Virtual reality shopping experience

Abstract

A solution is provided for a method for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting by receiving a request at a shopping server to view a shopping location, having at least one store, and displaying the shopping location to the user's computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user. The server then obtains a request to enter into one of the stores and displays the store website to the user in the same web browser. The store website has one or more enhanced VR features. The server then receives a request to view at least one product and the product is presented in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life viewing of the product.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 providing, by a server computer system to a client computer system, an interface to a virtual-reality mall that provides access to a plurality of virtual stores respectively operated by a plurality of merchants;   detecting, at the server computer system, user input, from a user, indicative of a request to personalize the virtual-reality mall, wherein the request to personalize specifies a set of preferred virtual stores of the plurality of virtual stores; and   based on the request to personalize, the server computer system providing, to the client computer system via the interface, a list of the set of preferred virtual stores, wherein the list is operable to provide simulated access to the set of preferred virtual stores to the user.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the interface is operable to cause the user of the client computer system to be directed to a virtual-reality portion of a website of a particular merchant of the plurality of merchants in response to receiving a request from the user to enter a virtual store of the particular merchant. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining, based on data corresponding to user sessions by the user of the virtual-reality mall, behavior information associated with the user; and   based on the behavior information, providing personalized content to the client computer system via the interface.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of preferred virtual stores includes a first virtual store associated with a first merchant and a second virtual store associated with a second, different merchant. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the server computer system, an indication from the first merchant that the user has selected a first item from the first virtual store for inclusion in an electronic shopping cart of the user;   receiving, at the server computer system, an indication from the second, different merchant that the user has selected a second item from the second virtual store for inclusion in the electronic shopping cart of the user; and   facilitating, by the server computer system, payment processing to the first merchant and the second, different merchant for at least the first and second items in the electronic shopping cart of the user in response to a single payment request from the user.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 based on a parameter of the first item, the server computer system facilitating the client computer system to display an additional item having a corresponding parameter.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising receiving, at the server computer system, the single payment request from the user to purchase items included in the electronic shopping cart of the user, wherein the items include the first and second items. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the server computer system, a first request from the user to enter a first virtual store of a first merchant; and   in response to receiving the first request, the server computer system causing, based on a spatial perception for the user, the user to be directed to a virtual-reality portion of a website of the first merchant.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein access to a given virtual store, of the plurality of virtual stores, includes motion simulation for a user of the client computer system. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 in response to receiving a request from the user to enter a virtual store of a first merchant, the server computer system causing a computer-generated image of a concierge to interact with the user at a virtual-reality portion of a website of the first merchant, wherein the virtual-reality portion of the website includes a three-dimensional image of a first item.   
     
     
         31 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a server computer system to cause the server computer system to perform operations comprising:
 providing, to a client computer system, an interface to a virtual-reality mall that provides access to a plurality of virtual stores respectively operated by a plurality of merchants, wherein the plurality of virtual stores includes a first virtual store associated with a first merchant and a second virtual store associated with a second, different merchant;   detecting user input, from a user, indicative of a request to personalize the virtual-reality mall, wherein the request to personalize specifies a set of preferred virtual stores of the plurality of virtual stores, wherein the set of preferred virtual stores includes the first virtual store and the second virtual store; and   based on the request to personalize, providing, to the client computer system via the interface, a list of the set of preferred virtual stores, wherein the list is operable to provide simulated access to the set of preferred virtual stores to the user.   
     
     
         32 . The article of manufacture of  claim 31 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving an indication from the first merchant that the user has selected a first item from the first virtual store for inclusion in an electronic shopping cart of the user;   receiving an indication from the second, different merchant that the user has selected a second item from the second virtual store for inclusion in the electronic shopping cart of the user; and   facilitating payment processing to the first merchant and the second, different merchant for at least the first and second items in the electronic shopping cart of the user in response to a single payment request from the user.   
     
     
         33 . The article of manufacture of  claim 32 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining, based on data corresponding to activity of the user, behavior information associated with the user; and   based on the behavior information, providing personalized content to the client computer system via the interface.   
     
     
         34 . The article of manufacture of  claim 33 , wherein the data corresponding to the activity of the user includes clickstream data associated with user sessions by the user of the virtual-reality mall. 
     
     
         35 . The article of manufacture of  claim 32 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to receiving a request from the user to enter the first virtual store of the first merchant, causing a computer-generated image of a concierge to interact with the user at a virtual-reality portion of a website of the first merchant, wherein the virtual-reality portion of the website includes a three-dimensional image of the first item.   
     
     
         36 . A server computer system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the server computer system to perform operations comprising:
 providing, to a client computer system, an interface to a virtual-reality mall that provides access to a plurality of virtual stores respectively operated by a plurality of merchants, wherein the plurality of virtual stores includes a first virtual store associated with a first merchant and a second virtual store associated with a second, different merchant; 
 detecting user input, from a user, indicative of a request to personalize the virtual-reality mall, wherein the request to personalize specifies a set of preferred virtual stores of the plurality of virtual stores, wherein the set of preferred virtual stores includes the first virtual store and the second virtual store; and 
 based on the request to personalize, providing, to the client computer system via the interface, a list of the set of preferred virtual stores, wherein the list is operable to provide simulated access to the set of preferred virtual stores to the user. 
   
     
     
         37 . The server computer system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving an indication from the first merchant that the user has selected a first item from the first virtual store for inclusion in an electronic shopping cart of the user;   receiving an indication from the second, different merchant that the user has selected a second item from the second virtual store for inclusion in the electronic shopping cart of the user; and   facilitating payment processing to the first merchant and the second, different merchant for at least the first and second items in the electronic shopping cart of the user in response to a single payment request from the user.   
     
     
         38 . The server computer system of  claim 37 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 based on a parameter of the first item, facilitating the client computer system to display a related item having a corresponding parameter.   
     
     
         39 . The server computer system of  claim 36 , wherein the interface is operable to cause the user of the client computer system to be directed to a virtual-reality portion of a website of a particular merchant of the plurality of merchants in response to receiving a request from the user to enter a virtual store of the particular merchant. 
     
     
         40 . The server computer system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a first request from the user to enter the first virtual store of the first merchant; and   in response to receiving the first request, causing, based on a spatial perception for the user, the user to be directed to a virtual-reality portion of a website of the first merchant.