup Language
("HTML"). HTML provides a standard set of tags that define how a Web page
is to be displayed. When a user indicates to the browser to display a Web
page, the browser sends a request to the server computer system to
transfer to the client computer system an HTML document that defines the
Web page. When the requested HTML document is received by the client
computer system, the browser displays the Web page as defined by the HTML
document. The HTML document contains various tags that control the
displaying of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML
document may contain URLs of other Web pages available on that server
computer system or other server computer systems.
The World Wide Web is especially conducive to conducting electronic
commerce. Many Web servers have been developed through which vendors can
advertise and sell product. The products can include items (e.g., music)
that are delivered electronically to the purchaser over the Internet and
items (e.g., books) that are delivered through conventional distribution
channels (e.g., a common carrier). A server computer system may provide an
electronic version of a catalog that lists the items that are available. A
user, who is a potential purchaser, may browse through the catalog using a
browser and select various items that are to be purchased. When the user
has completed selecting the items to be purchased, the server computer
system then prompts the user for information to complete the ordering of
the items. This purchaser-specific order information may include the
purchaser's name, the purchaser's credit card number, and a shipping
address for the order. The server computer system then typically confirms
the order by sending a confirming Web page to the client computer system
and schedules shipment of the items.
Since the purchaser-specific order information contains sensitive
information (e.g., a credit card number), both vendors and purchasers want
to ensure the security of such information. Security is a concern because
information transmitted over the Internet may pass through various
intermediate computer systems on its way to its final destination. The
information could be intercepted by an unscrupulous person at an
intermediate system. To help ensure the security of the sensitive
information, various encryption techniques are used when transmitting such
information between a client computer system and a server computer system.
Even though such encrypted information can be intercepted, because the
information is encrypted, it is generally useless to the interceptor.
Nevertheless, there is always a possibility that such sensitive
information may be successfully decrypted by the interceptor. Therefore,
it would be desirable to minimize the sensitive information transmitted
when placing an order.
The selection of the various items from the electronic catalogs is
generally based on the "shopping cart" model. When the purchaser selects
an item from the electronic catalog, the server computer system
metaphorically adds that item to a shopping cart. When the purchaser is
done selecting items, then all the items in the shopping cart are "checked
out" (i.e., ordered) when the purchaser provides billing and shipment
information. In some models, when a purchaser selects any one item, then
that item is "checked out" by automatically prompting the user for the
billing and shipment information. Although the shopping cart model is very
flexible and intuitive, it has a downside in that it requires many
interactions by the purchaser. For example, the purchaser selects the
various items from the electronic catalog, and then indicates that the
selection is complete. The purchaser is then presented with an order Web
page that prompts the purchaser for the purchaser-specific order
information to complete the order. That Web page may be prefilled with
information that was provided by the purchaser when placing another order.
The information is then validated by the server computer system, and the
order is completed. Such an ordering model can be problematic for a couple
of reasons. If a purchaser is ordering only one item, then the overhead of
confirming the various steps of the ordering process and waiting for,
viewing, and updating the purchaser-specific order information can be much
more than the overhead of selecting the item itself. This overhead makes
the purchase of a single item cumbersome. Also, with such an ordering
model, each time an order is placed sensitive information is transmitted
over the Internet. Each time the sensitive information is transmitted over
the Internet, it is susceptible to being intercepted and decrypted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system for
ordering an item from a client system. The client system is provided with
an identifier that identifies a customer. The client system displays
information that identifies the item and displays an indication of an
action (e.g., a single action such as clicking a mouse button) that a
purchaser is to perform to order the identified item. In response to the
indicated action being performed, the client system sends to a server
system the provided identifier and a request to order the identified item.
The server system uses the identifier to identify additional information
needed to generate an order for the item and then generates the order.
The server system receives and stores the additional information for
customers using various computer systems so that the server system can
generate such orders. The server system stores the received additional
information in association with an identifier of the customer and provides
the identifier to the client system. When requested by the client system,
the server system provides information describing the item to the
requesting client system. When the server system receives a request from a
client system, the server system combines the additional information
stored in association with the identifier included in the request to
effect the ordering of the item.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate single-action ordering in one embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a routine that enables single-action ordering
for a customer.
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a routine to generate a Web page in which
single-action ordering is enabled.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a routine which processes a single-action
order.
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a routine for generating a single-action order
summary Web page.
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a routine that implements an expedited order
selection algorithm.
FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate a hierarchical data entry mechanism in one
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and system for single-action
ordering of items in a client/server environment. The single-action
ordering system of the present invention reduces the number of purchaser
interactions needed to place an order and reduces the amount of sensitive
information that is transmitted between a client system and a server
system. In one embodiment, the server system assigns a unique client
identifier to each client system. The server system also stores
purchaser-specific order information for various potential purchasers. The
purchaser-specific order information may have been collected from a
previous order placed by the purchaser. The server system maps each client
identifier to a purchaser that may use that client system to place an
order. The server system may map the client identifiers to the purchaser
who last placed an order using that client system. When a purchaser wants
to place an order, the purchaser uses a client system to send the request
for information describing the item to be ordered along with its client
identifier. The server system determines whether the client identifier for
that client system is mapped to a purchaser. If so mapped, the server
system determines whether single-action ordering is enabled for that
purchaser at that client system. If enabled, the server system sends the
requested information (e.g., via a Web page) to the client computer system
along with an indication of the single action to perform to place the
order for the item. When single-action ordering is enabled, the purchaser
need only perform a single action (e.g., click a mouse button) to order
the item. When the purchaser performs that single action, the client
system notifies the server system. The server system then completes the
order by adding the purchaser-specific order information for the purchaser
that is mapped to that client identifier to the item order information
(e.g., product identifier and quantity). Thus, once the description of an
item is displayed, the purchaser need only take a single action to place
the order to purchase that item. Also, since the client identifier
identifies purchaser-specific order information already stored at the
server system, there is no need for such sensitive information to be
transmitted via the Internet or other communications medium.
FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate single-action ordering in one embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 1A illustrates the display of a Web page
describing an item that may be ordered. This example Web page was sent
from the server system to the client system when the purchaser requested
to review detailed information about the item. This example Web page
contains a summary description section 101, a shopping cart section 102, a
single-action ordering section 103, and a detailed description section
104. One skilled in the art would appreciate that these various sections
can be omitted or rearranged or adapted in various ways. In general, the
purchaser need only be aware of the item or items to be ordered by the
single action and of the single action needed to place the order. The
summary description and the detailed description sections provide
information that identifies and describes the item(s) that may be ordered.
The shopping cart section provides the conventional capability to add the
described item to a shopping cart. The server system adds the summary
description, the detailed description, and the shopping cart sections to
each Web page for an item that may be ordered. The server system, however,
only adds the single-action ordering section when single-action ordering
is enabled for that purchaser at that client system. (One skilled in the
art would appreciate that a single Web page on the server system may
contain all these sections but the single-action ordering section can be
selectively included or excluded before sending the Web page to the client
system.) This example single-action ordering section allows the purchaser
to specify with a single click of a mouse button to order the described
item. Once the purchaser clicks the mouse button, the item is ordered,
unless the purchaser then takes some action to modify the order. The
single-action ordering section contains a single-action ordering button
103a, purchaser identification subsection 103b, and single-action ordering
information subsections 103c and 103d. The purchaser information
subsection displays enough information so that the purchaser can verify
that the server system correctly recognizes the purchaser. To reduce the
chances of sensitive information being intercepted, the server system
sends only enough information so that the purchaser is confident that the
server system correctly identified the purchaser but yet not enough
information to be useful to an unscrupulous interceptor. The additional
information subsections allow the purchaser to obtain various settings or
obtain more information related to the single-action ordering. If the
purchaser wants to verify the shipping address, the purchaser can select
the "check shipping address" label. In response to this selection, the
server system may require the purchaser to perform a "login" so that the
identity of the purchaser can be verified before the shipping information
is viewed or modified. The server system then sends a Web page to the
client system for display and possible modification of the shipping
address. In this way, the transmitting of the sensitive shipping address
can be avoided unless requested by the verified purchaser.
When the purchaser selects the single-action ordering button, the client
system sends a message to the server system requesting that the displayed
item be ordered. After the server system processes the message, the server
system provides to the client system a new Web page that confirms receipt
of the single-action order. FIG. 1B illustrates the display of a Web page
confirming a single-action order. The confirming Web page contains
essentially the same information as the Web page describing the item
(i.e., FIG. 1A) except that an order confirmation section 105 is displayed
at the top of the Web page. The order confirmation section confirms that
the order has been placed and provides an opportunity for the purchaser to
review and change the single-action order. Alternatively, the confirming
Web page can be identical to the Web page describing the item (i.e., FIG.
1A), except that the single-action ordering button is replaced with a
message confirming the order.
If a single-action ordering is not currently enabled for the client system
but could be enabled, then the server system can generate a Web page like
FIG. 1A, except that the single-action ordering button 103a is replaced by
a single-action ordering enable button. Such a replacement button could
contain text instructing the purchaser to click on the button to enable
single-action ordering. When the purchaser clicks on that button, the
server system would send the Web page of FIG. 1A to be displayed.
