Method and system for conducting a contest using a network
First Claim
1. A method for conducting a contest using a network, comprising the steps of:
- identifying a selected article of commerce to a plurality of users remotely disposed at user locations on the network, the selected article bearing an indicia encoding an identification code corresponding to the selected article in accordance with an extrinsic standard;
receiving at a reference location an unvalidated entry message packet transmitted across the network from a user location in response to scanning at the user location an indicia on an article of commerce, the scanned indicia encoding an identification code corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard and the unvalidated entry message packet comprising an article code derived from the scanned indicia;
accessing a reference database, the reference database having a plurality of article codes and a plurality of routing information for target locations on the network and associating each of routing information with at least one of the article codes, and retrieving therefrom the routing information associated with the article code in the unvalidated entry message packet;
creating a reply message packet including the routing information and transmitting the reply message packet across the network to the user location;
receiving at a target address a validated entry message packet transmitted across the network from the user location in response to receipt of the reply message packet, the validated entry message packet comprising user information and being routed to the target address using routing information received in the reply message packet;
determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry; and
determining if a user submitting an accepted entry is a winner of the contest.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for conducting a contest using a network. A selected article of commerce is identified to a plurality of users remotely disposed at user locations on the network which bears an indicia encoding an identification code which corresponds to the selected article in accordance with an extrinsic standard. An unvalidated entry message packet is then received at a reference location which was transmitted across the network from a user location in response to scanning at the user location an indicia on an article of commerce. The indicia on the scanned article of commerce encodes an identification code which corresponds to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard. A reference database is provided at the reference location which has a plurality of article codes and routing information for target locations on the network and associates the routing information with at least one of the article codes. The reference database is accessed and the routing information associated with the article code received and the unvalidated entry message packet retrieved. A reply message packet is created including the routing information and then transmitted across the network to the user location from which it was received. A validated entry message packet is then received at a target. It is then determined whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry. Finally, it is determined if a user submitting an accepted entry is a winner of the contest.
292 Citations
100 Claims
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1. A method for conducting a contest using a network, comprising the steps of:
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identifying a selected article of commerce to a plurality of users remotely disposed at user locations on the network, the selected article bearing an indicia encoding an identification code corresponding to the selected article in accordance with an extrinsic standard;
receiving at a reference location an unvalidated entry message packet transmitted across the network from a user location in response to scanning at the user location an indicia on an article of commerce, the scanned indicia encoding an identification code corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard and the unvalidated entry message packet comprising an article code derived from the scanned indicia;
accessing a reference database, the reference database having a plurality of article codes and a plurality of routing information for target locations on the network and associating each of routing information with at least one of the article codes, and retrieving therefrom the routing information associated with the article code in the unvalidated entry message packet;
creating a reply message packet including the routing information and transmitting the reply message packet across the network to the user location;
receiving at a target address a validated entry message packet transmitted across the network from the user location in response to receipt of the reply message packet, the validated entry message packet comprising user information and being routed to the target address using routing information received in the reply message packet;
determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry; and
determining if a user submitting an accepted entry is a winner of the contest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
assembling supplemental validation data with the routing information before transmitting the reply message packet to the user location.
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29. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the supplemental validation data comprises time-stamp information indicating the time at which the unvalidated entry message packet was received.
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30. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the step of assembling supplemental validation data further comprises:
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accessing a user information database including a plurality of user codes and a plurality of user information and associating each of user codes with at least one user information; and
retrieving user information associated with the use code.
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31. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the user information includes a telephone number for the user location.
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32. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the user information includes a post office address for the user location.
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33. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the user information includes demographic data regarding persons at the user location.
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34. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein at least a portion of the supplemental validation data is encrypted.
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35. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry further comprises:
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assigning sequential numbers to each validated entry message packet as it is received at the target location; and
comparing the assigned number of each of the validated entry message packets to at least one predetermined range of numbers chosen to constitute accepted entries.
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36. A method in accordance with claim 35, wherein a plurality of predetermined ranges of numbers chosen to constitute accepted entries are provided, each of said plurality of predetermined ranges constituting a different class of accepted entries.
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37. A method in accordance with claim 36, wherein accepted entries in different classes of accepted entries are eligible to receive different classes of prizes.
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38. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry further comprises:
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determining whether the validated entry message packet includes a complete identification code which was encoded in the indicia on the scanned article of commerce; and
if so, determining whether the complete identification code received matches one of the codes on a predetermined list of identification codes, in which case the entry constitutes an accepted entry;
otherwise, determining that the entry does not constitute an accepted entry.
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39. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining if a user submitting an accepted entry is a winner of the contest further comprises:
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identifying the user as a latent winner;
transmitting special routing information to the user location of the latent winner;
declaring the latent winner to be a winner of the contest if the latent winner responds within a predetermined time interval to a predetermined location using the special routing information.
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40. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the special routing information is a predetermined telephone number.
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41. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the special routing information is an address on a network.
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42. A method in accordance with claim 41, wherein the address on a network is an Internet web site.
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43. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the network is a packet switched public data network (“
- PSPDN”
).
- PSPDN”
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44. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the network is a global communication network.
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45. A method in accordance with claim 44, wherein the global communication network is the Internet.
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46. A method for conducting a contest using a network, comprising the steps:
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identifying a selected article of commerce to a plurality of users remotely disposed at user locations on the network, the selected article of commerce bearing an identifying indicia;
inducing a user to transmit an unvalidated entry message packet across the network from a user location to a reference location the unvalidated entry message packet comprising an article code derived from an identifying indicia on an article of commerce at the user location;
accessing a computer database, the computer database having a plurality of article codes and a plurality of routing information for target locations on the network and associating each of routing information with at least one of the article codes, and retrieving therefrom the routing information associated with the article code in the unvalidated entry message packet;
creating a reply message packet including the routing information and transmitting the reply message packet from the reference location across the network to the user location;
whereby, upon receiving the reply message packet, the user may transmit a validated entry packet across the network using the routing information to a target location for further processing to determine if the user is a winner of the contest. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
assembling validation data with the routing information before transmitting the reply message packet to the user location.
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77. A method in accordance with claim 76, wherein the validation data comprises time-stamp information indicating the time at which the unvalidated entry message packet was received at the reference location.
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78. A method in accordance with claim 76, wherein the unvalidated entry message packet further comprises a user code and the step of assembling validation data further comprises:
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accessing a computer database including a plurality of user codes and a plurality of user information and associating each of user codes with at least one user information; and
retrieving user information associated with the user code received in the unvalidated entry message packet.
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79. A method in accordance with claim 78, wherein the user information includes a telephone number for the user location.
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80. A method in accordance with claim 78, wherein the user information includes a post office address for the user location.
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81. A method in accordance with claim 78, wherein the user information includes demographic data regarding persons at the user location.
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82. A method in accordance with claim 76, wherein at least a portion of the validation data is encrypted.
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83. A method in accordance with claim 46, further comprising the step:
receiving at a target address a validated entry message packet transmitted across the network from the user location, the target address being associated with the routing information corresponding to the article code in the unvalidated entry message packet.
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84. A method in accordance with claim 83, further comprising the step of determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry.
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85. A method in accordance with claim 84, wherein the step of determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry further comprises
assigning sequential numbers to each validated entry message packet as it is received at the target location; - and
comparing the assigned number of each of the validated entry message packets to at least one predetermined range of numbers chosen to constitute accepted entries.
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86. A method in accordance with claim 84, wherein the step of determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry further comprises:
determining whether the validated entry message packet was received at a predetermined network location within a predetermined time interval constituting the time for receipt of accepted entries.
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87. A method in with claim 84, further comprising the step of determining if a user submitting an entry is a winner of the contest.
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88. A method in accordance with claim 87, wherein the step of determining if a user submitting an accepted entry is a winner of the contest further comprises:
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identifying the user as a latent winner;
transmitting special routing information to the user location of the latent winner;
declaring the latent winner to be a winner of the contest if the latent winner responds within a predetermined time interval to a predetermined location using the special routing information.
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89. A method in accordance with claim 88, wherein the special routing information is a predetermined telephone number.
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90. A method in accordance with claim 88, wherein the special routing information is an address on a network.
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91. A method in accordance with claim 90, wherein the address on a network is an Internet web site.
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92. A method in accordance with claim 46, wherein the network is a packet switched public data network (“
- PSPDN”
).
- PSPDN”
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93. A method in accordance with claim 46, wherein the network is a global communication network.
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94. A method in accordance with claim 93, wherein the global communication network is the Internet.
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95. A system for conducting a contest using a network, comprising:
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a plurality of user computers remotely disposed at user locations on the network, each of the user computers operably connected to a scanning device for scanning indicia on articles of commerce and having a software application capable of creating unvalidated entry message packets in to scanning of the indicia;
a reference computer disposed on the network, the reference computer being operably connected to a computer database, the computer database having a plurality of article codes and a plurality of routing information for target locations on the network and associating each of routing information with at least one of the article codes;
wherein a selected article of commerce is identified to the plurality of users, the selected article beating an identifying indicia(corresponding to the selected article/manufacturer);
wherein, upon scanning of the indicia on the selected article of commerce at a user location, the user computer transmits an unvalidated entry message packet across the network to the reference computer, the unvalidated entry message packet comprising an article code derived from the scanned indicia;
wherein, upon receipt of the unvalidated entry message packet, the reference computer accesses the computer database and retrieves therefrom the routing information associated with the article code in the unvalidated entry message packet;
wherein, the reference computer creates a reply message packet including the routing information and transmits the reply message packet across the network to the user location;
wherein, upon receiving the reply message packet, the user computer may transmit a validated entry message packet across the network using the routing information to a target location for further processing to determine if the user is a winner of the contest. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
receiving a validated entry message packet transmitted across the network from the user location;
determining whether the validated entry message packet constitutes an accepted entry; and
determining if a use submitting an accepted entry is a winner of a prize.
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98. A system in accordance with claim 95, wherein the network is a packet switched public data network (“
- PSPDN”
).
- PSPDN”
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99. A system in accordance with claim 95, wherein the network is a global communication network.
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100. A system in accordance with claim 99, wherein the global communication network is the Internet.
Specification