Patent Document ID: 20080194318
Application ID: 12028169
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for dynamically adjusting a probability of winning at least one of a plurality of prizes for a contest, given a fixed prize inventory and an a priori unknown number of participants, comprising: determining a variable probability of winning at least one of said prizes by approximately dividing a current number of participants in said contest by a current number of prizes awarded; dynamically adjusting said variable probability based on a variable probability multiplier, wherein said variable probability multiplier is obtained by dividing a current number of winners in a predefined time interval by a remaining number of prizes in said predefined time interval, wherein said current number of winners in said predefined time interval is substantially equal to said current number of prizes awarded divided by an elapsed number of said predefined time intervals in said contest, and wherein said remaining number of prizes in said predefined time interval is substantially equal to the fixed prize inventory minus said current number of prizes awarded divided by the total number of said predefined time intervals in said contest minus said elapsed number of said predefined time intervals in said contest; and awarding one or more of said at least one of said plurality of prizes based on said adjusted variable probability.