Abstract: Items are identified from one or more catalogues and images of the items are obtained. A dynamically rendered Virtual Reality (VR) store is constructed from the images and from images of objects/structures associated with a store. The item images that populate the VR store can be customized to a given customer and/or a given store. A VR session is established with a customer within the VR store, the item images can be selected, examined, and purchased during the session by the customer as the customer navigates through the VR store. Specialized rooms during the VR session allow the customer to interact in real time with other customers shopping via other VR sessions. The customer and other customers are rendered as avatars within the specialized room. A designated avatar or automated chatbot provides automated and real time assistance to the customer during the VR session.

Abstract: Items are identified from one or more catalogues and images of the items are obtained. A dynamically rendered Virtual Reality (VR) store is constructed from the images and from images of objects/structures associated with a store. The item images that populate the VR store can be customized to a given customer and/or a given store. A VR session is established with a customer within the VR store, the item images can be selected, examined, and purchased during the session by the customer as the customer navigates through the VR store. Specialized rooms during the VR session allow the customer to interact in real time with other customers shopping via other VR sessions. The customer and other customers are rendered as avatars within the specialized room. A designated avatar or automated chatbot provides automated and real time assistance to the customer during the VR session.

Abstract: Items are identified from one or more catalogues and images of the items are obtained. A dynamically rendered Virtual Reality (VR) store is constructed from the images and from images of objects/structures associated with a store. The item images that populate the VR store can be customized to a given customer and/or a given store. A VR session is established with a customer within the VR store, the item images can be selected, examined, and purchased during the session by the customer as the customer navigates through the VR store. Specialized rooms during the VR session allow the customer to interact in real time with other customers shopping via other VR sessions. The customer and other customers are rendered as avatars within the specialized room. A designated avatar or automated chatbot provides automated and real time assistance to the customer during the VR session.

Abstract: The present invention is a software product that provides merchants that sell time-slot inventories tools to capitalize on the Internet revolution. The present invention enables the creation of web-sites for merchants with a built-in web-based reservation booking system. This offers customers the on-line benefits of access, selection and immediacy in making real-time reservation/appointments over the Internet. The software product also simplifies the merchant's booking process by providing a central web-based reservation/appointment management system that can be used for all bookings, regardless if made by telephone, by a walk-in customer, or by a customer via the Internet. The software product also provides the merchant with a powerful direct marketing tool. As a merchant uses the software product, user-customer profiles and demographics are captured in the database module, thus creating (in Web jargon) a “community” of customers specific to the merchant.

Abstract: The present invention is a software product that provides merchants that sell time-slot inventories tools to capitalize on the Internet revolution. The present invention enables the creation of web-sites for merchants with a built-in web-based reservation booking system. This offers customers the on-line benefits of access, selection and immediacy in making real-time reservation/appointments over the Internet. The software product also simplifies the merchant's booking process by providing a central web-based reservation/appointment management system that can be used for all bookings, regardless if made by telephone, by a walk-in customer, or by a customer via the Internet. The software product also provides the merchant with a powerful direct marketing tool. As a merchant uses the software product, user-customer profiles and demographics are captured in the database module, thus creating (in Web jargon) a “community” of customers specific to the merchant.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (10) comprises of a pair of plug and receptacle board-to-board connectors (12, 14). Each connector (12, 14) has an insulative housing (50, 16) with a plurality of contacts (54, 24) wherein each contact (54, 24) has substantially a cantilever type spring arm with a maximum deflection apex (B, A) thereof. Mated plug and receptacle connectors (12, 14) pass the maximum deflection apexes (B, A) of the contacts with each other to provide positive locking thereof. Each connector (12, 14) further includes a grounding plate (64, 32) longitudinally extending along the housing (50, 16) wherein coupling means (66, 35) are formed respectively on the grounding plate (64, 32) of each connector (12, 14) for combining such pair of grounding plates (64, 32) together.