Virtual marketplace for consumers

Abstract

A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a system for generating a virtual marketplace for consumers. The method includes: hosting, by a first computer system, one or more virtual marketplaces; receiving, by the first computer system, a request from one or more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers; sending, by the first computer system, data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system of the one or more consumers; and receiving, by the first computer system, instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products.

Description

VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE FOR CONSUMERSCROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No.63 / 633,119 filed on April 12, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a method and system for a virtual marketplace for consumers, and more particularly, a method and system for a digital platform that creates a space for a virtual marketplace, for example, a virtual marketplace for consumers to interact with retailers.BACKGROUND

[0003] Not all consumers have the means or time to travel either locally, regionally, or globally for an interactive experience for purchasing consumer products that can include, for example, automobile, boats, recreational vehicles, machines, works of art, travel experiences and accommodations, and homes.SUMMARY

[0004] Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a method and system for a virtual marketplace in which consumers can virtually see and observe products and can virtually touch or be placed in, for example, a car without visiting a static, for example, fair or exhibition hall.

[0005] In accordance with one aspect, a method for generating a virtual marketplace for consumers, the method comprising: hosting, by a first computer system, one or more virtual marketplaces; receiving, by the first computersystem, a request from one or more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers; sending, by the first computer system, data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system of the one or more consumers; and receiving, by the first computer system, instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

[0006] In accordance with another aspect, a computer program product for generating a virtual marketplace for consumers, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a process, comprising: hosting one or more virtual marketplaces; receiving a request from one or more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers; sending data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system of the one or more consumers; and receiving instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

[0007] In accordance with a further aspect, a system comprising: a processor configured to: host one or more virtual marketplaces; receive a request from oneor more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers; send data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system of the one or more consumers; and receive instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

[0008] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system for generating a virtual marketplace in accordance with an embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 2 is an illustration a virtual marketplace in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a non-fungible token (NFT) in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for generating a virtual marketplace for consumers in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exemplary hardware architecture foran embodiment of a computer system for generating a virtual marketplace for consumers in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0016] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system 100 for generating a virtual marketplace 200 (FIG. 2) in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in FIG.1 , the virtual marketplace 100 can include a first computer system 110, which is configured to host one or more virtual markets 120, and a second computer system 130. The second computer system 130 can be, for example, used by one or more users 102 to access the one or more virtual markets 120. The first computer system 110 and the second computer system 130 can be in communication with one another via a communication network 140. The first computer system 110 can be, for example, a cloud computing network 112 that includes a plurality of computer systems or servers 114. The second computer system 130 can be, for example, a personal computer (PC), a tablet, or smartphone.

[0017] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the first computer system 110 can host a plurality of virtual markets 120. The plurality of virtual markets 120 can include, for example, a one day to multi-day fair or expositions, for example, a car show, a craft show, and the like that include one or more exhibitors. The plurality of virtual markets 120 can also include fairs, expositions,or stores that are more like the traditional brick-and-mortar retailers that have set days and hours that are open for consumers. The plurality of virtual markets 120 can include, for example, products such as automobile, boats, recreational vehicles, machines, works of art, travel experiences and accommodations, and homes.

[0018] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of markets 120 can include for example, a car show that include exhibitors from around the world, for example, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and U.S. automakers, or alternatively, the exhibitors can be from a single region, for example, Europe, for example, British, German, Italian, French, etc. automakers with one or more models or styles of cars and / or trucks. For example, one of the plurality of markets 120 can be for sports cars, and another of the plurality of markets 120 can be for trucks for transporting freight, carrying specialized payloads, or performing other utilitarian work.

[0019] The first computer system 110 and the second computer system 130 can include a processor or central processing unit (CPU), and one or more memories for storing software programs and data. The processor or CPU carries out the instructions of a computer program, which operates and / or controls at least a portion of the functionality of the devices the first computer system 110 and the second computer system 130. The first computer system 110 and the second computer 130 can also include an operating system (OS), which manages the computer hardware and provides common services for efficient execution of various software programs.

