ONLINE CONTESTS WITH SOCIAL NETWORKS

• US 20130029768A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Eichstaedt, Matthias, Bopardikar, Sunil K., Gael, Deepak
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method comprises causing, to be displayed to a user through a web page of a social network provider that provides a social network, contest data that indicates an online contest; receiving, at a particular entity, input that indicates an intention by the user to participate in the online contest; sending, from the particular entity, request data that indicates a request, by the particular entity, for one or more permissions that allows the particular entity to access information from the social network provider about the user; after sending the request data, receiving, at the particular entity, acceptance data that indicates that the user accepts the request; in response to receiving the acceptance data, causing the user to be entered in the online contest; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing displaying to a first user, through a web page of a first social network provider that provides a first social network, first contest data that indicates a first online contest that is in a locked state;

receiving, at a particular entity, first input that indicates an intention by the first user to participate in the first online contest;

sending, from the particular entity, first request data that indicates a first request, by the particular entity, for one or more permissions allowing the particular entity to access information from the first social network provider about the first user;

after sending the first request data, receiving, at the particular entity, first acceptance data that indicates that the first user accepts the first request;

in response to receiving the first acceptance data, causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first online contest is initiated by a first contest provider that is different than the particular entity, the method further comprising, prior to causing displaying the first data:

receiving, from the first contest provider, information about the first online contest;

the particular entity managing the first online contest on behalf of the first contest provider by receiving information about a plurality of users that entered the first online contest.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the first acceptance data:

sending, to the first social network provider, a request for information about the first user;

after sending the request, receiving, from the first social network provider, information about the first user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, after receiving the information about the first user, sending a subset of the information to a first contest provider that provides the first online contest and that is different than the particular entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the first user includes one or more of age of the first user, geographical information of the first user, gender of the first user, one or more interests of the first user, residence information about the first user, academic information of the first user, or job information of the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the second data, causing a user node that is associated with the first user to be linked, within the first social network, with a contest node that is associated with the first online contest.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest:

determining whether the first user has already entered the first online contest;

wherein causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest is performed only after determining that the first user has not already entered the first online contest.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest:

determining whether the first user has accepted one or more rules of the first online contest;

wherein causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest is performed only after determining that the first user has accepted the one or more rules of the first online contest.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a message to be sent to each user of a plurality of users that are identified, in the first social network, as connected to the first user, wherein the message includes data about the first online contest or a contest provider that initiated the first online contest.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to causing the first contest data to be displayed:

receiving, from a first contest provider, input that selects a first template of a plurality of message templates, wherein the first message template dictates what type of information will be in the message or how the message will be formatted;

receiving, from the first contest provider, first content that is to be included in the message;

storing association data that associates the first content with the first message template and the first contest provider.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein causing the message to be sent comprises:

identifying, based on the association data, the first content and the first message template;

sending, to the first social network provider, a link message that includes the first content and that is formatted according to the first message template.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from a second contest provider that is different than the first contest provider, second input that selects a second message template of the plurality of message templates;

receiving, from the second contest provider, second content that is to be included in a second message;

storing second association data that associates the second content with the second message template and the second contest provider.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, to be displayed to a second user through a web page of a second social network provider that is different than the first social network provider and that provides a second social network that is different than the first social network, second contest data that indicates a second online contest;

receiving, at the particular entity, second input that indicates an intention by the second user to participate in the second online contest;

sending, from the particular entity, second request data that indicates a second request, by the particular entity, for one or more second permissions that allows the particular entity to access information from the second social network provider about the second user;

after sending the second request data, receiving, at the particular entity, second acceptance data that indicates that the second user accepts the second request;

in response to receiving the second acceptance data, causing the second user to be entered in the second online contest.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, to be displayed to a second user through a web page of a second social network provider that provides a second social network, second contest data that indicates a second online contest that is different than the first online contest;

receiving, at the particular entity, second input that indicates an intention by the second user to participate in the second online contest;

sending, from the particular entity, second request data that indicates a second request, by the particular entity, for one or more second permissions that allows the particular entity to access information from the second social network provider about the second user;

after sending the second request data, receiving, at the particular entity, second acceptance data that indicates that the second user accepts the second request;

in response to receiving the second acceptance data, causing the second user to be entered in the second online contest.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, to be displayed to the first user through a second web page of the first social network provider, second contest data that indicates a second online contest that is different than the first online contest;

receiving, at the particular entity, second input that indicates an intention by the first user to participate in the second online contest;

after receiving the second input, causing the first user to be entered in the second online contest without requiring the first user to accept a request to allow the particular entity to access information from the first social network provider about the first user.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a particular entity, from a first contest provider, first contest data that indicates information about a first online contest sponsored by the first contest provider;

receiving, at the particular entity, from a second contest provider that is different than the first contest provider, second contest data that indicates information about a second online contest sponsored by the second contest provider;

the particular entity managing the first online contest on behalf of the first contest provider by interacting with a first plurality of users over a network and entering the first plurality of users in the first online contest; and

the particular entity managing the second online contest on behalf of the second contest provider by interacting with a second plurality of users over the network and entering the second plurality of users in the second online contest;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

17. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

causing displaying to a first user, through a web page of a first social network provider that provides a first social network, first contest data that indicates a first online contest that is in a locked state;

receiving, at a particular entity, first input that indicates an intention by the first user to participate in the first online contest;

sending, from the particular entity, first request data that indicates a first request, by the particular entity, for one or more permissions allowing the particular entity to access information from the first social network provider about the first user;

after sending the first request data, receiving, at the particular entity, first acceptance data that indicates that the first user accepts the first request;

in response to receiving the first acceptance data, causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest.

18. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the first online contest is initiated by a first contest provider that is different than the particular entity, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to causing displaying the first data:

receiving, from the first contest provider, information about the first online contest;

the particular entity managing the first online contest on behalf of the first contest provider by receiving information about a plurality of users that entered the first online contest.

19. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, after receiving the first acceptance data:

sending, to the first social network provider, a request for information about the first user;

after sending the request, receiving, from the first social network provider, information about the first user.

20. The one or more storage media of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, after receiving the information about the first user, sending a subset of the information to a first contest provider that provides the first online contest and that is different than the particular entity.

21. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the information about the first user includes one or more of age of the first user, geographical information of the first user, gender of the first user, one or more interests of the first user, residence information about the first user, academic information of the first user, or job information of the first user.

22. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, after receiving the second data, causing a user node that is associated with the first user to be linked, within the first social network, with a contest node that is associated with the first online contest.

23. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest:

determining whether the first user has already entered the first online contest;

wherein causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest is performed only after determining that the first user has not already entered the first online contest.

24. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest:

determining whether the first user has accepted one or more rules of the first online contest;

wherein causing the first user to be entered in the first online contest is performed only after determining that the first user has accepted the one or more rules of the first online contest.

25. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause causing a message to be sent to each user of a plurality of users that are identified, in the first social network, as connected to the first user, wherein the message includes data about the first online contest or a contest provider that initiated the first online contest.

26. The one or more storage media of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, prior to causing the first contest data to be displayed:

receiving, from a first contest provider, input that selects a first template of a plurality of message templates, wherein the first message template dictates what type of information will be in the message or how the message will be formatted;

receiving, from the first contest provider, first content that is to be included in the message;

storing association data that associates the first content with the first message template and the first contest provider.

27. The one or more storage media of claim 25, wherein causing the message to be sent comprises:

identifying, based on the association data, the first content and the first message template;

sending, to the first social network provider, a link message that includes the first content and that is formatted according to the first message template.

28. The one or more storage media of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

receiving, from a second contest provider that is different than the first contest provider, second input that selects a second message template of the plurality of message templates;

receiving, from the second contest provider, second content that is to be included in a second message;

storing second association data that associates the second content with the second message template and the second contest provider.

29. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

causing, to be displayed to a second user through a web page of a second social network provider that is different than the first social network provider and that provides a second social network that is different than the first social network, second contest data that indicates a second online contest;

receiving, at the particular entity, second input that indicates an intention by the second user to participate in the second online contest;

sending, from the particular entity, second request data that indicates a second request, by the particular entity, for one or more second permissions that allows the particular entity to access information from the second social network provider about the second user;

after sending the second request data, receiving, at the particular entity, second acceptance data that indicates that the second user accepts the second request;

in response to receiving the second acceptance data, causing the second user to be entered in the second online contest.

30. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

causing, to be displayed to a second user through a web page of a second social network provider that provides a second social network, second contest data that indicates a second online contest that is different than the first online contest;

receiving, at the particular entity, second input that indicates an intention by the second user to participate in the second online contest;

sending, from the particular entity, second request data that indicates a second request, by the particular entity, for one or more second permissions that allows the particular entity to access information from the second social network provider about the second user;

after sending the second request data, receiving, at the particular entity, second acceptance data that indicates that the second user accepts the second request;

in response to receiving the second acceptance data, causing the second user to be entered in the second online contest.

31. The one or more storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

causing, to be displayed to the first user through a second web page of the first social network provider, second contest data that indicates a second online contest that is different than the first online contest;

receiving, at the particular entity, second input that indicates an intention by the first user to participate in the second online contest;

after receiving the second input, causing the first user to be entered in the second online contest without requiring the first user to accept a request to allow the particular entity to access information from the first social network provider about the first user.

32. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

receiving, at a particular entity, from a first contest provider, first contest data that indicates information about a first online contest sponsored by the first contest provider;

receiving, at the particular entity, from a second contest provider that is different than the first contest provider, second contest data that indicates information about a second online contest sponsored by the second contest provider;

the particular entity managing the first online contest on behalf of the first contest provider by interacting with a first plurality of users over a network and entering the first plurality of users in the first online contest; and

the particular entity managing the second online contest on behalf of the second contest provider by interacting with a second plurality of users over the network and entering the second plurality of users in the second online contest.