WO2010085193A1 - Method for providing an offer to a user - Google Patents
Method for providing an offer to a user Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2010085193A1 WO2010085193A1 PCT/SE2009/051492 SE2009051492W WO2010085193A1 WO 2010085193 A1 WO2010085193 A1 WO 2010085193A1 SE 2009051492 W SE2009051492 W SE 2009051492W WO 2010085193 A1 WO2010085193 A1 WO 2010085193A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- merchant
- content
- user
- container
- window
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q30/0603—Catalogue ordering
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a method for providing an offer from a merchant to a user in a network environment.
- the present invention also relates to a corresponding system, and to a computer program product comprising code for performing a corresponding method.
- WO 2007/062185 describes a system that provides a client computer with additional functionality, allowing a user to visit different merchant sites and use the same payment server.
- An example of such a system is the PayPal ® system by eBay.
- US2008/0010148 describes a system that facilitates for a buyer to complete a purchase on-line, by actively placing advertisements for products or services selected as suitable for the user on available areas of a web page.
- the advertisements may include links to merchant sites, offering the selected products or services.
- conventional solutions for buying products or services on the Internet still require the user to visit a merchant site.
- a drawback with such technology is therefore that the user is forced to use different interfaces and different purchasing processes at different sites. This makes Internet based shopping (e-commerce) complicated and as a result the full potential of this marketplace has not been fully exploited.
- a specific object is to provide improvements in the distribution of an offer to a user of a web browser for facilitating Internet based shopping. According to the present invention, the user does not visit the merchant site.
- this and other objects are achieved by a method for providing an offer from a merchant to a user in a network environment connecting a user terminal provided with a web browser operated by the user, a content server, and a merchant server, the method comprising requesting, initiated by a window of the web browser, a first content from the content server, displaying the first content within the window, receiving a first user input to the web browser selecting an activation element displayed in the window, in response to the first user input, displaying a predefined merchant container being superimposed onto the first content displayed in the window, requesting, initiated by the merchant container, a second content from the merchant server, displaying the second content within the merchant container, receiving a second user input to the to the web browser selecting a merchant offer in the merchant container, in response to the second user input, communicating from the web browser to the merchant server an identification of the offer and an identification of the user, and in the merchant server, retrieving details of the offer and payment details of the user from a database, effecting payment using the details
- the present invention it may be possible for people in different environments on the Internet, such as for example blogs, chats etc., or in other digital environments such as text messages, E-mail etc., to use hyperlinks, pop-up windows, widgets or other viewing methods to mark-up text and connect this mark-up to different content.
- the mark-up may be done via plug-ins, hyperlinks, Java script or other similar methods.
- the purchase confirmation content is displayed in the merchant container.
- a user of a web page may take part of product information, such as for example cover art, sample music and sample video sequences without leaving the environment where the initial mark-up was inserted. Furthermore, the user may perform purchases and searches among different offers, products and recommendations that may be stored on a database of the merchant without leaving the environment where the mark-up was inserted. Additionally, it may be useful if the second content is at least one of a flash animation and a dynamic code section. Also, the second content may comprise at least one of cover art, sample music, sample video, product images, product information, artist information, song information, biography information, discography information or any other information related to a specific product, artist, genre, etc.
- the user may for example interact with a web page in a web browser, identify an activation element such as an identifiable hyperlink, move a user controllable marker, e.g. a mouse pointer, over the hyperlink after which an additional window is superimposed onto the initial web page.
- an activation element such as an identifiable hyperlink
- a user controllable marker e.g. a mouse pointer
- the superimposed window an offer from a merchant is downloaded and displayed, and the user may also be allowed to listen to sample clips as well as directly purchase content. It may however also be possible to provide a separate banner or frame for providing the second content.
- the method further comprises the step of integrating the activation element and the predefined merchant container in a content page and setting up a connection between the content page and the merchant container, for example by means of a plug-in provided by the content server.
- community services such as Facebook, Myspace, and similarly may provide simple plug-ins for allowing content creators such as blogger and the like to promote content, possibly related to a page content. That is, in one embodiment, a content creator (a blogger) is providing a content post on a web page hosted by the content server. By means of the plug-in provided by the content server the blogger is given the opportunity to relate the content of the post with a second content available for purchase. The purchase offer is then displayed to the user in a content container when being activated by means of for example a link in the post.
- a system for providing an offer from a merchant to a user comprising a merchant server connected to a network environment, a user terminal connected to the network environment, including web browser software adapted to request, initiated by a window of the web browser software, a first content from the content server, display the first content within the window, receive a first user input to the web browser software selecting an activation element displayed in the window, in response to the first user input, display a predefined merchant container being superimposed onto the first content displayed is the window, request, initiated by the merchant container, a second content from the merchant server, display the second content within the merchant container, receive a second user input to the to the web browser selecting a merchant offer in the merchant container, and communicate, in response to the second user input, from the web browser to the merchant server an identification of the offer and an identification of the user, wherein the merchant server includes a data base adapted to store details of the offer and payment details of the user, and software adapted to retrieve
- the inventive system allows the user to listen to sample clips as well as directly purchase content without having to visit a homepage of the merchant.
