WO2008143477A1

WO2008143477A1 - Electronic commerce service system and method using portable storage device

Info

Publication number: WO2008143477A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/002876
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joon Wan Kim
Original assignee: Joon Wan Kim
Priority date: 2007-05-22
Filing date: 2008-05-22
Publication date: 2008-11-27
Also published as: KR100835843B1

Abstract

A system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device is provided. The method includes the steps of establishing a connection with a user computer 500 according to an access request that is made by the user computer when a portable storage device 300 including an automatic access module required for automatic access to the regional information server 100 is connected to the user computer 500, receiving information for selecting a member store from the user computer 500 and providing a shopping mall site operated by the member store, receiving information for purchasing a product from the user computer 500 and performing order and payment processes of the product, providing order and payment-related information of the product, for which the order and payment processes have been performed, to a terminal specified by the member store of the product, receiving an iden¬ tification number of the portable storage device 300 and a reserve accumulation request from the user computer 500, and accumulating reserve for the identification number of the portable storage device 300.

Description

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE SERVICE SYSTEM AND METHOD USING PORTABLE STORAGE DEVICE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to electronic commerce services, and more particularly to a system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device, wherein each customer is provided with a portable storage device capable of automatically accessing a regional information site, which provides information of a plurality of member stores and services for electronic commerce with the member stores, so that the customer can easily receive electronic commerce services simply by connecting the portable storage device to a computer. Background Art

[2] Most companies distribute PR brochures, pamphlets, or the like in order to market their products. Service providers mostly produce and distribute PR materials to customers at regular intervals and sell products that customers order by telephone.

[3] Recently, along with popularization of computers and development of network communication such as the Internet, many service providers store their PR content or information for dissemination on a portable storage medium such as floppy disk, CD- ROM, or DVD-ROM and distribute the portable storage medium. Using their computers, customers can search for PR content or information recorded in the distributed storage medium.

[4] However, although a small portable storage device such as a floppy disk may be freely read from or written to, it cannot store such a large amount of data since its storage capacity is several megabytes. Although the storage capacity of an optical storage such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM is hundreds of megabytes to several gigabytes, a CD-ROM cannot be reused and data stored thereon cannot be erased once written whereas an expensive DVD-ROM writer is required to reuse a DVD-ROM.

[5] PR materials require repetitive production/delivery and may cause annoyance to consumers who do not wish to receive the PR material, reducing PR effects.

[6] Universal Serial Bus (USB) has been developed for standardization of an interface for connecting a peripheral device such as a mouse, a printer, a modem, a speaker, or an external storage device to a computer.

[7] A USB port is a type of serial port created by a consortium of PC manufacturers including Intel, Compaq, Microsoft, DEC, IBM, NEC, and Norton Telecom. Currently, USB ports are mounted in most standard PC equipment since they can eliminate a need for the installation of complicated adaptors. Recently, USB ports are mostly used when data is transmitted and received between a mobile phone or a digital camera and a computer.

[8] While conventional serial ports have a data rate limit of less than lOOKbps per second, USB ports support a data transfer rate of 12Mbps and thus provide a sufficient rate even when connecting a fairly large number of peripheral devices and typically can connect up to 127 devices in a chain. Connection of a peripheral device to a USB port of a PC is detected even when the PC is running. Peripheral devices do not need to include a power supply. Using USB enables connection of all peripheral devices to a PC through the same connection module without requiring software or hardware settings. This can significantly reduce the number of ports and facilitate installation of peripheral devices and also can achieve a decrease in the size of portable PCs. Although a general PC has two USB ports, a USB hub is used to divide one port into multiple ports, enabling connection of a variety of peripheral devices. USB-based portable storage devices generally use flash memories to which users can freely write and delete data.

[9] Technologies that enable automatic access to electronic commerce sites using a disc such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, or DVD-RW or a portable storage device such as a USB memory have also been suggested recently. In these technologies, access information that enables access to electronic commerce sites is stored in a portable storage device and the stored access information is used to automatically access an electronic commerce site.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[10] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device, wherein users can more easily purchase various products and services using a portable storage device that stores an access module that enables automatic access to a regional information site that provides information of a plurality of member stores and a reserve is accumulated as products and services are purchased, thereby inducing users to continually purchase products and services.

[11] It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device, wherein evaluation information of member stores produced through evaluation by users is accumulated and managed so that users can reference the member store evaluation information to select a member store when purchasing a product.

