Patent ID: 6141006
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
A method for executing Internet based electronic commerce business transactions, comprising the steps of:in a vendor system connected to the Internet and associated with a vendor offering a business transaction,creating a visual link object representing a business transaction, whereina visual link object is a single self-contained entity and includes, as integral parts of the visual link object,a displayable image residing at the start of the visual link object and representing a business transaction,an appendix residing in the visual link object following the display image and containing information relating to the business transaction, including an encoded data block containing information relating to the business transaction sufficient for a buyer to complete the business transaction represented by the visual link object, wherebythe business transaction may be completed by a buyer independently of the vendor system, anda postscript residing near the end of the visual link object and containing information relating to the visual link object, andcommunicating the visual link object representing the business transaction to a distributor system connected to the Internet and associated with a distributor presenting business transactions represented by visual link object to potential buyers,in the distributor system,communicating the visual link object representing the business transaction to a buyer system associated with a potential buyer, andin the buyer system,accessing the contents of the visual link object to recover the information residing in the appendix relating to the business transaction.