Patent ID: 8930454
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for allowing users to share an online search experience performed on one or more computing devices, the method comprising hosting, using the one or more computing devices, an interactive virtual session, wherein the interactive virtual session enables a primary user to control the interactive virtual session, the interactive virtual session being displayed at least in part on a computer associated with the primary user; providing access to the interactive virtual session to at least one secondary user; providing, on the one or more computing devices, a virtual multi-party communication space, wherein the virtual multi-party communication space enables the primary user and the at least one secondary user to communicate with each other, and wherein the virtual multi-party communication space is displayed as part of the interactive virtual session; receiving a search query from a computer associated with the primary user, wherein the search query is associated with one or more items of interest; determining, using the one or more computing devices, that the search query originated from the computer associated with the primary user; responsive to determining that the search query originated from the computer associated with the primary user, sending data based on the search query to a computer associated with the at least one secondary user, the data representing the search query originating from the computer associated with the primary user; receiving the data based on the search query from the computer associated with the at least one secondary user that was sent on behalf of the at least one secondary user without requiring input from the at least one secondary user at the computer associated with the at least one secondary user; enabling the at least one secondary user to provide at least one secondary input indicating an action of the at least one secondary user within the interactive virtual session via the interactive virtual session; determining, using the one or more computing devices, search results based on the received search query and data based on the search query and a display output based on the action of the at least one secondary user within the interactive virtual session; and sending the search results and the display output for display at the computer associated with the primary user and the computer associated with the secondary user as part of the interactive virtual session, wherein the search results include at least one representation of an item of interest in the one or more items of interest and the display output represents the action of the at least one secondary user within the interactive virtual session.