Audio Communication Web Site Integration
The present invention provides a method of communication between customers of a retail Web site. In particular, the illustrative embodiment provides a computer implemented method comprises authenticating a first customer and a second customer to enable the first and second customers to access a retail Web site via the Internet, displaying a representation of the first customer viewing a Web page of the retail Web site and a representation of the second customer viewing the Web page of the retail Web site, and enabling audio communication between the first customer and the second customer.
1 . A computer implemented method comprising:
authenticating a first customer and a second customer to enable the first and second customers to access a retail Web site via the Internet;
displaying a representation of the first customer viewing a Web page of the retail Web site and a representation of the second customer viewing the Web page of the Web site; and
enabling audio communication between the first customer and the second customer.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein displaying includes displaying first and second icons representing the first and second customers, respectively.
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying context information personalized to the first customer that relates to the second customer.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising highlighting a representation of a customer viewing the Web page of particular interest to the first customer.
5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a customer viewing the Web page by context information personalized to the first viewer.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a representation of the first and second customers involved in the audio communication.
7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling video communication between the first customer and the second customer.
8 . The method of claim 3 wherein displaying context information includes identifying one or more of the following:
commonly viewed Web pages of the retail Web site by the first and second customers;
duration of jointly viewed Web pages of the retail Web site by the first and second customers; and
commonly held shopping cart items via the retail Web site by the first and second customers.
9 . The method of claim 6 further comprising enabling a third customer viewing the Web page to join the first and second customers involved in the audio communication.
10 . A computer implemented method comprising:
authenticating a plurality of customers to enable the customers to access content from a retail Web site via the Internet;
displaying on a Web page of the retail Web site representations of each customer of the plurality of customers viewing the Web page; and
enabling audio communication between a first customer and a second customer viewing the Web page.
11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying context information personalized to the first customer that relates to the second customer.
12 . The method of claim 10 further comprising highlighting a customer viewing the Web page of particular interest to the first customer.
13 . The method of claim 10 wherein displaying includes displaying first and second icons representing the first and second customers, respectively.
14 . The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying via the Web page a representation of the first and second customers involved in the audio communication.
15 . The method of claim 11 wherein displaying context information includes identifying one or more of the following:
commonly viewed Web pages of the retail Web site by the first and second customers;
duration of jointly viewed Web pages of the retail Web site by the first and second customers; and
commonly held shopping cart items via the retail Web site by the first and second customers.
16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising enabling a third customer viewing the Web page to join the first and second customers involved in the audio communication.
17 . A computer implemented method comprising:
authenticating a first group of customers and a second group of customers to enable the customers to access content from a Web site via the Internet;
displaying on a Web page of the Web site representations of each group of customers viewing the Web page; and
enabling an audio conversation between a first customer viewing the Web page and a second customer viewing the Web page.
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising selecting the second customer viewing the Web page for communication based on context information personalized to the first viewer.