Retail website user interface

• US 8,756,121 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Gonsalves, Michael F., Nations, Gregory M., Gourley, Chad R., Schoeffler, Sarah E., Korth-McDonnell, Patricia, Stewart, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US13/176,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.7, 705/26.8, 705/27.2
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

In one embodiment, a web page presented to a user includes a header section that substantially spans the top of the web page and provides a menu of selectable options as well as a search input box. A product display region may be presented below the header and display images and information about a selected product. A product carousel may be presented below the product display region and show information about other products in a horizontally scrollable list. Two columns of various types of product review information provided by sources such as professional reviewers, existing owners, and the user'"'"'s friends may be displayed below the product carousel. A sortable and filterable grid of products may be displayed below the review information such that the user'"'"'s attention is drawn to the variety of products available for purchase.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

displaying, on a client device, a GUI including a main image and a rotating carousel with a first plurality of images, each of the first plurality of images having a height equal to or less than a first height and associated with a different product than the other images, the main image having a second height and overlapping a portion of the rotating carousel, a ratio between the first height and the second height being about 1;

2 or less, wherein the rotating carousel includes a directional control which changes the location of the first plurality of images in the rotating carousel while the main image remains stationary;

providing, from the client device to a retail server, a selection of the directional control; and

receiving GUI content, by the client device from the retail server based on the selection of the directional control, in the rotating carousel, wherein the GUI content relocates a first image of the first plurality of images from a first position adjacent the main image to a second position on the opposite side of the main image from the first position, the first position and the second position included in the rotating carousel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the main image is associated with a main product for the GUI.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first plurality of images presents an image of a product complementary to the main product.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically increasing or decreasing how many images are in the rotating carousel based on a change in view or size of the main product image.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the GUI displays product information about the main product.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the GUI displays a price of the main product.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotating carousel is horizontal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of images are presented in the GUI when the GUI is initially displayed on the client device, and an image different from each of the first plurality of images is presented in the GUI upon selection of the directional control.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rotating carousel is associated with a second plurality of images prior to the displaying, the second plurality of images including the first plurality of images and the image different from each of the first plurality of images.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, based on detection of a pointer being positioned over one of the images, product information on the GUI, wherein the product information is associated with the one of the images.

11. A system for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for a retail environment, the system including:

at least one server configured to provide a GUI on a display device, the GUI including;

a main product image and a rotating carousel including a first plurality of images, the main product image overlaying a portion of the rotating carousel and being associated with a main product, each of the first plurality of images being of a respective product associated with the main product, an aspect ratio between a height of the main product image and a maximum height of the first plurality of images being greater than 2;

1, wherein the rotating carousel includes a directional control; and

the server is configured to, in response to receiving a selection of the directional control, move one of the first plurality of images that is adjacent to the main product image to the opposite side of the main product image in direction associated with the directional control while the main product image is substantially stationary on the display device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the GUI includes one or more thumbnail images of the main product that can be selected by a web page user to change the main product image upon selection of one of the one or more thumbnail images of the main product.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the GUI includes a product information region.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the product information region includes one or more items selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity box, a shopping cart link configurable upon selection to allow a web page user to add the main product to a shopping cart, a desired products link configurable upon selection to allow the web page user to add the main product to a desired products list, a notify link configurable upon selection to instruct a retail enterprise to notify the web page user by email when the main product is on sale, and a share link configurable upon selection to allow the web page user to share information regarding the main product with one or more additional users.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the first plurality of images presents product information associated with the image upon detection of a selection of the associated image.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first plurality of images is an image of a product complementary to the main product.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first plurality of images is selected based on a rule associated with the main product.

18. A computer-implemented method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

displaying, on a client device, a GUI having a product web page including a first main image and a rotating carousel with a first plurality of images, each of the first plurality of images having a height equal to or less than a first height and associated with a different product than the other images, the first main image having a second height and overlapping a portion of the rotating carousel, the first height being less than the second height, wherein the rotating carousel includes a directional control;

providing, from the client device to a retail server, a selection of the directional control;

receiving first GUI content, by the client device from the retail server based on the selection of the directional control, in the rotating carousel, wherein the first GUI content either;

relocates a first image of the first plurality of images from a first position adjacent the first main image to a second position on the opposite side of the first main image from the first position while maintaining the first main image stationary, the first position and the second position included in the rotating carousel;

or

replaces the first main image with a second main image associated with one of the first plurality of images previously adjacent to the first main image and associated with a second main product, and provides a second plurality of images in the rotating carousel, the second plurality of images being a subset of the first plurality of images.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, after the providing, a web page user can interact with the rotating product and cannot interact with the remainder of the product web page.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, after the providing, the remainder of the product web page is opaque.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, from the client computing device, a selection of the second main image; and

providing second GUI content, from the retail server to the client device based on the receiving the selection of the second main image, in the GUI, the second GUI content including product information associated with the second main product.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, after the providing of the second GUI content, the web page user can interact with the remainder of the product web page.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the rotating carousel is horizontal.