VIRTUAL REALITY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

• US 20100185514A1
• Filed: 01/25/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Glazer, Elliott, Hobson, Carol Lee, Fehlhaber, Jeffrey Scott, Deming, Elizabeth Sandra, Royer, Coby
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.510
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• 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

A solution is provided for a method for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting by receiving a request at a shopping server to view a shopping location, having at least one store, and displaying the shopping location to the user'"'"'s computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user. The server then obtains a request to enter into one of the stores and displays the store website to the user in the same web browser. The store website has one or more enhanced VR features. The server then receives a request to view at least one product and the product is presented in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life viewing of the product.

Claims

1. A method for shopping online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting, the method comprising:

displaying, by a computer-based shopping system for facilitating online shopping, and in response to a request, the virtual shopping location on a user computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience, the virtual shopping location being streamed from the shopping system to the user computer, wherein the virtual shopping location has a first store and a second store, and wherein the shopping system comprises a shopping cart memory;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to enter into the first store of the virtual shopping location;

displaying, by the shopping system, an actual store website of the first store on the user computer in the web browser, in response to the request to enter into the first store, wherein the actual store website of the first store is linked to the virtual shopping location, and is independently managed by the first store, and resides on a second server;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to insert a product from the actual store website of the first store into a virtual shopping cart;

storing, by the shopping system, the product from the actual store website of the first store in the shopping cart memory of the shopping system;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to enter into the second store of the virtual shopping location;

displaying, by the shopping system, an actual store website of the second store on the user computer in the web browser, in response to the request to enter into the second store, wherein the actual store website of the second store is linked to the virtual shopping location, and is independently managed by the second store, and resides on a third server;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to insert a product from the actual store website of the second store into the virtual shopping cart;

storing, by the shopping system, the product from the actual store website of the second store in the shopping cart memory of the shopping system; and

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to purchase the products in the virtual shopping cart.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the shopping system, a virtual concierge in the virtual shopping location, the virtual concierge being linked to a concierge database which is connected to the shopping system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the request to purchase the products in the virtual shopping cart; and

shipping the purchased products using one tracking number in one shipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual store website has enhanced VR features relating to senses of at least one of smell and touch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual shopping location includes displaying a product in a virtual store window to emulate real-life window shopping.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual shopping location includes displaying a product offer to emulate real-life sales advertising.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the actual store website of the first store includes displaying a customer representative to assist in real-time selecting of the product from the actual store website of the first store.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to view the product from the actual store website of the first store, and presenting the product from the actual store website of the first store in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real life viewing of the product.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the presenting of the product includes displaying a product information sheet received from a product information database.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the product from the actual store website of the first store is a real estate property, and wherein the presenting step includes displaying cultural, religious, educational, governmental, and meteorological information relating to the real estate property.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for a price comparison, a product comparison, or a merchant offer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving information data from a product comparison database and displaying the information data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing clickstream data of actions of the user computer within the 3D VR setting in a clickstream database.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a request from a merchant website to obtain the clickstream data.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically displaying at least one of product cross-selling information, product offers, and information based upon the stored clickstream data.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request at the shopping system to personalize the virtual shopping location.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request at the shopping system to link-up with another user.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a shopping game to the user computer.

19. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, when executed by a computer-based shopping system for facilitating online shopping, perform operations comprising:

displaying, by the shopping system and in response to a request, the virtual shopping location on a user computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience, the virtual shopping location being streamed from the shopping system to the user computer, wherein the virtual shopping location has a first store and a second store, and wherein the shopping system comprises a shopping cart memory;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to enter into the first store of the virtual shopping location;

displaying, by the shopping system, an actual store website of the first store on the user computer in the web browser, in response to the request to enter into the first store, wherein the actual store website of the first store is linked to the virtual shopping location, and is independently managed by the first store, and resides on a second server;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to insert a product from the actual store website of the first store into a virtual shopping cart;

storing, by the shopping system, the product from the actual store website of the first store in the shopping cart memory of the shopping system;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to enter into the second store of the virtual shopping location;

displaying, by the shopping system, an actual store website of the second store on the user computer in the web browser, in response to the request to enter into the second store, wherein the actual store website of the second store is linked to the virtual shopping location, and is independently managed by the second store, and resides on a third server;

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to insert a product from the actual store website of the second store into the virtual shopping cart;

storing, by the shopping system, the product from the actual store website of the second store in the shopping cart memory of the shopping system; and

receiving, by the shopping system, a request to purchase the products in the virtual shopping cart.

20. A computer-based shopping system for facilitating online shopping, said system comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory;

the memory communicating with a processor; and

the processor, when executing a computer program, is configured to;

display, in response to a request, the virtual shopping location on a user computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience, the virtual shopping location being streamed from the shopping system to the user computer, wherein the virtual shopping location has a first store and a second store, and wherein the shopping system comprises a shopping cart memory;

receive a request to enter into the first store of the virtual shopping location;

display an actual store website of the first store on the user computer in the web browser, in response to the request to enter into the first store, wherein the actual store website of the first store is linked to the virtual shopping location, and is independently managed by the first store, and resides on a second server;

receive a request to insert a product from the actual store website of the first store into a virtual shopping cart;

store the product from the actual store website of the first store in the shopping cart memory of the shopping system;

receive a request to enter into the second store of the virtual shopping location;

display an actual store website of the second store on the user computer in the web browser, in response to the request to enter into the second store, wherein the actual store website of the second store is linked to the virtual shopping location, and is independently managed by the second store, and resides on a third server;

receive a request to insert a product from the actual store website of the second store into the virtual shopping cart;

store the product from the actual store website of the second store in the shopping cart memory of the shopping system; and

receive a request to purchase the products in the virtual shopping cart.

21. The shopping system of claim 20, wherein the shopping system further comprises:

a virtual shopping location displayer coupled to the shopping system to display the virtual shopping location on the user computer by streaming the 3D interactive simulation view via the web browser to emulate the real-life shopping experience;

a store requester coupled to the shopping system, the store requester to request to enter into the first store or the second store of the virtual shopping location;

a website displayer coupled to the store requester, the website displayer to display the actual store website of the first store and the actual store website of the second store, respectively, on the user computer in the same web browser;

a product inserter coupled to the website displayer to insert the product from the actual store website of the first store and the product from the actual store website of the second store into the virtual shopping cart by storing the products in the shopping cart memory; and

a purchase requester coupled to the shopping system to receive the request to purchase the products in the virtual shopping cart, wherein the products are from different stores.