U.S. Patent Application 2008/0091553 assigned to Apple Computer Inc. titled "Enhancing Online Shopping Atmosphere" was recently published on April 17, 2008.
According to the background of the application: "one drawback of online shopping is that the experience can feel sterile and isolating. Customers in such an environment may be less likely to have positive feelings about the online shopping experience, may be less inclined to engage in the online equivalent of window shopping (e.g., will not linger in front of a display), and may ultimately spend less money than their counterparts who shop in physical stores."
As a solution to this drawback, the application teaches a virtual shopping interface where online browsers can see others who are looking at the same site, same product section, same item etc., as illustrated in the figure, to provide a more interactive and social shopping experience.
