SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR E-COMMERCE AND MOBILE NETWORKS FOR PROVIDING PURCHASE EXPERIENCES OF FRIENDS IN A SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20090070228A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Social Fabric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Social Fabric Corporation
• Inventors: Ronen, Guy
• Application Number:
  US11/853,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070228A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

Methods, for facilitating electronic commerce using a social network, including: registering users on a social-network product-review site, wherein each user can be connected to other users by designating the other users as friends; identifying product purchases, of the users, made in merchant locations; collecting purchase details, and associated-user identities; sending a notification to an associated user requesting a user-specific product review from the associated user upon the associated user receiving the purchase details associated with the associated user; obtaining the user-specific product review and permissions from the associated user, wherein the permissions designate to share the user-specific product review and a relevant associated-user identity with associated-user friends; determining product-related information being accessed in various locations by a product-seeking user; ascertaining an identity of the product-seeking user; and presenting related-product reviews, based on the product-related information and related permissions, of user-related friends to the product-seeking user in the various locations.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating electronic commerce using a social network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) registering a plurality of users on a social-network product-review site, wherein each said user can be communicationally connected to other said users by designating said other users as friends;

(b) identifying product purchases, of said plurality of users, made in merchant locations;

(c) collecting purchase details, of said product purchases, and associated-user identities;

(d) sending a notification to an associated said user requesting a user-specific product review from said associated user upon said associated user receiving said purchase details associated with said associated user;

(e) obtaining said user-specific product review and permissions from said associated user, wherein said permissions designate to share said user-specific product review and a relevant said associated-user identity with associated-user said friends;

(f) determining product-related information being accessed in various locations by a product-seeking said user, wherein said various locations include at least one enabled site and said social-network product-review site;

(g) ascertaining an identity of said product-seeking user; and

(h) presenting related-product reviews, based on said product-related information and related said permissions, of user-related said friends of said product-seeking user to said product-seeking user in said various locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said merchant locations include localities selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, and a service-provider location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of collecting is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of collecting includes transmitting said purchase details and said associated-user identities to said social-network product-review site.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said transmitting is performed using a communication transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, and a web-interface transmittal, a keypad sequence, and a voice response.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said transmitting is performed by automatically generating a communication transmittal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said associated-user identities include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an end-user system ID, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site, a magnetic-card ID, a cookie, and a flash shared-object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of collecting and identifying include parsing receipt-related e-mails of said product purchases in order to obtain said purchase details and said associated-user identities.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said receipt-related e-mails are transmitted to said social-network product-review site using an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification includes at least one communication transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, a web-interface transmittal, a messaging-service notification, a pop-up window, a desktop application notification, and a voice message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said user-specific product review and said related-product reviews each include at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

said purchase details, a portion of said purchase details, a purchase experience, and a portion of said purchase experience.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said permissions are configured:

(a) to designate which review portions, of said user-specific product review, and which identity portions, of said relevant associated-user identity, to share; and

(b) to designate with which said user-related friends to share said portions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said portions are presented according to a rule based on a criterion selected from the group consisting of:

a user wish list, a friend wish list, a user purchase-experience history, and a friend purchase-experience history.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said rule is configured to be automatically modified based on a user tendency to read certain said related-product reviews from certain said user-related friends.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said product-related information includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a product name, a product category, a product search, a product-category search, a product ID, a product barcode, a manufacturer'"'"'s name, a manufacturer'"'"'s location, a product review, a product-related article, a merchant name, a merchant category, and a merchant location.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one enabled site is a locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, and an electronic kiosk.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of determining and ascertaining is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, an electronic kiosk, an end-user system, and said social-network product-review site.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said identity include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site, and a user photo.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of presenting includes presenting using at least one presentation transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, a web-interface transmittal, a messaging-service notification, a pop-up window, a desktop application notification, and a voice message.

