Linking a Retail User Profile to a Social Network User Profile

• US 20120158539A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: NATIONS, Gregory M., GOURLEY, Chad R., KORTH-MCDONNELL, Patricia, STEWART, Joe, LAWRENCE, Sarah, PETERSON, Sarah
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

In one example, a private profile page is displayed to a user having a user profile registered with a vendor. In this example, the private profile page includes a list of unviewed products, a product list, and information about a local retail store. As a further example, the user selects a public profile preview function and, in response, the user is presented with a preview of information associated with the user profile. In another example, a social network selection page is displayed to a user having a first profile registered with a vendor. The social network selection page includes a social network selection function for selecting a second profile of the user in a social network. In this example, the user indicates a social network and a second profile registered with the indicated social network is linked to the first profile.

Claims

1. A method for serving web pages, the method comprising:

serving, from a retail server to a client computing device, a private profile page generated on behalf of a vendor to a user, the private profile page associated with a first profile of the user registered by the vendor, the private profile page comprising;

a social network selection function operable upon selection to cause the selection of a second profile of the user in a social network, and

a public profile preview function operable upon selection to cause the display of a preview of information associated with the first profile;

receiving a first user input from the client computing device, the first user input being generated in response to the user activating the social network selection function in the private profile page;

forwarding, in response to the first user input, user data for the user to the social network;

receiving, from the social network, social network profile information regarding the second profile; and

associating the first profile with the second profile in response to receiving the social network profile information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the private profile page further comprises a list of one or more unviewed products available from the vendor and selected for the user, the products belonging to a first product type, and the list including at least one of new products recently added for sale by the vendor and promotional products having a promotion applied by the vendor, the method further comprising receiving, prior to serving the private profile page, a second user input specifying the first product type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the private profile page further comprises at least one of a floor plan link to a floor plan of a retail store associated with the user, a promotion link to a sales promotion from the vendor, and a shopping list link operable upon selection to cause the creation of a shopping list.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the social network selection function provides two or more options to the user to select the second profile, the options including two or more third party social network sites;

and

wherein the second profile is registered to the social network prior to the forwarding.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising serving a revised private profile page to the user, wherein the revised private profile page is generated in response to the associating.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first user input activates the social network selection function to create the second profile with the social network, the second profile not being registered to the social network prior to the forwarding;

and

wherein the user data is used by the social network to create the second profile.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third user input activating the public profile preview function;

generating a public profile preview of the first profile; and

serving a revised private profile page including the public profile preview.

8. A system comprising:

a graphical user interface for a retail environment, the graphical user interface including;

a customer account page initialized to display a private account page generated on behalf of a retailer to a customer, the private account page associated with a first account of the customer registered by the retailer, the private account page comprising;

a first control operable upon selection to cause operations including

forwarding customer data to a third party social structure service, the customer data used by the third party social structure service to select a second account of the customer,

receiving, from the third party social structure service, social account information regarding the second account, and

associating the first account with the second account in response to receiving the social account information, and

a second control operable upon selection to cause the display of a preview of information associated with the first account,

wherein the customer account page is updated within the graphical user interface to display a revised private account page in response to a first customer input generated using the private account.

9. The system of claim 8,

wherein the private account page further comprises a list of one or more unviewed items available from the retailer and selected for the customer,

the unviewed items belonging to a first item category, and

the list including at least one of new items recently added for sale by the retailer and promotional items having a promotion applied by the retailer;

and

wherein the graphical user interface displays the private account page responsive to a second customer input specifying the first item category.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the private account page further comprises at least one of a floor plan link to a floor plan of a retail store associated with the customer, a promotion link to a sales promotion from the retailer, and a shopping list link selectable to create a shopping list.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein

the first control provides two or more options to the customer to select the second account, the options including two or more third party social networks, and

the first customer input activates the first control to select the second account among multiple social accounts of the customer, the third party social structure service having registered the second account for the customer prior to the first customer input.

12. The system of claim 8,

wherein the first customer input activates the first control to create the second account with the third party social structure service, the second account not being registered to the third party social structure service prior to activating the first control, and

wherein the customer data is used by the third party social structure service to create the second account.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first customer input activates the second control, and wherein the preview of information associated with the first account is generated and included in the revised private account page.

14. A computer-readable medium having recorded therein instructions for performing a method for serving web pages, the method comprising:

serving a private user data document generated on behalf of an organization to a user, the private user data document associated with a first user data set of the user registered by the organization, the private user data document comprising;

a social network selection control operable upon selection to cause the selection of a second user data set of the user in a social network site, and

a public user data preview control operable upon selection to cause the display of a preview of information associated with the first user data set;

receiving a first user input generated in response to the user activating the social network selection control in the private user data document;

forwarding, in response to the first user input, user data for the user to the social network site;

receiving, from the social network site, social network user data information regarding the second user data set; and

associating the first user data set with the second user data set in response to receiving the social network user data information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14,

wherein the private user data document further comprises a list of one or more unviewed products available from the organization and selected for the user,

the products belonging to a first product classification, and

the list including at least one of new products recently added for sale by the organization and promotional products recently having a promotion applied by the organization;

and

wherein the method further comprises receiving, prior to serving the private user data document, a second user input specifying the product classification.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the private user data document further comprises at least one of:

a floor plan link to a floor plan of a retail store associated with the user, a promotion link to a sales promotion from the organization, and a shopping list link to create a shopping list.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14,

wherein the social network selection control provides two or more options to the user to select the second user data set, the options including two or more third party social structure systems;

and

wherein the second user data set is registered to the social network site prior to the forwarding.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises serving a revised private user data document to the user, wherein the revised private user data document is generated in response to the associating.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14,

wherein the first user input activates the social network selection control to create the second user data set with the social network, the second user data set not being registered to the social network site prior to the first user input;

and

wherein the user data is used by the social network site to create the second user data set.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14,

wherein the first user input activates the public user data preview control;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving a third user input activating the public user data preview control,

generating a public profile preview of information associated with the first user data set, and

serving a revised private user data document including the public profile preview.