[0020] In accordance with an embodiment, the communication network 140 may include, for example, a conventional type of network, wired or wireless, andmay have any number of configurations, such as a star configuration, token ring configuration, or other known configurations. The communication network 140 may include one or more local area networks ("LANs"), wide area networks ("WANs") (e.g., the Internet), virtual private networks ("VPNs"), peer-to-peer networks, near-field networks (e.g., Bluetooth®), cellular networks (for example, 3G, 4G, 5G, other generations), and / or any other interconnected data path across which multiple computing nodes may communicate.

[0021] The first computer system 110 and the second computer system 130 can communicate via the network 140 using transmission control protocol / lnternet protocol (TCP / IP), user datagram protocol (UDP), transmission control protocol (TCP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS), dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH), realtime streaming protocol (RTSP), real-time transport protocol (RTP) and the realtime transport control protocol (RTCP), file transfer protocol (FTP), WebSocket (WS), wireless access protocol (WAP), various messaging protocols (SMS, MMS, XMS, IMAP, SMTP, POP, WebDAV, etc.), or other known protocols.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an illustration a virtual marketplace 200 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. In accordance with an embodiment, the virtual marketplace 200 can be a digital platform that creates spaces like fairs, expositions, or marketplaces on the Internet. In accordance with an embodiment, the virtual marketplace 200 can include one or more showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 in a single location that the user 102 can access via the second computer system 130. Compared to static fairs, for example, the user 102 can see the one or more products digitally (virtually) and can digitally touch the products or evenvirtually sit in them (for example in an automobile or car) via a virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 as disclosed herein.

[0023] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the virtual marketplace 200 can be an automobile exposition or fair that can include, for example, a plurality of local or regional manufactures or alternatively, can include a plurality of global manufactures. For example, one or more automobile companies (for example, Toyota, General Motors (GM), BMW, . . .) could rent or lease a virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216 (or hall / booth) in the virtual marketplace 200 to display its products.

[0024] In accordance with an embodiment, the virtual marketplace 200 can be an automobile exposition. Alternatively, for example, the virtual marketplace 200 can be a home appliance exposition, for example, displaying kitchen tools, refrigerators, heating and cooling systems (HVAC), vacuum cleaners, and the like. In addition, within one or more of the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216, sounds or noises that are made by any of the products can be heard via a display unit 132 of the computer system 130 of the user 102. For example, a sound of an automobile and / or a home appliance such as a vacuum cleaners. In addition, the sounds, for example, from the automobiles and / or home appliances can be compared to other automobiles and / or home appliances.

[0025] For example, in accordance with an embodiment, the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 of the virtual marketplace 200 can be arranged by product groups, for example, only sports cars, only concept cars, only Japanese cars, only German cars, and only U.S. cars. Alternatively, the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 can be, for example, showing only cars, groups like convertibles or Supermoto bikes, recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, and the like. In addition,one or more of the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216, may contain a product group that is not yet available, for example, concept cars that will be released in the future, for example, 2027. Alternatively, the one or more virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 may only contain certain type of products that were released during a certain year, years, or decade. For example, the one or more virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 may only contain sports cars from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, etc.

[0026] In accordance with another embodiment, the user 102 can select a color of the products within one of the one or more showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 via, for example, a graphical user interface on the second computer system 130. For example, the user 102 may want to view a sports car in a certain color, for example, red or black.

[0027] The user 102 can, for example, select a virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216, within the virtual marketplace 200 that is displaying sports cars or high performance automobiles with, for example, 300 horsepower to 400 horsepower that can be sold and purchased in a location of the user 102, for example, the United Stated (US) or China. In addition, the sports cars or high performance automobiles being displayed in the virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216, for example, can be available for immediate purchase and registerable in an individual state in the United States or in a particular country. On the contrary, for example, the virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216 may not show sports cars or high performance automobiles that are not available for immediate purchase and based on a location of the user 102, may not be registerable in the location of user 102 based on local regulations. For example, the retailer may only showautomobiles that are available for sale in the location of the user, for example, the United States or China.

[0028] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the method and system as disclosed herein can select a plurality of automobiles using an artificial intelligence (Al) algorithm from a plurality of virtual showrooms (halls / booths) that can meet one or more requirements of the user 102. For example, the one or more requirements can include availability for immediate or future purchase, rules, or regulations for registration and / or importing of the product, for example, an automobile to the United States from Europe. In addition, the virtual marketplace 200 can combine the plurality of automobiles selected by the Al algorithm, for example, into a single virtual showroom 210 for the user 102 to view via a display unit 132 on the computer system (i.e. , second computer system 130) of the user 102.

[0029] In accordance with an embodiment, in the one or more showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216, the user / visitor 102 can select his automobile and place an order to purchase the automobile, or alternatively, the user 102 may be directly connected to the manufacture, distributor, or local dealer, for example, of the automobile so that a test drive can be arranged, the automobile can be viewed in real life, view the automobile in motion, and / or determine virtually if the automobile would fit in the garage of the user 102 based on information provided by the user 102, for example, as to the size of the garage of the user 102. In addition, the user 102 via the virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216 can view test reports on the automobile, buy or purchase additional accessories for the automobile, for example, automobile insurance, services including maintenance plans and / or extended warranties, and / or shipping or transportation of theautomobile to the user 102. The virtual marketplace 200 can also provide matching insurance for products that can include, for example, automobiles, boats, homes, and other services including maintenance plans and / or extended warranties, and / or shipping or transportation of the automobile to the user 102. In addition, the user 102 can be also connected to manufacturers, dealers, distributors, of boats, homes, home appliances and the like, via, for example, a product link or direct buy link provided via the display unit on the computer system (i.e., second computer system 130) of the user 102.

[0030] In accordance with an embodiment, the user 102 via an application hosted by the first computer system 110 can create a virtual image or avatar 104 for the user 102 that is used by the user 102 as he / she / they experience the one or more showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216, within the virtual marketplace 200. For example, the virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 can walk through the plurality of virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 as if the user 102 was actually in attendance at an exposition or fair.

[0031] In accordance with an embodiment, the virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 preferably includes personal information of the user 102 to help assist the user 102 with the experience of the plurality of showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216. For example, the user 102 prior to entering the virtual marketplace 200 can input personal information via a computer system (i.e., second computer system 130) that is received by the computer system 110 of the virtual marketplace 200 and generates the virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102. The virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 can resemble the user 102 in appearance, or alternatively, the virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 can be entirely different than the user 102 in real life as desired. The computersystem 110 of the virtual marketplace 200 generates the virtual image or avatar 104 that the user 102 can direct via a computer system 130 through the virtual marketplace 200 as described herein.

[0032] The personal information of the user 102 for the virtual image or avatar 104 can include personal information about the size of the user 102, for example, is the user relatively tall or relatively short such that the virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 can sit within a virtual automobile, sit on a virtual couch, lay in a virtual bed, and the like. The virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 can visit a virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216 of sport cars and be placed within one or more of the virtual vehicles and the user 102 may be able to view the comfort of the automobile or alternatively, the automobile may not be comfortable for the user 102 based on the personal information of the user 102. For example, the user 102 may be too short or too tall for the automobile such that line of sight from the driver’s seat is less than desirable and / or the controls, for example, the steering wheel, the brake and gas pedal, and the like are not desirable and / or may be difficult to reach or operate.

[0033] In accordance with an embodiment, the virtual image or avatar of the user 102 does not necessarily require any personal information of the user 102, for example, if the user 102 wishes to remain anonymous.

