TRANSFER OF REWARDS FROM A CENTRAL WEBSITE TO OTHER WEBSITES

• US 20090132357A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• 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
• Application Number:
  US11/942,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132357A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.690
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A first website earns rewards, e.g. points and items, for carrying out activities. Those rewards can be transferred to a second website. For example, a parent'"'"'s website allows the parent to carry more adult tasks and also earn points. The points can be transferred to the child'"'"'s website. A center of the universe website allows obtaining rewards for any of these websites. A social networking component operates across multiple websites.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

carrying out a first action on a first website, wherein said first action is of a first specified type;

earning at least one first reward for carrying out said first action, said earning being responsive to said carrying out the first action;

allowing accumulating of said at least one first reward on the first website, and allowing using said at least one first reward on the first website;

carrying out a second action on a second website, where the second action is a second specified type of action that is different from said first specified type;

earning at least one second reward for carrying out said second action on said second website, responsive to carrying out said second action;

allowing accumulating of said at least one second reward on the second website and allowing using said at least one second reward on the second website;

on a third website, purchasing at least one gift, and transferring said at least one gift from said third website to a transferred website that can be either of said first or second websites; and

allowing the transferred gift to be used on the transferred website for at least one purpose that is the same as said using.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the first website is a website having first content that is intended for children, and the second website is a website having second content that is intended for adults.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said transferred gift includes an item which can be used on at least one of said first or second website.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said item is an exclusive item that cannot be obtained on either said first or second website.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein said gift includes virtual currency that can be used on at least one of said first or second website.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said gift includes universal virtual currency that can be used on both of said first or second websites.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first, second, and third websites is for training characters and carrying out competitions between trained characters.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first, second and third websites is a website for carrying out actions to virtually maintain virtual representations of specified animals.

9. A method, comprising:

taking an action on a first website that results in obtaining a first reward and a second reward on said first website; and

first converting said first reward to obtain a converted first reward to be used on a second website, and using said converted first reward on said second website;

second converting said second reward to obtain a converted second reward to be used on a third website, and using said converted second reward on said third website, where said second converting is a different operation than said first converting;

carrying out a first action on said second website; and

carrying out a different second action on said third website,

wherein said first action cannot be carried out on said third website, and said second action cannot be carried out on said second website.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein said taking said action comprises carrying out said action that provides a free reward.

11. A method as in claim 9, wherein said taking said action comprises purchasing a gift for another person.

12. A method as in claim 9, wherein said at least one of said first converting or said second converting comprises entering a username to receive said converted first reward or said converted second reward.

13. A method as in claim 9, wherein at least one of the converted first reward and the converted second reward is converted into virtual cash.

14. A method as in claim 9, wherein the rewards are items that can only be obtained on said first website and cannot be obtained on the second or third websites, and wherein said first and second converting comprise changing an ownership of said items to a new owner on one of said second and third websites.

15. A method as in claim 9, wherein each of said second and third websites operate to link a real world item with a virtual copy of said item, wherein the items are related to characters and the characters have attributes that can be changed.

16. A method, comprising:

on a first website, allowing a first user to exchange virtual cash for plural different items; and

on a second website, allowing a second user to obtain exclusive items for the first user on the first website, wherein said exclusive items are not available on said first website but can be used on said first website.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising allowing the first user to block said exclusive items from being sent by the second user.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein said allowing the first user to block said exclusive items comprises automatically adding information indicative of the second user to a block list associated with the first user.

19. A method, comprising:

on a first website, allowing users of the first website to accumulate first virtual cash that is in a first format associated with the first website, and allowing said users to use said first virtual cash to purchase at least one virtual item on the first website;

on a second website, allowing users of the second website to accumulate second virtual cash that is in a second format associated with the second website, wherein said second format is different format than said first format of virtual cash, and allowing said users of the second website to use said second virtual cash to purchase at least another virtual item on the second website; and

on a central website, providing universal cash which can be used on either said first website or said second website to purchase either said one virtual item or said another virtual item.

20. A method as in claim 19, further comprising converting said universal cash to one of said first virtual cash or said second virtual cash.

21. A method as in claim 19, further comprising using said universal cash directly on one of said first or second websites in place of said first or second virtual cash respectively.

22. A method as in claim 19, further comprising allowing at least one user to exchange one item for another item.