Social networking interactive shopping system

• US 20090106085A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sean M. Raimbeault
• Original Assignee: Sean M. Raimbeault
• Inventors: Raimbeault, Sean M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/50 comprising weighing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

The social networking interactive shopping system includes a portable wireless user interface for use by a store customer when shopping. A merchant server is provided, the server having market survey, advertising, promotions, security, social networking services, web server capability, a quantitative prediction modeling system predicting behavior of the customer, a predictive response marketing/advertising system that targets advertising messages to the customer based on a predicted customer response to the advertising messages, and payment application software. The merchant server is capable of wired or wireless communication with the portable wireless user interface. A database is provided, and can be stored on site or off site. The database includes information associated with items for sale at the store, and is in operable communication with the merchant server. Using the portable wireless user interface, the store customer can purchase user selected store items thereby obviating necessity for travel through a store check-out line.

Claims

1. A social networking interactive shopping system, comprising:

a portable wireless user interface for use by a store customer when shopping;

at least one merchant server having market survey, advertising, promotions, security, social networking services, web server application, a quantitative prediction modeling system that can predict behavior of the customer, a predictive response marketing/advertising system that can target advertising messages to the customer based on a predicted customer response to the advertising messages, and payment application software, the merchant server being in operable communication with the portable wireless user interface; and

at least one stored database having information associated with items for sale at the store, the at least one stored database being in operable communication with the at least one merchant server; and

wherein using the portable wireless user interface, the store customer can purchase user selected store items thereby obviating the necessity for travel through a store check-out line.

2. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 1, wherein the portable wireless user interface includes a display page having content from which the customer can select and purchase the store items, the display page being served up by the web server, the web server being in operable communication with the social networking services in order to determine in part the display page content.

3. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 2, wherein an arrangement of the display page content is customizable by the store customer.

4. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 1, further comprising a location tracking system for determining the approximate location of the portable wireless user interface.

5. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of advertising monitors disposed with in easy view of the customer at a plurality of locations in the store, the video monitors being connected to outputs of the quantitative prediction modeling system (QPMS) and the predictive response marketing/advertising system (PRMS), wherein the QPMS and the PRMS can target a specific consumer with a specific advertising message to be displayed on a specific one of the advertising monitors at a customer location as determined by the location tracking system.

6. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a shopping cart, the portable wireless user interface being disposed thereon;

a plurality of weight sensors disposed on the shopping cart to determine weight of items placed in the cart; and

means for identifying an item and price of the item placed in the cart.

7. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 6, further comprising an electronic scale pivotally attached to the shopping cart.

8. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 6, wherein at least one of a wheel, a frame, a cage, of the shopping cart has electrical conduits capable of carrying charging current and being electrically connectable to an abutting, similarly equipped shopping cart in a charging station so that all such abutting shopping carts simultaneously receive a charging current from the charging station.

9. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 6, further comprising an integral wheel mounted kinetic charger disposed on the shopping cart for charging electronic systems aboard the shopping cart when the cart is being propelled by the user.

10. A social networking interactive shopping method performed by a machine executing a program of instructions tangibly embodied in a program storage device readable by the machine, the method comprising the steps of:

conducting market surveys associated with a store customer'"'"'s usage of the social networking interactive shopping method;

targeting store customers with advertising promotions based on the market surveys;

providing social networking and personal management services accessible to the store customers/users;

providing a web server application capable of serving up at least one web page to the customers/users;

predicting the behavior of the customers/users;

predicting a store user'"'"'s/customer'"'"'s response to a proposed group of advertising messages, then based on the predicted customer response, selecting a specific advertising message for display to the customer/user;

storing at least one database having information associated with items for sale at the store;

providing a portable wireless communication device capable of accessing the store items in the database so that the store customer may purchase an item in the store using the portable wireless communication device;

via the portable wireless communication device, accepting payment from the customer for the store items; and

wherein using the social networking interactive shopping method a customer can purchase customer selected store items thereby obviating the necessity for customer travel through a store check-out line.

11. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of determining at least a portion of display page content based on interoperability between the web server application and the social networking services.

12. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of arranging the display page content in a customizable format determined by the store customer.

13. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of determining the approximate location of the store customer when using the portable wireless communication device.

14. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of targeting a specific consumer with a specific advertising message, the specific advertising message being determined by a result of the behavior and response predicting steps, display location of the message being determined by the customer locating step.

15. A social networking interactive shopping method, comprising the steps of:

providing the customer with a shopping cart;

providing a portable wireless device, the portable wireless device being disposed on the shopping cart;

providing produce weighing means within the shopping cart;

providing a merchant point of sale system, the merchant point of sale system being in operable communication with the portable wireless device; and

providing purchase item identifying and pricing means within the shopping cart;

wherein using the wireless communications equipped shopping cart a customer can purchase customer selected store items, thereby obviating the necessity for customer travel through a store check-out line.

16. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of providing store item weighing means for use by the customer, the store item weighing means being pivotally attached to the shopping cart.

17. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of disposing in at least one of a wheel, a frame, a cage, of the shopping cart, electrical conduits capable of carrying charging current and being electrically connectable to an abutting, similarly equipped shopping cart in a charging station so that all such abutting shopping carts simultaneously receive a charging current from the charging station.

18. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of connecting a kinetic charger to a wheel of the shopping cart so that the kinetic charger can charge electronic systems aboard the shopping cart when the cart is being propelled by the user.