Method for managing contests

• US 8,676,640 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L4 Mobile LLC (Globant S.A.)
• Original Assignee: L4 Mobile LLC (Globant S.A.)
• Inventors: ONeill, Keith Eric, Albers, Brandon James
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US13/851,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.11, 705/14.12, 705/14.14, 705/14.25, 705/14.35, 705/14.36, 705/14.37
• US Class Current: 705/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A service to manage sweepstakes, games, contests, loyalty programs and scavenger hunts is disclosed. The user of an end user device moves to different locations and sends back information regarding the user'"'"'s location to the service. The service can be updated/adjusted real time to automatically track users, points, entries, location, and multiple step scavenger hunts. The service may send the user to different locations where the user can obtain prizes. Companies can engage with their customers in new ways by leveraging and modifying mobile technology. In one implementation locations, address book, on device animations, randomized unique ID generated by a device during the contest can be modified in real time during operation of the service.

Claims

1. A method for managing a contest with a processing device, the method comprising:

a) receiving information related to a user associated with a user computing device via a communications network, the information including user location information;

b) determining whether the user has won a game of chance;

c) in response to determining that the user failed to win the game of chance, determining whether the user location information indicates a proximity to a predetermined location;

d) in response to the determining that the user has won a game of chance, sending information to the user computing device via the communication network indicating an award of a prize, and

e) in response to the determining that the user location information indicates a proximity to the predetermined location, sending at least one of gaming information or a code to unlock gaming information to the user computing device via the communication network, the gaming information including additional game content for the user to play on the users computing device,

wherein at least steps b) and c) are performed using the processing device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user computing device is a cell phone, laptop, mobile or portable computing device, smart phone, desktop computer, personal computer, PDA (personal device assistant), music player, television, set top box, or game player device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing a lose notification to the user via the user computing device in response to the determining that the user has not won the game of chance.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein sending information to the user computing device via the communication network indicating additional gaming information includes indicating entries into another game of chance to be played on the user computing device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sending information to the user computing device via the communication network indicating additional gaming information includes providing codes to unlock other games, or exclusive gaming content within a mobile gaming application or within a website.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sending to the user computing device via the communications network an assigned task for a user associated with the user computing device to complete in response to the determining that the user location information indicates a proximity to the predetermined location.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the task includes at least one of:

scanning a bar code, scanning a tag, or capturing a photo at one of a plurality of retail stores.

2. A method for managing a contest, the method comprising:

receiving information related to a user associated with a user computing device via a communications network, the information related to the user associated with the user computing device received via a communications network includes location information, user identification information, and one or more items selected by a user in a game of chance;

determining whether the user has won the game of chance;

if the user fails to win the game of chance, determining whether the user location information indicates a proximity to a predetermined location;

in response to the determining that the user has won the game of chance, sending information to the user computing device via the communication network indicating an award of a prize; and

in response to the determining that the user location information indicates a proximity to a predetermined location, sending information to the user computing device via the communication network indicating additional information,

wherein at least determining whether the user has won and determining that the user location information indicates a proximity to a predetermined location are performed using a processing device.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein determining whether the user has won the game of chance includes matching the user selection against an item in a computer database coupled with the processing device.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the game of chance is played on the user computing device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions which when executed by a processor on a user computing device perform the method comprising:

transmitting location information of the portable computing device and user identification information related to a user of the user computing device to a server computing device via a communications network;

executing a game of chance with the portable computing device in which the user selects items in the game;

transmitting results of running the game of chance to a server computing device via the communications network;

receiving an indication from the server computing device whether the user has won a game of chance;

receiving information from the server computing device via the communication network indicating an award of a prize in response to the determining by the server computer that the user has won a game of chance; and

in response to the server computer determining that the user has not won the game of chance and that the transmitted location information indicates a proximity to a predetermined location, receiving gaming information from the server computing device via the communication network indicating codes to unlock;

a) at least one of other games, game content or game levels to be played on the portable communications device,

b) exclusive gaming content within a mobile application, or

c) exclusive gaming content within a website.

12. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises transmitting information related to a selection by a user of items in a game of chance selected using the user computing device to the server computing device via the communications network.

13. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein receiving an indication from the server computing device whether the user has won a game of chance includes receiving an indication of a match of the selection by the user against one or more items in a server computer database.

14. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises receiving a lose notification from the server computing device via the communication network in response to a determination by the server computing device that the user has not won the game of chance.

15. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the user computing device includes a global positioning system (GPS) detection device for determining a location of the user computing device, and includes a cell phone, laptop, mobile or portable computing device, smart phone, desktop computer, personal computer, PDA (personal device assistant), music player, television, set top box, or game player device.