U.S. patent application number 12/628075 was filed with the patent office on 2010-03-25 for widgetized avatar and a method and system of virtual commerce including same.
This patent application is currently assigned to FUHU. INC. Invention is credited to Robb Fujioka.
Application Number | 20100076870 12/628075 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41065730 |
Filed Date | 2010-03-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100076870 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fujioka; Robb |
March 25, 2010 |
Widgetized avatar and a method and system of virtual commerce
including same
Abstract
An avatar is disclosed. The avatar includes computing code that
provides for addition of the avatar as non-static content to at
least two unique at least partially static web pages, and secondary
computing code resident within the computing code, wherein the
secondary computing code provides for association with at least one
other portion of the computing code of: ones selected from a
plurality of physical characteristics, ones selected from a
plurality of clothes, ones selected from a plurality of
accessories, a plurality of personal information, a plurality of
preferences, and a plurality of recommendations.
Inventors: |
Fujioka; Robb; (Manhattan
Beach, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH;ATTN: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
ONE LOGAN SQUARE, 18TH AND CHERRY STREETS
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103-6996
US
|
Assignee: |
FUHU. INC
El Segundo
CA
|
Family ID: |
41065730 |
Appl. No.: |
12/628075 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12381663 |
Mar 13, 2009 |
|
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12628075 |
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61069336 |
Mar 13, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.1 ;
715/706 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2300/5553 20130101;
G06Q 30/0601 20130101; A63F 13/63 20140902; A63F 2300/6018
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/27 ;
715/706 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00; G06Q 50/00 20060101 G06Q050/00; G06F 3/048 20060101
G06F003/048 |
Claims
1. A virtual mall for shopping online, comprising: at least one
online virtual storefront; and an avatar for virtually moving
through said at least one online virtual storefront, said avatar
comprising: computing code that provides for addition of the avatar
as non-static content to at least two unique at least partially
static web pages, wherein at least one of the partially static web
pages comprises one of said at least one online virtual storefront,
and wherein said computing code comprises personal information of a
correspondent user; and secondary computing code resident within
said computing code, wherein said secondary computing code provides
for association of said computing code with the mobile computing
code to allow for purchase, in accordance with the personal
information, of virtual goods from said at least one virtual
storefront for association with said avatar.
2. The mall of claim 1, wherein the virtual goods comprise at least
one virtualized article of real world clothing.
3. The mall of claim 2, wherein the at least one article of real
world clothing comprises a designer line of clothing.
4. The mall of claim 1, wherein said computing code comprises
uncompiled computing code.
5. The mall of claim 1, wherein a display of said computing code
comprises an approximate physical representation of the
correspondent user.
6. The mall of claim 1, wherein a display of said computing code is
two dimensional.
7. The mall of claim 1, wherein a display of said computing code is
three dimensional.
8. The mall of claim 1, wherein the personal information includes
at least one of a user name, a user screen name, a purchase tool, a
handle, a trademark and a text of interest.
9. The mall of claim 1, wherein said at least two unique at least
partially static web pages comprise HTML code.
10. The mall of claim 1, wherein at least one of said computing
code and said secondary computing code are embeddable by the end
user.
11. The mall of claim 1, wherein a display of said computing code
includes at least facial features and hair.
12. The mall of claim 1, wherein the personal information includes
musical tastes, motion picture tastes, job status, educational
status, age, location, income, marital status, and online
communities with which the user is associated.
13. The mall of claim 1, wherein a display of said computing code
comprises a trading card format.
14. The mall of claim 13, wherein said trading card format flips
responsive to at least one of selection of a drop-down menu,
selection of a link, and a double click.
15. The mall of claim 13, wherein a flipped side of said trading
card includes age, interests, likes, dislikes, and employment
status.
16. The mall of claim 1, wherein the personal information comprises
an indication of an expertise in interacting with at least one
computing community.
17. The mall of claim 16, wherein the expertise is transferrable in
conjunction with said computing code.
18. The mall of claim 16, wherein the expertise is in accordance
with feedback from other ones of the user in the at least one
computing communities.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. ______, entitled "A Widgetized Avatar And A
Method And System Of Creating And Using Same" and filed Nov. 20,
2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/381,663, entitled "A Widgetized Avatar And A Method And System
Of Creating And Using Same" and filed Mar. 13, 2009, the entirety
of each application being incorporated herein as if set forth in
the entirety. This application is further related to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. ______, entitled "A Virtual Marketplace
Accessible To Widgetized Avatars," U.S. patent application Ser. No.