[12] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device, which allows users to conveniently use a storage space excluding an automatic access module in a portable storage device, which is provided to the users, as a storage means. Technical Solution

[13] In a system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the user is provided with a portable storage device including an automatic access module, which can automatically access the regional information server that provides a regional information site for which a number of member stores have signed up, and then connects the portable storage device to a user computer connected to the Internet.

[14] An operating system of the user computer confirms connection of the portable storage device and detects the portable storage device as a drive. A controller of the portable storage device drives the automatic access module according to a drive power supplied from the user computer. The automatic access module transmits information of a path for access to the regional information server to the user computer and the operating system of the user computer makes a request to access the regional information server according to the access path information.

[15] The regional information server establishes a connection with the user computer according to an access request from the user computer and provides a regional information site. The user computer then provides the regional information site provided by the regional information server to the user, for example through an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

[16] The regional information site that the user computer provides to the user displays a shopping mall that provides information of a plurality of member stores and provides a service for purchasing a service and a product among services and products, which are provided and sold by the member stores, to the user computer.

[17] The user inputs information for selecting a member store, which provides a product or service that they desire to purchase, on the regional information site provided through their computer, i.e., the user computer, and the user computer then transmits the member store selection information to the regional information server. The regional information server receives the member store selection information transmitted from the user computer and reads a shopping mall site of the selected member store and transmits the read shopping mall site to the user computer and the user computer then receives and provides the shopping mall site to the user.

[18] The user then inputs information for selecting a service that they desire to receive or a product that they desire to purchase on the shopping mall site and the user computer then transmits a purchase request including corresponding product selection in- formation and payment information to the regional information server.

[19] The regional information server requests that the user input payment information in response to the purchase request provided from the connected user computer and the user then inputs the payment information. The regional information server receives the payment information transmitted from the user computer and performs processes for making a reservation and payment of the purchase of the product. The regional information server then transmits the process results to the user computer and also transmits purchase-related information to a member store terminal such as a mobile communication terminal or a computer specified by the owner of the corresponding member store. The member store terminal receives the purchase-related information and prepares and delivers the product and transmits the delivery information to the user computer.

[20] The regional information server receives an identification number of the portable storage device 300 and a reserve accumulation request from the user computer and then accumulates a reserve for the identification number of the portable storage device.

Advantageous Effects

[21] The system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention has the following advantages. The user can more easily purchase a variety of products simply by connecting the portable storage device, in which an automatic access module capable of automatically accessing a regional information site that provides information of a number of member stores is stored, to a user computer connected to the Internet.

[22] In addition, payment processes for purchasing products of a number of member stores are performed and a reserve accumulated as products are purchased is integrally managed through a single regional information server, so that all registered member stores can use the accumulated reserve.

[23] Further, since the reserve is accumulated using the identification number of the portable storage device, the reserve can be accumulated regardless of the user co mputer and reserve amounts of all users who have accessed the regional information server using the portable storage device can be accumulated as the reserve for the portable storage device.

[24] Further, since the reserve is accumulated using the identification number of the portable storage device, it is not necessary to request that users input IDs or passwords and users do not have to memorize an IDs or passwords.

[25] Furthermore, regional information can be more easily and conveniently provided to the user without a login procedure.

[26] In addition, service evaluation information of member stores input by customers is collected and accumulated and the accumulated evaluation information is managed and a grade is assigned to each member store according to the accumulated service evaluation information and the assigned grade is provided to the users. Therefore, the users can confirm a member store that provides excellent services while member stores can provide services with higher quality due to competition among the member stores for improving customer satisfaction.

[27] Moreover, a storage space excluding the automatic access module in the portable storage device provided to the user can be used to store data or the like so that the user can conveniently use it as a portable storage space. Brief Description of the Drawings

[28] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[29] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a regional information server according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[30] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a regional information server according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[31] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a list of member stores provided by the regional information server according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[32] FIG. 5 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[33] FIG. 6 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[34] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the system for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention includes a regional information server 100, a portable storage device(s) 300, a user computer(s) 500, and a member store terminal(s). The regional information server 100 provides a regional information site, which provides information of a plurality of member stores and electronic commerce services of the member stores, according to an access request of the user computer 500. The portable storage device 300 is connected to the user computer 500 and provides an automatic access module that issues an automatic access command to cause the portable storage device 300 to automatically access the regional information server 100 according to information of a path for access to the regional information server 100. The user computer 500 accesses the regional information server 100 according to an automatic access command from the portable storage device 300 and receives a regional information site from the regional information server 100 and provides the received regional information site to the user. The member store terminal is installed in a member store and receives purchase-related information from the regional information server 100 and provides the received purchase-related information to an owner of the member store.

