SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RESEARCHING VIRTUAL MARKETS AND OPTIMIZING PRODUCT PLACEMENTS AND DISPLAYS

• US 20100145790A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Sand, Anne R., Seaman, James W., BRIGNULL, Michele P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A system and method for researching virtual markets and using the research to optimize product placements and displays. The system includes a monitoring engine configured to monitor information about user reactions and/or at least one product. The system also includes a recommendation engine configured to recommend a location within a virtual universe to display the at least one product based on the information monitored by the monitoring engine and a display engine configured to display the at least one product at a recommended location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a monitoring engine configured to monitor information about a user reaction and/or at least one product;

a recommendation engine configured to recommend a location within a virtual universe to display the at least one product based on the information monitored by the monitoring engine; and

a display engine configured to display the at least one product at a recommended location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring engine is further configured to monitor one or more of a user interaction, a user response, a user opinion, or a user movement.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a weighing engine configured to weigh the monitored information about the user reactions and/or the at least one product using a pairwise comparison.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is determined by:

where the user places one or more of the at least one product;

how the user interacts with the at least one product;

the user'"'"'s opinions and/or comments about the at least one product;

how proximate the user places the at least one product to other products; and

popularity of similar products.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the display engine dynamically displays the at least one product.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remuneration engine configured to provide discounted products, rewards, or money to the user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a billing engine configured to charge a vendor for the information about the user and/or the at least one product.

8. A method implemented on a computing infrastructure for displaying products comprising:

monitoring one or more user reactions or interactions with a product or display by one or more users in a virtual universe;

aggregating the one or more user reactions or interactions;

recommending a location to place the product or display based on the aggregated one or more user reactions or interactions; and

displaying the product or display at the recommended location.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising dynamically changing a product display based on the one or more user reactions or interactions.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the aggregated one or more user reactions or interactions are sold to at least one vendor in the real world.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the steps of claim 10 are offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the steps of claim 10 are provided on a computer infrastructure, which is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising:

determining a user status;

monitoring the one or more user reactions or interactions, which include at least one of;

where the user places one or more of the at least one product;

how the user interacts with the at least one product;

the user'"'"'s opinions and/or comments about the at least one product;

how proximate the user places the at least one product to other products; and

popularity of similar products;

assigning a weight to each of the user reactions or interactions;

weighing the user reactions or interactions;

recommending the location based on the weighing and the aggregated one or more user reactions or interactions; and

assessing a fee for the displaying.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

aggregate one or more user actions related to a product within a virtual universe;

recommend a location for the product based on the aggregated one or more user actions; and

display the product at the recommended location.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the one or more user actions include one or more of a user reaction, user response, user opinion, and user or product movement.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the recommendation is based on weighing one or more of:

where a user places the product;

how the user interacts with the product;

the user'"'"'s opinions and/or comments about the product;

how proximate the user places the product to another product; and

popularity of similar products.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the product is dynamically displayed at the recommended location.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the recommended location is sold to a virtual vendor and/or a real world vendor.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, comprising a computer infrastructure operable to:

ascertain a user status, which includes one or more of a hired user, a normal user, and a promotional user;

monitor the one or more user actions, which include at least one of a user reaction, a user response, a user opinion, and a user or product movement;

aggregate and present the one or more user actions to at least one of a product vendor or a location owner;

send the monitored one or more user actions to a recommendation engine;

weigh the monitored one or more user actions using a weight assigned by at least one of the user, the product vendor, or the location owner;

recommend a location based on the weighing; and

assess a fee for the display.

21. A method for deploying an application for displaying products, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

gather information ascertained about an interaction between at least one user and a product or display in a virtual universe;

recommend at least one location to display the product or the display based on the gathered information; and

display the product or the display at the at least one location.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information is ascertained by a monitoring engine, which is configured to monitor one or more of a reaction, response, opinion, or movement made by the at least one user.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to create a graphical representation of the at least one location and recommend one or more of the at least one location to display the product or the display to at least one real world vendor.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the product is dynamically displayed at the at least one location.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.