- Various embodiments of, and effects obtained through this second aspect of the present invention are largely analogous to those described above for the first aspect of the invention.
- a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for causing a computer to provide a merchant service
- the computer program product comprises code for requesting a first content from a content server, code for displaying the first content within a graphical window, code for receiving a first user input for selecting an activation element displayed in the window, code for displaying a predefined merchant container being superimposed onto the first content displayed is the window in response to the first user input, code for requesting, initiated by a merchant container, a second content from the merchant server, code for displaying the second content within the merchant container, code for receiving a second user input for selecting an offer in the merchant container, code for communicating an identification of the offer and an identification of the user, and code for retrieving details of the offer and payment details of the user from a database, effecting payment using the details, and communicating a purchase confirmation content to be displayed in a window of the browser.
- the computer is preferably a messaging server, and the computer readable medium is one of a removable non-volatile random access memory, a hard disk drive, a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a similar computer readable medium known in the art.
- Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of an computer system comprising a plurality of user terminals, a content server and a merchant server for performing the method according a currently preferred embodiment of the present invention
- Figure 2 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention
- Figure 3 is an example of a web page including a merchant container
- Figure 4 is an example of a web page including a user interface for integrating a merchant container in a web page.
- a computer system 100 comprising a plurality of user terminals 102, 104, 106, 108, a content server 110 and a merchant server 112.
- the computer system 100 may be provided with a communications path between the different parts, i.e. the user terminals 102, 104, 106, 108, the content server 110 and the merchant server 112, such as by means of a computer network 114 such as the Internet.
- the different parts may be connected to the computer network 114 by means of wired or wireless (or a combination thereof) connection techniques selected based on the specific implementation, for example by means of a PSTN (Publicly Switched Telephone Network), a LAN (Local Area Network) or WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) connection.
- PSTN Publicly Switched Telephone Network
- LAN Local Area Network
- WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
- the user terminals 102, 104, 106, 108 may be different types of user terminals such as for example a combination of mobile phones, personal computers, laptops, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and other communication devices with a user interface and a capability of connecting to the computer network 114.
- the content server 110 and/or the merchant server 112 may comprise means for performing selected portions of the inventive method for providing an offer to a user. The method is described in more detail below in relation to figure 2.
- the content server 110 and/or the merchant server 112 may comprise processing means (not shown) such as a controller including a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable digital signal processor or another programmable device.
- the processing means can also be provided by a multipurpose server computer.
- the operational steps S1 - S9 preformed by the computer system 100 for providing an offer from a merchant to a user in a network environment connecting a user terminal provided with a web browser operated by the user, a content server, and a merchant server, are illustrated in figure 2.
- step S1 the content server 110 awaits a request for a first content data from the user of one of the user terminals 102, 104, 106, 108.
- the request is generally a call to a specific web page made within a browser window of one of the user terminals 102, 104, 106, 108, e.g. by entering the address of a web page or by clicking a link provided as a result of a search request or from a stored web page favourite.
- step S2 the request generates a response which in a general embodiment will be the transfer of a first content data from the content server 110 to be displayed in the browser window of one of the user terminals 102, 104, 106, 108.
- the first content data may for example be a web page containing text, images, and/or video clips.
- Within the first content data it may also be contained a link or some similar activation element that may be selected by the user. For example, the user may move a user controlled cursor over the link for activating the link (e.g. mouse over).
- This activation, step S3 may in turn activate a predefined merchant container to be displayed in the browser window, step S4.
- the predefined merchant container may be pre-loaded by initially "hidden” and only displayed (i.e. activated) when the user selects the activation element, e.g. the link displayed in the browser window.
- the merchant container may be displayed as superimposed onto the content displayed in the browser window, e.g. essentially covering a portion of the information initially displayed in the browser window.
- the merchant container may also be a pop-up window, i.e. displayed in a separate browser window or browser tab.
- the user views the content in the merchant container and is given the option to preview an offer.
- the offer is a song (music) or a video clip (movie).
- the user may be given the opportunity to listen to the song at a low bit rate, streamed or to listen to only a selected portion of the song.
- the offer is a video clip such as a movie
- the user may be given the opportunity to watch a trailer or a selected portion of the movie, possibly at a lower resolution.
- step S7 the user selects to accept the offer.
- the acceptance generates a user input which in turn generates a communication request, step S8, to the merchant server 112.
- the request preferably comprises payment details, after which the merchant server 112 may generate a payment procedure and provide a delivery of the offer to the user.
- the delivery of the offer may be included in a purchase confirmation which is displayed in the merchant container upon completion of the payment.
- the delivery may comprise a link for download of the offer in case of a song or a video clip, but may also include information regarding a physical delivery of for example a CD, a DVD, a Blue Ray disk or similar.
- the delivery may also be pushed and/or streamed to the user, using for example similar techniques as used for delivering music content using Spotify, video content using Voddler, etc.
- the payment details may include not only the user's credit card number, bank account number or cash account number, but also the home or office address of the user.
- FIG 3 it is shown an example of a browser 300 having a browser window 302 displaying a first content 306 and a merchant container 304.
