WO2001093145A1

WO2001093145A1 - Electronic commerce system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2001093145A1
Application number: PCT/KR2001/000918
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jung-Han Chae
Original assignee: Chae Jung Han
Priority date: 2000-05-31
Filing date: 2001-05-31
Publication date: 2001-12-06
Also published as: AU2001260775A1

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic commerce system and method using product ID codes for managing manufactured products. A buyer compares states of stored goods that match the product ID codes transmitted by the buying system with product information of respective product ID codes managed by the buying system, and when desired products are available, the buyer receives product information and buys desired products. The buying system also transmits product information and a payment page linked to the product information to the buyer's electronic mail address, and when the buyer reads the electronic mail and clicks a payment button, the buyer is billed for the corresponding product. Therefore, the buyer can check whether to buy desired products in real time and instantly buy them. The electronic mail payment method enables the buyer to receive detailed information compared to the receipt of information via a wireless terminal and provides safer payment method.

Description

Electronic Commerce System and Method BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic commerce (EC) system and method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for executing EC via a wire or wireless network using product model identification (ID) codes provided to products when producing or manufacturing the products.

(b) Description of the Related Art

In general, EC represents various categories of transactions using computers and communication networks at home or at the office between persons, enterprises or governments instead of using conventional media such as paper.

Therefore, a buyer can always search desired products' information and order them through EC, and problems of off-line transactions such as time waste, long distances, product transfer and product information obtainment are greatly reduced.

In this EC method, when a buyer uses a communication device to access the Internet, an Internet EC site provides various products' information to the buyer, and when the buyer selects a desired product, the site provides corresponding product information in order for the buyer to check it out. After this, when the buyer orders the product, the site requests the buyer to pay through electronic payment (a credit card or an automatic transfer), and when the corresponding product's settlement is completed, the corresponding product is delivered to the buyer.

The above-described EC method requires product checking through a product's image, and accordingly, a task of making the image into a file is needed, and a step for downloading the file image to the buyer's terminal is ^"also needed.

Hence, in the conventional EC method, particularly in the case of various categories and small production runs such as with fashion products, much time and cost is expended in making the products into image files and uploading the product images to on-line sites, and the buyer cannot check qualities of the products in realtime. In case of EC using a wireless terminal (except a notebook PC), the buyer cannot visually check basic information such as image information and detailed information of the corresponding products, e.g., the products' colors, designs and sizes, as well as detailed information such as unique features compared to other products, or product-related trends.

Also, when the buyer receives product information through a wireless terminal, decides on and pays for a product, it is not easy for the buyer to input their name and delivery address because the input device of the wireless terminal is small in size.

Hence, EC using the wireless terminal is rarely performed, and in addition to this, in the case of paying using the wireless terminal via a credit card payment, since security of mobile commerce i ^'s not perfect, many buyers hesitate to make purchases through mobile commerce.- To improve the security of EC using the wireless terminal, a mobile communication company can bill the product price together with the communication fee, but the mobile communication company will not take the responsibility for delayed paying for the product, sellers of expensive products have risks in this EC, and accordingly they cannot sell expensive products, thereby dissatisfying EC users. In addition, since the buyer cannot use the wireless terminal, the buyer cannot instantly buy desired products when the feeling arises.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an EC system and method using product model ID codes assigned to respective products.

It is another object of the present invention to execute EC via a wireless terminal.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide for a buyer to order desired products using a wireless terminal, check detailed information on the product through electronic mail and settle for the product, thereby guaranteeing secure and reliable transactions.

In one aspect of the present invention, an EC system for executing transactions between a buyer's buying system and a seller's sale system on a network comprises: a product database for storing information on product model ID codes for distinguishing products of respective makers and information on the products classified according to the product model ID codes; and a processing server for checking sale information of the products from the sale system in real-time, updating the product database using the real-time sale information, searching product information in the product database on the product model ID codes transmitted by the buying system, and providing it to the buying system so as to execute a corresponding transaction.

In another aspect of the present invention, an EC method for executing transactions between a buyer's buying system and a seller's sale system on a network comprises: (a) intermittently checking current stock states for respective product models managed by the sale system; (b) determining desired products according to a product model ID code provided by the buying system; (c) transmitting states of whether the product required by the buying system can be bought from the sale system; and (d) receiving reply results of whether the product required by the buying system can be bought from the sale system, transmitting them to the buying system, and enabling the buyer to buy the product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention:

FIG. 1 shows a whole schematic diagram of an electronic commerce (EC) system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a brief block diagram of a sale system according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows another brief block diagram of a sale system according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the EC system according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of an operation between the EC system, a product maker and a product shop;

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an operation of the EC system according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a transaction process according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of an operation of the EC system according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a block diagram of the EC system according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGs. 10(a) and 10(b) show a flowchart of an operation of the EC system according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following detailed description, only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by the inventor(s) of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive.

