KR20000053959A - The general shopping cart system and a reservation method for the on-line purchasing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An integrated shopping cart device and an online purchase reservation method are provided so that consumers can easily purchase the goods or services through the internet, by maintaining purchase reservation information of different web sites in an integrated shopping cart. CONSTITUTION: A user connects to a shopping mall site(40-1) through the internet(39). Purchase reservation information of the shopping mall site(40-1) is stored in a purchase reservation information storing unit, namely an integrated shopping cart. Even if the user visits another shopping mall(40-2), the integrated shopping cart contains the goods selected by the user. When the user logs out of the shopping mall, he/she can compare the goods in the integrated shopping cart. When the user intends to purchase one of the goods, if the user selects the goods in the integrated shopping cart, he/she can automatically connect to the corresponding shopping mall site(40-1,...,40-N). As a result, the user can purchase the goods which he/she has stored in the integrated shopping cart.

Description

The general shopping cart system and a reservation method for the on-line purchasing}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates generally to a shopping cart for internet e-commerce and to a method for integratedly managing purchase reservation information of a buyer by making an integrated shopping cart that can be used in all shopping malls in a method of purchasing products and services online.

The World Wide Web of the Internet is the most successful distributed application in the history of computing. In a web environment, client machines use Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to enforce purchase reservations to web servers, and HTTP files using a standard page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Are well known application protocols that provide users with access to text (eg, text, graphics, images, sound, video, etc.). HTML provides basic document formatting and allows developers to link files and files to other servers. In the Internet paradigm, a network path to a server is identified by what is called a uniform resource locator (URL) with a special syntax for defining a network connection. Using the browser on the client machine is related to the specification of the link via the URL. In response, the client makes a request to the server identified in the link and in response receives a document formatted according to HTML.

While the World Wide Web is successful, electronic shopping on the Web is still in its infancy. Several business models have been recommended. In general, it involves the creation of an information store (actually a shopping cart) that can be used to store purchase reservation information-related data as a user browses and makes purchases on Internet web sites. To that end, Sun Microsystems Laboratories has introduced the concept of Java Wallet, which is based on the Java programming language and environment and provides an open and extensible framework for processing electronic purchase booking information. Java Wallet provides a vehicle for users to organize receipts, coupons, and other electronic identification, and such information can be processed electronically (in addition to the payment system) to facilitate web commerce. It is intended to provide a means to do so. A user of Java Wallet could theoretically see all of their purchases organized in a single purchase reservation information register.

And another technique proposed to facilitate e-shopping is the Microsoft merchant client, which uses a client-supported application, although similar approaches may also be made on the server side of the network. Merchant Client). However, since no server is dominant in the Internet space, server implementations are not as viable as the client-side approach. In either case, the problem with the implementation of such approaches on a widely prevalent basis lies in the common or understood lack of specific protocols for mobility information in and from the wallet and cart structures.

Until now, such a solution supports integrated shopping carts only for shopping malls connected to a member site of a shopping mall from a purchase agent shopping search agent site. In order to use such a service, the member must register as a member of the corresponding shopping agency site. Also, a crucial problem is that when the user wants to purchase at a shopping mall that is not subscribed to, the service cannot be used. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide a mechanism to allow customers to have their own integrated virtual shopping cart, regardless of which shop or mall they visit on the web. . Customers should be able to browse at any time and at any store, and have some information that can be applied to any potential purchase held to enable subsequent purchase decisions (regardless of when the decision is made). Existing or proposed technical solutions do not provide this performance. One reckless solution to this problem is simply to open multiple instances of the browser and establish connections between the client and the multiple websites. The information collected in each session will then be pasted together in a wallet and displayed to the user for purchase decision. Such an approach is very impractical because of the enormous amount of processing resources consumed by opening and maintaining multiple browser instances. Moreover, there will be no convenient way to maintain purchase reservation information information once browser connections are closed and or to complete any purchase reservation information using such information.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an application that allows a user a client machine with a browser to maintain an integrated shopping cart in which transaction session information can be compiled.

Another object of the present invention is to enable a web browser to browse a web virtual store at any time and select an item (eg a product or service) for subsequent purchases, even after a particular transaction session is no longer active. will be.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a client-side with an integrated shopping cart associated with and enacted by a user to facilitate web commerce.

Another important object of the present invention is to maintain transaction information in a consolidated shopping cart that goes through a plurality of independent transaction sessions across heterogeneous web sites.

Another important object of the present invention is to facilitate the purchase of goods and services over the Internet.

A more general object of the present invention is to provide an integrated shopping cart for web customers to collect information about various products and services and to make purchasing decisions based on the collected information.

Another object of the present invention is to allow a user to withhold a purchase decision until a user can compare and analyze purchase information of several shopping malls. This mechanism allows users to make comparative shopping across Web sites before making a decision about which product to buy.

1 is a system configuration according to the present invention

2 is a software configuration according to the present invention

Figure 3 is an interface diagram of the integrated shopping cart plug-in of the present invention

4 is a flowchart of an online purchase reservation method according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart of an integrated shopping cart plug-in according to the present invention.

6 is a screen example of an integrated shopping cart dedicated window according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

10: Client

11: web browser

12: Integrated Shopping Cart Plug-in Module or ActiveX Control

13: Internet

14: server

15: Server OS

16: Web User Interface (WUI)

17: Web server software

18: API

Summary of the Invention The objectives of the present invention are client integrated shopping carts for purchasing reservation information of products on-line using a client and a client's browser that can be connected to a plurality of servers via a computer network and the browser's built-in integrated shopping cart plug-in. In addition to providing a device that can hold at the same time provides an online purchase reservation method using this device.

In more detail, the first step of storing the purchase reservation information of the shopping mall the user is connected to the purchase information storage of the user's client, that is, the integrated shopping cart (cart); At any shopping mall on the network, a second step in which the buyer's client's integrated shopping cart is alive and contains the products selected by the buyer; A third step in which the items in the integrated shopping cart can be viewed even when logged out in the shopping mall to function as a comparison selection; When there is a purchase intention later, when the user selects an item by reading the integrated shopping cart, the user is automatically connected to the shopping mall, and there is a fourth step of selecting and purchasing the item stored in the integrated shopping cart there.

In particular, the actual purchase and payment is accomplished by reestablishing the connection between the client and the designated server. In other words, the purchase transaction and payment transaction is characterized in that configured to use the system in the shopping mall.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a system configuration diagram according to the present invention. In accordance with the present invention, the client machine 10 includes a web browser 11 and a browser plug-in or ActiveX control 12 that provides an integrated shopping cart function. In addition, the shopping mall server 14 is connected to a plurality of shopping mall servers 14 through the Internet network 13, and the shopping mall server 14 includes an OS 15, a web user interface (WUI) 16, and web server software 17 of the corresponding server. , And API functions (18).

2 is a software configuration diagram according to the present invention. The client-side software configuration consists of a Web browser and an ActiveX control or plug-in that functions as an integrated shopping cart. The server-side software configuration consists of general shopping mall configuration software such as ASP application, Commerce server component, Personalization server component, Usage Analyst component, Payment Broker component, ODBC, DBMS, Web server. , OS, etc.

3 is an interface diagram of an integrated shopping cart plug-in according to the present invention. As a preferred embodiment, the plug-in comprises a number of components which together provide several advantages of the present invention. The plug-in is illustrated in FIG. 3 and includes an address processing control unit 31 of a user level, a purchase reservation information processing control unit 34, an address processing manager 32 of a manager level, a transaction session manager 33, and purchase reservation information. A processing manager 35, a purchasing information store 36, a process manager 37 and an output manager 38.

In general, the address processing control unit 31 is used by the client to access the server to determine the address of the server. The address processing manager 32 is used to manage the identified addresses. One technique for performing the connection and authentication of a particular client is to use persistent client-side cookies. By using such an approach, the user's personal information (eg, name, location, credit card number, or other verification or authentication information) only needs to be entered once as plug-in (eg upon installation). There is. Such information will then be communicated to the website when the plug-in is initialized by the address processing manager 32. In this way, users no longer have to re-enter this information each time they connect to a new website to connect to the server.

Once address processing manager 32 initiates and / or confirms the connection to initiate a connection with the web server, transaction session manager component 33 takes over processing. Transaction session manager 33 interacts with the browser to facilitate the provision of appropriate prompts and other control information to enable the user to collect transaction information during the session. Thus, the transaction session manager 33 preferably initiates a dedicated window display in which the appropriate information may enter and pass to the server. One technique for performing this information transfer is generally through conventional CGI scripting techniques. Through the transaction session manager 33, transaction information is collected at the client machine during the transaction session. Such transaction information may vary in form and format, such that, for example, the transaction information may include one or more product identifiers, price data, shipping data, available data, inventory data and inventory of items. Other data describing characteristics, qualities, uses, or other characteristics. This information is received by transaction session manager 33 and passed to purchase information repository manager 36, which actually acts as an integrated shopping cart. Transaction information may be maintained by the purchase reservation information store manager 36 in any convenient tabular, graphical or text format.

After multiple independent transaction sessions are performed, the user may then make a purchase decision. Processing component 37 and output manager component 38 implement this function. In particular, process manager 37 provides a logic function to process the collected transaction information according to one or more rules and queries. Thus, for example, the processing component receives input commands from the user and processes the commands to filter the information collected from the plurality of web sites. Input commands or queries may all be provided to the user via a window or other command line interface, all in a well known manner. Although some processing of the collected information may generally allow a user to make an informed purchasing decision. In a simple example, a user may simply query the repository to return the name of the lowest price product among a group of similar products. The user can enter a command to select the lowest price [product name] that can be delivered on [any date], and the command then generates a selection according to the identified criteria. It will be handled by the processing component. In accordance with the present invention, process manager 37 may also update or enhance the collected transaction information in some way to add a value to the purchase reservation information store. Thus, for example, process manager 37 may automatically or selectively reconnect to a designated server to retrieve new product information or price, delivery update information. Process manager 37 enhances information by, for example, modifying price or other cost information to account for latent costs (eg, fluctuations in exchange rates) that may distort purchase decisions if not considered. )You may. The special logic supplied by the process manager 37 is not limited to any particular function.

When the user makes a selection, the process manager 37 passes the selection information to the output manager 38. The output manager 38 is designed to interact with the designated server site to terminate, in fact, the transaction started during the original transaction session. To this end, the output manager 38 may cause the browser to re-establish the connection between the client (ie, shopping cart plug-in or application) and the web site so that the specified transaction, which remains in the state until then, can be completed. To control. Once the connection is reestablished, appropriate commands and / or information are communicated between the client and the mall server 40-1, ..., 40-N (eg, via CGI scripting, etc.) to complete the purchase transaction. do

4 is a flowchart of an online purchase reservation method according to the present invention. The preferred embodiment will be described below. When the client user starts the web browser with the integrated shopping cart installed, the integrated shopping cart is also started (step 41). The user then accesses the shopping mall via a web browser and enters the shopping mall via authentication (step 42). Then, in order to make a purchase reservation for the item to be purchased (step 43), the purchased product is put in a shopping cart of the corresponding shopping mall (step 44). In the process, the information is automatically recorded in the integrated shopping cart (step 45). If there are no more items to shop, the user disconnects the shopping mall and the user exits (step 46). Alternatively, if the user wants to purchase at another shopping mall, the steps 41 to 46 are repeated. After this process, the user clicks on the integrated shopping cart and compares the price information of the same item and starts the integrated shopping cart (step 47). This will open a separate window and display information that has been reserved for purchase. Then, when the user searches for the lowest price among the products, modifies the quantity of the product, or selects the product to purchase (step 48), the user can access the web address to be accessed and information about the product while starting the client's web browser. To your web browser (step 49). Then, the connection to the shopping mall and member access authentication can be performed immediately (step 410). Using the order and payment system of the shopping mall, the corresponding product is purchased and paid (step 411), and the information is provided to the integrated shopping cart to record the ordered status (step 412).