[0034] In accordance with an embodiment, the specification (i.e. , size and shape) of a garage and the like of the user 102 can be input into the virtual marketplace 200 and the user 102 can see his chosen car and / or automobile, for example, in his / her car garage and / or within a property of the user 102. In addition, an entire property or home, including, for example, the driveway of the user 102 can be input into the virtual marketplace 200 so that chosen productsand the like can be viewed on the property or home of the user 102. In particular, by placing a product on a virtual image of the property, within the home, or driveway, the user 102 can better understand and / or view a potential product in view of the size and shape of the property, within the home, or driveway of the user 102.

[0035] In accordance with an embodiment, the virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 can also interact with other virtual images or avatars 106 via a chat feature, Voice over Internet Protocol (voice call) technology and the like with questions about any of the one or more products that may be available or on display in the plurality of virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216. In addition, the virtual images, or avatars 104, 106 can converse in a desired language. For example, if the user 102 does not speak the native language of the retailer, for example, if the user 102 speaks only English, and the showroom is a Chinese automotive manufactures, the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 can accommodate the different languages by translating the language of the user 102 into the language of the virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216 so that the user 102 and, for example, a sales representative of the retailer of the virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216 can converse.

[0036] In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 can include one or more chat rooms that can bring together, for example, users 102 having an interest in sports car (i.e. , sports car fans), to chat about sports car and the like.

[0037] In accordance with an embodiment, the virtual image or avatar 104 of the user 102 can also financial information such that the user 102 can be preapproved for purchases of one or more products within one or more of the virtualshowrooms 210, 212, 214, 216. For example, the user 102 can be pre-approved for certain financing and other incentives to purchase an automobile via the virtual marketplace.

[0038] In accordance with an embodiment, users 102 and retailers that wish to exhibit or sell products within a virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216, for example, can obtain access to one or more of the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 by paying a fee to meet each other in a virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216, or be connected, for example, in real time in a Teams® or a Zoom® meeting. For example, the user 102 can be interested in a certain automobile, for example, the Chevrolet Corvette manufactured and marketed by General Motors under the Chevrolet marque in the United States. The user 102 may be interested in discussing a certain Corvette model and the user 102 could be placed in a virtual showroom 210, 212, 214, 216 with others 106 to share their knowledge about certain Corvette models.

[0039] In accordance with an embodiment, the user 102 could be charged an entry fee for visiting the virtual marketplace 200, or alternatively, for example, the virtual marketplace 200 can generate income from ads or referrals. In addition, an entry fee can be charges for visiting for each of the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 such that the user 102 is only charged for each of the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216 that the user 102 is interested in visiting.

[0040] Although the exemplary embodiment as discussed in directed to automobile, the virtual marketplace 200 as disclosed herein is not limited to automobiles. For example, the virtual marketplace 200 be used for any type of products including but not limited to automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, boat or yachts, transportation vehicles (or trucks), works of art, travel, holidays orvacations and activities associated with travel, holidays or vacations, and homes or rental homes. In addition, the virtual marketplace 200 can be for consumer goods including furniture, appliances, home goods or kitchen appliances, renewable energy systems, craft fairs, cosmetics, skin care, and the like. As described herein, “other products” can include, for example, automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, boat or yachts, transportation vehicles (or trucks), works of art, travel, holidays or vacations and activities associated with travel, holidays or vacations, homes or rental homes, and consumer goods as disclosed.

[0041] In accordance with an embodiment, the images of the products can be illustrated from one or more perspectives. For example, the products may be viewed from a plurality of perspectives or different perspectives. For example, front of a car, side of a car, back of a car, top of a car, and the like. In addition, accessories, for example, luggage or suitcases, and / or avatars, for example, for pets, family members, and the user 102 can be placed within a virtual product. In accordance with an embodiment, a plurality of different automobiles, boats, and the like can be compared side-by-side, for example, for example, in the virtual fair, which is currently not possible with current Autotrader platforms. Also, houses, homes, and / or other products can be shown or arranged and placed or illustrate on a property owned by a user 102 and / or a neighborhood in which the property of the user 102 is located. Alternatively, for example, a plurality of different homes can be shown or arranged and placed or illustrated on the property owned by the user 102 and / or the neighborhood in which the property of the user 102 is located.

