CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND EXCHANGE

• US 20080274806A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GANZ An Ontario Partnership Consisting of SH GANZ Holdings Incorporated and 816877 Ontario Limited
• Original Assignee: GANZ An Ontario Partnership Consisting of SH GANZ Holdings Incorporated and 816877 Ontario Limited
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard, Borst, Karl Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/838,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20080274806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

There is provided a character development and exchange system for a virtual environment and related method. A character, such as an animal, human or human-like figure, doll, or other animated or cartoon-like object can be purchased by a user and then registered on a communication network via a unique code. Once registered, a set of attributes can be assigned to the character based on the type and class of the character. Attribute values can be assigned to the attributes by default or by user preferences. The characters can be manipulated within the virtual environment. In particular, the characters can be trained in order to improve their skills and to increase their overall value and worth in the virtual environment. As desired, the characters can be securely traded among users, whereby a traded character is given a new code to transfer all control of the character to the new owner.

Claims

1. A character development and exchange method comprising:

registering a character for a first user with a communication network by receiving information associated with the character via the communication network;

following registration of the character, assigning a set of attributes to the character based on at least one of a type and a class of the character;

displaying the character on a screen in a virtual environment in a manner based at least in part upon the set of attributes, the class, and the type of the character;

training the character in response to activity by the first user in order to increase a value of at least one of the attributes;

when the character is listed as available for transfer to another user, blocking access to the character at least temporarily during a listing period in order to prevent modification of the character during the listing period; and

transferring the character to the another user by unblocking access to the character for the another user, and preventing the first user from controlling the character.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering uses a code and the transferring assigns a new code, where the codes are unique for each character.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering the character by receiving the information unlocks content associated with the class of the character and makes it available and viewable to the first user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises giving the first user control of the character within the virtual environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual environment comprises at least one of a game and a virtual reality environment.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising allocating an attribute value to each attribute of the set of attributes.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a total attribute value for the set of attributes; and

distributing at least a portion of the total attribute value across the set of attributes based upon user preferences.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of attributes comprise core attributes of the character.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an overall value of the character according to at least two of the following:

one or more of the character'"'"'s attributes, type, class, and experiences;

popularity of the character; and

demand for the character and/or for similar characters in the virtual environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining of the overall value of the character occurs when preparing to make the character available for transfer to the another user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a plurality of attributes available for the character according to the at least one of the type and the class of the character.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting at least one additional attribute for the training, wherein the at least one additional attribute is suitable for the character according to at the least one of the type and the class of the character and is different from attributes already possessed by and/or trained upon the character.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising allocating an attribute value for each attribute newly associated with the character.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the attribute value is allocated according to the first user'"'"'s historical character data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the attribute value is predetermined based upon at least one of the following:

the type of the character, the class of the character, and at least one other attribute previously associated with the character.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the attribute value is selected from a range of values based upon at least one of the type and the class of the character.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising employing a component to automatically determine an optimum attribute value for each attribute newly associated with the character by learning user preferences and making inferences based on at least one of the following:

the first user'"'"'s other characters and their attributes and/or previous attribute value distributions made by the first user.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising allocating a variable amount of attribute value points for distribution across one or more of the attributes newly associated with the character.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the training of the character is initiated upon payment and/or redemption of at least one of the following:

points, virtual currency, and real currency.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising earning the at least one of the points, the virtual currency, and the real currency by at least one of the following:

playing in the virtual environment with the character, winning, accumulating points that satisfy a threshold, and participating in at least one of games, competitions, and events in the virtual environment.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the character deemed to be relatively higher-skilled is trained with greater ease and efficiency than a character deemed to be relatively less-skilled.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the character undergoes the training in a manner that is independent of personal skills of the user who owns and controls the character.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the character undergoes the training in a manner consistent with the at least one of the class and the type of the character.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the training of the character on the at least one additional attribute occurs over a period of time, wherein the training comprises one or more tasks and/or exercises to complete.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the training of the character comprises immediately applying the at least one additional attribute to the character.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional attribute and the set of attributes comprise at least one of a skill, a talent, a power, a body feature, and a facial feature.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting at least one of statistical data, family heritage data, and trading data;

generating and displaying a portfolio of one or more characters owned and/or trained for the first user; and

storing the portfolio on the communication network.

28. A character development and exchange method comprising:

registering a character with a communication network via receiving a code that is unique to the character in order to provide access to interact with and control of the character in a virtual environment;

upon registration of the character, assigning at least one attribute to the character based on at least one of a type and class of the character;

allocating an attribute value to the at least one attribute at least in part by inferring an optimum attribute value based on the user'"'"'s historical character data;

training the character on at least one additional attribute, wherein the at least one additional attribute is suitable for the character according to at the least one of the type and the class of the character;

storing the character, the at least one attribute, the at least one additional attribute, and corresponding attribute values on the communication network;

displaying the character in the virtual environment on a display screen;

determining an overall value of the character after the training; and

transferring the control of the character to another user.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein training the character on the at least one additional attribute comprises selecting at least one additional attribute for the character from an attribute database.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising upon registration of the character, providing access to one or more areas of the virtual environment based on at least one of the type and the class of the character.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one additional attribute is different from the attributes previously associated with the character.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the training of the character with the at least one additional attribute is permitted after redeeming a predetermined amount of at least one of the following:

points, virtual currency, and real currency.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the transferring control of the character to the another user comprises disabling the code previously associated with the character and generating a new code for the character.

34. The method of claim 28 further comprises mating at least two characters and passing at least a portion of their combined attributes to any offspring.

35. The method of claim 28 further comprises creating a portfolio for the character to record and view at least one of the following:

statistics, tournaments, competitions, games participated in, family heritage, and at least one of previous or current owners of the character.

36. A character development and exchange method comprising:

registering a character for a user with a communication network by receiving a code associated with the character via the communication network, wherein the code yields control of the character in a virtual environment;

following registration of the character, assigning a set of attributes to the character based on at least one of a type and a class of the character;

displaying the character on a screen in the virtual environment in a manner based at least in part upon the set of attributes, the class, and the type of the character;

determining an overall value of the character according to the set of attributes; and

transferring the control of the character in the virtual environment to another user.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the code is unique for each character.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the transferring of the control of the character to the another user comprises assigning a new code to the character and disassociating the code previously associated with the character.

39. A character development and exchange system comprising:

a character registration component that registers a character with a communication network by validating a code associated with the character;

an attribute allocation component that assigns a set of attributes to the character based on at least one of a type and a class of the character upon registration of the character;

an interactive manipulation component that manipulates the character within a virtual environment;

a display component that displays the character in the virtual environment on a screen in a manner based at least in part on the set of attributes, the class, and the type of the character; and

a trading component that blocks access to the character at least temporarily during a listing period when the character is made available for a transfer of ownership to another user in order to prevent further modification of the character during the listing period.

40. The system of claim 39 further comprising:

a character analysis component that analyzes the character'"'"'s set of attributes to determine which level of interaction it can participate in within the virtual environment and to determine what kind of training is available to it; and

a training component that trains the character with at least one additional attribute in order to increase a value of the character in the virtual environment.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the trading component comprises:

a code verification component that verifies current ownership of the code before blocking access to it during the listing period;

a valuation component that determines a value for the character using at least one of the following;

character data, previous completed transfers of similar characters, current and projected popularity of and demand for the character in consideration of its class, type, and/or attributes; and

when the transfer of ownership is confirmed, a transfer component that disassociates the code associated with the character and to each auxiliary item associated with the character and that assigns a new code to the character and to each auxiliary item associated with the character to the another user.