US5897622A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic shopping and merchandising system
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 1996-10-16
•
Granted: 1999-04-27
•
Expires: 2016-10-16
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a merchant system for online shopping and merchandising. The merchant system architecture provides great flexibility for a merchant to adapt the merchant system to their existing business practices, promotions and databases. The merchant system includes a dynamic page generator, a configurable order processing module and a database module capable of retrieving data from the database without regard to its schema. The present invention enables merchants to create electronic orders which are easily adaptable for different sales situations. The order processing module includes multiple configurable stages to process a merchant's electronic orders. The merchant system is capable of generating pages dynamically using templates having embedded directives. The database module and the dynamic page generator allow merchants to modify their databases and page displays without having to reengineer the merchant system.
Inventors
- 👤 Arnold Blinn
- 👤 Michael Ari Cohen
- 👤 Michael Lorton
- 👤 Gregory J. Stein
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 22:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/06; G06Q30/0601; G06Q30/0633; G06Q30/0635; G06Q30/0641; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 67
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A merchant system, comprising: a dynamic page generator to compose a page for display by processing a template having a database request for page data, wherein the database request is a query name; and a database module, in communication with a database and with the dynamic page generator, to retrieve page data from the database and to communicate the page data to the dynamic page generator, wherein the retrieved page data corresponds to a query stored in the database, wherein said query corresponds to said query name, and wherein the database module retrieves the data in a manner that is independent of any database schema.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
A merchant system, comprising: a dynamic page generator to compose a page for display by processing a template having a database request for page data, wherein the database request is a query name; and a database module, in communication with a database and with the dynamic page generator, to retrieve page data from the database and to communicate the page data to the dynamic page generator, wherein the retrieved page data corresponds to a query stored in the database, wherein said query corresponds to said query name, and wherein the database module retrieves the data in a manner that is independent of any database schema.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the database is defined by a single schema.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the database is defined by a plurality of schemas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the query is a SQL query.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the database module returns an access object having the page data to the dynamic page generator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the template includes HTML and directives.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The merchant system of claim 6, wherein the directive is a keyword specifying how to build the page for display.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 1, further comprising HTML structures in communication with the dynamic page generator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 8, wherein the HTML structures include a plurality of templates.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The merchant system of claim 8, wherein the HTML structures include a plurality of HTML pages.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 8, further comprising a browser in communication with the dynamic page generator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The merchant system of claim 11, wherein the browser sends a URL to the dynamic page generator indicating the template to display.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 11, wherein the dynamic page generator sends to the browser HTML resulting from the processing of the template.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 1, further comprising a browser in communication with the dynamic page generator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The merchant system of claim 14, wherein the browser sends a URL to the dynamic page generator indicating the template to display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 15, wherein the dynamic page generator sends to the browser HTML resulting from the processing of the template.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
92 words
A merchant system, comprising: an order processing module, which makes a request for order data using a query name; and a database module, in communication with a database and with the order processing module, to retrieve the order data from the database and to communicate the order data to the order processing module, wherein the retrieved order data corresponds to a query stored in the database, wherein said query corresponds to said query name, and wherein the database module retrieves the data in a manner that is independent of any database schema.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
92 words
A merchant system, comprising: an order processing module, which makes a request for order data using a query name; and a database module, in communication with a database and with the order processing module, to retrieve the order data from the database and to communicate the order data to the order processing module, wherein the retrieved order data corresponds to a query stored in the database, wherein said query corresponds to said query name, and wherein the database module retrieves the data in a manner that is independent of any database schema.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 17, wherein the database is defined by a single schema.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The merchant system of claim 17, wherein the database is defined by a plurality of schemas.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The merchant system of claim 17, wherein the guery is a SQL query.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 17, wherein the database module returns an access object having the order data to the order processing module.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
51 words
The merchant system of claim 17, wherein the order processing module comprises, an order pipeline having multiple stages, wherein each stage includes a plurality of components configured to process the order, and an order engine to determine which stages of the order pipeline to execute in order to process the order.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The merchant system of claim 22, wherein the sequence of execution of the stages in the order pipeline is configurable.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
14 words
The merchant system of claim 22, wherein the components within each stage are configurable.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The merchant system of claim 17, wherein the order comprises an order blackboard having key-value pairs.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 25, wherein the order further comprises an item blackboard having key-value pairs.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The merchant system of claim 26, wherein the component posts a portion of the order data retrieved from the database to the item blackboard in a key-value pair.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
28 words
The merchant system of claim 25, wherein the component posts a portion of the order data retrieved from the database to the order blackboard in a key-value pair.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
174 words
