System and method for exhibiting at least visual content in one or more physical retail stores

• US 8,321,292 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TigerDirect, Inc. (Systemax Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TigerDirect, Inc. (Systemax Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fiorentino, Gilbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US12/540,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20100179885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 235/383
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system for exhibiting at least visual content in one or more physical retail stores. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for exhibiting at least visual content in one or more physical retail stores. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a programmed computer for exhibiting at least visual content in one or more physical retail stores. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a computer readable medium for exhibiting at least visual content in one or more physical retail stores. In one example, the visual content may comprise advertising and/or operating specifications and/or performance specifications and/or dimensions and/or price displayed on a television, a computer monitor, a laptop computer display, a notebook computer display and/or a netbook computer display.

Claims

1. A system for exhibiting at least visual content in a physical retail store, comprising:

at least a first physical potential item to be purchased and a second physical potential item to be purchased, wherein the first physical potential item to be purchased and the second physical potential item to be purchased are located on display in the physical retail store;

a central server,

at least a first client computer and a second client computer, wherein the first client computer has installed thereon a first application and the second client computer has installed thereon a second application;

an item database associated with the central server, wherein the item database stores data relating to;

(a) information of the first physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the first physical potential item to be purchased; and

(b) information of the second physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the central server periodically communicates with the first client computer and wherein the central server periodically communicates with the second client computer,

wherein the first client computer is located in the physical retail store;

wherein the second client computer is located in the physical retail store;

wherein the first client computer operationally interacts with the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the first client computer is specifically assigned to operationally interact with the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the first physical potential item to be purchased comprises hardware and software that are necessary for the first client computer to operationally interact with the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second client computer operationally interacts with the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second client computer is specifically assigned to operationally interact with the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second physical potential item to be purchased comprises hardware and software that are necessary for the second client computer to operationally interact with the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the first client computer has at least one first input device that is connected to the first client computer, wherein the first input device connected to the first client computer is located in the physical retail store, and wherein the first input device connected to the first client computer is configured to allow for direct interaction with a potential purchaser of the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second client computer has at least one second input device that is connected to the second client computer, wherein the second input device connected to the second client computer is located in the physical retail store, and wherein the second input device connected to the second client computer is configured to allow for direct interaction with a potential purchaser of the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the first application installed on the first client computer comprises;

i) a first software program that directly interacts with the input device connected to the first client computer;

ii) a first browser comprising;

1. a first software element that is capable of obtaining at least visual content from a source other than the central server; and

2. a second software element that receives instructions from the central server on a periodic basis regarding data relating to the information of the first physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the first physical potential item to be purchased; and

iii) a second software program that operationally interacts with the first physical potential item to be purchased, hereby resulting in the first physical potential item to be purchased that exhibits a first visual content, wherein the interaction between the second software program and the first physical potential item to be purchased is based at least in part on;

a) a location of the first physical potential item to be purchased and

b) a location of the first input device; and

wherein the second application installed on the second client computer comprises;

i) a third software program that directly interacts with the input device connected to the second client computer;

ii) a second browser comprising;

1. a third software element that is capable of obtaining at least visual content from a source other than the central server; and

2. a fourth software element that receives instructions from the central server on a periodic basis regarding data relating to the information of the second physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the second physical potential item to be purchased; and

iii) a fourth software program that operationally interacts with the second physical potential item to be purchased, hereby resulting in the second physical potential item to be purchased that exhibits a second visual content, wherein the interaction between the fourth software program and the second physical potential item to be purchased is based at least in part on;

a) a location of the second physical potential item to be purchased and

b) a location of the second input device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first physical potential item to be purchased and the second physical potential item to be purchased is selected from the group consisting of:

a television, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a netbook computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first application installed on the first client computer comprises a software application and wherein the second application installed on the second client computer comprises a software application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server periodically communicates with the first client computer at a period selected from the group comprising:

every second, every 10 seconds, every 20 seconds, every 30 seconds, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, and wherein the central server periodically communicates with the second client computer at a period selected from the group comprising;

every second, every 10 seconds, every 20 seconds, every 30 seconds, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server periodically communicates with the first client computer in real-time and wherein the central server periodically communicates with the second client computer in real-time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server communicates with the first client computer at essentially the same periodicity that the central server communicates with the second client computer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