Single-action ordering can be enabled whenever the server system has
stored sufficient purchaser-specific order information for that client
system to complete a single-action order. If the server system does not
have sufficient information, then when the purchaser selects the
single-action ordering button, the server system can provide a Web page to
collect the additional information that is needed. The server system may
require the purchaser to "login" so that the identity of the purchaser can
be verified before the single-action ordering is enabled.
To help minimize shipping costs and purchaser confusion, the server system
may combine various single-action orders into a multiple-item order. For
example, if a purchaser orders one item using the single-action ordering
and five minutes later orders another item using the single-action
ordering, then those orders may be cost effectively combined into a single
order for shipping. The server system combines the single-action orders
when their expected ship dates are similar. For example, if one item is
immediately available and the other item will be available in one day,
then the two single-action orders may be cost-effectively combined.
However, if the other item will not be available for two weeks, then the
two single-item orders would not be combined. FIG. 1C illustrates the
display of a Web page representing four single-action orders that have
been combined into two separate multiple-item orders based on the
availability of the items. The order information 106 indicates that item 1
and item 2, which will be available in three or fewer days, have been
combined into one order. The order information 107 indicates that items 3
and 4, which will not be available within one week, are combined into a
separate order. In one embodiment, the server system may combine
single-action orders that are placed within a certain time period (e.g.,
90 minutes). Also, the server system may combine or divide orders when the
orders are scheduled for shipment based on the then current availability
of the items ordered. This delayed modification of the orders is referred
to as "expedited order selection" and is described below in detail.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present
invention. This embodiment supports the single-action ordering over the
Internet using the World Wide Web. The server system 210 includes a server
engine 211, a client identifier/customer table 212, various Web pages 213,
a customer database 214, an order database 215, and an inventory database
216. The server engine receives HTTP requests to access Web pages
identified by URLs and provides the Web pages to the various client
systems. Such an HTTP request may indicate that the purchaser has
performed the single action to effect single-action ordering. The customer
database contains customer information for various purchasers or potential
purchasers. The customer information includes purchaser-specific order
information such as the name of the customer, billing information, and
shipping information. The order database 215 contains an entry for each
order that has not yet been shipped to a purchaser. The inventory database
216 contains a description of the various items that may be ordered. The
client identifier/customer table 212 contains a mapping from each client
identifier, which is a globally unique identifier that uniquely identifies
a client system, to the customer last associated with that client system.
The client system 220 contains a browser and its assigned client
identifier. The client identifier is stored in a file, referred to as a
"cookie." In one embodiment, the server system assigns and sends the
client identifier to the client system once when the client system first
interacts with the server system. From then on, the client system includes
its client identifier with all messages sent to the server system so that
the server system can identify the source of the message. The server and
client systems interact by exchanging information via communications link
230, which may include transmission over the Internet.
One skilled in the art would appreciate that the single-action ordering
techniques can be used in various environments other than the Internet.
For example, single-action ordering can also be in an electronic mail
environment in which an item is described in an electronic mail message
along with an indication of the single action that is to be performed to
effect the ordering of the item. Also, various communication channels may
be used such as local area network, wide area network, or point-to-point
dial up connection. Also, a server system may comprise any combination of
hardware or software that can generate orders in response to the single
action being performed. A client system may comprise any combination of
hardware or software that can interact with the server system. These
systems may include television-based systems or various other consumer
products through which orders may be placed.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a routine that enables single-action ordering
for a customer. To enable single-action ordering, a server system needs to
have information about the customer that is equivalent to the
purchaser-specific order information. The server system can obtain this
information in various ways. First, the server system could ask the
customer if they would like to have single-action ordering enabled. If so,
then the server system could prompt the customer using a Web page for the
purchaser-specific order information. Second, the server system could also
save the purchaser-specific order information collected when an order is
placed conventionally. The server system could, either automatically or
with the customer's assent, enable single-action ordering. In step 301,
the server system retrieves the client identifier that was sent by the
client system. In step 302, the server system updates the client
identifier/customer table to indicate that the generated client identifier
has been associated with that customer. In step 303, the server system
sets a flag indicating that single-action ordering is enabled for that
client identifier and that customer combination. That flag may be stored
in the client identifier/customer table. In step 304, the server system
supplies a confirming Web page to the client system. The next time a
purchaser attempts to order an item, the client system will supply its
client identifier to the server system. If single-action ordering is
enabled for that purchaser, the server system will assume that the
purchaser is the customer associated with that client identifier in the
client identifier/customer table. Thus, a purchaser may not want to allow
the server system to enable single-action ordering if there is a
possibility that someone else may use that same client system.