[0042] In accordance with another embodiment, the houses, homes, and / or other products can include a virtual showhouse fair park in which the houses,homes, and / or other products can be compared with other houses, homes, and / or other products, for example, for size, shape, color, appearance, and the like. In addition, the houses, homes, and / or other products can be compared based on price. For example, the user 102 can via a point and click of a computer mouse or touch of a touch screen compare prices for houses, homes, and / or other products. Further, for example, the houses, homes, and / or other products can be changed to show each of the houses, homes, and / or products in different colors, materials, and the like.

[0043] In accordance with an embodiment, the method and system for a digital platform that creates a space for a virtual marketplace, for example, a virtual marketplace for consumers to interact with retailers as disclose herein can be implemented with augmented reality glasses 104 that could be used to walk or take the user 102 virtually through, for example, each of the virtual showrooms 210, 212, 214, 216, and can allow the user 102 to virtually walk up to a chosen car or vehicle, boat and the like, and the user 102 can be seen, for example, sitting inside the car or vehicle, driving the boat, or arranging luggage, for example, in a trunk (or boot) of a car or vehicle.

[0044] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a non-fungible token (NFT) 300 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, a non-fungible token (NFT) or picture can be generated, for example, of the visitor / user 102 standing or sitting in his dream automobile 310. The NFT 300 of the user 102 is a unique digital identifier that can be recorded on a blockchain, and can be used by the user 102, for example, to certify ownership or authenticity of a new automobile, or alternatively, for use in purchasing a new automobile from an automobile company on the virtual marketplace 200. Alternatively, for example, the NFT 300can be used to certify ownership or authenticity, for example, of vacation packages purchased by the user 102 that entitles the user 102 to one or more activities as illustrated in NFT 300.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 for generating a virtual marketplace 200 for consumers in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the method for generating a virtual marketplace 200 for consumers includes hosting, by a first computer system 110, one or more virtual marketplaces 410; receiving, by the first computer system 110, a request from one or more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers 420; sending, by the first computer system 110, data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system 130 of the one or more consumers 430; and receiving, by the first computer system 110, instructions from the second computer system 130 of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces 440. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces, for example, can include data that generates a virtual image of the one or more products as disclosed herein.

[0046] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the method can include associating, by the first computer system 110, personal information with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers, the personal information including one or more of financial information, physical or medical information, name, and / or mailing address or residence of the one or more consumers. Inaddition, the method can include sharing, by the first computer system 110, at least a portion of the associated personal information of the one or more consumers with the one or more virtual marketplaces.

[0047] In accordance with an another exemplary embodiment, the method can further include receiving, by the first computer system 110, instructions from the second computer system 130 of the one or more consumers to interact with one or more of the one or more virtual marketplaces. For example, the method can include receiving, from the first computer system 110, information associated with one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces based on the associated personal information of the one or more consumers. In addition, the method can further include receiving, by the first computer system 110, one or more requests from the one or consumers for information associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces, the one or more requests including information from the one or more consumers to assist the one or more virtual marketplaces to provide information that is relevant to the one or more consumers.

[0048] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the method can further include providing, by the first computer system 110, availability of products from the one or more virtual marketplaces based on the information associated with one more consumers. The method can also include providing, by the first computer system 110, information to the second computer system 130 of the one or more consumers based on the information associated with the one or more consumers and the corresponding virtual images of the one or more consumers interacting with one or more products from the virtual marketplaces. In addition, the method can further include providing, by the first computer system 110, at least one image of one or more consumers and one or more automobiles,motorcycles, airplanes, boats or yachts, recreational vehicles, machines, works of art, vacation experiences and rentals, and homes being provided by one or more of the virtual marketplaces. For example, the method can include generating, by the first computer system 110, a non-fungible token of the at least one or more consumers and the one or more automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, boats or yachts, recreational vehicles, machines, works of art, vacation experiences and rentals, and homes being provided by one or more of the virtual marketplaces 120.

