Abstract:
Provided is an e-commerce system capable of preventing fraudulent orders by third parties and performing smooth operation of item orders. An authentication method of the e-commerce system includes a receiving step of receiving a procedure request for performing an ordering procedure from a user device, and a first screen sending step of sending an authentication screen or a review screen to the user device in accordance with communication control information that is stored in the user device and included in the procedure request. The authentication method also includes a second screen sending step of obtaining the authentication information that is input in the authentication screen, causing the user device to store the communication control information in accordance with the obtained authentication information, and sending the review screen to the user device. Further, the authentication method includes a receiving step of receiving a request for changing the delivery address sent from the user device in response to an operation on the review screen, and a re-authenticating step of re-authenticating the user in a case where the request for changing the delivery address is received and the first screen sending means has sent the review screen to the user device.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an e-commerce system and its authentication method, in particular, to controlling transition of screens, which include a user authentication screen, for ordering items. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    Recently, it is known to use a so-called e-commerce system in which a user orders an item at a website established on the Internet, and the item is delivered to an address specified by the user. Such an e-commerce system typically requires a user to apply for a membership registration in advance so as to prevent unauthorized use. In addition, the system typically requires the user to input an ID and a password until the order is finalized by displaying a user authentication screen on a user device. The patent document below discloses performing authentication of a user with use of a device number specifically assigned to a client computer to eliminate a trouble of personal authentication. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0000]    
       
         Patent Literature 1: JP2004-302910A 
       
     
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0004]    However, if an ID and a password are always required at the time of ordering an item, it may make it difficult to smoothly order the item and may reduce usability for a user. On the other hand, if an ID and a password are not required, a concern over fraudulent orders by third parties may arise. 
         [0005]    One or more embodiments of the present invention have been conceived in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an e-commerce system and its authentication method for preventing fraudulent orders by third parties and enabling smooth operation of item orders. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0006]    In order to solve the above described problems, an e-commerce system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes procedure request receiving means for receiving a request for performing an ordering procedure of an item from a user device, first screen sending means for sending, to the user device, an authentication screen for obtaining authentication information of a user of the user device or a review screen for displaying a delivery address of the item, based on communication control information that is stored in the user device and included in the procedure request, second screen sending means for obtaining the authentication information that is input in the authentication screen, causing the user device to store the communication control information in accordance with the obtained authentication information, and sending the review screen to the user device, delivery address change request receiving means for receiving a request for changing the delivery address sent from the user device in response to an operation on the review screen, and re-authentication means for performing re-authentication of the user in a case where the request for changing the delivery address is received and the first screen sending means has sent the review screen to the user device. 
         [0007]    The delivery address stored in advance may be displayed on the review screen before the delivery address is changed in response to the request for changing the delivery address. 
         [0008]    The communication control information may include qualification information indicating that the authentication using the authentication information has been already performed and screen control information indicating whether or not to restrict sending the authentication screen. 
         [0009]    At this time, the authentication screen may display an entry field indicating whether or not to restrict sending the authentication screen. 
         [0010]    The first screen sending means may send the authentication screen or the delivery address review screen to the user device depending on the screen control information. 
         [0011]    At this time, in a case where the screen control information indicates that sending the authentication screen is restricted, the first screen sending means may send to the user device the delivery address review screen or a payment method specifying screen for specifying the payment method, depending on whether or not a payment is performed using card information stored in advance. The first screen sending means may send the authentication screen to the user device in a case where the screen control information indicates that sending the authentication screen is not restricted. 
         [0012]    An authentication method of an e-commerce system includes a receiving step for receiving a request for performing an ordering procedure of an item from a user device, a first screen sending step of sending, to the user device, an authentication screen for obtaining authentication information of a user of the user device or a review screen for displaying a delivery address of the item, based on communication control information that is stored in the user device and included in the procedure request, and a second screen sending step of obtaining the authentication information that is input in the authentication screen, causing the user device to store the communication control information in accordance with the obtained authentication information, and sending the review screen to the user device. The authentication method of an e-commerce system further includes a receiving step of receiving a request for changing the delivery address sent from the user device in response to an operation on the review screen, and a re-authenticating step of re-authenticating the user in a case where the request for changing the delivery address is received and the review screen has been sent to the user device in the first screen sending step. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1A  diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an e-commerce network according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  diagram illustrating an example of a purchase item specifying screen. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3A  diagram illustrating an example of a shopping list screen. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  diagram illustrating screen transitions relating to ordering an item in an e-commerce system according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5A  diagram illustrating an example of a login screen. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6A  diagram illustrating an example of a payment/delivery method input screen. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7A  diagram illustrating an example of a review screen. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8A  diagram illustrating an example of password input (re-authentication) screen. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9A  diagram illustrating an example of an order completion screen. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10A  diagram illustrating a configuration of communication control information. 