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a routine to generate a Web page in which
single-action ordering is enabled. When single-action ordering is enabled,
the server system generates a Web page describing an item as is
conventionally done and then adds a single-action ordering section. In one
embodiment, the server system adds partial purchaser-specific order
information to the section. This information may include the customer's
name, a shipping address moniker selected by the purchaser (e.g., "at
home"), and the last five digits of a credit card number or a nickname
selected by the purchaser. Such partial information should be the minimum
information sufficient to indicate to the purchaser whether or not the
server system is using the correct purchaser-specific order information.
In step 401, the server system generates a standard shopping cart-type Web
page for the item. In step 402, if the single-action ordering flag has
been set for the client identifier and customer combination, then the
server system continues at step 403, else the server system completes. In
step 403, the server system adds the single-action section to the Web page
and completes.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a routine which processes a single-action
order. When a purchaser performs the single action needed to place an
order, the client system notifies the server system. The server system
then combines the purchaser-specific order information for the customer
associated with the client system with the item order information to
complete the order. The single-action order may also be combined with
other single-action orders and possibly with other conventionally placed
orders to reduce shipping costs. In one embodiment, single-action orders
can be combined if they are placed within a certain time period of each
other (e.g., 90 minutes). This routine illustrates the combining of the
single-action orders into a short-term order (e.g., available to be
shipped in less than a week) and a long-term order (e.g., available to be
shipped in more than a week). One skilled in the art would appreciate that
the single-action orders can be combined in various ways based on other
factors, such as size of shipment and intermediate-term availability. In
step 501, if the item is expected to be shipped in the short term, then
the server system continues at step 502, else the server system continues
at step 505. In step 502, if a short-term order has already been opened
for the purchaser, then the server system continues at step 504, else the
server system continues at step 503. In step 503, the server system
creates a short-term order for the purchaser. In step 504, the server
system adds the item to the short-term order and continues at step 508. In
step 505, if a long-term order has already been opened for the purchaser,
then the server system continues at step 507, else the server system
continues at step 506. In step 506, the server system creates a long-term
order for the purchaser. In step 507, the server system adds the item to
the long-term order. In step 508, the server system generates and sends
the confirmation and completes.
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a routine for generating a single-action order
summary Web page. This Web page (e.g., FIG. 1C) gives the user the
opportunity to view and modify the short-term and long-term single-action
orders. In step 601, the server system adds the standard single-action
order information to the Web page. In step 602, if a short-term order is
open, then the server system adds the short-term order to the Web page in
step 603. In step 604, if a long-term order is open, then the server
system adds the long-term order information to the Web page in step 605
and completes.
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a routine that implements an expedited order
selection algorithm. The goal of the expedited order selection algorithm
is to minimize the number of orders sent to each destination so that
shipping costs are reduced. A destination may be a specific shipping
address plus a specific purchaser's billing details. Orders that are sent
to the same destination are known as "sibling orders." The algorithm has
two stages. In the first stage, the algorithm schedules for shipment the
orders for destinations for which all the sibling orders are filled. An
order is filled when all its items are currently in inventory (i.e.,
available) and can be shipped. For each group of sibling orders, the
algorithm combines those sibling orders into a single combined order so
that only one order is currently scheduled for shipment to each
destination. In the second stage, the algorithm combines and schedules
groups of sibling orders for which some of the sibling orders are not
filled or partially filled. The algorithm may split each partially filled
sibling order into a filled sibling order and a completely unfilled
sibling order. The algorithm then combines all the filled sibling orders
into a single combined order and schedules the combined order for
shipment. If any group has only one sibling order and that order is
partially filled, then the algorithm in one embodiment does not split that
order to avoid making an extra shipment to that destination.
During the second stage, the algorithm may select and schedule groups of
sibling orders in a sequence that is based on the next fulfillment time
for an item in the group. The next fulfillment time for a group of sibling
orders is the minimum expected fulfillment time of the items in that group
of sibling orders. For example, if a group of sibling orders has seven
items that are not yet fulfilled and their expected fulfillment times
range from 3 days to 14 days, then the next fulfillment time for that
group is 3 days. The algorithm first schedules those groups of sibling
orders with the largest next fulfillment time. For example, if 6 groups
have next fulfillment times of 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, and 14 days, respectively,
then the algorithm first selects and schedules the sibling orders in the
group with the next fulfillment time of 14 days, followed by the group
with the next fulfillment time of 11 days, and so on. By delaying the
scheduling of groups with short next fulfillment times, the algorithm
increases the chances of additional items becoming available (because of
the shortness of the next fulfillment time) and thus combined with the
scheduled order.
