LOCATION-BASED TASK AND GAME FUNCTIONALITY
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving, by one or more configured computing systems of a location-based task-game server system, information about a plurality of promotional offers available via the location-based task-game server system, wherein each of the promotional offers has an associated retailer that is one of a plurality of retailer clients of the location-based task-game server system and has one or more associated eligibility criteria that include one or more specified eligible user locations and has an associated reward corresponding to one or more products sold by the associated retailer, and wherein a first offer of the plurality of promotional offers having an associated first retailer further has an associated defined notification trigger with instructions related to an action to take when the eligibility criteria for the first offer are satisfied by at least one matching end user of the location-based task-game server system;
determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, that one or more first users of the location-based task-game server system satisfy the eligibility criteria for the first promotional offer based at least in part on one or more geographical locations of the first users that match the one or more specified eligible user locations for the first promotional offer, the first users being a subset of a plurality of end users of the location-based task-game server system;
determining, by the one or more configured computing systems and based at least in part on the instructions for the associated defined notification trigger of the first offer, to perform the action in association with the first users;
providing, by the one or more configured computing systems, information to one or more mobile client devices of the first users that identifies a task to be completed by the first users in order to obtain the reward associated with the first promotional offer;
receiving, by the one or more configured computing systems, an indication of completion of the task by the first users; and
initiating, by the one or more configured computing systems, providing the reward associated with the first promotional offer to the first users based at least in part on the completion of the task.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are described for providing functionality and information to users, including providing promotional information and opportunities to users of mobile devices in manners that are based at least in part on activities and locations of the users (e.g., based on games played by the users on their mobile devices and/or based on user satisfaction of system-directed tasks associated with offers or other activities). At least some of the promotional information and opportunities may be made available by various companies or entities that provide products and/or services (e.g., retailers, merchants, wholesalers, distributors, etc.) and/or by various companies or entities that provide advertising for available products and/or services. Various types of activities may be defined and used to provide promotional information and opportunities to users of mobile devices in particular embodiments and situations.
91 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving, by one or more configured computing systems of a location-based task-game server system, information about a plurality of promotional offers available via the location-based task-game server system, wherein each of the promotional offers has an associated retailer that is one of a plurality of retailer clients of the location-based task-game server system and has one or more associated eligibility criteria that include one or more specified eligible user locations and has an associated reward corresponding to one or more products sold by the associated retailer, and wherein a first offer of the plurality of promotional offers having an associated first retailer further has an associated defined notification trigger with instructions related to an action to take when the eligibility criteria for the first offer are satisfied by at least one matching end user of the location-based task-game server system; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, that one or more first users of the location-based task-game server system satisfy the eligibility criteria for the first promotional offer based at least in part on one or more geographical locations of the first users that match the one or more specified eligible user locations for the first promotional offer, the first users being a subset of a plurality of end users of the location-based task-game server system; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems and based at least in part on the instructions for the associated defined notification trigger of the first offer, to perform the action in association with the first users; providing, by the one or more configured computing systems, information to one or more mobile client devices of the first users that identifies a task to be completed by the first users in order to obtain the reward associated with the first promotional offer; receiving, by the one or more configured computing systems, an indication of completion of the task by the first users; and initiating, by the one or more configured computing systems, providing the reward associated with the first promotional offer to the first users based at least in part on the completion of the task. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving, by one or more configured computing systems, information about a promotional offer for a vendor, the promotional offer having one or more associated eligibility criteria and having an associated reward corresponding to one or more items commercially available from the vendor; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, that one or more users satisfy the eligibility criteria based at least in part on one or more geographical locations of the users; providing, by the one or more configured computing systems, information to one or more client devices of the users that identifies a task to be completed by the one or more users in order to obtain the reward associated with the promotional offer; receiving, by the one or more configured computing systems, an indication of completion of the task by the one or more users; and initiating, by the one or more configured computing systems, providing the reward associated with the promotional offer to the users based at least in part on the completion of the task. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that configure a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
