Automated reward management for network-based contests

• US 20070244749A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 900Seconds, Inc. (Altaba Inc. (f/k/a Yahoo! Inc.))
• Inventors: Speiser, Michael, Speiser, Leonard
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.140
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/181 Billing, i.e. purchasing of data contents for use with electrophonic musical instruments; Protocols therefor; Management of transmission or connection time therefor

Abstract

A system for automated reward management for network-based contests includes one or more processors and memory coupled to the processors, where the memory stores program instructions executable by the processors to implement a contest manager. The contest manager is configured to collect an entry fee corresponding to each entry of a plurality of entries submitted for a contest over a network, and provide a prize to a winning entry of the contest based at least in part on a total amount of entry fees collected for the contest.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to implement a contest manager configured to;

collect an entry fee corresponding to each entry of a plurality of entries submitted for a contest over a network;

provide a prize to a winning entry of the contest based at least in part on a total amount of entry fees collected for the contest.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the network comprises at least a portion of the Internet.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the contest manager is configured to establish the contest in accordance with a request received over the network, wherein the request specifies the entry fee.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the prize comprises a non-monetary component.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the contest manager is further configured to collect a sponsorship amount for the contest from a sponsor, and wherein the prize is based at least in part on the sponsorship amount.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the contest manager is further configured to reduce the contest entry fee for a plurality of contest entries based at least in part on a sponsorship amount received for the contest from a sponsor.

7. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to implement a contest manager configured to;

determine a winner of a contest from among a plurality of contestants, wherein the contest is conducted in accordance with one or more contest specifications received over a network; and

provide an interface to an electronic commerce engine to purchase an item associated with the winner.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the item associated with the winner comprises a media object produced by the winner.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the contest manager is further configured to provide advertising for a product produced by the winner on a web site maintained by the contest manager.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the contest manager is further configured to reduce, for the winner, an entry fee associated with an other contest.

11. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to implement a contest manager configured to;

receive a respective contest entry from each contestant of a plurality of contestants competing in a contest conducted over a network; and

provide an interface to establish a virtual community associated with a contestant of the plurality of contestants.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the contest manager is further configured to provide an interface to establish a web log associated with the contestant.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the contest manager is further configured to receive and store one or more comments associated with the contestant.

14. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to implement a contest manager configured to;

determine a respective winner of each contest of a plurality of contests based at least in part on votes received over a network from a plurality of voters;

identify a particular voter of the plurality of voters who voted for the winners of two or more contests of the plurality of contests; and

provide a reward to the particular voter.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the reward comprises a display of information associated with the particular voter on a web site.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the reward comprises a change in a vote strength for a vote submitted by the particular voter for another contest.

17. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to implement a contest manager configured to;

receive a respective contest entry over a network from each contestant of a plurality of contestants participating in a contest;

obtain demographic information corresponding to each contestant of the plurality of contestants; and

provide an aggregated version of the demographic information corresponding to the plurality of contestants to an organizer of the contest.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the contest manager is further configured to anonymize the demographic information prior to providing the aggregated version to the organizer.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the demographic information is provided to the organizer in real time during the contest.

20. A tangible, computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the instructions are computer-executable to implement a contest manager configured to:

collect an entry fee corresponding to each entry of a plurality of entries submitted for a contest over a network;

provide a prize to a winning entry of the contest based at least in part on a total amount of entry fees collected for the contest.

21. The storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the network comprises at least a portion of the Internet.

22. The storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the contest manager is configured to establish the contest in accordance with a request received over the network, wherein the request specifies the entry fee.

23. The storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the prize comprises a non-monetary component.

24. The storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the contest manager is further configured to collect a sponsorship amount for the contest from a sponsor, and wherein the prize is based at least in part on the sponsorship amount.

25. The storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the contest manager is further configured to reduce the contest entry fee for a plurality of contest entries based at least in part on a sponsorship amount received for the contest from a sponsor.

26. A tangible, computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the instructions are computer-executable to implement a contest manager configured to:

determine a winner of a contest from among a plurality of contestants, wherein the contest is conducted in accordance with one or more contest specifications received over a network; and

provide an interface to an electronic commerce engine to purchase an item associated with the winner.

27. The storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the item associated with the winner comprises a media object produced by the winner.

28. The storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the contest manager is further configured to provide advertising for a product produced by the winner on a web site maintained by the contest manager.

29. The storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the contest manager is further configured to reduce, for the winner, an entry fee associated with an other contest.

30. The storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the contest manager is further configured to:

provide an interface to establish a virtual community associated with a contestant of the plurality of contestants.

31. The storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the contest manager is further configured to provide an interface to establish a web log associated with a contestant of the plurality of contestants.

32. The storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the contest manager is further configured to receive and store one or more comments associated with a contestant of the plurality of contestants.

33. A tangible, computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the instructions are computer-executable to implement a contest manager configured to:

determine a respective winner of each contest of a plurality of contests based at least in part on votes received over a network from a plurality of voters;

identify a particular voter of the plurality of voters who voted for the winners of two or more contests of the plurality of contests; and

provide a reward to the particular voter.

34. The storage medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the reward comprises a display of information associated with the particular voter on a web site.

35. The storage medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the reward comprises a change in a vote strength for a vote submitted by the particular voter for another contest.

36. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

collecting an entry fee corresponding to each entry of a plurality of entries submitted for a contest over a network;

providing a prize to a winning entry of the contest based at least in part on a total amount of entry fees collected for the contest.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

establishing the contest in accordance with a request received over the network, wherein the request specifies the entry fee.

38. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the prize comprises a non-monetary component.

39. The method as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

collecting a sponsorship amount for the contest over the network from a sponsor;

wherein the prize is based at least in part on the sponsorship amount.

40. The method as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

reducing the contest entry fee for a plurality of contest entries based at least in part on a sponsorship amount received for the contest from a sponsor.

41. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a winner of a contest from among a plurality of contestants, wherein the contest is conducted in accordance with one or more contest specifications received over. a network; and

providing an interface to an electronic commerce engine to purchase an item associated with the winner.

42. The method as recited in claim 41, wherein the item associated with the winner comprises a media object produced by the winner.

43. The method as recited in claim 41, further comprising:

providing advertising for a product produced by the winner on a web site associated with the contest.

44. The method as recited in claim 41, further comprising:

reducing, for the winner of the contest, an entry fee associated with an other contest.

45. The method as recited in claim 41, further comprising:

providing an interface to establish a virtual community associated with a contestant of the plurality of contestants.

46. The method as recited in claim 41, further comprising:

providing an interface to establish a web log associated with a contestant of the plurality of contestants.

47. The method as recited in claim 41, further comprising:

receiving and storing one or more comments associated with a contestant of the plurality of contestants.

48. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a respective winner of each contest of a plurality of contests based at least in part on votes received over a network from a plurality of voters;

identifying a particular voter of the plurality of voters who voted for the winners of two or more contests of the plurality of contests; and

providing a reward to the particular voter.

49. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein the reward comprises a change in a vote strength for a vote submitted by the particular voter for another contest.