SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TOY ADOPTION MARKETING

• US 20080026666A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 7,618,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/36 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method that provides a virtual presentation including: registering a first registration code for at a product on a website, viewing a virtual replica of the product responsive to a successful registration, accessing a first subset of restricted content responsive to the successful registration, and receiving an additional subset of restricted content when a second registration code is registered by a same user. The first subset includes at least one of: a virtual room, virtual currency, virtual food, a furnishing for the virtual room, and a chat function. The additional subset of restricted content includes at least one of the following: access to additional virtual currency, access to an additional furnishing, access to an additional chat room, access to additional food, access to an additional game, access to an additional challenge, access to an additional room, and access to an additional activity.

Claims

1. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising:

registering a first registration code for at least one product on a website;

viewing a virtual replica of the at least one product on the website responsive to a successful registration;

accessing at least a first subset of restricted content on the website responsive to the successful registration, the first subset of restricted content comprising at least one of;

virtual food, and a chat function that involves selecting from a displayed set that includes at least one of words and chat symbols in order to communicate with at least one other user represented by another product that also exists in the virtual presentation; and

receiving an additional subset of restricted content when at least a second registration code is registered on the website by a same user, wherein the additional subset of restricted content comprises at least one of the following;

access to an additional game, access to an additional challenge, access to an additional room, and access to an additional activity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving periodic rewards that facilitate encouraging users to visit the website.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the periodic rewards comprise at least one of virtual currency and a piece of a puzzle.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing a bonus environment upon completing a series of adventures or challenges, wherein the bonus environment comprises at least one of the following:

multi-user activities, multi-user adventures or challenges, multi-user games, and a user-chat interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of restricted content comprises a virtual room designated for the first virtual replica of the first product and an amount of virtual currency.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising adopting and caring for the first virtual replica of the first product presented in the virtual presentation, wherein adopting and caring for the first virtual replica of the first product comprises maintaining at least one of a health and happiness of the first virtual replica of the first product via at least one maintenance activity which includes feeding the first virtual replica of the first product, shopping for the first virtual replica of the first product, and playing with the first virtual replica of the first product.

7. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising:

associating a first set of features comprising at least one feature of a website with a first code;

providing to a first user a first product including a first toy having the first code associated therewith;

validating the first code;

granting access to the first set of features of the website in response to the validating of the first code, said first set of features including interacting with a first virtual replica of the first product;

associating at least a second set of features of the website with a second code;

offering to a second user a second product having the second code associated therewith;

validating the second code;

granting access to said at least the second set of features of the website in response to validating the second code, wherein at least a subset of the second set of features is different from the first set of features;

viewing a second virtual replica of the second product on the website in response to the validating the second code, wherein the first virtual replica interacts with the second virtual replica in a virtual room, wherein the first virtual replica and the second virtual replica are displayed together in the virtual room; and

providing a chat function that involves selecting from a displayed set that includes at least one of words and chat symbols to allow the first user to communicate with the second user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first subset of restricted content comprises a virtual room designated for the first virtual replica of the first product and an amount of virtual currency.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second set of features of the website comprises bonuses including at least one of additional games and additional virtual rooms.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising adopting and caring for the first virtual replica of the first product presented in the virtual presentation, wherein adopting and caring for the first virtual replica of the first product comprises maintaining at least one of a health and happiness of the first virtual replica of the first product via at least one maintenance activity which includes feeding the first virtual replica of the first product, shopping for the first virtual replica of the first product, and playing with the first virtual replica of the first product.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving periodic rewards that facilitate encouraging users to visit the website.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the periodic rewards comprise at least one of virtual currency and a piece of a puzzle.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising accessing a bonus environment upon completing a series of adventures or challenges, wherein the bonus environment comprises at least one of the following:

multi-user activities, multi-user adventures or challenges, multi-user games, and a user-chat interface.

14. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising:

associating a first set of features comprising at least one feature of a website with a first code;

providing to a first user a first product including a first toy having the first code associated therewith;

validating the first code;

granting access to the first set of features of the website in response to the validating of the first code, the first set of features including interacting with a first virtual replica of the first product;

associating at least a second set of features of the website with a second code;

providing to a second user a second product having the second code associated therewith;

validating the second code;

granting access to said at least the second set of features of the website in response to the validating the second code;

viewing a second virtual replica of the second product on the website in response to the validating the second code, wherein the first and second virtual replicas interact with each other in at least one of;

a chat room comprising multi-user game and chat activities, and a virtual room belonging to either one of the first and second products, wherein the first and second virtual replicas are visible to each other via the first and second users while both in the chat room or while both in the virtual room belonging to either virtual replica; and

providing a chat function that involves selecting from a displayed set that includes at least one of words and chat symbols to allow the first user to communicate with the second user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first subset of restricted content comprises a virtual room designated for the first virtual replica of the first product and an amount of virtual currency and wherein the second set of features of the website comprises bonuses including at least one of an additional game, an additional virtual room, and additional virtual currency.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving periodic rewards that facilitate encouraging users to visit the website.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the periodic rewards comprise at least one of virtual currency and a piece of a puzzle.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising accessing a bonus environment upon completing a series of adventures or challenges, wherein the bonus environment comprises at least one of the following:

multi-user activities, multi-user adventures or challenges, multi-user games, and a user-chat interface.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising adopting and caring for the first virtual replica of the first product presented in the virtual presentation, wherein adopting and caring for the first virtual replica of the first product comprises maintaining at least one of a health and happiness of the first virtual replica of the first product via at least one maintenance activity which includes feeding the first virtual replica of the first product, shopping for the first virtual replica of the first product, and playing with the first virtual replica of the first product.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the second set of features of the website comprises bonuses including at least one of additional games and additional virtual rooms.