[35] For example, the portable storage device 300 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory. Information of a path for access to the regional information server 100 is stored in the portable storage device 300. An automatic access module that causes the portable storage device 300 to automatically access the regional information server 100 according to the access path information when the portable storage device 300 is connected to the user computer 500 is also stored in the portable storage device 300. A unique identification number of the portable storage device 300 is also stored in the portable storage device 300. The identification number may have any value which enables identification of the portable storage device 300. For example, the identification number may be a serial number and may also have a form other than the serial number. The identification number has been coded so as to enable confirmation of the validity of the identification number. In order to enable confirmation of the validity of the identification number, the identification number may not only be coded but authentication information separate from the identification number may also be stored in the portable storage device 300.

[36] The automatic access module according to the present invention may be implemented as an autorun file. The autorun file is an autoexec file for a program that provides a variety of data to the user. As the autorun file is executed, for example, an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape is executed to perform a specified operation such as access to a specific site.

[37] For example, the user computer 500 may be a personal computer connected to the

Internet. When connection of the portable storage device 300 is detected, the user computer 500 establishes a connection with the portable storage device 300 and accesses the regional information server 100 according to a command to automatically access the regional information server 100, received from the portable storage device 300, and provides a regional information site provided from the regional information server 100 to the user through the Internet browser.

[38] The user computer 500 transmits and receives data to and from the regional information server 100 to perform processes for making a purchase request and inputting payment information of a product or service of a member store provided by the regional information site.

[39] For example, the regional information server 100 establishes a connection with each of a plurality of user computers 500 according to an access request from the user computer 500 and provides a regional information site, which provides information of a plurality of member stores, to the connected user computer 500. The regional information server 100 provides a shopping mall site of each registered member store to the user computer 500 and performs processes for making a reservation and payment of a corresponding product and service according to a product or service purchase request provided by the user computer 500. The regional information server 100 will be described below in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[40] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the regional information server that is a basis of the present invention. As shown, the regional information server 100 according to the present invention includes a communication unit 101, an access processing unit 103, a site providing unit 105, a shopping mall database 107, a shopping mall providing unit 109, a payment processing unit 111, and a purchase- related information providing unit 113. The communication unit 101 is connected to the Internet to transmit and receive data to and from a plurality of user computers 500. According to an access request from a user computer 500, the access processing unit 103 performs authentication of the user computer 500 and establishes a connection with the user computer 500. The site providing unit 105 provides a regional information site to the user computer 500 with which a connection has been established through the access processing unit 103. The shopping mall database 107 stores information of respective shopping malls of member stores. The shopping mall providing unit 109 receives information for selecting a member store from the user computer 500 and reads (or accesses) a shopping mall site operated by the selected member store from the shopping mall database 107 and provides the read shopping mall site. The payment processing unit 111 performs order and payment processes of a corresponding product according to product purchase information received from the user computer 500. The purchase-related information providing unit 113 provides order and payment- related information of the product, for which the order and payment processes have been performed by the payment processing unit 111, to a terminal specified by the corresponding member store. The regional information server 100 may be individually constructed for each region or alternatively a single regional information server 100 may be constructed for all regions of the nation.

[41] The access processing unit 103 establishes a connection with the user computer 500 according to an access request received from the user computer 500.

[42] The site providing unit 105 provides a regional information site including information of a plurality of member stores to the user computer 500 with which a connection has been established through the access processing unit 103. The regional information site displays information regarding each registered member store including PR information, information of products for sale, and information of available services of the registered member store. Information of a corresponding region can also be provided together with the member store information.

[43] For example, the shopping mall database 107 may be implemented as a hard disk that is a large-capacity storage device and stores a shopping mall site that provides information regarding each member store including basic and detailed information of the member store and information of products and services that can be sold or provided. Reading of (or access to) the shopping mall site stored in the shopping mall database 107 is controlled by the shopping mall providing unit 109.

[44] The shopping mall providing unit 109 receives member store selection information transmitted from the user computer 500 and reads a shopping mall site corresponding to the received selection information from the shopping mall database 107 and provides the read shopping mall site to the user computer 500.