FIG. 1 shows a whole schematic diagram of an EC system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the EC system 10 is connected to a buying system 40 for buyers to receive information on products and services and to buy the same, and a sale system 50 for selling the corresponding products or services to the buyers via a wire network 30 or a wireless network 20.

The buying system 40, a communication device for accessing the EC system via the network, comprises a wireless terminal 41 (e.g., a portable phone or a PDA connectable to the wireless network 20); and a wire terminal 42 (e.g., a computer or an Internet TV connectable to the wire network 30). Hence, the buyer can access the EC system on the wire or wireless networks.

To connect the wireless terminal 41 with the EC system 10 via the wireless network 20, a mobile communication service system 60 is connected to the EC system 10 via the wire network 30. The mobile communication service system 60 can be connected to the EC system 10 via the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or an exclusive line.

The mobile communication service system 60 connects the wireless terminal 41 connected via the wireless network 20 with a wire network such as the Internet so as to enable EC on the wireless network, which will be described no more because it is known to skilled persons.

The sale system 50 managed by a seller who sells various products and services on the networks 20 and 30 is categorized as both a sale system that manages the current states of the products in stock in real-time and a sale system that does not manage the current states of the products in stock in real-time.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the sale system 50 that manages the current states of the products in stock in real-time. As shown, the sale system 50 receives product sale information, that is, current states of the products in stock from a sale server of the shop 70 that sells the goods wholesale and retail, and updates a goods information database 3.13. Here, the shop 70 adopting the point of sale (POS) method transmits information on the sold products to the sale system 50 in real-time when the products are sold.

Therefore, the goods information database 313 stores the shops' information (e.g., information on the shop's location and the shopkeeper's personal identification), product codes, total product volumes, sale volumes, products in stock, product quantities provided to the shops, sale quantities for respective shops, and remaining product quantities for the respective shops. Here, corresponding information is stored in the goods information database 313, and the stored information is output by a goods-in-stock manager 312. The goods-in-stock manager 312 is connected to the sale server of each shop 70, and stores current sale states for the respective shops and the product codes, in the goods information database 313 to update the current sale states.

Here, the goods-in-stock manager 312 can transmit the updated current sale states to the EC system 10, or the EC system 10 can search and read the current sale states in real-time.

Hence, the EC system 10 can check the current sale states in real-time and determine whether the corresponding products can be sold. A product supply manager 311 receives a product code and buyer information of the sold product from the EC system 10 so that the product may be transferred to the buyer.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the sale system 50 that does not manage the products in stock in real-time. Differing from the sale system of FIG. 2, the sale system 50 is not connected to the shops directly, and accordingly, the sale system 50 cannot receive the current sale states of the products sold by the shops in realtime, and does not include the goods information database 313.

However, since the sale system 50 does not share information with the shops, the sale system 50 cannot manage the products' sale states in real-time, but a products-in-stock checker 314 is installed to check the products' current stock states. In this instance, the products-in-stock checker 314 can be a call center or a communication device for receiving electronic mail from the shop. If the products-in- stock checker 314 is a call center, when a signal for requesting the corresponding product's current stock states is input by telephone, electronic mail or facsimile on a communication network, a person calls the corresponding shop or sends electronic mail to check the current stock states. Therefore, checking the stock state by the call center requires substantial time.

The products-in-stock checker 314 receives a request for the current product stock states from the EC system 10, checks the same, and keeps check results so that when a buyer subsequently orders the product, the products-in-stock checker 314 uses the check results to deliver the product to the buyer.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the EC system 10 functioning as an agency between the buying system 40 and the sale system 50 comprises an interface server 11 , a mail server 12, a data server 13 and a processing server 14.

The interface server 11 is connected to a plurality of buyer terminals 41 and 42 through the wire or wireless network 30 or 20, converts information provided by the processing server 14 to fit a communication format, and provides converted information to the wire or wireless buyer terminal 42 or 41 , or receives information provided by the buyer terminal 41 and 42 or the mobile communication service system 60, and provides it to the processing server 14. The interface server 11 may further comprise a database linker (or a common gateway interface (CGI)) for transmitting and receiving information to/from a web server or a different system. The mail server 12 transmits and receives electronic mail to/from the buying system 40.

The data server 13 stores information for executing EC according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and includes a buyer database 131 , a seller database 132, a product database 133 and a sale database 134.

The data server 13 stores information on buyers registered as members who can order desired products through the wireless buyer terminal 41. For example, the information includes electronic mail addresses that correspond to buyer IDs and enable the buyers to receives product information, log passwords for log-in, settlement passwords for settlement security, resident registration numbers, names, addresses, and contact points (e.g., mobile phone numbers or wire phone numbers), and it further includes unsettled amounts of money for products bought by the buyers, total amounts of settled money, and buyers' monthly credit lines. Here, a location code may be location information of a buyer's mobile communication terminal, the location, information being provided by the mobile communication service system 60.

