Abstract:
A method for exchanging virtual currency for goods or services. The method can comprise storing data associated with customers and businesses in a database, updating the data associated with the customers and businesses to include changes in the amount of a virtual currency owned by the customers and businesses caused by interactions in a virtual environment, allowing the businesses to create promotions, allowing the customers to purchase promotions using the virtual currency, and allowing the customers to redeem purchased promotions for discounts on one or more goods or services at the physical locations of the businesses.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Interactive online environments have grown increasingly popular in recent years. Virtual worlds and online games such as “World of Warcraft” and Linden Labs&#39; “Second Life” now boast millions of registered users. Often, games such as these operate with complex internal economies which make use of their own virtual currencies. Due to the size of these games and the number of subscribers, many times these currencies can become extremely valuable. Additionally, these games can offer a way for players to purchase currency within the games using real world currency, however once the currency within the game is purchased, there is no real world value or way to exchange it for actual currency. 
         [0002]    Unfortunately, despite their value, these currencies are not transferrable to the physical world. There exists no gaming platform in which virtual points earned through normal gameplay lead to direct, real-world benefits from a broad range of businesses. As a result, the virtual wealth of many users, many of whom expended considerable effort, must often go to waste. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In one exemplary embodiment, a method for exchanging virtual currency for goods or services can be disclosed. The method can comprise storing data associated with customers and businesses in a database, updating the data associated with the customers and businesses to include changes in the amount of a virtual currency owned by the customers and businesses caused by interactions in a virtual environment, allowing the businesses to create promotions, allowing the customers to purchase promotions using the virtual currency, and allowing the customers to redeem purchased promotions for discounts on one or more goods or services at the physical locations of the businesses. 
         [0004]    In another exemplary embodiment, a system for exchanging virtual currency for goods or services can be disclosed. The system can comprise a central server capable of hosting a virtual environment, at least one device capable of sending and receiving data from the server and adapted to be used by a business, at least one device capable of sending and receiving data to and from the server and adapted to be used by a customer, and a virtual currency found in a realm on the central server. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0005]    Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an exemplary diagram of an interactive online loyalty platform. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a diagram representing an exemplary interaction between a business and an interactive online loyalty platform. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a diagram representing an exemplary interaction between a customer and an interactive online loyalty platform. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows. 
         [0010]    The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
         [0011]    Further, many embodiments are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a digital control system and the digital signal processing (DSP) devices. It will be recognized that various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, these sequences of actions and processes described herein can be considered to be embodied entirely within any form of computer platform having stored therein a corresponding set of computer instructions that upon execution would cause an associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various aspects of the invention may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which have been contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of the embodiments described herein, the corresponding form of any such embodiments may be described herein as, for example, “logic configured to” perform the described action. 
         [0012]      FIGS. 1-3  generally refer to a platform with an associated currency or medium of exchange that can be used in a networked computer system, for example while playing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. This currency, which may be a virtual currency, can be traded or exchanged between individual users of the computer system, and between users of the computer system and entities such as businesses. Additionally, the currency may be generated in any fashion and in any denominations, and may have a value that is independent of any one real world currency. The currency can be exchanged for goods or services performed or delivered outside of the networked computer system, or for benefits such as coupons or discounts. The platform and the currency can be used by entities such as businesses to track the activities of users of the computer system and use the information gathered to provide benefits to the users. Additionally, the currency used by the computer system may emulate physical currency, insofar as interactions between players, businesses and any other entities that involve currency can be such that the party receiving any currency may be free to save the currency or use it for any desired purpose; i.e. it is not absorbed by the computer system and it can be saved or used as desired. 
         [0013]    Exemplary  FIG. 1  depicts an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a platform  100 . Platform  100  can be adapted to use computers and other devices which can be operated by entities such as businesses, as well as computers and other devices which can be operated by users such as customers. These computers and other devices can include business server  102  and storefront device  104 , which can be operated by a business, and computer  106  and mobile device  108 , which can be operated by a customer. Platform  100  can also be adapted to use central server  110 , which can store account information related to businesses and customers, and can also run an interactive virtual environment, such as a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game, with which platform  100  may be associated. Business server  102 , storefront device  104 , customer computer  106 , and customer mobile device  108  can communicate with each other and with central server  110  through a networked connection, such as the internet. Central server  110  may have storage capabilities and may be capable of storing any desired information in databases, for example data regarding a customer or business, as well as any desired account information for any customer or business. 
