Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
(SEE SEC 10 AND RULE 13)

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

“Systems and methods for real time online to offline (O2O)shopping in and messaging to physical retail stores”

Stylestreamers Technology Services Private Limited, Shop No - 4, Seawood Heritage,
Plot 50, Sector 4, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai – 410210, Email ID: fcc@stabplatform.com ; Ph. No: 7498544409

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to a real time, remote messaging and transaction system and method between remote shoppers and physical stores on an online commerce platform, via data embedded in their inventory pictures. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and a method which provides a platform for shoppers for remote search for products in physical stores and for communicating with store sales people.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
A physical store refers to a traditional brick-and-mortar location that customers can visit. These stores, such as retail locations, conduct sales on the premises, which the company leases or owns.
There are many cons of a Physical Store.
• Limits customer base to local shoppers: Physical stores require people to visit in person, which means the customer base is composed primarily of individuals living within a specific store radius. If an economic downturn in the neighborhood occurs, stores can be negatively impacted.
• Costs more for operations: Brick-and-mortar locations require high overhead – companies must pay for both the commercial space and employees who work within the store. This can have a significant impact on profit-and-loss statements.
• Makes scheduling more challenging: Physical stores require staffing and can only sell items during open hours. These limitations require more workers while reducing potential sales.
Whereas digital store refers to an e-commerce site. It involves managing a business, including inventory control and transactions, on the internet.
A digital store allows selling around the world: A digital store can sell to any customer worldwide, so long as shipping is available. This increases potential profits since the business is not limited to one area or demographic. A digital store Includes dropshipping: Dropshipping refers to sending items directly to customers from manufacturers. By using dropshipping, businesses do not have to locate and reserve space for storing inventory. This promotes more sales while reducing overhead costs.
The digital store decreases barriers to entry. With today’s available resources, almost anyone can start a digital store. Unlike physical stores, owners only need to gain access to inventory and shipping and provides higher profit margins. Due to lower overhead expenses, online stores offer higher profit margins. Businesses can focus their returns on increasing digital sales.
In the digital stores, the updated data of the products is not available in the online systems and it is certainly not possible in offline.
Current platforms such as google, amazon, instagram do not enable physical stores to connect into a digital network where their inventory is instantly discoverable by shoppers looking for the specific items which are present in a specific store, communicate with the store representative from anywhere and conclude a purchase from within the same platform and get the item delivered to them. Platforms like google present only websites, they do so based on the amount that a seller is paying them and they do not enable any communication, payment or delivery to the shopper.
So there is a need for keeping the updated data in the stores and also a need for keeping shoppers data updated in real time. Stores and shoppers data can be updated in real time. If a new item arrives in store in the morning, it can be added into the system instantly by the store itself and are instantly available instantly discoverable by shoppers globally who may not even know about the store. The present invention enables shoppers to receive new items that a store adds in the platform automatically even without searching for them. Hence a shopper is able to see items in physical stores remotely even if he/she did not know about those stores and never visited them.
The present invention is a real time, remote messaging and transaction system and method between remote shoppers and physical stores on an online commerce platform, via data embedded in their inventory pictures is disclosed. The present invention relates to a system and a method which provides a platform for shoppers for remote search for products in physical stores and for communicating with store sales people. The platform enables shoppers for searching and discovering items based on their chosen criteria and for identification of precise stores where the relevant items are available.
The present invention provides a number of technical improvements over the conventional systems and methods through which a shopper and a physical store seller can interact. The present invention provides a unique and highly efficient system and method for connecting shoppers and physical stores throughout the world in a user-friendly manner which helps the shoppers to find the appropriate and relevant stores as per their need and sellers can interact with buyers directly and a complete purchase process can be carried out in single chat session. The system of the present invention helps the shoppers (buyers) to search the inventory of physical stores to find products of interest even in which the seller is geographically not reachable by the shopper.
