Methods, systems and devices for merged images and fee generation in online retail

• US 10,002,382 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Giannini, Robert, Crawford, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M
• Application Number:
  US12/567,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,189 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261, 705 271
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 30/0631 Item recommendations
• 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

An e-commerce method involves on-line viewing of a first article through a linking node for virtual merging on another structure. A particular application of the invention is directed to on-line apparel shopping involving a color matching scheme using color codes provided with images to be merged. For example, on-line viewing of one article, such as clothing, on another structure, includes creating an item from image-data corresponding to a colored article selected by an on-line viewer from an on-line viewer site with an image of a colored structure selected by the on-line viewer, and indicating whether the colored article and the colored structure satisfy a color-matching criterion.

Claims

1. A computer server programmed with software stored on a tangible medium that includes instructions that when executed by the computer server performs the steps of:

providing a website that is viewable by a remote personal computer (PC) and that provides options to purchase viewable articles from one or more retailers;

receiving selection data from the remote PC, the selection data identifying a viewable article and a structure;

retrieving a partial data set corresponding to the viewable article, wherein the partial data set includes an outline definition of the viewable article, a color frequency code linked to a section of the viewable article, and size of the viewable article;

retrieving image data for the structure;

determining whether the color frequency code and a color of the structure satisfy a color-matching criterion by implementing a color standardization scheme;

generating, from the outline definition of the viewable article, the color frequency code linked to the section of the viewable article, and the size of the viewable article of the partial data set, and the image data, a merged image depicting the viewable articles applied to the structure;

sending the merged image to the remote PC;

saving data identifying at least one of the viewable articles in a virtual closet;

retrieving the saved data from the virtual closet in response to a subsequent access of the website by the remote PC; and

calculating a fee charged to the one or more retailers for participation that includes providing viewable articles to the remote PC.

2. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating a fee includes charging, for one of the retailers, an ongoing fee for maintaining the data identifying the viewable articles in the virtual closet that is offered by the one of the retailers.

3. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the step of calculating a fee for a publisher offering the viewable articles from one or more retailers for sale in a publication.

4. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the step of calculating a fee for a user associated with the virtual closet.

5. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:

receiving selection data from the remote PC, the selection data identifying another viewable articles;

retrieving image data for the another viewable article;

comparing a color of the viewable articles to a color of the another viewable articles using a color scheme that includes a list of acceptable colors; and

providing the result of the comparison to the remote PC.

6. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:

storing data defining an outline of the viewable articles in the virtual closet; and

retrieving the data defining the outline in response to the subsequent access of the website by the remote PC.

7. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:

providing a selectable icon to the remote PC; and

sending feedback, in response to selection of the selectable icon, to the remote PC, wherein the feedback is one or more of fashion advice, on-line discounts from the retailers, on-line sales from the retailers and updates on up-coming styles.

8. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the step of uploading an image of the structure from the remote PC.

9. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the viewable articles is clothing and the structure represents at least a portion of a human body.

10. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the viewable article includes one of:

paint, furniture, glassware, landscaping, orthodontic ware, teeth ware, cabinetry, plastic-surgery enhancements and a car.

11. The computer server of claim 1, wherein the structure is one of a person, pet, house, car, office, kitchen and yard.

12. A computer arrangement, comprising:

at least one processor-based server, including a processor that is programmable with executable instructions, and a tangible storage medium containing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor-based server to perform the steps of;

facilitating remote access to a website that is viewable using an external device communicating over the Internet and that provides options to purchase viewable articles from one or more retailers;

receiving selection data from the external device, the selection data identifying a viewable article and a structure;

retrieving a partial data set corresponding to the viewable article, wherein the partial data set includes an outline definition of the viewable article, a color frequency code linked to a section of the viewable article, and size of the viewable article;

retrieving image data for the structure;

determining whether the color frequency code and a color of the structure satisfy a color-matching criterion by implementing a color standardization scheme;

generating, from the outline definition of the viewable article, the color frequency code linked to the section of the viewable article, and the size of the viewable article of the partial data set, and the image data, a merged image depicting the viewable articles applied to the structure;

sending the merged image to the external device;

saving data identifying at least one of the viewable articles in a virtual closet;

retrieving the saved data from the virtual closet in response to a subsequent access of the website by the external device; and

calculating a fee charged to the one or more retailers for participation that includes providing viewable articles to the external device.

13. The computer arrangement of claim 12, wherein the structure is an image of a person, the viewable articles is an apparel item, and the external device is a user'"'"'s personal computer terminal.

14. The computer arrangement of claim 12, wherein the step of calculating a fee includes charging, for one of the retailers, an ongoing fee for maintaining the data identifying at least one of the viewable articles in the virtual closet that is offered by the one of the retailers.

15. The computer arrangement of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the step of calculating a fee for a user associated with the virtual closet.