Granted Patent B2

US 8,666,825 · App. 12/606,103 · Granted Mar 4, 2014

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A method for embedding e-commerce and community building capability into an Internet-connected seller website hosted by a seller, comprising steps:

(a) maintaining on an Internet-connected e-commerce server, separate from the seller website, a product database of products to be sold by a seller on the seller website;

(b) incorporating a seller script that is executable in a web browser into at least one web page displaying at least one image representing a product offered for sale by the seller on the seller website, such that the script is executed each time the one or more web pages are opened in a browser application;

(c) in response to a buyer, operating an Internet-connected computerized appliance separate from the seller website and the e-commerce server, using an Internet browser application, opening a web page on the seller website, downloading to the buyer's web browser upon execution of the seller script a dynamic page analyzer application from the ecommerce server;

(d) executing the dynamic page analyzer application by the buyer's web browser, determining by functions of the dynamic page analyzer one or more images in the web page requiring an interactive toolbar, and adding an interactive toolbar in the web page proximate each image requiring an interactive toolbar, each interactive toolbar including at least one e-commerce control corresponding to a product;

(e) requesting by the web browser, in response to selection of an e-commerce control from a toolbar by the buyer, that the e-commerce server provide a dynamic cart script to the buyer's web browser;

(f) upon execution of the dynamic cart script by the buyer's web browser, displaying a dynamic cart that enables the buyer to interactively specify an order for the product corresponding to the e-commerce control and to the image corresponding to the toolbar; and

(g) sending the specification of the order to the e-commerce server for fulfillment of the order.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) maintaining a buyer database comprising records of buyers, each record including method of payment information; and

(i) using the buyer's method of payment information to electronically obtain payment for the order.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending, by the e-commerce server, the specification of the order to the seller of the product for fulfillment.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising a seller portal that enables the seller to specify from a list of available products which products to enable the buyer to order.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) maintaining a community database that stores information about buyers' interest in each product; and

(i) enabling the seller to view information regarding buyers' interest in each product.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the seller to specify whether a toolbar should be positioned above or below its corresponding image.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the seller to specify a minimum image dimension such that no toolbar is added near images whose height or width is less than the minimum image dimension.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each toolbar may further include a control to select the corresponding image as a favorite.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising enabling a buyer to view information for each image the buyer has selected as a favorite.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the buyer has an account at a social network site, further comprising adding a link in the buyer's account to each image the buyer selects as a favorite.

11. A system for embedding e-commerce and community building capability into a seller website, comprising:

an Internet-connected e-commerce server executing coded intelligence from a non-transitory physical medium, the coded intelligence maintaining a product database of products to be sold by a seller;

an Internet-connected seller website separate from the e-commerce server, having web pages displaying the products to be sold and incorporating a seller script that is executable in a web browser into at least one web page on the seller website, such that the script is executed each time the one or more web pages are opened in a browser application;

an Internet-connected computerized appliance separate from the seller website and the e-commerce server, the computerized appliance operated by a buyer and executing a buyer's web browser;

a dynamic page analyzer application downloaded from the e-commerce server to a page of the seller web site in response to the buyer accessing the page causing the seller script to execute, the dynamic page analyzer determining images in the page requiring addition of an interactive toolbar, and adding an interactive toolbar proximate each such image, each toolbar including at least one ecommerce control corresponding to a product;

a dynamic cart script provided by the e-commerce server to the buyer's web browser, the dynamic cart script executed in response to the buyer selecting an e-commerce control in an interactive toolbar for a product, execution displaying to the buyer a dynamic cart that enables the buyer to specify an order for the product corresponding to the e-commerce control and to the image corresponding to the tool bar,

the order sent to the e-commerce server for fulfillment.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising the e-commerce server maintaining a buyer database comprising records of buyers, each record including method of payment information, and using the buyer's method of payment information to electronically obtain payment for the order.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising a fulfillment processor sending the specification of the order to the seller of the product for fulfillment.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the e-commerce server further comprises a seller portal for enabling the seller to specify from a list of available products which products to enable the buyer to order.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the seller portal further enables the seller to specify whether a toolbar should be positioned above or below its corresponding image.

16. The system of claim 11 :

wherein the e-commerce server maintains a community database that stores information about buyers' interest in each product and enables sellers to view information regarding buyers' interest in each product.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the e-commerce server, through the seller portal, enables the seller to specify a minimum image dimension such that no tool bar is added near images whose height or width is less than the minimum image dimension.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein each toolbar may further include a control to select the corresponding image as a favorite.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the e-commerce server, through the buyer portal, enables a buyer to view information for each image the buyer has selected as a favorite.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the e-commerce server provides a link in a social network account belonging to the buyer to each image the buyer selects as a favorite.

Assignments (10)