System and method for toy adoption and marketing

• US 9,610,513 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• 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:
  US14/031,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20140017969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 446175, 463 42, 715706
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/36 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A toy is represented on a website via a virtual replica of the product. The toy has a registration data associated with it that is electronically stored in the toy using an electronic storage medium. A user is registered on the website by associating the user with a user ID. The user ID is associated with the virtual replica of the product by utilizing the registration data. Access is granted to one or more features on the website in connection with the virtual replica of the product subsequent to input and validation of the registration code via the user ID without requiring additional entry of the registration data.

Claims

1. A toy comprising:

a toy body formed in a shape resembling an animate object;

an electronic storage device coupled to said toy body, said electronic storage device storing registration data that is useable for automatically registering said toy on a computer server that is separate and remotely located from a user computer to which said toy is operatively coupled, said electronic storage device further storing information identifying a network address of the computer server to which the registration data stored by the electronic storage device is to be transmitted by the user computer over a communication network for registering said toy; and

a communication part coupled to obtain data that is stored in said storage device, and operative to communicate said data over the communication network directed to said network address when coupled to the user computer;

said electronic storage device storing information that is communicated using said communication part, and including said registration data that is operative for connecting over the communication network directed to said network address and automatically registering said toy on the computer server and for establishing access information that can be used to gain access to a restricted portion of a website without requiring additional entry of the registration data, wherein said electronic storage device is configured to be automatically read in response to being introduced to the user computer to communicate the information identifying the network address for transmission over the communication network, wherein the information identifying the network address transmitted over the computer network results in content being retrieved to allow the user to participate in a registration process using the user computer to customize at least one attribute of a virtual character to be controlled by the user in a virtual environment hosted by the computer server or a different computer server that is also remotely located from the user computer.

2. A toy as in claim 1, wherein said registration data is a unique code that is uniquely indicative of a single toy.

3. A toy as in claim 1, wherein said communication part is coupled to said communication network via a user computer.

4. A toy as in claim 1, wherein said storage device is further adapted to store at least one of information received from said computer server or information received from a user of the toy.

5. A toy as in claim 1, wherein said communication network is the Internet.

6. A toy as in claim 1, wherein said electronic storage device is operative for automatically registering using said registration data, over the Internet.

7. A toy as in claim 1, wherein said storage device stores updated data associated with said virtual world that is different than original data stored in said storage device, wherein said updated data includes an online profile of a virtual character that is associated with said toy on the computer server.

8. The toy as in claim 1, wherein said communication network is the Internet and said network address as a website address.