Providing Services From A Remote Computer System To A User Station Over A Communications Network

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing services from a remote computer system to a user station over a communications network, including automated identification of users. During a first communication session between a user station and a remote computer system, the user station provides first user identification information to the remote computer system. The remote computer system uses the first user identification information in transaction during the first communication session. The remote computer system also stores at least a portion of the first user identification information. The remote computer system also provides second user identification information to the user station, which is stored at the user station. The remote computer system also generates an association between the stored first user identification information and the second user identification information. During subsequent communication sessions between the user station and the remote computer system, the user station automatically provides the stored second user identification information to the remote computer system, that is, without user-prompting. The remote computer system uses the received second user identification information and the association, during the subsequent communication session, to identify and retrieve the stored first user identification information. The remote computer system then uses the retrieved first user identification information in the subsequent transaction.

1 . A computer implemented method for transacting electronic commerce between a remote computer system and a user station over a communications network, at least a portion of which includes the Internet, comprising:
 during a first user-initiated communications session,   receiving at the remote computer system user station information for a user station not previously identified to the remote computer system from the user station for storage remote from the user station,   providing user station identification information from the remote computer system to the user station for automatic storage at the user station,   creating an association at the remote computer system between the user station identification information and the user station information, and   using at the remote computer system the user station information when processing a first purchase transaction; and   during a second user-initiated communications session subsequent to and separate from the first user-initiated communications session,   receiving at the remote computer system the user station identification information automatically accessed on the user station, and   accessing the stored user station information using the remote computer system and the received user identification information when processing a subsequent purchase transaction associated with the communications session.   
     
     
         2 . A computer implemented method for transacting electronic commerce between a remote computer system and a user station over a communications network, at least a portion of which includes the Internet, comprising:
 during a first user-initiated communications session,   receiving at the remote computer system user information for a user not previously identified to the remote computer system from the user station for storage remote from the user station,   providing user identification information from the remote computer system to the user station for automatic storage at the user station,   creating an association at the remote computer system between the user identification information and the user information, and   processing a first purchase transaction using at the remote computer system the user information; and   during a second user-initiated communications session subsequent to and separate from the first user-initiated communications session,   receiving at the remote computer system the user identification information automatically accessed on the user station, and   accessing the stored user information using the remote computer system and the received user identification information when processing a subsequent purchase transaction associated with the communications session.   
     
     
         3 . A computer implemented method for distributing software from a remote computer system to a user station, comprising:
 responsive to an identification of software already installed on the user station, presenting a directory of software available for installation on the user station and not already installed on the user station;   sending from the remote computer system over a communications network a listing of software available for distribution to the user station and for selection at the user station responsive to the directory;   receiving at the remote computer station from the user station a selection of software requested by the user station; and   sending software indicated by the selection from the remote computer system to the user station over the communications network.   
     
     
         4 . A method for distributing information to a plurality of user stations via a server based information distribution service over a network including the Internet, comprising:
 providing a directory of items to each user station over the network via the information distribution service;   receiving over the network from a given user station a specific individualized set of one or more items selected from the directory; and   transferring, via the information distribution service over the network to the given user station, information contained in a plurality of information objects corresponding to respective items of the selected individualized set of one or more items specific to that user station, in response to a single triggering action at the user station.   
     
     
         5 . A computer implemented method for identifying a user station to a remote computer system over a communications network, at least a portion of which includes the Internet, comprising:
 receiving first user station information at the remote computer system during a first user-initiated communication session for a user station not previously identified to the server;   sending second information that is a function of the first user station information and that is different from the first user station information to the user station over the communications network during the first user-initiated communication session to be stored automatically at the user station;   storing third information based on the first user station information at a location remote from the user station and accessible to the remote computer system;   receiving the second information over the communications network during a subsequent and separate user-initiated communication session automatically from the user station;   retrieving the stored third information using the received second information, during the subsequent and separate communication session; and   using the retrieved third information for interaction with the remote computer system during the subsequent and separate communication session.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving and acknowledging a password from the user station during the subsequent user-initiated communication session before permitting the interaction with the remote computer system.   
     
