Virtual goods having nested content and system and method for distributing the same

• US 9,430,791 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bimodal, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bimodal, LLC
• Inventors: Sutton-Shearer, Drake
• Primary Examiner(s): Haq, Naeem
• Application Number:
  US13/068,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.44, 463/32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent

Abstract

Virtual goods having nested content are distributed. The virtual goods can be branded or not branded. The nested content can be virtual goods, digital media (music files, video files, pictures and/or other digital media), promotional content (e.g., coupons, incentives, advertisements and/or other promotional content) and/or other nested content. The nested content can include one or more units or combinations of units.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

physical, non-transient, electronic storage media storing an underlying file associated with a virtual good that is expressed in one or more virtual environments; and

one or more processors configured to;

access a definition of an expression of the virtual good stored in the underlying file, and to effectuate presentation of the expression on electronic displays of client computing platforms of users receiving views of the one or more virtual environments to represent an instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments;

access a definition of nested content stored in the underlying file, the nested content being offered only to a first user associated with the instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments;

access dispersal criteria stored in the underlying file, wherein the dispersal criteria defines interaction with the instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments required by the first user that will result in the nested content associated with the instance of the virtual good being dispersed to the first user;

monitoring interaction by the first user with the instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments to determine whether interaction by the first user with the instance of the virtual good has satisfied the dispersal criteria; and

responsive to a determination that interaction by the first user with the instance of the virtual good has satisfied the dispersal criteria, effectuating dispersal of the nested content to the first user,

wherein one or more of the expression, the nested content, or the dispersal criteria is identified by a unique identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured such that effectuating dispersal of the nested content to the first user includes dispersing the nested content to the first user through the instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is configured to facilitate determination of a metric expressing an amount, rate, or proportion at which a specific event occurred with respect to virtual goods having a common expression with the virtual good.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is configured to facilitate determination of a metric expressing an amount, rate, or proportion at which a specific event occurred with respect to virtual goods having nested content in common with the virtual good.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is configured to facilitate determination of a metric expressing an amount, rate, or proportion at which a specific event occurred with respect to the virtual good distributed to users having a common characteristic.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the common characteristic is one or more of a demographic characteristic, a system usage characteristic, or a relationship in the one or more virtual environments with a common user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the common characteristic is a demographic characteristic, and wherein the demographic characteristic comprises one or more of age, gender, marital status, education level, or geographic location.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual environments comprise a plurality of virtual environments.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of virtual environments comprise two or more of a social networking website, a microblogging service, a dedicated mobile application, or a virtual space.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein an event that occurs within a given one of the plurality of virtual environments that impacts the expression of the virtual good in the given virtual environment also impacts the expression of the virtual good in at least one of the other ones of the virtual environments.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

monitor a condition of the instance of the virtual good to determine whether the instance of the virtual good should be triggered to transition from a first phase to a second phase, the first phase including the nested content being offered only to the first user; and

when the condition is met;

trigger the transition of the instance of the virtual good from the first phase to the second phase; and

select and access a definition of a second unit of nested content stored in the underlying file, the second unit of the nested content being offered only to the first user associated with the instance of the virtual good and being different from the nested content being offered in the first phase,

wherein the definition of the second unit of the nested content is selected as a function of at least one of;

previous activity by the first user, preferences set by the first user, ratings of nested content by the first users, and demographic information of the first user.

12. A system configured to provide virtual goods to users within one or more virtual environments, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a goods creation module configured to create virtual goods, wherein creation of a virtual good comprises determining criteria defining the virtual good, the criteria comprising;

expression criteria defining an expression of the virtual good stored in an underlying file, and to effectuate presentation of the expression on electronic displays of client computing platforms of users receiving views of the one or more virtual environments to represent an instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments;

a definition of nested content stored in the underlying file defining nested content offered only to a first user associated with the instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments; and

dispersal criteria defining stored in the underlying file, wherein the dispersal criteria defines interaction with the instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments required by the first user that will result in the nested content associated with the instance of the virtual good being dispersed to the first user;

a goods distribution module configured to distribute virtual goods to users of the one or more virtual environments, wherein such distribution includes transmission of the underlying file; and

a nested content module configured to;

monitor interaction by the first user with the instance of the virtual good in the one or more virtual environments to determine whether interaction by the first user with the instance of the virtual good has satisfied the dispersal criteria; and

responsive to a determination that interaction by the first user with the instance the virtual good has satisfied the dispersal criteria, effectuate dispersal of the nested content to the first user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the goods creation module is further configured to associate different unique identifiers with individual ones of the virtual goods;

wherein the unique identifiers identify one or more of the expression, the nested content, or the dispersal criteria associated with the individual virtual goods.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer program modules further comprise an analytics module configured to determine, based on the unique identifiers, a metric expressing an amount, rate, or proportion at which a specific event occurred with respect to virtual goods having common nested content.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer program modules further comprise an analytics module configured to determine, based on the unique identifiers, a metric expressing an amount, rate, or proportion at which a specific event occurred with respect to virtual goods distributed to users having a common characteristic.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the common characteristic is one or more of a demographic characteristic, a system usage characteristic, or a relationship in the one or more virtual environments with a common user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the common characteristic is a demographic characteristic, and wherein the demographic characteristic comprises one or more of age, gender, marital status, education level, or geographic location.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more virtual environments comprise a plurality of virtual environments.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of virtual environments comprise two or more of a social networking website, a micro-blogging service, a dedicated mobile application, or a virtual space.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein an event that occurs within a given one of the plurality of virtual environments that impacts the expression of the virtual good in the given virtual environment also impacts the expression of the virtual good in at least one of the other ones of the virtual environments.