Dynamic awarding of prizes in chance-based contests

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating the awarding of prizes in chance-based contests in various ways, such as chance-based contests which are part of promotional advertising, etc. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include facilitating the awarding of prizes at the time a contestant enter or plays the contests, while awarding a selected number of prizes, which may be determined before the contest starts. In at least some embodiments, the techniques include employing an award counter to control awarding of prizes in a chance-based contest. For example, an award counter may be incremented at random or pseudo-random times. In at least some embodiments, the contest is associated with a location-based virtual group of users that has one or more associated geographical areas.

1 .- 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . An event management apparatus configured to facilitate a contest, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including program code, the at least one memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive configuration information associated with the contest, the configuration information comprising a geographic area around which to form a virtual contest group associated with the contest and location specific admittance rules configured to specify location specific requirements for admittance in the virtual contest group; and   admit at least one remote-communication capable device as a member device of the virtual contest group in accordance with the location specific admittance rules, wherein admitting the at least one remote-communication capable device as a member device of the virtual contest group comprises facilitating participation of the at least one remote-communication capable device in the contest.   
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the apparatus further comprises program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 maintain membership of the remote-communication capable device that was previously determined to be physically present the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed and subsequently is determined to no longer be physically present in the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed.   
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the apparatus further comprises program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 enable interaction among the remote-communication capable device and one or more other member devices of the virtual contest group or a contest administrator.   
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed comprises a physical area anchored at a specific point location comprising at least a latitude and a longitude. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the geographic area of the virtual contest group associated with the contest comprises multiple non-overlapping disjunct geographic areas. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the apparatus further comprises program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive from the remote-communication capable device an indication of a contest entry to the contest;   wherein, in response to the indication of the contest entry to the contest:
 accessing a contest-definition database to determine a current value of a contest award counter associated with the contest, the contest award counter being a value stored in the contest-definition database, and the value of the contest award counter being incremented at a random or pseudo-random time; 
 determining an award result associated with the indication of the contest entry, the award result based on the determined current value of the contest award counter and comprising either an indication of a prize or an indication of no prize; and 
 in an instance in which the award result comprises the indication of the prize, updating the contest award counter. 
   
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein determining the current value of the contest award counter associated with the contest comprises determining a probability associated with a time when the indication of the contest entry is received. 
     
     
         49 . An event management computer program product for facilitating a contest comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:
 receiving configuration information associated with the contest, the configuration information comprising a geographic area around which to form a virtual contest group associated with the contest and location specific admittance rules configured to specify location specific requirements for admittance in the virtual contest group; and   admitting at least one remote-communication capable device as a member device of the virtual contest group in accordance with the location specific admittance rules, wherein admitting the at least one remote-communication capable device as a member device of the virtual contest group comprises facilitating participation of the at least one remote-communication capable device in the contest.   
     
     
         50 . The computer program product of  claim 49 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 maintaining membership of the remote-communication capable device that was previously determined to be physically present the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed and subsequently is determined to no longer be physically present in the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed.   
     
     
         51 . The computer program product of  claim 49 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 enabling interaction among the remote-communication capable device and one or more other member devices of the virtual contest group or a contest administrator.   
     
     
         52 . The computer program product of  claim 49 , wherein the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed comprises a physical area anchored at a specific point location comprising at least a latitude and a longitude. 
     
     
         53 . The computer program product of  claim 49 , wherein the geographic area of the virtual contest group associated with the contest comprises multiple non-overlapping disjunct geographic areas. 
     
     
         54 . The computer program product of  claim 49 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 receiving from the remote-communication capable device an indication of a contest entry to the contest;   wherein, in response to the indication of the contest entry to the contest:
 accessing a contest-definition database to determine a current value of a contest award counter associated with the contest, the contest award counter being a value stored in the contest-definition database, and the value of the contest award counter being incremented at a random or pseudo-random time; 
 determining an award result associated with the indication of the contest entry, the award result based on the determined current value of the contest award counter and comprising either an indication of a prize or an indication of no prize; and 
 in an instance in which the award result comprises the indication of the prize, updating the contest award counter. 
   
     
     
         55 . The computer program product of  claim 54 , wherein determining the current value of the contest award counter associated with the contest comprises determining a probability associated with a time when the indication of the contest entry is received. 
     
     
         56 . A computer implemented method for facilitating a contest, the method comprising:
 receiving configuration information associated with the contest, the configuration information comprising a geographic area around which to form a virtual contest group associated with the contest and location specific admittance rules configured to specify location specific requirements for admittance in the virtual contest group; and   admitting at least one remote-communication capable device as a member device of the virtual contest group in accordance with the location specific admittance rules, wherein admitting the at least one remote-communication capable device as a member device of the virtual contest group comprises facilitating participation of the at least one remote-communication capable device in the contest.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising:
 maintaining membership of the remote-communication capable device that was previously determined to be physically present the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed and subsequently is determined to no longer be physically present in the geographic area around which the virtual contest group was formed.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising:
 enabling interaction among the remote-communication capable device and one or more other member devices of the virtual contest group or a contest administrator.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the geographic area of the virtual contest group associated with the contest comprises multiple non-overlapping disjunct geographic areas. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving from the remote-communication capable device an indication of a contest entry to the contest;   wherein, in response to the indication of the contest entry to the contest:
 accessing a contest-definition database to determine a current value of a contest award counter associated with the contest, the contest award counter being a value stored in the contest-definition database, and the value of the contest award counter being incremented at a random or pseudo-random time; 
 determining an award result associated with the indication of the contest entry, the award result based on the determined current value of the contest award counter and comprising either an indication of a prize or an indication of no prize; and 
 in an instance in which the award result comprises the indication of the prize, updating the contest award counter. 
   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein determining the current value of the contest award counter associated with the contest comprises determining a probability associated with a time when the indication of the contest entry is received.