System and Method for Researching Virtual Markets and Optimizing Product Placements and Displays

• US 20120271710A1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BRIGNULL, Michele P., HAMILTON, Rick A. II, SAND, Anne R., SEAMAN, James W.
• Application Number:
  US13/540,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271710A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.43
• 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 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.

2. The method of claim 1, 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.

3. The method of claim 1, 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.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the product is dynamically displayed at the at least one location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring information about a user reaction and/or at least one product or display; and

recommending a location within a virtual universe to display the at least one product based on the monitored information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring one or more of a user interaction, a user response, a user opinion, or a user movement.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising weighing the monitored information using a pairwise comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is determined by:

where the at least one user places the product;

how the at least one user interacts with the product or display;

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

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

popularity of similar products.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing discounted products, rewards, or money to the at least one user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a vendor for the information about the at least one user and/or the product.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically changing a product display based on user reactions or interactions.