IBG 1015
`CBM of U.S. Patent No. 6,772,132
`
`001
`
`

`
`5,960,411
`Page 2
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Nance, Barry, “Reviews: A Grand Opening for Virtual
`Storefront With Middleware.” Jun. 1, 1997, CMP Media,
`Inc.
`1997,
`p.
`80,
`http://www.elibrary.com/getdoc.egi?id=11
`docid=
`1257247@library_a&dtype=0~0&dinst=0. [Accessed Nov.
`19, 1998].
`“Go—Cart Shopping Cart Software Features.” 1996 GO
`International,
`Inc. http://www.go—cart.com/features.html.
`[Accessed Nov. 19, 1998].
`
`“PerlShop Manual (Version 2.2).” 1996, ARPAnct Corp.
`http://www.w3u.com/grokksoft/shop/perlman.html.
`[Ac-
`cessed Nov. 19, 1998].
`“Sax Software Announces Sax NetSel1; Sax NetSe1l’s
`design—time ActiveX controls make Internet commerce
`easy.”1997, Sax Software Corp.
`Baron, Chris and Bob Weil, “Implementing a Web Shopping
`Cart,”Dr. D0bb’s Journal, Sep. 1996, pp. 64, 66, 68-69, and
`83-85.
`
`Hoque, Reaz, “A Shopping Cart Application with JavaS-
`cript,” Web Techniques, May 1998, pp. 63, 65-66, and 68.
`
`002
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28,1999
`
`Sheet 1 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Summary Description of Item
`
`102
`
`Add it to your shopping cart
`
`(You can always cancel later .
`
`.
`
`. )
`
`NEW! Order faster with 1-Click!
`
`(You can cancel within 90 minutes )
`
`1033 Buy item and ship to:
`
`103b John Doe at home
`
`1036 Check shipping address or change 1-click settings
`
`103d Learn more about 1-click express ordering
`
`Detail Description of Item
`
`003
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28,1999
`
`Sheet 2 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Thank you for your 1-click order!
`
`A quantity of l of |the item| will be shipped to you
`
`as soon as possible. We will do our best to
`
`minimize your shipping costs by combining your
`
`1-click orders into as few shipments as possible.
`
`Please continue browsing.
`
`Review or change your 1-click orders
`
`Summary Description of Item
`
`004
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28,1999
`
`Sheet 3 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Summary of 1-Click Express Orders
`
`Press this button if you Changed Quantities of any item
`
`below. If you don't press it, your changes won't "stick."
`
`You can set the quantity to 0 (zero) to cancel an item.
`
`The 1-click orders below (available in 3 or fewer days)
`
`will be shipped together.
`
`Order # 098337
`
`Item 1
`
`Item 2
`
`Total
`
`$10.00
`
`$15.00
`
`$25.00
`
`The 1-click orders below (available in one week or more)
`
`will be shipped together.
`
`Order # 098336
`
`Item 3
`
`Item 4
`
`Total
`
`Ship to:
`
`John Doe at home
`
`Shipment Method:
`
`Standard Domestic Shipping
`
`Payment Method:
`
`**** **** ***1_2345
`
`Continue Shopping
`
`1-Click Express shipping policies
`
`Fig. 1C
`
`005
`
`

`
`221
`
`Browser
`
`222
`
`Web Pages
`
`Client ID/
`
`
`
`111313cI'S'fl
`
`
`
`6661‘SZ°d9S
`
`[IJ017199118
`
`006
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28,1999
`
`Sheet 5 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Enable Single-Action
`Ordering
`
`Retrieve client ID
`
`Set client ID/customer
`
`mapping
`
`Set single-action
`ordering for client
`ID/customer
`
`Return confirming
`
`web page
`
`007
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28,1999
`
`Sheet 6 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Generate Item
`
`Web Page
`
`Generate standard
`
`shopping cart web
`page for item
`
`Single
`Action flag set
`for client ID/
`
`customer
`
`Add sing1e—action
`section to web page
`
`008
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28,1999
`
`Sheet 7 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Process Single-
`Action Order
`
`Availability
`of item
`
`Is
`sh0rt—term order
`open for
`customer
`
`N
`
`Create short-term
`order
`
`503
`
`504
`
`Add item to short-term
`order
`
`ong—term order
`open for
`Customer
`
`Create long—term
`order
`
`507
`
`Add item to long-term
`order
`
`508
`
`Generate and send
`
`Confirmation
`
`Fig. 5
`
`009
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28,1999
`
`Sheet 8 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Generate Single-
`
`Order Summary
`
`Generate standard web
`
`Page
`
`Short-term
`
`order open
`
`Add short-term order
`
`to web page
`
`Long-term
`order open
`
`Add long-term order
`to Web page
`
`010
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep. 28, 1999
`
`Sheet 9 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`Expedited Order
`Selection
`
`701
`
`Select next group with
`all sibling orders filled
`
`Combine and schedule
`
`orders in selected
`
`group
`
`All
`
`such groups
`already
`selected
`
`Select next group with
`partially filled order
`that has largest next
`fulfillment time
`
`Combine and schedule
`
`orders in selected
`
`group
`
`All
`
`such groups
`already
`selected
`
`011
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep.28, 1999
`
`Sheet 10 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`START
`
`Customer Name & Address
`
`Customer Financial Info
`
`Customer Employment Info
`
`Customer Education Info
`
`Fig. 8A
`
`First Name :
`
`M.I.
`
`Last Name
`
`Stmet
`
`City
`
`State
`
`I
`
`=
`
`: |:]
`
`Z11“:
`
`Customer Financial Info
`
`Customer Employment Info
`
`Customer Education Info
`
`Fig. 8B
`
`012
`
`

`
`Sep.28, 1999
`
`Sheet 11 of 11
`
`5,960,411
`
`A:
`
`Customer Name & Address
`
`Net Worth:
`
`Annual Income:
`
`Spouse's Annual Income:
`
`Other Income:
`
`Next
`
`Previous
`
`Customer Employment Info
`
`Customer Education Info
`
`Fig. 8C
`
`013
`
`

`
`5,960,41 1
`
`1
`METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PLACING A
`PURCHASE ORDER VIA A
`COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`The present invention relates to a computer method and
`system for placing an order and, more particularly,
`to a
`method and system for ordering items over the Internet.
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and
`computer networks that are interconnected through commu-
`nication links. The interconnected computers exchange
`information using various services, such as electronic mail,
`Gopher, and the World Wide Web (“WWW”). The WWW
`service allows a server computer system (i.e., Web server or
`Web site) to send graphical Web pages of information to a
`remote client computer system. The remote client computer
`system can then display the Web pages. Each resource (e.g.,
`computer or Web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable
`by a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”). To view a specific
`Web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for
`that Web page in a request (e.g., a HyperText Transfer
`Protocol (“HTTP”) request). The request is forwarded to the
`Web server that supports that Web page. When that Web
`server receives the request, it sends that Web page to the
`client computer system. When the client computer system
`receives that Web page, it typically displays the Web page
`using a browser. A browser is a special-purpose application
`program that effects the requesting of Web pages and the
`displaying of Web pages.
`Currently, Web pages are typically defined using Hyper-
`Text Markup Language (“HTML”). HTML provides a stan-
`dard set of tags that define how a Web page is to be
`displayed. When a user indicates to the browser to display a
`Web page, the browser sends a request to the server com-
`puter system to transfer to the client computer system an
`HTML document
`that defines the Web page. When the
`requested HTML document is received by the client com-
`puter system, the browser displays the Web page as defined
`by the HTML document. The HTML document 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 or other server computer systems.
