TRANSFER OF ITEMS BETWEEN SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES

• US 20090132656A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

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 first social networking on a first website, where the first website allows registration of an item that is stored on the first website responsive to the registration, and said first social networking includes displaying at least one item that can be viewed by viewers other than a user who is displaying the item; and

communicating between the first website and a second website, where the second website receives information indicative of the item, and wherein said second website provides second social networking on said second website, including said item displayed on the first website.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played, where the game includes the items that are displayed playing a game using the characters on the website, those characters being either toys, or figures or other participants in an online based game.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the items that are displayed are items that have been personalized by the user.

4. A method as in claim 3, further comprising allowing changing the items on the first website, and automatically changing information about the items that are displayed on the second website responsive to said changing on said first website.

5. A method as in claim 1, further comprising selling the displayed items on at least one of the first or second website.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein said selling includes determining information related to a probable value of the item.

7. A method as in claim 5, further comprising entering a purchasing code on said at least one website that allows a user to register the item on the website, wherein the item on the website can be purchased by entering said purchasing code on the at least one website, and wherein said selling comprises providing a transaction including providing a new registration code allowing a new owner to register the purchased item on the website, and wherein said selling further comprises deactivating the purchasing registration code.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising communicating between a third website and said second website, said third website allowing a third social networking operation including displaying a third item, and said second website receives information indicative of the third item, and said second website displays said second social networking portion based on said displayed item from the first website, and also another social networking portion based on the third item received from said second website.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said item is an image of a toy.

10. A method comprising:

collecting a number of virtual items on a first website;

on said first website, allowing interacting with any items within said collection of virtual items;

carrying out a social networking operation on said first website, where said social networking operation includes providing personal information about a user who is hosting said social networking operation, and also includes providing at least one viewable image indicative of plural items of said collection of virtual items; and

transferring said social networking operation to a second website, and displaying at least part of said social networking information on said second website.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said interacting on said first website comprises playing a game on said first website.

12. A method as in claim 10, further comprising allowing obtaining rewards on said first website which rewards can be used on said first website to purchase virtual items, allowing obtaining rewards on said second website that can be used to purchase virtual items, and wherein said rewards obtained on said second website can also be used on said first website.

13. A method as in claim 10, further comprising changing a characteristic of said collection of virtual items on said first website, and automatically updating information about at least one of said items on said social networking operation on said second website.

14. A method as in claim 10, further comprising:

allowing obtaining a collection of virtual items on a third website, said virtual items being different types of items than those on said first website;

allowing a social networking operation on said third website; and

transferring said social networking operation on said third website to said second website, whereby said second website displays both results from said first website and from said third website.

15. A system comprising:

a first website that hosts a virtual collection of items, and also carries out first social networking, where the first website includes a registration component that allows registration of an item, and after registration, each item is stored on the first website responsive to the registration as one of said virtual collection of items, and said first social networking includes displaying at least one of said items within said virtual collection of items, and wherein said at least one of said items can be viewed by viewers of the first website other than a user who is displaying the item; and

a second website, communicating to said first website, where the second website receives information indicative of the at least one of said items, and wherein said second website provides second social networking on said second website, and said second social networking including said at least one of said items displayed on the first website and at least one item of personal information about said user.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played by interaction between said user and a first item in said virtual collection of items, where the game includes said first item being displayed as part of playing the game.

17. A system as in claim 16, wherein said items are images of toys.

18. A system as in claim 16, wherein the items that are displayed are items that have been personalized by a user in a way that changes their original characteristics to a revised set of characteristics.

19. A system as in claim 15, further comprising a component that allows changing the items on he first website, and wherein said social networking on said second website automatically changes information about the items that are displayed on the second website responsive to said component.

20. A method, comprising:

collecting a number of virtual items on a first website as a collection of virtual items;

on said first website, allowing playing a game using any of said collection of virtual items;

carrying out a social networking operation on said first website, where said social networking operation includes personal information about a user who is hosting said social networking operation, and also includes at least one viewable image indicative of plural items of said collection of virtual items;

transferring said social networking operation to a second website which is associated with said first website, and displaying at least part of said social networking information on said second website;

allowing obtaining a collection of second virtual items on a third website, said second virtual items being different types of items than the virtual items on said first website;

carrying out a social networking operation on said third website;

transferring said social networking operation on said third website to said second website; and

using said second website to display both results from said first website and from said third website as part of said social networking.