The seller database 132 stores information on a plurality of sellers or makers that desire to sell products through the EC system 10. That is, the seller database 132 stores information on product titles, company names, company IDs, passwords, addresses, address codes for simply representing the addresses, chief executive officer (CEO) names, wire phone numbers, facsimile numbers, persons in charge, postal codes, electronic mail addresses, bank account numbers, bank codes, and a uniform resource location (URL) that represents the sale system's location on the Internet, for the respective company codes provided to the products.

The product database 133 stores information on the products, such as addresses codes, nationality numbers, product model ID codes assigned to the respective products, product titles, sizes, colors, materials, prices and uses for the respective company codes of the sellers who request the sale of the products. The sale system 50 updates information on the current sale states stored in the product database 133 in real-time.

Here, the company code, randomly provided by a product information manager 144, enables a sale manager 142 and a product information provider 143 to recognize the title of the maker.

For example, when an L-sized shirt of a predetermined company 'Eland' is provided, a product model ID code ΕLYW0402' is assigned to it. Here, the 'EL' represents the corresponding product maker. As described above, since the makers' code assigned to the product model ID code is generated according to the maker's intention, the EC system of the present invention cannot read it. Therefore, the product information manager 144 may randomly assign a company code '001 ' to the company Εland.' However, the maker code of the product model ID code may also be used as a company code.

The sale database 134 stores information on the sold products. For example, the information includes product model ID codes of the sold products, sale codes assigned to the respective sold products, sellers' address codes, nationality numbers, member classification codes of the buyers, members' names and IDs, selling time, sale volumes, selling prices, delivery dates, and delivery target points for the respective company codes of the sellers who request sales of the products, and further includes information on a final transmission time when information on the sold products is transmitted to the corresponding sale system 50.

Sale information stored in the sale database 134 is used for obtaining information on the buyers' consumption trends and desired products, and is deleted after a predetermined time frame, and accordingly, a deletion time for deleting corresponding product information is previously established.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, information to be stored in the data server 13 is classified to be stored in the databases 131 to 134, the information stored in the respective databases 131 to 134 may be stored in a single database, and the classification is not restricted to the above-noted description.

The processing server 14 for executing EC using information stored in the data server 13 comprises a buyer manager 141, a sale manager 142, a product information provider 143, a product information manager 144, a settlement processor 145 and a products-in-stock searcher 146.

The buyer manager 141 manages buyer information, and comprises a member register unit 1411 for executing a member registration process; and a buyer authenticator 1412 for authenticating the buyers registered as members using the data stored in the buyer database 131, and for searching buyer information.

The sale manager 142 provides brief information on the products according to product information requests from the terminals 41 and 42 connected through the wire and wireless networks 30 and 20 to execute transactions.

The product information provider 143 provides detailed information (e.g., prices, sizes, colors and materials) on the products requested by the buyer from the product database 132 according to control by the sale manager 142.

The product information manager 144 operates an interface with the sale system 50, and sellers who desire to work as a product sale agent access the product information manager 144 that provides overall functions needed for registering information on the sellers and the products through the sale system 50. The product information manager 144 adds the makers' codes to the product model ID codes of the respective products requested by the sale system 50 and stores the same so as to easily search and find the makers and the products desired by the buyers. That is, when receiving product information and product model ID codes from the sale system 50 to add a sale agency, the product information manager 144 adds the code assigned to the corresponding maker to the product model ID codes, assigns a predetermined portion of a region of a memory of the product database 133 to the maker, and stores information on the products and product model ID codes in the assigned memory region.

The settlement processor 145 settles for the product bought by the buyer accessed by the wire or wireless network 30 or 20. In addition, the settlement processor 145 can be connected to a system of a credit card company, a bank or a cyber settlement company to receive settlement authentication on the buyer's settlement information (e.g., a credit card number, a bank account number and a cyber account number) provided by the terminals 41 and 42, or the settlement processor 145 can perform the settlement authentication.

With the processing the settlement, the sale manager 142 stores information on the settled products in the sale database 134 to manage stock and delivery states.

The products-in-stock searcher 146 searches product information. That is, the products-in-stock searcher 146 searches the goods information database 313 of the sale system in real-time to update the corresponding product's sale and stock states in real-time. The product information provider 143 recognizes the maker's text information provided by the buying system, and provides the buyer with product information such as product model ID codes, prices, sizes, colors and designs for the respective makers, in text.

Therefore, when the buyer inputs a product model ID code, the products-in- stock searcher 146 reads current stock states of the product model ID code from the product database 133 and provides the same to the buyer. Here, when the current stock states read from the product database 133 indicate '0', the product information provider 143 transmits a ^cno product in stock' message or a 'buying denied' message to the buyer. When the corresponding product is found, the product information provider 143 transmits a 'product available' message or a 'product in stock' message to the buyer and enables transmission of corresponding product information to him.

Here, the respective units 141 to 146 may be implemented as individual servers to process corresponding functions. For ease of description, the functions of the units are separated, but the present invention is not restricted to this separation.

Next, an EC method according to the first preferred embodiment based on the above-described EC system will be described.

FIG. 4 shows an EC concept according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

EC enables buyers to buy products anywhere a network terminal is provided without limit to time and space. In the case of reserving movies, plays, hotels, airplanes or buses, or in the case of buying desired products without image information on the products, the buyer can use a wire or wireless network terminal for EC with no problem.

However, if the buyer needs images of the desired products, since the wireless network terminal cannot display the image information or it can display it only in a limited screen size, the wireless network terminal cannot fully provide the image information, and hence, it is not suitable for EC.

The EC system according to the present invention enables the buyer who uses a wireless network terminal to recognize product model ID codes of desired products at any time and buy the product via the code.

Here, the buyer can recognize product model ID codes from many sources such as when a product model ID code of the corresponding product is displayed on commercial advertisements of print media such as magazines, newspapers or catalogs, when the product model ID code of a product or clothes of a broadcast performer is displayed on TV, when a product model ID code is found on a product specification attached on a rear portion of a home appliance, or when a product model ID code is found on a tag attached to an inner part of clothes.

Here, each maker assigns ID codes according to the product models, and manages them. The ID codes may be product style numbers, or lot numbers of source-marking barcodes. Conventionally, in the case of product style numbers, the product model ID code is in text combining alphabetic letters and Arabic numbers, and it is provided at a tag attached to the inner part of clothes, inside other products, or at an additional specification tag sheet of, for example, dishes, on which the product model ID code cannot be printed. In the case of a barcode's lot number, the product model ID code is represented on a product specification tag for displaying product information and price and for managing the POS system, together with a barcode in Arabic numbers.

Therefore, the EC system recognizes the product model ID codes assigned to the respective products and transmits product information corresponding to the recognized product model ID codes, and when the buyer buys the corresponding product, the EC system transmits the product model ID code of the product to the sale system so that the sale system may deliver the product to the buyer.

Hence, the EC system according to the present invention does not require the product's image information, and accordingly, EC through the wireless terminal is enabled. Since the buyer makes a purchase after checking the desired product's current stock states, that is, the product's buyable states in real-time, purchase cancellation can be prevented.

FIG. 5 shows an operation between the EC system and a maker, that is, between the sale system and a shop. In other words, FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of when the sale system and the shops are connected on a network, exchanging product information and product sale information, and the sale system checking current sale states of the respective products.

When new products are developed and produced, the sale system 50 assigns product model ID codes for distinguishing makers of the new products, and manages them in step S100.

Hence, the sale system 50 makes product model ID codes, product information, production volumes and sale volumes into a database (i.e., the goods information database 313) and manages them.

The sale system 50 sells the products or supplies them to the shops so that the shops can sell them in step S110.

The shop 70 then sells the products provided by the sale system 50, and in this case, the shop 70 computerizes information on the products' product model ID codes, volumes of the supplied products, and date, and manages the same.

Under this state, the shop 70 sells the products to consumers, and transmits the product model ID codes and the sale volume to the sale system 50, the sale system checks the corresponding products' sale volume and stock states through this information, and updates the products' sale information stored in the goods information database 313 in steps S120 to S140.

Next, the sale system 50 transmits the product model ID codes and the sale information for updating the goods information database 313 to the EC system 10 to update the corresponding sale system's product information stored in the product database 133 of the EC system 10 in step S150.

When receiving product sale requests from the respective sale systems 50, the EC system 10 receives the product model ID codes and product information from the sale systems 50, assigns different company codes to the respective sale systems 50, adds the assigned company codes to the product model ID codes, assigns memory regions for the respective company codes, and stores product information in the memory regions of the respective company codes to build the product database 133 in step S160.

Here, the above description referring to FIG. 5 is one of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and information exchange and sharing between the sale system and the shops is not restricted to the description with reference to FIG. 5.

Also, when the sale system is not connected to the shops on the network, the product information exchange and sharing between the sale system and the shops is not performed in real-time. The EC method according to the present invention is also applied to this case, which will be subsequently described with reference to FIG. 7.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an EC method according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is an EC method of when product sale information is exchanged and shared in real-time between the sale system and the shops.

When a buyer inputs a URL of the EC system 10 to the wireless terminal 41 so as to make a purchase through the wireless terminal 41, the URL information is converted into a wireless markup language (WML) through a wireless application protocol (WAP) gateway, and transmitted to the mobile communication service system 60 through the wireless network 20, and the mobile communication service system 60 connects the wireless terminal 41 to the EC system 10 according to the URL information in step S100. Accordingly, the buyer receives various kinds of information from the EC system 10 through the wireless terminal 41.

The mobile communication service system 60 processes the information provided by the EC system 10 to wirelessly transmit it to the corresponding wireless terminal 41 , and since this information processing and transmitting technique is known to skilled persons, no corresponding description will be provided.