`The World Wide Web is especially conducive to conduct-
`ing electronic commerce. Many Web servers have been
`developed through which vendors can advertise and sell
`product. The products can include items (e.g., music) that
`are delivered electronically to the purchaser over the Internet
`and items (e.g., books) that are delivered through conven-
`tional distribution channels (e.g., a common carrier). A
`server computer system may provide an electronic version
`of a catalog that lists the items that are available. Auser, who
`is a potential purchaser, may browse through the catalog
`using a browser and select various items that are to be
`purchased. When the user has completed selecting the items
`to be purchased, the server computer system then prompts
`the user for information to complete the ordering of the
`items. This purchaser-specific order information may
`include the purchaser’s name, the purchaser’s credit card
`number, and a shipping address for the order. The server
`computer system then typically confirms the order by send-
`ing a confirming Web page to the client computer system and
`schedules shipment of the items.
`Since the purchaser-specific order information contains
`sensitive information (e.g., a credit card number), both
`
`2
`vendors and purchasers want to ensure the security of such
`information. Security is a concern because information
`transmitted over the Internet may pass through various
`intermediate computer systems on its way to its final desti-
`nation. The information could be intercepted by an unscru-
`pulous person at an intermediate system. To help ensure the
`security of the sensitive information, various encryption
`techniques are used when transmitting such information
`between a client computer system and a server computer
`system. Even though such encrypted information can be
`intercepted, because the information is encrypted,
`it
`is
`generally useless to the interceptor. Nevertheless, there is
`always a possibility that such sensitive information may be
`successfully decrypted by the interceptor. Therefore,
`it
`would be desirable to minimize the sensitive information
`
`transmitted when placing an order.
`The selection of the various items from the electronic
`
`catalogs is generally based on the “shopping cart” model.
`When the purchaser selects an item from the electronic
`catalog,
`the server computer system metaphorically adds
`that item to a shopping cart. When the purchaser is done
`selecting items, then all the items in the shopping cart are
`“checked out” (i.e., ordered) when the purchaser provides
`billing and shipment information. In some models, when a
`purchaser selects any one item, then that item is “checked
`out” by automatically prompting the user for the billing and
`shipment information. Although the shopping cart model is
`very flexible and intuitive,
`it has a downside in that it
`requires many interactions by the purchaser. For example,
`the purchaser selects the various items from the electronic
`catalog, and then indicates that the selection is complete.
`The purchaser is then presented with an order Web page that
`prompts the purchaser for the purchaser-specific order infor-
`mation to complete the order. That Web page may be
`prefilled with information that was provided by the pur-
`chaser when placing another order. The information is then
`validated by the server computer system, and the order is
`completed. Such an ordering model can be problematic for
`a couple of reasons. If a purchaser is ordering only one item,
`then the overhead of confirming the various steps of the
`ordering process and waiting for, viewing, and updating the
`purchaser-specific order information can be much more than
`the overhead of selecting the item itself. This overhead
`makes the purchase of a single item cumbersome. Also, with
`such an ordering model, each time an order is placed
`sensitive information is transmitted over the Internet. Each
`time the sensitive information is transmitted over
`the
`
`Internet, it is susceptible to being intercepted and decrypted.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`invention provides a
`An embodiment of the present
`method and system for ordering an item from a client
`system. The client system is provided with an identifier that
`identifies a customer. The client system displays information
`that identifies the item and displays an indication of an
`action (e.g., a single action such as clicking a mouse button)
`that a purchaser is to perform to order the identified item. In
`response to the indicated action being performed, the client
`system sends to a server system the provided identifier and
`a request to order the identified item. The server system uses
`the identifier to identify additional information needed to
`generate an order for the item and then generates the order.
`The server system receives and stores the additional
`information for customers using various computer systems
`so that the server system can generate such orders. The
`server system stores the received additional information in
`association with an identifier of the customer and provides
`
`014
`
`

`
`5,960,41 1
`
`3
`the identifier to the client system. When requested by the
`client system,
`the server system provides information
`describing the item to the requesting client system. When the
`server system receives a request from a client system, the
`server system combines the additional information stored in
`association with the identifier included in the request to
`effect the ordering of the item.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIGS. 1A—1C illustrate single-action ordering in one
`embodiment of the present invention.
