Virtual web store with product images

• US 8,065,200 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schwartz, Robyn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US11/944,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A three dimensional web store having product images is created. Three dimensional product images are rendered from manufacturing information instead of the products themselves. The location of all products, advertisements, aisles, signs, and displays is determined for a real world store. The web store is then created using three dimensional internet or virtual world viewing and maneuvering capabilities, to appear identical to the real world store.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of creating a web store on a web server computer including an RFID reader or a video camera, comprising the steps of:

determining at said server computer a location of each product, aisle, advertisement, sign and display within a real world store by reading data from RFID tags attached thereto or by processing data from a video camera;

collecting information at said server computer about each said advertisement, sign and display within said real world store;

receiving and storing in a database on said server computer, manufacturing information for fabricating each said product without having said product physically available as a model for capturing video or still images of said product;

rendering at said server computer a respective three dimensional product image for each said product from said manufacturing information; and

creating a web store using three dimensional internet or virtual world maneuverability, with images of each said aisle, said advertisement, said sign, and said display positioned at said determined location, and with each said respective product image positioned at a respective determined location within said real store.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said location is determined using radio frequency identification tag technology or video camera technology or combinations thereof.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said location is continuously determined, said information is continuously collected, said manufacturing information is continuously received, said product image is continuously rendered, and said web store is continuously recreated to have images of each said aisle, advertisement, sign display and product positioned at a respective determined location within said real world store.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating an additional area in said web store having images of products not available in said real world store.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said maneuverability includes capability for moving through said web store using a third person view.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein said third person view is an avatar.