[45] The payment processing unit 111 receives a purchase request including selection information and payment information of a product and service, which the user desires to purchase, from the user computer 500 and performs order and payment processes of the product and service. When the payment processing unit 111 performs the payment process according to a purchase request received from the user through the user computer 500, the payment processing unit 111 requests that the user input payment information required for electronic payment. Using the payment information, the payment processing unit 111 directly performs a payment process of a payment type that the user has selected from among a variety of types such as mobile phone payment, online transfer, and credit card payment or indirectly performs a payment process via a financial institution server or the like.

[46] The purchase-related information providing unit 113 provides purchase-related information of the product, for which the order and payment processes have been performed by the payment processing unit 111, to a terminal specified by the corresponding member store. When the payment processing unit 111 has performed the payment process for the purchase of the product, the purchase-related information providing unit 113 provides, for delivery of the product, the corresponding member store with purchase-related information of the product and service including the payment information to a member store terminal of the corresponding member store such as a mobile communication terminal or a member store terminal that the corresponding member store specified during registration in the regional information server 100.

[47] When the member store terminal specified by the member store is a mobile com- munication terminal, the purchase-related information providing unit 113 transmits the corresponding and purchase-related information to the member store terminal using a messaging service such as SMS or MMS. When the specified member store terminal is a computer, the purchase-related information providing unit 113 may transmit the corresponding order and purchase-related information to the member store terminal by sending an email to an address of an ID set for the member store or using real-time messaging or using a dedicated program. Accordingly, the member store can quickly prepare and deliver the product to the customer.

[48] Accordingly, the system for providing electronic commerce services using the portable storage device 300 according to the present invention is advantageous in that the user can more easily purchase a variety of products simply by connecting the portable storage device 300, in which an automatic access module capable of automatically accessing a regional information site that provides information of a number of member stores is stored, to a user computer 500 connected to the Internet.

[49] According to another aspect of the present invention, the system for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device 300 according to the present invention accumulates and provides a reserve when a user purchases a product so that all member stores registered in the regional information server 100 can use the provided reserve.

[50] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a regional information server according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the regional information server 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a reserve processing unit 117 that accumulates a reserve as the user makes a purchase, provides information of the accumulated reserve in response to a reserve inquiry request from the user computer 500, and performs a process for subtracting a reserve amount used by the user computer 500 from the accumulated reserve.

[51] The reserve processing unit 117 accumulates a predetermined amount of reserve as a user makes a purchase. The term "reserve" may refer to points that can be used for future purchases or a cash refund that is directly paid back to the user. Using the identification number of the portable storage device 300 enables the reserve to be individually accumulated for each identification number. Since the portable storage device 300 is mobile, the user can move and connect the portable storage device 300 to different user computers. The reserve is accumulated under the same identification number even when the user makes a purchase using the portable storage device 300 connected to a different computer. In addition, since the reserve is accumulated not for each user but for each portable storage device 300, any purchase using a portable storage device 300 adds to the reserve for the portable storage device 300. For example, when all members of a family commonly use a portable storage device 300, they can conveniently accumulate a lot of reserve. According to an accumulation method widely used in conventional electronic commerce, the reserve is accumulated for each user ID. However, according to the present invention, the portable storage device 300 stores an identification number and the reserve is accumulated using this identification number and therefore there is no need for the user to memorize an ID or password.

[52] The reserve processing unit 117 adds a new reserve amount to the accumulated reserve of the portable storage device 300 and stores the resulting accumulated reserve in a reserve information database 115 and provides status information of the accumulated reserve. The accumulated reserve is managed through the regional information server 100 so that all registered member stores can use the accumulated reserve.

[53] When the user desires to use the reserve when purchasing a product, the reserve processing unit 117 provides information of the accumulated reserve and performs a process for subtracting a reserve amount used by the user from the accumulated reserve.

[54] According to another aspect of the present invention, the system for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention collects service evaluation information of member stores input by users and calculates and provides respective grades of the member stores according to the collected service evaluation information, thereby providing improved services to users. Accordingly, the regional information server 100 further includes a member store evaluation processing unit 121 that receives or collects service evaluation information transmitted from the user computer 500 and accumulates the service evaluation information for each member store and calculates a grade of the member store according to the accumulated evaluation information and provides the calculated grade to the user computer 500.