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of
`the present invention.
`FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a routine that enables
`single-action ordering for a customer.
`FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a routine to generate a Web
`page in which single-action ordering is enabled.
`FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a routine which processes a
`single-action order.
`FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a routine for generating a
`single-action order summary Web page.
`FIG. 7 is a fiow diagram of a routine that implements an
`expedited order selection algorithm.
`FIGS. 8A—8C illustrate a hierarchical data entry mecha-
`nism in one embodiment.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`The present invention provides a method and system for
`single-action ordering of items in a client/server environ-
`ment. The single-action ordering system of the present
`invention reduces the number of purchaser interactions
`needed to place an order and reduces the amount of sensitive
`information that is transmitted between a client system and
`a server system. In one embodiment,
`the server system
`assigns a unique client identifier to each client system. The
`server system also stores purchaser-specific order informa-
`tion for various potential purchasers. The purchaser-specific
`order information may have been collected from a previous
`order placed by the purchaser. The server system maps each
`client identifier to a purchaser that may use that client system
`to place an order. The server system may map the client
`identifiers to the purchaser who last placed an order using
`that client system. When a purchaser wants to place an order,
`the purchaser uses a client system to send the request for
`information describing the item to be ordered along with its
`client identifier. The server system determines whether the
`client identifier for that client system is mapped to a pur-
`chaser. If so mapped, the server system determines whether
`single-action ordering is enabled for that purchaser at that
`client system.
`If enabled,
`the server system sends the
`requested information (e.g., via a Web page) to the client
`computer system along with an indication of the single
`action to perform to place the order for the item. When
`single-action ordering is enabled, the purchaser need only
`perform a single action (e.g., click a mouse button) to order
`the item. When the purchaser performs that single action, the
`client system notifies the server system. The server system
`then completes the order by adding the purchaser-specific
`order information for the purchaser that is mapped to that
`client identifier to the item order information (e.g., product
`identifier and quantity). Thus, once the description of an
`item is displayed,
`the purchaser need only take a single
`action to place the order to purchase that item. Also, since
`the client identifier identifies purchaser-specific order infor-
`
`4
`mation already stored at the server system, there is no need
`for such sensitive information to be transmitted via the
`Internet or other communications medium.
`
`FIGS. 1A—1C illustrate single-action ordering in one
`embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A illustrates the
`display of a Web page describing an item that may be
`ordered. This example Web page was sent from the server
`system to the client system when the purchaser requested to
`review detailed information about the item. This example
`Web page contains a summary description section 101, a
`shopping cart section 102, a single-action ordering section
`103, and a detailed description section 104. One skilled in
`the art would appreciate that these various sections can be
`omitted or rearranged or adapted in various ways. In general,
`the purchaser need only be aware of the item or items to be
`ordered by the single action and of the single action needed
`to place the order. The summary description and the detailed
`description sections provide information that identifies and
`describes the item(s) that may be ordered. The shopping cart
`section provides the conventional capability to add the
`described item to a shopping cart. The server system adds
`the summary description, the detailed description, and the
`shopping cart sections to each Web page for an item that may
`be ordered. The server system, however, only adds the
`single-action ordering section when single-action ordering is
`enabled for that purchaser at that client system. (One skilled
`in the art would appreciate that a single Web page on the
`server system may contain all these sections but the single-
`action ordering section can be selectively included or
`excluded before sending the Web page to the client system.)
