Abstract:
An automated process of conducting an online sweepstakes and marketing to sweepstakes entrants. The software system enables a non-technical individual (e.g., sweepstakes manager, marketer, etc.) to create a sweepstakes entry form that is integrated with back-end data processing systems. The entry form and entry form processing system are kept consistent with sweepstakes rules chosen by the non-technical individual and automatically generated by the system. The system enforces compliance with applicable laws with integrated tools to pick winners, to determine eligibility and to collect winner affidavits. A back-end database is integrated directly with a sweepstakes entry form. Online tools permit a marketer to view entrants and select entrants to receive direct email. Direct-email marketing tools are integrated with the sweepstakes front-end system, which allows a marketer to send out promotional offers and business communications directly from the sweepstakes system.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/180,020, filed Feb. 3, 2000. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the ability to build and manage an online sweepstakes with full automation.  
         COPYRIGHT NOTICE  
         [0003]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.  
         BACKGROUND INFORMATION  
         [0004]    Marketers have traditionally run sweepstakes to draw attention among consumers to a product or company. If a sweepstakes is run by a “brick and mortar” store, the goal is to increase foot traffic to the store. If a sweepstakes is run as part of a direct-mail promotion, the goal is to increase consumer interest in the mailing. In the United States, a sweepstakes may be defined as any game that offers the element of chance to win a prize without the element of consideration to play the game. Consideration is a legally defined term referring, broadly speaking, to something of value exchanged for something else of value. The presence of consideration paid by the consumer to the sweepstakes organizer makes the game a form of gambling. To avoid being regulated as gambling, all sweepstakes follow the common form of offering a prize to the winner but not requiring purchase on the part of the consumer.  
           [0005]    Sweepstakes are also conducted over computer networks, most typically over the Internet. In an Internet, or online, sweepstakes, consumers enter the sweepstakes through electronic entry forms. These entries forms are often available on Web sites and advertised both on and off the Internet. Internet-based sweepstakes afford the marketer the opportunity to do more than draw consumer traffic. A marketer can also control the contact information provided by the consumer, typically an email address, and use that contact information to send marketing materials directly to the consumer. A well-designed sweepstakes offers a prize that tends to attract consumers who would also be interested in the sweepstakes organizer&#39;s products or services. For example, a coffee company might run a sweepstakes offering free coffee for life since consumers who enter such a sweepstakes are presumably interested in coffee. With a well-designed sweepstakes, the sweepstakes entrants are good prospects for the products and services of the sweepstakes organizer.  
           [0006]    Sweepstakes are regulated by the states and by most other countries. To run a legal sweepstakes, the sweepstakes organizer must abide by all applicable regulations and conventions. For example, rules must be clearly posted, no purchase can be required of the consumer to enter, and laws regarding bonding and registration must be followed. Coordinating the different elements of the sweepstakes so that they are all self-consistent is difficult and typically requires the help of a promotions agency.  
           [0007]    Running a sweepstakes online poses the additional challenge of designing the online entry form and the back-end processes that will take online entries and store them in a database. Programming a system to take entries and enforce the posted rules is difficult, often requiring custom programming by trained software engineers. And the process of marketing to sweepstakes entrants usually entails the export of the entrant data, the import of the entrant data to a different system and the conducting of direct-email marketing campaigns manually.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and system of building and managing an online sweepstakes with full automation. There is a need for integrating direct email marketing tools directly with an online sweepstakes, since the costs of sending email on the Internet are very low and the entrants to a sweepstakes are good customer prospects. These tools would permit a marketer to send out offers via email to entrants that satisfy certain criteria, and the tools would also allow the marketer to track responses to those offers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention automates the process of conducting an online sweepstakes and marketing to sweepstakes entrants. The software system enables a non-technical individual (e.g., sweepstakes manager, marketer, etc.) to create a sweepstakes entry form that is integrated with back-end data processing systems. The entry form and entry form processing system are kept consistent with sweepstakes rules chosen by the non-technical individual and automatically generated by the system. The system enforces compliance with applicable laws with integrated tools to pick winners, determine eligibility and collect winner affidavits.  
