Conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to in-game funds for in-game purchases
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- at least one of one or more computers establishing an account for non-negotiable credits provided by an entity to one or more users;
at least one of one or more computers detecting interactions earning a quantity of non-negotiable credits, wherein the quantity of non-negotiable credits from the interactions are added to the account, wherein in absence of a conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to in-game funds, a commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for in-game purchases for a computer game, wherein the computer game is owned or controlled by the commerce partner; and
at least one of one or more computers subtracting a quantity of the non-negotiable credits from the account, the subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponding to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of the in-game funds in accordance with agreement terms established by the commerce partner and the entity, wherein the commerce partner is compensated for granting the in-game funds for the non-negotiable credits.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, an account is established for non-negotiable credits provided by an entity to one or more users. Interactions that earn a quantity of non-negotiable credits are detected. The quantity of non-negotiable credits from the interactions is added to the account. In absence of a conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to in-game funds, a commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for in-game purchases for a computer game. The computer game is owned or controlled by the commerce partner. A quantity of the non-negotiable credits is subtracted from the account. The subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponds to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of the in-game funds in accordance with agreement terms established by the commerce partner and the entity. The commerce partner is compensated.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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at least one of one or more computers establishing an account for non-negotiable credits provided by an entity to one or more users; at least one of one or more computers detecting interactions earning a quantity of non-negotiable credits, wherein the quantity of non-negotiable credits from the interactions are added to the account, wherein in absence of a conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to in-game funds, a commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for in-game purchases for a computer game, wherein the computer game is owned or controlled by the commerce partner; and at least one of one or more computers subtracting a quantity of the non-negotiable credits from the account, the subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponding to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of the in-game funds in accordance with agreement terms established by the commerce partner and the entity, wherein the commerce partner is compensated for granting the in-game funds for the non-negotiable credits. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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at least one of one or more computers providing a computer game, which one or more users play, wherein the computer game is owned or controlled by a commerce partner; at least one of one or more computers providing the one or more users with one or more in-game purchasing options, wherein the one or more in-game purchasing options are for one or more in-game purchases of one or more of;
a virtual good for the computer game, an unlocking of a feature of the computer game for the one or more users, an advance in the computer game for the one or more users, additional experience points for a player character in the computer game, additional in-game gold or in-game currency for the one or more users, or combinations thereof, wherein the in-game purchasing options requires the one or more users to have accumulated a designated quantity of in-game funds in a game account maintained or owned by the commerce partner for the one or more users;at least one of the one or more computers receiving a converted quantity of in-game funds resulting from a conversion of a set of non-negotiable credits into the converted quantity of in-game funds, wherein the non-negotiable credits are stored in an credit account maintained by an entity for the one or more users, wherein the non-negotiable credits are not able to be directly used for the in-game purchases until the non-negotiable credits are converted to in-game funds; and at least one of the one or more computers adding the converted quantity of in-game funds to the game account, which increases an ability of the one or more users to make the one or more in-game purchases. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program product comprising:
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one or more computer-readable, storage devices; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to be executed by one or more processors causing a graphical user interface to be presented upon a visual display device, said graphical user interface showing a quantity of non-negotiable credits earned through previous interactions with an entity, the graphical user interface comprising a conversion option to convert at least a subset of the shown non-negotiable credits into in-game funds, wherein the in-game funds are accepted by a commerce partner as at least partial payment for one or more in-game purchases, wherein the commerce partner provides a computer game that one or more users play, wherein the commerce partner is not said entity, wherein in absence of converting the non-negotiable credits into in-game funds the commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits as payment for the one or more in-game purchases; and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to responsive to a selection of the conversion option and resulting processed occurring, the graphical user interface is changed to show a quantity of available in-game funds for use as payment for the one or more in-game purchases, said quantity of available in-game funds resulting from converting the subset of non-negotiable credits into in-game funds. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification