Virtual reality shopping experience

• US 20070179867A1
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Glazer, Elliott, Royer, Coby, Hobson, Carol, Deming, Elizabeth, Fehlhaber, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A solution is provided for a method for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting by receiving a request at a shopping server to view a shopping location, having at least one store, and displaying the shopping location to the user'"'"'s computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user. The server then obtains a request to enter into one of the stores and displays the store website to the user in the same web browser. The store website has one or more enhanced VR features. The server then receives a request to view at least one product and the product is presented in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life viewing of the product.

Claims

1. A method for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting, comprising:

receiving a request at a shopping server to view a virtual shopping location;

displaying the virtual shopping location on a user computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user, the virtual shopping location having at least one store;

obtaining a request to enter into a store of the virtual shopping location;

displaying an actual store website of the store on the user computer in the same web browser, in response to the request to enter into the store, wherein the actual store website of the store is linked to the virtual shopping location and wherein the actual store website does not reside on the shopping server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual shopping location includes introducing a concierge to the user.

3. The method of claim 61, wherein the product is a real estate property.

4. The method of claim 61, further comprising:

receiving a request to insert the product into a virtual shopping cart, wherein the receiving of a request to insert includes storing the product into a shopping cart memory.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a request to purchase products in the virtual shopping cart, wherein the products in the virtual shopping cart are from different stores of the virtual shopping location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

shipping the purchased products using one tracking number in one shipment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual store website has one or more enhanced VR features.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual shopping location includes displaying a product in a virtual store window to emulate real-life window shopping.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual shopping location includes displaying a product offer to emulate real-life sales advertising.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the store includes displaying a customer representative to assist the user in real-time purchasing of the product.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of a request to view includes receiving a request for a 360 degree interactive view of the product.

13. The method of claim 61, wherein the presenting of the product includes displaying a product information sheet received from a product information database.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a price comparison, a product comparison, or a merchant offer.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving information data from a product comparison database and displaying the information data to the user.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a clickstream data of the user'"'"'s actions within the 3D VR setting in a clickstream database.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from a merchant website to obtain the clickstream data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically displaying product cross-selling information or product offers and information to the user based upon the stored clickstream data.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request at the shopping server to personalize the shopping location.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request at the shopping server to link-up with at least one other user.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a shopping game to the user computer.

61. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to view a product; and

presenting the product in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real life viewing of the product.

5. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. An apparatus for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting, comprising:

means for receiving a request at a shopping server to view a virtual shopping location;

means for displaying the virtual shopping location on a user computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user, the virtual shopping location having at least one store;

means for obtaining a request to enter into a store of the virtual shopping location;

means for displaying an actual store website of the store on the user computer in the same web browser, in response to the request to enter into the store, wherein the actual store website of the store is linked to the virtual shopping location and wherein the actual store website does not reside on the shopping server.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for displaying the virtual shopping location includes means for introducing a concierge to the user.

25. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the product is a real estate property.

26. The apparatus of claim 62, further comprising:

means for receiving a request to insert the product into a virtual shopping cart, wherein the means for receiving a request to insert includes means for storing the product into a shopping cart memory.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for receiving a request to purchase the at least one product in the virtual shopping cart, wherein the products in the virtual shopping cart are from different stores of the virtual shopping location.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for shipping the purchased products having one tracking number in one shipment.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the actual store website has one or more enhanced VR features.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for displaying the virtual shopping location includes means for displaying a product in a virtual store window to emulate real-life window shopping.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for displaying the virtual shopping location includes means for displaying a product offer to emulate real-life sales advertising.

33. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the means for displaying the store includes means for displaying a customer representative to assist the user in real-time purchasing of the product.

34. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the means for receiving a request to view includes means for receiving a request for a 360 degree interactive view of the product.

35. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the means for presenting the product includes means for displaying a product information sheet received from a product information database.

36. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for a price comparison, a product comparison, or a merchant offer.

37. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for retrieving information data from a product comparison database and means for displaying the information data to the user.

38. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for storing a clickstream data of the user'"'"'s actions within the 3D VR setting in a clickstream database.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for receiving a request from a merchant website to obtain the clickstream data.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for automatically displaying product cross-selling information or product offers and information to the user based upon the stored clickstream data.

41. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving a request at the shopping server to personalize the shopping location.

42. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving a request at the shopping server to link-up with at least one other user.

43. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for presenting a shopping game to the user computer.

62. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving a request to view a product; and

means for presenting the product in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life viewing of the product.

27. (canceled)

44. (canceled)

45. An apparatus for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting, comprising:

a shopping server;

a virtual shopping location displayer coupled to the shopping server to display a virtual shopping location on a user computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user, the virtual shopping location having at least one store;

a store requester coupled to the shopping server, the store requester to request to enter into a store of the virtual shopping location;

a website displayer coupled to the store requester, the website displayer to display an actual store website of the store on the user computer in the same web browser, in response to the request to enter into the store, wherein the actual store website of the store is linked to the virtual shopping location and wherein the actual store website does not reside on the shopping server.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprises comprising:

a concierge introducer coupled to the shopping server.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

a shopping cart memory coupled to the shopping server to store the product if the user wants to purchase the product; and

a purchase requester coupled to the shopping server to receive a request to purchase the product in the virtual shopping cart, wherein the products are from different stores.

49. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the product is a real estate property.

50. The apparatus of claim 47, further comprising:

a product shipper coupled to the purchase requester.

51. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the shopping server includes a window displayer to emulate real-life window shopping.

52. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the shopping server includes a product offer displayer.

53. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the shopping server includes at least one customer representative.

54. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the shopping server includes an interactive viewer, the interactive viewer allows the user to view a 360 degree VR interactive view of the product.

55. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

a clickstream data storer coupled to the shopping server.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the clickstream data storer is coupled to a merchant website requester.

57. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

a link-up requester coupled to the shopping server.

58. The apparatus of claim 45, comprising:

a shopping game presenter coupled to the shopping server.

63. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

a product requester coupled to the shopping server, the product requester to request to view a product; and

a 3D VR product presenter coupled to the product requester, the 3D VR product presenter to present the product in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life viewing of the product.

64. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the actual store website has one or more enhanced VR features.

48. (canceled)

59. (canceled)

60. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting, said method comprising:

receiving a request at a shopping server to view a virtual shopping location;

displaying the virtual shopping location on a user computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user, the virtual shopping location having at least one store;

obtaining a request to enter into a store of the virtual shopping location;

displaying an actual store website of the store on the user computer in the same web browser, in response to the request to enter into the store, wherein the actual store website of the store is linked to the virtual shopping location and wherein the actual store website does not reside on the shopping server.

65. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

receiving a request to view a product; and

presenting the product in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real life viewing of the product.

66. The method of claim 60, wherein the actual store website has one or more enhanced VR features.