`This example single-action ordering section allows the pur-
`chaser to specify with a single click of a mouse button to
`order the described item. Once the purchaser clicks the
`mouse button, the item is ordered, unless the purchaser then
`takes some action to modify the order. The single-action
`ordering section contains a single-action ordering button
`103a, purchaser identification subsection 103b, and single-
`action ordering information subsections 103c and 103d. The
`purchaser information subsection displays enough informa-
`tion so that the purchaser can verify that the server system
`correctly recognizes the purchaser. To reduce the chances of
`sensitive information being intercepted, the server system
`sends only enough information so that
`the purchaser is
`confident
`that
`the server system correctly identified the
`purchaser but yet not enough information to be useful to an
`unscrupulous interceptor. The additional information sub-
`sections allow the purchaser to obtain various settings or
`obtain more information related to the single-action order-
`ing. If the purchaser wants to verify the shipping address, the
`purchaser can select the “check shipping address” label. In
`response to this selection, the server system may require the
`purchaser to perform a “login” so that the identity of the
`purchaser can be verified before the shipping information is
`viewed or modified. The server system then sends a Web
`page to the client system for display and possible modifi-
`cation of the shipping address. In this way, the transmitting
`of the sensitive shipping address can be avoided unless
`requested by the verified purchaser.
`When the purchaser selects the single-action ordering
`button,
`the client system sends a message to the server
`system requesting that the displayed item be ordered. After
`the server system processes the message, the server system
`provides to the client system a new Web page that confirms
`receipt of the single-action order. FIG. 1B illustrates the
`display of a Web page confirming a single-action order. The
`confirming Web page contains essentially the same infor-
`mation as the Web page describing the item (i.e., FIG. 1A)
`
`015
`
`

`
`5,960,41 1
`
`5
`except that an order confirmation section 105 is displayed at
`the top of the Web page. The order confirmation section
`confirms that the order has been placed and provides an
`opportunity for the purchaser to review and change the
`single-action order. Alternatively, the confirming Web page
`can be identical to the Web page describing the item (i.e.,
`FIG. 1A), except that the single-action ordering button is
`replaced with a message confirming the order.
`If a single-action ordering is not currently enabled for the
`client system but could be enabled, then the server system
`can generate a Web page like FIG. 1A, except that the
`single-action ordering button 103a is replaced by a single-
`action ordering enable button. Such a replacement button
`could contain text instructing the purchaser to click on the
`button to enable single-action ordering. When the purchaser
`clicks on that button, the server system would send the Web
`page of FIG. 1A to be displayed. Single-action ordering can
`be enabled whenever the server system has stored sufficient
`purchaser-specific order information for that client system to
`complete a single-action order. If the server system does not
`have sufficient information, then when the purchaser selects
`the single-action ordering button,
`the server system can
`provide a Web page to collect the additional information that
`is needed. The server system may require the purchaser to
`“login” so that the identity of the purchaser can be verified
`before the single-action ordering is enabled.
`To help minimize shipping costs and purchaser confusion,
`the server system may combine various single-action orders
`into a multiple-item order. For example, if a purchaser
`orders one item using the single-action ordering and five
`minutes later orders another item using the single-action
`ordering, then those orders may be cost effectively combined
`into a single order for shipping. The server system combines
`the single-action orders when their expected ship dates are
`similar. For example, if one item is immediately available
`and the other item will be available in one day, then the two
`single-action orders may be cost-effectively combined.
`However, if the other item will not be available for two
`weeks, then the two single-item orders would not be com-
`bined. FIG. 1C illustrates the display of a Web page repre-
`senting four single-action orders that have been combined
`into two separate multiple-item orders based on the avail-
`ability of the items. The order information 106 indicates that
`item 1 and item 2, which will be available in three or fewer
`days, have been combined into one order. The order infor-
`mation 107 indicates that items 3 and 4, which will not be
`available within one week, are combined into a separate
`order. In one embodiment, the server system may combine
`single-action orders that are placed within a certain time
`period (e.g., 90 minutes). Also,
`the server system may
`combine or divide orders when the orders are scheduled for
`
`shipment based on the then current availability of the items
`ordered. This delayed modification of the orders is referred
`to as “expedited order selection” and is described below in
`detail.
`
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of
`the present invention. This embodiment supports the single-
`action ordering over the Internet using the World Wide Web.
