Collaborative activities in on-line commerce

• US 10,664,882 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Roger D., Pacholke, Timmy L., Pool, Stacey J., Wood, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salomon, Phenuel S
• Application Number:
  US15/608,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Computer based systems and methods allow collaborative shopping for and/or designing of (e.g., customization) consumer products, such as articles of footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, etc., by plural users using different computing devices. The users'"'"' computing devices may be in communication with one another in various manners, such as over networked connections (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an internet connection, etc.); via peer-to-peer communications; through a common server or combination of servers that establish a communications link; etc.). The various parties may participate in an on-line or other computer communicative session to create and buy customized products. Additionally, user interfaces for providing these collaborative sessions are described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

in response to receiving a session request, initiate a collaborative design session for a plurality of users;

receiving input indicating a selection of a product from a first user of the plurality of users;

enabling multiple users of the plurality of users to provide, during any time period of the collaborative design session, product design input;

receiving product design input from one or more of the plurality of users; and

transmitting, to the plurality of users and based on the received product design input, a modified appearance of the product.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

receive a request to join an additional user to the collaborative design session; and

transmit an invite to the additional user based on the request.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the product design input is received from the one or more of the plurality of users at the same time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the product design input comprises one or more data packets, and wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to receive the product design input by:

determining, based on the one or more data packets, whether to accept the product design input from the first user and a second user.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to determine whether to accept the product design input by:

initiating a first in time modification to the product; and

disregarding, for a predetermined time period, subsequent product design input provided by other users of the plurality of users.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to determine whether to accept the product design input by:

initiating a last in time modification to the product.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to determine whether to accept the product design input by:

determining, based on the plurality of users, a user hierarchy; and

initiating one or more modifications to the product based on the user hierarchy.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to determine whether to accept the product design input by:

initiating, based on product design input provided by the first user, a modification to the product; and

prompting one or more other users, of the plurality of users, to view subsequent modifications to the product.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein received data packet includes at least one of a timestamp, indication of a user providing the product design input, indication of a portion of the product being modified by the product design input, or a data payload indicating a modification to the product.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

determine a recommendation of available design alternatives for the product.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

generate a communication indicating an anticipated effect on a first performance characteristics of the product.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the product comprises at least one of an article of apparel or a piece of athletic equipment.

13. A method for collaborative designing of apparel comprising:

displaying a first user interface on a first display device of a first computing system to a first user;

displaying a second user interface on a second display device of a second computing system to a second user;

enabling the first and second users to provide apparel design input during any time period of a collaborative design session;

receiving input indicating a selection of an article of apparel from either the first user or the second user;

receiving a first apparel design input, provided by the first user, indicating a first modification to the article of apparel;

receiving a second apparel design input, provided by the second user, indicating a second modification to the article of apparel; and

upon receiving both the first apparel design input and the second apparel design input, modifying an appearance of the article of apparel to reflect the first modification and the second modification.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions stored thereon, that when executed, cause an apparatus to generate a user interface for a collaborative footwear design session on a display device, wherein the user interface comprises:

a first display portion including a rendering of an article of footwear;

a plurality of selector elements that enable at least a first user and a second user to select a portion of the article of footwear;

an indicator indicating which user of the first user or the second user is in control of the selector element; and

a first element that alters, based on input provided by the first and second users during any time period of the collaborative footwear design session, a change in an appearance of the rendering of the article of footwear in the first display portion.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user interface further includes a second element that alters a change in appearance of the rendering of the article of footwear.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second element of the user interface includes an orientation element that allows users to change an orientation of the article of footwear as rendered in the first display portion.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user interface further includes a communication portion that displays communication information from the second user to the first user.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user interface further includes a communication portion that accepts input generated by the first user for transmission to the second user.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user interface further includes a communication portion that accepts input generated by the first user for transmission to the second user and that displays communication information generated by the second user to the first user.