Item customization and website customization

• US 8,255,807 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard, Borst, Karl Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRETT, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US12/554,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 715/747, 705/14.56, 705/26.5
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Customized item that is usable on both a website as an item in a virtual world, and outside the website as a tangible item in the real world is provided and described. One single customization is used to create both items. The item can be the same in the virtual world as it is in the virtual world, or can be different in the virtual world.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a server computer that creates a user interface on a website and that accepts a code to register an item, and said register of the item stores information indicative of an avatar in a user account, wherein said avatar is indicative of said item, and said register allows a user to enter customization information, said customization information including information that customizes said avatar; and

an interface part that produces outputs to create a customized version of said avatar based on said customization information to produce a tangible version of said avatar based on said customization information, and wherein said outputs include a second code which is provided to a user, said second code being redeemable on a second website to create said tangible version of said avatar,

wherein said tangible version of said avatar includes a customized item of clothing, a customized room decoration, a customized furnishing, a customized dish, a customized cup, a customized toy, or a customized pet supply.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said computer further comprises an obscenity filter which limits the customization information based on detecting at least one of obscenity and proscribed content.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said website creates a virtual representation of said item on said website.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said server computer also imports information indicative of customized avatars from other sites, and uses those customized avatars to produce said tangible version.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein said item is an item of clothing of a type wherein a virtual representation of said item can be worn by a character on said website.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said item is a room furnishing, and a virtual representation of said item is used to decorate a virtual room on said website.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said information is a first code which, when entered into the website, causes a virtual version of a customized item to be shown on said website.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein said outputs include a second code which is redeemed to obtain said tangible version of said avatar.

9. A system as in claim 1, further comprising another website, said another website accepting a character code to obtain a virtual character on said another website, and wherein said virtual character interacts with a virtual version of said item.

10. A system as in claim 1, further comprising another website which receives directly said information and automatically causes a virtual version of said item to be created on said another website.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein a virtual version of said item and said tangible version look the same.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein a virtual version of said item and said tangible version look different but are based on the same customization information.

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein said server computer produces another user interface portion that controls virtually caring for said avatar by the user.

14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said virtually caring for changes a parameter in said user account associated with said avatar.

15. A system as in claim 14, where said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing health, happiness and hunger of a virtual persona of the avatar.

16. A system as in claim 1, wherein said server computer produces another user interface portion that controls virtually training by a user.

17. A system as in claim 16, wherein said virtually training changes a parameter in said user account associated with said avatar.

18. A system as in claim 17, where said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing skills, attributes and talents that control interacting with the avatar.

19. A method, comprising:

customizing a virtual item representing an avatar on a computer using a user interface;

providing first information that controls customizing a virtual item representing a virtual customized item that is separate from said avatar and usable with said avatar, said virtual item being viewable over a network based on said computer; and

providing second information that controls obtaining a tangible item representing said virtual customized item based on said customizing, the tangible item and the virtual item based on said customizing, wherein said first information is a first code which is entered into a website to cause a virtual representation of said customized item to be shown on said website, and said second information is a second code that is redeemed on a separate website to create said tangible item,

wherein said tangible item representing said virtual customized item is a customized item of clothing, a customized room decoration, a customized furnishing, a customized dish, a customized cup, a customized toy, or a customized pet supply.

20. A method as in claim 19, further comprising entering a character code into a website to obtain a virtual character on the website, and wherein said virtual character interacts with the virtual item.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein said item is an item of clothing of a type where said virtual item can be worn by an avatar on the website.

22. A method as in claim 20, wherein said item is a room decoration, and said virtual item is used to decorate a virtual room on the website.

23. A method as in claim 19, wherein said first information is a code which, when entered into a website, causes said virtual item representing said customized item to be shown on said website.

24. A method as in claim 19, wherein said second information is a code which is redeemed to obtain said tangible item.

25. A method as in claim 19, wherein said first and second codes are redeemed on the same website.

26. A method as in claim 19, wherein said virtual item and said tangible item look the same.

27. A method as in claim 19, wherein said virtual item and said tangible item look different but are based on the same customization information.

28. A method as in claim 19, further comprising limiting the customizing based on an obscenity filter.

29. A method as in claim 19, further comprising virtually caring for the virtual customized item by a user.

30. A method as in claim 29, wherein said virtually caring for the virtual customized item changes a parameter in a user account associated with said virtual customized item.

31. A method as in claim 30, where said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing health, happiness and hunger of a virtual persona of the virtual customized item.

