International Business Machines Corporation

Robyn Ruth Schwartz

Dhandapani Shanmugam

Siddique M Adoni

Scott Duby

Thomas B Heckel

Myron Dale Flickner

Gopal Sarma Pingali

Mark Edward Podlaseck

Noboru Kamijo

Toru Aihara

Sinem Guven

A system and associated method. The system includes a server computer and an integration and dis-integration engine coupled to the server computer. The server computer provides a structure in which the components are integrated via dynamic application programming interface (API) integration. Multiple components are sequenced in a predefined sequential order. A function to be performed is respectively associated with each component. The server computer and the integration and dis-integration engine provide a technology environment that dynamically integrates technology enabled business processes that dynamically, electronically and automatically enter and leave the components integrated in the structure provided by the server computer. The technology enabled business processes are dynamically integrated during implementation of a retail sale of a product to a customer in a de-centralized manner to perform, in the predefined sequential order of the components, all of the functions respectively associated with the components.

Embedded retail system

A token file is received from an e-Commerce platform having a veracity grade capability. An off-line transaction is made using the token which records events of the transaction. Subsequently, the token re-enters the e-Currency platform and transfers the recorded off-line events. The platform rebuilds the token's past state based upon the state of nearby tokens and the recorded events, so that additional transactions can be rated, including a veracity grade.

Self-aware token

A horizontal structure of components (or disparate business provider entities) for retail sales of merchandise is integrated by a server computer. The plurality of components are capable of collectively performing and completing the sale. Each component can be performed by a plurality of independent businesses, which are integrated or dis-integrated automatically and electronically by an integration engine within the structure on demand by the customer.

A method and associated system for processing a search query to retrieve product information and offers that are customized for an end user. An electronic planogram including expected locations of a product in a retail store is generated. A received communication includes a query object, an approximate location of the product in the retail store, and a database search query. From a comparison between the approximate and expected locations of the product, an electronic message is generated to communicate, to employees of the retail store, that the product is misplaced in the retail store. The database search query is performed for retrieving product information offers that are customized for the end user. The query object and the electronic planogram are used to identify products that have been misplaced, maintain adequate inventory levels to meet customer demands, and track the location of products within the retail store.

Contextual searching via a mobile computing device

A portable pervasive device includes a combined visual and thermal display. The user is able to detect texture of displayed objects visually and through touching the combined display. A software application pre-defines color codes and temperature settings for a plurality of textures on a graded scale including smooth, soft, and rough. The object is then shown on the display using the color codes and temperature settings for at lest one surface of the object.

Interpreting texture in support of mobile commerce and mobility

In response to a mobile computing device querying information for a product within a retail store, program code may instruct a camera of the mobile computing device to capture an image as part of a query for the product. The program code may also collect information for the query of the product, which includes information from the barcode and the mobile computing device. The program code adjusts a calculation of an approximate location of the product via use of distance vectors that are within the information that is collected for the query the product. The program code generates a query object to perform the query. The program code defines an optimal arrangement of products within the retail store. The program code updates an electronic planogram based on the optimal arrangement of products. The program code retrieves product information that is customized for an end user, based on the query object generated.

A portable pervasive device includes a combined visual and thermal display. The user is able to detect texture of displayed objects visually and through touching the combined display. A software application pre-defines color codes and temperature settings for a plurality of textures on a graded scale including smooth, soft, and rough. The object is then shown on the display using the color codes and temperature settings for at least one surface of the object.

A payment company separate from a retailer runs a payment application having credentials on a server computer. There are wireless personal portable interfaces belonging to the payment company but located in real and virtual retail, showrooms. The retailer agrees to the credentials of the payment company, which include prespecified real and virtual currencies for remittance. Credentials also include rules regarding limitations on acceptance of remittance in virtual currencies. A customer having a personal portable device enters a showroom and selects merchandise to purchase. She selects a payment company who remits payment to the retailer according to the credentials.

Isolated payment system

A system and method that improves and enhances the customer's in-store shopping experience. The consumer product of purchase interest or intent to buy expresses (or self-announces via technology) it's match (or fit based on known or understood buying habits, customer taste, tendencies, etc) against the customer preferences during an in-store shopping experience.

Personalized customer shopping experience

A method that improves and enhances the customer's in-store shopping experience. The consumer product of purchase interest or intent to buy expresses (or self-announces via technology) it's match (or fit based on known or understood buying habits, customer taste, tendencies, etc) against the customer preferences during an in-store shopping experience.

Mobile product advising includes creating, via a computer processor, vectors for each of a number of subjects corresponding to a product and assigning attributes of the subjects to corresponding fields of the vector. The mobile product advising also includes assigning values in the fields of the vectors reflecting a status of the attributes relative to the subjects. The mobile product advising further includes creating a product label for the product and encoding the vector including the attributes and values on the product label.

Mobile product advisor

A three dimensional web store having product images is created. Three dimensional product images are rendered from manufacturing information instead of the products themselves. The location of all products, advertisements, aisles, signs, and displays is determined for a real world store. The web store is then created using three dimensional internet or virtual world viewing and maneuvering capabilities, to appear identical to the real world store.

Creating a web store using manufacturing data

A system and method for providing contemporaneous product information with animated virtual representations includes identifying a product by detecting a marker with a user device. Based upon the product, an animated virtual representation is generated in a display of the user device. Information about the product is conveyed to the user by virtual interaction with the animated virtual representation.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Robyn Ruth Schwartz