Objects of the invention:
The main object of the present invention is to keep the updated data in the stores and also to keep shoppers data updated in real time. If a new item arrives in store in the morning, it can be added into the system instantly by the store itself and are instantly available instantly discoverable by shoppers globally who may not even know about the store.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for a real time, remote messaging and transaction system and method between remote shoppers and physical stores on an online commerce platform, via data embedded in their inventory pictures.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a platform for shoppers for remote search for products in physical stores and for communicating with store sales people. The platform enables shoppers for searching and discovering items based on their chosen criteria and for identification of precise stores where the relevant items are available.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a platform for interaction of a shopper and a physical store seller. The present invention provides a unique and highly efficient system and method for connecting shoppers and physical stores throughout the world in a user-friendly manner which helps the shoppers to find the appropriate and relevant stores as per their need and sellers can interact with buyers directly and a complete purchase process can be carried out in single chat session.
Yet another object of the present invention is to help the shoppers (buyers) to search the inventory of physical stores to find products of interest even in which the seller is geographically not reachable by the shopper.
Summary of the invention:
Accordingly, a real time, remote messaging and transaction system and method between remote shoppers and physical stores on an online commerce platform, via data embedded in their inventory pictures is disclosed. The present invention relates to a system and a method which provides a platform for shoppers for remote search for products in physical stores and for communicating with store sales people. The platform enables shoppers for searching and discovering items based on their chosen criteria and for identification of precise stores where the relevant items are available. The shoppers or marketers (third party) can also post pictures of items in the online platform. When posting a picture, the picture owner must choose specific product categories and attributes and store to tag them to, all of which is embedded in the picture. This process connects the picture to product category databases to a specific physical store and hence to the sales representatives who are attached to that store. The system provides a unique and efficient channel of online- offline communication between two remote unrelated parties and enables sales between a remote shopper and a physical store seller who may be in close vicinity of each other or in completely different parts of the world.
Description of the drawings:
Fig illustrates a schematic block diagram of the system of the present invention.
Fig 2 shows the method of the present invention.
Fig 3 illustrates a user interface of a physical store product mapping process including a plurality of menu screens through which a store employee is able to add, delete or modify product charcateristic of the embedded data based on the vailable products in the physical store.
Fig 4 illustrates a user interface of a shopper notification preferences which can be created to automatically receive data embedded product pictures with TTS functionality from physical stores store.
Fig 5 illustrates a user interface of a store sales team mapping process including a plurality of menu screens displaying the information of a store employee who may be available to assist shoppers.
Fig 6 illustrates the user interface available to the shopper to discover the third party product pictures which have category and attribute data embedded in them based on their notification preferences.
Fig 7 illustrates a user interface available to the shopper to search for items and discover the stores in which they are present, use a TTS functionality to begin a remote communication channel with physical store representative and potentially conclude a purchase.
Detailed description of the invention with respect to drawings:
The present invention is a real time, remote messaging and transaction system and method between remote shoppers and physical stores on an online commerce platform, via data embedded in their inventory pictures is disclosed. The present invention relates to a system and a method which provides a platform for shoppers for remote search for products in physical stores and for communicating with store sales people. The platform enables shoppers for searching and discovering items based on their chosen criteria and for identification of precise stores where the relevant items are available. The shoppers or marketers (third party) posts pictures of items in the online platform. When posting a picture, the picture owner must choose specific product categories and attributes and store to tag them to, all of which is embedded in the picture. Shoppers remotely communicate with a store representative, using talk to store (TTS) features (such as chat, VoIP and video calling); directly in real time and conclude a transaction (payment, delivery and return) with a physical store. Products in store are discovered via inventory pictures due to matching of their notification preferences and characteristics of data embedded in them by the third party. The TTS features compresses the time to sale as to online to offline (O2O) communication with stores resembles in-person presence in the store.
When a shopper presses the talk to store button (TTS) before connecting with a store, where that product was being stored, but now along with a message, a picture of product appears for the store to see what product a shopper has lined. The present invention also provides a store to see a “talk to shopper” button just by a shopper saving a product from that store. This helps to interact a shopper and a seller.
This process connects the picture to product category databases to a specific physical store and hence to the sales representatives who are attached to that store. The system provides a unique and efficient channel of online- offline communication between two remote unrelated parties and enables sales between a remote shopper and a physical store seller who may be in close vicinity of each other or in completely different parts of the world. The present invention relates to a first of its kind digital commerce platform for physical stores and shoppers for physical stores and shoppers to directly discover, engage and transact with each other remotely.
The digital commerce platform is a physical retail shopping internet. The present invention provides many kinds of digital capabilities in the existing architecture of the internet. The system contains product categories and attribute databases from which a physical store selects pertinent ones and embed them to specific inventory pictures and then places them in its profile on online platform. Once the physical inventory is mapped to specific product categories and attributes, the products and the store are discovered when a shopper on the platform searches for a product based on the same categorizations. These product to database mappings is modified in real time by the physical store depending on the product’s availability in the store. As the data embedded inventory pictures are placed in a store profile , a talk to store (TTS) button is automatically placed below them by system which opens a direct communication channel between the shopper and the store representative. These inventory pictures are pushed to specific shopper profiles based on the shopper preferences and are also sent to specific marketers in the platform who can market them to their audience on other platforms such as Instagram or you tube and drive them into the platform. The store also creates the profiles of their sellers which are authorized to be a part of TTS team and engages and market on behalf of the Store from the platform directly to shoppers. They responds in real time via TTS functionalities (chat, V0IP, video calls) from various locations (inside the store or outside).
The shoppers or marketers (third party) posts pictures of items in the online platform. When posting a picture, the picture owner must choose specific product categories and attributes and stores to tag them to, all of which is embedded in the picture. This process connects the picture to product category databases to a specific physical store and hence to the sales representatives who are attached to that store. The picture owner is given a choice of where the picture should appear within the platform, their own profile or in general product category rooms where other pictures with similar product categories taken by other shoppers are posted. Posting in product category rooms increases the chances of discoverability and hence the number of views the picture gains and hence of the store and products embedded in the picture.
To then enable direct shopper to store seller communication for the third party pictures, once the picture is discovered in their social tab, the online application places a “Talk to store” button located under the picture as it is released on the platform. The talk to store button is clickable by any shopper on the platform who discovers the picture during his/her search for a specific product. The talk to store button enables the shopper to directly message (chat, VoIP or video call), sellers attached to store to obtain additional information about a product and if they decide, purchase it in the same chat session, since shoppers credit card and stores banking details are received by the system during sign up. Any shopper can add their payment details as they do on other platforms.
By placing the talk to store button on a picture with a product, store and sales person data embedded in it, over a searchable platform, the system provides a unique and efficient channel of online- offline communication between two remote unrelated parties and enables sales between a remote shopper and a physical store seller who may be in close vicinity of each other or in completely different parts of the world. This end to end process is not possible today on any digital platform.
A store chooses to send offers of their products (discounts, new arrival pricing ) which are received by shoppers based on their notification preference and TTS button is included in the offer and enables shopper to instantly communicate with the store sales representative. Today such offers from a physical store mostly comes via email to those shoppers who are part of their existing customer database.
In one embodiment, the system includes a memory, plurality of databases in which information is stored which is processed by the computer, central processing unit (CPU), processor, microprocessor which is specifically designed to execute the programs stored in memory to perform process for setting up profiles of shoppers and physical stores executing searches for products enabling real time communication and sales between shoppers and physical store sales people. The system includes a plurality of computers, mobile applications 101 and 102 and memories 103 and 104. Many computers/mobile apps are included in the system.
In another embodiment, the databases and other stored information in the system includes a stored profile information database (DB) 105, store banking details 106, (placed in online payment gateway where the payment gateway connects any new store to the system account after their business information verification is completed and bank details are entered. Store seller database 107, store product category database 108 (created by importing data from the store inventory system in real time or by reading information from their website using a computer program), store media database 109, shopper profile database 111, shopper notification preference database 112, shopper suggested item database 113, shopper offers database 114, shopper credit card database 115, and store TTS communication database 116.
The fig 1 shows three shoppers 120,121 and 122 and three physical stores 130,131, 132. The number of shoppers and stores are in the thousands, millions or more. The physical stores and shoppers communicates through the present system via any known wireless or wired network (Internet, WIFI, Bluetooth, LAN, cellular) and communication devices (mobile devices).
Fig 2 shows an onboarding process for physical stores and shoppers is required to obtain their specific information to enable the interactions via the system. All the necessary information for a physical store to make its merchandise discoverable remotely, communicate with shoppers via salespersons, and for shoppers to communicate with stores sales persons and to make purchases is provided to the system by stores personnel and shoppers respectively, during onboarding. In step s201, the system receives information to set up the store profile. This includes their name, address, contact details, and information including their bank account using payment gateway. This also requires the store representative to go through know your customer process (KYC). In next step, the store sends detailed product data either in a spreadsheet format or an application programming interface (API) which enables reading the product data from their website or inventory system. This includes SKU level data with over various attributes associated with each SKU (segment, gender, category, sub category, brands, size, prize).
Store information is available on the platform and stores and shoppers interacts with each other using the application on their mobile communication devices. In step, the physical store information is displayed on the application along with a categorized list of products. In next step s204, information received from a shopper to set up the shopper’s profile in the application. In step, s205, the application receives an input from the shopper via which the shopper searches for a particular product for the application. In step s206, product and stores information related to the search is output to the shopper in response to the input from the shopper.
The search application enables the shopper to find the store with the relevant item. Stores and shoppers communicates directly if the shopper wants to inquire about or purchase any item from the store. In step s207, the store receives a “talk to store” (TTS) input from the shopper via a TTS button. In step s208, the shopper and the store are connected via TTS input from the shopper. The TTS button is placed below every picture posted by the store or the shopper to enable messaging between the store and the shopper once that picture is discovered by the shopper.
The TTS button is designed to create a digital communication link/live chat session between two unrelated parties using product data embedded in the pictures (fig 3) in the application. IN fig 3, the system has created a standard protocol which is applied to how a store categorizes its products, how a picture embeds product data during posting and how a shopper searches for such item in order to shop. They all work on the same protocol.
The TTS button is a digital link placed below such pictures which connects the person looking for a product with a seller in the store where the picture was taken in the form of a live communication session (e.g: chat, VoIP or video calling). This session exchanges information, additional pictures of the item and even a payment link to conclude a purchase /payment transaction. The entire interaction, if done, today in the physical world could take many hours for searching physically in the physical stores, engaging with a seller, reviewing various items, deciding to pay and may be impossible if the store is in country and the shopper is in another country, as it is not possible to do it remotely. Alternate ways are also not possible like looking for a specific store having same item in case the store is not known to the shopper. Even if the store is found through internet, it is not possible to communicate with the store remotely (trying to call or sending an email ), in case if the store is in another location. The TTS button compresses the time it takes to connect a shopper with a specific need with a relevant physical store seller remotely to exchange relevant information and conclude a purchase. In step S209, the purchase of the desired product is completed in the same shopping cart from multiple stores with one payment to the system. After receiving the payment from the shopper, the system automatically distributes the appropriate payment to the appropriate store via the online payment platform.
Fig 3 illustrates a user interface for a physical store product Mapping process including a plurality of menu screens in the present system through which a store employee is able to add product attributes for a specific item in the store. A specific product category is mapped from the store into the system by selecting a segment, a category, a subcategory, and associated brand, size, colour, price range. As this process is repeated for multiple product segments, it creates a list of categories which refelect the store inventory. This is modified at any time by the store. Shoppers finds the store based on a search in the system for the product segment, category, sub-category and the search can match the selected store categories all the way down to size/colour if desired. As specified in fig 3, menu screen 301 illustrates the product for which an employee enters product attributes such as description, segment, gender. Menu screens 302 and 303 illustrates additional menu screen in which the employee enters information including category, sub category, brand, price, tax information, discount information, size, colour, stock status. Thus any shopper looking for “women/bags” will see this item and talks to sales representative if they choose to. The shopper is from any country. Hence an offline connection is made remotely with a store representative. If the preseprestantaive is not available, they can call or email at a mutually convinient time.
Fig 4 illustrates a user interface of a shopper notification selection process in the system. In menu screen 401, the shopper, in their account setting, is able to select notification preferences which in menu screen 402 allows the shopper to input notification preferences for particular products (eg clothing and bags). As illustrated in menu screen 403, the shopper selects global notifications for women’s clothing. This selection enables shoppers to receive new items that a store adds in the platform automatically even without searching for them. Hence a shopper is able to see items in physical stores remotely even if he/she did not know about those stores and never visited them.