21. A system for facilitating electronic commerce using a social network, the system comprising:

(a) a social-network product-review site-server configured;

(i) to register a plurality of users, wherein each said user can be communicationally connected to other said users by designating said other users as friends;

(ii) to send a notification to an associated said user requesting a user-specific product review from said associated user upon said associated user receiving purchase details associated with said associated user; and

(iii) to obtain said user-specific product review and permissions from said associated user, wherein said permissions designate to share said user-specific product review and a relevant associated-user identity with associated-user said friends; and

(b) a module configured;

(i) to identify product purchases, of said plurality of users, made in merchant locations;

(ii) to collect said purchase details, of said product purchases, and associated-user identities;

(iii) to determine product-related information being accessed in various locations by a product-seeking said user, wherein said various locations include at least one enabled site and said social-network product-review site-server;

(iv) to ascertain an identity of said product-seeking user; and

(v) to present related-product reviews, based on said product-related information and related said permissions, of user-related said friends of said product-seeking user to said product-seeking user in said various locations.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said identifying is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site-server, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said merchant locations include localities selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, and a service-provider location.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said collecting is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site-server, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said collecting includes transmitting said purchase details and said associated-user identities to said social-network product-review site-server.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said transmitting is performed using a communication transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, and a web-interface transmittal, a keypad sequence, and a voice response.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said transmitting is performed by automatically generating a communication transmittal.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein said associated-user identities include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site-server, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an end-user system ID, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site-server, a magnetic-card ID, a cookie, and a flash shared-object.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein said collecting and identifying include parsing receipt-related e-mails of said product purchases in order to obtain said purchase details and said associated-user identities.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said receipt-related e-mails are transmitted to said social-network product-review site-server using an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site-server.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein said notification includes at least one communication transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, a web-interface transmittal, a messaging-service notification, a pop-up window, a desktop application notification, and a voice message.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein said user-specific product review and said related-product reviews each include at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

said purchase details, a portion of said purchase details, a purchase experience, and a portion of said purchase experience.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein said permissions are configured:

(a) to designate which review portions, of said user-specific product review, and which identity portions, of said relevant associated-user identity, to share; and

(b) to designate with which said user-related friends to share said portions.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said portions are presented according to a rule based on a criterion selected from the group consisting of:

a user wish list, a friend wish list, a user purchase-experience history, and a friend purchase-experience history.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said rule is configured to be automatically modified based on a user tendency to read certain said related-product reviews from certain said user-related friends.

36. The system of claim 21, wherein said product-related information includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a product name, a product category, a product search, a product-category search, a product ID, a product barcode, a manufacturer'"'"'s name, a manufacturer'"'"'s location, a product review, a product-related article, a merchant name, a merchant category, and a merchant location.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein said at least one enabled site is a locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, and an electronic kiosk.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein said determining and ascertaining is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, an electronic kiosk, an end-user system, and said social-network product-review site-server.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein said identity include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site-server, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site-server, and a user photo.

40. The system of claim 21, wherein said presenting includes presenting using at least one presentation transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, a web-interface transmittal, a messaging-service notification, a pop-up window, a desktop application notification, and a voice message.

41. A module for facilitating electronic commerce using a social network, the module configured:

(a) to identify product purchases, of a plurality of users, made in merchant locations, wherein at least two said users have designated each other as friends in a social-network product-review site;

(b) to collect purchase details, of said product purchases, and associated-user identities;

(c) to determine product-related information being accessed in various locations by a product-seeking said user, wherein said various locations include at least one enabled site and said social-network product-review site;

(d) to ascertain an identity of said product-seeking user; and

(e) to present related-product reviews, based on said product-related information and related permissions, of user-related said friends of said product-seeking user to said product-seeking user in said various locations.

42. The module of claim 41, wherein said identifying is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

43. The module of claim 41, wherein said merchant locations include localities selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, and a service-provider location.

44. The module of claim 41, wherein said collecting is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

45. The module of claim 41, wherein said collecting includes transmitting said purchase details and said associated-user identities to said social-network product-review site.

46. The module of claim 45, wherein said transmitting is performed using a communication transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, and a web-interface transmittal, a keypad sequence, and a voice response.

47. The module of claim 45, wherein said transmitting is performed by automatically generating a communication transmittal.

48. The module of claim 41, wherein said associated-user identities include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an end-user system ID, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site, a magnetic-card ID, a cookie, and a flash shared-object.

49. The module of claim 41, wherein said collecting and identifying include parsing receipt-related e-mails of said product purchases in order to obtain said purchase details and said associated-user identities.

50. The module of claim 49, wherein said receipt-related e-mails are transmitted to said social-network product-review site using an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site.

51. The module of claim 41, wherein said related-product reviews include at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

said purchase details, a portion of said purchase details, a purchase experience, and a portion of said purchase experience.

52. The module of claim 41, wherein said permissions are configured:

(a) to designate which review portions, of said related-product reviews, and which identity portions, of said relevant associated-user identity, to share; and

(b) to designate with which said user-related friends to share said portions.

