System and method for toy adoption and marketing

• US 9,721,269 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• 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:
  US14/288,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 446175, 446470, 463 42, 705 14, 705 16, 705 27, 715706
• 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

Interacting with a virtual presentation includes: entering a first registration code associated with a first product for registering the first product on a website via a user account; accessing a restricted portion of the website that was not accessible prior to registering the first product; displaying a virtual character that is controllable on the website; registering a second product by entering a second registration code provided to the product, wherein the second product is different than the first product, the second character also accessed via the user account; receiving content for displaying a second virtual character that is controllable on the website; and gaining access to additional content, beyond a chat function, for the first product in response to registration of the second product with the user account, wherein the additional content comprises additional resources of the website beyond the resources provided after registration of the first product.

Claims

1. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising.

restricting unauthorized viewing of at least a restricted portion of a website;

registering a first registration code for a first product, the registration code having been entered into the website and transmitted over a communication network;

transmitting content to a user computer for displaying a virtual character that is controllable by the user on the website and granting the user access to the restricted portion of the website subsequent to said registering the first registration code;

associating said virtual character with a user account of the user;

registering a second registration code associated with a second product in possession of said user, said second registration code having been entered into the website and transmitted over the communication network, wherein the second product is different than the first product;

transmitting content to the user computer to be displayed on the website for viewing by the user, said content including a second virtual character that is controllable by the user on the website;

associating the second virtual character with the user account;

conditioned, at least in part, on successfully registering at least one of the first and second products, saving a different user as a friend in association with the user account and transmitting content that enables the user to view at least one other virtual character on the website that is not associated with the user account of the user but is associated with the friend, wherein said saving the different user as the friend grants the different user access to content on the website specific to the virtual character that is not accessible by another user on the website;

using said computer for providing, for access by said user, a chat function between said virtual character and said at least one other character on the website associated with said friend; and

providing, for access by said user, additional content beyond said chat function, for said first product as a reward for registration of the second registration code on the website by said user who registered said first registration code, wherein the additional content comprises access to additional resources of the website beyond the resources provided by said registration of said first registration code.

2. The method of 1 further comprising providing, for access by the user, a bonus environment upon completing a series of adventures or challenges.

3. The method of 1 further comprising transmitting content over the communication network for displaying a virtual room for the virtual character on the website, wherein the virtual room comprises a plurality of different virtual furnishings.

4. The method of 3, wherein the virtual furnishings can be arranged as desired by the user in the virtual room.

5. The method of 3 further comprising providing the user with a plurality of games that the user can play to earn virtual currency for purchasing said virtual furnishings for the virtual room from a virtual vendor on the website.

6. The method of 1 further comprising awarding the user with a virtual room for the virtual character for successfully registering at least one of the first registration code and the second registration code.

7. The method of 1 further comprising awarding the user with virtual currency for successfully registering at least one of the first registration code and the second registration code.

8. The method of 1 further comprising, after receiving confirmation that the first registration code has been validated, receiving an adoption certificate comprising biographical information, a personality trait, or both the biographical information and the personality trait.

9. The method of 1 further comprising naming the virtual character.

10. A method of interacting with a virtual presentation comprising.

entering a first registration code associated with a first product into a computer and transmitting the first registration code over a communication network addressed to a website, for registering the first product on the website via a user account;

subsequent to said registering the first product, accessing a restricted portion of the website from the computer that was not accessible prior to said registering the first product;

receiving content over the communication network for displaying a virtual character that is controllable on the website;

registering a second product by entering a second registration code provided to the product belonging to a user associated with the user account into the website and transmitting the second registration code over the communication network, wherein the second product is different than the first product, said second character also accessed via the user account;

receiving content for displaying a second virtual character that is controllable on the website;

conditioned, at least in part, on successfully registering at least one of the first and second products, selecting a friend to be saved in association with the user account;

viewing at least one other virtual character on the website that is not associated with the user account but is associated with the friend;

accessing a chat function for transmitting a communication to the other virtual character on the website; and

gaining access to additional content, beyond said chat function, for said first product in response to registration of the second product with the user account, wherein the additional content comprises additional resources of the website beyond the resources provided after registration of the first product.

11. The method of 10 further comprises, after receiving confirmation that the first registration code has been validated, receiving an adoption certificate comprising biographical information, a personality trait, or both the biographical information and the personality trait.

12. The method of 10 further comprising naming the virtual character.

13. The method of 10 further comprising providing, for access by the user, a bonus environment upon completing a series of adventures or challenges.

14. The method of 10 further comprising transmitting content over the communication network for displaying a virtual room for the virtual character on the website, wherein the virtual room comprises a plurality of different virtual furnishings.

15. The method of 14, wherein the virtual furnishings can be arranged as desired by the user in the virtual room.

16. The method of 14 further comprising providing the user with a plurality of games that the user can play to earn virtual currency for purchasing said virtual furnishings for the virtual room from a virtual vendor on the website.

17. The method of 10 further comprising awarding the user with a virtual room for the virtual character for successfully registering at least one of the first registration code and the second registration code.

18. The method of 10 further comprising awarding the user with virtual currency for successfully registering at least one of the first registration code and the second registration code.