Granted Patent B2

US 12,380,417 · App. 18/155,326 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventors: John Blumenfeld (Minneapolis, MN); Corey Hadden (Minneapolis, MN); Harrison Lynch (Minneapolis, MN)

Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.

G06Q20/1235G06F21/108G06Q20/065G06Q30/0222G06Q30/0239G06Q30/0643G06Q2220/10

Abstract

Claims (61)

1. A method for providing a metaverse digital asset for use with a metaverse platform based on a guest at least partially completing a retailer desired purchase, participation or action, the method comprising:

the guest at least partially completing the retailer desired purchase, participation or action via a user device connected to a retailer graphical user interface (GUI) over a communications network, wherein the retailer GUI is hosted by a retailer online service, and wherein the retailer online service is a server device having a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon that, upon execution, cause one or more processors to provide an online shopping experience via the retailer GUI;

the retailer online service identifying that the guest has at least partially completed the retailer desired purchase, participation or action;

the retailer GUI providing a list of a plurality of metaverse platforms to the guest on which the metaverse digital asset can be used;

the guest selecting on the retailer GUI a desired metaverse platform from the plurality of metaverse platforms;

the retailer GUI of the retailer online service requesting permission from the guest to link a guest account that is associated with the guest for the retailer online service with a metaverse account associated with the metaverse platform;

upon receiving permission from the guest to link the guest account with the metaverse account, a metaverse integration API of the retailer online service providing the guest an interface viewable on the retailer GUI to enter login information for logging into the metaverse account;

the metaverse integration API linking the guest account with the metaverse account using the login information received via the retailer GUI;

the retailer online service retrieving an electronic communication address associated with the guest account;

the retailer online service sending an electronic notification, via the communications network to the electronic communication address, notifying the guest that a digital asset key for redeeming the metaverse digital asset is forthcoming;

an order tracking application programming interface (API) of the retailer online service confirming that the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been at least partially completed;

a digital asset key API of the retailer online service obtaining the digital asset key associated with the retailer desired purchase, participation or action, wherein the digital asset key API obtaining the digital asset key includes the digital asset key API communicating with a database or the desired metaverse platform over the communications network, and the digital asset key API retrieving the digital asset key from the database or the desired metaverse platform over the communications network;

upon confirmation by the order tracking API that the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been at least partially completed, the retailer online service providing the digital asset key to the guest, wherein the retailer online service providing the digital asset key includes one of:

electronically sending the digital asset key, via the communications network, to the electronic communication address when the guest account is not linked to the metaverse account, and

automatically transferring the digital asset key to the metaverse account when the guest account is linked to the metaverse account to avoid the guest from manually redeeming, in the desired metaverse platform, the digital asset key retrieved via an electronic communication:

the retailer online service determining that the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been cancelled by the guest; and

upon determining that the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been cancelled by the guest:

the metaverse integration API of the retailer online service determining that the digital asset key has not been used by the guest to redeem the metaverse digital asset, and

the metaverse integration API revoking the digital asset key, wherein the metaverse integration API revoking the digital asset key includes the metaverse integration API communicating, via the communications network, with the metaverse platform and requesting the metaverse platform to revoke the digital asset key,

wherein the digital asset key is configured to be used in the metaverse platform to redeem the metaverse digital asset.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metaverse digital asset is an exclusive metaverse digital asset only available upon at least partial completion of the retailer desired purchase, participation or action.

3. A system configured to provide a metaverse digital asset based on a guest at least partially completing a retailer desired purchase, participation or action, the system comprising:

a retailer online service that is a server device having a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon that, upon execution, cause one or more processors to provide an online shopping experience via a retailer graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the retailer online service includes:

the retailer GUI, hosted by the retailer online service, configured to:

assist a guest using a user device connected to the retailer GUI over a communications network to at least partially complete the retailer desired purchase, participation or action,

provide a list of a plurality of metaverse platforms to the guest on which the metaverse digital asset can be used,

allow a guest to select a desired metaverse platform from the plurality of metaverse platforms,