Steps 701-703 represent the first stage of the expedited order selection
algorithm, and steps 704-706 represent the second stage of the expedited
selection order algorithm. In steps 701-703, the algorithm loops selecting
groups in which all sibling orders are filled and combining the orders. In
step 701, the algorithm selects the next group with all sibling orders
that are filled. In step 703, if all such groups have already been
selected, then the algorithm continues with the second stage in step 704,
else the algorithm continues at step 703. In step 703, the algorithm
combines and schedules the orders in the selected group and loops to step
701. In step 704, the algorithm selects the next group of sibling orders
that has the largest next fulfillment time. In step 705, if all such
groups have already been selected, then the algorithm is done, else the
algorithm continues at step 706. In step 706, the algorithm combines and
schedules the orders in the selected group and loops to step 704. When the
expedited order selection algorithm is being performed, new orders and new
inventory may be received. Whenever such new orders and new inventory is
received, then the algorithm restarts to schedule and combine the new
orders as appropriate.
Although the algorithm has been described as having two stages, it could be
implemented in an incremental fashion where the assessment of the first
and second stages are redone after each order is scheduled. One skilled in
the art would recognize that there are other possible combinations of
these stages which still express the same essential algorithm.
FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate a hierarchical data entry mechanism in one
embodiment. When collecting information from a user, a Web page typically
consists of a long series of data entry fields that may not all fit onto
the display at the same time. Thus, a user needs to scroll through the Web
page to enter the information. When the data entry fields do not fit onto
the display at the same time, it is difficult for the user to get an
overall understanding of the type and organization of the data to be
entered. The hierarchical data entry mechanism allows a user to understand
the overall organization of the data to be entered even though the all
data entry fields would not fit onto the display at the same time. FIG. 8A
illustrates an outline format of a sample form to be filled in. The sample
form contains various sections identified by letters A, B, C, and D. When
the user selects the start button, then section A expands to include the
data entry fields for the customer name and address. FIG. 8B illustrates
the expansion of section A. Since only section A has been expanded, the
user can view the data entry fields of section A and summary information
of the other sections at the same time. The user then enters data in the
various data entry fields that are displayed. Upon completion, the user
selects either the next or previous buttons. The next button causes
section A to be collapsed and section B to be expanded so that financial
information may be entered. FIG. 8C illustrates the expansion of section
B. If the previous button is selected, then section A would collapse and
be displayed as shown in FIG. 8A. This collapsing and expanding is
repeated for each section. At any time during the data entry, if an error
is detected, then a Web page is generated with the error message in close
proximity (e.g., on the line below) to the data entry field that contains
the error. This Web page is then displayed by the client system to inform
the user of the error. In addition, each of the data "entry" fields may
not be editable until the user clicks on the data entry field or selects
an edit button associated with the data entry field. In this way, the user
is prevented from inadvertently changing the contents of an edit field.
When the user clicks on a data entry field, a new Web page is presented to
the user that allows for the editing of the data associated with the
field. When editing is complete, the edited data is displayed in the data
"entry" field. Because the fields of the form are thus not directly
editable, neither "named-submit" buttons nor Java are needed. Also, the
form is more compact because the various data entry options (e.g., radio
button) are displayed only on the new Web page when the field is to be
edited.
Although the present invention has been described in terms of various
embodiments, it is not intended that the invention be limited to these
embodiments. Modification within the spirit of the invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the server system can
map a client identifier to multiple customers who have recently used the
client system. The server system can then allow the user to identify
themselves by selecting one of the mappings based preferably on a display
of partial purchaser-specific order information. Also, various different
single actions can be used to effect the placement of an order. For
example, a voice command may be spoken by the purchaser, a key may be
depressed by the purchaser, a button on a television remote control device
may be depressed by the purchaser, or selection using any pointing device
may be effected by the purchaser. Although a single action may be preceded
by multiple physical movements of the purchaser (e.g., moving a mouse so
that a mouse pointer is over a button), the single action generally refers
to a single event received by a client system that indicates to place the
order. Finally, the purchaser can be alternately identified by a unique
customer identifier that is provided by the customer when the customer
initiates access to the server system and sent to the server system with
each message. This customer identifier could be also stored persistently
on the client system so that the purchaser does not need to re-enter their
customer identifier each time access is initiated. The scope of the
present invention is defined by the claims that follow.
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