U.S. patent application number 12/563906 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-14 for method and apparatus for managing ownership of virtual property.
Invention is credited to Brian Mark Shuster.
Application Number | 20100011359 12/563906 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26893836 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100011359 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shuster; Brian Mark |
January 14, 2010 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING OWNERSHIP OF VIRTUAL PROPERTY
Abstract
A method and apparatus for managing ownership of virtual
property accessible to users is provided by a computer-implemented
system connected to a network. This method and apparatus further
comprises maintaining an inventory of virtual properties, managing
ownership of virtual properties, and allowing use of virtual
properties by corresponding property owners within corresponding
network spaces. In particular, virtual properties are purchased
from a system by user computers, wherein virtual properties may be
accessed by a user and/or sold or traded to other users which may
include auction websites
Inventors: |
Shuster; Brian Mark;
(Fresno, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET, FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Family ID: |
26893836 |
Appl. No.: |
12/563906 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09837852 |
Apr 18, 2001 |
7593864 |
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12563906 |
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60198490 |
Apr 18, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
718/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 20/10 20130101; G06Q 30/0625 20130101; G06Q 30/08 20130101;
G06Q 30/0601 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
718/1 |
International
Class: |
G06F 9/455 20060101
G06F009/455 |
Claims
1. A computerized method of managing virtual properties, the method
comprising: maintaining on one or more storage devices a data
structure indicating ownership of respective virtual properties,
wherein ownership of a virtual property allows a respective owner
to use the virtual property in one or more networked computer
games; receiving a virtual property transfer indication indicating
that a first virtual property was won by a first owner from a
second owner in one of the networked computer games; and in
response to receiving the virtual property transfer indication,
updating the data structure to indicate that the first owner is the
owner of the first virtual property and that the second owner is
not the owner of the first virtual property so that the first owner
is allowed to use the virtual property in the one or more networked
computer games and the second owner is not allowed to use the
virtual property in the one or more networked computer games,
wherein at least some of the method is performed by a computing
system having one or more computing devices.
2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the virtual property
comprises a weapon or a key that is usable in one or more of the
networked computer games.
3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining is
performed by an entity that is different than an entity that
provides the one or more networked computer games.
4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the virtual property
transfer indication is received from a computer server that at
least partially manages one or more of the networked computer
games.
5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein a first of the one
or more storage devices is maintained by a first entity and a
second of the one or more storage devices is maintained by a second
entity, wherein the data structure comprises data on each of the
first and second storage devices.
6. A computing system for managing virtual properties, the
computing system comprising: a storage device configured to store a
data structure indicating ownership of virtual properties by
respective computer users; a network interface configured to
receive an indication of a virtual property transfer from one or
more gaming computing systems configured to coordinate online games
between computer users, wherein the indication indicates that a
first property was won by a first computer user from a second
computer user in an online game; and at least one processor
configured to execute a software module configured to update the
data structure to indicate that the first computer user is the
owner of the first property; and update the data structure to
indicate that the second computer user is not the owner of the
first property;
7. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the software module is
further configured to: receive queries from computing systems
requesting information regarding ownership of virtual properties by
the first and/or second user.
8. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the virtual property
comprises a weapon or a key.
9. A tangible computer readable medium having software instructions
stored thereon that are readable by a computing system comprising
one or more computing devices, wherein the software instructions
are executable on the computing system in order to cause the
computing system to perform a method comprising: maintaining on one
or more storage devices a data structure indicating ownership of
respective virtual properties, wherein ownership of a virtual
property allows the respective owner to use the virtual property in
one or more networked computer games; receiving a virtual property
transfer indication indicating that a first virtual property was
won by a first owner from a second owner in one of the networked
computer games; and in response to receiving the virtual property
transfer indication, updating the data structure to indicate that
the first owner is the owner of the first virtual property and that
the second owner is not the owner of the first virtual property so
that the first owner is allowed to use the virtual property in the
one or more networked computer games and the second owner is not
allowed to use the virtual property in the one or more networked
computer games.