         [0014]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , storefront device  104  can include a barcode scanner or any other type of known scanning device, and can communicate with other objects and devices in any desired manner, for example Radio-Frequency Identification, Near-Field Communication, Bluetooth, Wireless Internet, Short Message Service, Multimedia Message Service, or any other method of communication. Storefront device  104  can include software such as Scanner Assistant Software which can interact with business server  102 , customer computer  106 , customer mobile device  108 , and central server  110 . Customer mobile device  108  can be any sort of mobile device, for example a laptop or handheld computer, a cellular device such as a smartphone, or any other type of mobile device capable of accessing a network, send and receiving data and displaying content. Customer mobile device  108  can interact with other objects in any desired manner, such as Radio-Frequency Identification, Near-Field Communication, Bluetooth, Wireless Internet, Short Message Service, Multimedia Message Service, or any other method of communication. Customer mobile device  108  can further include software which can interact with business server  102 , customer computer  106 , customer mobile device  108 , and central server  110 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an interaction between an entity such as a business and an exemplary embodiment of a platform  100 . At step  202 , a business can create an account on central server  110  in which data relating to the business can be stored and accessed. At step  204 , a business can install one or more storefront devices  104  in one or more physical locations associated with the business. The storefront devices  104  can track any transactions that take place within the physical location and can store data associated with these transactions on business server  102 , which can update business account information on central server  110  accordingly. At step  206 , a business can establish a promotion such as a discount or coupon and determine conditions or restrictions for its use. These promotions can include for example the exchange of virtual currency for full or partial discounts on goods or services, or the reward of virtual currency in recognition of accomplishments inside or outside of the computer system associated with platform  100 . The business can enter this promotion and its associated rules into business server  102 , storefront device  104 , or any other device associated with the platform  100 . Central server  110  can recognize these promotions and make them available to customers in virtual or online storefronts associated the business which can be accessible through platform  100 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an interaction between a customer and an exemplary embodiment of the platform  100 . At step  302 , a customer can create an account on central server  110  in which data relating to the customer can be stored and accessed. At step  304 , a customer can access account data on central server  110  through customer computer  106  or mobile device  108 , for example by downloading an application. At step  306 , a customer can earn virtual currency by participating in interactions in a virtual environment associated with platform  100 , for example a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Such interactions can include, but are not limited to, interactions with other players on the game, interactions with virtual environments in the game or interactions with virtual entities in the game, as well as some interactions between physical entities and environments within the game. Central server  110  can update data associated with the customer&#39;s account to reflect the addition of currency. This currency can come from other customers or from a central bank account associated with platform  100 . In some exemplary embodiments, a finite amount of currency can be available, and the amount of credits disbursed from the central bank account can be managed by the administrators of the platform  100 . 
         [0017]    Still referring to exemplary  FIG. 3 , at step  308 , a customer can select a desired promotion from a business by using customer computer  106  or mobile device  108  to access a virtual or online storefront associated with the business which is accessible through platform  100 . Once a selection has been made, central server  110  can update data associated with the customer&#39;s account to indicate the acquisition of the promotion and the subtraction of virtual currency, and can place the virtual currency used for the purchase into an escrow account. At step  310 , a customer can redeem a purchased promotion at a business&#39;s physical location by, for example, scanning mobile device  108  with storefront device  104  at the time of purchase of a good or service. The Scanner Assistant Software on storefront device  104 , or any other desired software, can access business server  102  and use data contained in the business&#39;s account to evaluate the promotion as presented by mobile device  108 . If the promotion is applicable to the good or service being purchased, business server  102  can access central server  110 , which can transfer the virtual currency in the escrow account associated with the promotional transaction into the business&#39;s account and update data in the accounts of the business and the customer to reflect the details of the transaction. These details can include a running count of the amount and type interactions between the customer and the business, which can be used to modify the promotions that are available to the customer. 
         [0018]    In still further exemplary embodiments, it may be appreciated that upon the selection of a desired promotion in  308 , an indicia of that promotion may be provided to the customer. An indicia can include a message, such as a message with a coupon and a scannable or readable code that the customer may be able to get a physical copy of, for example by printing. The printed copy may then be redeemed at a business&#39;s physical location following it being scanned or read by an appropriate device. Following such a scanning or reading, any appropriate accounts may then be updated. 
         [0019]    In still another exemplary embodiment, an online or virtual currency may be generated in any of a variety of fashions. As discussed above, currency may be earned or accumulated through virtual interactions. Additionally, currency may be provided to players or customers through contact with one or more businesses in a game or virtual world. For example, after a business has accumulated a desired amount of currency in its accounts, it may send offers or messages to any desired players of a game. In return for opening the message, reading the message or performing some other task, a business may provide currency to the player that the message was sent to. This can incentivize players to read messages or perform tasks, as well as provide a platform for businesses to make any desired number of parties aware of content, materials, goods or services that the business may provide. 
         [0020]    The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
         [0021]    Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.