           [0023]      FIG. 11A  flow chart illustrating processing of a request for purchasing procedure. 
           [0024]      FIG. 12A  flow chart illustrating login processing. 
           [0025]      FIG. 13A  flow chart illustrating input processing of payment/delivery method. 
           [0026]      FIG. 14A  flow chart illustrating reviewing processing. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  is an overall schematic diagram of an e-commerce network according to an embodiment of the present invention. The e-commerce network  10  shown in  FIG. 1  includes an e-commerce server system (e-commerce system)  12  connected to the Internet  13 , and a plurality of clients (user devices)  16 , which are similarly connected to the Internet  13  and used by the respective users of the e-commerce service. A client  16  is composed of a computer, such as a personal computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, and a consumer game machine. The e-commerce server system  12  is composed of one or more server computers. The e-commerce server system  12  is connected to a database  14 , which is composed of a storage device such as hard disk. In this embodiment, the e-commerce network  10  is mainly composed of the Internet  13 , although other data communication networks may of course be available. 
         [0029]    The e-commerce server system.  12  provides e-commerce services in response to a request from a client  16  of a user who has applied for a membership registration. Specifically, the e-commerce server system  12  has functions for allowing the user to specify an item to purchase, receiving a request relating to payment and delivery, and processing the payment and delivery in response to the request. 
         [0030]    The database  14  stores information on the users of the e-commerce service. Here, the database  14  stores IDs, passwords, names, addresses, telephone numbers of registered users, names and addresses relating to default delivery addresses, and credit card information (e.g., name of credit card company, credit card number, expiration date, and security code). In this regard, a user optionally stores credit card information in the database  14 . The database  14  also stores item information on each item, such as an item ID, name, price, and shop. Further, the database  14  stores information on whether or not each shop accepts credit card payment. In addition, the database  14  temporarily stores order information including a list of items (shopping list) that a user wants to purchase in association with the user&#39;s ID. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example of a purchase item specifying screen displayed on a display device of a client  16 . The purchase item specifying screen is displayed on the client  16  based on data (e.g., HTML data) sent from the e-commerce server system  12  in response to a request from the client  16 . The user operates the client  16  to previously display an item list screen (not shown) that is sent from the e-commerce server system  12 , and selects one of the items displayed in the list. In this way, the user requests the e-commerce server system  12  to send data of the purchase item specifying screen of the specified item. With this, the purchase item specifying screen shown in  FIG. 2  is displayed on the client  16 . The user selects a button  24  of “add to shopping list” shown in  FIG. 2  using a pointing device such as a mouse, to thereby send an item ID of the item that the user wishes to purchase to the e-commerce server system  12 . The shopping list is also referred to as a shopping basket or a shopping cart. In the e-commerce server system  12 , the item ID is associated with the user&#39;s ID and stored in the database  14 . With such procedures, the user can store item IDs of one or more items that the user wishes to purchase in the database  14  in association with the user&#39;s ID. 
         [0032]    A request for displaying the shopping list is sent from the client  16  to the e-commerce server system  12 , so that the list of these items is displayed on the client  16 .  FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating an example of a shopping list screen displayed on the display device of the client  16 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the shopping list screen  100  displays lists of names and prices of the items that the user wishes to purchase and are specified by the item IDs stored in the database  14  in association with the user&#39;s ID. Pull-down menus for specifying the number of respective items are also displayed so that the number of purchase items is increased or decreased. The shopping list screen  100  includes a “Back” button  20  and “Proceed to Checkout” button  22 . When the “Back” button  20  is selected, the item list screen (not shown) is once again displayed on the client  16 . In this way, the user can add another item to the shopping list. When the “Proceed to Checkout” button  22  is selected, a request for processing an order of the item in the shopping list is sent to the e-commerce server system  12 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating screen transitions relating to ordering an item in the e-commerce system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the “Proceed to Checkout” button  22  is selected on the shopping list screen  100  ( FIG. 3 ), one of a login screen  101  shown in  FIG. 5 , a payment/delivery method input screen shown in  FIG. 6 , and a review screen  103  shown in  FIG. 7  is displayed on the client  16 . These screens are also displayed on the client  16  based on the data (e.g., HTML data) sent from the e-commerce server system  12 . Specifically, if communication control information  49 , which is sent from the client  16  to the e-commerce server system  12  when the “Proceed to Checkout” button  22  is selected, includes a login maintaining flag  52  (see  FIG. 10 ) indicating that login is not maintained, the screen transitions to the login screen  101  (route A). If the communication control information  49  includes a login maintaining flag  52  indicating that login state is maintained and true qualification information  50 , the screen transitions to the payment/delivery method input screen  102  or the review screen  103  according to whether or not a credit card can be used. That is, if the database  14  stores the credit card information in association with the user&#39;s ID, and also stores information indicating that the shop selling an item to purchase accepts credit card payment, the screen transitions to the review screen  103  (route C), and if not, the screen transitions to the payment/delivery method input screen  102  (route B). 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the login screen  101  includes an entry field  26  of the user ID, an entry field  28  of the password, and a checkbox  30 . Here, the checkbox  30  is used to indicate that login state is maintained. If the checkbox is checked, the login maintaining flag  52  stores information that login state is maintained, and displaying the login screen  101  on the client  16  is prevented. When the user selects “Continue” button  32  on the login screen  101 , information on content in the entry fields  26  and  28  and the checkbox  30  is sent to the e-commerce server system  12 . 
         [0035]    When true authentication information (ID and password) is input in the login screen  101 , the communication control information  49  includes true qualification information  50 , and the screen transitions to the payment/delivery method input screen  102 . When the payment and delivery methods are input in the payment/delivery method input screen  102  shown in  FIG. 6 , and the button  34  is selected, the screen transitions to the review screen  103  shown in  FIG. 7 . The review screen  103  displays order information on an orderer, a delivery address, shopping content, delivery and payment methods. The orderer, delivery address, and shopping content are included in information stored in the database  14  in advance. In a case where the payment/delivery method input screen  102  has been displayed, the payment and delivery methods are determined based on information input in the payment/delivery method input screen  102 . In a case where the payment/delivery method input screen  102  has not been displayed, that is, if the shopping list screen  100  directly transitions to the review screen  103 , the payment method is a credit card payment, and the delivery method is a default method (e.g., no desired delivery date). 
         [0036]    If the user wishes to change the order information on the review screen  103 , the user presses any of the buttons  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 , and  44  in order to display the change screen  104  for changing information corresponding to the pressed button. When the change in the order information is input in the change screen  104 , the screen returns to the review screen  103 . In this case, the changed order information is displayed on the review screen  103 . In this regard, in a case where the button  38  is selected to change the delivery address on the change screen  104 , a password input screen  105  shown in  FIG. 8  is displayed according to the route of the screen transition (in a case of route B or route C). When the true password is input in the password entry field on the password input screen  105  and the “Continue” button is selected, the screen returns to the review screen  103 . In this case, the order information including the changed delivery address is displayed on the review screen  103 . When the button  46  is selected to place an order in the review screen  103 , the payment and delivery arrangement is processed according to the order information on the review screen  103 , and the screen transitions to an order completion screen  106  shown in  FIG. 9 . The change screen  104 , the password input screen  105 , and the order completion screen  106  are also displayed on the client  16  based on data (e.g., HTML data) sent from the e-commerce server system  12 . When the credit card payment is processed, the credit card information stored in the database  14  is used for processing the payment. 
