System and method for an enhanced shopping experience

US8229800B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. · US

Inventors

• Douglas Keith Trotman · Dallas, US
• Jay Wilpon · Hackettstown, US
• Mazin Gilbert · Hackettstown, US
• Giuseppe Di Fabbrizio · Brookline, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 23, 2008
• Grant date: Jul 24, 2012
• Expiry date: May 13, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0643
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for creating a virtual shopping area. The method includes receiving a query from a user and an automated input specific to the user from a computing device, generating a list of merchants based on the query and the automated input, generating a virtual shopping area from the list of merchants and based on one or more constraints, and displaying the virtual shopping area on the computing device. One optional step is presenting to the user an interface to purchase query-related items from merchants in the virtual shopping area. The method optionally includes receiving an indication of intent to purchase an item from the user, displaying an image of the item to the user, and dynamically updating the displayed image of the item as the user specifies item-specific details. The list of merchants can be restricted to merchants geographically close to the user.