SYSTEM TO MANAGE AUTOMATED PRIZE VALUE ACCUMULATION AND DISTRIBUTION

• US 20160071370A1
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Monahan, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 9,997,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A system to manage prize accumulation and distribution includes an interface to receive publication data from a publishing user. The publication data is to be published by the computer system. The interface further receives a prize contribution value, at the computer system and from the publishing user, in exchange for the presentation of an opportunity to win a cumulative prize. The opportunity to win the cumulative prize is to be presented by the computer system in conjunction with the publication of the publication data. A publication module is to electronically publish the publication data on behalf of the publishing user, and is to electronically present the opportunity to win the cumulative prize in conjunction with the publication of the publication data. A prize processing module is to calculate a value of the cumulative prize, based on a cumulative contribution of prize contribution values received from a plurality of publishing users.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an interface to receive;

publication data from a publishing user, and

one or more criteria to be satisfied as a prerequisite to causing display of an opportunity to win a prize;

a publication module comprising one or more processors to;

receive a query from a viewing user, the query identifying the publication data;

verify the viewing user satisfies the one or more criteria;

responsive to the verification of the viewing user, generate a presentation including the publication data and the opportunity to win the prize; and

cause display of the presentation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the prize is a cumulative prize and the system includes a prize processing module to calculate a value of the cumulative prize based on a cumulative contribution of prize contribution values received from a plurality of publishing users.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface is to receive further publication data at the computer system from the plurality of publishing users, and is to receive, from the plurality of publishing users, the prize contribution values on which the value of the cumulative prize is based.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the prize processing module is to allocate a first portion of the prize contribution value received from the publishing user to the value of the cumulative prize, and to allocate a second portion of the prize contribution value received from the publishing user to a prize scheme operator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the publication module is to electronically present a number of opportunities to win the prize in conjunction with the publication of the publication data, the number of opportunities presented by the publication module being dependent upon the prize contribution value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the publication data comprises a listing for a good or service sought to be transacted by the publishing user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is to receive, from the publishing user, a publication value in exchange for the publication of the publication data by the computer system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises a network-based publication system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is to receive, from the publishing user, a condition under which the publication module is electronically to present an indication of the opportunity to win the prize to the viewing user of the computer system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the condition pertains to a manner in which the viewing user transacts to purchase an item related to the publication data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the condition pertains to a qualification of the viewing user.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the publication module is to present the indication of the opportunity to win the prize to the viewing user responsive to the viewing user complying with the condition.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the publication module visually distinguishes the publication data from other publication data for which no prize contribution value was received.

14. A computer-implemented method including:

receiving publication data from a publishing user, and one or more criteria to be satisfied as a prerequisite to causing display of an opportunity to win a prize;

receiving a query from a viewing user, the query identifying the publication data;

verifying the viewing user satisfies the one or more criteria;

responsive to the verification of the viewing user, generating a presentation including the publication data and the opportunity to win the prize; and

causing display of the presentation.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the prize is a cumulative prize and the method includes calculating a value of the cumulative prize based on a cumulative contribution of prize contribution values received from a plurality of publishing users.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising receiving further publication data at the computer system from the plurality of publishing users, and receiving, from the plurality of publishing users, the prize contribution values on which the value of the cumulative prize is based.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising presenting a number of opportunities to win the prize in conjunction with the publication of the publication data, the number of opportunities being dependent upon the prize contribution value.

17. The computer-implemented method of claimed 15, further comprising allocating a first portion of the prize contribution value received from the publishing user to the value of the cumulative prize, and to allocate a second portion of the prize contribution value received from the publishing user to a prize scheme operator.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor of a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving publication data from a publishing user, and one or more criteria to be satisfied as a prerequisite to causing display of an opportunity to win a prize;

receiving a query from a viewing user, the query identifying the publication data;

verifying the viewing user satisfies the one or more criteria;

responsive to the verification of the viewing user, generating a presentation including the publication data and the opportunity to win the prize; and

causing display of the presentation.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium embodying the set of instructions that, when executed by the processor of the machine, causes the machine to perform operations further comprising:

presenting a number of opportunities to win the prize in conjunction with the publication of the publication data, the number of opportunities presented by the publication module being dependent upon the prize contribution value.