         [0037]    In the following, information processing of the e-commerce server system  12  will be described in detail.  FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating the configuration of communication control information  49  that the e-commerce server system  12  stores in the client  16 . The client  16  is configured to include the communication control information  49  in a request whenever sending a request to the e-commerce server system  12 . Such system can be implemented easily by using technique called Cookie, for example. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the communication control information  49  includes qualification information  50 , a login maintaining flag  52 , and a via-login-screen flag  54 . The qualification information  50  is stored when the true ID and password are input in the login screen  101 , and certifies a proper qualification to access the e-commerce server system  12 . The qualification information  50  may include information on expiration dates. The login maintaining flag  52  stores information indicating that login state is maintained in a case where the checkbox  30  is checked on the login screen  101 , and stores information indicating that login state is not maintained in a case where the checkbox  30  is not checked. In a case where the shopping list screen  100  transitions to the login screen  101  (route A), the via-login-screen flag  54  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has been displayed. In a case where the shopping list screen  100  directly transitions to the payment/delivery method input screen  102  (route B) or the shopping list screen  100  directly transitions to the review screen  103  (route C), the via-login-screen flag  54  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has not been displayed. 
         [0038]      FIG. 11  is a flow chart illustrating the processing of a request for purchasing process performed in the e-commerce server system  12 . The processing shown in  FIG. 11  is performed in the e-commerce server system  12  when the “Proceed to Checkout” button  22  is selected on the shopping list screen  100 . The processing begins with referring to the communication control information  49  sent from the client  16  in order to determine whether or not the login maintaining flag  52  indicates that login state is maintained (S 101 ). If the flag does not indicate that the login state is maintained, the screen transitions to the login screen  101 . At this time, the client  16  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has been displayed in the via-login-screen flag  54  of the communication control information  49 . 
         [0039]    If the flag indicates that the login state is maintained, it is determined whether or not a condition, in which the credit card information of the user is stored in the database  14  and the shop that sells the item that the user wants to purchase accepts a credit card payment, is satisfied (S 102 ). If the condition is satisfied, data of the review screen  103  is sent to the client  16 . At this time, the client  16  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has not been displayed in the via-login-screen flag  54  of the communication control information  49 . 
         [0040]    If it is determined that the condition is not satisfied in S 102 , data of the payment/delivery method input screen  102  is sent to the client  16 . At this time, the client  16  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has not been displayed in the via-login-screen flag  54  of the communication control information  49 . 
         [0041]    In S 102 , it is desirable to check whether or not the qualification information  50  included in the communication control information  49  is true, and, if it is false, to exceptionally send data of the login screen  101  to the client  16 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 12  is a flow chart illustrating login processing of the e-commerce server system  12 . The processing shown in  FIG. 12  is executed if NO in S 101  of  FIG. 12 , and the e-commerce server system  12  sends data of the login screen  101  to the client  16  (S 201 ). At this time, as described above, the client  16  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has been displayed in the via-login-screen flag  54  of the communication control information  49 . Subsequently, the e-commerce server system  12  receives data of the entry fields  26  and  28  and the checkbox  30  on the login screen  101  from the client  16 , and determines whether or not the ID and the password are true (S 202 ). If the ID and the password are false, the processing returns to S 201 . If the ID and the password are true, it is determined whether or not the checkbox  30  is checked (S 203 ). If it is checked, the screen transitions to the payment/delivery method input screen  102 . At this time, the e-commerce server system  12  sets the login maintaining flag  52  of the communication control information  49  stored in the client  16  to maintain the login state (S 204 ), and causes the client  16  to store the true qualification information  50 . If it is determined that the checkbox  30  is not checked in S 203 , the screen also transitions to the payment/delivery method input screen  102 . At this time, the e-commerce server system  12  does not set the login maintaining flag  52  of the communication control information  49  stored in the client  16  to maintain the login state, and causes the client  16  to store the true qualification information  50 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 13  is a flow chart illustrating processing of payment/delivery methods performed in the e-commerce server system  12 . The processing shown in  FIG. 13  is executed after the processing shown in  FIG. 12 , or if NO in S 102  of  FIG. 11 . First, the e-commerce server system  12  sends data of the payment/delivery method input screen  102  to the client  16 . In a case where the processing shown in  FIG. 13  is executed in response to NO determined in S 102  of  FIG. 11 , at the time the data of the payment/delivery method input screen  102  is sent to the client  16 , the client  16  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has not been displayed in the via-login-screen flag  54  of the communication control information  49 . 
