Patent ID: 6791588
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04H,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
A method for conducting a contest using a network, the method comprising the steps of:displaying, on a screen of a user computer operably connected to the network at a user site, a plurality of pick spaces, a virtual display fixture, and a plurality of virtual articles of commerce arrayed on the virtual display fixture; moving at least one of the plurality of virtual articles across the screen from an initial position on the virtual display fixture, each of the moving virtual articles having a virtual target region defined thereon, each of the virtual target regions being at least periodically visible on the associated virtual article; assigning, each time that a screen cursor is positioned on the visible virtual target region of a moving virtual article and a pointing device operably connected to the computer is simultaneously triggered, a particular character chosen from a plurality of available characters to a successive one of the plurality of pick spaces, and thereafter displaying the assigned character in the corresponding pick space; assembling, when each pick space displays an assigned character, an entry data packet including data indicative of the assigned character in each of the plurality of pick spaces; and transmitting the entry data packet from the user computer across the network to a remote site; wherein the transmitted entry data packet constitutes a winning entry if the assigned characters in each of of the plurality of pick spaces match a preselected winning combination of characters.