Communication enhancement means

[0001] The present invention is generally related to systems for performing commercial transactions electronically and, in particular, to a system and method for providing users of a computer network the opportunity to purchase additional products and/or services provided by an alternate source.

[0002] The acceptance of the Internet as a source of information, products, and services has increased over the last few years. Accordingly, the number of users of the Internet has similarly grown quite rapidly and in turn the number of transactions occurring thereon has augmented. Normally, a client computer requests a specific Web page using a unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and the request is forwarded to the Web server that supports that Web page. That Web server then supplies the Web page to the client computer and is displayed thereon by the use of a browser using Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML). The HTML document that is provided by the Web server 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.

[0003] Electronic commerce is conducted on a Web page by providing an electronic version of a catalog that lists the items that are available on that Web page. A user may browse through the catalog using a browser and select various items that are to be purchased. In addition, the Web page may have hyperlinks to other Web pages that provide products and/or services. However, the advertising of the hyperlinks or active bit map images is randomly conducted.

[0004] If a user decides to purchase a specific product, the server may provide a form for the user to insert the user's name, the user's credit card number or alternate method of payment information, and a shipping address for the order, or the product and/or service may be delivered electronically. Since the information relayed from the user is sensitive and personal, the information may be relayed through a secure connection using various encryption techniques that are known in the art. The server computer system typically confirms the order by sending a confirming Web page to the client computer system and coordinates delivery of the item.

[0005] If the user desires to conduct another transaction that is ancillary to the finished transaction, the user will have to conduct a search of the Web and look for the desired product. Once the desired product is found, the user will have to reenter the previously entered personal information. The current system is inefficient because it requires many interactions by the user in order to find an ancillary or related product and to reenter the information again.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,411 to Hartman et al. discloses a method and system for single-action ordering of items in a client/server environment. The server system disclosed therein assigns a unique client identifier to each client system. The server system also stores purchaser-specific order information that may have been collected from a previous order placed by the purchaser. The server system then maps each client identifier to a purchaser that may use that client system to place an order on their Web page. When a purchaser places an order, the server system determines whether the client identifier for that client system is mapped to a purchaser. If so mapped, the server system provides a single-action ordering page to the client computer system. When the purchaser performs that single action, the client system notifies the server system, which in turn completes the order by adding the purchaser-specific order information. However, the invention is limited to the specific Web page on that specific server and does not provide an auxiliary product for purchase on an alternate site.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,739 to Cupps et al. discloses an online ordering system that allows users to order food and delivery thereof from various participating restaurants. The online ordering system categorizes the location of each participating restaurant by a set of coordinates based on longitude and latitude and each customer's location is similarly categorized. The online ordering then conducts a search for those restaurants that are proximally located to the customer provides the Web pages therefor to the customer for ordering. The order is received from a customer for a particular product and the order is converted into voice instructions which are transmitted to the vendor through a telephone call. Alternatively, the order can be transmitted to the vendor via facsimile transmission and the vendor can then call the customer. The disclosure does not provide for a system that requests a related product and/or service offer post-sale and does not provide for the transmission of user and billing information.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,665 to Suzuki et al. discloses an online search tool that allows a customer to input the name of the goods and/or services and the name is then searched and a list of stores and/or malls that provide the goods and/or services is then provided to a customer. In addition, log information is collected on the customer and stored such as the stores which the customer entered and the names of the goods the customer purchased. Based on the customer's previous conduct, the list is structured to provide the customer with stores that he or she previously visited and the goods that they purchased. The disclosure does not provide for a system that requests a related product and/or service offer post-sale and does not provide for the transmission of user and billing information.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,199 Kaneko discloses an online shipping system which enables users to shop by clicking on hyperlinks that are posted on the home pages. The invention monitors a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) dial-up from a user device through the server and allows the extraction of the user's phone number through the connections. Thus the operator of the web page can make telephone contact with the user who has exhibited interest in the operator's web page. The disclosure does not provide for a system that requests a related product and/or service from an alternate source to be introduced to the user and does not provide for the transmission of user and billing information upon the user's approval.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,915 to Kirsch discloses a shopping system over a computer network in a secure fashion. A persistent predetermined coded identifier, such as a cookie, is established on the client browser corresponding to an account record stored by a merchant server which the user has previously visited. If the client conducts another purchase transaction with the merchant, the predetermined coded identifier is received by the merchant server and validated against the server stored account record and the transaction is either confirmed or denied. The disclosure does not provide for a system that requests a related product and/or service from an alternate source to be introduced to the user and does not provide for the transmission of user and billing information upon the user's approval.