[55] The member store evaluation processing unit 121 requests that the user of the user computer 500 input service evaluation information of a member store from which the user has purchased a product and provides a corresponding evaluation information input window having a specific format to the user computer 500. The user computer 500 receives and provides the evaluation information input window to the user and the user inputs service evaluation information to the input window to be transmitted to the member store evaluation processing unit 121.

[56] The member store evaluation processing unit 121 converts service evaluation information transmitted from the user computer 500 into a predetermined number of points and accumulates the points for each member store and stores the accumulated points in a member store evaluation information database 119. The member store evaluation processing unit 121 then calculates grades of member stores with reference to the accumulated service points once per month and writes the calculated member store grades to the regional information site so that users can use the member store grades as a reference when selecting a member store.

[57] According to another aspect of the present invention, the system for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention receives a product name transmitted from the user computer 500 and searches for member stores that sell a corresponding product and sorts the found member stores in decreasing order of the grade calculated by the member store evaluation processing unit 121 and provides the sorted member stores to the user. Accordingly, the regional information server 100 according to the present invention further includes a member store list providing unit 123 that receives a product name input through the user computer 500 and provides a list of member stores selling a corresponding product which are arranged in decreasing order of the grade by the member store evaluation processing unit 121.

[58] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a list of member stores provided by the regional information server according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the member store list providing unit 123 searches registered member stores for member stores that sell/handle a corresponding product in response to a member store search request including a product name transmitted from the user computer 500 and reads grade information of the found member stores from the member store evaluation information database 119 and generates a list of member stores rearranged in decreasing order of the grade and provides the list of member stores to the user computer 500. Thus, the user can determine that a member store located at the top of the member store list is the most highly evaluated member store and can use it as a reference when purchasing the product.

[59] Although the access processing unit 103, the site providing unit 105, the shopping mall providing unit 109, the payment processing unit 111, the purchase-related information providing unit 113, the reserve processing unit 117, the member store evaluation processing unit 121, and the member store list providing unit 123 have been described above as if their functional blocks are separately provided in the regional information server, the separated functional blocks have been described only for ease of explanation and it is not necessary that their hardware structures be separated. Of course, actual implementations also include an embodiment wherein the hardware structures of those components cannot be divided.

[60] A procedure for providing an electronic commerce service using a portable storage device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described. [61] FIG. 5 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a basic concept of the procedure for providing electronic commerce services according to the present invention. As shown, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention includes the steps of establishing a connection with a user computer 500, which is connected to a portable storage device 300 providing an automatic access module that outputs an automatic access command to cause the user computer 500 to automatically access a regional information server 100, according to an access request from the user computer 500 and then providing a regional information site; receiving information for selecting a member store from the user computer 500 and providing a shopping mall site operated by the selected member store; receiving information for purchasing a product transmitted from the user computer 500 and performing order and payment processes of the product; and providing order and payment-related information of the product, for which the order and payment processes have been performed, to a terminal specified by the member store of the product.

[62] The user is provided with a portable storage device including an automatic access module, which can automatically access the regional information server 100 that provides a regional information site for which a number of member stores has signed up, and then connects the portable storage device 300 to a user computer 500 connected to the Internet.

[63] An operating system of the user computer 500 confirms connection of the portable storage device 300 and detects the portable storage device 300 as a drive (SlOl). A controller of the portable storage device 300 drives the automatic access module according to a drive power supplied from the user computer 500. The automatic access module transmits information of a path for access to the regional information server 100 to the user computer 500 (S 103) and the operating system of the user computer 500 makes a request to access the regional information server 100 according to the access path information (S 105).

[64] The access processing unit 103 of the regional information server 100 establishes a connection with the user computer 500 according to an access request from the user computer 500 and the site providing unit 105 provides a regional information site that displays a shopping mall that provides information of a plurality of member stores and provides a service for making a reservation of the purchase of a service and a product among services and products, which are provided and sold by the member stores, to the user computer 500 with which a connection has been established through the access processing unit 103 (S 107).

[65] The user computer 500 then provides the regional information site provided by the site providing unit 105 of the regional information server 100 to the user, for example through an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

[66] The user inputs information for selecting a member store, which provides a product or service that they desire to purchase, on the regional information site provided through their computer, i.e., the user computer 500, and the user computer 500 then transmits the member store selection information to the regional information server 100 (S109).

[67] The shopping mall providing unit 109 of the regional information server 100 receives the member store selection information transmitted from the user computer 500 and reads a shopping mall site of the selected member store from the shopping mall database 107 and transmits the read shopping mall site to the user computer 500 and the user computer 500 then receives and provides the shopping mall site to the user (Si l l).

[68] The user then inputs information for selecting a service that they desire to receive or a product that they desire to purchase on the shopping mall site and the user computer 500 then transmits a purchase request including corresponding product selection information and payment information to the regional information server 100 (Sl 13).

[69] The payment processing unit 111 of the regional information server 100 receives the purchase request including the corresponding product selection information and payment information and performs a payment process while the payment processing unit 111 receives various payment information required for electronic payment from the user computer 500 (Sl 15). The payment processing unit 111 directly performs a payment process of a payment type that the user has selected from among a variety of types such as mobile phone payment, online transfer, and credit card payment or indirectly performs a payment process (Sl 17).

[70] The payment processing unit 111 also provides an order and payment result to the user computer 500 to notify the user that the electronic commerce transaction has been completed (S 119).

[71] When the payment processing unit 111 has performed the payment process for purchasing the product, the purchase-related information providing unit 113 provides, for delivery of the product, purchase-related information of the product including the payment information to a member store terminal of the corresponding member store such as a mobile communication terminal or a member store terminal that the corresponding member store specified during registration in the regional information server 100 (S 121).

[72] When the member store terminal specified by the member store is a mobile communication terminal, the purchase-related information providing unit 113 transmits the corresponding order and purchase-related information to the member store terminal using a messaging service such as SMS or MMS. When the specified member store terminal is a computer, the purchase-related information providing unit 113 may transmit the corresponding order and purchase-related information to the member store terminal by sending an email to an address of an ID set for the member store or using real-time messaging or using a dedicated program. Accordingly, the member store can quickly prepare and deliver the product to the customer.

[73] According to an aspect of the present invention, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention accumulates and provides a reserve when a user purchases a product so that all member stores registered in the regional information server 100 can use the provided reserve.

[74] FIG. 6 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a procedure for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention. As shown, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention includes the steps of accumulating a reserve for an identification number of a corresponding portable storage device 300 according to a reserve accumulation request transmitted from a user computer 500; and providing information of the accumulated reserve to the user computer 500 according to a reserve inquiry request from the user computer 500 and performing a process for subtracting a reserve amount used by the user computer 500 from the accumulated reserve.

[75] After the user receives the purchased product delivered from the member store, the user can receive a reserve amount, which is paid back due to the purchase of the product, by acknowledging the receipt of the product. Accordingly, when the purchased product has been delivered to the user, the user accesses the regional information server 100 using the user computer 500 for accumulating the reserve and acknowledges the receipt of the product while making a request to accumulate the reserve (S201). Here, an identification number of the portable storage device 300 is automatically transmitted to the regional information server 100 via the user computer 500. In another embodiment, when a transmission request is received from the regional information server 100, an identification number of the regional information server 100 may be transmitted to the regional information server 100 via the user computer 500.

[76] The reserve processing unit 117 of the regional information server 100 receives the identification number of the portable storage device 300 and reads the accumulated reserve of the portable storage device 300 and adds the reserve amount, which is paid back to the user, to the accumulated reserve of the portable storage device 300 (S203) and provides status information of the accumulated reserve to the user computer 500 (S205). The accumulated reserve is managed through the regional information server 100 so that all registered member stores can use the accumulated reserve. [77] When the user desires to use the reserve when purchasing a product, the reserve processing unit 117 of the regional information server 100 provides the accumulated reserve information and performs a process for subtracting a reserve amount used by the user from the accumulated reserve.

[78] When the user makes a request to use the accumulated reserve for the portable storage device 300 when purchasing a product, the reserve processing unit 117 provides status information of the accumulated reserve according to the reserve use request. When a command to use a reserve amount is received from the user computer 500, the reserve processing unit 117 outputs a control signal for subtracting the reserve amount from an amount of money to be paid to the payment processing unit 111. Accordingly, the payment processing unit 111 performs a payment process by subtracting the reserve amount from the amount of money to be paid.

[79] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention collects service evaluation information of member stores input by users and calculates and provides respective grades of the member stores according to the collected service evaluation information, thereby providing improved services to users.

