Projection shopping with a mobile device

• US 8,849,710 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Moghadam, Ali Minaei, Lunn, John
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US13/341,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705 261- 272, 705/16, 715/700, 715716-718, 715/753, 715/863
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A method for making purchases with a mobile device at a physical location is described. A service provider receives information about an item available for purchase, and this information is projected on a surface. A user in the vicinity of the surface views the projected information and provides input through the user'"'"'s mobile device. The projected information changes based on the input. The user selects an item for purchase and pays for the selected item through the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for making purchases at a physical location, comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a service provider, information about an item available for purchase, wherein the information is sent from a mobile device of a user;

causing projecting, by a projector, of an image of the information on a surface different from a display of the mobile device;

causing a code to be provided on the surface;

receiving, by the processor, input from the mobile device;

changing, by the processor, the projected image of the information based on the input, wherein the user enters the code provided on the surface into the mobile device to interact with the projected image of the information;

receiving, by the processor, a payment request through the mobile device, wherein the request comprises information about a selected item for purchase; and

processing, by the processor, the payment request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises glass.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the glass forms part of a store display window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises a photographic or holographic film.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, information about a user location from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining, by the processor, information about a location of the surface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a distance between the user location and surface location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein if the distance exceeds a certain distance, the processor sends a message to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein only one user provides input at any time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the projected information comprises changing the item, rotating the item, changing the color of the item, selecting the size of the item, or combinations thereof.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory device storing user account information, wherein the user account information comprises information about a plurality of items available for purchase from a merchant, the items capable of being projected on a surface different from a display of a mobile device of a user; and

a processor operable to;

receive information about an item available for purchase from a mobile device of a user;

cause an image projection, by a projector, of the information on a surface different from a display of the mobile device, the surface comprising a visible code;

cause receiving of the code visible on the surface from the mobile device, the visible code having been entered by the user into the mobile device, wherein the caused receiving enables the user to interact with the image projection of the information;

receive input from the mobile device;

change the image projection of the information based on the input;

receive a payment request through the mobile device, wherein the payment request comprises information about a selected item for purchase; and

process the request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the surface comprises glass and the glass forms part of a car window.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to determine information about a user location from the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to determine information about a location of the surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to determine a distance between the user location and surface location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein if the distance exceeds a certain amount, the processor sends a message to the mobile device.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors of a server are adapted to cause the server to perform a method comprising:

receiving information about an item available for purchase from a mobile device of a user;

causing projecting, by a projector, of an image of the information on a surface different from a display of the mobile device, wherein the surface comprises a visible code;

causing receiving of the code visible on the surface from the mobile device, the visible code having been entered by the user into the mobile device;

causing enabling, of the user, to interact with the image projection of the information in response to the caused receiving the visible code;

receiving input from a mobile device;

changing the projected image of the information based on the input, wherein the user enters a code provided on the surface into the mobile device to interact with the projected image of the information;

receiving a payment request through the mobile device, wherein the payment request comprises information about a selected item for purchase; and

processing the request.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the surface comprises glass.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein changing the projected information comprises changing the item, rotating the item, changing the color of the item, selecting the size of the item, or a combination thereof.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises determining information about a user location from the mobile device, determining information about a location of the surface, and comparing the user location to the surface location.