Location-based digital token management systems, methods, and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12586328-B2
Application number	US-202519331210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2025
Priority date	Dec 7, 2022
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

Techniques include storing state information of a set of virtual container units (VCUs), associated digital tokens and current states. The techniques further include presenting an augmented reality (AR) virtual object dispenser in an AR session containing at least a subset of the set of VCUs. In response to receiving a user interaction, the techniques further include updating the state information of a VCU to a second state and recording the updated state information on a ledger. The techniques further include associating the VCU with a user account, wherein at least one digital token associated with the VCU remains unrevealed. The techniques further include enabling a transaction involving the VCU in the second state prior to revealing the at least one digital token. The techniques further include maintaining provenance information of the VCU on the ledger, the provenance information including the current state and at least a portion of transaction history.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method of managing dispensable virtual container units, the method comprising:
storing, via at least one processor, in at least one database, state information of a set of one or more of virtual container units, wherein each virtual container unit included in the set of virtual container units is associated with at least one digital token and with a current state corresponding to a state from a set of predefined states; presenting, via a user device, an augmented reality (AR) virtual object dispenser in an AR session containing at least a subset of the set of virtual container units; receiving, via the user device, a first user interaction with the AR virtual object dispenser; in response to the first user interaction, updating the state information of a first virtual container unit from a first state to a second state, wherein the first state corresponds to an undispensed state and the second state corresponds to a dispensed and unopened state; recording the updated state information on a notarized ledger; associating the first virtual container unit with a user account while maintaining the second state, wherein the at least one digital token associated with the first virtual container unit remains unrevealed; enabling a transaction involving the first virtual container unit in the second state prior to revealing the at least one digital token contained therein; and maintaining provenance information of the first virtual container unit on the notarized ledger, the provenance information including the current state and at least a portion of a transaction history.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of predefined states further includes a dispensed state, an opened state, and a discarded state.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the user device or a second user device, a second user interaction with the first virtual container unit in the second state; and in response to the second user interaction, updating the state information of the first virtual container unit from the second state to a third state, wherein the third state corresponds to a dispensed state and an opened state.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
revealing the at least one digital token associated with the first virtual container unit when the first virtual container unit is in the third state; and recording the revealing of the at least one digital token on the notarized ledger.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving, via the user device or the second user device, a third user interaction with the first virtual container unit in the third state; and in response to the third user interaction, updating the state information of the first virtual container unit from the third state to a fourth state, wherein the fourth state corresponds to a discarded state.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction involving the first virtual container unit in the second state while the at least one digital token remains unrevealed comprises at least one of: a transfer of ownership, a sale, a trade, or an auction of the first virtual container unit.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each virtual container unit is visually presented in the AR session according to presentation parameters associated with its current state.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the presentation parameters include at least one of: a shape, a color, a size, a texture, a logo, a brand, or an animation that changes based on the current state of the virtual container unit.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one digital token associated with the first virtual container unit is created after the first virtual container unit is dispensed from the AR virtual object dispenser.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one digital token associated with the first virtual container unit is created before the first virtual container unit is dispensed from the AR virtual object dispenser.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking at least one aging parameter of the AR virtual object dispenser based on user interaction frequency; and modifying presentation parameters of at least one virtual container unit within the AR virtual object dispenser based on the aging parameters.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notarized ledger comprises at least one of: a blockchain, a distributed ledger, a private ledger, or a public ledger.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual container unit is represented as a non-fungible token (NFT) on the notarized ledger, and wherein the at least one digital token contained within the first virtual container unit is a separate NFT.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising invoking a smart contract interface associated with the at least one digital token.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the first virtual container unit with the user account comprises:
recording ownership information on the notarized ledger, the ownership information including at least one of: a user account identifier, a virtual container unit identifier, a timestamp, a location of the user device when the first virtual container unit was dispensed, or an identifier of the AR virtual object dispenser.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a sequence identifier for each virtual container unit in the set of virtual container units; and dispensing the virtual container units from the AR virtual object dispenser according to a predetermined sequence based on the sequence identifiers.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
associating the first virtual container unit with auditable information that verifies the first virtual container unit was properly obtained from the AR virtual object dispenser, wherein the auditable information includes at least one of: a timestamp, a physical location, a device context, a user context, or extrinsic device data related to the user device.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction involving the first virtual container unit in the second state is recorded on the notarized ledger while maintaining the second state, such that subsequent owners receive the first virtual container unit in the unopened state.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual container unit is visually presented in the AR session as a three-dimensional object having at least one of: a spherical shape, a rectangular shape, a capsule shape, a box shape, or a custom shape associated with a brand.

20 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the at least one digital token deterministically according to a rarity.

Assignees

• Nant Holdings Ip Llc

Inventors

• Witchey Nicholas J
• Wiacek John
• Fyfe Jake
• Soon-Shiong Patrick

Classifications

• H04L67/131 Primary

  Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality · CPC title

• G06Q20/36

  using electronic wallets or electronic money safes · CPC title

• G06Q20/3825

  Use of electronic signatures · CPC title

• G06T19/003

  Navigation within 3D models or images · CPC title

• G06T19/006 Primary

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title