Local availability of products and services on a sales user interface

• US 20040064379A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Glen J., McKnight, Russell F.
• Application Number:
  US10/260,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for local availability of products and services on a sales user interface. Through use of the present invention, availability of goods and corresponding services offered at a location near the user may be communicated to a consumer, thereby informing the consumer of desirable services and goods. A method for identifying services corresponding to a product available to a user based on user location may include monitoring user interaction with network navigation software operating on an information handling system. A product is identified based on the monitored user interaction with the network navigation software and a service corresponding to the identified product determined, the service determination based on user location.

Claims

1. A method for identifying services corresponding to a product available to a user based on user location, comprising:

monitoring user interaction with network navigation software operating on an information handling system;

identifying a product based on the monitored user interaction with the network navigation software; and

determining a service corresponding to the identified product, the service determination based on user location.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein identifying the product includes at least one of placing the product in a shopping cart, selecting the product by a user, manipulating the product with a cursor control device and scanning a network site for available products.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein determining includes accessing at least one database including identifiers for service availability at a location.

4. The method as described in claim 3, wherein the at least one database is configured as at least one of a centralized database and a plurality of databases located at a plurality of network sites.

5. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising ascertaining the user'"'"'s location, wherein ascertaining includes at least one of accessing a stored indication of user location;

and obtaining location from a location determining device without intervention by the user.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the network navigation software includes an Internet browser.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the user interacts with a first provider'"'"'s network site having the identified product, when the identified product is available from a second provider, the user is notified of the availability of at least one of the identified product and a service corresponding to the identified product from the second provider.

8. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the second provider is previously specified.

9. The method as described in claim 1, wherein determining includes arriving at a similar product to identified product, arriving at a service corresponding to a similar product, and arriving at a service corresponding to a bundle including the product.

10. An information handling system, comprising:

a memory suitable for storing a program of instructions;

an input/output device suitable for receiving and outputting data;

a network connection device suitable for communicatively coupling the information handling system to a network over a network connection; and

a processor suitable for performing a program of instructions, the processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the network connection device, and the input/output device, wherein the program of instructions configures the processor to

monitor user interaction with network navigation software operating on an information handling system, the network navigation software configuring the information handling system to enable the user to interact with a network site over a network connection;

identify a product based on the monitored user interaction with the network site; and

determine a service corresponding to the identified product, the service determination based on user location.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 10, wherein identifying the product includes at least one of placing the product in a shopping cart, selecting the product by a user, manipulating the product with a cursor control device and scanning a network site for available products.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 10, wherein determining includes accessing at least one database including identifiers for service availability at a location.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 12, wherein the at least one database is configured as at least one of a centralized database and a plurality of databases located at a plurality of network sites.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 10, further comprising ascertaining the user'"'"'s location, wherein ascertaining includes at least one of accessing a stored indication of user location;

and obtaining location from a location determining device without intervention by the user.

15. The information handling system as described in claim 10, wherein the network navigation software includes an Internet browser.

16. The information handling system as described in claim 10, wherein the user interacts with a first provider'"'"'s network site having the identified product, when the identified product is available from a second provider, the user is notified of the availability of at least one of the identified product and a service corresponding to the identified product from the second provider.

17. The information handling system as described in claim 16, wherein the second provider is previously specified.

18. The information handling system as described in claim 10, wherein determining includes arriving at a similar product to identified product, arriving at a service corresponding to a similar product, and arriving at a service corresponding to a bundle including the product.

24. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the network navigation software includes an Internet browser.

19. A system for identifying services corresponding to a product available to a user based on user location, comprising:

means for monitoring user interaction with network navigation software operating on an information handling system;

means for identifying a product based on the monitored user interaction with the network navigation software received from the monitoring means; and

means for determining a service corresponding to the identified product received from the identifying means, the service determination means utilizing user location.

20. The system as described in claim 19, wherein identifying the product includes at least one of placing the product in a shopping cart, selecting the product by a user, manipulating the product with a cursor control device and scanning a network site for available products.

21. The system as described in claim 19, wherein determining includes accessing at least one database including identifiers for service availability at a location.

22. The system as described in claim 21, wherein the at least one database configured as at least one of a centralized database and a plurality of databases located at a plurality of network sites.

23. The system as described in claim 19, further comprising ascertaining the user'"'"'s location, wherein ascertaining includes at least one of accessing a stored indication of user location and obtaining location from a location determining device without intervention by the user.

25. The system as described in claim 19, wherein the user interacts with a first provider'"'"'s network site having the identified product, when the identified product is available from a second provider, the user is notified of the availability of at least one of the identified product and a service corresponding to the identified product from the second provider.

26. The system as described in claim 25, wherein the second provider is previously specified.

27. The system as described in claim 19, wherein determining means includes arriving at a similar product to identified product, arriving at a service corresponding to a similar product, and arriving at a service corresponding to a bundle including the product.