Granted Patent B2

US 12,646,099 · App. 18/543,078 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Leena Munjal (Algonquin, IL); Eddie Lampert (Greenwich, CT); Eric Jaffe (Greenwich, CT)

Assignee: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC

G06Q30/0631G06Q30/02G06Q30/0214G06Q30/06G06Q30/0613

Abstract

Claims (48)

1 . A system, comprising:

a mobile device associated with a customer;

and

one or more processors configured, via an application executed thereon, to:

host a database of information regarding the customer and a sales associate;

track performance of the sales associate according to one or more metrics and social media activity associated with the sales associate;

associate the customer with the sales associate according to a relative location of the sales associate, an indication of an area of expertise of the sales associate, the tracked performance of the sales associate, and shopping interests;

access an online personal shopper account via an online social network account, wherein the online personal shopper account and the online social network account are different accounts;

receive an indication over a communication network that the sales associate wants to initiate a browser sharing session with the customer;

generate, in response to receiving the indication, a graphical user interface (GUI) for display on the mobile device, the GUI comprising at least i) a selectable element corresponding to an invitation for the customer to join a browser sharing session with the sales associate, and ii) a connection status indicator indicating a connection status of a browser associated with the sales associate;

receive an indication of a selection by the customer of the selectable element in the GUI;

initiate, in response to the indication of the selection, a browser sharing session with the sales associate, the initiating comprising modifying a portion of the GUI to i) display a real-time view of a webpage currently being browsed by the sales associate via the browser associated with the sales associate, ii) display a chat area configured to enable the customer to input messages for transmission to the browser associated with sales associate and to display messages transmitted from the browser associated with sales associate over the communication network, and iii) render a second selectable element configured to stop the browser sharing session;

exchange browser state information between the mobile device and the browser associated with the sales associate over a communication network to maintain real-time concurrent viewing of the webpage;

generate one or more graphical elements to enable a selection from a catalog comprising a recommended product or service customized, for the customer, by the sales associate via the web browsing session, wherein the customization includes one or more comments by the sales associate providing reasons for including the recommended product or service from the catalog;

receive an indication of a purchase, by the customer, of the recommended product or service;

associate the sales associate with the purchase, by the customer, of the recommended product or service, and provide a reward to the sales associate according to the purchase; and

display, in the chat area of the GUI during the browser sharing session, one or more messages, wherein each message comprises an author identifier, a comment, and a product identifier.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured, via the application, to enable the customer and the sales associate to discuss the recommended product or service via one or more of an audio communication, a text communication, an email, a text chat, and a video communication.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured, via the application, to track activities of the customer.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the customer initiates the association of the customer with the sales associate.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein associating the customer with the sales associate comprises determining a relationship between the customer and the sales associate, wherein the relationship comprises one or more social media connections.

6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein one or more social media connections are determined via one or more queries of one or more social media applications.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the GUI enables the customer and the sales associate to communicate with respect to the recommended product or service.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the customer is associated with a plurality of personal shoppers.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein associating the customer with the sales associate is performed after authorization by one or both of the customer and the sales associate.

10 . A method, comprising:

via an application executed on one or more processors;

hosting a database of information regarding a customer and a sales associate;

tracking performance of the sales associate according to one or more metrics and social media activity associated with the sales associate;

associating the customer with the sales associate according to a relative location of the sales associate, an indication of an area of expertise of the sales associate, the tracked performance of the sales associate, and shopping interests;

accessing an online personal shopper account via an online social network account, wherein the online personal shopper account and the online social network account are different accounts;

receiving an indication over a communication network that the sales associate wants to initiate a browser sharing session with the customer;

generating, in response to receiving the indication, a graphical user interface (GUI) for display on a mobile device associated with the customer, the GUI comprising at least i) a selectable element corresponding to an invitation for the customer to join a browser sharing session with the sales associate, and ii) a connection status indicator indicating a connection status of a browser associated with the sales associate;

receiving an indication of a selection by the customer of the selectable element in the GUI;

initiating, in response to the indication of the selection, a browser sharing session with the sales associate, the initiating comprising modifying a portion of the GUI to i) display a real-time view of a webpage currently being browsed by the sales associate via the browser associated with the sales associate, ii) display a chat area configured to enable the customer to input messages for transmission to the browser associated with sales associate and to display messages transmitted from the browser associated with sales associate over the communication network, and iii) render a second selectable element configured to stop the browser sharing session;

exchanging browser state information between the mobile device and the browser associated with the sales associate over a communication network to maintain real-time concurrent viewing of the webpage;

generating one or more graphical elements to enable a selection from a catalog comprising a recommended product or service customized, for the customer, by the sales associate via the web browsing session, wherein the customization includes one or more comments by the sales associate providing reasons for including the recommended product or service from the catalog;

receiving an indication of a purchase, by the customer, of the recommended product or service;

associating the sales associate with the purchase, by the customer, of the recommended product or service, and providing a reward to the sales associate according to the purchase; and

displaying, in the chat area of the GUI during the browser sharing session, one or more messages, wherein each message comprises an author identifier, a comment, and a product identifier.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises enabling the customer and the sales associate to discuss the recommended product or service via one or more of an audio communication, a text communication, an email, a text chat, and a video communication.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises tracking activities of the customer.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the customer initiates the association of the customer with the sales associate.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein associating the customer with the sales associate comprises determining a relationship between the customer and the sales associate, wherein the relationship comprises one or more social media connections.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the method comprises determining one or more social media connections via one or more queries of one or more social media applications.

16 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises enabling the customer and the sales associate to communicate with respect to the recommended product or service.

17 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises associating the customer is with a plurality of personal shoppers.

18 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein associating the customer with the sales associate is performed after authorizing one or both of the customer and the sales associate.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (70)