(a) the first client computer is the first physical potential item to be purchased; and

(b) the second client computer is the second physical potential item to be purchased.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first software element associated with the first client computer that is capable of obtaining at least visual content from a source other than the central server is capable of obtaining at least visual/audio/media content from a source other than the central server and wherein the third software element associated with the second client computer that is capable of obtaining at least visual content from a source other than the central server is capable of obtaining at least visual/audio/media content from a source other than the central server.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inventory database associated with the central server, wherein the inventory database stores data relating to:

(a) an inventory amount of the first physical potential item to be purchased; and

(b) an inventory amount of the second physical potential item to be purchased.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second software element of the first browser receives instructions from the central server comprising at least one instruction indicating the source from which the first software element is to obtain content;

and wherein the fourth software element of the second browser receives instructions from the central server comprising at least one instruction indicating the source from which the first software element is to obtain content.

11. A method performed in a computing system for exhibiting at least visual content in a physical retail store, comprising:

displaying in the physical retail store at least a first physical potential item to be purchased and a second physical potential item to be purchased;

locating at least a first client computer and a second client computer in the physical retail store, wherein the first client computer has installed thereon a first application and the second client computer has installed thereon a second application;

wherein the first client computer operationally interacts with to the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the first client computer is specifically assigned to operationally interact with the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the first physical potential item to be purchased comprises hardware and software that are necessary for the first client computer to operationally interact with the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second client computer operationally interacts with the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second client computer is specifically assigned to operationally interact with the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second physical potential item to be purchased comprises hardware and software that are necessary for the second client computer to operationally interact with the second physical potential item to be purchased;

storing, in an item data structure associated with a central server, data relating to;

(a) information of the first physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the first physical potential item to be purchased; and

(b) information of the second physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the second physical potential item to be purchased;

periodically communicating between the central server and the first client computer and between the central server and the second client computer,

wherein the first client computer has at least one first input device that is connected to the first client computer, wherein the first input device connected to the first client computer is located in the physical retail store, and wherein the first input device connected to the first client computer is configured to allow for direct interaction with a potential purchaser of the first physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the second client computer has at least one second input device that is connected to the second client computer, wherein the second input device connected to the second client computer is located in the physical retail store, and wherein the second input device connected to the second client computer is configured to allow for direct interaction with a potential purchaser of the second physical potential item to be purchased;

wherein the first application installed on the first client computer comprises;

i) a first software program that directly interacts with the input device connected to the first client computer;

ii) a first browser comprising;

1. a first software element that is capable of obtaining at least visual content from a source other than the central server; and

2. a second software element that receives instructions from the central server on a periodic basis regarding data relating to the information of the first physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the first physical potential item to be purchased; and

iii) a second software program that operationally interacts with the first physical potential item to be purchased, hereby resulting in the first physical potential item to be purchased that exhibits a first visual content, wherein the interaction between the second software program and the first physical potential item to be purchased is based at least in part on;

a) a location of the first physical potential item to be purchased and

b) a location of the first input device; and

wherein the second application installed on the second client computer comprises;

i) a third software program that directly interacts with the input device connected to the second client computer;

ii) a second browser comprising;

1. a third software element that is capable of obtaining at least visual content from a source other than the central server; and

2. a fourth software element that receives instructions from the central server on a periodic basis regarding data relating to the information of the second physical potential item to be purchased including specifications regarding the second physical potential item to be purchased; and

iii) a fourth software program that operationally interacts with the second physical potential item to be purchased, hereby resulting in the second physical potential item to be purchased that exhibits a second visual content, wherein the interaction between the fourth software program and the second physical potential item to be purchased is based at least in part on;

a) a location of the second physical potential item to be purchased and

b) a location of the second input device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the computing system includes one or more programmed computers.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the computing system is distributed over a plurality of programmed computers.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the item data structure comprises one or more databases.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps are carried out in the order recited.