Dynamic Virtual Storefront Positioning for E-Commerce Environments

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Solution Overview

Problem

In virtual e-commerce environments, the static positioning of numerous virtual stores can lead to an unenjoyable shopping experience for users due to long distances between stores and significant resource consumption, as opposed to real-world marketplaces.

Innovation Solution

A system dynamically generates and updates virtual environments based on user-specific criteria, such as shopping interests and actions, to prioritize and reposition virtual storefronts closer to the user's avatar, improving the shopping experience while reducing resource usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If virtual stores are positioned statically in a virtual environment, then the environment structure is simple and easy to manage, but the shopping experience deteriorates due to long distances between stores and high resource consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshopping experienceVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic positioning of virtual storefronts by continuously adjusting their positions based on user behavior data, shopping interests, and interaction patterns. This transforms the static environment into a dynamic one that adapts to user needs, reducing navigation distance and improving shopping experience while optimizing resource allocation through selective rendering of relevant storefronts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes key parameters including storefront position coordinates, visibility states, and rendering priorities based on user-specific criteria. By dynamically modifying these parameters according to user behavior and preferences, the system optimizes both user experience and resource consumption without requiring a complete environmental restructuring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If virtual stores are repositioned dynamically based on user criteria, then navigation efficiency improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation timeVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and pre-positioning virtual storefronts based on predicted user interests and behavior patterns before the user actually navigates to those areas. This advance preparation reduces real-time navigation time while distributing computational complexity across pre-processing and execution phases

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor user behavior, shopping actions, and navigation patterns, then use this information to dynamically adjust storefront positions and rendering priorities. This closed-loop system optimizes navigation efficiency while managing complexity through iterative refinement based on actual user interactions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If all virtual storefronts are rendered at once, then the user sees the complete environment, but resource consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironment visibilityVSAvoidrendering resources

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by rendering virtual storefronts with different levels of detail and priority based on their relevance to the current user context. High-priority storefronts matching user interests are rendered with full detail, while low-priority ones are rendered at lower fidelity or not at all, optimizing resource usage while maintaining essential environment visibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial rendering by selectively rendering only the subset of virtual storefronts that are most relevant to the user's current shopping interests and behavior patterns, rather than rendering all storefronts in the environment. This partial action approach significantly reduces resource consumption while preserving the user's ability to discover and access the complete environment when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS20240078594A1Dynamic generation of a virtual environment based on user-specific criteria

Publication Date: 2024.03.07 SHOPIFY INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for dynamically generating a virtual environment based on user-specific criteria. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises selecting a set of virtual stores for a virtual environment for a particular user based on one or more user-specific criteria associated to the particular user and sending, to a client device, information for rendering the virtual environment. The virtual environment comprises a defined set of virtual storefront positions and a set of virtual storefronts corresponding to the set of virtual stores, wherein virtual storefronts of the set of virtual storefronts are located at positions selected from the defined set of virtual storefront positions. In this manner, the virtual environment and, more specifically the virtual storefronts in the virtual environment, are dynamically updated based on user-specific criteria.