- the merchant container 304 may me superimposed onto the first content 306 being displayed in the browser window 302 upon activating for example a link contained in the first content 306.
- the offer to the user may be accepted in two separate forms, e.g. by only accepting the offer to buy a single song (by clicking the "Buy MP3 button” 308) or by buying the complete album (by clicking of the "Buy CD button” 310). Additionally, the user may be given the opportunity to preview the offer by pressing a play button 312 which in turn will activate a preview version of the offer.
- the preview version of the offer is preferably executed within the merchant container 304, e.g. by activating an embedded flash animation or an active script portion.
- the merchant container 304 may also include a preview window 314 for video clips or cover art relating to a song (music).
- the user may select the close button 316 which will close the merchant container 304 and allow the user to return to the content 306 displayed in the browser window.
- the merchant container 304 also may close automatically when moving a user controlled cursor outside of the merchant container 304.
- the merchant container 304 may also be "moved around" within the browser window 302 by selecting a portion of the merchant container 304 and perform a "drag around procedure".
- FIG 4 it is illustrated an embodiment wherein a publicist, such as a blogger or similar creator, is connecting a text portion 402 within for example a web based blog 400 with an offer to a viewer/reader of the blog.
- the user interface 404 for connecting the text portion 402 with the offer may for example be integrated by means of a plug-in within the blog post interface for example provided by the ISP hosting the blog, e.g. the host of the content server the content server 110.
- the user interface 404 may for example include the option to search for specific content related ID's, 406, or by means of a free text search 408. Based on the result of the search, related albums, 410, or songs, 412, may be displayed to the publicist for selection.
- the OK button, 414 After which the plug-in will handle the connection between the content of the blog and the offer, e.g. by means of included selected code portions within the code to be requested when requesting the first content 312.
- the user may also change his mind and select the cancel button, 416, and thereby return to the positing of the blog without including the offer to the user. It should be noted that it may be possible to include only a single or an unlimited number of offers with the first content 312.
- computer readable media include recordable-type media, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a RAM, CD- ROMs, DVD-ROM's, and transmission-type media, such as digital and analog communications links, wired or wireless communications links using transmission forms, such as, for example, radio frequency and light wave transmissions.
- the computer readable media may take the form of coded formats that are decoded for actual use in a particular data processing system
- the computer system is of course not limited to only four user terminal, but more or less user terminals may be included in the computer system.
- the merchant server and the content server may in some cases be combined into a single server positioned at one server station.
- the content and the merchant server are generally separated and positioned at different cites hosted by different server providers.
- different means and methods may be used for implementing the inventive concept.
- a mixed programming environment is used for implementing the inventive concept, including for example PHP, AJAX, Java/Java Script, Flash and HTML.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US20205809P | 2009-01-26 | 2009-01-26 | |
US61/202,058 | 2009-01-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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WO2010085193A1 true WO2010085193A1 (en) | 2010-07-29 |
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ID=42356101
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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PCT/SE2009/051492 WO2010085193A1 (en) | 2009-01-26 | 2009-12-22 | Method for providing an offer to a user |
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Citations (7)
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EP0899674A2 (en) * | 1997-09-01 | 1999-03-03 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Electronic mall system |
US5960411A (en) * | 1997-09-12 | 1999-09-28 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications network |
EP1107198A2 (en) * | 1999-11-30 | 2001-06-13 | Citibank, Na | System and method for performing an electronic transaction using a transaction proxy with an electronic wallet |
WO2003044622A2 (en) * | 2001-11-15 | 2003-05-30 | First Data Corporation | Online purchasing method |
US20040098312A1 (en) * | 2002-11-19 | 2004-05-20 | American Express Travel Related Service Co., Inc. | System and method for facilitating interaction between consumer and merchant |
EP2104063A1 (en) * | 2008-03-19 | 2009-09-23 | Intius AB | Method and system for completing a transaction over a network |
US20090271250A1 (en) * | 2008-04-25 | 2009-10-29 | Doapp, Inc. | Method and system for providing an in-site sales widget |
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2009
- 2009-12-22 WO PCT/SE2009/051492 patent/WO2010085193A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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EP0899674A2 (en) * | 1997-09-01 | 1999-03-03 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Electronic mall system |
US5960411A (en) * | 1997-09-12 | 1999-09-28 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications network |
EP1107198A2 (en) * | 1999-11-30 | 2001-06-13 | Citibank, Na | System and method for performing an electronic transaction using a transaction proxy with an electronic wallet |
WO2003044622A2 (en) * | 2001-11-15 | 2003-05-30 | First Data Corporation | Online purchasing method |
US20040098312A1 (en) * | 2002-11-19 | 2004-05-20 | American Express Travel Related Service Co., Inc. | System and method for facilitating interaction between consumer and merchant |
EP2104063A1 (en) * | 2008-03-19 | 2009-09-23 | Intius AB | Method and system for completing a transaction over a network |
US20090271250A1 (en) * | 2008-04-25 | 2009-10-29 | Doapp, Inc. | Method and system for providing an in-site sales widget |
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