`The server system 210 includes a server engine 211, a client
`identifier/customer table 212, various Web pages 213, a
`customer database 214, an order database 215, and an
`inventory database 216. The server engine receives HTTP
`requests to access Web pages identified by URLs and
`provides the Web pages to the various client systems. Such
`an HTTP request may indicate that the purchaser has per-
`formed the single action to effect single-action ordering. The
`customer database contains customer information for vari-
`
`6
`ous purchasers or potential purchasers. The customer infor-
`mation includes purchaser-specific order information such
`as the name of the customer, billing information, and ship-
`ping information. The order database 215 contains an entry
`for each order that has not yet been shipped to a purchaser.
`The inventory database 216 contains a description of the
`various items that may be ordered. The client identifier/
`customer table 212 contains a mapping from each client
`identifier, which is a globally unique identifier that uniquely
`identifies a client system, to the customer last associated
`with that client system. The client system 220 contains a
`browser and its assigned client identifier. The client identi-
`fier is stored in a file, referred to as a “cookie.” In one
`embodiment, the server system assigns and sends the client
`identifier to the client system once when the client system
`first interacts with the server system. From then on, the client
`system includes its client identifier with all messages sent to
`the server system so that the server system can identify the
`source of the message. The server and client systems interact
`by exchanging information via communications link 230,
`which may include transmission over the Internet.
`One skilled in the art would appreciate that the single-
`action ordering techniques can be used in various environ-
`ments other than the Internet. For example, single-action
`ordering can also be in an electronic mail environment in
`which an item is described in an electronic mail message
`along with an indication of the single action that is to be
`performed to effect the ordering of the item. Also, various
`communication channels may be used such as local area
`network, wide area network, or point-to-point dial up con-
`nection. Also, a server system may comprise any combina-
`tion of hardware or software that can generate orders in
`response to the single action being performed. A client
`system may comprise any combination of hardware or
`software that can interact with the server system. These
`systems may include television-based systems or various
`other consumer products through which orders may be
`placed.
`FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a routine that enables
`single-action ordering for a customer. To enable single-
`action ordering, a server system needs to have information
`about
`the customer that
`is equivalent
`to the purchaser-
`specific order information. The server system can obtain this
`information in various ways. First, the server system could
`ask the customer if they would like to have single-action
`ordering enabled. If so, then the server system could prompt
`the customer using a Web page for the purchaser-specific
`order information. Second, the server system could also save
`the purchaser-specific order information collected when an
`order is placed conventionally. The server system could,
`either automatically or with the customer’s assent, enable
`single-action ordering.
`In step 301,
`the server system
`retrieves the client identifier that was sent by the client
`system. In step 302, the server system updates the client
`identifier/customer table to indicate that the generated client
`identifier has been associated with that customer. In step
`303, the server system sets a flag indicating that single-
`action ordering is enabled for that client identifier and that
`customer combination. That flag may be stored in the client
`identifier/customer table. In step 304,
`the server system
`supplies a confirming Web page to the client system. The
`next time a purchaser attempts to order an item, the client
`system will supply its client identifier to the server system.
`If single-action ordering is enabled for that purchaser, the
`server system will assume that the purchaser is the customer
`associated with that client identifier in the client identifier/
`customer table. Thus, a purchaser may not want to allow the
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`016
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`5,960,41 1
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`7
`server system to enable single-action ordering if there is a
`possibility that someone else may use that same client
`system.
`FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a routine to generate a Web
`page in which single-action ordering is enabled. When
`single-action ordering is enabled, the server system gener-
`ates a Web page describing an item as is conventionally done
`and then adds a single-action ordering section.
