System and method for combining interactive game with infomercial

• US 20040143495A1
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Poweronedate Corporation
• Original Assignee: Poweronedate Corporation
• Inventors: Koenig, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A combination multi-media interactive game and video infomercial enables a seller of merchandise to combine an advertising infomercial with a player and/or participant'"'"'s playing of an interactive game. Preferably, the game is a step-by-step strategic or random game, whereby a player and/or participant starts at an opening starting point and proceeds from one decision point to another. When a player comes to a decision point in the game, they are required to select a product from a group of products that is suitable for the next task that the player must accomplish to advance in the game. This requires that the player research each of the products, thereby acquiring knowledge of the same, and retain the knowledge for later application in the game through selection of the correct product for each task in the game. As the players successfully make their way through the game, they amass point, product discounts, coupons, etc. that can be applied toward the purchase of the products.

Claims

1. An interactive combination game and commercial infomercial comprising a centralized processing means for processing strategic and/or random scoring and interactive game information together with financial information, said server having a plurality of games for choosing by a user wherein each game has a plurality of step interval locations, said step interval locations communicating with at least one advertisement display at each step of the game, wherein the user uses a provider means for purchasing or demonstrating a product online from the server during the course of said strategic or random game.

2. An interactive combination game and commercial infomercial comprising a database communicating with a logic interface, said logic interface communicating a player between a game having a plurality of decision points and a commercial advertising media having display and purchase information about a displayable inventory of products or services accessible therefrom.

3. The interactive combination game and commercial infomercial as in claim 2 wherein each decision point of said plurality of decision points displays at least one logic path of steps accessible by the player for said displaying said product or service display information about said displayable inventory of products or services, for access by the player of said product or service display information concerning said displayable inventory of products or services.

4. An interactive game comprising a centralized processing means for processing strategic and/or random scoring and interactive game information together with financial information, said server having a plurality of games for choosing by a user wherein each game has a plurality of step interval locations, said step interval locations communicating with at least one advertisement display at each step of the game, wherein the user uses a provider means for purchasing or demonstrating a product online from the server during the course of said strategic or random game, wherein the user interactively proceeds through selected optical three dimensional geometric oriented locations and wherein at each location, the visual field displayed to the participant user is divided up into discrete segmented locations in x,y,z three dimensional axes, wherein further at each location, the user advances further in the game by moving discrete geometric, optical units of information to expand upon and overlay them upon the three dimensional geometric oriented location.