10. A computerized method of managing access to a software
application, the method comprising: maintaining on one or more
storage devices a software application that is configured for use
by one or more users via networked communications, wherein the
software application is not available for download by the one or
more users; maintaining a data structure indicating ownership of
the software application by one or more users; receiving requests
for access to the software application by respective requesting
users; and in response to respective requests for access to the
software application by respective requesting users, accessing the
data structure in order to determine if the respective requesting
user is one of the owners of the software application and allowing
the respective user to access the software application only if the
user is determined to be one of the owners of the software
application, wherein at least some of the method is performed by a
computing system having one or more computing devices.
11. The computerized method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving a software ownership transfer indication indicating that
ownership of the software application should be changed from a
first user to a second user; and in response to receiving the
software ownership transfer indication, updating the data structure
to indicate that the second user is the owner of the software
application and that the first user is not the owner of the
software application so that the second user is allowed to access
the software application via one or more networked connections and
the first user is not allowed to access the software
application.
12. The computerized method of claim 10, wherein the software
application comprises a word processing software application.
13. The computerized method of claim 10, wherein the software
application is accessed via a web browser.
14. The computerized method of claim 11, further comprising
receiving a second software ownership transfer indication
indicating that ownership of a second software application should
be changed from the second user to the first user such that the
first and second users trade ownership in the first and second
software applications.
15. The computerized method of claim 11, wherein the software
ownership transfer indication is transmitted to the computing
system in response to verifying a payment from the second user to
the first user for transfer of ownership of the software
application to the second user.
16. A computing system for managing ownership of software
applications, the computing system comprising: one or more storage
devices storing a data structure indicating ownership of respective
software applications, wherein the software applications are not
available for download; a network interface configured to receive
ownership transfer indications indicating one or more particular
software applications for which ownership is to be transferred from
a transferring party to a receiving party; and a processor
configured to access the ownership transfer indications and, for
each ownership transfer indication, update the data structure to
indicate that the receiving party is the owner of the one or more
particular software applications and that the transferring party is
not the owner of the one or more particular software applications
so that the receiving party is allowed to access the one or more
particular software applications via one or more networked
connections and the transferring party is not allowed to access the
one or more particular software applications.
17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein access to a
particular software application comprises accessing features of the
particular software application via a web browser without
downloading the particular software application to a computing
device on which the features are accessed.
18. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the ownership
transfer indication indicates that ownership of a particular
software application has been sold from the transferring party to
the receiving party.
19. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the ownership
transfer indication indicates that ownership of a particular
software application has been traded in exchange for transfer of
ownership of one or more other assets from the receiving entity to
the transmitting entity.
20. The computing system of claim 16, wherein at least some of the
software applications are stored on another computing system and
are accessible by entities based on respective ownership rights
indicated in the data structure.
21. A tangible computer readable medium having software
instructions stored thereon that are readable by a computing system
comprising one or more computing devices, wherein the software
instructions are executable on the computing system in order to
cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:
receiving requests for access to respective software applications
by respective requesting users, wherein access to a particular
software application includes access to features of the particular
software application and does allow downloading of the particular
software application; and in response to respective requests for
access to respective software application by respective requesting
users, accessing a data structure storing indications of ownership
of respective software applications in order to determine if the
respective requesting user owns the software application; and
allowing the respective user to access the respective software
application only if the user is determined to own the respective
software application.
22. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the
features of a first software application include word processing
features that are accessible via a web browser.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 09/837,852, filed Apr. 18, 2001, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS
FOR MANAGING OWNERSHIP OF VIRTUAL PROPERTY," which claims the
benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/198,490, filed
Apr. 18, 2000, each of which are hereby expressly incorporated by
reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to the electronic commerce of
virtual property. More specifically, this invention pertains to a
method and apparatus for conducting electronic business, wherein
the merchant manages use, sale, and ownership of virtual property
that permanently resides on the merchant's computer system.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] For many years, the global retail market has been
characterized as a market in which physical products are sold from
physical locations. In recent years, however, this dynamic has
undergone a significant change in response to the increasing
popularity of the Internet. It should be appreciated that the
Internet is defined here as a collection of interconnected (public
and/or private) networks linked together by a set of standard
protocols (such as TCP/IP and HTTP) to form a global, distributed
network. While this term is intended to refer to what is now
commonly known as the Internet, it is also intended to encompass
variations which may be made in the future, including changes and
additions to existing standard protocols. As a result of the
Internet, businesses can now sell their products to a vast number
of customers beyond local boundaries. This form of business
transaction is commonly known as electronic commerce and will
herein be referred to as such. Systems for wide-area networks, such
as the Internet, are presently limited, however, in the offerings
that are made available to businesses and consumers. Present sales
systems generally allow for the sale of physical goods or services,
or for the purchase of a membership to access certain information
or services.
[0006] Furthermore, the rapid growth of digital technology has
introduced a new line of products that can be delivered in the form
of digital information (e.g., music, paintings, movies, software,
etc.). Digital information has a unique characteristic in that it
can be copied by the owner an infinite number of times while the
owner still retains the original. Music in a compact disc, for
example, is simply stored digital information with each binary bit
represented as the presence or absence of a sequence of holes
(i.e., depressions that reflect light) appropriately located on the
disc. As is generally known in the art, this same sequence can also
be downloaded onto a computer. If this computer is equipped with
software capable of decoding such sequences, the information
represented by this sequence can be readily accessible. Commercial
systems are available to purchase and download digital information
via the Internet directly into a computing or entertainment system,
thereby eliminating the need for physical embodiments of such
products (e.g., discs, tapes, etc.).
[0007] An alternative to selling digital information is to sell
subscriptions or memberships to sites that supply digital
information. These membership sites do not sell ownership of the
digital information, but merely allow access to the content that
they display. For many types of information, such as news that only
has value for a short period of time, a membership or subscription
provides an attractive solution for many consumers.
[0008] Another type of digital information exists that is referred
to herein as virtual property. Unlike the aforementioned forms of
digital information, virtual property has no counterpart in the
physical world and exists only within the virtual realm. For
example, it is known in the art to provide a multi-player game
managed by a server operating on the Internet. The players would
access the game through their computing devices connected to the
Internet. Within the context of the game, players may create a
persona or character that has certain characteristics strengths,
and capabilities. Players may also obtain certain objects (e.g.,
keys, weapons, etc.) in the course of the game. These character
attributes and objects have no counterpart in the physical world
and only have value in the virtual world associated with the game.
Although there is some intrinsic value for these character
attributes and objects, there is no market for such virtual
property and hence no way to transfer ownership or use.
[0009] In general, two issues arise when dealing with virtual
property. First, a business must concern itself with the
unauthorized copying of these properties. By sending a copy of the
virtual property to the buyer or subscriber, the merchant loses
control of the data, making possible the duplication and
distribution of illegal copies of the property, for which the
merchant is not compensated. Second, a business is limited to
selling its virtual properties to those consumers with computing
resources capable of decoding different types of digital data and
capable of storing this data. With the increasing popularity of the
mobile workstation (with limited computing resources), this issue
becomes even more prevalent.
[0010] Currently, no system exists that allows the purchase and
ownership of property rights that are entirely digital in nature
and that have no value outside of the digital environment in which
they exist. Furthermore, no system exists where such properties are
maintained by the merchant and are not downloaded to the buyer's
computer. It would thus be advantageous to implement a virtual
marketplace where these virtual property rights can be transferred,
used, and managed requiring minimal computing resources from the
consumer and where merchants are protected from the unauthorized
duplication of their virtual properties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention is directed towards a method and
apparatus for implementing a virtual marketplace and more
particularly towards managing ownership of virtual property.
[0012] In an embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus
for managing ownership of virtual property accessible to users is
provided by a computer-implemented system connected to a network.
This method and apparatus further comprises maintaining an
inventory of virtual properties, managing ownership of virtual
properties, and allowing use of virtual properties by corresponding
property owners within corresponding network spaces. In particular,
virtual properties are purchased from a merchant computer system by
user computers, wherein these virtual properties may be accessed by
a user and/or sold or traded to other users which may include
auction websites.
[0013] A more complete understanding of a method and apparatus for
managing ownership of virtual property will be afforded to those
skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional
advantages and objects thereof, by a consideration of the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiment. Reference will be
made to the appended sheets of drawings which will first be
described briefly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram demonstrating a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a flow chart outlining the steps for making a
purchase of virtual property according to a preferred embodiment of
the invention.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a flow chart outlining the steps for selling or
trading of virtual property according to a preferred embodiment of
the invention.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a flow chart outlining the steps for accessing
virtual property according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] The present invention is directed towards a method and
apparatus for managing ownership of virtual property. In
particular, this invention fulfills the need for a virtual
marketplace where the use of virtual property requires minimal
computing resources from the consumer and where merchants are
protected from the unauthorized duplication of their virtual
properties. As a result, this invention enables businesses to
provide a service where virtual properties can be purchased, sold,
traded, or accessed without compromising the computing resources of
the user computer. In the detailed description that follows, it
should be appreciated that like element numerals are used to
describe like elements illustrated in one or more figures.
[0019] Referring first to FIG. 1, a block diagram is illustrated of
a wide area network employing a method and apparatus according to
an embodiment of the invention. It is anticipated that the present
invention operates with a plurality of computers which are coupled
together on a wide area network, such as the Internet 20, or other
communications network. FIG. 1 depicts such a network which
includes a merchant computer system 10 that communicates with
prospective users 30 and 40, auction websites 50, and other
merchant computer systems 60 via the Internet 20. It should be
appreciated that user computers 30 and 40 may be any type of
computing device that allows a user to interactively browse
websites, such as a personal computer (PC) that includes a Web
browser 32 and 42 (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer.TM. or
Netscape Communicator.TM.). Suitable user computers 30, 40 equipped
with browsers 32, 42 are available in many configurations,
including handheld devices (e.g., PalmPilot.TM.), personal
computers (PC), laptop computers, workstations, television set-top
devices, multi-functional cellular phones, and so forth.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment, a merchant computer system 10 is
further comprised of an applications processor 11, a search engine
12, a web server 13, a business database 14, and an HTML
(Hyper-Text Markup Language) documents database 15. As illustrated,
merchant computer system 10 is internally connected such that the
applications processor 11 directly communicates with both the
search engine 12 and the Web server 13. Furthermore, search engine
12 is shown to be connected to business database 14, while server
13 is shown to be connected to HTML documents database 15. It
should be noted that other merchant computer systems 60 are also
shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, these systems 60 have a similar
structure to the structure described for merchant computer system
10.
[0021] It should be appreciated that search engines 12 and 62
typically incorporate a database engine, such as a SQL Server.TM.
engine from Microsoft Corporation or Oracle.TM. database engine, as
part of their architecture. Search engines typically perform
searches by operating on a string of characters, known as a "query
string." A query string is coded according to a set of rules
determined by the database engine and/or a user interface between
the database engine and the user. As used herein, a "query is
broader than a "query string," denoting both the query string and
the search logic represented by the query string, whereas "query
string" refers only to a string of characters, symbols, or codes
used to define a query.
[0022] It should be further appreciated that Web servers 13, 63
respectively access a plurality of Web pages, distributable
applications, and other electronic files containing information of
various types stored in HTML documents database 15, 65. As a
result, Web pages may be viewed on various user computers 30, 40;
for example, a particular Web page or other electronic file may be
viewed through a suitable application program residing on a user
computer 30, 40, such as a browser 32, 42, or by a distributable
application provided to the user computer 30, 40, by Web server 13,
63 respectively. It should be appreciated that many different user
computers, many different Web servers, and many different search
servers of various types may be communicating with each other at
the same time.
[0023] As is generally known in the art, a user identifies a Web
page that is desired to be viewed at the user computer 30, 40 by
communicating an HTTP (Hyper-Text Transport Protocol) request from
the browser application 32, 42. The HTTP request includes the
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the desired Web page, which may
correspond to an HTML document stored in the merchant's HTML
document database 15, 65. The HTTP request is routed to the
merchant's Web server 13, 63, via the Internet 20. The Web server
13, 63 then retrieves the HTML document identified by the URL, and
communicates the HTML document across the Internet 20 to the
browser application 32, 42. The HTML document may be communicated
in the form of plural message packets as defined by standard
protocols, such as the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP).
[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, virtual
properties are either purchased, sold, traded, or accessed by a
user 30 from any location that has the ability to connect with the
merchant computer system 10. As a result, management of these
properties are not limited to the location from which the
merchandise has been ordered. When making a purchase, users 30
select virtual properties from a merchant's database 14 using a
search engine 12. Once this property is purchased, that property
can be freely accessed, sold, or traded by the user 30 through the
merchant's website. It should, however, be appreciated that the
operation and maintenance of such virtual property remains the
responsibility of the merchant. In this respect, it should be
further understood that the actual operation of these properties
are performed within the computer system 10 of the merchant, and in
particular through the system's application processor 11.
[0025] In FIG. 2, a flow chart illustrating the steps for making a
purchase according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The
purchasing procedure begins at step 100 and continues with the
prospective user 30 visiting the merchant's website at step 105. At
step 110, the merchant computer system 10 then determines whether
the prospective user 30 has a registered account. If the
prospective user 30 does indeed have an existing account, the user
30 logs into the system 10 at step 125; otherwise, the user 30
registers for an account at step 115, receives account information
(e.g., username, password, etc.) at step 120, and finally logs into
the system 10 at step 125. Once the user 30 is logged into the
system 10, a portfolio illustrating the user's 30 virtual
properties maintained with the merchant is displayed at step 130.
The user 30 is then permitted to search through the merchant's
database 14 using a search engine 12 at step 135. At step 140, the
desired virtual property is then selected by the user 30.
[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, all virtual
properties displayed to the user 30 from the merchant's database 14
are either directly available from the current merchant or
indirectly available through another merchant. As a result, the
merchant computer system 10 must determine whether the selected
property is currently available within its own inventory at step
145. If the merchant has this property readily available, then the
procedure continues with a charge being applied to the user's 30
credit card at step 155; otherwise, the merchant computer system 10
finds other merchants with the desired property at step 146 and
lists them to the user 30. Once this list of other merchants is
displayed at step 146, the user 30 selects which of these other
merchants it wants to purchase the desired property from at step
148.
[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the other
merchants displayed to the user 30 may be "partners" with the
current merchant. Here, a partner is defined as a merchant with a
pre-existing arrangement to accept invoice orders directly from the
computer system 10 of the current merchant. Therefore, after the
user 30 selects which of the other merchants it wants to purchase
the desired property from at step 148, the merchant computer system
10 must determine whether the selected merchant is a partner at
step 150. If it is determined that this particular merchant is
indeed a partner at step 150, the procedure continues with a charge
being applied to the user's 30 credit card at step 155; otherwise,
the user 30 is hyper-linked to the other merchant's computer system
60 at step 105 where the described procedure is repeated from
within the computer system 60 of the other merchant.
[0028] If sufficient funds are available at step 155, the order is
executed at step 180; otherwise, the user 30 is asked to use an
alternate credit card at step 160. If the user 30 chooses to enter
an alternate credit card at step 160, the procedure returns to step
155 where these funds are now charged to the alternate credit card;
otherwise, the order is cancelled at step 165. After the order is
cancelled at step 165, the user 30 is asked if it wants to continue
with the current session. If the user 30 decides to continue at
step 170, then the procedure returns to step 130 where the user 30
is again displayed a personalized portfolio of its virtual
properties with that particular merchant; otherwise, the session is
ended at step 175. However, if sufficient funds are indeed
available at step 155 and the order is executed at step 180, then
the procedure continues with an update of the user's 30 portfolio
at step 185. Finally, at step 190, a confirmation message is sent
to the user 30 regarding the execution of this order.
[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, users 30 can
openly sell or trade their virtual properties via the Internet 20.
In FIG. 3, a flow chart describing this procedure is shown. This
procedure begins at step 200 and continues with the user 30 logging
into the merchant computer system 10 at step 205. Once the user 30
is logged into the system 10, a portfolio illustrating the user's
30 virtual properties with the merchant is displayed at step 210.
The user 30 then selects the desired virtual property it intends to
sell/trade at step 215. Next, the user 30 enters information
regarding the intended buyer/trader of the selected property at
step 220. In a preferred embodiment, it should be appreciated that
a plurality of auction websites 50, directly linked to the merchant
computer system 10, can all be potential buyers/traders of the
user's 30 selected property. As a result, the user 30 has the
option of choosing a buyer/trader from these auction websites 50 in
addition to other specific users 40 at step 220.
