IP Library Granted Patent US 10,796,326
Granted Patent B2
US 10,796,326 · App. 14/148,042 · Granted Oct 6, 2020

Consumer game

Inventor: Frederick W. Skoler (Barrington, IL)
Assignee: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
G06Q30/0211G07F17/329G07F17/3218G07F17/3232G07F17/3255
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,796,326
App. No.
14/148,042
Granted
Oct 6, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method that engages consumers in a consumer game experience that isolates member preferences and fills in the social graph/personal profile of the consumer, to aid in the targeting of various forms of content to the consumer.

Claims (99)

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a repository of personal information for each of the plurality of consumers;

receiving input representing a request to participate in the consumer game from a graphical user interface used by one consumer of the plurality of consumers;

causing the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, graphical elements representing a plurality of product categories based upon an analysis of the personal information of the one consumer;

receiving input representing a request for a different set of product categories to be presented on the graphical user interface based on a shaking of a mobile device of the one consumer, wherein the mobile device is structured to affect the presentation on the graphical user interface based on the shaking of the mobile device;

receiving input representing selection by the one consumer of one of the graphical elements of the graphical user interface representing one of the plurality of product categories, wherein the selection is made via a physical touch of a touch sensitive screen of a user device;

causing the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, information identifying a plurality of products in the product category selected by the one consumer;

causing the graphical user interface to provide an initial entry in a sweepstakes to the one consumer, in response to an identification, via selecting one of the graphical elements of the graphical user interface by the one consumer, of a preferred product of the plurality of products;

causing the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, the graphical elements including a plurality of icons related to the preferred product, wherein the plurality of icons include descriptions of the preferred product and are based on a depth of personal information and any detected gaps or deficiencies in the personal information of the one consumer with respect to the preferred product;

receiving input representing selection by the one consumer of one of the plurality of icons of the graphical user interface that represents a relationship of the one consumer with respect to the preferred product;

providing one or more entries to the one consumer for performing particular tasks via a camera of the mobile device, comprising:

receiving geographic location information via the mobile phone;

requesting performance of one or more of the particular tasks, via the mobile phone, when the one consumer is at a particular geographic location within a particular store,

wherein the one or more of the particular tasks comprises finding a particular product at the particular geographic location in the particular store, wherein maps or layouts of the particular store are provided, wherein directions or routes within the particular store are determined, and

wherein the one or more of the particular tasks comprises scanning, via the camera of the mobile device, a code attached to or associated with the particular product; and

receiving, via a wireless transceiver of the mobile phone, information indicating that the code has been scanned by the mobile device; and

causing the graphical user interface to notify a winner from all entries in the sweepstakes, upon completion of the certain duration of the consumer game session.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis determines whether at least one deficiency in the personal information of the one consumer exists.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the personal information comprises information representing a social graph of the one consumer.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis determines whether at least one deficiency in social graph information of the one consumer exists.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one consumer makes the selection of one of the plurality of icons in the consumer game session by physically interacting with a touch-sensitive screen one of a cellular telephone, a smart phone, and a tablet computer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the consumer game session is a common interval of time during which all participating consumers of the plurality of consumer engage in activities of the consumer game, and wherein the winner is notified on the user device upon the completion of the common interval of time.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

awarding an additional entry in the sweepstakes, upon determining that the one consumer has captured product identification information from the preferred product of the plurality of products while at an in-store location of a merchant using a personal device of the one consumer.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the product identification information captured from the preferred product using the personal device of the one consumer comprises one of an optical code and a code received using a radio frequency signal.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the personal information of the one consumer comprises information about one or more members of a social network of the one consumer that is used in presenting the plurality of product categories to the one consumer.

10. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

presenting a set of product characteristics selected from characteristics associated with the collection of products, to the one consumer;

receiving, from the one consumer, input associating one or more characteristics from the set of product characteristics with the preferred product; and

awarding an additional entry in the sweepstakes, upon determining that input associating at least a certain number of new characteristics from the set of product characteristics has been received from the one consumer.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the characteristics associated with the collection of products comprise characteristics associated with the products of the collection of products by the plurality of consumers, and wherein the one consumer provides the input that associates the one or more characteristics with the preferred product.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

updating information about the preferred product to report trends associated with product interactions with the plurality of consumers.

13. A system, comprising:

at least one processor for communicatively coupling to user devices of the plurality of consumers, wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least:

establish a repository of personal information for each of the plurality of consumers;

receive input representing a request to participate in the consumer game from a graphical user interface used by one consumer of the plurality of consumers;

cause the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, graphical elements representing a plurality of product categories based upon an analysis of the personal information of the one consumer;

receive input representing a request for a different set of product categories to be presented on the graphical user interface based on a shaking of a mobile device of the one consumer, wherein the mobile device is structured to affect the presentation on the graphical user interface based on the shaking of the mobile device;

receive input representing selection by the one consumer of one of the graphical elements of the graphical user interface representing one of the plurality of product categories;

cause the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, information identifying a plurality of products in the product category selected by the one consumer;

cause the graphical user interface to provide an initial entry in a sweepstakes to the one consumer, in response to an identification, via selecting one of the graphical elements of the graphical user interface by the one consumer, of a preferred product of the plurality of products;

cause the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, the graphical elements including a plurality of icons related to the preferred product, wherein the plurality of icons include descriptions of the preferred product and are based on a depth of a personal information and any detected gaps or deficiencies in the personal information of the one consumer with respect to the preferred product;

receive input representing selection by the one consumer of one of the plurality of icons of the graphical user interface that represents a relationship of the one consumer with respect to the preferred product;

provide one or more entries to the one consumer for performing particular tasks via a camera of the mobile device, comprising:

receive geographic location information via the mobile phone;

request performance of one or more of the particular tasks, via the mobile phone, when the one consumer is at a particular geographic location within a particular store,

wherein the one or more of the particular tasks comprises finding a particular product at the particular geographic location in the particular store, wherein maps or layouts of the particular store are provided, wherein directions or routes within the particular store are determined, and

wherein the one or more of the particular tasks comprises scanning, via the camera of the mobile device, a code attached to or associated with the particular product; and

receive, via a wireless transceiver of the mobile phone, information indicating that the code has been scanned by the mobile device; and

causing the graphical user interface to notify a winner from all entries in the sweepstakes, upon completion of the certain duration of the consumer game session.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the analysis determines whether at least one deficiency in the personal information of the one consumer exists.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the personal information comprises information representing a social graph of the one consumer that is used to present the plurality of product categories to the one consumer.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the analysis determines whether at least one deficiency in social graph information of the one consumer exists.

17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the one consumer makes the selection of one of the plurality of icons in the consumer game session by physically interacting with a touch-sensitive screen of one of a cellular telephone, a smart phone, and a tablet computer.

18. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the consumer game session is a common interval of time during which all participating consumers of the plurality of consumer engage in activities of the consumer game, and wherein the winner is notified on the user device in the sweepstakes upon the completion of the common interval of time.

19. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least:

award an additional entry in the sweepstakes, upon determining that the one consumer has captured product identification information from the preferred product of the plurality of products while at an in-store location of a merchant using a personal device of the one consumer.

20. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the product identification information captured from the preferred product using the personal device of the one consumer comprises one of an optical code and a code received using a radio frequency signal.

21. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the personal information of the one consumer comprises information about one or more members of a social network of the one consumer that is used in presenting the plurality of product categories to the one consumer.

22. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least:

present a set of product characteristics selected from characteristics associated with the collection of products, to the one consumer;

receive, from the one consumer, input associating one or more characteristics from the set of product characteristics with the preferred product; and

award an additional entry in the sweepstakes, upon determining that input associating at least a certain number of new characteristics from the set of product characteristics has been received from the one consumer.

23. The system according to claim 22 , wherein the characteristics associated with the collection of products comprise characteristics associated with the products of the collection of products by the plurality of consumers, and wherein the one consumer provides the input that associates the one or more characteristics with the preferred product.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of code sections, each code section comprising a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors to perform actions that support participation by a plurality of consumers in a consumer game session having a certain duration, the actions of the one or more processors comprising:

establishing a repository of personal information for each of the plurality of consumers;

receiving input representing a request to participate in the consumer game from a graphical user interface used by one consumer of the plurality of consumers;

causing the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, a plurality of product categories based upon an analysis of the personal information of the one consumer;

receiving input representing a request for a different set of product categories to be presented on the graphical user interface based on a shaking of a mobile device of the one consumer, wherein the mobile device is structured to affect the presentation on the graphical user interface based on the shaking of the mobile device;

receiving input representing selection by the one consumer of one of the graphical elements of the graphical user interface representing one of the plurality of product categories;