A merchant system, comprising: an order processing module having a plurality of components configured to create and process an order, wherein a component makes a component request for order data; a dynamic page generator, in communication with the order processing module, to compose a page for display by processing a template having a request for information from the order and a database request for page data, wherein the request for page data is a query name; and a database module, incommunication with a database and with the order processing module and with the dynamic page generator, to retrieve order data from the database and to communicate the order data to the order processing module and to retrieve page data from the database and to communicate the page data to the dynamic page generator, wherein the retrieved order data corresponds to a query stored in the database, wherein said query corresponds to said query name, and the database module retrieves the order and page data in a manner that is independent of any database schema.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
174 words
A merchant system, comprising: an order processing module having a plurality of components configured to create and process an order, wherein a component makes a component request for order data; a dynamic page generator, in communication with the order processing module, to compose a page for display by processing a template having a request for information from the order and a database request for page data, wherein the request for page data is a query name; and a database module, incommunication with a database and with the order processing module and with the dynamic page generator, to retrieve order data from the database and to communicate the order data to the order processing module and to retrieve page data from the database and to communicate the page data to the dynamic page generator, wherein the retrieved order data corresponds to a query stored in the database, wherein said query corresponds to said query name, and the database module retrieves the order and page data in a manner that is independent of any database schema.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
13 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the template includes HTML and directives.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
20 words
The merchant system of claim 30, wherein the directive is a keyword specifying how to build the page for display.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 29, further comprising HTML structures in communication with the dynamic page generator.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 32, wherein the HTML structures include a plurality of templates.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
16 words
The merchant system of claim 32, wherein the HTML structures include a plurality of HTML pages.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 32, further comprising a browser in communication with the dynamic page generator.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
22 words
The merchant system of claim 35, wherein the browser sends a URL to the dynamic page generator indicating the template to display.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 35, wherein the dynamic page generator sends to the browser HTML resulting from the processing of the template.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 29, further comprising a browser in communication with the dynamic page generator.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
22 words
The merchant system of claim 38, wherein the browser sends a URL to the dynamic page generator indicating the template to display.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 38, wherein the dynamic page generator sends to the browser HTML resulting from the processing of the template.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
24 words
The merchant system of claim 38, further comprising an action manager in communication with the browser, the order processing unit and the database module.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
21 words
The merchant system of claim 41, wherein the browser sends a URL to the action manager indicating an action to perform.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
18 words
The merchant system of claim 41, wherein the action manager redirects the browser to display a selected page.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 41, wherein the action manager retrieves data from the database.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 41, wherein the action manager saves data to the database.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
27 words
The merchant system of claim 41, wherein the action manager creates a new order having an order blackboard and posts a key-value pair to the order blackboard.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
30 words
The merchant system of claim 41, wherein the action manager retrieves the order having an order blackboard from the database module and posts a key-value pair to the order blackboard.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
30 words
The merchant system of claim 41, wherein the action manager retrieves the order having an item blackboard from the database module and posts a key-value pair to the item blackboard.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
51 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the order processing module comprises, an order pipeline having multiple stages, wherein each stage includes a plurality of components configured to process the order, and an order engine to determine which stages of the order pipeline to execute in order to process the order.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
20 words
The merchant system of claim 49, wherein the sequence of execution of the stages in the order pipeline is configurable.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
14 words
The merchant system of claim 49, wherein the components within each stage are configurable.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
16 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the order comprises an order blackboard having key-value pairs.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
17 words
The merchant system of claim 52, wherein the order further comprises an item blackboard having key-value pairs.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
27 words
The merchant system of claim 53, wherein the component posts a portion of the data retrieved from the database to the item blackboard in a key-value pair.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
24 words
The merchant system of claim 52, wherein the dynamic page generator extracts the information from the order using a key from a key-value pair.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
27 words
The merchant system of claim 52, wherein the component posts a portion of the data retrieved from the database to the order blackboard in a key-value pair.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the database is defined by a single schema.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
16 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the database is defined by a plurality of schemas.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
13 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the query is a SQL query.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the component request is a component query name.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
21 words
The merchant system of claim 60, wherein the database module uses the component query name to retrieve a corresponding SQL query.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
15 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the component request is stored in the database.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the database module returns an access object having the page data to the dynamic page generator.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
23 words
The merchant system of claim 29, wherein the database module returns an access object having the order data to the dynamic page generator.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-04-26 | 2002-10-26 | 2003-04-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-04-26 | 2006-10-26 | 2007-04-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-04-26 | 2010-10-26 | 2011-04-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |