Patent ID: 6985874
Filing Date: 2006-01-10
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of ordering and delivering merchandise using a computer system opening virtual stores on a network, said computer system comprising: a server; a memory unit storing merchandise information, selection information about user's merchandise reception, dealer information and delivery schedule information and including an order data file for storing orders from customers; and a map information display unit for displaying a map concerning dealers, said method comprising the steps: in said server, accepting access to said virtual store from a user terminal connected to the server through the network; providing merchandise information stored in said memory unit to said user terminal through the network; accepting an order of merchandise from the user on the basis of said merchandise information and writing the accepted merchandise order in the order data file; reading selection information concerning a way of receiving said ordered merchandise from said memory unit to provide the read selection information to said user terminal through the network; accepting a way of receiving merchandise selected based on said read selection information from said user terminal to write the selected receiving way in said order data file; determining that the selected receiving way indicates dealers capable of dealing or mediating merchandise as a delivery destination and retrieving map information by said map information display unit based on dealer information stored in said memory unit to provide any dealers among the retrieved map information to said user terminal that may be selected by said user, said map information including a dealer of a neighborhood of the delivery destination in the region of said map on the basis of a user's address or an address input by said user; accepting a specific dealer selected among the dealers in said provided map information from said user terminal through the network to write the accepted specified dealer in said data file; providing the user terminal with confirmation information including the way of receiving merchandise to the user terminal through the network based on said order information; determining that a contract of sales regarding said ordered merchandise is made and preparing a delivery schedule on the basis of a condition of the contract by referring to information on past delivery schedules stored in said memory unit; determining that said receiving way indicates a dealer and reading out order information written in said order data file and sending a notice of a predetermined format including information of a merchandise arrival schedule to said dealer based on which arrival of the ordered merchandise is informed to a sales merchant, to a terminal of said dealer; and monitoring whether inspection information indicating that said ordered merchandise has arrived at said dealer is received from said dealer terminal through a communication line in a predetermined period based on said delivery schedule.