As described, when accessing the EC system 10 through the wireless terminal, the buyer provides the buyer's personal identification information as member registration information to receive a member authentication, and the personal identification information is stored in the buyer database 131.

The member-authenticated buyer inputs a title of a desired product in step S200.

Here, the buyer already knows the product model ID code of the desired product, but the buyer performs the following operation to check whether the information the buyer inputs is correct.

The products-in-stock searcher 146 determines the product title transmitted by the buying system 40, searches the memory region assigned to the product transmitted by the product database 133, and provides a list of product categories (e.g., miscellaneous goods, clothes, home appliances and dishes) to the buyer in step S210.

When the buyer selects a desired product category from the list in step S220, the products-in-stock searcher 146 provides the buyer with a list of the product model ID codes of the products included in the product category selected by the buyer, in step S230. This step can be omitted, and differing from this, the products- in-stock searcher 146 may determine the product title transmitted by the buying system 40 and provides a list of the product model ID codes for the respective makers.

The buyer checks to find whether the product model ID codes of the desired products is from the list, and determines whether the information the buyer inputs is correct, and when the corresponding product model ID codes are found, the buyer selects them in step S240.

If the buyer believes that the product model ID code is correct, the buyer inputs the product model ID code without performing the previous steps S210 to S240, or inputs a goods title (or a goods code) and the product model ID code to check the current stock states, which will be described referring to FIG. 7.

When the buyer selects the product model ID code, the products-in-stock searcher 146 checks which product the buyer desires to buy according to the selected product model ID code, searches the product database 133 to determine the stored state of the desired product, and transmits the current product sale state in steps S250 to S270. In this instance, since the product database 133 is updated in real-time according to information provided by the respective shops 70 or the sale system 50, the current stored information represents real-time information.

Here, when the corresponding products are not found, the products-in-stock searcher 146 generates a 'no product in stock' message to the buyer, and the buyer checks this message and recognizes that the desired products are out of stock in steps S280 to S300.

When the products are found to be in stock, the products-in-stock searcher 146 transmits a 'products available' message to the buyer, and concurrently drives the product information provider 143 to transmit the corresponding product information to the buyer in step S310.

After finding that the desired product is available, the buyer orders the product in step S320, and the order signal is transmitted to the sale manager 142 and then to the sale system 50 in step S330. In this instance, the signal transmitted to the sale system 50 includes product model ID codes, buying volume, and personal identification information to be delivered to the buyer.

The sale system 50 then delivers the corresponding product to the buyer in response to the order signal transmitted by the sale manager 142 in step S340.

FIG. 7 shows the above-described transaction process. As shown, the database of each maker, that is, the sale system is updated by the receipt of the current sale states of the products from the department stores or road shops of the maker through the POS system, and based upon this, the sale system checks in real-time the current stock states of the product that has the product model ID code ordered by the buyer to execute the corresponding transaction.

Next, an EC method according to a second preferred embodiment when communication on the current sale states between the sale system and the shops is not performed in real-time and the current sale states of the sale system cannot be checked, will be described.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the EC method according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, when accessing the EC system 10 using the wireless terminal in the like manner of the first preferred embodiment, the buyer searches a desired product, inputs a corresponding product model ID code, and determines whether the buyer can buy the product using the product model ID code in step S410.

The products-in-stock searcher 6 receives the product model ID code from the buying system 40 and determines the product desired by the buyer according to the product model ID code in step S410.

Next, the products-in-stock searcher 146 searches stock information on the product model ID code, and drives the sale manager 142 to request the searched product's current stock states in step S420.

The sale manager 142 transmits the buying product's product model ID code and the order signal to the sale system 50 to request the current stock states.

At the request for the current stock states to the sale system 50, the EC system 10 transmits a 'now requesting the stock states' to the buying system 40, and temporarily pauses the network connection with the buying system 40 in step S430.

When receiving the request signal of current stock states from the sale manager 142, the sale system 50 notifies a manager thereof.

The manager then checks the product's category and stock states through the information displayed on the sale system 50, calls or transmits electronic mail to the corresponding shops, and receives sale information of the corresponding product sold by the shops. Next, he determines the stock states of the corresponding product through the sale information, and transmits the determined stock states to the EC system 10 through the sale system 50.

In this instance, the transmitted sale states of the corresponding product are stored in the product database 133. The products-in-stock searcher 146 determines the stock states of the corresponding product using the received sale states of the corresponding product in steps S440 and S450.

The products-in-stock searcher 146 reads a communication number of the wireless terminal of the buyer who orders the desired product from the buyer database 131 , and forcibly accesses the wireless terminal's communication number, transmits an access request message to the wireless terminal, or transmits the current stock states of the corresponding product to the wireless terminal.

Here, when the buyer's wireless terminal is accessed to the EC system 10 at least once and in the case the products-in-stock searcher 146 determines that the product is out of stock, the products-in-stock searcher 146 generates a 'no product in stock' message to the buyer terminal, and the buyer checks this message and recognizes that the desired product is out of stock in steps S460 to S480.

When the product is found to be in stock, the products-in-stock searcher 146 transmits a 'product available' message to the buyer, and concurrently drives the product information provider 143 to deliver product information on the buying product to the buyer in step S490.

After checking the buyable state of the desired product, the buyer orders the product in step S500, and this order signal is transmitted to the sale system 50 through the sale manager 142. In this instance, the order signal includes the product model ID code, buying volume, and personal identification information to be delivered to the buyer, in step S510.

The sale system 50 delivers the corresponding product to the buyer in response to the order transmitted by the sale manager 142 in step S520.

As described, the buyer using the wireless terminal can easily make a purchase if he knows the product model ID code of the desired product according to the EC system and method of the present invention.

Next, an EC system and method according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 9 shows a concept of the EC method according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, when the users access the EC system through the wireless terminals, search product information and decide on desired products, the EC system provides detailed product information to the user's electronic mail addresses so that the users may check the detailed product information through a wire terminal such as a computer and finally decide to buy them. In this instance, the EC system concurrently provides link data for directly linking to a settlement page together with the above-noted detailed product information so that the users may check the provided information, access the settlement page without an additional network access, and settle for the corresponding products.

Accordingly, the users can always order desired products through the wireless terminal anywhere, receive detailed information on the ordered products through the users' electronic mail addresses without accessing the EC system's site, and conveniently settle for the ordered products.

In the EC system according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buyer authenticator 1412 of the buyer manager 141 uses buyer ID codes (e.g., buyer IDs provided through the wireless network 20 or wireless communication numbers provided by the mobile communication service system 60) to search the buyer database 131 , finds electronic mail addresses corresponding to the buyer IDs or the wireless communication numbers, and provides them to the product information provider 143. The product information provider 143 provides the buyers' electronic mail addresses provided by the buyer manager 141 to the mail server 12 so that the detailed product information on the searched products may be transmitted to the corresponding electronic mail addresses. In this instance, the product information provider 143 concurrently transmits link data for linking to the settlement page together with the detailed product information.

The settlement processor 145 settles for the corresponding products using settlement information provided by the terminal connected to the settlement page through the link data provided to the electronic mail address.

FIGs. 10(a) and 10(b) show a flowchart of an EC process through the wireless network according to the third preferred embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), when a buyer accesses the EC system 10 through the wireless terminal 41 and requests information on the products, the product information provider 3 of the EC system 10 searches basic information on the products from the product database 133 and provides it to the buyer's wireless terminal 41 in steps S600 and S610. In this instance, the sale manager 142 transmits basic information such as prices, sizes and colors of the respective products.

In the like manner of the first and second preferred embodiments, the buyer inputs the product model ID code assigned to the product to request product information, and in this case, the sale manager 142 searches the product's basic information using the product model ID code, and provides the same to the buyer.

When the buyer finds a desired product on the screen of the wireless terminal, orders the corresponding product and inputs the buyer's ID, the buying manager 141 of the EC system 10 searches the buyer database 131 based on the buyer ID provided by the wireless terminal 41, and checks the buyer's information, in steps S620 and S630.

That is, when the buyer selects one of the products displayed on the wireless terminal 41 and requests detailed information, the buyer ID input together with the product code of the corresponding product is transmitted to the EC system 10, and the buyer manager 141 finds the electronic mail address corresponding to the buyer ID and provides it to the product information provider 143.

The product information provider 143 searches the product database 133 using the product code provided by the wireless terminal 41 , finds detailed information of the product corresponding to the product code, and provides the electronic mail address provided by the buyer manager 141 together with the searched product's detailed information to the mail server 12 to request a mail transmission in steps S640 and S650.

In this instance, the product information provider 143 provides link data for linking to the settlement page together with the product's detailed information, and the mail server 12 processes the detailed information and the link data into an electronic mail format and transmits it to the corresponding electronic mail address.

Therefore, the buyer comes to obtain more detailed information such as the product's image, features and trends for a decision of making a purchase through electronic mail transmitted to the buyer's electronic mail address through the wire terminal 42 such as a computer, in step S660.

After checking the electronic mail that includes the product's detaile information, as shown in FIG. 10(b), when the buyer clicks a link data button included in the electronic mail to buy the corresponding product, the buyer's wire terminal 42 is connected to the EC system's settlement page through the wire network 30 in step S670.

When connected to the settlement page, the settlement processor 145 of the EC system 10 requests the buyer to select a desired settlement method and input settlement information, and when the buyer selects a settlement method and inputs settlement information such as a credit card number, the settlement processor 145 authenticates the corresponding settlement and notifies the buyer's wire terminal 42 of authentication results of the settlement in steps S680 to S720. In this instance, the settlement processor may request the buyer to input a settlement password for settlement security.

