Anonymous competition entry

• US 7,832,626 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, Lapstun, Jacqueline Anne, Scott, Paul Quentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Application Number:
  US10/815,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/10, 705/14, 705/16, 705/23, 705/35, 705/37, 726/20, 235/375, 235/383, 235/494, 235/379, 235/380, 463/29, 463/36, 463/42
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42

Abstract

A method of enabling anonymous entry to a competition via a printed competition entry form that includes machine-readable coded data, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of: receiving interaction data representing interaction of a sensing device with the coded data, the interaction data enabling the competition entry to be electronically captured in the computer system; assigning a competition alias ID to the competition entry; and transmitting the competition entry to a competition administrator with the competition alias ID, thereby enabling the anonymous entry to the competition.

Claims

1. A method of providing anonymous entry to a competition via a printed competition entry form that includes machine-readable coded data, the coded data including a plurality of tags each encoding data on an identity of the printed form and the location of that tag on the printed form, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

receiving, at the computer system, interaction data representing interaction of a pen sensing device with the tags of the coded data;

identifying, at the computer system, a digital description associated with the printed form from the form identity represented in the received interaction data and capturing a competition entry by determining locations in the digital description associated with the locations of the interacted tags represented in the received interaction data;

assigning, at the computer system, a competition alias identifier (ID) to the captured competition entry; and

transmitting, from the computer system, the competition entry to a competition administrator with the competition alias ID, thereby enabling the anonymous entry to the competition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the form is disposed on a product label including human-readable information relating to the competition, and the coded data is indicative of at least an identity of the label, wherein the interaction data includes at least the identity of the label.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of the coded data includes a label identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the label identifier is a unique product item identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the unique product item identifier is an electronic product code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to a human.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction data includes digital ink, the digital ink having been generated by the pen sensing device in response to movement of the pen sensing device relative to the entry form, the method including the step of transmitting the digital ink to the competition administrator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction data includes a device identifier (ID) associated with the pen sensing device used to generate the interaction data, and the step of assigning the competition alias ID is performed in reliance on at least the device ID.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the competition alias ID is selected or calculated so as to be unique to a combination of the device ID and a competition identity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the competition alias ID is selected or calculated so as to be unique to a combination of the device ID and a manufacturer, producer or other entity associated with the product.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the competition alias ID is selected or calculated so as to be unique to a combination of the device ID and a competition entry.

12. The method according to claim 1, for providing entry to a competition via machine-readable coded data on an entry form on a printed label of a product, the method including the steps of:

receiving, in a computer system, interaction data from the pen sensing device, the interaction data representing interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data on the entry form, the competition entry being electronically captured in the computer system by using the interaction data; and

transmitting the competition entry to a competition administrator.

13. The method according to claim 1, using a product label for providing entry to a competition, the product label comprising:

machine-readable coded data indicative of at least an identity of the label, said machine-readable coded data being readable by the pen sensing device as the pen sensing device is moved across the product label, thereby to produce interaction data for competition entry;

human-readable information pertaining to the competition, the human-readable information being at least partially coincident with the machine-readable coded data, the human-readable information including at least one field element that has a corresponding zone defined in relation to it in a page description stored in a remote computer system.

14. The method according to claim 1, for providing anonymous entry to a competition, the competition being entered by interaction of the pen sensing device with a product label to generate interaction data indicative of at least an intention to enter the competition, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

identifying a first telecommunication address of the entrant from either an identity of the pen sensing device received or determined in the computer system or the interaction data;

associating a temporary telecommunication address with the first telecommunication address;

sending the temporary telecommunication address and interaction data to a competition administrator;

receiving, from the competition administrator, information from the competition administrator addressed to said temporary telecommunication address; and

forwarding the information from the competition administrator to the first telecommunication address.

15. The method according to claim 1, for competition entry by an entrant and limitation of subsequent communication between a competition administrator and the entrant via the pen sensing device interacting with machine-readable coded data on a printed competition entry form, the method comprising the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

(a) receiving interaction data representing the interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data, the competition entry being electronically captured in the computer system by using the interaction data;

(b) transmitting the competition entry to the competition administrator; and

(c) configuring the computer system to transmit up to a predetermined number of electronic messages from the competition administrator to the entrant.

16. The method according to claim 1, for limiting communication between an application and a user, via the pen sensing device interacting with machine-readable coded data printed on a surface, the method comprising the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

(a) receiving interaction data representing the interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data, the interaction data enabling identification of the application;

(b) transmitting information based on at least some of the interaction data to the application; and

(c) configuring the computer system to transmit up to a predetermined number of electronic messages from the application to the user.

17. The method according to claim 1, for instant win competition entry by an entrant via a printed competition entry form that includes machine-readable coded data that can be sensed by the pen sensing device configured to generate interaction data based on the sensed coded data, the method comprising the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

receiving the interaction data representing interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data, the competition entry being captured in the computer system by using the interaction data;

transmitting the competition entry to a competition administrator that is configured to determine whether the competition entry is an instant win entry.

18. The method according to claim 1, for providing anonymous electronic redemption of a coupon printed as part of a product label, the product label including machine-readable coded data, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

receiving interaction data representing interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data, the coupon data of the coupon and a product identifier associated with the product label being electronically captured using the interaction data;

assigning a competition alias identifier (ID) to the coupon data; and

transmitting the coupon data, the product identifier and the competition alias ID to a coupon administrator configured to redeem the coupon electronically.

19. The method according to claim 1, for providing anonymous and electronic redemption a plurality of coupons, wherein each the plurality of coupons is disposed on a product label and includes coded data that can be used to determine a unique product identifier of the product label with which it is associated, the method including the steps of:

using the pen sensing device, and for each of the plurality of coupons;

(a) generating interaction data by sensing at least some of the coded data of the coupon, the interaction data representing interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data; and

(b) forwarding the interaction data to a computer system, for electronic capture of the coupon offer and the product identifier associated with the product label in the computer system, for transmission of the coupon offer and the product identifier to a coupon administrator by the computer system; and

receiving coupon redemption information from the coupon administrator after a predetermined combination of coupon offers relating to a plurality of the product identifiers and or coupon offers has been transmitted to the coupon administrator.

20. The method according to claim 1, for providing entry to a competition using a printed competition entry form including coded dada readable by the pen sensing device as the pen sensing device is used to interact with the entry form, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

receiving, from the pen sensing device interaction data representing interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data, the competition entry being electronically captured in the computer system by using the interaction data, and pen sensing device identifier (ID) of the pen sensing device;

allocating a temporary registration to the pen sensing device ID or to a user of the pen sensing device, the registration including a return electronic address associated with the pen sensing device ID or the user;

transmitting the competition entry to a competition administrator; and

verifying competition entry via the return electronic address.

21. The method according to claim 1, for validating entry to a competition via interaction of the pen sensing device with a printed competition entry form comprising coded data indicative of a unique product identifier, the method comprising the steps, performed in the computer system, of:

receiving, from the pen sensing device, the product identifier and interaction data representing interaction of the pen sensing device with the coded data, the interaction data including at least the unique product identifier, a competition entry being electronically captured in the computer system by using the interaction data; and

transmitting the product identifier and the competition entry to a competition administrator for validation of the competition entry at the competition administrator by verification of the product identifier.