5 is a flow chart illustrating a method of purchasing products and / or services on-line from a client executing an integrated shopping cart plug-in according to the present invention. The method initiates a transaction session from a client by a user. The session is then initiated via the Address Processing Manager to a Web site capable of integrated shopping carts (step 52). A transaction session is established for some time during which the connection between the client and server is active. A user interacts with a web site under the control of a transaction session manager to obtain, collect, and retrieve transaction information. In general, such transaction information will be used to facilitate the purchase of products and services after the connection between the client and the website is complete and the transaction session is completed (step 52). Information may be collected and maintained from current sessions. There are at least two ways to do this. One approach is to convert existing data into a standard display form or to use standard data structures (or formats) while maintaining an image of the original data used in subsequent ordering procedures. If each web site or store employs a standard shopping cart structure, such data is held by the client and displayed later, for example, when a shopping comparison is made. However, not all sites employ standard data structures. For sites that do not employ a standard data structure, there are several means of storing and recalling purchase information. In a first approach, a table containing shopping sites is included (or downloaded to the client side) to inevitably convert non-standard (but known) data structures into a standard set. Non-standard data structures are identified in this approach by the site URL or in some other convenient way. As the density increases, additional site entries are then added to the client. Site entries may be removed after the site has been converted to a standard data structure. Auto-detection may be used, for example, to determine if a site is using a standard data structure.

In another embodiment, if the site is not using a standard data structure and the site is not known in the translation table, then the client may attempt to populate the standard data form by parsing the existing data and doing the appropriate conversion. It may be. Those items selected for inclusion in the integrated shopping card (and not in a standard data structure or a table of known popular shopping sites) are then parsed and displayed to the user for confirmation or correction using the standard display format. Once accepted by the user, the standard display form, with additions or corrections, is retained for later review as any of the other items. Source data may be retained and also recognized as being associated with a modified form for returning to the original site.

The above-identified processes, namely existing standard data, storage of the results of table substitutions for known non-standard data structures, and parsing and user verification for unknown and non-standard data structures take place in step 52. Then a test is made to determine whether a particular transaction session has completed. If not, the routine cycles back (step 55). If the result of the test is positive at this stage (eg, because the user has launched another URL or minimized the application), the routine goes to step 56. Determines if the user has completed the shopping tour. If the test result in step 55 is negative, the user is still shopping and the routine returns to step 51 to initiate a new, independent transaction session. Although it may be appropriate for a user to return to a site once visited to obtain new, updated or additional transaction information, a new session is generally initiated at another website. As such, when the test output at step 55 is positive, the user ends the shopping tour.

The routine then goes to step 57 to determine whether the collected information will be processed. If the test result in step 57 is positive, the process manager 37 is called in step 58 to process the information. A test is then made at step 59 to determine if the process manager 37 needs to reconnect to the designated site. If the test result in step 59 is positive, the routine returns to step 62 to restart the proper connection. However, if the test result at step 57 is negative, i.e. no information processing is required or the test result at step 59 is negative, i.e. processing the requested information does not require reconnection to the designated site. If so, the routine continues. In step 510, the output manager is called to complete the transaction. The routine then ends.

