SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ONLINE ITEM PUBLICATION AND MARKETPLACE WITHIN VIRTUAL WORLDS

• US 20080255957A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Leung, Kenneth, Huang, Bernard Kerry, Erdem, Erhan
• Application Number:
  US12/104,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20080255957A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system and method for publishing information about items and allowing internet shopping within virtual worlds. A server based application for internet commerce has been designed to integrate with virtual world servers and the client programs that work with the virtual world servers. For example, a consumer within a virtual world may approach a billboard that will allow the user to interact with a real internet-based marketplace that is available in the real world. Both real world and virtual world items may be purchased from the internet-based marketplace after locating a desired item within the virtual world.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to a networked commerce site from within a virtual world, said method comprising:

receiving a first request of shopping information from a virtual world user;

transmitting said first request of shopping information to a networked commerce site translation application;

transmitting a second request of shopping information from said networked commerce site translation application to said networked commerce site;

processing a first set of results received back from said networked commerce site within said networked commerce site translation application to create a second set of results; and

transmitting said second set of results to a virtual world server application for display to said virtual world user.

2. The method of providing access to said networked commerce site as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising:

receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and

launching a web browser program with a destination address of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user.

3. The method of providing access to said networked commerce site as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising:

receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and

sending an email message containing a Uniform resource Locator associated with a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user to an email address associated with said virtual world user.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation of only items associated with said virtual world.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation that excludes items that will be sold within a short period of time.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second set of results comprises an image file.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second set of results further comprises a click map of said image file.

8. A system for providing marketplace capabilities from within a virtual world, said system comprising:

a networked commerce site, said network commerce site having an application programming interface for receiving search requests;

a networked commerce site translation server, said networked commerce site translation server comprising

a request processing module, said request processing module receiving a first request of shopping information from a virtual world user, processing said first request into a second request and transmitting said second request to said networked commerce site, and

a response processing module, said response processing module processing a first set of results received back from said networked commerce site to create a second set of results and transmitting said second set of results to a virtual world server application for display to said virtual world user.

9. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein a virtual client application receives a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user and launches a web browser program with a destination address of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user.

10. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein a virtual client application receives a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user and sends an email message containing a Uniform resource Locator of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user to an email address associated with said virtual world user.

11. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation of only items associated with said virtual world.

12. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation that excludes items that will be sold within a short period of time.

13. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said second set of results comprises an image file.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said second set of results further comprises a click map of said image file.

15. A machine-readable medium, said machine-readable medium comprising a set of computer instructions that provide method for accessing a networked commerce site from within a virtual world, said method comprising:

receiving a first request of shopping information from a virtual world user;

transmitting said first request of shopping information to a networked commerce site translation application;

transmitting a second request of shopping information from said networked commerce site translation application to said networked commerce site;

processing a first set of results received back from said networked commerce site within said networked commerce site translation application to create a second set of results; and

transmitting said second set of results to a virtual world server application for display to said virtual world user.

16. The machine-readable medium as set forth in claim 15 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and

launching a web browser program with a destination address of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user.

17. The machine-readable medium as set forth in claim 15 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and

sending an email message containing a Uniform resource Locator associated with a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user to an email address associated with said virtual world user.

18. The machine-readable medium as set forth in claim 15 wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation of only items associated with said virtual world.

19. The machine-readable medium as set forth in claim 15 wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation that excludes items that will be sold within a short period of time.

20. The machine-readable medium as set forth in claim 15 wherein said second set of results comprises an image file.

21. The machine-readable medium as set forth in claim 20 wherein said second set of results further comprises a click map of said image file.