[0049] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the method can include generating, by the first computer system 110, one or more virtual images for each of the one or more virtual marketplaces, the one or more virtual images configured to engage with the one or more virtual images of the one or more consumers.

[0050] In accordance with a further exemplary embodiment, the method can further include limiting, by the first computer system 110, products that are available to the one or more consumers by the one or more virtual marketplaces based on a location of the one or more consumers.

[0051] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the method can include selecting, by the first computer system 110, one or more products for the one or more consumers from a plurality of virtual marketplaces. For example, the method can further include selecting, by the first computer system 110, the one or more products for the one or more consumers from the plurality of virtual marketplaces using an artificial intelligence algorithm. In addition, the use of the artificial intelligence algorithm can provide product links, for example, for other products and / or other information to the user 102.

[0052] In accordance with a further exemplary embodiment, the method can further include sending, from the first computer system 110, data to the second computer system 130 for the one or more consumers to display on a display unit of the second computer system 130 illustrating the one or more consumers interacting with the one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

[0053] FIG. 5 illustrates a representative computer system 500 in which embodiments of the present disclosure, or portions thereof, may be implemented as computer-readable code executed on hardware. For example, the one or more computer systems 110, 130 associated with the method and system for a virtual marketplace for consumers as disclosed herein may be implemented in whole or in part by a computer system 500 using hardware, software executed on hardware, firmware, non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. Hardware, software executed on hardware, or any combination thereof may embody modules and components used to implement the methods and steps of the presently described method and system.

[0054] If programmable logic is used, such logic may execute on a commercially available processing platform configured by executable software code to become a specific purpose computer or a special purpose device (for example, programmable logic array, application-specific integrated circuit, etc.). A person having ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can be practiced with various computer system configurations, including multi-core multiprocessor systems, minicomputers,mainframe computers, computers linked or clustered with distributed functions, as well as pervasive or miniature computers that may be embedded into virtually any device. For instance, at least one processor device and a memory may be used to implement the above described embodiments.

[0055] A processor unit or device as discussed herein may be a single processor, a plurality of processors, or combinations thereof. Processor devices may have one or more processor “cores.” The terms “computer program medium,” “non-transitory computer readable medium,” and “computer usable medium” as discussed herein are used to generally refer to tangible media such as a removable storage unit 518, a removable storage unit 522, and a hard disk installed in hard disk drive 512.

[0056] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in terms of this representative computer system 500. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art how to implement the present disclosure using other computer systems and / or computer architectures. Although operations may be described as a sequential process, some of the operations may in fact be performed in parallel, concurrently, and / or in a distributed environment, and with program code stored locally or remotely for access by single or multi-processor machines. In addition, in some embodiments the order of operations may be rearranged without departing from the spirit of the disclosed subject matter.

[0057] A processor device 504 may be processor device specifically configured to perform the functions discussed herein. The processor device 504 may be connected to a communications infrastructure 506, such as a bus, message queue, network, multi-core message-passing scheme, etc. The network may beany network suitable for performing the functions as disclosed herein and may include a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), a wireless network (e.g., “Wi-Fi”), a mobile communication network, a satellite network, the Internet, fiber optic, coaxial cable, infrared, radio frequency (“RF”), or any combination thereof. Other suitable network types and configurations will be apparent to persons having skill in the relevant art. The computer system 500 may also include a main memory 508 (e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, etc.), and may also include a secondary memory 510. The secondary memory 510 may include the hard disk drive 512 and a removable storage drive 514, such as a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flash memory, etc.

[0058] The removable storage drive 514 may read from and / or write to the removable storage unit 518 in a well-known manner. The removable storage unit 518 may include a removable storage media that may be read by and written to by the removable storage drive 514. For example, if the removable storage drive 514 is a floppy disk drive or universal serial bus port, the removable storage unit 518 may be a floppy disk or portable flash drive, respectively. In one embodiment, the removable storage unit 518 may be non-transitory computer readable recording media.

