System and method for toy adoption and marketing

• US 8,549,440 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUMAR, ANIL N
• Application Number:
  US11/928,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 presentation comprising:

receiving, over a communication network, a first registration code provided to a first toy animal, the first registration code having been entered into a website to be registered;

transmitting, over the communication network, content for the user computer to display a virtual character on said website to represent a toy animal on the website after successful registration of the first registration code provided to the first toy animal;

granting the user control of the virtual character on the website and enabling the user to select a friend on the website after said successful registration;

controlling said virtual character on said website in response to receiving user control commands;

receiving a selection of the friend over the communication network, the selection comprising at least one of;

(i) a second user that controls a second virtual character on the website, and (ii) a second virtual character on the website that is controlled on the website by a second user;

subsequent to receiving the selection of the friend, associating the friend with the user and transmitting the second virtual character, said transmitting in a format that allows said second virtual character to be displayed by the user computer on the website to be viewed by the user;

providing the user access to a chat function that enables the user to enter a communication to be conveyed between said virtual character and the second virtual character associated with the friend on the website, wherein the chat function includes a user interface comprising a displayed set that comprises a plurality of pre-scripted phrases from which the user is to select a desired phrase to be conveyed to the friend, wherein the communication includes one or more of the pre-scripted phrases from the displayed set; and

providing to the user who registered the first registration code additional content, beyond the chat function, for the virtual character as a reward for registering a subsequent registration code provided to another toy or an accessory for the toy animal via the website, wherein the additional content comprises access to additional resources of the website beyond resources provided in response to successful registration of the first registration code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual character is a virtual replica of the first toy animal.

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

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating, with a user account of the user, registration of both the first toy animal and the subsequent registration code.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising transmitting, over the communication network, content for displaying another virtual character by the user computer on the website to represent the another toy or the accessory for the toy animal on the website after successful registration of the subsequent registration code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein both the virtual character and the another virtual character are accessible by the user via the user account.

7. The method of claim 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.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual furnishings can be arranged as desired by the user in the virtual room.

9. The method of claim 7 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.

10. The method of claim 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 subsequent registration code.

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

12. A method of interacting with a virtual presentation comprising:

on a computer, displaying a website to a user;

entering a first registration code associated with a toy animal into the computer and transmitting said first registration code over a communication network;

on the computer, displaying a virtual character on said website to represent a toy animal on the website after successful registration of the first registration code provided to the toy animal;

controlling the virtual character from the computer;

selecting a friend on the website from the computer after said successful registration, wherein said selecting the friend comprises selecting at least one of a (i) second user that controls a second virtual character on the website, and (ii) a second virtual character displayed on the website that is controlled on the website by a second user;

subsequent to said selecting the friend, displaying the second virtual character on the computer to be viewed by the user;

accessing a chat function including a user interface to be displayed on the computer that enables the user to enter a communication to be conveyed between said virtual character and the second virtual character associated with the friend on the website, wherein the user interface of the chat function includes a set that is displayed on the computer and comprises a plurality of pre-scripted phrases from which the user can select a desired phrase to be conveyed to the friend, wherein the communication includes one or more of the pre-scripted phrases from the displayed set; and

receiving access to additional content on the computer, beyond the chat function, as a reward for registering a subsequent registration code provided to another toy or an accessory for the toy animal by entering and transmitting the subsequent registration code over the communication network to be registered to the user who registered the first registration code, wherein the additional content comprises additional resources of the website beyond the resources provided in response to successful registration of the first registration code.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual character is a virtual replica of the toy animal.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising accessing a bonus environment upon completing a series of adventures or challenges.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said registering the subsequent registration code comprises entering into the website, a subsequent registration code associated with the another toy animal or the accessory for the toy animal to be transmitted over the communication network to be registered; and

subsequent to said entering the subsequent registration code into the website, accessing, via a user account belonging to the user, both the virtual character and a second virtual character representing a second product on the website.