As has been seen so far, according to the present invention, the plug-in includes a purchase reservation information store manager which manages and stores purchase reservation transaction information in order to facilitate a user's decision to purchase a particular product or service. A plug-in is also launched when a client's integrated shopping cart is linked to a website. Generally, transaction information is collected during special transaction sessions that are independent of each other, and the information is stored in state until the time the user decides to take some subsequent action. Processing of transaction information in accordance with the present invention may involve filtering of collected information, updating of information, managing how information is kept in a repository or how the information is presented to a user, enhancing information, and the like. If necessary, processing of the information may dictate that the connection between the client and the designated server is to be reestablished. The initialization manager conveniently stores such information in order to avoid entering user identification information during each transaction session. Moreover, the purchase reservation information store conveniently stores transaction information about the state up to the time the user wishes to complete the transaction.

Although a number of display techniques can be used in the present invention, the shopping cart application is preferably run in a separate window associated with the browser. The window is then easily minimized but kept on the desktop and reopened if necessary. When the application encounters a website capable of an integrated shopping cart, the address processing manager initiates the plug-in through the transmission of authentication information, and then Windows prompts the user to open the pop and start a transaction session.

As mentioned above, one preferred technique for entering information into the server and receiving known transaction information is through known CGI scripting techniques. As is well known, CGI is a world wide web standard for extending HTML functions. CGI involves a combination of a live web server and external programming scripts. CGI programs are typically used to return dynamic information and respond to HTTP browser input in HTML form. CGI programs are typically executed as child processes created by HTTP server processes. As also mentioned, the present invention uses Persistent Client State HTTP cookies, which facilitates authentication of a user's connection to a possible web site.

6 is an example of an integrated shopping cart display implementation screen according to the present invention. The icon 60 in FIG. 6 (a) is an integrated shopping cart management icon installed and started in the client's web browser. Clicking this icon opens an independent window of the integrated shopping cart stored in the client. If you want to delete the selection column (61), the product details (62), the selling price, the shopping mall (63), the quantity, the selling price total, the cancellation (64), and all the shopping cart information which can select information, empty the shopping cart ( 65) If you want to purchase the selected product

The payment (66) button to move to the shopping mall, and if there is a change in the integrated shopping cart, such as the quantity is composed of a recalculation button (67) used to reset the information.

As described above, the present invention provides a user with a program for maintaining the purchase reservation information of the buyer through the integrated shopping cart. In addition, even after the connection is terminated in the shopping mall, there is an advantage that the user can compare and purchase products or services through the shopping cart at any time.

Furthermore, the present invention enables to maintain information in the integrated shopping cart by purchasing reservation information of heterogeneous websites having different characteristics, thereby facilitating the purchase of goods and services through the Internet, as well as comparing shopping through the Internet. There is an advantage to this.

Claims (2)

In the integrated shopping cart device for integrated management of the purchase reservation information of the buyer by making an integrated shopping cart that can be used in the entire shopping mall in the method of purchasing products and services online, A first step of storing purchase reservation information of a shopping mall accessed by the user in a purchase information store of the user's client, that is, an integrated shopping cart; At any shopping mall on the network, a second step in which the buyer's client's integrated shopping cart is alive and contains the products selected by the buyer; A third step in which the items in the integrated shopping cart can be viewed even when logged out in the shopping mall to function as a comparison selection; When there is a purchase intention, the integrated shopping cart consists of four steps, which are directly connected to the shopping mall when the user selects the goods by browsing the integrated shopping cart and selects and stores the items stored in the integrated shopping cart there. Cart device. In the method of purchasing products and services online, the integrated shopping cart that can be used in the entire shopping mall is integrated to manage the purchase reservation information of the buyer. A first step of storing purchase reservation information of a shopping mall accessed by the user in a purchase information store of the user's client, that is, an integrated shopping cart; At any shopping mall on the network, a second step in which the buyer's client's integrated shopping cart is alive and contains the products selected by the buyer; A third step in which the items in the integrated shopping cart can be viewed even when logged out in the shopping mall to function as a comparison selection; When there is a willingness to purchase, the online purchase consists of the 4th step in which the shopping cart is selected and the product is automatically connected to the shopping mall when the item is selected, where the item stored in the integrated shopping cart is selected and purchased there. How to book.