System and method for delivering real time remote buying, selling, meeting and interacting in a virtual reality environment

This invention relates generally to virtual reality business systems and more particularly to delivering real time remote buying, selling, meeting, and interacting in a virtual reality environment.

Shoppers\' today buy primarily in person at retail outlets. Electronic shopping over the Internet is also available to consumers in its basic and still primitive form. Shopping at retail outlets require consumers to pay a premium price to support the retail infrastructure. Retail also restricts consumer choice and reach. Internet shopping, though increasing on an yearly basis still accounts for a minute fraction of total retail sales. This is due to both real and perceived security concerns, and also because of the inability of the current Internet shopping paradigm to offer a rich buying experience.

Amongst several more inhibitors to buy on the Internet, the aforementioned are the biggest roadblocks for the growth and evolution of electronic shopping. Even though increasing number of Internet storefronts are opening at regular intervals, an overwhelming majority of such electronic storefronts are yet to become profitable.

Additionally, many Internet shopping storefronts are shutting down further lowering consumer confidence in electronic shopping. Because of these concerns, a major portion of the industrial world population segment may never make an electronic purchase using the Internet.

Profit spurs growth, and growth spurs innovation. With retail profits at their historical lows, and with rising operational costs, innovation has come to a standstill in this once profitable sector. Expansion into newer markets is happening at a cautious pace. Dot Com ventures of yester years tried to fill this gap, but failed miserably. Consumer expectations of an alternative buying paradigm which is enjoyable and reliable like traditional shopping, but which also offers substantial lower prices and global reach are yet to be met.

Most traditional and Internet retailers typically lack in one or more of the following areas:

• 1. They do not maintain and continue to evolve personal consumer profile which are essential for customer centric selling approach. Customer preferences such as price sensitivity, brand affinity, choices and dislikes are not employed and made use of during the sales process.
• 2. They do not monitor individual consumer consumption, nor predict their needs. The concept of market of one still remains an elusive idea. At best, consumer consumption is calculated and predicted on the basis of local store sales or local geography.
• 3. Most Internet shopping ventures leave shoppers at the mercy of their navigation skills. Shoppers are left to fend for themselves should they have any questions or concerns during the shopping session. This style of buying and selling does not accommodate for product and services, presentation and their demonstration.
• 4. Both the conventional retail shopping and today\'s electronic shopping does not provide a means for group based remote shopping, whereby two or more buyers can shop together as a group from different locations.

The present invention provides a system and method for delivering real time remote buying, selling, meeting, and interacting in a virtual reality environment, embodying a wide array of virtual reality hardware; virtual reality client server based programming logic; and high speed internetworking. In all its embodiments, the present invention is designed to be used at virtual reality storefronts, homes, and offices over high capacity private networks, and also over the Internet; thus replicating and enhancing real life buying, selling, meeting and interacting in a virtual environment.

In one embodiment of the present invention, participants using virtual reality interacting system of the example types of business to business; business to consumers; consumers to consumers etc. interact with each other through the use of virtual reality headgear. All sounds and facial gestures of the parties involved are communicated by means of the virtual reality headgear. Facial gestures can be of example types smiling, frowning, stating, blushing, dozing etc.

In another embodiment, participants using virtual reality interacting system can smell the smells of virtual reality landscapes, merchandise, etc. by means of the virtual reality smells generator.

In another embodiment, the virtual reality interacting system includes a virtual reality navigator, which comprises of virtual reality navigation mechanism, virtual reality seating mechanism, virtual reality aisle walkway, sensors, virtual reality touch pads, and communication interfaces.

In another embodiment, the virtual reality interacting system includes high resolution video and audio equipment.

In another embodiment, a virtual reality interacting system includes a centralized master controller unit having CPU and allied computing resources of prior known art, and also having the central server based programming logic to control, coordinate, and monitor the seamless functioning of the many remote but similar virtual reality interacting systems.

Particular embodiments provide a means for navigation through the virtual reality paradigm. Sitting, standing, climbing, jogging, jumping, and walking through the virtual paradigm; merchandise demonstration; merchandise selection; services demonstration, services selection, etc are achieved by the combined use of the virtual reality headgear, virtual reality navigator, virtual reality aisle walker, and virtual reality sensors and touch pads