For example, the settlement processor 145 provides the credit card number and the product's price to a credit card company and asks whether to settle for the product using the corresponding credit card number, and when the settlement authentication is reported from the credit card company, the settlement processor 145 informs the buyer's wire terminal 42 of settlement completion. In addition to this settlement method, other kinds of various settlement methods may be used.

When receiving delivery information such as a delivery target location and date from the buyer, the settlement processor 145 stores the settled product's product code, the buyer's name or ID, and delivery information in the sale database 134, and provides the delivery information to a delivery system to deliver the corresponding product in step S730.

When the buyer requests the product's detailed information through the wireless terminal 41 , the settlement processor 145 enables the buyer to select a desired settlement method of the corresponding product, and when the settlement processor 145 provides detailed information to the electronic mail address, the settlement processor 145 may transmit link data for directly linking to the settlement page corresponding to the selected settlement method. In this instance, the step for the buyer to select a settlement method after being connected to the settlement page may be omitted.

Therefore, the buyer can search and order desired products via the wireless terminal at any time and any place, and settle for the product after checking the ordered product's detailed information through the electronic mail, and accordingly, the buyer can more conveniently and safely decide to make a purchase.

In the above-described embodiment, when requesting the product's detailed information via the wireless terminal, the buyer additionally inputs an ID, and differing from this, when the buyer orders a predetermined product using the wireless terminal, the mobile communication service system 60 provides the ordered product's product code and the corresponding wireless terminal's wireless communication number to the EC system so that the EC system can distinguish the buyer who requests product information. In this instance, the buyer manager of the EC system searches the buyer database according to the wireless communication number provided by the mobile communication service system so as to find the corresponding electronic mail address. In the above-described embodiment, the EC system provides the products' basic information to the buyer's wireless terminal so that the buyer can check the products and order desired ones, and differing from this, it is also possible that the EC system releases pamphlets to which product codes of the respective products are assigned and the buyer inputs through the wireless terminal the product code printed on the pamphlets, so that the corresponding products' detailed information is transmitted to the buyer's electronic mail address.

It is also possible that the buyer requests the product's detailed information using a code printed on a product specification tag attached on clothes, for example, a production code provided by a maker as described in the first and second preferred embodiments, instead of the product code assigned by the EC system.

In this case, the EC system receives detailed information of the production code of the product transmitted by the wireless terminal linked to each maker's product database in addition to the product database built by the EC system, and transmits the product's detailed information to the buyer's electronic mail address in order for the buyer to check it.

According to the present invention, the buyer can check in real-time whether to buy desired products at any time and any place, and immediately buy the desired ones when they are in stock. This kind of real-time checking of the products in stock is more effective for products of small quantities such as fashion products of famous makers. Also, when the buyer orders a product using a wireless terminal, he can receive detailed information of the product through electronic mail, check it and finally settle for the product.

Therefore, since the buyer can get sufficient product information through the electronic mail even when he cannot receive full information via the wireless terminal, he can conveniently and securely decide about making a purchase.

Also, when an order is issued on the wireless network, the buyer can settle for the product via electronic mail, and accordingly, personal information drain caused by use of the wireless network is prevented.

Also, when the buyer issues an order on the wireless network, since the buyer can input settlement information and delivery information through electronic mail, inconvenience of inputting data caused by the buyer's settlement using the wireless terminal is prevented.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An electronic commerce (EC) system for executing transactions between a buyer's buying system and a seller's sale system on a network comprising: a product database for storing information on product model identification (ID) codes for distinguishing products of respective makers and information on the products classified according to the product model ID codes; and a processing server for checking sale information of the products from the sale system in real-time, updating the product database using the real-time sale information, searching product information in the product database on the product model ID codes transmitted by the buying system, and providing it to the buying system so as to execute a corresponding transaction.

2. The EC system of claim 1 , wherein when receiving information on a product and a product model ID code from the sale system, that is, a product sale request, the processing server generates a product code for distinguishing the sale systemand manages the product database to store information on the product and product model ID code for the respective generated product code.

3. The EC system of claim 1 , wherein the processing server comprises: a products-in-stock searcher for monitoring current stock states of the products managed by the sale system for respective product model ID codes in realtime, and updating the product database using the monitoring results; a product information manager for providing product codes to the product model ID codes of the sale products of the respective sale systems to distinguish a product category for each product, and assigning a predetermined memory region to the product database to manage information of the respective sale products; a product information provider for receiving product information and product model ID code information from the buying system, searching product information corresponding to the received information in the product database and providing it; and a sale manager for enabling a product bought by the buying system to be transmitted to the buyer, determining information on the product bought by the buying system as well as buyer information, and updating the product database.

