Methods, systems and devices for categorization of articles and associated images and for image merging thereof
An e-commerce method involves on-line viewing of a first article through a linking node for virtual merging on another structure. A particular application of the invention is directed to on-line apparel shopping involving a color matching scheme using color codes provided with images to be merged. For example, on-line viewing of one article, such as clothing, on another structure, includes creating an item from image-data corresponding to a colored article selected by an on-line viewer from an on-line viewer site with an image of a colored structure selected by the on-line viewer, and indicating whether the colored article and the colored structure satisfy a color-matching criterion.
1. A method comprising:
providing an application portal for access by remote computers operated by on-line shoppers for linking to one or more plurality of websites, as hosted by different retailers, that respectively permit for remote selection and communication of articles available from the different retailers;
categorizing viewable articles according to a parameter and listing the different retailers for selection by an on-line shopper;
in response to the on-line shopper selecting one or more articles from the different retailers, sending image data of the selected one or more articles from the one or more plurality of websites of the different retailers to a remote computer operated by the on-line shopper, the image data configured to display the articles in groups according to the categorization;
receiving, from the remote computer, selection data identifying at least one of the one or more articles offered for sale by the different retailers;
merging the image data for the at least one of the selected one or more articles with image data for a structure to generate a merged image data of the at least one of the selected one or more articles applied so that the merged image data depicts the structure as a foundation upon which the at least one of the selected one or more articles is located; and
sending the merged image data for display at the remote computer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter includes one of style, activities and retailers.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the on-line shoppers with selection options for the parameter and wherein the categorizing is implemented as a function of a selection by the on-line shopper.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising registering the on-line shoppers by obtaining identification and demographic information for the on-line shoppers.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising tracking purchases for the on-line shoppers and for providing selection preferences and demographic information about the on-line shoppers to the different retailers.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: saving a list of favorite items for the on-line shoppers; and retrieving the saved list in response to the on-line shopper subsequently logging onto the application portal.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising presenting discount information for viewable articles associated with a particular retailer that is identified as a favorite retailer for a particular on-line shopper.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structure includes one of a person, pet, house, car, office, kitchen, face, mouth, room in an building, and a portion of a person.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising uploading the image data for the structure from the on-line shopper.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the on-line shopper with a plurality of colors and sizes of articles available from the different retailers to facilitate a selection, by the on-line shopper, of one or more colors and sizes available and corresponding to the selected articles.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein in response to a further selection, by the on-line shopper, of one or more of the plurality of colors and sizes of articles available from the different retailers, changing the merged image data to depict the further selection.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein in response to a further selection, by the on-line shopper, of one or more of the plurality of colors, changing the merged image data to depict the further selection of the one or more of the plurality of colors along with an indication or a report for color-matching indication for identifying one of a plurality of color variations for the selected articles.
13. An apparatus comprising:
means for providing an application portal for access by remote computers operated by on-line shoppers for linking to one or more plurality of websites, as hosted by different retailers, that respectively permit for remote selection and communication of articles available from the different retailers;
means for categorizing viewable articles according to a parameter and listing the different retailers for selection by an on-line shopper;
means for sending, in response to an online shopper selecting one or more articles from the different retailers, image data of the selected one or more articles from the one or more plurality of websites of the different retailers to a remote computer operated by the on-line shopper, the image data configured to display the articles in groups according to the categorization;
means for receiving, from the remote computer, selection data identifying at least one of the one or more articles offered for sale by the different retailers;
means for merging the image data for the at least one of the selected one or more articles with image data for a structure to generate a merged image data of the at least one of the selected one or more articles applied so that the merged image data depicts the structure as a foundation upon which the at least one the selected one or more articles is located; and
means for communicating the merged image data for display at the remote computer.
14. An apparatus comprising:
a computer-based server configured to: provide an application portal for access by remote computers operated by on-line shoppers for linking to one or more plurality of websites, as hosted by different retailers, that respectively permit for remote selection and communication of articles available from the different retailers, and provide categorized viewable articles according to a parameter and listing the different retailers for selection by an on-line shopper;
send, in response to an online shopper selecting one or more articles from the different retailers, image data of the selected one or more articles from the one or more plurality of websites of the different retailers to a remote computer operated by the on-line shopper, the image data configured to display the articles in groups according to the categorization;
receive, from the remote computer, selection data identifying at least one of the one or more articles offered for sale by the different retailers;
merge the image data for the at least one of the selected articles with image data for a structure to generate a merged image data of the at least one of the selected articles applied so that the merged image data depicts the structure as a foundation upon which the at least one of the selected articles is located; and
communicate with the remote computer for display of the merged image at the remote computer.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the computer-based server is further configured to provide the on-line shopper with a plurality of colors and sizes to facilitate a selection, by the on-line shopper, of one or more colors and sizes available and corresponding to the selected articles.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the computer-based server is further configured to, in response to a further selection by the on-line shopper and of one or more of the plurality of colors and sizes, change the merged image data to depict the further selection.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the computer-based server is further configured and to, in response to a further selection by the on-line shopper and of one or more of the plurality of colors, change the merged image data to depict the further selection of the color along with an indication or a report for color-matching indication for identifying one of plurality of color variations for the selected articles.