Collaborative activities in on-line commerce

• US 9,269,102 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• 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): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/470,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system for collaborative designing of footwear, comprising:

a first computing system including a first display device capable of presenting a first user interface to a first user, wherein the first user interface includes a user interface element that allows generation of recommendations of available footwear design alternatives;

an output system for sending data to enable a second user to join a collaborative design session with the first user;

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

a processing system programmed and adapted to simultaneously receive footwear design input generated by the first user and the second user, to modify an appearance of the base article of footwear on the first display device in accordance with the footwear design input generated by the first user and the second user, and to generate a recommendation of available footwear design alternatives based, at least in part, upon a cost and a plurality of performance characteristics of the base article of footwear.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed and adapted to:

display, in the first user interface, one or more of the available footwear design alternatives and corresponding costs of the base article of footwear.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed and adapted to:

visually update the first user interface to display the cost and changes to one or more performance characteristics of the base article of footwear in accordance with the received footwear design input.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed and adapted to:

generate at least one of the test message panel and webcam display panel displayed on the first user interface.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed and adapted to:

in response to selection of the user interface element, generate a communication indicting an anticipated effect on a first performance characteristics of the base article of footwear.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the first computing system and the second computing system communicate over a networked connection.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the first computing system and the second computing system communicate over an internet connection.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the first computing system and the second computing system communicate in a peer-to-peer manner.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the first computing system and the second computing system communicate 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 system according to claim 1, wherein the 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 processing system is programmed and adapted to receive footwear design input from a single user at a time.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is programmed and adapted to receive footwear design input from a single user at a time.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is programmed and adapted to receive footwear design input from plural users at a time.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface includes a display portion including a rendering of at least a portion of the article of footwear, and wherein the first user interface includes a display of at least one pointer element on the first display device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first user interface displays plural pointer elements including at least a first pointer element associated with the first user and a second pointer element associated with the second user.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the display of the pointer elements on the first display device includes an indicator of which user is in control of each of the pointer elements.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the display of the pointer element on the first display device includes an indicator of which user is in control of the pointer element.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the footwear design input includes data relating to at least one of the following:

a color of a portion of the 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 article of footwear;

textual data;

textual location data;

textual size data; and

textual color data.

18. The system according to 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 article of footwear on the second display device at a first time is the same as an appearance of the article of footwear on the first display device at the first time.

19. The system according to 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 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.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the second computing system includes a second display device that displays a second user interface that includes at least some portions in common with the first user interface as displayed on the display device of the first computing system.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface includes a user interface element that dynamically tracks a cost of the base article of footwear in accordance with the footwear design input generated by the first user and the second user.

22. A method for collaborative designing of footwear, comprising:

displaying a first user interface on a first display device of a first computing system to a first user, wherein the first user interface includes a user interface element that allows generation of recommendations of available footwear design alternatives;

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;

simultaneously receiving footwear design input generated by the first user and the second user;

modifying an appearance of the base article of footwear on the first display device in accordance with the footwear design input generated by the first user and the second user; and

generating a recommendation of available footwear design alternatives based, at least in part, upon a cost and a plurality of performance characteristics of the base article of footwear.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

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

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the first communication element includes a text message panel displayed on the first user interface.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the first communication element includes a webcam display panel displayed on the first user interface.

26. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

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

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the method further includes exchanging data between the first computing system and the second computing system over a networked connection.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the method further includes exchanging data between the first computing system and the second computing system over an internet connection.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the method further includes exchanging data between the first computing system and the second computing system in a peer-to-peer manner.

30. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second user operates a second computing system that differs from the first computing system, and wherein the method further includes 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.

31. The method according to claim 22, 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 footwear design input can be received only from a single user at a time.

32. The method according to claim 22, wherein the footwear design input can be received from only a single user at a time.

33. The method according to claim 22, wherein the footwear design input may be received from plural users at a time.

34. The method according to claim 22, wherein the displayed first user interface includes a display portion including a rendering of at least a portion of the article of footwear, and wherein at least a first pointer element is displayed in the first user interface.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the displayed first user interface displays plural pointer elements.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the display of the plural pointer elements on the first display device includes an indicator of which user is in control of each of the pointer elements.

37. The method according to claim 34, 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.

38. The method according to claim 22, wherein the footwear design input includes data relating to at least one of the following:

a color of a portion of the 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 article of footwear;

textual data;

textual location data;

textual size data; and

textual color data.

39. The method according to claim 22, 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 article of footwear on the second display device at a first time is the same as an appearance of the article of footwear on the first display device at the first time.

40. The method according to claim 22, 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 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.

41. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second user operates a second computing system different from the first computing system, wherein the method further includes 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.

42. The method according to claim 22, wherein the first user interface includes a user interface element that allows generation of a request to synchronize display screens of the first display device and a second display device.