Method and apparatus for batch voting on live broadcasts
First Claim
1. A method of voting for one or more of a plurality of candidates depicted in a broadcast of a program in a plurality of time zones comprising a temporally first time zone and a temporally last time zone, comprising:
- receiving an allocation of at least a portion of N1 votes among one or more of the plurality of candidates from a first user in a first device;
transmitting the allocation of the at least a portion of the N1 votes from the first device to a vote tabulating entity; and
transmitting a user command committing the allocation of the N1 votes among the one or more of the plurality of candidates from the first device to the vote tabulating entity;
wherein;
the allocation of at least the portion of the N1 votes is accepted only if received during a first period; and
the accepted allocation of the at least the portion of the N1 votes is committed only if the user command committing the accepted allocation of the N1 votes is received during a second period.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for allocating and committing votes in a variety of voting paradigms is described. In one embodiment, the method describes a system applicable in a plurality of time zones and comprises determining if an allocation of at least a portion of N1 votes among one or more candidates is received from a first user via a first device during a first period, accepting and storing the allocation of votes, only if the allocation is received during the first period, receiving a user command committing the stored allocation of the N1 votes among the plurality of candidates, determining if the command is received during a second period, and committing the stored first user allocation of N1 votes among the one or more candidates only if the command is received during the second period.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of voting for one or more of a plurality of candidates depicted in a broadcast of a program in a plurality of time zones comprising a temporally first time zone and a temporally last time zone, comprising:
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receiving an allocation of at least a portion of N1 votes among one or more of the plurality of candidates from a first user in a first device; transmitting the allocation of the at least a portion of the N1 votes from the first device to a vote tabulating entity; and transmitting a user command committing the allocation of the N1 votes among the one or more of the plurality of candidates from the first device to the vote tabulating entity; wherein; the allocation of at least the portion of the N1 votes is accepted only if received during a first period; and the accepted allocation of the at least the portion of the N1 votes is committed only if the user command committing the accepted allocation of the N1 votes is received during a second period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 44, 45)
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22. An apparatus for voting for one or more of a plurality of candidates depicted in a broadcast of a program in a plurality of time zones comprising a temporally first time zone and a temporally last time zone, comprising:
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a user device, comprising; a processor; a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor instructions comprising processor instructions for; receiving an allocation of at least a portion of N1 votes among one or more of the plurality of candidates from a first user; transmitting the allocation of the at least a portion of the N1 votes; and transmitting a user command committing the accepted allocation of the N1 votes among the one or more of the plurality of candidates; wherein; the allocation of at least the portion of the N1 votes is accepted only if received during a first period; and the accepted allocation of the at least the portion of the N1 votes is committed only if the user command committing the accepted allocation of the N1 votes is received during a second period. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A system for voting for one or more of a plurality of candidates depicted in a broadcast of a program in a plurality of time zones comprising a temporally first time zone and a temporally last time zone, comprising:
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a user device, comprising; a processor; a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor instructions comprising processor instructions for; accepting an allocation of at least a portion of N1 votes among one or more of the plurality of candidates from a first user; transmitting the allocation of the at least a portion of the N1 votes; and transmitting a user command committing the accepted allocation of the N1 votes among the one or more of the plurality of candidates; a vote tabulating device, comprising; a second processor; a second memory, communicatively coupled to the second processor, the second memory comprising second processor instructions comprising second processor instructions for; determining if the allocation of at least the portion of the N1 votes among one or more candidates is received from the first user via the user device during a first period; accepting and storing the allocation of votes, only if the allocation is received during the first period; receiving the user command committing the stored allocation of the N1 votes among the plurality of candidates; determining if the user command committing the stored allocation of the N1 votes among the plurality of candidates is received during a second period; and committing the stored first user allocation of N1 votes among the one or more candidates only if the command is received during the second period.
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Specification