request permission from the guest to link a guest account that is associated with the guest for the retailer online service with a metaverse account associated with the metaverse platform,

receive permission from the guest to link the guest account with the metaverse account; and

a metaverse integration API configured to:

provide the guest an interface viewable on the retailer GUI to enter login information for logging into the metaverse account upon the retailer GUI receipt of permission from the guest to link the guest account with the metaverse account,

link the guest account with the metaverse account using the login information received via the retailer GUI, and

automatically provide a digital asset key associated with the retailer desired purchase, participation or action to the metaverse account;

an order tracking application programming interface (API) configured to confirm that the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been at least partially completed; and

a digital asset key API configured to obtain the digital asset key associated with the retailer desired purchase, participation or action by:

communicating with a database or the desired metaverse platform over the communications network, and

retrieving the digital asset key from the database or the desired metaverse platform over the communications network;

wherein the retailer online service is configured to:

receive an electronic communication address associated with the guest account,

send an electronic notification, via the communications network, to the electronic communication address notifying the guest that a digital asset key for redeeming the metaverse digital asset is forthcoming,

wherein the retailer online service is configured to identify that the guest has at least partially completed the retailer desired purchase, participation or action,

wherein, upon confirmation by the order tracking API that the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been at least partially completed, the retailer online service is configured to provide the digital asset key to the guest by one of:

electronically sending the digital asset key, via the communications network, to the electronic communication address when the guest account is not linked to the metaverse account, and

automatically transferring the digital asset key to the metaverse account when the guest account is linked to the metaverse account to avoid the guest from manually redeeming, in the desired metaverse platform, the digital asset key retrieved via an electronic communication,

wherein the retailer online service is configured to determine whether the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been cancelled by the guest, and upon determining that the retailer desired purchase, participation or action has been cancelled by the guest:

the metaverse integration API of the retailer online service is configured to determine whether the digital asset key has not been used by the guest to redeem the metaverse digital asset, and

upon determining that the digital asset key has not been used by the guest, the metaverse integration API is configured to revoke the digital asset key by communicating over the communications network with the desired metaverse platform and requesting the metaverse platform to revoke the digital asset key, and

wherein the digital asset key is configured to be used in the metaverse platform to redeem the metaverse digital asset.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the metaverse digital asset is an exclusive metaverse digital asset only available upon at least partial completion of the retailer desired purchase, participation or action.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic communication address is at least one of an email address and a mobile phone number associated with the guest account.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein metaverse digital asset is an exclusive metaverse digital asset that is virtual replica of the retailer desired purchase.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the retailer online service sending, via the communications network, a promotional electronic communication displaying a physical product and the metaverse digital asset associated with a purchase of the physical product,

wherein the promotional electronic message includes a link that when selected on the user device causes the retailer GUI to be displayed on the user device, and

wherein the retailer GUI displays the physical product for purchase from the retailer online service along with the metaverse digital asset redeemable upon purchase of the physical product.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic communication includes information indicating that a physical product or a retail service purchased is being processed and indicates where the physical product will be shipped or available for pickup, or how the retail service will be processed.

9. The system of claim 3 , wherein the electronic communication address is at least one of an email address and a mobile phone number associated with the guest account.

10. The system of claim 3 , wherein metaverse digital asset is an exclusive metaverse digital asset that is virtual replica of the retailer desired purchase.

11. The system of claim 3 , wherein the retailer online service is configured to send, via the communications network, a promotional electronic communication displaying a physical product and the metaverse digital asset associated with a purchase of the physical product,

wherein the promotional electronic message includes a link that when selected on the user device causes the retailer GUI to be displayed on the user device, and

wherein the retailer GUI is configured to display the physical product for purchase from the retailer online service along with the metaverse digital asset redeemable upon purchase of the physical product.

12. The system of claim 3 , wherein the electronic communication includes information indicating that a physical product or a retail service purchased is being processed and indicates where the physical product will be shipped or available for pickup, or how the retail service will be processed.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (24)