Method and system for making awards based on the travels of an artifact

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention discloses an itinerant artifact in the form of a toy that embarks on travel to different places. Associated with the artifact may be a mission which includes at least one location/place that the artifact must travel to in order to be eligible for an award.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method, comprising:
 provisioning at least one game server with functionality to:
 pair a plurality of toys each to an online character; 
 perform a registration operation to create a user account for an owner associated with at least one of the plurality of toys; 
 associate a mission with each of the plurality of toys, said mission defining at least one location that the toy must travel to; 
 maintain a travel log comprising locations each toy has travelled to; and 
 determine whether a criterion for an award is met based on the mission and travel log associated with each toy; and 
 if any criterion for an award is met then make said award; and 
   distributing at least some of the plurality of toys, each comprising a communications mechanism configured to initiate communications with the at least one game server and to report location information to said game server.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising providing a plurality of kiosks each at a public location, each kiosk comprising a host computer to which any one of the plurality of toys can be coupled whereupon the kiosk provides information about the mission associated with the toy and enables the toy to transmit location information to the at least one game server. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising provisioning the at least one game server with functionality to perform a registration operation to create a user account for at least one helper defined as a person who assists a particular toy achieve its mission. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising provisioning the at least one game server with functionality to embed the online character into a profile for the owner or each helper on a social networking site. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the mission may comprise a requirement that the toy be taken to a store of a retailer; and an award for completion of said mission comprises a virtual good for the online character associated with toy. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising sharing awards between an owner of a toy an each helper that assisted the toy in achieving its mission. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising providing the game server with functionality to maintain a leader board to track progress of a plurality of toys on a common mission. 
     
     
         36 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 pairing a plurality of toys each to an online character;   performing a registration operation to create a user account for an owner associated with at least one of the plurality of toys;   associating a mission with each of the plurality of toys, said mission defining at least one location that the toy must travel to;   maintaining a travel log comprising locations each toy has travelled to; and   determining whether a criterion for an award is met based on the mission and travel log associated with each toy; and   if any criterion for an award is met then making said award.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising performing a registration operation to create a user account for at least one helper defined as a person who assists a particular toy achieve its mission. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising embedding the online character into a profile for the owner or each helper on a social networking site. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein Making the award comprises providing virtual goods to the online character. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising maintaining a leader board to track progress of a plurality of toys on a common mission. 
     
     
         41 . A toy, comprising:
 a communications interface to communicate with a game server; and   a game module configured to report location information associated with the toy to a game server upon connection of the toy to a host computer via the communications interface.   
     
     
         42 . The toy of  claim 41 , wherein the game module is provisioned with an address for the game server. 
     
     
         43 . The toy of  claim 41 , further comprising a GPS sensor, the location information the comprising GPS information. 
     
     
         44 . The toy of  claim 41 , wherein the communications interface comprises a USB interface.