Prize awarding method and apparatus via a network

• US 20020042740A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Tsugufumi
• Application Number:
  US09/823,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042740A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user

Abstract

It is difficult to attract users to a desired web site, as there are so many sites and web pages to be accessed via the Internet. A prize awarding function is implemented in a mail server. The function communicates with a user. When the user accesses the homepage of the prize provision mechanism, a virtual slot machine starts to rotate. The user can win a prize based on a certain probability, which is adjusted in accordance with the access history of the user to the homepage. The time period necessary to complete the slot machine amusement is also set to a desired value in consideration of what the user wants to do next.

Claims

1. A prize awarding method comprising:

detecting access from a user via a network to a predetermined page;

initiating a prize awarding process providing amusement when the access is detected; and

allowing the user win a prize at the end of the process based on a certain probability;

wherein the process is carried out at a moderate speed so that the user can understand progress of the process and wherein the process is completed before the user gains access to arbitrary information residing inside or outside the page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the process is carried out at the moderate speed by decreasing CPU performance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the process is executed and representation of a sponsor of the prize is built into the process and displayed on the user'"'"'s information terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet and wherein the page is a page viewed on a WWW browser.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the process includes running a virtual slot machine and offering a prize for a rare combination of figures.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s access to arbitrary information is locked until the process is completed.

3. A prize awarding method comprising:

detecting access from a user via a network to a predetermined page;

initiating a prize awarding process providing amusement when the access is detected;

allowing the user to win a prize at the end of the process based on a certain probability; and

manipulating the probability based on frequency of access by the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the probability is decreased when the frequency of user access is unacceptably high over a relatively short period of time.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein scheme of the manipulation is indicated to the user.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the frequency is determined using multi-resolutional analysis and wherein the probability is adjusted according to the evaluation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the multi-resolutional analysis is conducted by determining the frequency in a plurality of different time spans.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the process is executed and representation of a sponsor of the prize is built into the process and displayed on the user'"'"'s information terminal.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the network is the Internet and wherein the page is a page viewed on a WWW browser.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the process includes running a virtual slot machine and offering a prize for a rare combination of figures.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the process is executed and representation of a sponsor of the prize is built into the process and displayed on the user'"'"'s information terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the user'"'"'s access to arbitrary information is locked until the process is completed.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the process is executed and representation of a sponsor of the prize is built into the process and displayed on the user'"'"'s information terminal.

15. A prize awarding apparatus comprising:

a detector which detects access from a user via a network to a predetermined page;

a process storage which stores a prize awarding process providing amusement to the user;

a process initiator which initiates the process when the access is detected; and

a prize manager which allows the user to win the prize at the end of the process based on a certain probability;

wherein the process is carried out at a moderate speed so that the user can understand progress of the process and wherein the process is completed before the user gains access to arbitrary information residing inside or outside the page.

18. A prize awarding apparatus comprising:

a detector which detects access from a user via a network to a predetermined page;

a process storage which stores a prize awarding process providing amusement to the user;

a process initiator which initiates the process when the access is detected;

a prize manager which allows the user to win the prize at the end of the process based on a certain probability; and

a probability adjusting unit which manipulates the probability based on frequency of access by the user.