IMAGE DATA COLLECTION
Techniques for collecting media, such as pictures, video, and audio about customized products that have been delivered to customers are provided. In response to determining that a customer has received a unit of a product that the customer ordered from a merchant, the merchant sends the customer a prompt to take a picture of (or otherwise record information about) the unit. The prompt may be a SMS text message that is sent to a mobile phone of the customer, which mobile phone may include a camera. The customer replies to the prompt by taking a digital image of the unit and attaching (or embedding) the picture in a reply message that is sent to the merchant. The merchant stores the digital image in association with the product. The merchant provides a web page that allows other users to view the digital image in association with the product.
1 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a merchant, an order by a customer for a custom-manufactured product, the order including a phone number of a computing device that is associated with a camera;
receiving, from a shipper, at the merchant, delivery data that indicates that the shipper has delivered a particular unit of the custom-manufactured product to the customer;
in response to receiving the notification that indicates that the particular unit of the custom-manufactured product has been delivered to the customer, sending, from the merchant, to the computing device, a message that prompts the customer to a reply with a digital image of the particular unit;
receiving, at the merchant, from the computing device, a reply message that includes a digital image, of the particular unit, that has been captured using the camera;
storing, at the merchant, the digital image in association with a product page relating to the custom-manufactured product;
wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the reply message, storing data that indicates that the prompt message has been sent to the customer for the particular unit and that a reply message has not yet been received for the particular unit;
in response to receiving the reply message, updating the data to indicate that a reply message has been received for the particular unit.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the order is for a plurality of products that are to be delivered to the customer, wherein the custom-manufactured product is a first product, the method further comprising:
after sending the prompt message, sending, from the merchant, to the customer, a second prompt message that prompts for a reply with a digital image regarding a second particular unit of a second product that is different than the first product;
receiving, from the customer, at the merchant, a second reply message that includes a second digital image regarding the second particular unit;
storing, at the merchant, the second digital image in association with a second product page relating to the second product.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the custom-manufactured product was manufactured by a third party maker.
5 . A method comprising:
receiving an order for a product that is to be delivered to a customer;
in response to determining that a particular unit of the product has been delivered, sending, to the customer, a prompt message that prompts for a reply with a digital media item regarding the particular unit;
receiving, from the customer, a reply message that includes a digital media item regarding the particular unit;
storing the digital media item in association with a product page relating to the product;
wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the steps are performed by a merchant, wherein determining that the particular unit of the product has been delivered comprises receiving, from a shipper that is different than the merchant, confirmation data that indicates that the particular unit has been delivered to a residence of the customer.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the digital media item is one or more of an image, video, audio, or text.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the order includes a number of a message-capable computing device that is associated with a camera;
the prompt message is sent to the message-capable computing device;
the camera generates the digital media item based on input from the customer;
the reply message is received from the message-capable computing device.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the prompt message is a first Short Message Service (SMS) text message or a first Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message and the reply message is a second MMS message.
10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the prompt message is sent to a mobile application that executes on a computing device of the customer and the reply message is generated by the mobile application.
11 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the reply message, storing data that indicates that the prompt message has been sent to the customer for the particular unit and that a reply message has not yet been received for the particular unit;
in response to receiving the reply message, updating the data to indicate that a reply message has been received for the particular unit.
12 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the order is for a plurality of products that are to be delivered to the customer, wherein the product is a first product, the method further comprising:
after sending the prompt message, sending, to the customer, a second prompt message that prompts for a reply with a digital media item regarding a second particular unit of a second product that is different than the first product and that is included in the plurality of products;
receiving, from the customer, a second reply message that includes a second digital media item regarding the second particular unit;
storing the second digital media item in association with a second product page relating to the second product.
13 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the product was manufactured by a third party maker.
14 . One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
receiving, at a merchant, an order by a customer for a custom-manufactured product, the order including a phone number of a computing device that is associated with a camera;
receiving, from a shipper, at the merchant, delivery data that indicates that the shipper has delivered a particular unit of the custom-manufactured product to the customer;
in response to receiving the notification that indicates that the particular unit of the custom-manufactured product has been delivered to the customer, sending, from the merchant, to the computing device, a message that prompts the customer to a reply with a digital image of the particular unit;
receiving, at the merchant, from the computing device, a reply message that includes a digital image, of the particular unit, that has been captured using the camera;
storing, at the merchant, the digital image in association with a product page relating to the custom-manufactured product.
15 . The one or more storage media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
prior to receiving the reply message, storing data that indicates that the prompt message has been sent to the customer for the particular unit and that a reply message has not yet been received for the particular unit;
in response to receiving the reply message, updating the data to indicate that a reply message has been received for the particular unit.
16 . The one or more storage media of claim 14 , wherein the order is for a plurality of products that are to be delivered to the customer, wherein the custom-manufactured product is a first product, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
after sending the prompt message, sending, from the merchant, to the customer, a second prompt message that prompts for a reply with a digital image regarding a second particular unit of a second product that is different than the first product;
receiving, from the customer, at the merchant, a second reply message that includes a second digital image regarding the second particular unit;
storing, at the merchant, the second digital image in association with a second product page relating to the second product.
17 . The one or more storage media of claim 14 , wherein the custom-manufactured product was manufactured by a third party maker.
18 . One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
receiving an order for a product that is to be delivered to a customer;
in response to determining that a particular unit of the product has been delivered, sending, to the customer, a prompt message that prompts for a reply with a digital media item regarding the particular unit;
receiving, from the customer, a reply message that includes a digital media item regarding the particular unit;
storing the digital media item in association with a product page relating to the product.
19 . The one or more storage media of claim 18 , wherein sending and storing are performed by a merchant, wherein determining that the particular unit of the product has been delivered comprises receiving, from a shipper that is different than the merchant, confirmation data that indicates that the particular unit has been delivered to a residence of the customer.
20 . The one or more storage media of claim 18 , wherein the digital media item is one or more of an image, video, audio, or text.
21 . The one or more storage media of claim 18 , wherein:
the order includes a number of a message-capable computing device that is associated with a camera;
the prompt message is sent to the message-capable computing device;
the camera generates the digital media item based on input from the customer;
the reply message is received from the message-capable computing device.
22 . The one or more storage media of claim 21 , wherein the prompt message is a first Short Message Service (SMS) text message or a first Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message and the reply message is a second MMS message.
23 . The one or more storage media of claim 18 , wherein the prompt message is sent to a mobile application that executes on a computing device of the customer and the reply message is generated by the mobile application.
24 . The one or more storage media of claim 18 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
prior to receiving the reply message, storing data that indicates that the prompt message has been sent to the customer for the particular unit and that a reply message has not yet been received for the particular unit;
in response to receiving the reply message, updating the data to indicate that a reply message has been received for the particular unit.
25 . The one or more storage media of claim 18 , wherein the order is for a plurality of products that are to be delivered to the customer, wherein the product is a first product, the method further comprising:
after sending the prompt message, sending, to the customer, a second prompt message that prompts for a reply with a digital media item regarding a second particular unit of a second product that is different than the first product and that is included in the plurality of products;
receiving, from the customer, a second reply message that includes a second digital media item regarding the second particular unit;
storing the second digital media item in association with a second product page relating to the second product.
26 . The one or more storage media of claim 18 , wherein the product was manufactured by a third party maker.