METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FACILITATING THE PROVISION OF OPINIONS TO A SHOPPER FROM A PANEL OF PEERS

• US 20090228342A1
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gelman, Geoffrey M., Sammon, Russell P., Alderucci, Dean P., Walker, Jay S., Gilman, Norman C., Lin, Wen Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• 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

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a system determines an image, selects a panel of participants, and outputs the image to each of the participants of the panel of participants. Responses may be collected from the participants and an indication of the results may be output to a shopper.

Claims

1. A computer readable memory storing instructions configured to direct a computing device to perform:

receiving, from a shopper, a request for opinions regarding a garment;

determining an image of the garment;

selecting, by a merchant server, a plurality of peers to provide the opinion, the peers being selected based on a characteristic associated with a shopper;

outputting to each of the plurality of peers the request for the opinion and the image of the garment;

receiving, by the merchant server, responses to the request from at least a subset of the plurality of peers; and

outputting, to the shopper, an indication of the opinions of the peers regarding the garment, the opinions of the peers being determined based on the received responses.

2. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the indication is performed within such a short period of time from a time at which the request is received from the shopper that it allows the shopper to make a decision regarding the desirability of the garment based on the indication of the opinions while a shopper is conducting a shopping session during which the shopper submitted the request for opinions.

3. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein determining an image of the garment comprises:

receiving, from the shopper, an image of the garment.

4. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein determining an image of the garment comprises:

receiving, from the shopper, an identifier associated with the garment; and

retrieving, from a memory, an image of the garment based on the identifier.

5. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the characteristic associated with the shopper comprises a characteristic possessed by the shopper.

6. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the characteristic associated with the shopper comprises a characteristic the shopper desires at least one peer to possess.

7. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the characteristic specified by the shopper comprises a characteristic the shopper desires at least one participant to possess.

8. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the characteristic specified by the shopper comprises a characteristic of the shopper.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the image comprises an image of the shopper wearing the garment.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the image comprises an image of a virtual model of the shopper merged with an image of the garment.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein an identity of the shopper is not revealed to the participants.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the request for an opinion comprises a query as to whether the shopper should purchase the garment.

13. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the shopper specifies a minimum number of participants to whom the image is to be output.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein the shopper specifies a minimum number of responses that are to be collected before the indication of the responses is output to the shopper.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 1, wherein each response comprises one of a positive response and a negative response.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein at least one response further comprises an indication of why the at least one response comprises one of a positive and a negative response.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 16, further comprising:

providing to the shopper the indication of why the at least one response comprises one of a positive response and a negative response.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device storing instructions configured to direct the processor to;

receive a request for opinions regarding a garment;

determine an image of the garment;

select a plurality of peers to provide the opinion, the peers being selected based on a characteristic associated with a shopper;

output to each of the plurality of peers the request for the opinion and the image of the garment;

receive responses to the request from at least a subset of the plurality of peers; and

output an indication of the opinions of the peers regarding the garment, the opinions of the peers being determined based on the received responses.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, from a shopper, a request for opinions regarding a garment;

determining an image of the garment;

selecting, by a merchant server, a plurality of peers to provide the opinion, the peers being selected based on a characteristic associated with a shopper;

outputting to each of the plurality of peers the request for the opinion and the image of the garment;

receiving, by the merchant server, responses to the request from at least a subset of the plurality of peers; and

outputting, to the shopper, an indication of the opinions of the peers regarding the garment, the opinions of the peers being determined based on the received responses.