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receiving, by the configured computing system, information about a promotional offer for a vendor, the promotional offer having an associated reward corresponding to one or more items commercially available from the vendor; participating, by the configured computing system, in performance of an identified task by an eligible user based at least in part on one or more interactions of the eligible user with a mobile device in one or more specified locations, wherein completion of the identified task by the eligible user qualifies the eligible user to obtain the reward associated with the promotional offer; and after the completion of the identified task by the eligible user, initiating, by the configured computing system, providing the reward associated with the promotional offer to the eligible user based at least in part on the completion of the identified task. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving, by one or more configured computing systems of a location-based task-game server system provided by a first entity, information about a plurality of promotional offers, each of the promotional offers having an associated reward corresponding to one or more items commercially available from at least one vendor and having one or more associated tasks to be completed by a user in order to obtain the associated reward; providing, by the one or more configured computing systems, a programmatic interface of the location-based task-game server system to enable access to information about at least some of the plurality of promotional offers; receiving, by the one or more configured computing systems, a request from an application via the programmatic interface for information about promotional offers having associated tasks of one or more indicated task types, the application being provided by a second entity distinct from the first entity; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, a subset of the plurality of promotional offers having associated tasks of the one or more indicated task types; and providing, by the one or more configured computing systems, information about the promotional offers of the determined subset to the application in response to the request, to enable users of the application to complete the tasks associated with the promotional offers of the determined subset and to obtain the rewards associated with the promotional offers of the determined subset. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that configure a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
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sending, by an application executing on the configured computing system, a request to a programmatic interface provided by a location-based task-game server system operated by a first entity, the request being for information about promotional offers available via the location-based task-game server system that have associated tasks of one or more indicated task types, the application being provided by a second entity distinct from the first entity; receiving, by the executing application, information in response to the sent request, the received information indicating one or more promotional offers that each have an associated reward corresponding to one or more items commercially available from at least one vendor and each have one or more associated tasks of the one or more indicated task types to be completed by a user in order to obtain the associated reward; participating, by the executing application, in performance by an eligible user of one of the one or more associated tasks for one of the indicated one or more promotional offers, the performance by the eligible user including one or more interactions of the eligible user with a mobile device; and after the performance by the eligible user of the one associated task, initiating, by the executing application, providing the reward associated with the one indicated promotional offer to the eligible user based at least in part on the performance of the one associated task. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving, by one or more configured computing systems, information about a plurality of prior promotional offers that were previously made by multiple vendors to multiple users, each of the prior promotional offers having an associated reward corresponding to one or more items commercially available from at least one vendor and having one or more associated eligibility criteria for use in identifying users eligible to obtain the associated reward; identifying, by the one or more configured computing systems, one or more users that currently satisfy the eligibility criteria for one of the prior promotional offers; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, and in response to the identifying, a suggested offer for at least one of the multiple vendors to currently make to the identified one or more users, the suggested offer being based on the one prior promotional offer; and notifying, by the one or more configured computing systems, and in response to the determining, the at least one vendor about the suggested offer, to enable the at least one vendor to indicate to currently make the suggested offer to the identified one or more users. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that configure a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
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providing, by the configured computing system, information about one or more promotional offers to a location-based task-game server system operated by a first entity, wherein the location-based task-game server system makes a plurality of offers available to a plurality of end users of the location-based task-game server system, wherein the configured computing system is operated by a vendor distinct from the first entity, and wherein the one or more promotional offers each has an associated reward corresponding to one or more items commercially available from the vendor and has one or more associated eligibility criteria for use in identifying users eligible to obtain the associated reward; during a first period of time, providing, by the vendor, the associated rewards for the one or more promotional offers to multiple end users of the location-based task-game server system based on the location-based task-game server system determining that the multiple end users are eligible in accordance with the associated eligibility criteria for the one or more promotional offers; at a time after the first period of time when the one or more promotional offers are no longer valid, receiving, by the configured computing system, a notification from the location-based task-game server system of a suggested new offer to make to one or more additional end users of the location-based task-game server system, the suggested new offer being automatically determined by the location-based task-game server system based at least in part on comparing current information about the plurality of end users to the associated eligibility criteria for the one or more promotional offers that are no longer valid; and in response to the notification of the suggested new offer, sending, by the configured computing system, a response to the location-based task-game server system that indicates to currently make the suggested new offer to the identified one or more users. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving, by one or more configured computing systems, information about a notification trigger defined by a vendor for use with one or more promotional offers, the notification trigger having multiple associated eligibility criteria for use in identifying matching users, the eligibility criteria including an indication of one or more geographical locations and including information about one or more types of users; obtaining, by the one or more configured computing systems, information about monitored locations of a plurality of users; identifying, by the one or more configured computing systems, one or more users of the plurality of users who currently satisfy the eligibility criteria for the defined trigger, the identifying being based in part on the obtained information about the monitored locations; and notifying, by the one or more configured computing systems, and in response to the identifying, the vendor about the identified one or more users, to enable the vendor to dynamically determine to make at least one of the one or more promotional offers to the identified one or more users. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification