Virtual display device for an interactive merchant sales environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016104235-A1
Application number	US-201414513178-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2014
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided systems and method for a virtual display device for an interactive merchant sales environment. A device, such as a communication device, may allow a user to view virtual images of items in a user environment so that a user may view what their potential purchase may look like when placed into the user environment. The user environment may include a residential room, an office, a car interior, or other location where a user may place purchased items. The user may submit a request to view an item in the user environment to the device, which may communicate the request to a merchant or a service provider. The virtual image may correspond to digital image(s) of an item used to present a three dimensional virtual image of the item in the user environment. The device may receive the virtual image(s) and display them to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
an input device for receiving a request to display an object in a merchant environment to a first user; a virtual display output device for projecting a first virtual image of the object for display to the first user in a user environment; an input/output (i/o) interface in communication with the at least one device and the virtual display output device; a non-transitory memory storing a virtual projection module, the first virtual image of the at least one object in the merchant environment, and the request to display the object; at least one hardware processor in communication with the non-transitory memory for executing the virtual projection module to access the first virtual image of the object and utilize the virtual display output device to project the first virtual image for display in the user environment; and a communication module in connection with the i/o interface and the non-transitory memory that communicates the request to a service provider, receives the first virtual image of the object, and stores the first virtual image to the non-transitory memory.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input device comprises a visual input device for determining user environment parameters for the user environment and storing the user environment parameters to the non-transitory memory.

3 . The system if claim 2 , wherein the at least one hardware processor further executes the virtual projection module to determine display dimensions for the first virtual image in the user environment using the user environment parameters prior to utilizing the virtual display output device to display the first virtual image, and wherein the virtual display output device further projects the first virtual image using the display dimensions.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module further receives merchant environment images for the merchant environment, and wherein the at least one hardware processor further executes the virtual projection module to utilize the virtual display output device to project the merchant environment images for display in the user environment with the first virtual image of the object.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the input device comprises a visual input unit for determining user environment parameters for the user environment and storing the user environment parameters to the non-transitory memory, wherein the at least one hardware processor further executes the virtual projection module to determine object display parameters for the first virtual image in the user environment using the user environment parameters and determine merchant display dimensions for the merchant environment images in the user environment using the user environment parameters prior to utilizing the virtual display output device to display the first virtual image and the merchant environment images, wherein the virtual display output device further projects the first virtual image using the object display dimensions and the merchant environment images using the merchant display dimensions.

6 . The system of claim 4 further comprising:
an output device for communicating walkthrough information to the first user for the merchant environment images of the merchant environment,
wherein the communication module further receives the walkthrough information for the merchant environment images, and wherein the at least one hardware processor further executes the virtual projection module to communicate the walkthrough information to the first user in the user environment.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the walkthrough information comprises at least one of an automated walkthrough, a live walkthrough from a second user, visual indicators, and voice indicators.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein first user utilizes the input device to transition between the merchant environment images.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the merchant environment images comprises a new object, and wherein the first user utilizes the input device to select the new object for display.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the communication module receives a second virtual image of the new object, and wherein the at least one hardware processor executes the virtual projection module to project the second virtual image for display in the user environment.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first user utilizes the input device to input a command to move the first virtual image to a new location in the user environment, and wherein the at least one hardware processor executes the virtual projection module to display the first virtual image in the new location.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first user utilizes the input device to input a purchase request for the object, and wherein the communication module communicates the purchase request to a payment provider for processing.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein one of the payment provider and a merchant offering the object for sale provides a courier for delivery of the object to the first user.

14 . A method comprising:
receiving, via an input device of a communication device, a request to display a layout available from a merchant for a user environment using a virtual display device; communicating, via a communication module of the communication device, the request to a service provider; receiving, via the communication module, at least one virtual image for the layout from the service provider, displaying, via the virtual display device of the communication device, the at least one virtual image in the user environment.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the layout comprises at least one interior aspect of the user environment, and wherein the user environment comprises one of a car, a residential room, and a business office.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one interior aspect comprises at least one of upholstery, window tint, window coverings, interior trim, interior paint, artwork, furniture, and an electronic appliance.

17 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
receiving, via the communication module, instructions for placement of the communication device in the user environment for displaying the at least one virtual image to a proper scale in the user environment; and
communicating, via an output display device of the communication device, the instructions to a user in the user environment.

18 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
receiving, via one of the input device and the virtual display device, a purchase request for at least one item in the layout; and
communicating, via the communication module, the purchase request to at least one of the merchant and the service provider.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the service provider comprises one of the merchant, a payment provider, and a third party providing the at least one virtual images for the merchant.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable modules which, in response to execution by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via an input device of a communication device, a request to display an image of an item in a user environment using a virtual display module; transmitting, via a communication module of the communication device, the request to a merchant offering the item for sale; receiving, via the communication module, a three dimensional dig

Assignees

• Ebay Inc

Inventors

• Benkar Rohan
• Murari Jaya Kumar
• Hsieh Leo
• Jiang Yu

Classifications

• G06Q30/0643 Primary

  graphically representing goods, e.g. 3D product representation · CPC title

• H04N9/3185

  Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence (optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14) · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06T2200/28

  involving image processing hardware · CPC title

• G06T2200/24

  involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] · CPC title