[0059] In some embodiments, the secondary memory 510 may include alternative means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into the computer system 500, for example, the removable storage unit 522 and an interface 520. Examples of such means may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (e.g., as found in video game systems), a removable memory chip (e.g., EEPROM, PROM, etc.) and associated socket,and other removable storage units 522 and interfaces 520 as will be apparentto persons having skill in the relevant art.

[0060] Data stored in the computer system 500 (e.g., in the main memory 508 and / or the secondary memory 510) may be stored on any type of suitable computer readable media, such as optical storage (e.g., a compact disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.) or magnetic storage (e.g., a hard diskdrive). The data may be configured in any type of suitable database configuration, such as a relational database, a structured query language (SQL) database, a distributed database, an object database, etc. Suitable configurations and storage types will be apparent to persons having skill in the relevant art.

[0061] The computer system 500 may also include a communications interface 524. The communications interface 524 may be configured to allow software and data to be transferred between the computer system 500 and external devices. Exemplary communications interfaces 524 may include a modem, a network interface (e.g., an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via the communications interface 524 may be in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals as will be apparent to persons having skill in the relevant art.The signals may travel via a communications path 526, which may be configured to carry the signals and may be implemented using wire, cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, a radio frequency link, etc.

[0062] The computer system 500 may further include a display interface 502. The display interface 502 may be configured to allow data to be transferred between the computer system 500 and external display 530. Exemplary display interfaces 502 may include high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), digitalvisual interface (DVI), video graphics array (VGA), etc. The display 530 may be any suitable type of display for displaying data transmitted via the display interface 502 of the computer system 500, including a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display, capacitive touch display, thin-film transistor (TFT) display, etc. Computer program medium and computer usable medium may refer to memories, such as the main memory 508 and secondary memory 510, which may be memory semiconductors (e.g., DRAMs, etc.). These computer program products may be means for providing software to the computer system 500. Computer programs (e.g., computer control logic) may be stored in the main memory 508 and / or the secondary memory 510. Computer programs may also be received via the communications interface 524. Such computer programs, when executed, may enable computer system 500 to implement the present methods as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, may enable processor device 504 to implement the methods illustrated by FIGS. 1-4, as discussed herein.Accordingly, such computer programs may represent controllers of the computer system 500. Where the present disclosure is implemented using software executed on hardware, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into the computer system 500 using the removable storage drive 514, interface 520, and hard disk drive 512, or communications interface 524.

[0063] The processor device 504 may comprise one or more modules or engines configured to perform the functions of the computer system 500. Each of the modules or engines may be implemented using hardware and, in some instances, may also utilize software executed on hardware, such ascorresponding to program code and / or programs stored in the main memory 508 or secondary memory 510. In such instances, program code may be compiled by the processor device 504 (e.g., by a compiling module or engine) priorto execution by the hardware of the computer system 500. For example, the program code may be source code written in a programming language that is translated into a lower level language, such as assembly language or machine code, for execution by the processor device 504 and / or any additional hardware components of the computer system 500. The process of compiling may include the use of lexical analysis, preprocessing, parsing, semantic analysis, syntax- directed translation, code generation, code optimization, and any other techniques that may be suitable for translation of program code into a lower level language suitable for controlling the computer system 500 to perform the functions disclosed herein. It will be apparent to persons having skill in the relevant art that such processes result in the computer system 500 being a specially configured computer system 500 uniquely programmed to perform the functions discussed above.

[0064] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the methods and processes as disclosed can be implemented on a non-transitory computer readable medium. The non-transitory computer readable medium may be a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optic recording medium, or any other recording medium which will be developed in future, all of which can be considered applicable to the present invention in all the same way. Duplicates of such medium including primary and secondary duplicate products and others are considered equivalent to the above medium without doubt. Furthermore, even if an embodiment of the present invention is a combination of software andhardware, it does not deviate from the concept of the invention at all. The present disclosure may be implemented such that its software part has been written onto a recording medium in advance and will be read as required in operation.