[0011] The prior art does not address the need for increasing sales of a related product in a convenient and efficient manner which introduction is responsive to the user's conduct and selection. Therefore, there remains a long standing and continuing need for an advance in the art of post-transaction promotions that is simpler in both design and use, and is more economical and convenient to implement and use.

[0012] Accordingly, it is general object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0013] In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an invention that can operate with longevity.

[0014] It is another object of the present invention to provide an Internet related up-sale system.

[0015] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an Internet related up-sale system that is convenient to use by a client.

[0016] It is another object of the present invention to provide an increased sale of a related product from an alternate source.

[0017] It is another object of the present invention to provide for the sale of a related product from an alternate source that is related to the original purchase.

[0018] It is still another object of the present invention to provide for the sale of a related product from an alternate source the introduction of which is requested by the Web page that is being currently visited.

[0019] It is another object of the present invention to provide a convenient means for securely transferring a user's sensitive information from a first source to an alternate source.

[0020] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide for the introduction of related products and/or services from an alternate source that does not compete with the products and/or services of the original source.

[0021] It is a further object of the present invention to eliminate the need for redundant input to conduct a secure purchase transaction on an alternate Web page

[0022] In keeping with the principles of the present invention, a unique apparatus and method for increasing post-sale transactions is presented. On the Internet, a client computer uses a browser application to visit Web pages that are stored on servers, with each Web page having a unique and corresponding URL. When a user visits a Web page, for example site A, the user can either browse or make purchases on site A. Depending on the products and/or services that the user shows an interest in, site A can issue a request to site B to provide information relating to the products and/or services in which the user has shown an interest. Accordingly, site B provides information to the user of site A, that may be in the form of a pop-up screen or embedded into the text and graphics of site A itself, and provides the user with the option to view details of the products and/or services, to purchase the products and/or services, or to decline the offer.

[0023] If the offer of site B is declined, the information that was provided thereby is withdrawn. If the offer of site B is accepted, then site B requests the transfer of billing and user information from site A so that the redundant entry of personal information is not repeated. If site A does not have the proper information regarding the user, site B may alternatively present the user with a form requesting the necessary information to complete the transaction. Alternatively, if the user requests further information regarding the products and/or services of site B, then the user may either be transferred to the site B home page or information may be transferred to the pop-up window.

[0024] After a transaction is completed between site B and the user, site B records the information and if the products and/or services are directly provided by site B, then the requested products and/or services are delivered to the user. Alternatively, if site B does not directly provide the products and/or services, site B may pass the order and the delivery information to an automated order processing system on site C for conventional order fulfillment.

[0025] Such stated objects and advantages of the invention are only examples and should not be construed as limiting this invention. These and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the invention herein will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the claims that follow.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 1, therein is illustrated an Internet computer system 10. A conventional client computer 12, executing a client browser application that supports a generally accepted protocol such as, but not limited to, the HTTP protocol is connected typically through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to an internet 14. A first server 16 is coupled to the Internet 14 and is controlled by a local console 18 that executes a web server application conventionally known as a HTTP server. In addition, first server 16 preferably provides storage for at least one, though typically many Web pages.

[0034] The client computer 12 requests a Web page by issuing a URL request through Internet 14 to first server 16. A URL request for a secure Internet transaction may also be requested and typically utilizes the secure protocol identifier “https,” wherein the client browser and Web server support and implement the secure sockets layer. In response to the received URL, server 16 returns the requested Web page to client computer 12. The URL issued from client computer 12 may also be of a complex form that identifies a common gateway interface (CGI) program on server 16. The CGI program may be a logon form supported by a logon CGI program to obtain a client user's login name and password to initiate an authenticated session between the client browser and Web server for purposes of supporting, for example, but not limited to, a purchase transaction.