           [0010]    The invention integrates a back-end database directly with a sweepstakes entry form. Online tools permit a marketer to view entrants and select entrants to receive direct email. The invention also integrates direct-email marketing tools with the sweepstakes front-end system, which allows a marketer to send out promotional offers and business communications directly from the sweepstakes system. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting the internal structure of a client computing device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting a network architecture for an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the logical components of an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a flow chart of steps for building, managing and using an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a screen shot of a form for creating an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a form for specifying drawings and prizes in an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a screen shot of a form for specifying rules in an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a screen shot of a form that allows content of an online sweepstakes to be edited in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a screen shot of automatically generated sweepstakes rules in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 10 is a screen shot of an automatically generated online sweepstakes entry form in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 11 is a screen shot of online sweepstakes management options and entrant database tools in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 12 is a screen shot of a winner-drawing tool of an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 13 is a screen shot of an announcement email sent to winners of an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 14 is a screen shot of an affidavit response form in an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 15 is a screen shot of a submitted affidavit from an online sweepstakes winner, along with tools for managing winners, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 16 is a screen shot of entrants in an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 17 is a screen shot of click reporting of entrants of an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     INFRASTRUCTURE  
       [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting the internal structure of client computing device  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Client computing device  100  may be a personal computer, handheld personal digital assistant (“PDA”), or any other type of microprocessor-based device. Client computing device  100  may include a processor  110 , input device  120 , output device  130 , storage device  140 , Web browser  150 , and communication device  160 . Input device  120  may include a keyboard, mouse, pen-operated touch screen, voice-recognition device, or any other device that provides input from a user. Output device  130  may include a monitor, printer, disk drive, speakers, or any other device that provides tangible output to user. Storage device  140  may include volatile and nonvolatile data storage. Volatile data storage includes RAM, a cache, or any storage medium that temporarily holds data while being processed; nonvolatile data storage includes a hard drive, CD-ROM drive, tape drive, removable storage disk, or any other non-temporary storage medium. Communication device  160  may include a modem, network interface card, or any other device capable of transmitting and receiving signals over a network. Web browser  150  may be executed by processor  110  and may include Internet Explorer(TM) by Microsoft(TM) or Communicator(TM) by Netscape(TM), or any other software program that displays data from a Web server to a user via output device  130 . One skilled in the art would appreciate that the components of client computing device  100  may also be connected wirelessly, possibly through an infrared connection.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting a network architecture for an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment, when consumer  220  participates in an online sweepstakes from sweepstakes repository  200 , client computing device  100   b  sends and receives via Web browser 150 HTTP (“Hypertext Transport Protocol”) requests (or any similar protocol requests) to and from Web server  240  via network link  225   b,  computer network  230 , and network link  225   c.  Similarly, when sweepstakes manager  210  participates in an online sweepstakes from sweepstakes repository  200 , client computing device  100   a  sends and receives via Web browser 150 HTTP requests to and from Web server  240  via network link  225   a,  computer network  230 , and network link  225   c.  Application software  260 , running on Web server  240 , contains the logic of the sweepstakes system of the present invention, and stores and retrieves information relating to consumers and sweepstakes in relational database  250 .  
         [0030]    Network link  225  may include telephone lines, DSL, cable networks, T 1  or T 3  lines, wireless network connections, or any other arrangement that provides a medium for the transmission and reception of computer network signals. Computer network  230  may include a wide-area network (“WAN”), such as the Internet, or a local-area network (“LAN”), such as an intranet. It should be noted that, technically, client computing device  100 , network link  225 , Web server  240  and any intermediate network components, such as Internet service providers and routers (not shown), are also part of computer network  230  because of their connectivity. Computer network  230  may implement any number of communications protocols, including TCP/IP (“Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol”). The communication between CCD  100   a,  CCD  100   b  and Web server  240  may be secured by any Internet security protocol, such as Secured Sockets Layer (“SSL”).  
         [0031]    Web server  240  includes a processor and memory for executing program instructions, as well as a network interface (not shown), and may include a collection of Web servers working in tandem to distribute the load of network traffic. Web server  240  runs an HTTP server program in one embodiment, such as Apache(TM), as a process under an operating system such as UNIX(TM), or any variant thereof. Relational database  250  may be part of a relational database program, such as MySQL(TM) or Oracle(TM), that may be run as a process by a separate database server (not shown) within the UNIX(TM) operating system, for example. Application software  260  may take the form of custom-written programs and libraries that run, either interpreted or compiled, as a result of HTTP requests received by Web server  240 . These programs may be written in any programming language, such as C, C++, or PERL (“Practical Extraction and Reporting Language”), and they may generate the HTML (“Hypertext Markup Language”) interface of the online sweepstakes system.  
         [0032]    One skilled in the art will see that although this embodiment of the invention is functional, other equally attractive alternatives exist. Other variations include but are not limited to running a database server process on Web server  240 , splitting application software  260  to run on multiple database servers, and using object-based rather than relational-based database systems. In addition, one skilled in the art may see that several performance optimizations are possible including but not limited to caching data on Web server  240 , introducing a middle tier of computers to run as application servers with system state, replacing the relational database system with a full-custom program that implements the necessary state management, and caching system objects closer to consumers and sweepstakes managers.  
       ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES COMPONENTS  
       [0033]    [0033]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the logical components of an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As embodied in application software  260 , the row of components comprising management system  300 , direct email system  310 , sweepstakes creation engine  320 , presentation engine  330 , and submission engine  340  make up the front-end of the sweepstakes system that interacts with sweepstakes manager  210  and consumer  220 . Relational database  250  is the back-end of the sweepstakes system that stores all relevant information. The two-way arrows in FIG. 3 demonstrate the logical connections between the various components.  
         [0034]    For example, sweepstakes manager  210 , who may also be a marketer, interacts with sweepstakes creation engine  320  to design the sweepstakes, including the entry form, prizes and entry deadlines. Sweepstakes creation Engine  320  stores information about the sweepstakes in relational database  250 . Once the sweepstakes has begun, consumer  220 , using Web browser  150 , enters the sweepstakes by requesting the sweepstakes entry form from presentation engine  330 . Presentation engine  330  requests information about the sweepstakes from relational database  250  and converts that information into a page suitable for presentation on consumer  220 &#39;s Web browser  150 . In one embodiment consumer  220  is using an HTML-compliant Web browser and presentation engine  330  converts the logical description of the sweepstakes directly to HTML. Consumer  220  fills out the entry form electronically and submits the entry form back to submission Engine  340 . Submission engine  340  checks the data submitted by consumer  220  against a set of rules deduced from the logical database description of the sweepstakes. If the entry form is properly completed, consumer  220  is entered into the sweepstakes and the entry is entered into relational database  250 . Otherwise the entry is rejected.  
         [0035]    At any time after the sweepstakes launches, the marketer can search for entrants or contestants in relational database  250  and send out email to selected entrants via direct email system  310 . Direct email system  310  collects lists of email addresses from relational database  250  and sends mail directly to those entrants under the direction of the marketer. Management system  300  includes tools that enable the marketer or sweepstakes manager  210  to pick winners, track prize fulfillment and verify the eligibility of entrants. Management system  300  also generates a set of sweepstakes rules dynamically based on the choices that the marketer or sweepstakes manager  210  makes during the creation process.  
       USING ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES  
       [0036]    [0036]FIG. 4 is a flow chart of steps for building, managing and using an online sweepstakes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The method starts (step  400 ) with sweepstakes manager  210  logging into sweepstakes repository  200  over computer network  230  (step  405 ). Once logged in, sweepstakes manager  210  interacts with sweepstakes repository  200  to build a sweepstakes (step  410 ). Sweepstakes manager  210  designs the entry form, deciding what questions to ask and what graphics to display. Sweepstakes manager  210  specifies prizes and entry deadlines (step  415 ) along with other aspects of the sweepstakes that affect the rules. Sweepstakes repository  200  guides sweepstakes manager  210  through the process interactively. Once the sweepstakes has been completely defined, sweepstakes repository  200  generates unique entry forms and a unique set of rules (step  420 ) customized for this sweepstakes. For example, if the name of the sweepstakes is “Enter to Win a Trip to Paris,” then sweepstakes repository  200  may create a unique URL including the filename “triptoparis” to accept entries. Sweepstakes repository  200  also stores a representation of the sweepstakes in relational database  250 .  
         [0037]    Entrants (e.g., consumers  220 ) can enter the sweepstakes (step  430 ) online once it has been fully created. Concurrently, sweepstakes manager  210  can monitor the progress of the sweepstakes (step  425 ), reviewing entrant statistics and usage patterns. Sweepstakes manager  210  can also use integrated direct marketing email tools while the sweepstakes is in progress, since the entrant data resides within the same system as the direct email system. It is beneficial to be able to contact participants early, while the sweepstakes is still fresh in their minds.  
         [0038]    Once the sweepstakes has ended (step  435 ), entrants can no longer submit entry forms. Sweepstakes manager  210  then uses integrated winner-drawing tools (step  440 ) to randomly choose winners that conform to the rules of the sweepstakes. For example, if the sweepstakes has three drawings set out over nine weeks, then sweepstakes repository  200  may force the manager to pick the winners for the earlier drawing first, conforming to the rules. Sweepstakes repository  200  also provides tools to send out letters via email to winners notifying them that they have won, along with tools to collect online affidavits of eligibility. Sweepstakes repository  200  also tracks who has received a prize so that sweepstakes manager  210  may conform to the rules, awarding all prizes necessary. From the list of winners, sweepstakes repository  200  prepares unique URLS containing lists of winners so that consumers  220  can discover who won the sweepstakes, a common requirement of the States (step  450 ).  
         [0039]    Sweepstakes manager  210 , or another marketing representative of that manager, can use the integrated direct email marketing tools (step  445 ) at the completion of the sweepstakes to contact consumers  220  with promotional offers or other communications. Sweepstakes repository  200  provides tools for composing offers, sending out those offers and tracking consumer response rates.  