[80] Accordingly, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention further includes the step of receiving or collecting service evaluation information transmitted from the user computer 500 and accumulating the service evaluation information for each member store and the step of calculating a grade of the member store according to the accumulated evaluation information and providing the calculated grade to the user computer 500.

[81] On the other hand, when the reserve is accumulated, the member store evaluation processing unit 121 requests that the user of the user computer 500 input service evaluation information of a member store from which the user has purchased a product (S207) and provides a corresponding evaluation information input window having a specific format to the user computer 500. The user computer 500 receives and provides the evaluation information input window to the user and the user inputs service evaluation information to the input window to be transmitted to the regional information server 100 through the user computer 500 (S209).

[82] When the service evaluation information is received from the user computer 500, the member store evaluation processing unit 121 converts service evaluation information transmitted from the user computer 500 into a predetermined number of points and accumulates the points for each member store and then calculates grades of member stores with reference to the accumulated service points once per month and writes the calculated member store grades to the regional information site (S211 and S213).

[83] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention receives a product name transmitted from the user computer 500 and searches for member stores that sell a corresponding product and sorts the found member stores in decreasing order of the service grade and provides the sorted member stores to the users.

[84] Accordingly, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention further includes the step of receiving a product name input through the user computer 500 and providing a list of member stores selling a corresponding product which are arranged in decreasing order of the grade.

[85] When the user inputs a product name to a search window in the regional information site in order to search for member stores that sell a product that the user desires to purchase through the user computer 500, the user computer 500 transmits the input product name to the regional information server 100 (S215). The member store list providing unit 123 of the regional information server 100 searches registered member stores for member stores that sell/handle a corresponding product in response to a member store search request including the product name transmitted from the user computer 500 (S217) and reads grade information of the found member stores and generates a list of member stores rearranged in decreasing order of the grade and provides the list of member stores to the user computer 500 (S219 and S221).

[86] Although the reserve is accumulated when a reserve accumulation request is made by the user computer 500 in the embodiments described above, the method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention may also automatically accumulate the reserve when no reserve accumulation request is made.

[87] In this case, the procedure for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device of FIG. 5 requires additional processes. That is, in the procedure for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device of FIG. 5, the portable storage device 300 also transmits an identification number of the portable storage device 300 at step S 103 at which the access path information is provided as described above and the user computer 500 also transmits the identification number of the portable storage device 300 at step S 105 at which the user computer 500 makes a request to access the regional information server 100. Alternatively, at an arbitrary time before the reserve is accumulated after a connection is established with the user computer 500, the user computer 500 may be requested to provide an identification number of the portable storage device 300 and the user computer 500 may then read the identification number of the portable storage device 300 from the portable storage device 300 and then transmit the read identification number to the regional information server 100.

[88] When the order and payment processes have been performed at step S 117, the regional information server 100 accumulates the reserve for the portable storage device 300 immediately or at a later time. The accumulated reserve is managed through the regional information server 100 so that all registered member stores can use the accumulated reserve.

[89] The system and method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device according to the present invention has the following advantages. The user can more easily purchase a variety of products simply by connecting the portable storage device, in which an automatic access module capable of automatically accessing a regional information site that provides information of a number of member stores is stored, to a user computer connected to the Internet.

[90] In addition, payment processes for purchasing products of a number of member stores are performed and a reserve accumulated as products are purchased is integrally managed through a single regional information server, so that all registered member stores can use the accumulated reserve.

[91] Further, since the reserve is accumulated using the identification number of the portable storage device 300, the reserve can be accumulated regardless of the user computer and reserve amounts of all users who have accessed the regional information server using the portable storage device 300 can be accumulated as the reserve for the portable storage device 300.

[92] Further, since the reserve is accumulated using the identification number of the portable storage device 300, it is not necessary to request that users input IDs or passwords and users do not have to memorize an IDs or passwords.

[93] Furthermore, regional information can be more easily and conveniently provided without a user login procedure.

[94] In addition, service evaluation information of member stores input by customers is collected and accumulated and the accumulated evaluation information is managed and a grade is assigned to each member store according to the accumulated service evaluation information and the assigned grade is provided to the users. Therefore, the users can confirm a member store that provides excellent services while member stores can provide services with higher quality due to competition among the member stores for improving customer satisfaction.

[95] Moreover, a storage space excluding the automatic access module in the portable storage device provided to the user can be used to store data or the like so that the user can conveniently use it as a portable storage space.

