System and method for providing a universal shopping cart across multiple search platforms

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that provide for a linking of a product database across different search platforms and then managing payments by a generalized search entity such that users are not transitioned to a merchant site from advertisements or search results. A method includes establishing, at a generalized search entity, a link to a product database of a merchant, offering, by the generalized search entity and based on a correlation of search terms to the product database of the merchant, search results across at least a first search platform and a second search platform and receiving, from a user, a confirmation of a payment for a product associated with a search result presented on the first search platform by the generalized search entity. The generalized search entity processes the payment for the product without transitioning the user to a site operated by the merchant. A universal shopping cart can be used to pay once for a plurality of products selected from different merchants as managed by the generalized search entity.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, based on a first search initiated by a user at a generalized search entity, a first identification of a first product associated with a first site;   storing the first identification of the first product in a universal shopping cart operated by the generalized search entity;   receiving, based on a second search initiated by the user at the generalized search entity, a second identification of a second product associated with a second site, wherein the first site and the second site are associated with different merchants;   storing the identification of the second product in the universal shopping cart operated by the generalized search entity; and   processing a payment of both the first product and the second product based on a user interaction with a payment interface associated with the universal shopping cart and managed by the generalized search entity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing of the payment of both the first product and the second product occurs based on payment data being stored with the generalized search entity for the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user does not transition to the first site or the second site. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first search initiated by the user at the generalized search entity is on a first platform operated by the generalized search entity and wherein the second search initiated by the user at the generalized search entity is on a second platform operated by the generalized search entity, wherein the first platform differs from the second platform. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first platform is associated with a generalized search via text input and wherein the second platform comprises a voice-based search operated by the generalized search entity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first platform is associated with a generalized search via text input of a database of images or video and wherein the second platform comprises one of a voice-based search operated by the generalized search entity or a text-based search operated by the generalized search entity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the generalized search entity, a first data feed of first products from the first site; and   receiving, at the generalized search entity, a second data feed of second products from the second site.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the processing of the payment of both the first product and the second product based on the user interaction with the payment interface associated with the universal shopping cart and managed by the generalized search entity is enabled by the first data feed from the first site selling the first product and the second data feed from the second site selling the second product. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, from the generalized search entity, a first payment to the first site for a first purchase of the first product from the user, wherein the first site can manage delivery of the first product to the user; and   providing, from the generalized search entity, a second payment to the second site for a second purchase of the second product from the user, wherein the second site can manage delivery of the second product to the user.   
     
     
         10 . A system operating a generalize search entity, the system comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations comprising:
 receiving, based on a first search initiated by a user, a first identification of a first product associated with a first site; 
 storing the first identification of the first product in a universal shopping cart operated by the generalized search entity; 
 receiving, based on a second search initiated by the user at the generalized search entity, a second identification of a second product associated with a second site, wherein the first site and the second site are associated with different merchants; 
 storing the identification of the second product in the universal shopping cart operated by the generalized search entity; and 
 processing a payment of both the first product and the second product based on a user interaction with a payment interface associated with the universal shopping cart and managed by the generalized search entity. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing of the payment of both the first product and the second product occurs based on payment data being stored with the generalized search entity for the user. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the user does not transition to the first site or the second site. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first search initiated by the user at the generalized search entity is on a first platform operated by the generalized search entity and wherein the second search initiated by the user at the generalized search entity is on a second platform operated by the generalized search entity, wherein the first platform differs from the second platform. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first platform is associated with a generalized search via text input and wherein the second platform comprises a voice-based search operated by the generalized search entity. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first platform is associated with a generalized search via text input of a database of images or video and wherein the second platform comprises one of a voice-based search operated by the generalized search entity or a text-based search operated by the generalized search entity. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:
 receiving, at the generalized search entity, a first data feed of first products from the first site; and   receiving, at the generalized search entity, a second data feed of second products from the second site.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the processing of the payment of both the first product and the second product based on the user interaction with the payment interface associated with the universal shopping cart and managed by the generalized search entity is enabled by the first data feed from the first site selling the first product and the second data feed from the second site selling the second product. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:
 providing, from the generalized search entity, a first payment to the first site for a first purchase of the first product from the user, wherein the first site can manage delivery of the first product to the user; and   providing, from the generalized search entity, a second payment to the second site for a second purchase of the second product from the user, wherein the second site can manage delivery of the second product to the user.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 receiving, based on a first search initiated by a user at a generalized search entity, a first identification of a first product associated with a first site;   storing the first identification of the first product in a universal shopping cart operated by the generalized search entity;   receiving, based on a second search initiated by the user at the generalized search entity, a second identification of a second product associated with a second site, wherein the first site and the second site are associated with different merchants;   storing the identification of the second product in the universal shopping cart operated by the generalized search entity;   presenting a selectable object on a user interface, the selectable object associated with activating the universal shopping cart;   receiving an interaction from the user with the selectable object to activate the universal shopping cart; and   processing a payment of both the first product and the second product based on a user interaction with a payment interface associated with the universal shopping cart and managed by the generalized search entity.