3d click to buy

Abstract

An e-commerce method related to ordering from interactive 3D model(s). The 3D models includes parametric data and metadata. A software enables a user to specify search criteria for a selected product among a plurality of products whose 3D models are stored on the data storage device. The search software returns a list of product(s) matching the search criteria. The user selects a product and the 3D model of the selected product is streamed to the user software. The 3D model is then displayed to the user, who now can interact with said 3D model by selecting, hovering over, or decomposing said 3D model to reveal parts or subassemblies of the product in one or more stages of decomposition. Finally, e-commerce software communicates with said user software allowing the user to initiate an ecommerce transaction with respect to the parts or subassemblies depicted in said 3D model of said selected product.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An e-commerce method for initiating an e-commerce transaction with respect to a desired item, said desired item comprising at least one of a set of parts, assemblies, or subassemblies depicted in a 3D model of a selected product, wherein a user is able to interact with said 3D model, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of 3D models in a data storage device, at least one said 3D models for each of a plurality of products, said 3D models including parametric data and metadata;   providing product selection instructions for enabling a user to specify search criteria for searching for a selected product among the plurality of products, wherein 3D models of said plurality of products are stored on the data storage device;   providing to the user a list of at least one product matching the search criteria using said product selection instructions;   allowing the user to select a product from said list of at least one product;   streaming a display of said 3D model of said selected product from said data storage device to the user;   allowing the user to interact with said 3D model by selecting, hovering over, or decomposing said 3D model to reveal parts, assemblies, or subassemblies of the product in one or more stages of decomposition;   enabling the user to visually identify a desired item without the need for a reference parts list, table, or any other association list for identification of parts of the selected product;   enabling the user to select the desired item without the need to enter any identification data; and   providing transaction instructions for allowing the user to initiate an ecommerce transaction with respect to the selected item depicted in said 3D model of said selected product.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein interaction with the 3D model includes the ability to rotate the 3D model about the X, Y, and Z coordinate axis. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein interaction with the 3D model includes the ability to rotate the 3D model about a user-specified axis. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting or hovering over a portion of a 3D model with a pointer of a pointing device displays parametric data and metadata associated with the part. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selection of a portion of the 3D model highlights the selected portion of the 3D model. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein selection of a portion of the 3D model also highlights additional parts related to the selected item and the user is prompted to add the additional parts to a virtual shopping cart, an electronic parts replenishment system, a 3D printing device, or a 3D fabricating device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the additional parts are necessary to the selected item. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the additional parts are recommended with the selected item. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein if the selected item is available as part of a kit including additional parts then the additional parts are graphically displayed to indicate the availability of a kit and the user is prompted to add the kit to the virtual shopping cart, an electronic parts replenishment system, a 3D printing device, or a 3D fabricating device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a border is drawn around the parts which constitute the kit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the metadata includes the part name, part number, price, and availability. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ecommerce transaction includes adding the selected item to an ecommerce shopping cart, ordering the selected item from an electronic parts replenishment system, or sending parametric data and metadata associated with the part to a 3D printing device or a 3D fabricating device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the ecommerce transaction includes prompting the user with the option to purchase at least one part associated with the selected item in the virtual shopping cart. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interacts with the 3D model using one or more of a pointing device, a menu structure, and a touch sensitive display screen. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein streaming the 3D model of said selected product to the user is implemented by software running on a server side workstation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction instructions are implemented by software running on a server side workstation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction instructions are implemented by software which communicates with at least one of a client side and server side workstations or mobile devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating an ecommerce transaction includes transmitting parametric data and metadata corresponding to the selected item to an ecommerce application, a 3D printing device, or a 3D fabricating device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the client side workstation communicates with the server side processor over the internet using a web browser or a mobile application. 
     
     
         20 . An e-commerce method for initiating an e-commerce transaction with respect to a desired item, said desired item comprising at least one of a set of parts, assemblies, or subassemblies depicted in a 3D model of a selected product, wherein a user is able to interact with said 3D model, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of 3D images in a data storage device, at least one said 3D images for each of a plurality of products, said 3D images including parametric data and metadata;   providing product selection instructions for enabling a user to specify search criteria for searching for a selected product among the plurality of products, wherein 3D images of said plurality of products are stored on the data storage device;   providing to the user a list of at least one product matching the search criteria using said product selection instructions;   allowing the user to select a product from said list of at least one product;   streaming a display of said 3D image of said selected product from said data storage device to the user;   allowing the user to interact with said 3D image by selecting, hovering over, or decomposing said 3D image to reveal parts, assemblies, or subassemblies of the product in one or more stages of decomposition;   enabling the user to visually identify a desired item without the need for a reference parts list, table, or any other association list for identification of parts of the selected product;   enabling the user to select the desired item without the need to enter any identification data; and   providing transaction instructions for allowing the user to initiate an ecommerce transaction with respect to the selected item depicted in said 3D image of said selected product.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein interaction with the 3D image includes the ability to select a different view of the 3D product image. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the different view is selected from the group comprising top, right side, left side, bottom, assembly, subassembly, and exploded. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein selecting or hovering over a portion of a 3D image with a pointer of a pointing device displays parametric data and metadata associated with the part. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein selection of a portion of the 3D image highlights the selected portion of the 3D image. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein selection of a portion of the 3D image also highlights additional parts related to the selected item and the user is prompted to add the additional parts to a virtual shopping cart, an electronic parts replenishment system, a 3D printing device, or a 3D fabricating device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein if the selected item is available as part of a kit including additional parts then the additional parts are graphically displayed to indicate the availability of a kit and the user is prompted to add the kit to the virtual shopping cart, an electronic parts replenishment system, a 3D printing device, or a 3D fabricating device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the transaction instructions are implemented by software which communicates with at least one of a client side and server side workstations or mobile devices. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the client side workstation or mobile device communicates with the server side processor over the internet using a web browser or a mobile application. 
     
     
         29 . A system for initiating an e-commerce transaction with respect to a desired item, said desired item comprising at least one of a set of parts, assemblies, or subassemblies depicted in a 3D model of a selected product, wherein a user is able to interact with said 3D model, comprising:
 a database on a data storage device, said database containing at least one 3D model for each of a plurality of products, said 3D models including parametric data and metadata;   a server side workstation operably connected to the data storage device and a server side software for querying the database for a product matching search criteria;   a client side workstation or mobile device communicating with the server side workstation over a network;   a client side software accessible to the client workstation or mobile device communicating with said server side software for querying the database for a product matching search criteria, said server side software returning a list of at least one product matching the search criteria to said client side software;   in response to a user selecting one of the listed products, said server side software streaming said at least one 3D model of said selected product from said database to said client side software;   a client side software allowing said user to interact with said 3D model by selecting, hovering over, or decomposing said 3D model to reveal parts, assemblies, or subassemblies of the product in one or more stages of decomposition;   said client side software enabling said user to visually identify a desired item without the need for a reference parts list, table, or any other association list for identification of parts of the selected product;   said client side software enabling said user to select the desired item without the need to enter any identification data; and   ecommerce software allowing the user to initiate an ecommerce transaction with respect to the selected item depicted in said 3D model of said selected product.