SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TOY ADOPTION AND MARKETING

• US 20110167485A1
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 8,500,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/36 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• 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 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Provided are a method and computer system that provide a virtual world. A server of the computer system includes a storage subsystem that stores two or more items of different personalized information about multiple different users, including different user identifications and passwords associated with the user identifications respectively representing the users. The server computer system is programmed to accept login credentials including a user identification and password and validate the login credentials. The server computer system is also programmed to control formation of a first user account and storage of the first user identification and first password. The storage subsystem stores information about registration codes that have not yet been entered. Further, the server computer system is programmed to accept entry of one or more of the registration codes that have not yet been entered and, based on entry of the registration codes, to associate stored information indicative of the one registration code with the first user identification.

Claims

1. A server computer system, comprising:

a storage subsystem, storing a plurality of items of different personalized information about multiple different users, said items of different personalized information including;

plural different user identifications and passwords associated with said user identifications respectively representing users,

plural registration information, each registration information including information that is based on a code individual to a specific item and a user,

said server computer system programmed to have a first function which accepts login credentials including a user identification and password, said first function operating for validating said login credentials,

said server computer system programmed to have a second function which controls forming a first user account and creating a first user identification and first password for the first user account, and storing said first user identification and first password among said plural different user identifications and passwords associated with said user identifications respectively representing users

said storage subsystem also storing information about registration codes that have not yet been entered,

said server computer system programmed to have an item registration function which accepts entry of one of said registration codes that have not yet been entered, and based on said entry of said one of said registration codes, retrieves first stored information from said storage subsystem that was previously associated with said one registration code and to provide said first stored information associated with said one registration code, said item registration function associating said first stored information indicative of the one registration code with said first user identification as said registration information that is stored in said storage subsystem, where said first stored information represents a virtual item,

said item registration function also accepts entry of a second of said registration codes that have not yet been entered, and based on said entry of said second of said registration codes, retrieves second stored information from said storage subsystem that was previously associated with said second registration code and to provide said second stored information associated with said second registration code, said item registration function associating said second stored information indicative of the second registration code with said first user identification as said registration information that is stored in said storage subsystem, such that said storage subsystem stores both said first stored information and said second stored information associated with said first user identification,

the server computer system also, responsive to said validating said first user identification, producing a virtual world which is individualized using information indicative of both said first and second stored information,

the server computer system producing information indicative of the virtual world to be shown to a user, including the virtual item; and

the storage subsystem receiving commands from the user indicative of interacting with said virtual world and creating outputs which show said interacting responsive to said commands.

2. A server as in claim 1, wherein said information stored in said storage subsystem about said registration codes includes a virtual temperament personality for the virtual item that is based on said one registration code.

3. A server as in claim 2, wherein said first and second stored information represent first and second virtual items.

4. A server as in claim 3 wherein said first and second virtual items are virtual toys, and wherein said registration codes are associated with individual characteristics of said first and second virtual toys.

5. A server as in claim 4, wherein said individual characteristics include an amount of hunger of the virtual toys.

6. A server as in claim 5, wherein the stored data includes user statistics, and wherein games are personalized using the user statistics as part of the games.

7. A server as in claim 5, wherein the stored data includes properties of the virtual toys, and wherein games are personalized using the properties of the virtual toys.

8. A server as in claim 1, wherein said item registration function also accepts entered information in addition to said first stored information, and stores both said entered information and said first stored information in said storage subsystem, and retrieves said first stored information from said storage subsystem that was previously associated with said one registration code and to provide said first stored information associated with said one registration code based on login credentials accepted by said server computer system using said first function.

9. A server as in claim 8, wherein said entered information is a gender of a virtual pet that is selected by said user.

10. A server as in claim 1, said storage subsystem also storing a family album for a virtual pet including a biography of the virtual pet.

11. A server computer system, comprising:

a storage subsystem, storing a plurality of items of different personalized information, including plural different user identifications and passwords associated with said user identifications,

said server computer system accepting login credentials including a user identification and password to access a user account,

said server computer system programmed to have an item registration function which accepts a registration code, validates the registration code, and based on said accepting of said registration code, retrieves stored information from said storage subsystem that was previously associated with said registration code, wherein each of a plurality of registration codes including said registration code are unique,

and said server computer system also accepts entered information that is received from a user during registration of said registration code, and stores both said entered information and said stored information in said storage subsystem, associated with said user account, and associated with said registration code;

where said server computer system retrieves stored account information about said user account from said storage subsystem based on receiving login credentials, and said server computer system provides said stored account information including both said entered information and said stored information associated with said registration code, based on receiving said login credentials,

said server computer system producing a virtual world which is individualized both based on all of said entered information and based on said stored information associated with said registration code.

12. A server as in claim 11, wherein said stored information from said storage subsystem that was previously associated with said registration code includes a virtual temperament personality for a virtual item that is based on said registration code.

13. A server as in claim 12, wherein said stored information represents the virtual item.

14. A server as in claim 13 wherein said virtual item is a virtual toy, and said registration code is associated with individual characteristics of said virtual toy.

15. A server as in claim 14, wherein said individual characteristics include an amount of hunger of the virtual toy.

16. A server as in claim 15, wherein the stored data includes user statistics, and wherein games are personalized using the user statistics as part of the games.

17. A server as in claim 15, wherein the stored data includes properties of the virtual toy, and wherein the games are personalized using the properties of the virtual toy.

18. A server as in claim 11, wherein said entered information is a gender of a virtual pet that is selected by a user.

19. A server as in claim 11, said storage subsystem also storing a family album for a virtual pet including a biography of the virtual pet.

