System and method for providing an interactive social networking and role playing game within a virtual community

• US 20060080613A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Revenant Global, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Revenant Global, Inc.
• Inventors: Savant, Ray
• Application Number:
  US10/963,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Described is a system and method for receiving personal profile data from a plurality of participants, wherein each participant is a member of a virtual community. Generating a participant profile for each of the participants as a function of the personal profile data corresponding to each participant, rating each participant as a function of an activity level within the virtual community and providing additional features to participants achieving a pre-determined rating.

Claims

13. A system, comprising:

a registration element configured to receive personal profile data from a plurality of participants, wherein each participant is a member of a virtual community;

a profile element configured to generate a participant profile for each of the participants as a function of the personal profile data corresponding to each participant; and

a rating element configured to rate each participant as a function of an activity level within the virtual community;

wherein additional features are accessible to participants achieving a pre-determined rating.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an invitation element configured to receive invitation information from a first participant corresponding to a second participant that the first participant desires to contact and to send an invitation to the second participant, the invitation including identification information corresponding to the first participant.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an association element configured to associate the first participant with the second participant in a sub-community within the virtual community when the second participant accepts the invitation.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the invitation information includes a gift to be included in the invitation and sent to the second participant by the invitation element.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the virtual community is a simulation of an actual social setting.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the personal profile data received by the registration element includes one of a participant identification code, a password, an assumed role, a physical trait, a skill, a personality trait, a message, a photograph and billing details.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the activity level utilized by the rating element is measured by an amount of gifts acquired from a virtual gift shop within the virtual community.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the additional features include one of increased storage space within the virtual community, premium games, pre-requisite items for other features within the virtual community and placing the participant in a prominent location of a user interface for the virtual community.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an expansion element configured to receive contact information from a first participant, the contact information relating to a potential participant for the virtual community and to send an invitation to the potential participant, the invitation being at least partially based on the contact information.

22. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of virtual representations of actual gifts;

displaying the virtual representations;

receiving an order for one of the virtual representations from a participant in a virtual community;

charging the participant for the one of the virtual representations; and

fulfilling the order for the one of the virtual representations.

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving personal profile data from a plurality of participants, wherein each participant is a member of a virtual community;

generating a participant profile for each of the participants as a function of the personal profile data corresponding to each participant;

rating each participant as a function of an activity level within the virtual community; and

providing additional features to participants achieving a pre-determined rating.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving invitation information from a first participant corresponding to a second participant that the first participant desires to contact; and

sending an invitation to the second participant, the invitation including identification information corresponding to the first participant.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

associating the first participant with the second participant when the second participant accepts the invitation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the associating step includes associating the first and second participants with a sub-community within the virtual community.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the invitation information includes a gift to be sent to the second participant and the gift is included in the invitation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual community is a simulation of an actual social setting.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal profile data includes one of a participant identification code, a password, an assumed role, a physical trait, a skill, a personality trait, a message, a photograph and billing details.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activity level is measured by an amount of gifts acquired from a virtual gift shop within the virtual community.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gifts include one of tangible gifts, virtual representations of actual gifts and the additional features.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the virtual representations of actual gifts include one of an image, a video, an icon and an audio clip.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional features include one of increased storage space within the virtual community, premium games, pre-requisite items for other features within the virtual community and placing the participant in a prominent location of a user interface for the virtual community.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving contact information from a first participant, the contact information relating to a potential participant for the virtual community; and

sending an invitation to the potential participant, the invitation being at least partially based on the contact information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the charging step includes:

obtaining a deposit from the participant prior to the receiving step; and

debiting an amount equal to a sales price of the one of the virtual representations from the deposit.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the charging step includes:

obtaining payment information from the participant subsequent to the receiving step;

processing a charge to the participant in an amount equal to a sales price of the one of the virtual representations, wherein the charge is a request sent to a banking institution for a transfer of funds from the participant.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the charging step includes:

obtaining billing information from the participant;

adding an amount equal to a sales price of the one of the virtual representations to a credit account of the participant;

generating periodically a bill for the total amount added to the credit account within a designated period; and

forwarding the bill to the participant based on the billing information.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the fulfilling step includes:

transmitting via a communications network the one of the virtual representations to a giftee; and

modifying a profile of the giftee within a virtual community to record the order.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the fulfilling step includes:

delivering the actual gift, which was represented by the one of the virtual representations, to the giftee by a delivery service; and

modifying a profile of the giftee within a virtual community to record the order.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the fulfilling step includes:

granting the giftee access to additional features, which were denoted by the one of the virtual representations; and

modifying a profile of the giftee within a virtual community to record the order.

27-1. The method according to claim 22, wherein the virtual representations are displayed in at least two languages.

28-2. The method according to claim 22, wherein the charging of the participant is based on a currency selected by the participant.