Abstract: A system for purchasing performing operations in response to preauthorization and receiving geographic coordinates. The system includes, but is not limited to, a remote server, communicatively coupled to a third party system and a user database. The remote server is configured to query the user database to retrieve a unique identifier associated with the user and with prescription information for the user. The remote server includes a link in the unique identifier and transmits a message including the unique identifier to a local device associated with the user. The remote server receives instructions from the local device and obtains preauthorization from the third party system in response to the instructions. Furthermore, the remote server receives and tracks geographic coordinates of the local device. In response to preauthorization and tracking the geographic coordinates, initiate operations in preparation for arrival of the user.

Abstract: A system for purchasing fuel is provided. The system includes, but is no limited to, a local device for retrieving identification information which identifies a fuel dispensing station, the identification information containing information identifying the fuel dispensing station from which fuel is desired to be purchased, and a remote server connected with the local device. Upon receiving the identification information at the local device, the local device automatically forwards the identification information along with a unique identifier to the remote server. The remote server generates and transmits an unlock code to the fuel dispensing station. The unlock code signals the fuel dispensing station to dispense fuel.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to facilitate expedient shopping in a physical retail facility. In one embodiment, a shopping system directed to pre-filling shopping carts with retail items prior to a customer's arrival at the physical retail shopping facility includes a user database of user profiles having one or more partialities associated with customers, a product database of retail products with identified vectorized characterizations or product vectors, a plurality of physical shopping carts, and a control circuit. By one approach, the control circuit is configured to access the user database and the product database and identify suggested retail items for a particular customer based, in part, on comparisons between the identified partialities and the identified vectorized product characterizations of the retail products.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for providing a virtual reality (VR) appliance interface. A system for providing a VR user interface for managing network data flow comprises a network communication device configured to communicate with a plurality of nodes on a network, a motion sensor configured to receive user input, a VR display device, and a control circuit being configured to aggregate data flow information from the plurality of nodes via the network communication device, generate graphical representations of a plurality of data packets traveling between one or more of the plurality of nodes based on the data flow information, determine display locations for the graphical representations of the plurality of data packets, cause the VR display device to display the graphical representations of the plurality of data packets in the data flow between the plurality of nodes in the three-dimensional space of a VR environment.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for providing a virtual reality appliance interface experience. A method for providing a virtual reality (VR) user interface for managing networked appliances comprises aggregating configuration data and real-time status information from the plurality of appliances via an appliance communication device configured to communicate with the plurality of appliances on a network and generating graphical representations of the plurality of appliances based on the configuration data and the real-time status information associated with each of the plurality of appliances, the graphical representations of each the plurality appliances comprising at least one visual indicator associated with a characteristic of a corresponding appliance.

Abstract: Some embodiments comprise a system to support customers while shopping, comprising: a plurality of virtual reality rendering systems; a field of expertise database associating each of multiple products with one or more of multiple different fields of expertise and with one of multiple different virtual reality environments; a central control system configured to: identify a product for which a customer is requesting expert advice; access a virtual reality content database and acquire a set of code to be applied in rendering a virtual reality environment corresponding to the field of expertise and the product; and distribute the set of code to a rendering system corresponding to the customer to cause the rendering system to visually render the virtual reality environment and an expert avatar.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to facilitate expedient shopping in a physical retail facility. In one embodiment, a shopping system directed to pre-filling shopping carts with retail items prior to a customer's arrival at the physical retail shopping facility includes a user database of user profiles having one or more partialities associated with customers, a product database of retail products with identified vectorized characterizations or product vectors, a plurality of physical shopping carts, and a control circuit. By one approach, the control circuit is configured to access the user database and the product database and identify suggested retail items for a particular customer based, in part, on comparisons between the identified partialities and the identified vectorized product characterizations of the retail products.

Abstract: A system for purchasing fuel is provided. The system includes, but is not limited to, a local device for retrieving identification information which identifies a fuel dispensing station, the identification information containing information identifying the fuel dispensing station from which fuel is desired to be purchased, and a remote server connected with the local device. Upon receiving the identification information at the local device, the local device automatically forwards the identification information along with a unique identifier to the remote server. The remote server generates and transmits an unlock code to the fuel dispensing station. The unlock code signals the fuel dispensing station to dispense fuel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for facilitating a social shopping experience via a group shopping user interface is provided. In one embodiment, a method includes the steps of: receiving a selection of a first item for potential addition to a virtual cart from a first user of a plurality of users forming a social shopping group comprising members who share a purchase cost of items in the virtual cart; providing an indication of the selection of the first item to the plurality of users for their feedback; receiving, in response to the indication, feedback on the first item from one or more of the plurality of users; adding the first item to the virtual cart based on the feedback from the one or more of the plurality of users, and initiating shared payment for the cost of one or more items in the virtual cart among the plurality of users.

Abstract: A system for purchasing performing operations in response to preauthorization and receiving geographic coordinates. The system includes, but is not limited to, a remote server, communicatively coupled to a third party system and a user database. The remote server is configured to query the user database to retrieve a unique identifier associated with the user and with prescription information for the user. The remote server includes a link in the unique identifier and transmits a message including the unique identifier to a local device associated with the user. The remote server receives instructions from the local device and obtains preauthorization from the third party system in response to the instructions. Furthermore, the remote server receives and tracks geographic coordinates of the local device. In response to preauthorization and tracking the geographic coordinates, initiate operations in preparation for arrival of the user.

Abstract: A system for purchasing fuel is provided. The system includes, but is not limited to, a local device for retrieving identification information which identifies a fuel dispensing station, the identification information containing information identifying the fuel dispensing station from which fuel is desired to be purchased, and a remote server connected with the local device. Upon receiving the identification information at the local device, the local device automatically forwards the identification information along with a unique identifier to the remote server. The remote server generates and transmits an unlock code to the fuel dispensing station. The unlock code signals the fuel dispensing station to dispense fuel.