SECURE TRANSFER OF ONLINE PRIVILEGES INCLUDING NON-FINANCIAL OPTIONS

• US 20090318221A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yates, Christopher, Zaffron, Andrew, Dhunjishaw, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A method of transferring online privileges, comprising: receiving a request for a payment including one or more non-financial items; debiting the one or more non-financial items from a second account; and crediting the one or more non-financial items to a first account, wherein the first account and the second account are accounts residing in a points server.

Claims

1. A method of transferring privileges in an online game provided by a game server, comprising:

selecting a game item, which is represented by item data stored in a game database connected to the game server, to be transferred from a first user to a second user, the item data having an associated privilege in the online game;

retrieving the item data from the game database;

transferring the item data and a first user identifier to an auction server,

wherein the first user identifier identifies a first account of the first user on the auction server;

disabling the item data stored in the game database so that the privilege is not available to the first user in the online game;

storing the transferred data in an auction database connected to the auction server;

presenting an auction for the game item at the auction server;

accepting one or more bids at the auction server for the game item;

determining a winning bid for the game item from among accepted bids, the winning bid indicating a second user identifier identifying a second account of the on the auction server;

transferring one or more non-financial items based on the winning bid from the second account to the first account;

updating the item data stored in the auction database so that the association of the item data is transferred from the first account to the second account; and

enabling the item data stored in the game database so that the privilege is available to the second user in the online game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-financial items include points stored in the second account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-financial items include a game item stored in the second account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-financial items include an online privilege stored in the second account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-financial items include an online certificate stored in the second account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-financial items include a representation of a physical item stored in the second account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring one or more non-financial items is performed by a points server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second account and the first account are maintained on the points server.

9. A method of transferring online privileges, comprising:

receiving a request for a payment including one or more non-financial items;

debiting the one or more non-financial items from a second account;

crediting the one or more non-financial items to a first account,

wherein the first account and the second account are accounts residing in a points servers and

transferring the online privileges from a first user associated with the first account to a second user associated with the second account.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request for a payment is received from an auction server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the request for a payment is received from a game server.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the payment is in exchange for the online privileges auctioned through an auction server.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a notice indicating a payment transaction status.

14. A system for transferring online privileges, comprising:

a game server having a network connection and storing data providing an online game and game environment;

a game database connected to said game server, said game database storing data representing one or more game items, data representing a first user game account, and data representing a second user game account, the game item associated with the first user game account;

an auction server having a network connection and connected to said game server though the network connections, and storing data providing an online auction for the one or more game items;

an auction database connected to said auction server, said auction database storing data representing the one or more game items received from said game server, data representing a first user auction account, and data representing a second user auction account;

a points server having a network connection and connected to said auction server though the network connections, and storing data to provide an online payment service for the one or more game items; and

a points database connected to said points server, said points database storing data representing a first user points account, and data representing a second user points account, the first and second user points accounts used to store one or more non-financial items.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said points server is connected to said game server though the network connections.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said points database stores data identifying the first user points account and data identifying the second user points account.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said points server transfers at least one of the non-financial items from the second user points account to the first user points account.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more non-financial items include points, game characters, game items, online privileges, online certificates, and representations of physical items.

19. A system for transferring online privileges, comprising:

a network interface to provide a network connection, to receive requests via the network connection for one or more non-financial payment transactions, and to send one or more notices via the network connection;

a points database to store data used for the one or more non-financial payment transactions, and to maintain two or more points accounts; and

a transaction control to facilitate the one or more non-financial payment transactions, including transferring at least one non-financial item from a second points account to a first points account in exchange for transferring of the online privileges from a first user associated with the first points account to a second user associated with the second points account.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the requests for one or more non-financial payment transactions are received from an auction server.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the requests for one or more non-financial payment transactions are received from a game server.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one non-financial item comprises

a point, a game character, a game item, an online privilege, an online certificate, and a representation of a physical item.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the two or more points accounts are registered to the first and second users.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for use in transferring online privileges, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

select a game item, which is represented by item data stored in a game database connected to the game server, to be transferred from a first user to a second user, the item data having an associated privilege in the online game;

retrieve the item data from the game database;

transfer the item data and a first user identifier to an auction server,

wherein the first user identifier identifies a first account of the first user on the auction server;

disable the item data stored in the game database so that the privilege is not available to the first user in the online game;

store the transferred data in an auction database connected to the auction server;

present an auction for the game item at the auction server;

accept one or more bids at the auction server for the game item;

determine a winning bid for the game item from among accepted bids, the winning bid indicating a second user identifier identifying a second account of the second user account on the auction server;

transfer one or more non-financial items based on the winning bid from the second account to the first user account;

update the item data stored in the auction database so that the association of the item data is transferred from the first account to the second account; and

enable the item data stored in the game database so that the privilege is available to the second user in the online game.