         [0040]    FIGS.  5 - 17  are screen shots illustrating the steps described above via Web browser  150  (in this case, Internet Explorer(TM)) in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0041]    FIGS.  5 - 10  illustrate the method of building a custom sweepstakes. In FIG. 5, sweepstakes manager  210  enters information in Web browser  150  such as sweepstakes details (e.g., title of sweepstakes, when it starts, number of drawing dates and prizes), sponsor information and initial entry form questions. Based on the checked boxes at the bottom of the screen, sweepstakes manager  210  has chosen the entry form to solicit the first and last name of the entrant (i.e., consumer  220 ). FIG. 6 shows that sweepstakes manager  210  will award a mountain bike at the close of the drawing, which is entered as Jan. 30, 2001. In FIG. 7, sweepstakes manager  210  chooses certain rules that will apply to the sweepstakes, such as the participation of minors. The checked box indicates that minors are allowed to enter this sweepstakes.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 8 allows sweepstakes manager to design the sweepstakes entry form online and at a high level. By selecting the various editing buttons (such as those labeled “Edit”, “Delete” and “Copy”), sweepstakes manager  210  is presented a prompt that allows sweepstakes manager  210  to specify various question attributes. This prompt could take many forms, such as a small pop-up window or a separate Web page. These question attributes can include, among others, the question to be presented to the entrant on the sweepstakes entry form, the maximum permissible length of an entrant response in characters, whether a question to be presented to an entrant begins on a new line in the sweepstakes entry form, an instruction field associated with a question, and the type of question to be presented to the entrant. Some common types of questions are multiple choice, check-all-that-apply (i.e., radio buttons), and fill-in-the-blank. Once these attributes have been specified, application software  260  is able to generate an HTML form consistent with the inputted attributes, and stores this information in relational database  250 .  
         [0043]    As shown in FIG. 9, application software  260  automatically generates a set of rules for the contest with regard to laws in the various countries, states and provinces where the contest will be available. Rules are customized with respect to the specific sweepstakes parameters chosen by sweepstakes manager  210  in previous screens. For example, since minors are permitted to enter, one can see that paragraph 2 of the rules states that entrants “must be 13 years or older.” Application software  260  imposes contest rules on all contestants, assuring that entries are only accepted during legal periods. FIG. 10 depicts the online entry form generated by application software  260 , which is available on computer network  230  at a URL specified by sweepstakes repository  200 .  
         [0044]    FIGS.  11 - 14  illustrate the method of awarding a sweepstakes winner. FIG. 11 depicts the screen that notifies sweepstakes manager  210  that the mountain bike sweepstakes is ready to be awarded. This status is indicated under the section labeled “Prize Schedule.” One notices that the official sweepstakes time is Jan. 31, 2001, which is one day after the mountain bike sweepstakes was scheduled to end. Official sweepstakes time in this embodiment is maintained by sweepstakes repository  200 . FIG. 11 also displays the various sweepstakes management options and entrant database tools.  
         [0045]    Upon clicking on the status link labeled “Ready to be Awarded!” in FIG. 11, sweepstakes manager  210  is presented with the winner-drawing tool as shown in FIG. 12. Upon clicking the “Spin the Wheel!” button at the bottom of the screen, application software  260  randomly selects an associated contestant to be the winner, and generates an electronic affidavit for the winner in order to verify eligibility. The potential winner receives email with an announcement of their selection and a link on computer network  230  to complete the affidavit online. FIG. 13 shows the text of the announcement e-mail. FIG. 14 displays the affidavit response screen that the potential winner accesses in order to verify eligibility.  
         [0046]    FIGS.  15 - 17  illustrate some system tools for managing winners. In FIG. 15, sweepstakes manager  210  views the potential winner&#39;s submitted affidavit to determine if the winner is eligible to receive the prize. Sweepstakes manager  210  may accept the affidavit or disqualify the entrant. As shown in FIG. 16, sweepstakes manager  210  may review entrant information online, during or after the sweepstakes period. The columns of information noted in the table of FIG. 16 has a direct correlation to the entry form questions specified in FIG. 5 and the information solicited in FIG. 10. If the entrants agree to be notified by sweepstakes manager  210  with regard to marketing opportunities, sweepstakes repository  200  can track response rates to all email sent (e.g., whether the entrant clicked on an advertisement link provided in the email), providing reports to sweepstakes manager  210  online as shown in FIG. 17. Sweepstakes repository  200  also provides interfaces for contestants and other to view lists of winners at the completion of the sweepstakes (not shown).  
         [0047]    Several embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the present invention.