Social networking interactive shopping system

• US 7,974,889 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sean M. Raimbeault
• Original Assignee: Sean M. Raimbeault
• Inventors: Raimbeault, Sean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Misiaszek, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Application Number:
  US11/976,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/50 comprising weighing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

The social networking interactive shopping system includes a portable wireless user interface for use by a store customer when shopping. A merchant server is provided, the server having market survey, advertising, promotions, security, social networking services, web server capability, a quantitative prediction modeling system predicting behavior of the customer, a predictive response marketing/advertising system that targets advertising messages to the customer based on a predicted customer response to the advertising messages, and payment application software. The merchant server is capable of wired or wireless communication with the portable wireless user interface. A database is provided, and can be stored on site or off site. The database includes information associated with items for sale at the store, and is in operable communication with the merchant server. Using the portable wireless user interface, the store customer can purchase user selected store items thereby obviating necessity for travel through a store check-out line.

Claims

1. A real time social networking interactive shopping system adapted for use while the customer is physically located in a store, comprising:

a portable wireless user interface, the portable wireless user interface being configured for use by a store customer when shopping;

at least one merchant server configured to conduct a market survey in real time of the actual purchases while shopping, the merchant server further configured to store;

real time advertising promotions, security, social networking services;

a web server application;

a quantitative prediction modeling system that predicts real time behavior of the customer based upon historical and real time data and purchases;

a predictive response marketing/advertising system that targets real time advertising messages to the customer based on a predicted customer response to the real time advertising messages, wherein the predictive response includes a real time proximity broadcasting based on actual purchases and location of the customer in the store; and

payment application software,

the merchant server being in operable communication with the portable wireless user interface, wherein the portable wireless user interface displays a display page having content from which the customer selects and purchases the store items, the display page being established by the web server, the web server being in operable communication with the social networking services to determine the display page content that is customizable by the store customer; and

at least one stored database having information associated with items for sale at the store, the at least one stored database being in operable communication with the at least one merchant server, wherein using the portable wireless user interface, the store customer purchases user selected store items thereby obviating the necessity for travel through a store check-out line.

2. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 1, further comprising a location tracking system for determining the approximate location of the portable wireless user interface.

3. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of advertising monitors disposed with in easy view of the customer at a plurality of locations in the store, the video monitors being connected to outputs of the quantitative prediction modeling system (QPMS) and the predictive response marketing/advertising system (PRMS), wherein the QPMS and the PRMS can target a specific consumer with a specific advertising message to be displayed on a specific one of the advertising monitors at a customer location as determined by the location tracking system.

4. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a shopping cart, the portable wireless user interface being disposed thereon;

a plurality of weight sensors disposed on the shopping cart to determine weight of items placed in the cart; and

means for identifying an item and price of the item placed in the cart.

5. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 4, further comprising an electronic scale pivotally attached to the shopping cart.

6. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of a wheel, a frame, a cage, of the shopping cart has electrical conduits capable of carrying charging current and being electrically connectable to an abutting, similarly equipped shopping cart in a charging station so that all such abutting shopping carts simultaneously receive a charging current from the charging station.

7. The social networking interactive shopping system according to claim 4, further comprising an integral wheel mounted kinetic charger disposed on the shopping cart for charging electronic systems aboard the shopping cart when the cart is being propelled by the user.

8. A real time social networking interactive shopping method adapted for use while the customer is physically located in a store and performed by a machine executing a program of instructions tangibly embodied in a program storage device readable by the machine, the method comprising the steps of:

conducting, by a machine executing a program, real time market surveys associated with a store customer'"'"'s usage of the social networking interactive shopping method;

targeting, by a machine executing a program, store customers with real time advertising promotions based on the market surveys;

providing social networking and personal management services accessible to the store customers/users;

providing a web server application capable of providing at least one real time web page to the customers/users;

generating, by a machine executing a program, a prediction based upon historical and real time data and purchases;

generating, by a machine executing a program, a prediction of a store user'"'"'s/customer'"'"'s real time response to a proposed group of advertising messages, then based on the predicted customer response, selecting a specific real time advertising message for display to the customer/user;

storing at least one database having information associated with items for sale at the store at the program storage device;

determining an approximate location of the store customer when using the portable wireless communication device;

targeting the customer with a specific advertising message, the specific advertising message being determined by a result of the behavior and response predicting steps, display location of the message being determined by the approximate location of the store customer;

providing a portable wireless communication device that accesses the store items in the database, wherein the store customer purchases an item in the store using the portable wireless communication device, wherein the portable wireless communication device includes a display page having content from which the customer can select and purchase the store items, the display page being provided by the web server, the web server being in operable communication with the social networking services to determine the display page content that is customizable by the store customer;

via the portable wireless communication device, accepting payment from the customer for the store items; and

where using the social networking interactive shopping method a customer purchases customer selected store items thereby obviating the necessity for customer travel through a store check-out line.

9. The social networking interactive shopping method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of determining at least a portion of display page content based on interoperability between the web server application and the social networking services.