System and method for toy adoption and marketing

• US 8,002,605 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US12/360,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 463/42, 715/706
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/36 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method, system and toy that provides a product that is represented on a website via a virtual replica of the product. The product has a registration code associated with it. Data associated with the product is electronically stored in the product using an electronic storage medium. A user is registered on the website by associating the user with a user ID. The user ID is associated with the virtual replica of the product by utilizing the registration code. Access is granted to one or more features on the website in connection with the virtual replica of the product subsequent to input and validation of the registration code via the user ID without requiring additional entry of the registration code.

Claims

1. A system for providing a virtual world, comprising:

a server system storing registration data relating to a plurality of registration codes, said plurality of registration codes uniquely respectively corresponding to of a plurality of products, said server system operating for communicating electronically with a storage device that is attached to one of the products, where said communicating comprises electronically receiving remote data representing at least one registration code from said storage device attached to said product;

said server system serving content, via a communication network, directed to a user computer, and for receiving the registration code transmitted from the storage device via one or both of the communication network;

said server system operating for registering a user and associating that user with a user ID, also for verifying said remote data against said registration data relating to said plurality of registration codes, and subsequently registering the one of said plurality of products corresponding to said one of said plurality of registration codes in said system after said verifying; and

said server system providing virtual world data;

wherein

said virtual world data includes information that is sent to the user computer, and includes information for the user computer to present a virtual world to the user, wherein

said virtual world provided by said virtual world providing subsystem is associated with said user ID and said virtual world includes a virtual product representing said one of said plurality of products, wherein

said virtual product is based on said registration data and said registration data is of a form that distinguishes said one of said products from at least another one of said products, and wherein

subsequent to verifying said remote data stored in said storage device, said system is adapted to provide access to said virtual world via said user ID without requiring subsequent entry of said registration code

wherein said virtual world provides a plurality of activities for the user to participate in via interactions with the virtual product on the user computer;

wherein said plurality of activities include the following activities;

playing a game;

playing with said virtual product;

playing with said virtual product along with an additional virtual product;

virtually using an additional virtual room in said virtual world; and

hosting chatting between users on said virtual world.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said content served to the user computer is served to a browser application executing on the user computer capable of displaying web pages including html code.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the communication network and the additional communication network is the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said registration data relating to the plurality of registration codes includes said plurality of registration codes.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of registration codes is received via a reading device at the user computer for automatically reading said one of said plurality of registration codes from the storage device and wherein

said server system receives said one of said plurality of registration codes via the communication network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said storage device is an RF tag, a USB key, or a Bluetooth wireless device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of products comprises one or more toys.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one of music, a homework assignment, a favorite website link, a photograph, online data associated with what the product has learned during online activities, user information, and product information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote data received from said storage device includes said registration code.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein

said server system is further for verifying other remote data relating to another one of said plurality of registration codes against said registration data relating to said plurality of registration codes, and subsequently registering another one of said plurality of products corresponding to said another one of said plurality of registration codes in said system after said verifying, wherein

said virtual world further includes a virtual product representing said another product, and further wherein

subsequent to verifying said another one of said plurality of registration codes, said system is adapted to provide user access to said virtual world via said user ID without using said another registration code.

11. A system for providing a virtual world, comprising:

a server system storing registration data relating to a plurality of registration codes, said plurality of registration codes corresponding respectively to a plurality of products;

said server system having a connection to a communication network, and serving content on said connection directed to a user computer,

said server system receiving one of said plurality of registration codes transmitted from the user computer via the communication network, and said server system including a program that receives said one registration code electronically in a form whereby said one registration code has been received from an electronic storage device that is coupled to one of said products;

said server system verifying said one of said plurality of registration codes against said registration data relating to said plurality of registration codes, and subsequently registering one of said plurality of products corresponding to said one of said plurality of registration codes in said system after said verifying; and

said server system providing virtual world data;

wherein

said virtual world data includes information-that represents a virtual world for the user, and wherein

said virtual world provided by said-server system includes a virtual product representing said one of said plurality of products, wherein said virtual product is based on said registration data and is of a form that distinguishes one of said products from another one of said products, and wherein said system associates said data in said storage device with said virtual product, and further wherein

said virtual world provides a plurality of activities for the user to participate in via interactions with the virtual product on the user computer, said plurality of activities including;

playing a game;

playing with said virtual product;

playing with said virtual product along with an additional virtual product representing an additional one of said plurality of products registered by an additional user via interactions by the additional user with an additional user computer; and

chatting with the additional user using the user computer and the additional user computer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of registration codes corresponds to one of said plurality of products.

13. A system for providing a virtual world, comprising:

a server system, operating for storing data relating to a plurality of registration codes, said plurality of registration codes uniquely respectively corresponding to a plurality of products;

said server system having a connection to a network and serving content, via said connection, directed to a user computer,

said server system also receiving one of said plurality of registration codes over said connection from a storage device associated with the one of said plurality of products to which said one of said plurality of registration codes corresponds;

said server registering a user and associating that user with a user ID, said server system also verifying said one of said plurality of registration codes against said data relating to said plurality of registration codes, and subsequently registering said one of said plurality of products corresponding to said one of said plurality of registration codes in said server system after said verifying; and

said server system providing virtual world data, wherein

said virtual world data is included in said content and is of a type that represents a virtual world to the user, and wherein

said virtual world data is associated with said user ID and said virtual world data includes a virtual product representing said one of said plurality of products, and further wherein

said virtual world data provides a plurality of activities for the user to participate in through user interactions, and wherein

said virtual product-is included as part of said virtual world data; and

wherein

subsequent to verifying said one of said plurality of registration codes, said server system-provides access to said virtual world via said user ID without requiring subsequent entry of said registration code,

wherein said plurality of activities include the following activities;

playing a game;

playing with said virtual product;

playing with said virtual product along with an additional virtual product ;

virtually using an additional virtual room in said virtual world; and

hosting chatting between users on said virtual world.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data comprises at least one of music, a homework assignment, a favorite website link, a photograph, said one of said plurality of registration codes, online data associated with what the product has learned during online activities, user information, and product information.

15. A system for providing a virtual world comprising:

a server system for serving content, said server system having a connection to a communication network, and said server system receiving data and commands from a user computer over said connection;

said server system running a program that interfaces to receive information indicative of the product electronically from an electronic storage device that is attached to said product;

said server system registering a user and associating said user with a user ID, said server system also for verifying and registering the product, wherein said verifying includes determining a validity of the product based on said information from said electronic storage device, and wherein said registering grants access to a restricted portion of the system where said restricted portion of the system cannot be accessed prior to said verifying and registering said product;

said server system providing virtual world data, wherein

said virtual world data includes information that directs the user computer to present a virtual world to the user, wherein

said virtual world is associated with said user ID and said virtual world includes a virtual product representing the product, said virtual product being of a form that distinguishes said product from another product; and

wherein

said virtual world provides a plurality of activities for the user to participate in via interactions with the virtual product on the user computer; and

wherein said server system associates data received from the storage device with said virtual world providing subsystem for providing said representing, and wherein

subsequent to verifying said one of said plurality of registration codes, said server system is adapted to provide access to said virtual world via said user ID without requiring subsequent entry of said registration code, wherein said plurality of activities include the following activities;

playing a game;

playing with said virtual product;

playing with said virtual product along with an additional virtual product;

virtually using an additional virtual room in said virtual world; and

hosting chatting between users on said virtual world.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said virtual world provides a plurality of activities for the user to participate in via interactions with the user computer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data comprises at least one of music, a homework assignment, a favorite website link, a photograph, said one of said plurality of registration codes, online data associated with what the product has learned during online activities, user information, and product information.

18. A method that provides a virtual world presentation comprising the steps of:

representing a first product on a website via a first virtual replica of the first product,

associating a first registration code from the first product with the website, said associating comprising retrieving electronically data from the first product stored in a first electronic storage medium;

representing a second product on a website via a second virtual replica of the second product,

associating a second registration code from the second product with the website, said associating comprising retrieving electronically data from the second product stored in a second electronic storage medium;

registering a user on the website by associating the user with a user ID;

associating said user ID with said first virtual replica of the product by utilizing said first registration code;

associating said user ID with said second virtual replica of the product by utilizing said second registration code; and

granting access to one or more of a plurality of features on the website in connection with the first and second virtual replicas of the first and second products subsequent to input and validation of the first and second registration codes via said user ID without requiring additional retrieving of said first and second registration codes, wherein said virtual world provides a plurality of activities for the user to participate in via interactions with the first and second virtual replicas on the user computer;

wherein said plurality of activities include the following activities;

playing a game;

playing with said first and second virtual replica;

playing with said first virtual replica along with an additional virtual replica;

virtually using an additional virtual room in said virtual world; and

hosting chatting between users on said virtual world.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

requiring a purchase of the product in order to obtain the registration code associated therewith; and

registering the product via the registration code on the website.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein registering the product via the registration code comprises automatically registering the product at a time of purchase.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein registering the product via the registration code comprises manually registering the product after purchase via a user computer connected to at least one communication network.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the registration code is automatically activated upon purchase of the product and the granting access performed automatically after the product is purchased.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the registration code is stored in the electronic storage medium.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying the virtual replica of the product on a user interface.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprises serving content for displaying a plurality of items available for virtual purchase on the website.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising serving content for displaying a virtual living environment on the website for the first virtual replica to interact in with at least one other virtual replica.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the virtual living environment comprises one or more virtual rooms.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the one or more virtual rooms accepts data for customizing the rooms.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the virtual living environment comprises a virtual house and a virtual outdoor yard.

