Abstract:
A stateless e-commerce status indication system is provided. The system includes software code executable on at least one host website. The software code communicates with a remote processing server to obtain status information relating to status of an item for sale. The software then communicates at least a portion of the status information to a user of the host website.

Description:
[0001]    This is a utility application claiming the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 19(e), of U.S. provisional application No. 61/007,013 filed on Dec. 8, 2007 and entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING THE STATUS OF AN ITEM FOR SALE, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of Internet sales and, in particular, the communication of status information over the Internet. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is believed that prior art methods and apparatuses of Internet sales and inventory tracking systems permit the status of an item for sale (e.g., whether the item has been sold or not) to be communicated to potential buyers only via the website (or domain) listing the item for sale. For example, an item for sale on Ebay may be listed on Ebay&#39;s website as “sold out” if the item has already been sold or is otherwise no longer available. If the item for sale is advertised on a domain different than the one listing the item for sale, a potential buyer visiting the different domain may not know whether the advertised item is still available for sale on the listing website, nor could the seller prevent a sale of a “sold out” item on the different domain, unless the status of the item on the different domain is updated manually or in a non-simultaneous fashion. This process becomes very difficult if the item is advertised on numerous different domains. 
         [0004]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a prior art method  100  for advertising a sale of an item across multiple domains. A seller advertises an item for sale on three websites  101 ,  105 ,  110  (e.g., Myspace, Craig&#39;s list and a Blogger page). A first buyer  145  visits website  101  and purchases the item by clicking on, for example, a “Buy” button/graphic  130 , upon which website  101  notifies buyer  145  of the sale via a sale banner  115 . The item is then shipped to buyer  145 . Before the seller removes the sale advertisement from websites  105  and  110 , second and third buyers  150 ,  155  visit websites  105 ,  110  to purchase the already sold item. Buyers  150 ,  155  click on their respective “Buy” buttons/graphics  135 ,  140  and do not receive respective “sold” notifications  120 ,  125 , even though the item has already been sold to first buyer  145 . This would require the seller to notify buyers  150 ,  155  that their sales were not consummated, which may result in disgruntled and/or unhappy buyers  150 ,  155 . 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention permits the status of an item for sale to be updated automatically across multiple domains that advertise the item. In this manner, the present invention provides for a stateless electronic e-commerce interface that can be placed on web pages to communicate the status of an item for sale. 
         [0006]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a stateless e-commerce status indication system is provided. The system includes software code executable on at least one host website. The software code communicates with a remote processing server to obtain status information relating to status of an item for sale. The software code then communicates at least a portion of the status information to a user of the host website. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the software code includes a script executable by a web browser. 
         [0008]    In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, the status information includes at least one of information relating to availability of the item, information relating to whether the item is still for sale, information relating to whether a sale of the item has expired, a description of the item, a quantity of the item, trust metrics for a seller, and a price of the item. 
         [0009]    In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, the status information includes information relating to an auction. 
         [0010]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the information relating to the auction includes at least one of a reserve price, a bid price, and an expiration date of the auction. 
         [0011]    In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, the status information is communicated to the user via a graphic. 
         [0012]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the graphic relates to the status information obtained from the remote processing server. 
         [0013]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the graphic indicates that the item is unavailable for sale if the item was previously sold. 
         [0014]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the graphic advertises a different product if the item was previously sold. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a prior art method for advertising a sale of an item across multiple domains 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of a first stateless status and inventory control indicator system according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram depicting a process for updating status information according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a process for updating status information according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is seen a first stateless status and inventory control indicator system  200  according to the present invention. Indicator system  200  includes a remote processor  205 , a computer network (e.g., the Internet, world wide web, Intranet, etc.)  210  coupled to remote processor  205 , and a plurality of host websites  215 ,  220 , and  225  coupled to the computer network  210 . 
         [0020]    Remote processor  205  is a centralized location, such as a domain/website, that includes all particulars about the status of an item for sale. Such particulars may include, for example, information about the availability of an item, whether the item is still for sale, whether the sale has expired, a description of the item, quantity of the item available, trust metrics for the seller, the price of the item, etc. If the item is for sale at auction, the remote processor  205  may also include, for example, information relating to the auction, such as reserve price, bid price and expiration date of the auction. It will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that remote processor  205  may be resident at the domain/website listing the item for sale or may be a separate website. 
         [0021]    Host websites  215 ,  220 ,  225  contain advertisements for the item for sale on the listing domain. In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a programming script (which may be created automatically by remote processor  205  itself) is placed on each of host websites  215 ,  220 ,  225  for displaying status information (e.g., a graphic, such as a GIF file or icon) concerning the item for sale. The script permits users&#39; browsers to communicate with remote processor  205  and retrieve therefrom particulars about the item for sale. Based on the information retrieved, the status information is then dynamically updated, e.g., upon each browser refresh, and displayed to the user accordingly. In one embodiment the status information consists of a graphic which may be stored on (and retrieved from) remote processor  205 . It should be appreciated, however, that the status information graphic may be created or otherwise embedded within the script itself. 
         [0022]    By running the inventive script on host websites  215 ,  220 ,  225 , the status of the item for sale may be updated automatically and simultaneously to buyers of all websites  215 ,  220 ,  225 , thereby preventing subsequent buyers from purchasing an unavailable item. The script also permits simultaneous bids across multiple domain names for auctioned items. This permits the seller to offer an item for sale across multiple domains at the same time without the need for manual updating of status information on these domains. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , there is seen a process  300  for updating status information according to the present invention. At step  305 , a first buyer visits website  215 , where the script displays a first graphic  405  indicating that the item is for sale. To display the graphic, the script retrieves status information from remote processor  205 , which may include, for example, a first graphic  405 . At step  310 , the host website forwards the user&#39;s browser to the website of the remote processor  205 , where the sale is consummated. In one embodiment, the seller is automatically notified of the sale by e-mail. At step  315 , a second buyer visits website  220 . At step  320 , the browser of the second buyer interprets the script, which then retrieves the status information from the website of the remote processor  205  and displays it at step  325 . Since the item for sale was already sold to the first buyer, the status information retrieved from remote processor  205  indicates that the item was sold, for example, via a second graphic  410 . In this manner, the second buyer is notified that the item is no longer for sale immediately upon visiting website  220 . In an alternative embodiment, the script causes another item to be advertised on host website  220  if the original item is sold.