System and method for toy adoption and marketing

• US 7,568,964 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US12/250,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20090029768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/470, 705/14, 705/16, 705/26, 705/27, 463/42
• US Class Current: 446/175
• 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

A method provides a virtual presentation includes providing a toy that is represented on a website via a virtual replica of the toy, wherein the toy is associated with a registration code; validating the registration code; responsive to said validating, displaying said virtual replica of the toy representing said toy on said website; providing at least one virtual room on the website for the virtual replica of the toy; offering one or more virtual furnishings for the at least one virtual room; providing content that allows the one or more virtual furnishings to be arranged in the at least one virtual room; and interacting the virtual replica of the toy with at least one of the one or more virtual furnishings.

Claims

1. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising:

providing a toy that is associated with a registration code;

using a computer system for validating the registration code received by a registration subsystem via a computer network;

responsive to said validating by said computer system, providing content from a virtual world subsystem on said computer system for displaying a virtual replica of the toy representing said toy on a website to be displayed by a user computer;

using said computer system for providing at least one virtual room on the website for the virtual replica of the toy;

using said computer system for offering one or more virtual furnishings for the at least one virtual room;

using said computer system for providing content that allows the one or more virtual furnishings to be arranged in the at least one virtual room; and

interacting the virtual replica of the toy with at least one of the one or more virtual furnishings, wherein said interacting is presented on said website via an animated display of said virtual replica of the toy exhibiting a response to said interacting, said response comprising a video component and/or an audio component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the arranging of the one or more virtual furnishings is based at least in part on a type of each of the one or more virtual furnishings and a type of the at least one virtual room.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising arranging an outdoor specific virtual item in an outdoor specific virtual room.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting with at least one of the one or more virtual furnishings comprises sitting the virtual replica of the toy down on a virtual chair.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising expanding the at least one virtual room to create a virtual house.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising offering one or more virtual items to the virtual replica of the toy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more virtual items comprise virtual toys that the virtual replica of the toy plays with.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual furnishings comprises a plurality of virtual furnishings that interact with each other.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein interactions between each one of the plurality of virtual furnishings comprises at least one of sliding virtual chairs to a table, hanging a virtual picture on a virtual wall, and setting virtual dishes on a virtual table.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the toy occurs automatically at a time of purchase.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising interacting with at least one other virtual replica of an additional toy that is present on the website, wherein interacting comprises communicating with the at least one other virtual replica of the additional toy.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising using virtual currency to obtain the one or more virtual furnishings.

13. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising:

providing a toy that is associated with a registration code;

using a computer for validating the registration code;

using the computer providing information indicative of at least one virtual room on the website for the toy;

using the computer for providing content from a virtual world subsystem to be transmitted to the user computer for displaying a virtual replica of the toy representing said toy in said virtual room on a website to be displayed by a user computer;

offering one or more virtual furnishings for the at least one virtual room;

allowing the one or more virtual furnishings to be arranged in the at least one virtual room; and

using the computer for interacting the virtual replica of the toy with at least one of the one or more virtual furnishings, wherein an appearance of the virtual replica of the toy displayed on said website changes in response to said interacting to simulate sitting down on the one or more virtual furnishings.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more virtual furnishings comprises a plurality of virtual furnishings that interact with each other.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising using virtual currency to obtain the one or more virtual furnishings.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising arranging an outdoor specific virtual item in an outdoor specific virtual room.

17. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising:

providing a toy that is associated with a registration code;

using a computer for validating the registration code;

using the computer for providing content from a virtual world subsystem to be transmitted to the user computer for displaying a virtual replica of the toy on a website to be displayed by a user computer;

using the computer for providing at least one virtual room on the website for the virtual replica of the toy;

using the computer for offering one or more virtual furnishings for the at least one virtual room;

using the computer for providing content that allows the one or more virtual furnishings to be arranged in a customized fashion in the at least one virtual room, wherein a position of each the one or more virtual furnishings depends on a type of the one or more virtual furnishings and a type of the at least one virtual room; and

interacting the virtual replica of the toy with at least one of the one or more virtual furnishings, wherein said interacting is presented on said website via an animated display of said virtual replica of the toy exhibiting a response to said interacting, said response comprising at least one of a video component and an audio component.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more virtual furnishings comprises a plurality of virtual furnishings that interact with each other.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising using virtual currency to obtain the one or more virtual furnishings.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising arranging an outdoor specific virtual item in an outdoor specific virtual room.