SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR REALIZATION OF ONLINE VIRTUAL OBJECTS

• US 20090112359A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Craze, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Thomas V. Sanguinetti
• Inventors: Sanguinetti, Thomas V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• 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 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for an online transferring system where a conveying user may transfer a virtual object, representative of a real object, to a receiving user using an electronic ID of the receiving user and have a real object delivered to a shipping address of the receiving user without knowledge of the shipping address by the conveying user. The system includes an electronic data store having a set of identifying information for a receiving user. The set of identifying information includes an electronic ID and a physical contact address. The system includes a communication system for communication between the conveying user and the receiving user. The communication system provides the electronic ID to the conveying user without providing the physical contact address to the conveying user. The system includes a virtual object, representative of a real-world object, associated with the conveying user. The system includes a physical shipping system, coupled to the communication system, for initiating a delivery of the real-world object to the physical contact address responsive to the conveying user communicating the virtual object to the electronic ID.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a conveying user to send online virtual objects to a receiving user and for allowing the conveying user to send a real-world object to the receiving user without the conveying user having the physical contact address of the receiving user, comprising:

an electronic data store having a set of identifying information for the receiving user, the set of identifying information including an ID and a physical contact address;

a communication system, coupled to the electronic data store, for connecting a conveying user to the electronic data store, the communication system providing the ID of the receiving user to the conveying user without providing the physical address of the receiving user to the conveying user, the communication system communicating a virtual object, representative of a real-world object, to the conveying user; and

a fulfillment system, coupled to the communication system, for initiating a real-world delivery of the real-world object to the physical address responsive to conveyance of the virtual object to the fulfillment system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system and the electronic data store are part of an online social networking system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the social networking system includes a plurality of receiving users, each receiving user having an ID and a physical address in the electronic data store.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a conveyance permissions profile associated with the receiving user, the conveyance permissions profile qualifying conveyances of any object from the conveying user to the receiving user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system masks a portion of data associated with the real-world delivery from the receiving user.

6. A social networking system for allowing a conveying user to send a virtual object to a receiving user and for allowing the conveying user to send a real world object to the receiving user without the conveying user having the physical contact address of the receiving user, comprising:

an electronic data store having a set of identifying information for the receiving user, the set of identifying information including an ID and a physical contact address;

a communication system, coupled to the electronic data store, for connecting a conveying user to the electronic data store, the communication system providing the ID of the receiving user to the conveying user without providing the physical contact address of the receiving user to the conveying user, the communication system communicating the virtual object, representative of a real-world object, to the conveying user;

a conveyance permissions profile connected to the communication system, the conveyance permissions profile being associated with the receiving user, the conveyance permissions profile qualifying conveyances of any object from the conveying user to the receiving user; and

a fulfillment system, coupled to the communication system, for initiating a real-world delivery of the real-world object to the physical contact address responsive to conveyance of the virtual object to the fulfillment system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the social networking system includes a plurality of receiving users having an ID and a physical contact address in the electronic data store.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the virtual object is dissociated from the conveying user after conveyance of the virtual object to the receiving user.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the conveyance permissions profile qualifies conveyances of any virtual object from the conveying user to the receiving user.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication system masks a portion of data associated with the delivery of the real-world object from the receiving user.

11. A method for realization of online virtual objects by allowing a conveying user to send a real-world object to a receiving user without the conveying user having physical contact address of the receiving user, the conveying user and the receiving user being connected by a communication network, the method comprising:

conveying a virtual object, representative of a real-world object, to a receiving user;

identifying the physical contact address of the receiving user, wherein physical contact address remains undisclosed to the conveying user;

notifying a fulfillment system of the conveyance of the virtual object to the receiving user;

initiating delivery of the real-world object to the physical contact address in response to the notification to the fulfillment system.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising identifying the physical contact address of the receiving user by utilizing an ID of the receiving user, the ID being associated with the physical contact address in a database.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising maintaining a conveyance permissions profile for qualifying conveyances of any objects from the conveying user to the receiving user, wherein the conveyance permissions profile limits conveyances of the objects to the receiving user.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending the receiving user at least a portion of data associated with the real-world object prior to completion of the delivery of the real-world object.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending the receiving user the identification of the conveying user.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual object conveyed to the receiving user changes after the conveyance of the real world object to indicate the realization of the virtual object.

17. A method for conveyance of online virtual objects and real-world objects to a receiving user without the conveying user having the physical contact address of the receiving user, the conveying user and the receiving user being connected by a communication network, the method comprising:

conveying a virtual object to a receiving user based on a determination that the conveyance of the virtual object to the receiving user is permitted;

identifying the physical contact address of the receiving user by utilizing a user ID of the receiving user, the user ID being linked to the physical contact address;

notifying a fulfillment system to initiate delivery of a real world object to the receiving user, wherein the real world object is delivered to a physical contact address of the receiving user and wherein the physical contact address of the receiving user is not disclosed to the conveying user.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising maintaining a conveyance permissions profile for qualifying conveyances of virtual objects from the conveying user to the receiving user, wherein the conveyance permissions profile limits conveyances of virtual objects to the receiving user.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising maintaining a conveyance permissions profile for qualifying conveyances of real world objects from the conveying user to the receiving user, wherein the conveyance permissions profile limits conveyances of real world objects to the receiving user.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the virtual object conveyed to the receiving user is representative of the real world object conveyed to the receiving user.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising sending the receiving user at least a portion of data associated with the real world object prior to completion of the delivery of the real world object.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the virtual object conveyed to the receiving user changes after the conveyance of the real-world object to indicate the realization of the virtual object.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer-readable instructions embodied on the computer-readable medium implementing a method for initiating a delivery of a real-world object by a fulfillment system, the method comprising:

conveying a virtual object to a receiving user;

identifying the physical contact address of the receiving user, wherein physical contact address remains undisclosed to the conveying user;

notifying the fulfillment system of the conveyance of the virtual object to the receiving user; and

initiating delivery of the real-world object to the physical contact address in response to the notification to the fulfillment system.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises identifying the physical contact address of the receiving user from a user ID of the receiving user, the user ID being associated with the physical contact address in a database.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises maintaining a conveyance permissions profile for qualifying conveyances of any objects from the conveying user to the receiving user, wherein the conveyance permissions profile limits conveyances of the objects to the receiving user.