PEER-ASSISTED SHOPPING

• US 20140032366A1
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aibuy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cinsay Incorporated
• Inventors: Galindo, Delfino Jr., Briggs, Christian, Spitz, Rick, Sundukovskiy, Sergey, Downing, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 9,607,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a method for peer-assisted shopping, the method includes initiating, on a first endpoint corresponding to a first user, a display of media content. The method also includes initiating, on the first endpoint, an interactive feature configured to allow the first user to interact with the first endpoint in response to the display of media content. The method further includes initiating, on the first endpoint, an option for the first user to invoke a communication request with at least a second user corresponding to at least a second endpoint. Moreover, the method includes, upon selection of the option, initiating a connection request with the at least a second endpoint.

Claims

1. A method for peer-assisted shopping, the method comprising:

initiating, on a first endpoint corresponding to a first user, a display of media content;

initiating, on the first endpoint, an interactive feature configured to allow the first user to interact with the first endpoint in response to the display of media content;

initiating, on the first endpoint, an option for the first user to invoke a communication request with at least a second user corresponding to at least a second endpoint; and

upon selection of the option, initiating a connection request with the at least a second endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the media content includes the display of one or more products or services, and

the interactive feature is a product carousel configured to display graphics or text corresponding to the one or more products or services.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the interactive feature allows a financial transaction for the one or more products or services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content is a real-time content captured by the first endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending at least some of the content captured by the first endpoint to the at least a second endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether users in a list corresponding to the first user are connected to communication networks, the communication networks being at least two different networks through which the first endpoint user may initiate a connection request with another endpoint; and

displaying to the first user, based on the determination, which communication network each respective user is currently connected.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining communication parameters of the first endpoint;

receiving parameters corresponding to the at least a second endpoint; and

negotiating, based on the parameters of the first endpoint and the second endpoint, a channel of communication among multiple possible channels of communication between the first endpoint and each of the at least a second endpoint.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least a second endpoint is more than one endpoint, the method further comprising:

establishing at least two disparate types of communication channels between the first endpoint and respective ones of the more than one endpoint.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection request is at least two messages sent in parallel to two different endpoints corresponding to the same user, the at least two messages allowing the same user to respond with either endpoint.

10. A media player for peer-assisted shopping, the media player when executed on the endpoint configured to:

initiate, on the first endpoint corresponding to a first user, a display of media content;

initiate, on the first endpoint, an interactive feature configured to allow the first user to interact with the first endpoint in response to the display of media content;

initiate, on the first endpoint, an option for the first user to invoke a communication request with at least a second user corresponding to at least a second endpoint; and

upon selection of the option, initiate a connection request with the at least a second endpoint.

11. The media player of claim 10, wherein

the media content includes the display of one or more products or services, and

the interactive feature is a product carousel configured to display graphics or text corresponding to the one or more products or services.

12. The media player of claim 11, wherein

the interactive feature allows a financial transaction for the one or more products or services.

13. The media player of claim 10, wherein the media content is a real-time content captured by the first endpoint.

14. The media player of claim 10, further comprising:

sending at least some of the content captured by the first endpoint to the at least a second endpoint.

15. The media player of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether users in a list corresponding to the first user are connected to communication networks, the communication networks being at least two different networks through which the first endpoint user may initiate a connection request with another endpoint; and

displaying to the first user, based on the determination, which communication network each respective user is currently connected.

16. The media player of claim 10, further comprising:

determining communication parameters of the first endpoint;

receiving parameters corresponding to the at least a second endpoint; and

negotiating, based on the parameters of the first endpoint and the second endpoint, a channel of communication among multiple possible channels of communication between the first endpoint and each of the at least a second endpoint.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least a second endpoint is more than one endpoint, the method further comprising:

establishing at least two disparate types of communication channels between the first endpoint and respective ones of the more than one endpoint.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the connection request is at least two messages sent in parallel to two different endpoints corresponding to the same user, the at least two messages allowing the same user to respond with either endpoint.