System and method for enhanced online transactions using shopping games

• US 20040009817A1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LuckySurf.com, Inc. (Key Performance Group SAS)
• Original Assignee: Commerce Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Tennenholtz, Moshe, Shoham, Yoav, La Mura, Pierfrancesco
• Application Number:
  US10/425,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20040009817A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An enhanced system and method for carrying out online transactions and auctions using a “shopping games” mechanism module is disclosed. The shopping games system provides for a mechanism scheme allowing “game moves” as well as bidding and message exchanging moves. The participants of the system may engage in game play in conjunction with an auction process, wherein the game play affects the auction process to provide a entertaining and amusing environment for participants to carry out online transactions without limiting the participants to traditional auction “moves”.

Claims

1. In a computer device, an online shopping game system having at least one seller and at least one bidder, said transaction system comprising:

a) an interface module configured to provide a user interface between the seller and the bidder, said interface module further configured to manage transactions associated with moves made by the seller and the bidder in conjunction with a sale of item by the seller; and

b) a mechanism module operatively coupled for communication with said interface module, said mechanism module defining a set of legal moves which may be issued as a transaction by the seller and the bidder, said set of legal moves including game moves, said moves carried in conjunction with the sale of the item by the seller, said game moves affecting an element of the sale of the item.

2. The shopping game system of claim 1, wherein said sale element is a pool of prospective bidders who are allowed to bid on the item of sale.

3. The shopping game system of claim 1, wherein said sale element is information which is revealed to the bidder.

4. The shopping game system of claim 1, wherein said sale element is the terms of the sale.

5. The shopping game system of claim 1, wherein said game moves culminate in a game result, said game result affecting an element of the sale of the item.

6. The shopping game system of claim 5, wherein said sale element is a pool of prospective bidders who are allowed to bid on the item of sale.

7. The shopping game system of claim 5, wherein said sale element is information which is revealed to the bidder.

8. The shopping game system of claim 5, wherein said sale element is the terms of the sale.

9. The shopping game system of claim 1, wherein sale elements and events affect an element of a game.

10. The shopping game system of claim 9, wherein said element of a game is the pool of game participants.

11. The shopping game system of claim 10, wherein said sale elements and said events affect the pool of game participants by having all the auction participants who did not win the auctioned item participate in a game which entitles the winner to receive a free rebate for the purchase of a similar item at a retailer store.

12. The shopping game system of claim 9, wherein said element of a game is the set of possible game moves.

13. The shopping game system of claim 12, wherein said sale elements and said events affect the set of possible game moves when participant A has made a higher bid than participant B, then participant A will be eligible to answer more trivia questions

14. The shopping game system of claim 9, wherein said element of a game is the structure of information revelation in the game.

15. The shopping game system of claim 14, wherein said sale elements and said events affect the structure of information revelation in the game by having only the highest bidders in an auction given statistics about bids made by other participants before participating in a prediction game where said highest bidders need to guess an average bid of said other participants.

16. The shopping game system of claim 9, wherein said element of a game is the game outcome.

17. The shopping game system of claim 16, wherein said sale elements and said events affect the game outcome by having the highest bidders in a round in a multi-round auction eligible for a larger prize if said highest bidders win in an accompanied game.

18. In a computer device, an online transaction system having at least one seller and at least one buyer, said transaction system comprising:

a) an auction module configured to list at least one item for sale by a seller and to receive at least one bid submitted by a buyer for the item for sale, said auction module including auction elements and auction events, said auction module further configured to close the item for sale upon a predetermined event defined by the seller;

b) a game module comprising at least one game operatively coupled for communication with said auction module, said game including game elements, said game associated with the item for sale by the seller, said game further configured for play by the buyer submitting the bid for the item for sale, said game further configured to produce a game outcome according to play activity performed by the buyer, and said game outcome affecting the terms of the sale for the item.

19. The online transaction system of claim 18, wherein said game comprises a trivia game, said trivia game configured to present to said buyer a trivia question and a plurality of answer choices, one of which is the correct answer, said trivia game further configured to receive from said buyer an answer selection and generate a game result, said game result affecting the terms of the sale for the item.

20. The online transaction system of claim 18, wherein said game result is a price rebate for the item for sale.

21. The online transaction system of claim 18, wherein, said game elements are affected by said auction elements and by said auction events.

22. The online transaction system of claim 18, wherein said auction elements are affected by said game elements.

23. The online transaction system of claim 18, wherein said auction events are affected by said game elements.

24. The online transaction system of claim 18, wherein said auction elements and said auction events are affected by said game elements.

25. The online transaction system of claim 21, wherein said auction elements and said auction events are selected from the group consisting of auction participants, bidding, information revelation and auction clearing.

26. The online transaction system of claim 21, wherein said game elements are selected from the group consisting of game participants, game moves, information revelation, and game outcome.