Transfer of items between social networking websites

• US 9,516,074 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): SERRAO, RANODHI N
• Application Number:
  US14/146,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20140128165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A first website earns rewards, e.g. points and items, for carrying out activities. Those rewards can be transferred to a second website. For example, a parent'"'"'s website allows the parent to carry more adult tasks and also earn points. The points can be transferred to the child'"'"'s website. A center of the universe website allows obtaining rewards for any of these websites. A social networking component operates across multiple websites.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first server computer, outputting information that produces a first website page that hosts a virtual collection of items, and where said first server computer also carries out first social networking on said first website page, where the first server computer produces a registration component that allows registration of an item by a first user, and after registration, each item is stored on the first server computer responsive to the registration as one of said virtual collection of items associated with said first website page and associated with the first user, and said first social networking carried out by said first server computer includes displaying at least one of said items within said virtual collection of items on said first website page, and wherein said at least one of said items can be viewed by viewers of the first website page other than the first user who is displaying the item,

where said first server computer also controls an operation whereby said at least one of said items is personalized based on the first user interacting with said at least one of said items to personalize these at least one of said items to create the personalized item, and wherein the at least one of said items shown on the first website page is shown as the personalized item, and where the personalized items are personalized in a way that changes their original characteristics to a revised set of characteristics;

said first server computer communicating contents of said first website page to a second website page, where the second website page receives information indicative of the at least one of said items, including the personalized item; and

wherein said second website page provides second social networking on said second website, and said second social networking including said personalized item displayed on the first website and at least one item of personal information about said first user,

wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played by interaction between said user and a first item in said virtual collection of items, where the game includes said first item being displayed as part of playing the game and personalized as part of and as a result of playing the game based on the interaction with the item, wherein said items are images of toys.

2. A system comprising:

a computer system which includes a processor outputting information that produces a first website that hosts a virtual collection of items, and also carries out first social networking, where the first website includes a registration component that allows registration of an item by a first user, and after registration, each item is stored on the first website responsive to the registration as one of said virtual collection of items, and said first social networking includes displaying at least one of said items within said virtual collection of items, and wherein said at least one of said items can be viewed by viewers of the first website other than the first user who is displaying the item,

where said computer system also runs said first website to also control an operation whereby said at least one of said items is personalized based on the first user interacting with said at least one of said items to personalize these at least one of said items to create the personalized item, and wherein the at least one of said items shown on the first website is shown as the personalized item, and where the personalized items are personalized in a way that changes their original characteristics to a revised set of characteristics; and

wherein said computer system also outputs information that produces a second website, communicating to said first website, where the second website receives information indicative of the at least one of said items, including said personalized item and wherein said second website provides second social networking on said second website, and said second social networking including said personalized item displayed on the first website, wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played by interaction between said user and a first item in said virtual collection of items, where the game includes said first item being displayed as part of playing the game and is personalized as a result of playing the game, wherein said items are images of toys.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein the first and second websites also includes information about purchasing the personalized item using virtual currency.

4. A system as in claim 2, further comprising a component running on the computer system that allows changing the items on the first website as part of said personalizing, and wherein said second social networking on said second website automatically changes information about the items that are displayed on the second website responsive to said component.

5. A system comprising:

a computer system which includes a processor, operating a program that inputs information and outputs information to form a first website that shows a virtual collection of items associated with a user, and also carries out first social networking, where the first website includes a registration component that allows registration of an item by the user, and after registration, each item is stored on the first website responsive to the registration as one of said virtual collection of items associated with the user, and said first social networking includes displaying at least one of said items within said virtual collection of items, and wherein said at least one of said items can be viewed by viewers of the first website other than said user;

where said computer system also controls an operation whereby said at least one of said items is personalized based on the interacting with said at least one of said items to personalize these at least one of said items to create the personalized item, and wherein the at least one of said items shown on the first website page is shown as the personalized item, and where the personalized items are personalized in a way that changes their original characteristics to a revised set of characteristics;

and

said computer system outputting information to operate a second website, said second website communicating to said first website, where the second website receives information indicative of the at least one of said items from the first website, including at least said personalized item and wherein said second website provides second social networking on said second website, and said second social networking on said second website including said at least one of said items displayed on the first website,

wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played by interaction between said user and a first item in said virtual collection of items, where the game includes said first item being displayed as part of playing the game and wherein the game causes said first item to be personalized as a result of playing the game, wherein said items are images of toys.

6. A system comprising:

a computer system which includes a processor, operating a program that inputs information and outputs information to form a first website that shows a virtual collection of items associated with a user, and also carries out first social networking, where the first website includes a registration component that allows registration of an item by the user, and after registration, each item is stored on the first website responsive to the registration as one of said virtual collection of items associated with the user, and said first social networking includes displaying at least one of said items within said virtual collection of items, and wherein said at least one of said items can be viewed by viewers of the first website other than said user;

where said computer system also controls an operation whereby said at least one of said items is personalized based on the user interacting with said at least one of said items to personalize these at least one of said items to create the personalized item, and wherein the at least one of said items shown on the first website page is shown as the personalized item, and where the personalized items are personalized in a way that changes their original characteristics to a revised set of characteristics;

and

said computer system that inputs information and outputs information to form a second website, said second website communicating to said first website, where the second website receives information indicative of the at least one of said items from the first website, including at least said personalized item and wherein said second website provides second social networking on said second website, and said second social networking on said second website including said at least one of said items displayed on the first website,

wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played by interaction between said user and a first item in said virtual collection of items, where the game includes said first item being displayed as part of playing the game and wherein the game causes said first item to be personalized as a result of playing the game, wherein the first and second website also include information about purchasing the personalized items

and,

wherein the computer system hosts a value determination component which provides information indicative of previous sales of similar items which have been personalized in a similar way to the personalized items, and provide said information to the user.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein said first and second websites are hosted on the same server computer.

8. A system as in claim 6, wherein said first and second websites are hosted on different server computers.

9. A system comprising:

a first server computer, outputting information that produces a first website page that hosts a virtual collection of items, and where said first server computer also carries out first social networking on said first website page, where the first server computer produces a registration component that allows registration of an item by a first user, and after registration, each item is stored on the first server computer responsive to the registration as one of said virtual collection of items associated with said first website page and associated with the first user, and said first social networking carried out by said first server computer includes displaying at least one of said items within said virtual collection of items on said first website page, and wherein said at least one of said items can be viewed by viewers of the first website page other than the first user who is displaying the item,

where said first server computer also controls an operation whereby said at least one of said items is personalized based on the first user interacting with said at least one of said items to personalize these at least one of said items to create the personalized item, wherein the personalized item is a virtual character that is personalized based on the first user training the virtual character, and the personalized virtual character is unique from other virtual characters, and wherein the at least one of said items shown on the first website page is shown as the personalized item, and where the personalized items are personalized in a way that changes their original characteristics to a revised set of characteristics based on the training that the virtual character has received;

said first server computer communicating contents of said first website page to a second website page, where the second website page receives information indicative of the at least one of said items, including the personalized item; and

wherein said second website page provides second social networking on said second website, and said second social networking including said personalized item displayed on the first website and at least one item of personal information about said first user, wherein the personalized virtual character also includes information about purchasing the personalized virtual character using virtual currency, including a value determination estimator that provides a value estimation of the unique personalized virtual character based on sales of other similarly personalized items, wherein the first website also includes information about purchasing the personalized item using virtual currency, and wherein the information about purchasing is also sent to the second website to be displayed on the second website, wherein said first website also includes a value determination component which provides information indicative of previous sales of similar items which have been personalized in a similar way.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played by interaction between said user and a first item in said virtual collection of items,

where the game includes said first item being displayed as part of playing the game and personalized as part of and as a result of playing the game based on the interaction with the item.

11. A system as in claim 9, wherein said first and second website pages are hosted on the same server computer.

12. A system as in claim 9, wherein said first and second website pages are hosted on different server computers.

13. A system comprising:

a computer system which includes a processor outputting information that produces a first website that hosts a virtual collection of items, and also carries out first social networking, where the first website includes a registration component that allows registration of an item by a first user, and after registration, each item is stored on the first website responsive to the registration as one of said virtual collection of items, and said first social networking includes displaying at least one of said items within said virtual collection of items, and wherein said at least one of said items can be viewed by viewers of the first website other than the first user who is displaying the item,

where said computer system also runs said first website to also control an operation whereby said at least one of said items is personalized based on the first user interacting with said at least one of said items to personalize these at least one of said items to create the personalized item, and wherein the at least one of said items shown on the first website is shown as the personalized item, and where the personalized items are personalized in a way that changes their original characteristics to a revised set of characteristics; and

wherein said computer system also outputs information that produces a second website, communicating to said first website, where the second website receives information indicative of the at least one of said items, including said personalized item and wherein said second website provides second social networking on said second website, and said second social networking including said personalized item displayed on the first website, wherein the first and second websites also include information about purchasing the personalized item using virtual currency, wherein said computer also includes a value determination component which provides information indicative of previous sales of similar items which have been personalized in a similar way, and shows information indicative thereof on the first and second websites.

14. A system as in claim 13, wherein the first website is a website that allows at least one game to be played by interaction between said user and a first item in said virtual collection of items, where the game includes said first item being displayed as part of playing the game and is personalized as a result of playing the game.