______, entitled "A Widgetized Avatar And A Method And System Of
Creating And Using Same," and to U.S. patent application Ser. No.
______, entitled "A Widgetized Avatar And A Method And System Of
Creating And Using Same Including Storefronts," all filed Nov. 30,
2009, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference
herein as if each being set forth in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is directed to avatars for use in
computing communities and, more particularly, to a widgetized
avatar and a method and system of creating and using same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Many computing and entertainment embodiments allow for a
user, player, or viewer to create an "avatar." An avatar is
typically a virtual manifestation of that user's "computerized
physicality." However, the prior art typically provides only
limited options for a user who wishes to create an avatar, such as
limited physical features, clothing, associated information, and
the like. As such, a typical avatar allows for only very limited
information about a user to be relayed by the avatar. More
specifically, the physical characteristics of the avatar likely
have only limited applicability to the physicality of the
real-world user, due in part to the limited physical, clothing and
the like options available in creating the avatar, and the typical
information associated with the avatar, other than its physicality,
is limited or non-existent.
[0004] Additionally, present avatars need to be created over and
over again, and are highly variable for the same real user as
between different applications using an avatar, in principal part
because avatars are not typically transferable as between multiple
applications. Further, present avatars present little or no
monetization or marketing opportunities, nor do present avatars
allow for collection of or provision to, potential transaction
partners of the preferences, characteristics or interests of the
actual user.
[0005] Thus, the need exists for an avatar, and an apparatus,
system and method related thereto, that allows for transferability,
improved physical relation to the actual user, more information
regarding the actual user, and improved marketing, monetization and
transaction opportunities related to the user's avatar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An avatar is disclosed. The avatar includes computing code
that provides for addition of the avatar as non-static content to
at least two unique at least partially static web pages, and
secondary computing code resident within the computing code,
wherein the secondary computing code provides for association with
at least one other portion of the computing code of: ones selected
from a plurality of physical characteristics, ones selected from a
plurality of clothes, ones selected from a plurality of
accessories, a plurality of personal information, a plurality of
preferences, and a plurality of recommendations.
[0007] A system for creating an online persona, including a
widgetized avatar, and recommending content for viewing by a user
of the online persona is also disclosed. The system includes
computing code that provides for addition of the avatar as
non-static content to at least two unique at least partially static
web pages, secondary computing code resident within the computing
code, wherein the secondary computing code provides for association
with at least one other portion of the computing code of: ones
selected from a plurality of physical characteristics, ones
selected from a plurality of clothes, ones selected from a
plurality of accessories, a plurality of personal information, a
plurality of preferences, and a plurality of recommendations, and,
a recommendation engine employing suitable to suggest content based
on at least one of a user's community, popularity, known expertise,
clicks, interests, and searches.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] Understanding of the present invention will be facilitated
by consideration of the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to
like parts:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an avatar in accordance with the present
invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates an avatar in accordance with the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates an avatar in accordance with the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates a plurality of avatars in accordance with
the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram in accordance with the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of
the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements
that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present
invention, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, many
other elements found in typical avatar and computing apparatuses,
systems and methods. Those of ordinary skill in the art may
recognize that other elements and/or steps are desirable and/or
required in implementing the present invention. However, because
such elements and steps are well known in the art, and because they
do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention,
a discussion of such elements and steps is not provided herein. The
disclosure herein is directed to all such variations and
modifications to such elements and methods known to those skilled
in the art.
[0015] An avatar is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art
to include a computer user's representation of him or herself, such
as in the form of a two or three dimensional model used in computer
games, social network applications, or other on-line communities. A
typical avatar may further include, or have associated therewith, a
user's name, a user's screen name, a handle, or text of interest,
such as a trademark, saying, or poem, for example.
[0016] A widget in accordance with the present invention, and as
will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, is a
portable portion of code that may be installed or executed within
any separate HTML based webpage by an end user without
necessitating additional compilation of that code portion. Such
widget code portions, in accordance with the present invention, are
embeddable by the end user. As such, a widget in accordance with
the present invention is any code portion that may be embedded by
the end user within a selected page of HTML, XML, or like code that
causes presentation of that selected web page. The widget, via the
embedded code portion, thereby adds non-static content to the
subject webpage.
[0017] The present invention includes a fully portable, widgetized
avatar having associated therewith multiple items of social
information that are generally requested for association with at
least two different computing communities or transactions.
Widgetization of the avatar of the present invention necessarily
allows for portability of the avatar of the present invention. For
example, creation of a typical avatar in accordance with the
present invention may include the association of physical features,
such as facial and hair, with the subject avatar, as well as the
aforementioned user name, as shown in FIG. 1. Further, a myriad of
additional information may be associated with the avatar, wherein
such information is generally required or desired for use in
computing communities or transactions. This information may be
organized into multiple levels of detail, and/or multiple levels of
accessibility to third parties in a computing community or
transaction. Such levels of accessibility may be selected by the
creator of the widgetized avatar based on characteristics of the
third party endeavoring to access the subject avatar. For example,
a user may have basic information, which may be selectable for
viewing by all registered users of a particular community, as shown
in FIG. 2.
[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, a user may have likes or
dislikes, such as musical or motion picture tastes, job or
educational status, age, location, income, marital status, and
other computed communities with which that user is associated,
associated with his or her avatar. The present invention provides a
physical manifestation of all of this information, such as in a
"trading card" format. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates an avatar
wherein the front of the virtual trading card includes an avatar
having particular physical features, clothing, accessories,
activities, and the like, along with an associated user name.
However, when an interaction, such as selection of a drop-down
menu, selection of a link, a double click, or the like is
undertaken to "flip" a trading card to the back, a myriad of
additional information is displayed regarding the user related to
the widgetized avatar, such as age, interests, likes and dislikes,
employment status, and the like.
[0019] Needless to say, because the virtual manifestation of the
physical trading card is embodied in the computing code that
provides for the virtual manifestation, such computing code may be
provided in such a normalized format that it is easily adopted into
multiple computing communities or environments, and/or may be
adopted as non-static content onto multiple different web pages. As
such, the subject avatar may be incorporated into multiple social
communities, fantasy sports communities, blogs, and the like.
Further, avatars of particular interest to the general public, such
as trading card avatars of musical artists or other famous persons,
may be downloaded or referenced by fans of such famous persons.
Such avatars may, in fact, be presented in non-classical formats,
such as through a tab presentation on a web page designed by the
user as a home page in a certain community, or that is set forth by
a particular computing community. Such "celebrity" avatars,
including in such non-classical formats, may include presentations
or allow for interactions with celebrity suggestions or favorites,
such as recipes, music, concerts, movies, talk shows, reality
shows, or the like, and may further allow for purchases from or
related to such suggestions or favorites.
[0020] As referenced hereinabove, a typical avatar may have
associated therewith certain physical features, clothing,
accessories or activities, for example. As such, the present
invention is and includes a tool whereby such physical features,
clothing, accessories, and activities may be taken from the real
world and "virtualized," for use with a subject avatar, as shown in
FIG. 3. For example, famous clothing lines, such as Vera Wang
clothing, or famous shoe lines, such as Nike sneakers, or famous
accessories, such as Kate Spade purses, or well known activities,
such as playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, and goods at well
known retailers, such as Tiffany's, Macy's, or the like, may be
virtualized for use with an avatar. As such, virtualized items may
be made available for sale for use with an avatar just as the
corresponding real items are generally for sale for use with the
real world user correspondent to the avatar. Likewise, celebrity
avatars may be presented as "model" widgetized avatars, and the
user may be enabled to purchase those items worn by the celebrity's
avatar, and/or that are endorsed by that celebrity, as shown in
FIG. 4.
[0021] Thereby, for example, during or following creation of a
discreet widgetized avatar and/or a widgetized avatar to be
associated with the aforementioned avatar trading card, the user
creating the avatar may have available a selectable library of
options for association with the subject avatar, such as a
searchable library of options searchable by key word, or a
hierarchal library of options presented by topic. Such libraries
may be presented as "stores," for example, in which the avatar may
"shop." For example, for "fashion", a user may enter a fashion
"shopping" environment, such as a virtual "mall," to be presented
with available virtual clothing lines for the avatar. Such lines
may be visually presented by piece of clothing, or pieces of
clothing on a shelf, for example, as would be the case in a
real-world shopping for the real world user correspondent to the
avatar. For example, for "shirts", the user may be presented with
options such as Jones New York, Tommy Hilfiger, Fubu, Major League
Baseball, National Football League, and the like, and such options
may be presented as storefronts, for example. The user may then
select one of the presented fashion shopping points for shirts, and
then may be presented with the entire line of "real world" shirts
associated with that fashion line, but, of course in a virtualized
format. Thus, for example, upon selection of a Major League
Baseball store, the user may be presented with a series of major
league baseball team jerseys for association with that user's
avatar. Needless to say, the user may then select the baseball
jersey of that user's favorite team, and may in fact pay, such as
through the use of a micropayment, for the use of that virtual
jersey just as the user might pay for the purchase of a real world
jersey of that user's favorite baseball team in a real world store.
