System and method for toy adoption and marketing

• US 8,808,053 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• 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:
  US13/718,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/470, 463/42, 705/14, 705/16, 705/27, 715/706
• 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 computer system provides a virtual world. The computer system includes a server subsystem serving virtual world data, via a communication network, and receives data and/or commands. A registration subsystem, coupled to the server subsystem, verifies information from a toy, registers the toy, and determines a quantity of toys registered by a user who is registering the toy. The verifying includes determining the validity of the information. A virtual world providing subsystem, coupled to the server subsystem, provides the virtual world data, which produces data that presents the virtual world. The virtual world data includes a virtual toy representing the toy and a reward provided to the user for registering the toy. The reward is based on the quantity of toys previously registered by the user, such that the reward received for registering the toy is different than another reward previously received by the user for registering another toy.

Claims

1. A physical product and computer system for providing a virtual world to a user of said physical product, the computer system comprising:

a server subsystem serving virtual world data, via a communication network, and for receiving one or both of data and commands;

a registration subsystem, coupled to said server subsystem, verifying said physical product, registering said physical product to a user responsive to said verifying, and determining a quantity of physical products registered by said user in a single user account, wherein the verifying includes determining a validity of said physical product; and

a virtual world providing subsystem providing the virtual world data, wherein

the virtual world data is for use to present the virtual world to the user, and wherein

the virtual world includes a virtual character and the virtual world includes a reward provided to the user for registering said physical product, and wherein

said virtual world providing subsystem also operates, responsive to said determining the quantity of physical products registered by said user, to provide said reward as a first reward to a user who has only one physical product registered and as a second reward, greater than said first reward, to a user who has a predetermined quantity of physical products registered, the predetermined quantity being greater than one.

2. The physical product and computer system of claim 1, wherein the first reward comprises a first quantity of virtual cash, and wherein the second reward comprises a second quantity of virtual cash that is greater than the first quantity of virtual cash.

3. The physical product and computer system of claim 1, wherein the second reward is more valuable than the first reward.

4. The physical product and computer system of claim 1, wherein said verifying said physical product comprises verifying a code that is associated with said physical product.