4. The EC system of claim 1, wherein the buying system is a network- accessible wireless terminal.

5. The EC system of claim 1 , wherein when the sale system fails to build current sale states at each local shop into a database, the processing server inquires whether to make a purchase from the sale system so that the buyer checks whether desired products are available.

6. The EC system of claim 5, wherein when the sale system fails to build current sale states at each local shop into a database, in the case the processing server inquires whether to make a purchase from the sale system, the processing server temporarily pauses a network connection to the buying system, and when receiving reply information on whether to make a purchase from the sale system, the processing server reconnects to the buying system on the network and provides reply information to the buying system.

7. An electronic commerce (EC) method for executing transactions between a buyer's buying system and a seller's sale system on a network comprising:

(a) checking current stock states of respective product models managed by the sale system in real-time; and

(b) determining products required by the buying system through product model ID codes, and transmitting states of whether the determined products are available to the buyer's buying system so as to execute the corresponding transaction.

8. The EC method of claim 7, wherein (a) comprises: receiving product code information and product information from the sale system, and receiving a request of sale agency; adding a product code to the model ID code of the product requested to sell, and combining the product model ID code with corresponding product information to build a product database; and checking the sale system's current stock states for respective product codes in real-time, and updating the product database in real-time.

9. The EC method of claim 7, wherein (b) comprises: the buyer determining requested products; providing product model ID codes of the respective products included in the determined products; and determining, when the buyer selects one of the product model ID codes, whether the corresponding product can be bought according to whether the selected product model ID code is stored in a product database, and notifying the buyer of determination results; and settling the corresponding product's price when the buyer orders to buy the corresponding product in the case the product is available, and selling the product to the buyer.

10. The EC method of claim 7, wherein (b) comprises: receiving a product model ID code from the buying system; determining a desired product according to the received product model ID code, and determining whether the product can be bought according to whether the product model ID code is stored in a product database; and settling the corresponding product's price when the buyer orders to buy the corresponding product in the case the product is available, and selling the product to the buyer.

11. An electronic commerce (EC) method for executing transactions between a buyer's buying system and a seller's sale system on a network comprising:

(a) intermittently checking current stock states for respective product models managed by the sale system;

(b) determining desired products according to a product model ID code provided by the buying system;

(c) transmitting to the sale system states of whether the product required by the buying system can be bought; and

(d) receiving reply results of whether the product required by the buying system can be bought from the sale system, transmitting them to the buying system, and enabling the buyer to buy the product.

12. The EC method of claim 11 , wherein (a) comprises: receiving product code information and product information from the sale system, and receiving a request of sale agency; adding a product code to the model ID code of the product requested to sell, and combining the product model ID code with corresponding product information to build a product database; and inquiring of the sale system's current stock states for respective product codes of the sale system, checking them, and updating the product database.

13. The EC method of claim 11, wherein (c) comprises: inquiring whether a product requested by the buyer can be bought from the sale system; temporarily pausing a network connection to the buying system; accessing the buying system when the state of whether the product can be bought is transmitted from the sale system; and transmitting the reply result to the buying system.

14. An electronic commerce (EC) system connected to a plurality of wireless terminals on a wireless network, for executing transactions, comprising: a buyer database for storing ID codes and electronic mail addresses for respective buyers; a product database for storing basic information and detailed information of corresponding products for respective product codes; a processing server including: a buyer manager for searching an electronic mail address corresponding to an ID code from the buyer database when a product code and the buyer's ID code are transmitted by a wireless terminal through the wireless network; and a product information provider for searching detailed information of a product corresponding to the product code transmitted by the wireless terminal from the product database; and a mail server for transmitting the product's product information to the searched electronic mail address.

15. The EC system of claim 14, wherein the product information provider provides link data for linking to a settlement page together with the product's detailed information to the mail server so as to transmit them to the corresponding electronic mail address.

16. The EC system of claim 15, wherein the processing server further comprises a settlement processor for settling the corresponding product's price according to settlement information provided by the buyer's terminal connected through the link data.

17. An electronic commerce (EC) method, connected to a plurality of wireless terminals on a wireless network, for executing transactions comprising:

(a) searching, when a product code and a buyer's ID code are transmitted by a wireless terminal through the wireless network, a buyer database according to the ID code, and finding an electronic mail address corresponding to the ID code;

(b) searching a product database according to the product code transmitted by the wireless terminal, and finding detailed information of the product corresponding to the product code; and

(c) transmitting the product's product information to the searched electronic mail address so that the buyer may check the product's detailed information.

18. The EC method of claim 17, wherein in (c), link data for linking to a settlement page together with the product's detailed information are transmitted to the corresponding electronic mail address so that the buyer is directly connected to the settlement page through the link data at the time of deciding to make a purchase.

19. The EC method of claim 17, wherein the ID code is a buyer ID input by the buyer.

20. The EC method of claim 17, wherein the ID code is a wireless communication number of a wireless terminal.

21. The EC method of claim 17, wherein the product code is a product model ID code assigned when the product is manufactured.