     
         7 . A computer implemented method for identifying users over a communications network, at least a portion of which includes the Internet, comprising:
 receiving first user identification information at a remote computer system from a user station during a first user-initiated communication session for a user not previously identified to the server;   sending second information that is a function of the first user identification information and that is different from the first user identification information to the user station over the communications network during the first user-initiated communication session to be stored automatically at the user station;   storing third information that is based on the first user identification information at a location remote from the user station and accessible to the remote computer system;   receiving the second information over the communications network during a subsequent and separate user-initiated communication session automatically from the user station;   retrieving the stored third information using the received second information, during the subsequent and separate communication session; and   using the retrieved third information for interaction with the remote computer system during the subsequent and separate communication session.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving first user station identification information at the remote computer system from the user station during the first user-initiated communication session;   sending fourth information that is a function of the first user station identification information and that is different from the first user station identification information to the user station over the communications network during the first user-initiated communication session to be stored automatically at the user station;   storing fifth information that is based on the first user station identification information at the location remote from the user station and accessible to the remote computer system;   receiving the fourth information over the communications network during the subsequent and separate user-initiated communication session automatically from the user station; and   retrieving the stored fifth information using the received fourth information during the subsequent and separate communication session.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving and acknowledging a password from the user station during the subsequent user-initiated communication session before permitting the interaction with the remote computer system.   
     
     
         10 . A computer implemented method for identifying a user station to a remote computer system, in which first information identifying a user station not previously identified to the remote computer system is received at the remote computer system over a communications network, at least a portion of which includes the Internet, during a first user-initiated communication session, second information that is a function of the first information and that is different from the first information is sent to the user station over the communications network during the first user-initiated communication session to be stored automatically at the user station, and third information that is based on the first information is stored at a location remote from the user station and accessible to the remote computer system, comprising:
 receiving the second information at the remote computer system from the user station automatically;   retrieving the previously stored third information at the remote computer system; and   comparing the received second information with the stored third information.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 recording and storing an indication of at least one additional time the user station initiates a communication with the remote computer system.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein first user specific information is received at the remote computer system from a user station during the first user-initiated communication session, second user specific information that is a function of the first user specific information and that is different from the first user specific information is sent to the user station over the communications network during the first user-initiated communication session to be stored automatically at the user station, user related information that is based on the first user specific information is stored at a location remote from the user station and accessible to the remote computer system, and an association is generated between the stored user related information and the second user specific information, further comprising:
 receiving the second user specific information over the communications network during a subsequent and separate user-initiated communication session automatically from the user station;   retrieving the stored user related information using the received second user specific information and the association, during the subsequent and separate communication session; and   using the retrieved user related information for interaction with the remote computer system during the subsequent and separate communication session.   
     
     
         13 . A computer implemented method for identifying a user to a remote computer system, in which information specific to a given user not previously identified to the remote computer system is received at the remote computer system over a communications network, at least a portion of which includes the Internet, during a first user-initiated communication session, and information related to the first user specific information is stored at a location remote from the user station and accessible to the remote computer system, comprising:
 receiving second user specific information at the remote computer system from a second user station;   retrieving at least a portion of the previously stored information at the remote computer system; and   comparing the received second user specific information with at least a portion of the retrieved information.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving and acknowledging a password from the user station during the subsequent user-initiated communication session before permitting the user to transact business using the remote computer system.   
     
     
         15 . A computer implemented method for transacting electronic commerce between a remote computer system and a user station over a communications network at least a portion of which includes the Internet, comprising:
 during a first user-initiated communications session, receiving at the remote computer system user information for a user not previously identified to the remote computer system from the user station for storage remote from the user station;   sending user identification information from the remote computer system to the user station for automatic storage at the user station by software running at the user station;   creating an association at the remote computer system between the user identification information and the user information;   using at the remote computer system the user information when processing a first purchase transaction;   during a second user-initiated communications session subsequent to and separate from the first user-initiated communications session, receiving at the remote computer system from the user station the user identification information automatically accessed by the user station; and   using at the remote computer system the user identification information to gain access to the stored user information when processing a subsequent purchase transaction associated with the communications session.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 allowing interaction of the user station with the remote computer system as a previously identified user station without requiring further user station identification if the received information matches the retrieved third information.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 allowing interaction of the user with the remote computer system as a previously identified user without requiring further user identification if the received second user specific information matches the retrieved portion