[0035] Now also referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary Web page 20 having a URL of http://www.asite.com as provided by first server 16 is illustrated. Web page 20 may have a plurality of indicia 22 thereon, wherein indicia 22 may be either text or graphics. In addition, indicia 22 may also be hyperlinks that represent a direct reference to an embedded URL or an active image map which, when selected, will provide an alternate Web page corresponding to the selected hyperlink.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, when a specific URL is requested, such as http://www.asite.com, first server 16 will send a request to second server 24 to provide information 26 that may be related to the subject matter on site A. Information 26 may be an offer for the sale of a related products and/or services that are provided by site B. Accordingly, an exemplary GET request may be:

http://www.bsite.com/upsell.asp?vendor=63452&product1=7676564&product2=9983478

[0037] Upon receipt of the GET request, second server 24 may search a stored database and provide an offer that may be related to the subject matter of site A and in the general interest of the client user. Information 26 may be presented in the form of a pop-up screen or an embedded hyperlink URL in web page 20 that provides for the sale of a product and/or service from site B. Information 26 may have a first actuation means 28, a second actuation means 30, and a third actuation means 32. First actuation means 28 may be a details icon that provides a hyper link URL that transfers the user to site B in order to obtain more information regarding the offer. Second actuation means 30 may be an OK icon that allows the user to accept the offer (described in detail below). Third actuation means 32 may be a cancel icon that allows the user to decline the offer.

[0038] Now also referring to FIGS. 3, and 4, flow diagrams are provided to illustrate an alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention. User completes a transaction on site A 34 and the order is captured on site A 36 and a confirmation page is provided to the user 38. Site A issues a get URL to site B 40 that may be in the exemplary form of:

http://www.bsite.com/upsell.asp?vendor=63452&product1=7676564&product2=9983478

[0039] Site B determines which product and/or service to present to the user 42 and provides the user with the product 44 in the form of information 26. Information 26 also informs the user that if accepted, Site A will share user billing information with Site B 46. If third actuation means 32 is selected, the information 26 will be withdrawn 48. If second actuation means 30 is selected, the user assents to information 50 and site B records the transaction. Site B issues a request to Site A for billing & user information 54 that may be expressed in an exemplary fashion as:

[0040] https://www.asite.com/completerecord.asp?order=63452&upsell=774624

[0041] In response to the request from site B, site A provides complete billing and user information to site B 56 over a preferably secure connection. If site A does not have complete billing and user information, site B provides an information request form directly to the user 58. The information request may request whatever information is deemed appropriate by site B in order to establish a purchase transaction with the user. If the user declines to provide the information 60, the window closes and the offer is withdrawn. If the user provides the information 62, the transaction is then recorded 64.

[0042] After the user approves the purchase of the product and/or service, second server 24 may process the order and the product and/or service is directly provided to the user 66. Alternatively, site B may pass the order to an automated order processing system on site C 68 for order fulfillment consistent with conventional order processing practices to provide for the delivery of the product and/or service purchased to the user. Site C then confirms the order 70, and sends a confirmation to site B where it is recorded 72.

[0043] Now referring to FIG. 5, an alternate preferred embodiment is illustrated in a flow diagram. The steps are similar to FIG. 4 until the user assents to the special offer 50. Site B then issues a request for billing and user information from site A 54. Site A submits billing and user information to site B 56. If the information provided is sufficient, then site B may record the order 64 as previously explained supra. Alternatively, if insufficient information is provided by site A, site B may request additional information 74 from the user by providing a form 76 therefor to the user. In addition, site B may request the user to confirm the order 74 in form 76. If the order is not confirmed 78 then the form 76 and the window closes. If the order is assented to 80, then site B records the order 52 and the product and/or service is provided to the user as described supra.

[0044] Now referring to FIG. 6, an alternate preferred embodiment is illustrated in a flow diagram. The steps are similar to FIG. 4 until site A sends the user a confirmation page 38. Site A then searches and locates on its database the products and/or services that have been previously provided by Site B 82. Site A then presents the product and/or services to the user 84 with notice that billing information will be transferred to site B 46. If user declines the offer, the information window 26 will close 86. If the user assents to the offer 88, site A then records the order 90. Order, billing, and user information is then submitted from Site A to Site B 92. Site B then records the information 64, and the product and/or services are then provided to the user as described supra.

[0045] While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of preferred embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible without departing from the essential spirit of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.