SOCIAL SHOPPING APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120185355A1
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Suarez Corporation Industries
• Original Assignee: Suarez Corporation Industries
• Inventors: Kilroy, Karen S.
• Application Number:
  US13/350,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method and system for online shopping, and more specifically, a method and system for providing a shared shopping experience where users on remote computers can shop online together in a social environment as a group with the ability to split the costs of the items bought as a group.

Claims

1. A method of providing an online shared shopping session, comprising the steps of:

providing an online store for access to an initial shopper using a communication device;

providing the initial shopper with a communication interface for inviting one or more additional shoppers to shop at the online store together as a group of shoppers;

sending a message to the additional shoppers invited by the initial shopper over a communication network, such that each one of said additional shoppers can join the group of shoppers by responding to said message, wherein said additional shoppers each participate in shopping at the online store using a communication device distinct from others of said shoppers;

providing each one of said shoppers of the group of shoppers with a link to a shared shopping cart for adding one or more items to said shared shopping cart, such that contents of the shared shopping cart can be viewed by all of said shoppers; and

providing each one of said shoppers with a payment interface, such that more than one of said shoppers contributes payment toward purchase of the items added to said shared shopping cart.

2. The method of claim 1, further providing a chat function so that the shoppers in the group can chat with each other while shopping.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said chat function utilizes the communication device of each shopper.

4. The method of claim 1, further providing the step of providing each one of said shoppers with a personal shopping cart for purchasing items outside of the group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of allocating a payment percentage to each one of said shoppers, wherein each one of said shoppers contributes payment toward the purchase of the items according to said payment percentage.

6. The method of claim 1, further providing a second online store, wherein said shoppers can also add items from said second online store to said shared shopping cart.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, in support of said shared shopping session, said online store is hosted on a first server system operated by a first client and wherein said second online store is hosted on a second server system separate from said first server system and operated by a second client.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a central server system separate from said first server system and said second server system supports said shared shopping session.

9. A method of providing an online shared shopping session, comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of individual shoppers to a shopping group, wherein at least two of said shoppers access said shared shopping session using different communication devices;

providing each one of said shoppers with access to a shared shopping cart for indicating items for purchase by the shopping group, wherein each one of said shoppers can add items for purchase to said shared shopping cart using one of said communications devices;

for each one of said shoppers, accepting an individual payment percentage amount indicating a percentage of the total cost of said items to be paid by a corresponding one of said shoppers; and

providing a checkout function to be activated by one or more of said shoppers, wherein when said checkout function is completed, each one of said shoppers has contributed payment toward purchase of said items according to the individual percentage amount corresponding to that one of said shoppers.

10. The method of claim 9, further providing a chat function so that the shoppers in the group can chat with each other while shopping.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said chat function utilizes the communication device of each shopper.

12. The method of claim 9, further providing the step of providing each one of said shoppers with a personal shopping cart for purchasing items outside of the group.

13. The method of claim 9, further providing a second online store, wherein said shoppers can also add items from said second online store to said shared shopping cart.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, in support of said shared shopping session, said online store is hosted on a first server system operated by a first client and wherein said second online store is hosted on a second server system separate from said first server system and operated by a second client.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a central server system separate from said first server system and said second server system supports said shared shopping session.

16. A method of providing an online shared shopping session, comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of individual shoppers to a shopping group, wherein at least two of said shoppers are accessing said shared shopping session using different communication devices;

providing each one of said shoppers with access to a shared shopping cart for indicating items for purchase by the shopping group, wherein each one of said shoppers can add items for purchase to said shared shopping cart;

for each one of said shoppers, accepting an individual payment percentage amount indicating a percentage of the total cost of said items to be paid by a corresponding one of said shoppers;

validating that the sum of said individual payment percentage amounts of all of said shoppers totals one-hundred percent; and

providing a checkout function to be accessed by each one of said shoppers, wherein for all of said shoppers;

each one of said shoppers executes an individual checkout process for receiving payment information from that one of said shoppers, such that subsequent to said individual checkout process, that one of said shoppers has completed the checkout process and has contributed payment toward purchase of said items according to the individual percentage amount corresponding to that one of said shoppers, wherein

when any one of said shoppers first accesses the checkout function, the shared shopping cart is locked such that no more items can be added to the shared shopping cart by any of said shoppers; and

when said individual checkout function is completed for all of said shoppers, the sale of said items to said group is completed.

17. A method of providing an online shared shopping session, comprising the steps of:

providing an online shopping mall including a first shopping site and a second shopping site;

registering a plurality of individual shoppers to a shopping group, wherein at least two of said shoppers are accessing said shared shopping session using different communication devices;

providing each one of said shoppers with access to a shared shopping cart for indicating items for purchase by the shopping group from either of said first shopping site and said second shopping site, wherein each one of said shoppers can add items for purchase to said shared shopping cart;

for each one of said shoppers, accepting an individual payment percentage amount indicating a percentage of the total cost of said items to be paid by a corresponding one of said shoppers;

validating that the sum of said individual payment percentage amounts of all of said shoppers totals one-hundred percent;

providing a checkout function to be accessed by each one of said shoppers, wherein for all of said shoppers;

each one of said shoppers executes an individual checkout process for receiving payment information from that one of said shoppers, such that subsequent to said individual checkout process, that one of said shoppers has completed the checkout process and has contributed payment toward purchase of said items according to the individual percentage amount corresponding to that one of said shoppers, wherein

when any one of said shoppers first accesses the checkout function, the shared shopping cart is locked such that no more items can be added to the shared shopping cart by any of said shoppers;

when said individual checkout function is completed for all of said shoppers, the sale of said items to said group is completed; and

providing payment to said first shopping site and said second shopping site based on items purchased by the group provided by the respective site.

18. A method of providing an online shared shopping session, comprising the steps of:

providing an online store for access to an initial shopper using a communication device;

providing the initial shopper with a communication interface for inviting one or more additional shoppers to shop at the online store together as a group of shoppers;

sending a message to the additional shoppers invited by the initial shopper over a communication network, such that each one of said additional shoppers can join the group of shoppers by responding to said message, wherein said additional shoppers each participate in shopping at the online store using a communication device distinct from others of said shoppers;

providing each one of said shoppers with access to a shared shopping cart for indicating items for purchase by the shopping group, wherein each one of said shoppers can add items for purchase to said shared shopping cart, wherein the contents of the shared shopping cart can be viewed by all of said shoppers;

providing each one of said shoppers with a personal shopping cart for purchasing items outside of the group;

providing a chat function so that the shoppers in the group can chat with each other while shopping;

for each one of said shoppers, accepting an individual payment percentage amount indicating a percentage of the total cost of said items to be paid by a corresponding one of said shoppers;

validating that the sum of said individual payment percentage amounts of all of said shoppers totals one-hundred percent;

providing a checkout function to be accessed by each one of said shoppers, wherein for all of said shoppers;

each one of said shoppers executes an individual checkout process for receiving payment information from that one of said shoppers, such that subsequent to said individual checkout process, that one of said shoppers has completed the checkout process and has contributed payment toward purchase of said items according to the individual percentage amount corresponding to that one of said shoppers, wherein

when any one of said shoppers first accesses the checkout function, the shared shopping cart is locked such that no more items can be added to the shared shopping cart by any of said shoppers; and

when said individual checkout function is completed for all of said shoppers, the sale of said items to said group is completed.

19. A method of providing an online shared session, comprising the steps of:

providing an initial user with a communication interface for inviting one or more additional users to access said session as a group of users;

sending a message to the additional users invited by the initial user over a communication network, such that each one of said additional user can join the group by responding to said message, wherein said additional user each participate in the shared session using a communication device distinct from others of said users;

displaying one or more common pages among all of said users during said online shared session, wherein said sharing includes sending URL information of a page viewed by one of said users to the others of said users for use in displaying the page on their respective communication devices; and

providing a chat function so that the users in the group can chat with each other during said shared session.

20. A method of providing an online shared shopping session, comprising the steps of:

providing a central server owned by a first vendor to support the online shared shopping session;

providing a remote server for supporting a merchant shopping site originally independent of the shared shopping session;

providing a software plug-in for installation and execution in the remote server to enable the merchant shopping site to support the shared shopping session, wherein providing the shared shopping session includes the steps of;

providing an online store for access to an initial shopper using a communication device,

providing the initial shopper with a communication interface for inviting one or more additional shoppers to shop at the online store together as a group of shoppers,

providing each one of said shoppers of the group of shoppers with a link to a shared shopping cart for adding one or more items to said shared shopping cart, such that contents of the shared shopping cart can be viewed by all of said shoppers, and

providing each one of said shoppers with a payment interface, such that more than one of said shoppers contributes payment toward purchase of the items added to said shared shopping cart; and

providing payment from the merchant to the vendor for supporting said shared shopping session.