[0030] Once the user 30 has entered all the required buyer/trader
information at step 220, the merchant computer system 10 must
determine whether the potential buyer/trader is a new user to the
system 10 at step 225. If the potential buyer/trader is indeed a
new user, the merchant computer system 10 generates a new account
for the user at step 230, sends this account information to the new
user at step 235, and posts the sale/trade via the Internet 20 at
step 240; otherwise, the system 10 bypasses steps 230 and 235 and
proceeds directly to step 240.
[0031] It should be appreciated that the "posting" of a sale/trade
at step 240 entails communicating all conditions of the sale/trade
with the potential buyer/trader. Such conditions will include
details such the price of the particular sale or the property for
which the desired property is going to be traded for. The procedure
then continues once a response is received from the potential
buyer/trader regarding these conditions at step 245. If the
transaction is confirmed by the potential buyer/trader at step 245,
then the transaction is executed at step 260; otherwise, the
transaction is cancelled at step 250 and a cancellation message is
sent to the user 30 at step 255. After a transaction is executed at
step 260, the merchant computer system 10 must update its records
to reflect this transaction at step 265. Finally, a confirmation
message regarding this transaction is sent to both the user 30 and
the buyer/trader at step 270.
[0032] Once a user 30 has acquired a virtual property, either
through a purchase or a trade, that property may be freely accessed
by the user 30 from the merchant computer system 10. In FIG. 4, a
flow chart illustrating the steps for accessing these properties
according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. This
procedure begins at step 300 and continues with the user 30 logging
into the merchant computer system 10 at step 305. Once the user 30
is logged into the system 10, a portfolio illustrating the user's
30 virtual properties managed by the merchant is displayed at step
310. The user 30 then selects the desired property it intends to
access at step 315.
[0033] Similar to the procedure for making a purchase, all virtual
properties displayed to the user 30 from the merchant's database 14
are either directly accessible from the current merchant or
indirectly accessible through another merchant. As a result, the
merchant computer system 10 must determine whether the selected
property resides within its own inventory at step 320. If this
property does indeed reside within the merchant's own inventory,
then the procedure continues with the property being accessed at
step 330; otherwise, the merchant computer system 10 determines
whether the remote location of the desired property resides on a
partner computer system 60 at step 325.
[0034] It should be appreciated that, although a particular
property, remotely located on a partner's computer system 60, can
be accessed directly from the current merchant's computer system
10, the physical location of this particular property remains
within the partner's computer system 60. Therefore, if it is
determined that a particular merchant is indeed a partner at step
325, the procedure continues with the desired property being
accessed from the remote merchant's computer system 60 via the
current merchant's computer system 10 at step 330; otherwise, the
user 30 is hyper-linked to the other merchant's computer system 60
at step 305 where the described procedure is repeated from within
the computer system 60 of the other merchant.
[0035] Within the context of the aforementioned flow charts, it
should be appreciated that a plurality of embodiments describing
several different types of virtual properties can be given. In one
such embodiment, a merchant could sell software applications that
are maintained and operated on the merchant computer system 10 via
the Internet 20. Once a user purchases the software, that user
would then be able to launch and run the software through their
portfolio from any computer system 30 with a browser applications
32. In this type of embodiment, it is understood that the desired
software must be implemented with a programming language compatible
with remote access (e.g., Java).
[0036] Since the user is accessing the desired software remotely
through its connection with the merchant computer system 10, there
is never a need to download this software onto the user's computer
30. As a result, the user will have no ability to copy the
software. If the software generates files, those files could be
stored on either the user's computer 30, the merchant's computer
10, or a third party's computer depending on the agreement at the
time of purchase. Unlike application service providers (ASPs) that
sell subscriptions or memberships to sites that provide these
services, this invention enables users to actually own these
virtual software properties and manage them accordingly.
[0037] By way of example, a user could purchase access to a
word-processing program from a software merchant. The user may then
have an icon and manual for said software within their portfolio
with that merchant. Whenever the user wants to use this program, it
would simply log into the merchant computer system 10 and access
the desired software. The software would then open within their
browser 32 enabling the user to employ its various features
directly from the merchant computer system 10. However, if the
owner of this word-processing program ever wanted to sell or trade
this property, this transaction would be easily made using the flow
chart described in FIG. 3. It should be appreciated that once a
user relinquishes ownership of this software, the user also
relinquishes all access rights it previously had to that particular
software. The new owner of the software then has all access rights
to the software.
