System and Method for Using a Mobile Telephone Network to Provide a Contest

Abstract

A method of using a mobile telephone network to provide a contest via handheld communication devices is provided. In one embodiment, information is made accessible via web site, email, print media, and/or television. Participants then register to compete in the contest. Next, for each participant the server or other system performs the steps of receiving a short message service message that indicates a first request for a question from a participant, transmitting a plurality of short message service messages that each include at least one question to the handheld communication device of the participant, receiving replies to the transmitted short message service messages that include answers of the participant, determining a score for the participant that comprises the number of correct answers received from the participant, and determining a response time for the participant. The participant having the highest score and smallest response time may be identified as the winner. The server may store a plurality of questions and randomly select a subset of the questions to be transmitted to each the participant.

1 . A method of using a mobile telephone network to provide a contest via mobile telephones, comprising:
 transmitting a plurality of questions to the mobile telephones of a plurality of participants;   receiving responses transmitted from the mobile telephones of each participant of a group of the participants receiving the questions;   determining a score for each participant that comprises the number of correct answers received from the participant;   determining a response time for each participant; and   identifying a participant having the highest score and the smallest response time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing a plurality of questions in memory;   randomly selecting a subset of the plurality of questions; and   wherein the questions transmitted to the mobile telephones of a plurality of participants comprise the randomly selected subset of questions.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said questions traverse one or more mobile telephone networks. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said responses traverse one or more wireless mobile telephone network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transmitting comprises:
 transmitting a first question; and   transmitting a second question after receiving a response to the first question.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 storing a plurality of questions in memory;   randomly selecting a subset of the plurality of questions; and   wherein the questions transmitted to the mobile telephones of a plurality of participants comprise the randomly selected subset of questions.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising receiving a request for a question from a participant prior to transmitting any questions to that participant. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising receiving a request for a question from a participant prior to transmitting any questions to that participant. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said questions comprise transmitting short message service messages. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said responses comprise short message service messages. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request for a question from a participant prior to transmitting any questions to that participant. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising in response receiving the short message service message that indicates a first request for a question from a participant:
 transmitting a notification that the participant will be charged a fee; and   receiving a reply that includes a consent to the fee.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transmitting a plurality of questions comprises transmitting the plurality of questions without waiting to receive a response to any questions. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving a request for a question from a participant prior to transmitting any questions to that participant. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response time comprises the cumulative time between transmission of a question to a participant and reception of an answer to that question from that participant for each of the plurality of questions. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using a mobile telephone network to provide a contest via handheld communication devices, comprising:
 a. receiving a short message service message that indicates a first request for a question from a participant;   b. transmitting a plurality of short message service messages that each include at least one question to the handheld communication device of the participant;   c. receiving replies to the transmitted short message service messages that include answers of the participant;   d. determining a score for the participant that comprises the number of correct answers received from the participant;   e. determining a response time for the participant;   performing steps a through e for a plurality of participants; and   identifying a participant having the highest score and the smallest response time.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 storing a plurality of questions in memory;   randomly selecting a subset of the plurality of questions; and   wherein the plurality of questions transmitted to the participant comprise the selected subset of questions.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said transmitting comprises:
 transmitting a first question in a first short message service message; and   transmitting a second question after receiving a reply to the first message.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising transmitting information which that includes information from which the answers can be derived. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the transmitting information comprises transmitting the information via a web server to a plurality of computers for display in a browser. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said transmitting a plurality of short message service messages comprise transmitting the plurality of messages without waiting to receive a reply to any messages. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the response time comprises the cumulative time between transmission of a question to the handheld communication device of the participant and reception of an answer to that question from the participant for each question. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the response time comprises the cumulative time between transmission of a first question to the handheld communication device of the participant and reception of an answer to the last question from the participant. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a short message service message that indicates a second request for a question from the participant;   performing steps b through e in response to the second request; and   wherein all the questions sent to the handheld communication device of the participant are different.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising in response receiving the short message service message that indicates a first request for a question from a participant:
 transmitting a notification that the participant will be charged a fee; and   receiving a reply that includes a consent to the fee.   
     
     
         26 . A method of using a mobile telephone network to provide a contest via handheld communication devices, comprising:
 storing a plurality of questions in memory;   a. receiving a short message service message that indicates a first request for a question from a participant;   b. randomly selecting a question;   c. transmitting a short message service message that includes the selected question to the handheld communication device of the participant;   d. receiving a reply to the transmitted short message service message that includes an answer of the participant;   repeating steps b through d a plurality of times for each participant;   e determining a score for the participant that comprises the number of correct answers received from the participant;   f. determining a response time for the participant;   performing steps e and f for each participant; and   identifying a participant having the highest score and the smallest response time.