US6629135B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Affiliate commerce system and method
Assignee: DDR Holdings LLC
•
Filing: 1999-09-17
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Granted: 2003-09-30
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Expires: 2019-09-17
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is directed to an e-commerce outsourcing system and method that provides hosts with transparent, context sensitive e-commerce supported pages. The look and feel of a target host is captured for future use. The look and feel is captured by receiving the identification of an example page on the target host, retrieving the page, identifying the look and feel elements of the identified page and storing the identified elements. The host is provided with links correlating the host with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website for serving to a visitor computer, wherein the provided link correlates the host website with a selected commerce object contextually related to material in the page. The commerce object can be a product, a product category or a dynamic selection indicator. Upon activation of the provided link, the visitor computer is served with an e-commerce supported page with the look and feel of the host website associated with the activated link and with content based upon the commerce object associated with the activated link. Where the commerce object is a dynamic selection indicator the content is selected at the time of activation based upon an analysis of the page containing the activated link.
Inventors
- 👤 D. Delano Ross, Jr.
- 👤 Daniel D. Ross
- 👤 Joseph R. Michaels
- 👤 William R. May
- 👤 Richard A. Anderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 13:17
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/06; G06Q30/0601; G06Q30/0633; G06Q30/0635; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0241; G06Q30/0273; G06Q30/0274; G06Q30/0613
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
An e-commerce outsourcing system providing a host website in communication with a visitor computer with context sensitive, transparent e-commerce support pages, comprising: a) a data store including a look and feel description associated with a host website; b) a communications link to a visitor computer; and c) a processor for executing instructions that perform the steps of: i) capturing a look and feel description associated with a host website; ii) storing the captured look and feel description in the data store; iii) providing the host website with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website correlating the host website with a selected commerce object; and iv) upon receiving an activation of the provided link via the communication link, serving an e-commerce supported page via the communication link with a look and feel corresponding to the captured look and feel description of the host website associated with the provided link and with content based on the commerce object associated with the provided link.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
An e-commerce outsourcing system providing a host website in communication with a visitor computer with context sensitive, transparent e-commerce support pages, comprising: a) a data store including a look and feel description associated with a host website; b) a communications link to a visitor computer; and c) a processor for executing instructions that perform the steps of: i) capturing a look and feel description associated with a host website; ii) storing the captured look and feel description in the data store; iii) providing the host website with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website correlating the host website with a selected commerce object; and iv) upon receiving an activation of the provided link via the communication link, serving an e-commerce supported page via the communication link with a look and feel corresponding to the captured look and feel description of the host website associated with the provided link and with content based on the commerce object associated with the provided link.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 , wherein the selected commerce object is an indicator for dynamic content selection.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 2 , wherein the content within the served page is dynamically selected according to contextual information derived from the page on the host website including the provided link.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the data store further includes a product record and wherein the selected commerce object is a selected product record.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1 , wherein the data store further includes a product category record and wherein the selected commerce object is a selected product category record.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
The system of claim 1 , and further comprising a communications link to the host website, and wherein the processor executes instructions for performing the step of capturing a look and feel by performing the steps of: (1) receiving an identification for an example page from the host website; (2) retrieving the example page via a communication link to the host website; and (3) identifying look and feel elements within the retrieved example page.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 6 , wherein the communications link to the host website and the communications link to the visitor computer use a common communications interface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
131 words
An e-commerce outsourcing process providing a host website in communication with a visitor computer with context sensitive, transparent e-commerce support pages, comprising the steps of: a) capturing a look and feel description associated with a host website; b) providing the host website with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website for serving to a visitor computer, wherein the provided link correlates the host website with a selected commerce object; and c) upon receiving an activation of the provided link from the visitor computer, serving to the visitor computer an e-commerce supported page with a look and feel corresponding to the captured look and feel description of the host website associated with the provided link and with content based on the commerce object associated with the provided link.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
131 words
An e-commerce outsourcing process providing a host website in communication with a visitor computer with context sensitive, transparent e-commerce support pages, comprising the steps of: a) capturing a look and feel description associated with a host website; b) providing the host website with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website for serving to a visitor computer, wherein the provided link correlates the host website with a selected commerce object; and c) upon receiving an activation of the provided link from the visitor computer, serving to the visitor computer an e-commerce supported page with a look and feel corresponding to the captured look and feel description of the host website associated with the provided link and with content based on the commerce object associated with the provided link.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 8 , wherein the selected commerce object is an indicator for dynamic content selection.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 9 , wherein the content within the served page is dynamically selected according to contextual information derived from the page on the host website including the provided link.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claim 10 , and further comprising the step of deriving contextual information from the page on the host website including the provided link by analyzing keywords embedded within the page.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process of claim 10 , and further comprising the step of deriving contextual information from the page on the host website including the provided link by analyzing the full text of the page.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 8 , wherein the selected commerce object is a selected product.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 8 , wherein the selected commerce object is a selected product category.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
55 words
The process of claim 8 the step of capturing a look and feel description comprises the steps of: i) receiving an identification for an example page from the host website; ii) retrieving the example page via a communication link to the host website; and iii) identifying look and feel elements within the retrieved example page.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 15 , wherein the step of capturing a look and feel description further comprises the step of providing an interface for an end user to edit the identified look and feel elements.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
178 words
An e-commerce outsourcing system providing a host website in communication with a visitor computer with context sensitive, transparent e-commerce support pages, comprising: a) storing means for storing a look and feel description associated with a host website; b) communications means for allowing the system to communicate with one or more host websites or one or more visitor computers; c) look and feel capture means for capturing a look and feel description associated with a host website and for storing the captured look and feel description in the storing means; d) link generation means for providing the host website with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website correlating the host website with a selected commerce object; and e) link activation means for serving an e-commerce supported page via the communications means with a look and feel corresponding to the captured look and feel description of the host website associated with the provided link and with content based on the selected commerce object upon receipt of an activation of the provided link via the communications means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
178 words
An e-commerce outsourcing system providing a host website in communication with a visitor computer with context sensitive, transparent e-commerce support pages, comprising: a) storing means for storing a look and feel description associated with a host website; b) communications means for allowing the system to communicate with one or more host websites or one or more visitor computers; c) look and feel capture means for capturing a look and feel description associated with a host website and for storing the captured look and feel description in the storing means; d) link generation means for providing the host website with a link for inclusion within a page on the host website correlating the host website with a selected commerce object; and e) link activation means for serving an e-commerce supported page via the communications means with a look and feel corresponding to the captured look and feel description of the host website associated with the provided link and with content based on the selected commerce object upon receipt of an activation of the provided link via the communications means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 17 , wherein the selected commerce object is an indicator for dynamic content selection and wherein the content within the served page is dynamically selected according to contextual information derived from the page on the host website including the provided link.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-09-29 | 2007-03-31 | 2007-09-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-09-29 | 2011-03-31 | 2011-09-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-09-29 | 2015-03-31 | 2015-09-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |