Method, system, and medium for representing visitor activity in an online store

• US 7,660,749 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Koski, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen; William J.
• Application Number:
  US11/541,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• 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

Representing activity in an online store is disclosed. Information associated with the activities of a second visitor to the store is received. An indication of the presence of a first visitor at the store is also received. The activities of the second visitor are displayed to the first visitor.

Claims

1. A method of representing activity in an online store comprising:

determining, by a processor, that a first visitor is accessing a first portion of a website that corresponds to a first region of the online store;

determining, by a processor, that a second visitor is accessing a second portion of the website that corresponds to a second region of the online store, wherein the first region is different from the second region;

displaying to the first visitor, as an element of a web page, a graphical representation that includes a depiction of the first region of the online store and the second region of the online store, and an indication that the first and second visitor are accessing the respective first and second portions of the website corresponding to the first and second regions; and

generating, by a processor, a display of subsections of a selected region of the graphical representation, the subsections including an indication of the activities of one or more other visitors;

wherein, the indication of the activities of the one or more other visitors is represented by at least one of;

an indication of visitors viewing a most popular item;

an indication of visitors viewing a second most popular item;

an indication that visitors are viewing items other than the most popular item or the second most popular item; and

an indication that an item is in the most shopping carts.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation includes an animation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation includes a sound.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation is dynamic.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation includes an indication of a page that the second visitor is visiting.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation includes an indication of what items the second visitor has in a shopping cart.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation includes an indication of what items the second visitor has purchased.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation can be customized by the first visitor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation depends at least in part on where the first visitor is within the store.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation is interactive.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation is interactive and interacting with the representation is part of a promotion.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation is configured to permit the first user to contact the second visitor.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation is configured to permit the first user to replicate the activity the second visitor.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation includes geolocation information.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation includes an indication of the sophistication of at least one of the one or more other visitors to the store.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical representation is embedded in a first region of a webpage having a plurality of regions and wherein a second region in the plurality of regions displays product information.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the graphical representation based at least in part on a determination that the first visitor has moved from viewing a first webpage to viewing a second webpage.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical representation depicts the concentration of the other visitors in a plurality of virtual regions of the store.

19. A system for representing activity in an online store, including:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

determine that a first visitor is accessing a first portion of a website that corresponds to a first region of the online store;

determine that a second visitor is accessing a second portion of the website that corresponds to a second region of the online store, wherein the first region is different from the second region;

display to the first visitor, as an element of a web page, a graphical representation that includes a depiction of the first region of the online store and the second region of the online store, and an indication that the first and second visitor are accessing the respective first and second portions of the website corresponding to the first and second regions; and

generate a display of subsections of a selected region of the graphical representation, the subsections including an indication of the activities of one or more other visitors;

wherein, the indication of the activities of the one or more other visitors is represented by at least one of;

an indication of visitors viewing a most popular item;

an indication of visitors viewing a second most popular item;

an indication that visitors are viewing items other than the most popular item or the second most popular item; and

an indication that an item is in the most shopping carts.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the representation includes an indication of a page that the second visitor is visiting.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the representation includes an indication of what items the second visitor has in a shopping cart.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the indication includes an indication of what items the second visitor has purchased.

23. A computer program product for representing activity in an online store, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining that a first visitor is accessing a first portion of a website that corresponds to a first region of the online store;

determining that a second visitor is accessing a second portion of the website that corresponds to a second region of the online store, wherein the first region is different from the second region; and

displaying to the first visitor, as an element of a web page, a graphical representation that includes a depiction of the first region of the online store and the second region of the online store, and an indication that the first and second visitor are accessing the respective first and second portions of the website corresponding to the first and second regions; and

generating a display of subsections of a selected region of the graphical representation, the subsections including an indication of the activities of one or more other visitors;

wherein, the indication of the activities of the one or more other visitors is represented by at least one of;

an indication of visitors viewing a most popular item;

an indication of visitors viewing a second most popular item;

an indication that visitors are viewing items other than the most popular item or the second most popular item; and

an indication that an item is in the most shopping carts.