Collaborative activities in on-line commerce

• US 9,704,187 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Roger D., Pacholke, Timmy L., Pool, Stacey J., Wood, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/987,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Computer based systems and methods allow collaborative shopping for and/or designing of (e.g., customization) consumer products, such as articles of footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, etc., by plural users using different computing devices. The users'"'"' computing devices may be in communication with one another in various manners, such as over networked connections (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an internet connection, etc.); via peer-to-peer communications; through a common server or combination of servers that establish a communications link; etc.). The various parties may participate in an on-line or other computer communicative session to create and buy customized products. Additionally, user interfaces for providing these collaborative sessions are described.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus at least to perform:

displaying a first user interface on a first display device of a first computing system to a first user;

generating an output that includes data to enable a second user to join a collaborative design session with the first user;

receiving input indicating a selection of a base article of footwear from either the first user or the second user;

receiving a first footwear design input generated by a first user, the first footwear design input indicating a first modification to the base article of footwear;

receiving a second footwear design input generated by a second user, the second footwear design input indicating a second modification to the base article of footwear; and

upon receiving both the first footwear design input generated by the first user and the second footwear design input generated by the second user at the same time, modifying an appearance of the base article of footwear on the first display device to reflect the first modification and the second modification.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform:

displaying at least a first communication element on the first user interface.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first communication element includes a text message panel displayed on the first user interface.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first communication element includes a webcam display panel displayed on the first user interface.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform:

displaying a communication indicating an anticipated effect on a first performance characteristics of the base article of footwear.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform:

exchanging data between the first computing system and the second computing system over a networked connection.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform:

exchanging data between the first computing system and the second computing system over an internet connection.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform:

exchanging data between the first computing system and the second computing system in a peer-to-peer manner.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform:

exchanging data between the first computing system and the second computing system through a common server that is separate from and in operative communication with each of the first computing system and the second computing system.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the displayed first user interface includes a display panel indicating whether the first user, the second user, or another user has footwear design input control, and wherein the first footwear design input and the second footwear design input can be received only from a single user at a time.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the displayed first user interface includes a display portion including a rendering of at least a portion of the base article of footwear, and wherein at least a first pointer element is displayed in the first user interface.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the displayed first user interface displays a plurality of pointer elements.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the display of the plurality of pointer elements on the first display device includes an indicator of which user is in control of each pointer element of the plurality of pointer elements.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the display of the first pointer element on the first display device includes an indicator of which user is in control of the first pointer element.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first footwear design input includes data relating to at least one of the following:

a color of a portion of the base article of footwear;

pictorial or graphic data;

pictorial or graphic location data;

pictorial or graphic size data;

logo data;

logo location data;

logo size data;

logo color data;

a material for a portion of the base article of footwear;

textual data;

textual location data;

textual size data; and

textual color data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, wherein the second computing system includes a second display device, and wherein an appearance of the base article of footwear on the second display device at a first time is the same as an appearance of the base article of footwear on the first display device at the first time.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, wherein the second computing system includes a second display device, and wherein the base article of footwear is shown on both the first and second display devices at a first time with a common color pattern and common orientation.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system different from the first computing system, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to perform:

displaying at least a first communication element on the first user interface, and wherein the first communication element presents communications from the second user to the first user.