[0038] In another embodiment, this invention may be used by a
merchant of multiplayer Internet games. In an adventure game, for
example, a character may find an object, which is a very rare
object in this adventure game. Within the game context, this
character "owns" this object which is in itself a type of virtual
property. Namely, this object is intangible and physically
non-existent in the real world, but it still may have value to
someone in the real world who would like to participate in this
adventure game.
[0039] In particular, a participant in this game may wish to trade
one of its virtual properties (e.g., a weapon, key, etc.) for this
object or simply purchase the object from its owner (i.e., the
player who found it). Once a player owns a particular virtual
property, that property is included in that player's portfolio
until the end of the game or until it is sold or traded (although
some embodiments may include games where certain virtual properties
can be carried over into the next game, another type of game, or
some variant thereof). It should also be appreciated that a
particular game may be operating on a server not maintained by the
merchant managing the aforementioned virtual properties. In such
cases, there needs to be communication between the merchant and the
game server to verify ownership of these virtual properties and
authority to use them in the game. It should be further appreciated
that this verification step may be implemented within step 325 of
the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 4 if needed.
[0040] In another embodiment, digital trading cards containing a
variety of images and information regarding individual cards can be
purchased, sold, traded, or accessed via the Internet. Here, it is
understood that although these digital trading cards are analogous
to physical trading cards which are well known (such trading cards
are particularly common in the sports industry), digital trading
cards are unique in that they exist only within the virtual realm.
In the physical world, trading card merchants typically produce a
limited number of each trading card which are sold in "packs"
containing a certain number of randomly selected trading cards.
[0041] If packs of cards are offered in an embodiment, a merchant
could offer sets of numerous unknown cards for sale, which are
randomly selected based on a particular weighting system. Within
this embodiment, it should be appreciated that a buyer may own
multiple copies of the same digital trading card. In these cases,
the buyer's on-line portfolio would display multiple owned copies
of the same digital trading card. The owner may then offer to sell
or trade these excess cards to another buyer, put these cards up
for auction via an auction website 50, or simply keep the multiple
copies of that particular card (perhaps with aspirations that the
card will appreciate in value).
[0042] The digital trading cards may also be used as part of a
multi-player game that is accessible via a game server. The digital
trading cards may be "won" or "lost" throughout the course of a
particular game. Within the context of such games, it is well known
that certain game cards can be played versus other game cards in
order to win ownership of that particular card. In an embodiment of
this invention, these games may be played over the Internet 20
where the virtual ownership of these cards is managed by the
merchant computer system 10 as dictated by the course of the game.
It should be appreciated that the transfer of ownership associated
with "winning" or "losing" a particular card would be analogous to
the procedure for the sale or trade of a virtual property
previously described in the flow chart of FIG. 3. It should be
further appreciated that in this type of embodiment, a merchant
computer system 10 will determine the confirmation of a particular
game card transaction (i.e., the winning or losing of a card) at
step 245 of FIG. 3 according to the rules and restrictions of the
game being played.
[0043] In another embodiment, virtual movies, having no physical
counterpart, may be 11 managed by a particular merchant via the
Internet 20. Within this embodiment, virtual movies may be viewed
by the user 30 using software residing on the merchant computer
system 10 through the user's Web browser application 32. In order
to purchase a virtual movie, prospective users 30 would access
their accounts with the merchant computer system 10. Rather than
requiring the virtual movie to be downloaded to the user's computer
30, the merchant would provide the user with an access code used to
verify the identity of the user. From that point forward, the user
would be the owner of the virtual movie and would thus have all
rights of ownership to that virtual movie, including the right to
resell its ownership to another party.
[0044] Sale of ownership could entail a simple transaction, such as
transferring the proof of ownership codes to the buyer, or it can
entail a more elaborate transaction, such as transfer of ownership
codes, and the registration of such transfer with the merchant. New
ownership codes could be distributed in an automated fashion to the
new owner, which transaction could effect the deactivation of old
codes.
[0045] Having thus described a preferred embodiment of a method and
apparatus for managing ownership of virtual property, it should be
apparent to those skilled in the art that certain advantages of the
within system have been achieved. It should also be appreciated
that various modifications, adaptations, and alternative
embodiments thereof may be made within the scope and spirit of the
present invention. The invention is further defined by the
following claims.
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