SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TOY ADOPTION AND MARKETING

• US 20080134099A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/849
• 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 method provides a virtual presentation of a product and includes registering at least one registration code for at least one product on a website; after successful registration, viewing a virtual replica of the at least one product on the website, accessing at a least a subset of features on the website that allow user interaction with the virtual replica of the at least one product, and purchasing one or more virtual furnishings for at least one virtual room on the website, in which room said virtual replica is viewable.

Claims

1. A method that provides a virtual world presentation for user entertainment comprising:

registering at least one registration code for at least one product on a website;

after successful registration, viewing a virtual replica of the at least one product on the website;

accessing at a least a subset of features on the website that allow user interaction with the virtual replica of the at least one product; and

purchasing one or more virtual furnishings for at least one virtual room on the website, in which room said virtual replica is viewable.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising only accessing the subset of features when the at least one registration code is determined to be valid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchasing one or more virtual furnishings is accomplished using virtual currency.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving additional virtual currency depending on at least one of the following:

number of registered products on the website, number of visits on a daily basis, playing one or more games, and successfully answering trivia questions.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising spending the virtual currency on purchasing additional virtual rooms to convert the at least one virtual room into one or more virtual houses.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual furnishings comprise virtual accessories, virtual toys that the virtual replica of the at least one product interacts with, and virtual furniture.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding one or more friends to a friends list.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising naming the virtual replica of the product.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising suggesting a name for the virtual replica of the product.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing a name of the virtual replica of the product.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein each virtual replica of the product belongs to one of a number of areas on the communication network, wherein each area corresponds to an adventure.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising collecting one or more virtual collectibles available throughout the adventure.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising accessing a bonus environment upon completing a series of adventures.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the bonus environment comprises at least one of the following:

multi-user activities, multi-user adventures, multi-user games, and a user-chat interface.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising randomly generating a biography of the virtual replica of the product.