System and Method for Managing Items of Interest Selected from Online Merchants

• US 20100174623A1
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: COUCH, COREY, KANTIPUDI, RAMA, WATSON, CALEB, MICHAEL, AMY, KELLOGG, CRAIG, COOMBES, GEORGE WILLIAM IV, MCPHIE, MICHAEL, WILSON, CHARLES, WATSON, CARIN
• Application Number:
  US12/683,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20100174623A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system for managing wish list items from a plurality of online merchants is provided. The system includes a memory, processor and item management module executed by the processor. The memory stores data regarding the wish list items that have been selected by a user while browsing online merchant websites. The item management module has a receive-advice feature that sends an electronic message to user-selected contacts. The electronic message contains a request for feedback on one or more selected items of interest. When the contacts submit feedbacks, they are stored in the memory for viewing by the user.

Claims

1. A system for managing items of interest for potential purchase from a plurality of online merchants, the system comprising:

a memory operable to store data regarding the items of interest which are selected by a user from one or more online merchants;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

an item management module executable by the processor and adapted to send an electronic message to one or more user-selected contacts containing a request for feedback on one or more selected items of interest and to store the feedback from the contacts in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the item management module is adapted to send the electronic message containing a link that allows the user-selected contacts to submit a feedback without registering with the system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the item management module is adapted to generate the link containing sufficient information to identify the user, the user-specified contact and the item of interest for which a feedback is requested.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the item management module is adapted to store the data regarding the items of interest in a cluster defined by the user and to send the electronic message containing the request for feedback on the cluster of items.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the item management module is adapted to store in the memory a comment and a rating of the item of interest from the user-specified contact.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the item management module is adapted to send an electronic communication to the user indicating receipt of a feedback from the user-specified contact.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the item management module is adapted to display a list of previously defined contacts for selection by the user.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an item selection module adapted to be executed in a user computer and to automatically capture data regarding an item of interest from an online merchant web page being viewed by the user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the item selection module is adapted to send the captured data to the item management module over a public computer network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the item selection module is adapted to highlight a corresponding item of interest among a plurality of displayed items of interest as the user moves a cursor over the displayed items.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the item management module monitors the change in data regarding the stored items of interest and updates the corresponding data in the memory.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the item management module is adapted to receive a user-specified notification criterion for the change in price data regarding an item of interest and to send an electronic communication to the user upon satisfaction of the notification criterion.

13. A system for managing items of interest for potential purchase which are selected from a plurality of online merchants present on a computer network, the system comprising:

an item selection module adapted to be executed in a user computer and to capture data regarding the items of interest from web pages of the online merchants;

a memory operable to store the captured data regarding the items of interest;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

an item management module executable by the processor and adapted to;

receive the captured data from the item selection module for storage in the memory;

responsive to a user request, send an electronic message to one or more user-selected contacts containing a request for feedback on one or more selected items of interest; and

store the feedback from the user-selected contacts in the memory.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the item management module is adapted to send the electronic message containing a link that allows the user-selected contacts to submit a feedback without registering with the system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the item management module is adapted to generate the link containing sufficient information to identify the user, the user-specified contact and the item of interest for which a feedback is requested.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the item management module is adapted to send an electronic communication to the user indicating receipt of a feedback from the user-specified contact.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the item management module is adapted to display a list of previously defined contacts for selection by the user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the item selection module is adapted to highlight a corresponding item of interest among a plurality of displayed items of interest as the user moves a cursor over the displayed items.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the item management module monitors the change in data regarding the stored items of interest and updates the corresponding data in the memory.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the item management module is adapted to receive a user-specified notification criterion for the change in price data regarding an item of interest and to send an electronic communication to the user upon satisfaction of the notification criterion.

21. A method for managing items of interest for potential purchase from a plurality of online merchants, the method comprising:

storing, in a memory, data regarding the items of interest which are selected by a user from one or more online merchants;

send, by an item management module executable by a processor, an electronic message to one or more user-selected contacts containing a request for feedback on one or more selected items of interest; and

storing the feedback from the contacts in the memory.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of sending includes sending the electronic message containing a link that allows the user-selected contacts to submit a feedback without registration.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising generating the link containing sufficient information to identify the user, the user-specified contact and the item of interest for which a feedback is requested.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the step of storing data includes storing the data regarding the items of interest in a cluster defined by the user; and

the step of sending includes sending the electronic message containing the request for feedback on the cluster of items.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

automatically capturing, by an item selection module adapted to be executed in a user computer, data regarding an item of interest from an online merchant web page being viewed by the user; and

receiving, from the item selection module, the captured data over a public computer network.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising highlighting, by the item selection module, a corresponding item of interest among a plurality of displayed items of interest as the user moves a cursor over the displayed items.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising monitoring the change in data regarding the stored items of interest and updating the corresponding data in the memory.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

storing a user-specified notification criterion for the change in price data regarding an item of interest; and

sending an electronic communication to the user upon satisfaction of the stored notification criterion.