System and method for toy adoption and marketing

• US 7,604,525 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US12/357,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20090118009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 705/14, 463/42, 715/706
• US Class Current: 446/175
• 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 includes providing a toy that is represented on a website via a virtual replica of the toy, wherein the toy is associated with a registration code; validating the registration code; responsive to said validating, displaying said virtual replica of the toy representing said toy on said website; providing at least one virtual room on the website for the virtual replica of the toy; offering one or more virtual furnishings for the at least one virtual room; providing content that allows the one or more virtual furnishings to be arranged in the at least one virtual room; and interacting the virtual replica of the toy with at least one of the one or more virtual furnishings.

Claims

1. A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising:

associating a toy with a registration code;

receiving the registration code transmitted from a user computer over a communication network;

using a computer system, validating the registration code entered on a website;

subsequent to validating said registration code, and responsive to validating said registration code, using the computer system for providing a virtual replica of the toy on the website and animating an appearance of the virtual replica of the toy on the website using a video component for the animation, said animation being used during participation in at least one activity on the website, and granting access to at least a subset of content on the website associated with the virtual replica of the toy, and further providing said at least a subset of content to a user computer which allows adopting and caring for the virtual replica of the toy presented in the virtual presentation, wherein adopting and caring for the virtual replica of the toy comprises maintaining at least one of a health and happiness of the virtual replica of the toy via at least one maintenance activity, wherein said at least one of the health and happiness of the virtual replica of the toy includes a well-being parameter that is affected by the at least one activity on the website involving animation of the virtual replica of the toy other than said adopting and caring for the virtual replica of the toy, and where said at least one maintenance activity includes taking the virtual replica of the toy to a virtual health and welfare facility, wherein said at least one maintenance activity cannot be carried out without said validating said registration code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration code is different for each toy provided.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises displaying a state associated with the virtual replica of the toy wherein the state comprises at least one of said health and happiness.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one maintenance activity comprises a plurality of the following:

feeding the virtual replica of the toy;

playing with the virtual replica of the toy;

playing games with the virtual replica of the toy;

walking the virtual replica of the toy;

furnishing one or more virtual rooms for the virtual replica of the toy; and

shopping for the virtual replica of the toy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the health includes a hunger parameter, and wherein the at least one maintenance activity changes a value of the hunger parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said animating uses a motion program to carry out the animation and further comprises an audio component.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises playing with the virtual replica of the toy wherein said playing changes at least the health.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises monitoring at least one of a health parameter, a hunger parameter and a happiness parameter.

9. A method that provides a virtual world presentation comprising:

registering a toy;

using a computer system for providing a website associated with the toy, said website having a user account associated with said registering of the toy;

in response to and subsequent to said registering, using the computer system for displaying a virtual replica of the toy representing said toy on said website, wherein said virtual replica of said toy is manipulated by a user accessing the website via the user account;

in response to said and subsequent to said registering, using the computer system for granting access to the user by way of the user account to at least a subset of features on the website in connection with the virtual replica of the toy; and

in response to said and subsequent to said registering, using the computer system to facilitate caring for the virtual replica of the toy presented in the virtual world presentation, wherein said caring for the virtual replica of the toy comprises, and maintaining both of a health and happiness of the replica of the toy via a plurality of maintenance activities, which include all of feeding the toy, shopping for the toy, and playing with the toy, and taking the virtual replica of the toy to a virtual health and welfare facility, wherein playing with the toy comprises participating in an activity on the website in combination with another virtual replica of another toy appearing on the website that is controlled by another user via another user computer over a communication network, wherein an appearance of the virtual replica of the toy is animated using video components for the animation, said animation being used during participation in the activity on the website in combination with the another virtual replica of another toy.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises displaying a state associated with the virtual replica of the toy wherein the state comprises at least one of said health and happiness.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one maintenance activity further comprises at least one additional of the following:

playing games with the virtual replica of the toy;

walking the virtual replica of the toy; and

furnishing one or more virtual rooms for the virtual replica of the toy.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the health includes a hunger parameter, and wherein the at least one maintenance activity affects the hunger parameter.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the health includes at least one of the following:

fuel parameter, charge parameter, and energy parameter.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprises playing with the virtual replica of the toy wherein said playing affects at least the health.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprises monitoring at least one of a health parameter, a hunger parameter, and a happiness parameter.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprises after completing an adoption process, receiving an adoption certificate comprising at least one of the following:

biographical information and personality traits.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein adopting and caring for the virtual replica of the toy comprises affirmatively agreeing to a user agreement in connection with activity performed on the website.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein adopting and caring for the virtual replica of the toy comprises naming the virtual replica of the toy after said registration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein naming the virtual replica of the toy comprises receiving a suggested name for the virtual replica of the toy.

20. A method that provides an on-screen presentation comprising:

using a computer system for representing a toy on a website via an image of the toy;

associating the toy with a registration code;

validating the registration code on a website;

responsive to validating the registration code, and only subsequent to validating the registration code, using the computer system for obtaining a stored image of the toy from a computer-accessible database based on said validating, where said image can be one of plural different images representing plural different toys, and wherein said registration code selects one of said plural images that represents the image of the toy, and using said image to represent the toy on the website, and wherein said registration code grants access to at least a subset of content on the website in connection with the image of the toy, said subset of content enabling user manipulation of the virtual replica of the toy on the website and generating an animated appearance of the virtual replica of the toy on the website using both video and audio components for generating the animated appearance, said animated appearance being used in response to said user manipulation for one of shopping for the image of the toy or playing with the image of the toy; and

responsive to validating the registration code, and only subsequent to validating the registration code, using the computer system for providing said at least a subset of content which allows adopting and caring for the virtual replica of the toy presented in the on-screen presentation, wherein adopting and caring for the image of the toy comprises maintaining at least one of a health and happiness of the image of the toy via at least one maintenance activity which includes taking the virtual replica of the toy to a virtual health and welfare facility, wherein said at least one maintenance activity is at least partly dependant on said validating said registration code.