VIRTUAL WEB STORE WITH PRODUCT IMAGES

• US 20090150245A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schwartz, Robyn R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.250
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A three dimensional web store having product images is created. Three dimensional product images are rendered from manufacturing information instead of the products themselves. The location of all products, advertisements, aisles, signs, and displays is determined for a real world store. The web store is then created using three dimensional internet or virtual world viewing and maneuvering capabilities, to appear identical to the real world store.

Claims

1. A system of creating a web store, comprising:

means for determining a location of each product, aisle, advertisement, sign and display within a real world store;

means for collecting information about each said advertisement, sign and display within said real world store;

means for receiving manufacturing information for fabricating each said product;

means for rendering a respective three dimensional product image for each said product from said manufacturing information; and

means for creating a web store using three dimensional internet or virtual world maneuverability, with images of each said aisle, said advertisement, said sign, and said display positioned at said determined location, and with each said respective product image positioned at a respective determined location within said real store.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said location is determined using radio frequency identification tag technology or video camera technology or combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said location is continuously determined, said information is continuously collected, said manufacturing information is continuously received, said product image is continuously rendered, and said web store is continuously recreated to have images of each said aisle, advertisement, sign display and product positioned at a respective determined location within said real world store.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for creating an additional area in said web store having images of products not available in said real world store.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said maneuverability includes capability for moving through said web store using a third person view.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said third person view is an avatar.

7. A system for creating three dimensional images of a product and product packaging, comprising:

means for receiving manufacturing information for fabricating said product and said product packaging; and

means for rendering said three dimensional images of said product and said product packaging from said manufacturing information without having said product or product packaging available.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising means for storing said manufacturing information in a database.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a rendering software program for rendering said images by operating on said information in said database.

10. A computer program product for instructing a processor to create a web store, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for determining a location of each product, aisle, advertisement, sign and display within a real world store;

second program instruction means for collecting information about each said advertisement, sign and display within said real world store;

third program instruction means for receiving manufacturing information for fabricating each said product;

fourth program instruction means for rendering a respective three dimensional product image for each said product from said manufacturing information; and

fifth program instruction means for creating a web store using three dimensional internet or virtual world maneuverability, with images of each said aisle, said advertisement, said sign, and said display positioned at said determined location, and with each said respective product image positioned at a respective determined location within said real store; and

wherein

all said program instruction mans are recorded on said medium.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said location is determined using radio frequency identification tag technology or video camera technology or combinations thereof.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said location is continuously determined, said information is continuously collected, said manufacturing information is continuously received, said product image is continuously rendered, and said web store is continuously recreated to have images of ach said aisle, advertisement, sign display and product positioned at a respective determined location within said real world store.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instruction means for creating an additional area in said web store having images of products not available in said real world store.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said maneuverability includes capability for moving through said web store using a third person view.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said third person view is an avatar.

16. A computer program product for instructing a processor to create three dimensional images of a product and product packaging, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium,

first program instruction means for receiving manufacturing information for fabricating said product and said product packaging, and

second program instruction means for rendering said three dimensional images of said product and said product packaging from said manufacturing information without having said product or product packaging available; and

wherein

both said program instruction means are recorded on said medium.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising program instruction means recorded on said medium for storing said manufacturing information in a database.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising a rendering software program recorded on said medium, for rendering said images by operating on said information in said database.

19. A method of deploying a web store to a client, comprising the steps of:

determining a location of each product, aisle, advertisement, sign and display within a real world store of a client company;

collecting information about each said advertisement, sign and display within said real world store;

receiving manufacturing information for fabricating each said product;

rendering a respective three dimensional product image for each said product from said manufacturing information;

creating a web store using three dimensional internet or virtual world maneuverability, with images of each said aisle, said advertisement, said sign, and said display positioned at said determined location, and with each said respective product image positioned at a respective determined location within said real store; and

deploying said web store to said client company.

20. A method of deploying three dimensional images of a product and product packaging, to a client company, comprising the steps of:

receiving manufacturing information for fabricating said product and said product packaging;

rendering said three dimensional images of said product and said product packaging from said manufacturing information without having said product or product packaging available; and

deploying said images to said client company.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing said manufacturing information in a database.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising rendering said images using a rendering software program operating on said information in said database.