Similarly, lines of pants, dresses, suits, shoes, and the like may
be made available for use with avatars, and may in fact be made
available for purchase by users for use with avatars. Likewise,
accessories or activities that would require purchase in the real
world by the user may additionally allow for purchase of such
accessories or activities in the virtual world for use with the
user's widgetized avatar.
[0022] Additionally, the present invention may provide an upsell
engine as illustrated in FIG. 5. The upsell engine may operate,
upon purchase of a virtual item for association with the user's
avatar, may present the user with an opportunity to purchase the
same or similar article in the real world for real world use by the
actual user based on that user's known preference for that article
as evidenced by the purchase of the virtual article for use with
the user's avatar. This may, of course, occur within an online
store correspondent to the virtual store in which the avatar was
"shopping." The upsell engine may additionally or alternatively
include presentation to the user of an advertisement for real world
articles that are the same as or associated with the virtual
article purchased by the user, or may allow for presentation of
advertising related to likely related virtual or real world
articles of interest to the user based on the user's expressed
preference for the particular virtual article selected. Needless to
say, the present invention may also be used to upsell in the
inverse situation--that is, the situation in which the user
purchases a real world article from a particular web site, or surfs
a particular web site for real world goods and/or services, may
cause the user to be presented with advertising for the purchase of
the same or similar virtual articles, or associated or related
virtual articles, or to be presented with a direct opportunity to
purchase the same, similar, or related virtual articles at the
point of purchase of the particular real world article.
[0023] Further, the present invention may allow for association of
particular areas of interest, such as the clothing discussed above
and/or particular levels of expertise with particular areas of
interest, as related to the avatar and/or avatar trading card. As
such, the user associated with the subject avatar may take a rating
of that user's interest and expertise in certain areas from
computing community to computing community. Thus, searches may be
made available in one or more computing communities for persons
having desired levels of expertise in certain areas. The user may
thus accumulate expertise points in multiple computing communities
at the same time, wherein such points may be associated with that
user's transferable widgetized avatar, whereby a user's expertise
may rise based on accumulated expertise points. Additionally and
alternatively, a user's expertise in a certain area may increase
based on feedback from other users in one or more computing
communities in relation to the subject users expertise in a
particular area, or a user's expertise may increase based on an
assignment of expertise levels by one or more of the computing
communities, or a user's expertise level may rise based on advice
offered, amount of advice offered, or purchase of expertise or
advice from that user in or more on-line computing communities.
Thus, a search by a party in need, such as a key word search, for
an expert in a particular area and may not return a user
advertising to be an expert in a particular area, but instead may
return a user adjudged to be an expert in a particular area by
parties other than that user him or himself. Of course, in
accordance with the present invention, such expertise levels may be
associated with the avatar or avatar trading card, and as such may
be subsequently transferred to other computing communities.
[0024] Thus, the avatar of the present invention enables a user to
create a portable, fully virtual "person" for association with that
user and carrying the characteristics of that user, including a
personal profile and identification card that can be used in
combination with any web page, webtop or desktop and any computing
community, transaction or social networking situation. Thereby, the
avatar of the present invention allows users to connect with other
users and share ideas, content, expertise, and applications.
Further, the avatar of the present invention thus assists in viral
growth by offering users of certain or multiple computing
communities an avatar that keeps all personal profile information
in one transportable place. Additionally, the avatars of the
present invention may provide a foundation for a recommendation and
expertise engine employing an algorithm that may suggest content or
an expert based on a user's community, popularity, known expertise,
clicks, interests, searches, or the like.
[0025] The avatar of the present invention may include one or more
of the user profile, physicality of avatar, user personal
characteristics, user interests, user links, user photos, videos,
or audio, user friends, user sayings, jokes, or the like, user
notes, connections or message postings, and user clothing,
accessories, activities and general style. As used herein, the
computing communities and transactions to which the avatar of the
present invention may be transferred include all computing
communities, including telecommunications communities such as those
accessible from cellular telephones, televisions, and the like.
