Method of product demonstration

• US 8,571,942 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ebrom, Matthew P., Glotzbach, Mark E., Heilman, Layne E., McCoy, Richard A., Molloy, Phillip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US11/931,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1, 700/234, 434/118, 434/107, 434/365, 434/379, 434/382, 186/52, 815/9, 609/08
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method of demonstrating an appliance by customizing a multimedia presentation in real time based on the consumer information.

Claims

1. A method of demonstrating an appliance comprising multiple components having corresponding functionalities, a controller coupled to the multiple components to control operation of the multiple components to implement a predetermined cycle of operation performing a physical domestic operation on an article loaded in memory associated with the microprocessor controller, and a user interface coupled to the controller to receive user input and provide output related to the operation of the appliance, the method comprising:

loading, into the memory, demonstration software comprising a multimedia presentation comprising a presentation of at least one feature of the appliance;

displaying the multimedia presentation on the user interface by executing the demonstration software on the microprocessor controller to provide a presentation of the at least one feature on the user interface;

in conjunction with the presentation of the at least one feature on the user interface during the multimedia presentation, demonstrating a functionality of the appliance associated with the at least one feature being presented by operating one or more of the multiple components necessary to demonstrate the functionality, independent of implementing or demonstrating the predetermined cycle of operation and without performing the physical domestic operation on the article;

receiving consumer information regarding a consumer viewing the multimedia presentation; and

customizing the multimedia presentation in real time based on the consumer information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the consumer information comprises profiling the consumer viewing the multimedia presentation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of:

gender, age, height, mass, voice, facial expression, native language, eye color, and hair color.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving consumer information comprises sensing a characteristic of the consumer.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a profile of the consumer based on the consumer information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the customizing of the multimedia presentation is based on the profile.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the customizing of the multimedia presentation comprises updating the multimedia presentation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the updating of the multimedia presentation comprises downloading part of the multimedia presentation.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the creating a profile comprises storing the consumer information in a database of prior consumer information to create a database of consumer profiles.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the customizing of the multimedia presentation comprises at least one of displaying a sales incentive, an appliance recommendation, a related-appliance recommendation, an appliance accessory, appliance options, and appliance build options.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the customizing of the multimedia presentation comprises displaying the multimedia presentation in the native language of the consumer.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the customizing of the multimedia presentation comprises updating the multimedia presentation.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein updating the multimedia presentation comprises downloading a part of the multimedia presentation over a communication network.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the customizing of the multimedia presentation comprises establishing a video conference with another person.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the another person is one of a sales representative and a technical representative.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a consumer in proximity of the appliance and executing the demonstration software when the consumer has been detected.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a consumer in the proximity of the appliance;

identifying the detected consumer; and

executing the demonstration software when the consumer has been identified.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a consumer and executing the demonstration software when the consumer has been identified.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the demonstration software is customized to the identified consumer.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the identifying is accomplished by obtaining information about the consumer using one of a camera and a microphone.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the consumer information includes one of:

gender, age, height, mass, voice, facial expression, native language, eye color, and hair color.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the identifying is accomplished actively by obtaining information from the consumer via one of data entry and voice commands in response to prompts generated by the demonstration software.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the appliance is a household appliance selected from a group consisting of:

a clothes washing machine, a clothes dryer, an oven, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave oven, a trash compactor and a countertop appliance.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the demonstrating a functionality of the appliance associated with the at least one feature comprises operating fewer of the multiple components than is necessary to implement the predetermined cycle of operation.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying a multimedia presentation comprises presenting at least one of playing an audio recording, displaying an image, and displaying a video.