VIRTUAL SHOPPING CENTER

• US 20090138376A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Smyers, Scott, Eyer, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of controlling a virtual shopping center can include: receiving a user input at a query input engine; aggregating an output from the query input engine with a user preference, such as a purchase history or other expressed interest, to form a search criteria; searching a database using the search criteria; and displaying an image associated with a matching product or service resulting from the search of the database.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a virtual shopping center, comprising:

receiving a user input at a query input engine;

aggregating an output from the query input engine with a user preference to form a search criteria;

searching a database using the search criteria; and

displaying an image associated with a matching product or service resulting from the search of the database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of images from the search of the database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of images is arranged for display using vendor preferences from a plurality of vendors.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of images is arranged for display using a degree of matching.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the image comprises using a virtual reality system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching the product database comprises applying a search key derived from the search criteria to identify one or more matching entries.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the product database comprises a plurality of entries, and wherein each entry comprises at least one product description.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each entry comprises a plurality of fields indicating a product type, a vendor, and an availability.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of entries is configured using metadata.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of entries is configured using extensible markup language (XML).

11. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors, and when executed operable to;

receive a user input at a query input engine;

aggregate an output from the query input engine with a user preference to form a search criteria;

search a database using the search criteria; and

display an image associated with a matching product or service resulting from the search of the database.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to display a plurality of images from the search of the database.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of images is arranged for display using vendor preferences from a plurality of vendors.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of images is arranged for display using a degree of matching.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display of the image comprises using a virtual reality system.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the search of the product database comprises application of a search key derived from the search criteria to a content-addressable memory (CAM).

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the product database comprises a plurality of entries, and wherein each entry comprises at least one product description.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of entries is configured using metadata.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of entries is configured using extensible markup language (XML).

20. A virtual shopping center system, comprising:

means for receiving a user input at a query input engine;

means for aggregating an output from the query input engine with a user preference to form a search criteria;

means for searching a database using the search criteria; and

means for displaying an image associated with a matching product or service resulting from the search of the database.