[0026] Accordingly, virtual communities, such as a virtual mall,
may be created in accordance with the present invention. A virtual
mall may be equipped with a myriad of virtual "stores," such stores
having virtual, on-screen storefronts that may allow a user, such
as via the aforementioned avatar, to virtually enter and shop at
the store. Such stores may be mobile "widgets," in a manner similar
to the avatar discussed above, and as such may be placed in
numerous online locations or communities, or may form a permanent
part of a DNS mall location or community, for example. A user may
shop within a virtual mall using an avatar or other similar online
persona, as described hereinabove. Such an avatar may, for example,
select a body type and/or style. Further, hair type, color and
style have selected therefore clothing. This clothing may include
tops, bottoms, shoes and accessories purchased at virtual stores
that is, the online persona may mimic accessories and clothing
accessible in a real world environment to the user.
[0027] As such, a virtual mall may present an online social
community. This parallels the concept of a real world mall as a
social networking point. The virtual mall of the present invention
may be an extension of shopping as a social activity. Thus, a
virtual mall may provide shopping, as well as a place to interact
with friends, or to obtain and/or purchase entertainment.
[0028] The virtual mall may be presented as an outdoor mall, and/or
may include mechanisms of a real world mall such as elevators,
escalators, shuttles, hallways, movie theaters, food courts and the
like. Similarly the virtual mall may take the form of an indoor
mall, and/or may include with many levels of shopping.
Alternatively, the virtual mall may take the form of a fantasy
location, such as underwater, in outer space, or on the surface of
the sun or moon, for example.
[0029] Users may browse through a virtual store in a manner similar
to browsing in a real store. An avatar may enter different stores
and look through merchandise. Such merchandise may be categorized
based on a user query, or simply visible on-screen by type, for
example. The virtual mall may thus provide virtual and/or online
shopping, social networking, multiplayer games, movies and
entertainment and the like. A user may interact with other mall
shoppers, in real time or on a time delay, and may include seeking
the best deals in groups, or "resting" virtual feet at a food court
while catching up on the latest gossip or entertainment news.
[0030] Further, according to an aspect of the present invention,
information regarding the user may be resident within the avatar of
the present invention. This user and/or expertise information, as
discussed above, may be used to populate a store or mall, wherein
the stores offerings may be directed to the user profile associated
the shopping avatar, or wherein the store provides offerings based
on areas of expertise of the avatar of the storefront "owner." For
example, if user is interested in cars, such as European sports
cars, for example, and this information is associated via the
widget with the avatar, an automotive store may be provided by the
mall to that user, with the "shelves" stocked with virtual and/or
real/world parts for European sports cars, or cars, or car
auctions, for example. Additionally, the sports car store may be an
offering by a qualified expert in such cars, and as such, the user
avatar may interact with an expert, namely the store "owner," while
shopping in the owner's virtual store. That is a user may interact
with store personnel while shopping, such as via a chat.
[0031] Further, adjacent to the automotive store may be a store
directed to another interest of the user. In fact, the mall may be
populated with stores that match a user's interests. Such an
automated mall or store populator may be provided as a
site-building mechanism. More specifically, upon logging into or
entering a virtual mall, the user's interest may be assessed, and
during a brief pause, certain stores, or an entire mall, may be
modified, added, removed, or otherwise populated to match the
purchasing interests of the user, and/or for the user's avatar.
Such a populator may be linked to the upsell engine discussed
hereinabove, for example.
[0032] The virtual mall may allow for a user, via the user avatar,
to simulate the shopping experience by browsing, searching,
downloading, purchasing, and the like, and may provide checkout
across multiple stores at checkout.
[0033] Controls may be used for moving the avatar about the mall
and controlling avatar functions. For example, gaming controls may
be configured to control avatar movements. For example, a joystick
may be used. Alternatively, a keyboard control may be used, such as
using the .uparw., .dwnarw., .rarw., and .fwdarw. keys, for
example. The space bar may be used to rotate the avatar, for
example. Alternatively, the keys W, A, S and D may direct the
avatar through the virtual mall. The virtual mall may also have
controls to run so that the avatar can get to stores quickly, or
"teleport" to other stores, such as by clicking the mouse, for
example.
[0034] Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many
modifications and variations of the present invention may be
implemented without departing from the spirit or scope of the
invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers
the modifications and variations of this invention provided they
come within the scope of the appended claims and their
equivalents.
* * * * *