Fig 5 illustrates a user interface for a stores sales team mapping process including a plurality of menu screens in the application displaying the information of a store employee who may be avialable to assist shoppers. A physical store selects the shopper to be added who is embedded in the profile as shown in the menu screen 501. The seller receives an email that the store sends with a code to log in. Once the seller logs in and inputs his/her profile data, they are automatically attached to the store profile and become part of the communication channel with any incoming inquiry from a shopper when they press the “talk to store” button or simply click on the seller picture on the store profile to begin a communication session. Menu screen 503 shows once the seller has been attached to the store after they log in, and displayed as part of the store profile home in the system.
Fig 6 illustrates a user interface where any pictures posted by other shoppers in system appear if they match the notification preferences of the user. As shown in menu screen 601, shoppers can repost pictures from an existing store profile or place their own pictures during a repost which represent a product they are reposting from a specific store. In menu screen 602, shoppers can assign relevant categories and attributes to that picture and it links to a specific store and product in that store. As shown in menu screen 603, shoppers see items in a way other shoppers are using them and can press the “check it” button on these pictures to be directed to the specific store where this item is presented. This may press the “talk to store” button from a third party picture and begin interactive communication with the store from there.
Fig 7 illustrates a method for a shopper to search for a specific item and purchase the item from a physical store using the system. The shopper searches for an item, for eg:”womens/bags/satchel bags” and Items show up. As illustrated in menu screen 701 of fig 7, the shopper clicks on a picture, As the shopper selects a particular picture which is linked to a store, the “talk to store” button is then displayed in menu screen 702 near the selected picture to allow the shopper to directly contact a sales person at the store. As shown in screen 703, the shopper begins a communications session which directs the shopper to the product page and payment via an already entered credit card, thereby concluding a transaction remotely from a physical store.

, Claims:Claims:
1)A method for online to offline shopping between a shopper and a physical retail store, the method comprising of;
a. Displaying physical store information and categorzied product information in the system;
b. Receiving input from the mobile communication device of the shopper showing wishlisted products list;
c. Outputting selected product information about the wishlisted products list, and selected physical store information indicating a physical store selling the wishlisted products list, a particular salesperson selling the wishlisted product at the physical store and a talk to store (TTS) button embedded in picture of the wishlisted products to the mobile communication device of the shopper via the system based on input received from shopper;
d. Communicating a shopper and a seller with a “talk to shopper” button by saving the product from the store;
e. Receiving a talk to store request at the physical store from the mobile communication device of the shopper in relation to the selected product information and the selected physical store information;
f. Activating a talk to store request by pressing the talk to store button (linked to the selected product information and selected physical store information) on a screen of the mobile communication device;
g. Establishing a real time digital communication session between the communication device of the salesperson at physical store (provides additional product information to the shopper ) and mobile communication device of the shopper based on talk to store request;
h. Storing the pictures of the products from other shoppers and third parties wherein the physical store information of the physical store is embedded in the pictures by the system wherein the real time digital communication comprises at least one of chat, VoIP, video calling;

2)The method for online to offline shopping between a shopper and a physical retail store as claimsed in claim 1, wherein the said purchase of the wishlisted product by the shopper via the system.
3) The method for online to offline shopping between a shopper and a physical retail store as claimsed in claim 1, wherein the said physical store information includes a list of physical stores having wishlisted products available for purchase.
4) The method for online to offline shopping between a shopper and a physical retail store as claimsed in claim 1, wherein the said product information is updated from time to time by adding, removing and changing products and adding or removing representatives from a list of representatives available for digital communication .
5) The method for online to offline shopping between a shopper and a physical retail store as claimsed in claim 1, wherein the said notifications and offers are sent to the shoppers from the physical store based on the wishlisted products list.
6) The method for online to offline shopping between a shopper and a physical retail store as claimsed in claim 1, wherein the said
7) system for communication between a shopper and a physical store, wherein the said system comprising;
A memory;
A processing device configured to display on mobile communication device of the shopper, physical store information and categorized product information.

Date: 17/11/2022 For, Stylestreamers Technology Services Private Limited
Agent of the applicant
Pallavi Unmesh Deshmukh