53. The module of claim 52, wherein said portions are presented according to a rule based on a criterion selected from the group consisting of:

a user wish list, a friend wish list, a user purchase-experience history, and a friend purchase-experience history.

54. The module of claim 53, wherein said rule is configured to be automatically modified based on a user tendency to read certain said related-product reviews from certain said user-related friends.

55. The module of claim 41, wherein said product-related information includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a product name, a product category, a product search, a product-category search, a product ID, a product barcode, a manufacturer'"'"'s name, a manufacturer'"'"'s location, a product review, a product-related article, a merchant name, a merchant category, and a merchant location.

56. The module of claim 41, wherein said at least one enabled site is a locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, and an electronic kiosk.

57. The module of claim 41, wherein said determining and ascertaining is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, an electronic kiosk, an end-user system, and said social-network product-review site.

58. The module of claim 41, wherein said identity include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site, and a user photo.

59. The module of claim 41, wherein said presenting includes presenting using at least one presentation transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, a web-interface transmittal, a messaging-service notification, a pop-up window, a desktop application notification, and a voice message.

60. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable code comprising:

(a) program code for;

(i) identifying product purchases, of a plurality of users, made in merchant locations, wherein at least two said users have designated each other as friends in a social-network product-review site;

(ii) collecting purchase details, of said product purchases, and associated-user identities;

(iii) determining product-related information being accessed in various locations by a product-seeking said user, wherein said various locations include at least one enabled site and said social-network product-review site;

(iv) ascertaining an identity of said product-seeking user; and

(v) presenting related-product reviews, based on said product-related information and related permissions, of user-related said friends of said product-seeking user to said product-seeking user in said various locations.

61. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said identifying is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

62. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said merchant locations include localities selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, and a service-provider location.

63. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said collecting is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, an off-line store, said social-network product-review site, an electronic kiosk, and an end-user system.

64. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said collecting includes transmitting said purchase details and said associated-user identities to said social-network product-review site.

65. The storage medium of claim 64, wherein said transmitting is performed using a communication transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, and a web-interface transmittal, a keypad sequence, and a voice response.

66. The storage medium of claim 64, wherein said transmitting is performed by automatically generating a communication transmittal.

67. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said associated-user identities include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an end-user system TD, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site, a magnetic-card ID, a cookie, and a flash shared-object.

68. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said collecting and identifying include parsing receipt-related e-mails of said product purchases in order to obtain said purchase details and said associated-user identities.

69. The storage medium of claim 68, wherein said receipt-related e-mails are transmitted to said social-network product-review site using an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site.

70. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said related-product reviews include at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

said purchase details, a portion of said purchase details, a purchase experience, and a portion of said purchase experience.

71. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said permissions are configured:

(a) to designate which review portions, of said related-product reviews, and which identity portions, of said relevant associated-user identity, to share; and

(b) to designate with which said user-related friends to share said portions.

72. The storage medium of claim 71, wherein said portions axe presented according to a rule based on a criterion selected from the group consisting of:

a user wish list, a friend wish list, a user purchase-experience history, and a friend purchase-experience history.

73. The storage medium of claim 72, wherein said rule is configured to be automatically modified based on a user tendency to read certain said related-product reviews from certain said user-related friends.

74. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said product-related information includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a product name, a product category, a product search, a product-category search, a product ID, a product barcode, a manufacturer'"'"'s name, a manufacturer'"'"'s location, a product review, a product-related article, a merchant name, a merchant category, and a merchant location.

75. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said at least one enabled site is a locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, and an electronic kiosk.

76. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said determining and ascertaining is performed in at least one locality selected from the group consisting of:

a merchant site, a merchant portal, a product-comparison site, a customer-review site, a general-content site, a banner site, a social-network site, a blog site, a start page, a search-engine site, an off-line store, an electronic kiosk, an end-user system, and said social-network product-review site.

77. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said identity include at least one identification selected from the group consisting of:

a user name in said social-network product-review site, a user e-mail address, a user phone number, a user address, an e-mail address in said social-network product-review site, and a user photo.

78. The storage medium of claim 60, wherein said presenting includes presenting using at least one presentation transmittal selected from the group consisting of:

an SMS, an e-mail, a web-interface transmittal, a messaging-service notification, a pop-up window, a desktop application notification, and a voice message.