20. A method, comprising:

sending login credentials including a user identification and password to access a remote user account,

registering a virtual pet using an item registration function by accepting a registration code;

responsive to accepting said registration code, receiving stored information from a remote server;

selecting a desired gender of said virtual pet being registered; and

subsequently receiving information that is based on both entered information and said stored information including said desired gender, responsive to sending said login credentials.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein said stored information includes a virtual temperament personality for the virtual pet that is based on said registration code.

22. A method as in claim 20 further comprising:

registering a second virtual pet using the item registration function by accepting a second registration code that is different than said first registration code; and

responsive to accepting said second registration code, receiving second stored information from the remote server, and storing both said first and second virtual pets associated with the same login credentials.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein individual characteristics of said first and second virtual pets include an amount of hunger of the first and second virtual pets.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein the stored information includes user statistics, and wherein games are personalized using the individual statistics as part of the games.

25. A method as in claim 20, wherein said registration code is unique.

26. A method of operating a virtual world, comprising:

storing a plurality of items of different personalized information about multiple different users in a computer-accessible storage medium, said items of different personalized information including;

plural different user identifications and passwords associated with said user identifications respectively representing users,

plural registration information, each registration information including information that is based on a code individual to a specific item and a user,

accepting login credentials including a user identification and password;

validating received login credentials;

forming a first user account and creating a first user identification and first password for the first user account, and storing said first user identification and first password among said plural different user identifications and passwords respectively representing users;

storing information about registration codes that have not yet been entered;

accepting entry of one of said registration codes that have not yet been entered, and based on said entry of said one of said registration codes, retrieving first stored information from said information about registration codes that have not yet been entered, and storing said first stored information associated with said one registration code associated with said first user account, where said first stored information represents a virtual item;

accepting entry of a second of said registration codes that have not yet been entered, and based on said entry, retrieving second stored information from said information about said registration codes that have not yet been entered, and storing said second stored information associated with said second registration code associated with said first user account, such that said first user account stores both said first stored information and said second stored information associated with said first user identification and first password,

responsive to said validating said first user identification, producing said virtual world which is individualized using information indicative of both said first and second stored information, and producing information indicative of the virtual world to be shown to the user, including said items being shown to the user; and

receiving commands from the first user indicative of interacting with said virtual item and creating outputs which show said interacting responsive to said commands.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein said information about said registration codes that have not yet been entered includes a virtual temperament personality for the virtual item that is based on said one registration code.

28. A method as in claim 26 wherein said virtual item is a virtual toy, and said one registration code is associated with individual characteristics of said virtual toy.

29. A method as in claim 28, wherein said individual characteristics include an amount of hunger of the virtual toy.

30. A method as in claim 26, further comprising accepting entered information in addition to said first and second stored information, and storing both said entered information and said first and second stored information, and retrieving said first and second stored information that was previously associated with said registration codes and to provide said stored information associated with said registration codes based on said validating.

31. A method as in claim 30, wherein said entered information is a gender of a virtual pet that is selected by a user.

32. A method, comprising:

storing a plurality of items of different personalized information, including plural different user identifications and passwords associated with said user identifications,

accepting login credentials including a user identification and password to access a user account,

accepting a registration code;

validating the registration code;

based on said validating the registration code, retrieving stored information from a storage subsystem that was previously associated with said registration code;

wherein each of a plurality of registration codes including said registration code are unique, and each represent a virtual item;

accepting entered information from a user during registering said registration code;

registering said registration code by storing both said entered information and said stored information associated with said registration code in said storage subsystem;

retrieving stored account information about said first user account from said storage subsystem based on receiving login credentials for said first user account, and providing said stored account information including both said entered information and said stored information associated with said registration code, based on receiving said login credentials; and

producing a virtual world which is individualized both based on all of said entered information and based on said stored information associated with said registration code.

33. A method as in claim 32, wherein said stored information from said storage subsystem that was previously associated with said registration code includes a virtual temperament personality for the virtual item that is based on said code.

34. A method as in claim 32 wherein said virtual items are virtual toys, and said code represents individual characteristics of said virtual toys.

35. A method as in claim 34, wherein said individual characteristics represent an amount of hunger of the virtual toys, where said amount of hunger is different than for other virtual toys.

36. A method as in claim 32, wherein said entered information is a gender of a virtual pet that is selected by said user.

37. A computer system, comprising:

a network connection;

a user interface, that is programmed to provide login credentials including a user identification and password to access a user account, and to receive an item registration function which accepts a registration code, and responsive to entering the registration code to retrieve stored information about a virtual item from said storage subsystem that was previously associated with said registration code,

wherein each of a plurality of said registration codes including said registration code are unique,

and said computer also accepts entered information from a user during registration of said registration code;

after said entering the registration code, receiving and displaying information about said user account including both said entered information and said stored information associated with said registration code; and

displaying a virtual world which is individualized both based on all of said entered information and based on said stored information associated with said registration code.

38. A computer as in claim 37, wherein said virtual items are virtual toys, and said virtual world includes individual characteristics of said virtual toys.

39. A computer as in claim 38, wherein said entered information comprises a gender of the virtual toys that is selected by a user.

40. A method, comprising:

receiving login credentials including a user identification and password to access a user account,

accepting a registration code that is different than other registration codes, and registering a virtual pet responsive to said accepting;

said registering comprising using said registration code to look up additional information from a storage device;

allowing selecting a desired gender of the virtual pet being registered;

storing information indicative of said desired gender; and

subsequently sending information that is based on both entered information and stored information including said desired gender, to a remote computer that sent said login credentials.

41. A method as in claim 40, wherein said stored information includes a virtual temperament personality for the virtual pet that is based on said registration code.

42. A method as in claim 40 further comprising registering a second virtual pet using an item registration function by accepting a second registration code that is different than said first registration code, and

responsive to accepting said second registration code, receiving second stored information from the remote server, and storing both said first and second virtual pets associated with the same login credentials.