         [0044]    Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the “Continue” button  34  is pressed (S 302 ). If the button is pressed, the e-commerce server system  12  receives from the client  16  the data indicating content that is input in the payment/delivery method input screen  102 , and stores the received data in the database  14  in association with the user&#39;s ID as apart of the order information. The screen then transitions to the review screen  103 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 14  is a flow chart illustrating reviewing processing performed in the e-commerce server system  12 . The processing shown in  FIG. 14  is executed after the processing shown in  FIG. 13 , or if YES in S 102  of  FIG. 11 . First, the e-commerce server system  12  sends data of the review screen  103  to the client  16 . In a case where the processing shown in  FIG. 14  is executed in response to YES determined in S 102  of  FIG. 11 , the client  16  stores information indicating that the login screen  101  has not been displayed in the via-login-screen flag  54  of the communication control information  49 , as described above. 
         [0046]    Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the buttons  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 , and  44  are selected on the review screen  103  for changing order information (S 402 ). When any of the buttons  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 , and  44  is selected, data of the change screen according to the selected button is sent to the client  16  (S 404 ). The e-commerce server system  12  then receives from the client  16  the data input in the screen (S 405 ), updates the order information stored in the database  14  based on the received data, and returns to S 401 . 
         [0047]    Here, if the data received from the client  16  is to change the delivery address of the item and the via-login-screen flag  54  included in the communication control information  49  indicates that the login screen  101  has not been displayed (S 406 ), data of the password input screen  105  is sent to the client  16  (S 407 ). The e-commerce server system  12  then receives the password entered in the screen, and determines whether or not the password is true (S 408 ). If the password is not true, the e-commerce server system  12  sends the data of the password input screen  105  to the client  16  again (S 407 ). If the password is true, the e-commerce server system  12  updates the delivery address of the order information stored in the database  14  based on the data received from the client  16  (S 409 ), and returns to S 401 . 
         [0048]    If it is determined in S 402  that none of the buttons  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 , and  44  is selected, then it is determined whether or not the button  46  for placing the order is selected (S 403 ). If the button  46  is not selected, the processing returns to S 402 . If the button  46  is selected, the e-commerce server system  12  sends the data of the order completion screen  106  to the client  16 . At this time, if the login maintaining flag  52  included in the communication control information  49  indicates that the login state is not maintained, the qualification information  50  stored in the client  54  is deleted. 
         [0049]    According to the embodiment described above, once the true ID and password are entered into the login screen  101  and the checkbox  30  is checked, the screen can transition from the shopping list screen  100  to the payment/delivery method input screen  102  (route B) or the review screen  103  (route C) without the login screen  101  being displayed. Specifically, if the credit card information is registered in the database  14  in advance, the screen transitions from the shopping list screen  100  to the review screen  103  (route C) with respect to the purchase from the shop where the credit card payment is available. If the button  46  is selected here, the order is placed. That is, the user can place the order by pressing the buttons twice in a state where the shopping list screen  100  is displayed on the client  16 , and thus can enjoy shopping very quickly. When the delivery address is changed on the review screen  103 , it is required to enter a password into the password input screen  105  according to the screen transitions up to the review screen  103 . That is, in a case where the screen directly transitions from the shopping list screen  100  to the review screen without the login screen  101  being displayed (route C) and the screen transitions from the shopping list screen  100  to the payment/delivery method input screen  102  without the login screen  101  being displayed (route B), the password needs to be entered. In this way, in a case where the user tries to send the item to an address that is different from the delivery address registered in the database  14  in advance, the identity of the user can be verified. In other words, in a case where the item is ordered without entering the ID and password, the user can only select the delivery address registered in the database  14  in advance, and needs to enter the password in order to change the delivery address. In this way, smooth ordering of items is available while preventing fraudulent orders by third parties. 
         [0050]    In a case where the screen directly transitions from the shopping list screen  100  to the payment/delivery method input screen  102  (route B), the credit card payment using the credit card information registered in the database  14  in advance is not available, and thus the user has no option but to select from cash on delivery and bank transfer, which less likely relate to the fraudulent orders, as a payment option. As such, in a case where the screen directly transitions from the shopping list screen  100  to the payment/delivery method input screen  102  (route B), a password may not be required even when the delivery address is changed.