`In one
`embodiment,
`the server system adds partial purchaser-
`specific order information to the section. This information
`may include the customer’s name, a shipping address moni-
`ker selected by the purchaser (e.g., “at home”), and the last
`five digits of a credit card number or a nickname selected by
`the purchaser. Such partial information should be the mini-
`mum information sufficient
`to indicate to the purchaser
`whether or not
`the server system is using the correct
`purchaser-specific order information. In step 401, the server
`system generates a standard shopping cart-type Web page
`for the item. In step 402, if the single-action ordering flag
`has been set
`for
`the client
`identifier and customer
`combination, then the server system continues at step 403,
`else the server system completes. In step 403, the server
`system adds the single-action section to the Web page and
`completes.
`FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a routine which processes a
`single-action order. When a purchaser performs the single
`action needed to place an order, the client system notifies the
`server system. The server system then combines the
`purchaser-specific order information for the customer asso-
`ciated with the client system with the item order information
`to complete the order. The single-action order may also be
`combined with other single-action orders and possibly with
`other conventionally placed orders to reduce shipping costs.
`In one embodiment, single-action orders can be combined if
`they are placed within a certain time period of each other
`(e.g., 90 minutes). This routine illustrates the combining of
`the single-action orders into a short-term order (e.g., avail-
`able to be shipped in less than a week) and a long-term order
`(e.g., available to be shipped in more than a week). One
`skilled in the art would appreciate that the single-action
`orders can be combined in various ways based on other
`factors, such as size of shipment and intermediate-term
`availability. In step 501, if the item is expected to be shipped
`in the short term, then the server system continues at step
`502, else the server system continues at step 505. In step
`502, if a short-term order has already been opened for the
`purchaser, then the server system continues at step 504, else
`the server system continues at step 503. In step 503, the
`server system creates a short-term order for the purchaser. In
`step 504, the server system adds the item to the short-term
`order and continues at step 508. In step 505, if a long-term
`order has already been opened for the purchaser, then the
`server system continues at step 507, else the server system
`continues at step 506. In step 506, the server system creates
`a long-term order for the purchaser. In step 507, the server
`system adds the item to the long-term order. In step 508, the
`server system generates and sends the confirmation and
`completes.
`FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a routine for generating a
`single-action order summary Web page. This Web page (e.g.,
`FIG. 1C) gives the user the opportunity to view and modify
`the short-term and long-term single-action orders. In step
`601, the server system adds the standard single-action order
`information to the Web page. In step 602, if a short-term
`order is open, then the server system adds the short-term
`order to the Web page in step 603. In step 604, if a long-term
`order is open, then the server system adds the long-term
`order information to the Web page in step 605 and com-
`pletes.
`
`8
`FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a routine that implements an
`expedited order selection algorithm. The goal of the expe-
`dited order selection algorithm is to minimize the number of
`orders sent to each destination so that shipping costs are
`reduced. A destination may be a specific shipping address
`plus a specific purchaser’s billing details. Orders that are
`sent to the same destination are known as “sibling orders.”
`The algorithm has two stages. In the first stage, the algorithm
`schedules for shipment the orders for destinations for which
`all the sibling orders are filled. An order is filled when all its
`items are currently in inventory (i.e., available) and can be
`shipped. For each group of sibling orders,
`the algorithm
`combines those sibling orders into a single combined order
`so that only one order is currently scheduled for shipment to
`each destination. In the second stage, the algorithm com-
`bines and schedules groups of sibling orders for which some
`of the sibling orders are not filled or partially filled. The
`algorithm may split each partially filled sibling order into a
`filled sibling order and a completely unfilled sibling order.
`The algorithm then combines all the filled sibling orders into
`a single combined order and schedules the combined order
`for shipment. If any group has only one sibling order and
`that order is partially filled,
`then the algorithm in one
`embodiment does not split that order to avoid making an
`extra shipment to that destination.
`During the second stage, the algorithm may select and
`schedule groups of sibling orders in a sequence that is based
`on the next fulfillment time for an item in the group. The
`next fulfillment time for a group of sibling orders is the
`minimum expected fulfillment time of the items in that
`group of sibling orders. For example, if a group of sibling
`orders has seven items that are not yet fulfilled and their
`expected fulfillment times range from 3 days to 14 days,