Claims

[1] A regional information server comprising: a communication unit connected to the Internet for transmitting and receiving data to and from a plurality of user computers 500; an access processing unit 103 for establishing a connection with a user computer

500 according to an access request that is made by the user computer 500 when a portable storage device 300 in which an automatic access module required for automatic access to the regional information server is included and a unique identification number is stored is connected to the user computer 500; a site providing unit 105 for providing a regional information site to the user computer 500 with which a connection has been established through the access processing unit 103; a payment processing unit 111 for performing order and payment processes of a product according to purchase information and payment information of the product transmitted from the user computer 500; a purchase-related information providing unit 113 for providing order and payment-related information of the product, for which the order and payment processes have been performed by the payment processing unit 111, to a terminal specified by a corresponding member store; and a reserve processing unit 117 for accumulating a reserve for the identification number of the portable storage device after a user makes a purchase.

[2] The regional information server according to claim 1, further comprising: a shopping mall database 107 for storing information of respective shopping malls of member stores that can be posted to the regional information site; and a shopping mall providing unit 109 for receiving information for selecting a member store from the user computer 500 and reading a shopping mall site operated by the selected member store from the shopping mall database 107 and providing the read shopping mall site.

[3] The regional information server according to claim 1, wherein the automatic access module is implemented as an autorun file.

[4] The regional information server according to claim 1, further comprising a member store evaluation processing unit 121 for receiving or collecting service evaluation information transmitted from the user computer 500 and accumulating the service evaluation information for each member store and calculating a grade of the member store according to the accumulated evaluation information and providing the calculated grade to the user computer 500.

[5] The regional information server according to claim 4, further comprising a member store list providing unit 123 for receiving a product name input through the user computer 500 and providing a list of member stores selling a corresponding product which are arranged in decreasing order of the grade by the member store evaluation processing unit 121.

[6] A system for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device, the system comprising: a portable storage device 300 that can be connected to a user computer 500, the portable storage device 300 including an automatic access module for performing automatic access to a regional information server 100 according to information of a path for access to the regional information server 100, the portable storage device 300 storing a unique identification number; the user computer 500 for making a request to access the regional information server 100 when the user computer 500 is connected to the portable storage device 300 and receiving a regional information site provided by the regional information server 100; and the regional information server 100 for providing the regional information site, which provides services for electronic commerce with a plurality of member stores, to the user computer 500 according to the access request from the user computer 500 and accumulating a reserve for the identification number of the portable storage device 300 received through the user computer 500 according to a purchase made by a user.

[7] A method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device 300, the method comprising: establishing a connection with a user computer 500 according to an access request that is made by the user computer 500 when a portable storage device 300 including an automatic access module required for automatic access to the regional information server 100 is connected to the user computer 500; receiving information for selecting a member store from the user computer 500 and providing a shopping mall site operated by the selected member store; receiving information for purchasing a product transmitted from the user computer 500 and performing order and payment processes of the product; providing order and payment-related information of the product, for which the order and payment processes have been performed, to a terminal specified by the member store of the product; receiving an identification number of the portable storage device 300 and a reserve accumulation request from the user computer 500; and accumulating a reserve for the identification number of the portable storage device 300.

[8] A method for providing electronic commerce services using a portable storage device 300, the method comprising: establishing a connection with a user computer 500 according to an access request that is made by the user computer when a portable storage device 300 including an automatic access module required for automatic access to the regional information server 100 is connected to the user computer 500; receiving information for selecting a member store from the user computer 500 and providing a shopping mall site operated by the selected member store; receiving information for purchasing a product transmitted from the user computer 500 and performing order and payment processes of the product; providing order and payment-related information of the product, for which the order and payment processes have been performed, to a terminal specified by the member store of the product; and accumulating a reserve for an identification number of the portable storage device 300, the method further comprising: receiving the identification number of the portable storage device 300 through the user computer 500 at an arbitrary time before the reserve is accumulated after the connection is established with the user computer 500.

[9] The method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising: receiving or collecting service evaluation information transmitted from the user computer 500 and accumulating the service evaluation information for each member store; and calculating a grade of the member store according to the accumulated evaluation information and providing the calculated grade to the user computer.

[10] The method according to claim 9, further comprising: receiving a product name input through the user computer 500 and providing a list of member stores selling a corresponding product which are arranged in decreasing order of the grade.