30. The method of claim 24 further comprising providing a plurality of games for a user to play.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of games are at least one of single player games and multi-player games.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the first registration code is unique to the first product and the second registration code is unique to the second product.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual world presentation further comprises at least one of the following:

graphic images, animation, sound, recorded images, and live images.

34. A toy and system for providing a virtual,

said toy comprising:

a toy body;

an electronic storage device associated with said toy body that stores data associated with the toy; and

a registration code that is included in said data that is stored in the storage device, wherein said registration code is electronically transmitted from the storage device to the system via the Internet,

said system comprising;

a server subsystem for serving virtual world data for presenting the virtual world, and for electronically receiving said registration code via the Internet;

a storage subsystem for storing data relating to a plurality of registration codes, each of the registration codes corresponding to one of a plurality of toys, wherein said toy is one of the plurality of toys;

a registration subsystem for verifying said registration code against the data relating to the plurality of registration codes, and subsequently registering said toy in the system after the verifying,

a virtual world providing subsystem for providing the virtual world data to a user via a user computer connected to the Internet in response to registration of said registration code that was electronically received, wherein

the virtual world includes a virtual toy representing said toy, wherein

the virtual world data provided to the user computer is provided to a browser application executing on the user computer and capable of displaying web pages using html, wherein

the virtual world provides a plurality of activities for the user and the virtual toy to participate in via interactions with the user computer, the plurality of activities including all of virtually feeding the virtual toy, playing with the virtual toy, virtually purchasing virtual furnishings for a virtual room in the virtual world using virtual cash, and virtually purchasing virtual food for the virtual toy using the virtual cash for virtually feeding to the virtual toy in the virtual world.

35. A toy for utilizing a system for providing a virtual world for a user of said toy, said toy comprising:

a toy body;

an electronic storage device associated with said toy body that stores data associated with the toy; and

a registration code stored in said electronic storage device,

wherein the toy provides said registration code from said storage device to the system, said registration code being adapted to register said toy to a user account to which at least one other toy has been registered, to verify said toy, and to present a virtual world directed to the user via a user computer connected to a communication network in response to registration of said registration code, and

wherein the virtual world includes a virtual toy representing said toy and at least one other virtual toy representing said at least one other toy registered to the user account, wherein said virtual world provides a plurality of activities for the user to participate in via interactions with the virtual toy and the at least one other virtual toy on the user computer;

wherein said plurality of activities include the following activities;

playing a game;

playing with said virtual toy;

playing with said at least one other virtual toy;

playing with said virtual toy along with an additional virtual toy;

playing with said at least one other vitual toy along with an additional virtual toy;

virtually using an additional virtual room in said virtual world; and

hosting chanting between users on said virtual world.

36. The toy of claim 35, wherein said registration code is included in said data that is stored in the storage device, and wherein said registration code is electronically transmitted from the storage device to the user computer, and then said user computer submits the registration code to the system via one or both of the communication network and an additional communication network.

37. The toy of claim 35, wherein the system comprises:

a server subsystem for serving virtual world data to the user computer for presenting the virtual world, and for receiving said registration code transmitted from the user computer via one or both of the communication network and an additional communication network;

a storage subsystem for storing data relating to a plurality of registration codes, each of the registration codes corresponding to one of a plurality of toys, wherein said toy is one of the plurality of toys;

a registration subsystem for verifying said registration code against the data relating to the plurality of registration codes, and subsequently registering said toy in the system after the verifying; and

a virtual world providing subsystem for providing the virtual world data.

38. The toy of claim 37, wherein said data relating to a plurality of registration codes includes said plurality of registration codes.

39. The toy of claim 35, wherein the plurality of activities further includes one or more of the following activities:

providing a virtual medical checkup for the virtual toy;

virtually purchasing virtual furnishings for a virtual room in the virtual world using virtual cash;

virtually furnishing the virtual room in the virtual world;

virtually purchasing virtual food for the virtual toy using the virtual cash;

virtually feeding the virtual toy; and

virtually adding an additional virtual room in the virtual world.

40. The toy of claim 39, wherein the plurality of activities include all of:

providing a virtual medical checkup for the virtual toy;

virtually purchasing virtual furnishings for a virtual room in the virtual world using virtual cash;

virtually furnishing the virtual room in the virtual world;

virtually purchasing virtual food for the virtual toy using the virtual cash;

virtually feeding the virtual toy; and

virtually adding an additional virtual room in the virtual world.

41. The toy of claim 39, wherein the virtual toy virtually participates in one or more of the plurality of activities in the virtual world via the interactions.

42. The toy of claim 35, wherein

said registration code is electronically stored in said storage device, and wherein

said registration code is automatically entered into the user computer by utilizing a reading device for reading the electronically stored registration code from the storage device, the reading device being included in, or connected to, the user computer, and wherein the user computer thereafter submits said registration code to the system.

43. The toy of claim 42, wherein the storage device is at least one of an RF tag, a USB key, and a Bluetooth wireless device.