[0065] As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded by the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to "example embodiment" or "one embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional examples that also incorporate the recited features.

[0066] The patent claims at the end of this document are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. §112(f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as "means for" or "step for" language being expressly recited in the claim(s).

[0067] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:1 . A method for generating a virtual marketplace for consumers, the method comprising: hosting, by a first computer system, one or more virtual marketplaces; receiving, by the first computer system, a request from one or more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers; sending, by the first computer system, data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system of the one or more consumers; and receiving, by the first computer system, instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: associating, by the first computer system, personal information with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers, the personal information including one or more of financial information, physical or medical information, name, and / or mailing address or residence of the one or more consumers.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising;sharing, by the first computer system, at least a portion of the associated personal information of the one or more consumers with the one or more virtual marketplaces.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, by the first computer system, instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to interact with one or more of the one or more virtual marketplaces.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: receiving, from the first computer system, information associated with one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces based on the associated personal information of the one or more consumers.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: receiving, by the first computer system, one or more requests from the one or consumers for information associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces, the one or more requests including information from the one or more consumers to assist the one or more virtual marketplaces to provide information that is relevant to the one or more consumers.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: providing, by the first computer system, availability of products from the one or more virtual marketplaces based on the information associated with one more consumers.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: providing, by the first computer system, information to the second computer system of the one or more consumers based on the information associated with the one or more consumers and the corresponding virtual images of the one or more consumers interacting with one or more products from the virtual marketplaces.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: providing, by the first computer system, at least one image of one or more consumers and one or more automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, boats or yachts, recreational vehicles, machines, works of art, vacation experiences and rentals, and homes being provided by one or more of the virtual marketplaces.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: generating, by the first computer system, a non-fungible token of the at least one or more consumers and the one or more automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, boats or yachts, recreational vehicles, machines, works of art, vacation experiences and rentals, and homes being provided by one or more of the virtual marketplaces.11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: generating, by the first computer system, one or more virtual images for each of the one or more virtual marketplaces, the one or more virtual imagesconfigured to engage with the one or more virtual images of the one or more consumers.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: limiting, by the first computer system, products that are available to the one or more consumers by the one or more virtual marketplaces based on a location of the one or more consumers.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: selecting, by the first computer system, one or more products for the one or more consumers from a plurality of virtual marketplaces.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: selecting, by the first computer system, the one or more products for the one or more consumers from the plurality of virtual marketplaces using an artificial intelligence algorithm.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: sending, from the first computer system, data to the second computer system for the one or more consumers to display on a display unit of the second computer system illustrating the one or more consumers interacting with the one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

16. A computer program product for generating a virtual marketplace for consumers, the computer program product comprising:a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a process, comprising: hosting one or more virtual marketplaces; receiving a request from one or more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers; sending data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system of the one or more consumers; and receiving instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising: associating personal information with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers, the personal information including one or more of financial information, physical or medical information, name, and / or mailing address or residence of the one or more consumers; and sharing at least a portion of the associated personal information of the one or more consumers with the one or more virtual marketplaces.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising:receiving information associated with one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces based on the associated personal information of the one or more consumers; and receiving one or more requests from the one or consumers for information associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces, the one or more requests including information from the one or more consumers to assist the one or more virtual marketplaces to provide information that is relevant to the one or more consumers.

19. The computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising: receiving instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to interact with one or more of the one or more virtual marketplaces.

20. A system comprising: a processor configured to: host one or more virtual marketplaces; receive a request from one or more consumers to access the one or more virtual marketplaces, the request including data associated with the one or more consumers to generate a virtual image for the one or more consumers; send data associated with the one or more virtual marketplaces to a second computer system of the one or more consumers; and receive instructions from the second computer system of the one or more consumers to access the data associated with the one or more virtualmarketplaces with the generated virtual image for the one or more consumers for one or more products from the one or more virtual marketplaces.

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