causing the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, information identifying a plurality of products in the product category selected by the one consumer;

causing the graphical user interface to provide an initial entry in a sweepstakes to the one consumer, in response to an identification, via selecting one of the graphical elements of the graphical user interface by the one consumer, of a preferred product of the plurality of products;

causing the graphical user interface to present, to the one consumer, the graphical elements including a plurality of icons related to the preferred product, wherein the plurality of icons include descriptions of the preferred product and are based on a depth of personal information and any detected gaps or deficiencies in the personal information of the one consumer with respect to the preferred product;

receiving input representing selection by the one consumer of one of the plurality of icons of the graphical user interface that represents a relationship of the one consumer with respect to the preferred product;

providing one or more entries to the one consumer for performing particular tasks via a camera of the mobile device, comprising:

receiving geographic location information via the mobile phone;

requesting performance of one or more of the particular tasks, via the mobile phone, when the one consumer is at a particular geographic location within a particular store,

wherein the one or more of the particular tasks comprises finding a particular product at the particular geographic location in the particular store, wherein maps or layouts of the particular store are provided, wherein directions or routes within the particular store are determined, and

wherein the one or more of the particular tasks comprises scanning, via the camera of the mobile device, a code attached to or associated with the particular product; and

receiving, via a wireless transceiver of the mobile phone, information indicating that the code has been scanned by the mobile device; and

causing the graphical user interface to notify a winner from all entries in the sweepstakes, upon completion of the certain duration of the consumer game session.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the analysis determines whether at least one deficiency in the personal information of the one consumer exists.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the personal information comprises information representing a social graph of the one consumer.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the analysis determines whether at least one deficiency in social graph information of the one consumer exists.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the one consumer makes the selection of one of the plurality of icons in the consumer game session by physically interacting with a touch-sensitive screen one of a cellular telephone, a smart phone, and a tablet computer.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the consumer game session is a common interval of time during which all participating consumers of the plurality of consumer engage in activities of the consumer game, and wherein the winner is notified on the user device upon the completion of the common interval of time.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the actions of the one or more processors comprise:

awarding an additional entry in the sweepstakes, upon determining that the one consumer has captured product identification information from the preferred product of the plurality of products while at an in-store location of a merchant using a personal device of the one consumer.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the product identification information captured from the preferred product using the personal device of the one consumer comprises one of an optical code and a code received using a radio frequency signal.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the personal information of the one consumer comprises information about one or more members of a social network of the one consumer that is used in presenting the plurality of product categories to the one consumer.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the actions of the one or more processors comprise:

presenting a set of product characteristics selected from characteristics associated with the collection of products, to the one consumer;

receiving, from the one consumer, input associating one or more characteristics from the set of product characteristics with the preferred product; and

awarding an additional entry in the sweepstakes, upon determining that input associating at least a certain number of new characteristics from the set of product characteristics has been received from the one consumer.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the characteristics associated with the collection of products comprise characteristics associated with the products of the collection of products by the plurality of consumers, and wherein the one consumer provides the input that associates the one or more characteristics with the preferred product.

35. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

limiting the participants of the consumer game to a particular geographic area; and

offering a prize of the sweepstakes that is based on at least a number of participants.

Assignments (14)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2021
From: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
To: CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES
Reel/Frame 056179/0863 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2020
From: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
To: JPP, LLC
Reel/Frame 053467/0062 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2020
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
Reel/Frame 052188/0176 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2020
From: CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES
To: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
Reel/Frame 052184/0782 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2020
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
Reel/Frame 052183/0879 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2019
From: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
To: CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES
Reel/Frame 050451/0309 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2019
From: CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES, AS AGENT
To: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
Reel/Frame 049284/0149 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2019
From: SEARS BRANDS, L.L.C.
To: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
Reel/Frame 048710/0182 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2019
From: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 048433/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2019
From: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 048424/0291 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2019
From: JPP, LLC
To: SEARS BRANDS, L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 048352/0708 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2019
From: TRANSFORM SR BRANDS LLC
To: CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 048308/0275 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2018
From: SEARS BRANDS, L.L.C.
To: JPP, LLC
Reel/Frame 045013/0355 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2014
From: SKOLER, FREDERICK W.
To: SEARS BRANDS, L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 031958/0560 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150194007A1 · Jul 9, 2015