Pre-revealed Electronic Sweepstakes System with Interactive Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic sweepstakes systems do not efficiently manage the revelation and allocation of sweepstakes results to users, often requiring users to access accounts or terminals to view results, which can be inconvenient and lacks interactive display options.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that generates and allocates sweepstakes results to user accounts prior to purchase, allowing users to receive a code or results file on a handheld device, enabling interactive display of results through a program that mimics casino-style games, and allowing users to view results without needing to access a terminal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users access accounts or terminals to view sweepstakes results, then result verification is ensured, but user convenience and accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by generating sweepstakes tickets and determining their results before the user receives them. The results are pre-calculated and stored in the database, allowing users to view results without needing to access terminals or accounts for verification. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring reliability in advance while providing convenience during result viewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the sweepstakes results and provides it to the user in the form of a code or results file that can be stored on a handheld device. This copy contains all necessary information for result verification, eliminating the need for users to access original terminals or accounts, thus improving convenience while maintaining reliability through the copied data.
2Ease of operation
If sweepstakes results are revealed after purchase, then purchase integrity is maintained, but user experience and immediate feedback deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines sweepstakes results and allocates nonzero results to user accounts before the user completes their purchase. This preliminary revelation of results provides immediate user experience benefits and eliminates waiting time, while the purchase transaction itself remains intact and is completed separately. The results are prepared in advance but only revealed to the user after purchase completion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the result determination process from the purchase transaction process. Results are determined and stored separately, then allocated to users based on purchase completion. This segmentation allows results to be prepared in advance for better user experience while maintaining purchase integrity through conditional allocation based on purchase verification.
3Adaptability or versatility
If interactive display options are provided, then user engagement increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a code or results file as an intermediary that contains sweepstakes results and can be stored on a handheld device. This intermediary enables users to view results interactively on their own devices without requiring complex terminal systems. The code acts as a bridge between the sweepstakes system and user devices, providing versatility while keeping the core system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a portable copy of sweepstakes results that users can store and view on their own handheld devices. This copy contains all necessary display information, allowing users to choose their own display methods and timing without adding complexity to the central sweepstakes system. The copying approach distributes the display functionality to user devices rather than concentrating it in the system.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method that generates a finite number of sweepstakes entries for a sweepstakes, facilitates a selection of one or more sweepstakes entries from the finite number of entries, determines the result of each selected sweepstakes entry, allocates each nonzero result to the user, and provides the user with at least one of the selected sweepstakes entries, the result of each selected sweepstakes entry, the sum of all nonzero results from the selected sweepstakes entries, a code that is associated with the selected sweepstakes entries, and a program that is configured to cause a computer to interactively display to the results associated with the selected sweepstakes entries to the user. The results of the selected sweepstakes entries may be viewed in the form of a simulated game, or the user may log into an account associated with the user to view the total amount won.