ONLINE SHOPPING

• US 20130085807A1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deborah Anne Cincotta
• Original Assignee: Deborah Anne Cincotta
• Inventors: Cincotta, Deborah Anne
• Application Number:
  US13/645,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Online shopping may be facilitated by the use of an intermediate computer system a) collecting data from online shopping interactions, b) obtaining additional online shopping preference information related to a specific, potential online shopping transaction, c) forwarding a request a merchant based on the preference information to modify terms and/or conditions of the potential online transaction, and d) providing at least some of the related shopper'"'"'s collected data for use by the one or more merchants considering the request. The transaction whereby the transaction may be completed in accordance with said request upon agreement between the related shopper and said one or more merchants.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating online shopping, comprising using an intermediate computer system for:

a) collecting data from online shopping interactions of each of a plurality of online shoppers;

b) obtaining additional online shopping preference information from one of said plurality of online shoppers related to a specific, potential online shopping transaction;

c) forwarding a request to one or more online merchants based on the preference information to modify terms and/or conditions of the potential online transaction; and

d) providing at least some of the related shopper'"'"'s collected data for use by the one or more merchants considering the request,

whereby the transaction may be completed in accordance with said request upon agreement between the related shopper and said one or more merchants.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a reply to the request is provided by the related merchant directly to the related shopper as part of the specific potential online shopping transaction to consummate that transaction upon acceptance by the related shopper.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a response to the request from said one or more merchants; and

forwarding the response to the related shopper with a link enabling the related shopper to complete the potential online shopping transaction.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving and forwarding a plurality of responses to the request so that the related shopper may select a particular one of said plurality of responses.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting data from online shopping interactions further comprises:

providing software plug-ins for download by each of a plurality of online shoppers so that data from online shopping interactions of said each of the plurality of online shoppers is automatically collected.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting data from online shopping interactions further comprises:

receiving data from one or more merchants from online shopping interactions with one or more of the plurality of online shoppers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing access for each of the plurality of online shoppers to a website display of a virtual mall including a large plurality of merchants selectable by merchant icons.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

modifying the virtual mall in accordance with user'"'"'s merchant preferences.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying pending responses by modifying an appearance of a related merchant icon.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying pending requests by modifying an appearance of each related merchant icon.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

displaying known promotion codes related to related merchant icons.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing access to shoppers of available promotional codes.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting data from online shopping interactions further comprises:

adding at least portions of the online shopping preference information, requests and/or merchant responses and resultant completed transactions; and

making at least portions of the collected data available for analysis without disclosing personal identities of the shoppers.