32. A method as in claim 19, further comprising virtually training said virtual customized item by a user.

33. A method as in claim 32, wherein said virtually training changes a parameter in a user account associated with said virtual customized item.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing skills, attributes and talents that allow interacting with the virtual customized item.

35. A method as in claim 19, wherein said virtual customized item is registered based on a code that is associated with a tangible product that is purchased by a user.

36. A system, comprising:

a server computer that presents a first user interface to users which controls registering an avatar based on a code entered into a website, where the code represents a specific avatar that is different than another avatar, and wherein said server computer includes information about multiple customized avatars associated with a user account, where there are a number of different avatar characters, and a first user'"'"'s customized avatar for a first character is different from a second user'"'"'s customized avatar for said first character; and

said server computer recognizing a selection of one of said multiple customized avatars, and forming customizing information that defines customization of an item and that produces customization information indicative of the customized item with the at least one of the first user'"'"'s and second user'"'"'s customized avatar, said customization information allowing creating a tangible version of the customized item and said server computer producing a code which is redeemed to obtain said tangible version of the customized item,

wherein said tangible version of said customized item is a customized item of clothing, a customized room decoration, a customized furnishing, a customized dish, a customized cup, a customized toy, or a customized pet supply.

37. A system as in claim 36, further comprising a device that controls creating said tangible version from the customization information.

38. A system as in claim 36, wherein said server computer further creates an intangible version of said customized item from said customization information.

39. A system as in claim 38, wherein said intangible version of said customized item has at least one part that looks different from said tangible version of said customized item, but is based on the same customization information.

40. A system as in claim 36, further comprising a different website than that hosted by said server computer, said different website controlling customization of said avatar that is displayed by said server computer.

41. A system as in claim 36, wherein said user interface shows a pull-down menu which displays a plurality of the user'"'"'s customized avatars as part of said pull-down menu.

42. A system as in claim 36, wherein said server computer produces a second user interface that controls interacting with said customized avatar to change a characteristic of said customized avatar through said interacting.

43. A system as in claim 42, wherein said interacting comprises virtually caring for said customized avatar by the user.

44. A system as in claim 43, wherein said virtually caring for said customized avatar changes a parameter in said user account associated with said avatar.

45. A system as in claim 44, where said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing health, happiness and hunger of a virtual persona of the avatar.

46. A system as in claim 43, wherein said server computer produces a third user interface for said interacting that controls virtually training by a user.

47. A system as in claim 46, wherein said virtually training changes a parameter in said user account associated with said avatar.

48. A system as in claim 47, where said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing skills, attributes and talents that control interacting with the avatar.

49. A method, comprising:

controlling customization of a generic avatar on a first website to create a first customized avatar;

controlling the first customized avatar in a first way to carry out a first function on the first website;

controlling customization of the generic avatar on a second website to create a second customized avatar;

using the second customized avatar in a second way on the second website, where the second way is different than the first way; and

on a third website, importing both the first and second customized avatars, and creating a customized item using at least one of said first and second customized avatars to create a virtual version of the customized item on the third website as a virtual customized item, and providing information that creates a tangible version of the customized item, said information also being based on said virtual customized item,

wherein said tangible version of said customized item is a customized item of clothing, a customized room decoration, a customized furnishing, a customized dish, a customized cup, a customized toy, or a customized pet supply.

50. A method as in claim 49, wherein said using the first customized avatar in the first way comprises interacting with said first customized avatar to change a characteristic of said first customized avatar through said interacting with the first customized avatar, and wherein said using the second customized avatar in the second way comprises forming the customized item based on the second customized avatar.

51. A method as in claim 50, wherein said first customized avatar is registered based on a code that is associated with a tangible product that is purchased by a user.

52. A method as in claim 49, wherein said controlling the first customized avatar in the first way comprises virtually caring for the first customized avatar by a user.

53. A method as in claim 52, wherein said virtually caring for changes a parameter in a user account associated with said first customized avatar.

54. A method as in claim 53, where said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing health, happiness and hunger of a virtual persona of the first customized avatar.

55. A method as in claim 49, wherein said controlling the customized avatar in the first way comprises virtually training said first customized avatar by a user.

56. A method as in claim 55, wherein said virtually training changes a parameter in a user account associated with said first customized avatar.

57. A method as in claim 56, where said parameter is one of multiple parameters representing skills, attributes and talents that allow interacting with the first customized avatar.