Personal merchandise cataloguing system with item tracking and social network functionality

Abstract

An online personal merchandise cataloguing system is equipped with integrated item tracking and hosted (or imported) social network functionality. The system comprises an internet application with a supporting backend network, the pertinent configuration and operation of both being substantially under the control of an individual retailer. Accessible through an internet browser or a smartphone “app”, the internet application is configured to provide a user with means for listing or otherwise cataloguing items of merchandise. In combination with and supported by the retailer's backend computer network, the internet application enables the user to share his online catalog with an extrinsic social network and to track cataloged items.

1 . A method for personal merchandise cataloging, comprising:
 sharing, by a retailer internet application, an online personal catalog with an online social network computer website;   tracking items within the online personal catalog;   obtaining product information about the items from and personalized by the online social network computer website and a retailer backend computer network in communication with the retailer internet application;   executing a web application directly within or through the social network computer website that communicates with the retailer internet application so that the retailer internet application combines the personalized product information at a user interface;   executing by a hardware server that receives callable services provided by the social network computer website a programmed routine;   identifying an item of merchandise and publishing the identification of said item of merchandise through the social network computer website in association with a user account in order to solicit information of the personalized product information about said merchandise including opinions, comments, ratings, and/or reviews from the social network computer web site;   soliciting the information about said merchandise from a user-defined group of other users by communicating with the social network computer website, the solicited information used to provide the personalized product information to said user;   associating said user to said user account to solicit the information about said item of merchandise from the user-defined group of other users to access or otherwise make available the user's electronic social network from within the online personal catalog, in response to the programmed routine publishing the identification of the item of merchandise through the social network computer website in association with said user account; and   incorporating by the retailer internet application an application plugin that provides social network functionality.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing by the retailer internet application a first webpage that displays a tracking button hyperlinked to a second webpage that displays both item tracking information related to the item of merchandise and the solicited information from the social network computer website, the tracking information including at least one of information about availability, location, or price of the item of merchandise, and the solicited information displayed at the second webpage further including product ratings provided by the social network computer website in response to the programmed routine publishing the identification of the item of merchandise through the social network computer website.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the retailer internet application generates a search result related to the item of merchandise, and a rating of the item of merchandise generated in response to the communication between the hardware server soliciting information about said item of merchandise from the user-defined group of other users and the personalized product information via the application plugin and the web application that executes directly within or through the social network computer website. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the programmed routine publishes the identification of said item of merchandise through the social network computer website in association with said user account, thereby soliciting information about said merchandise from the user-defined group of other users. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the retailer internet application further comprises an ecommerce portal into the retailer backend network, the ecommerce portal enabling a user to electronically purchase the item of merchandise identified by said user from said retailer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the retailer internet application provides at least one merchandise list file into which said user can catalogue said identified item of merchandise. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the retailer internet application provides a user-definable notice pertinent to said identified item of merchandise, the notice comprising at least information retrieved from the record contained in the secure product database facility pertaining to the availability of said identified item of merchandise from said retailer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the notice also includes information retrieved from the record contained in secure product database pertaining to a price for said identified merchandise. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: providing to the user interface the solicited information about said merchandise including at least one of opinions, comments, ratings, or reviews from the online social network computer website via the plugin for forming the personalized product information. 
     
     
         10 . A computer program product for performing an automated quality assessment on a software program under test, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;
 computer readable program code configured to:
 share an online personal catalog with an online social network computer website; 
 track items within the online personal catalog; 
 obtain product information about the items from and personalized by the online social network computer website and a retailer backend computer network in communication with the retailer internet application; 
 execute a web application directly within or through the social network computer website that communicates with the retailer internet application so that the retailer internet application combines the personalized product information at a user interface; 
 receive callable services provided by the social network computer website a programmed routine; 
 identify an item of merchandise and publishing the identification of said item of merchandise through the social network computer website in association with a user account in order to solicit information of the personalized product information about said merchandise including opinions, comments, ratings, and/or reviews from the social network computer website; 
 solicit the information about said merchandise from a user-defined group of other users by communicating with the social network computer website, the solicited information used to provide the personalized product information to said user; 
 associate said user to said user account to solicit the information about said item of merchandise from the user-defined group of other users to access or otherwise make available the user's electronic social network from within the online personal catalog, in response to the programmed routine publishing the identification of the item of merchandise through the social network computer website in association with said user account; and 
 incorporate an application plugin that provides social network functionality. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:
 provide a first webpage that displays a tracking button hyperlinked to a second webpage that displays both item tracking information related to the item of merchandise and the solicited information from the social network computer website, the tracking information including at least one of information about availability, location, or price of the item of merchandise, and the solicited information displayed at the second webpage further including product ratings provided by the social network computer website in response to the programmed routine publishing the identification of the item of merchandise through the social network computer website.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:
 generate a search result related to the item of merchandise, and a rating of the item of merchandise generated in response to the communication between the hardware server soliciting information about said item of merchandise from the user-defined group of other users and the personalized product information via the application plugin and the web application that executes directly within or through the social network computer website.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the programmed routine publishes the identification of said item of merchandise through the social network computer website in association with said user account, thereby soliciting information about said merchandise from the user-defined group of other users. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:
 comprise an ecommerce portal into the retailer backend network, the ecommerce portal enabling a user to electronically purchase the item of merchandise identified by said user from said retailer.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:
 provide at least one merchandise list file into which said user can catalogue said identified item of merchandise.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:
 provide a user-definable notice pertinent to said identified item of merchandise, the notice comprising at least information retrieved from the record contained in the secure product database facility pertaining to the availability of said identified item of merchandise from said retailer.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the notice also includes information retrieved from the record contained in secure product database pertaining to a price for said identified merchandise. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:
 provide to the user interface the solicited information about said merchandise including at least one of opinions, comments, ratings, or reviews from the online social network computer website via the plugin for forming the personalized product information.