Methods and systems for presenting a virtual representation of a real city
First Claim
1. A method for centralizing localized e-commerce using a virtual city application that provides to users an interface, comprising:
- creating virtual representations of stores in the interface in which local merchants are allowed to sell goods and services;
providing the users access to the virtual representations of stores, wherein the users are allowed to place items that are for sale in the virtual representations of stores into a single virtual shopping cart; and
processing payment for the items in the virtual shopping cart using the virtual city application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual city service that provides access to a virtual city application is provided. Users may navigate among a virtual representation of a real region, such as a city. The interface may include images of actual city blocks that have interactive items of interest such as storefronts. Users may virtually shop in the stores that adorn the virtual city blocks. The virtual city application may process orders for all merchants—local or web-based. An artificial intelligence component may be used in the form of a back-end linear programming model to provide an intelligent personal assistant. Chore-management may thus be automated.
200 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method for centralizing localized e-commerce using a virtual city application that provides to users an interface, comprising:
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creating virtual representations of stores in the interface in which local merchants are allowed to sell goods and services;
providing the users access to the virtual representations of stores, wherein the users are allowed to place items that are for sale in the virtual representations of stores into a single virtual shopping cart; and
processing payment for the items in the virtual shopping cart using the virtual city application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20)
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11. A system for centralizing localized e-commerce using a virtual city application that provides to users an interface, comprising:
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means for creating virtual representations of stores in the interface in which local merchants are allowed to sell goods and services;
means for providing the users access to the virtual representations of stores, wherein the users are allowed to place items that are for sale in the virtual representations of stores into a single virtual shopping cart; and
means for processing payment for the items in the virtual shopping cart using the virtual city application. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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21. A system for centralizing localized e-commerce using a virtual city application that provides to users an interface, comprising:
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a central site at which virtual representations of stores are created for use in the interface in which local merchants are allowed to sell goods and services;
a data server configured to provide the users access to the virtual representations of stores, wherein the users are allowed to place items that are for sale in the virtual representations of stores into a single virtual shopping cart; and
hardware at the central site configured to process payment for the items in the virtual shopping cart using the virtual city application. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for providing a user an interactive virtual representation of a city via a communications network, comprising:
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storing images of substantially most city blocks making up the city in a database;
linking the images to one another in substantially the same way the corresponding city blocks are linked; and
allowing the user to navigate among the city blocks. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A system for providing a user an interactive virtual representation of a city via a communications network, comprising:
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a database in which images of substantially most city blocks making up the city are stored;
hardware configured to link the images to one another in substantially the same way the corresponding city blocks are linked; and
hardware configured to allow the user to navigate among the city blocks. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for using a linear programming model to provide automated services based on a plurality of variables, comprising:
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using the linear programming model to process a user'"'"'s preferences, schedule, and requests; and
performing actions based on the linear programming model over a communications network. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification