Automated Sweepstakes Game

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure The invention is directed to a system and method of automatically playing a sweepstakes, namely, an automated sweepstakes game for allowing the purchaser to automatically enter a sweepstakes and providing the results of the sweepstakes upon purchase of the product. This invention allows for a product to be sold without the need for preprinted sweepstakes cards and allowing the product to be associated with the sweepstakes result that is displayed to the purchaser upon purchase of the product. Additionally, this invention allows for the sweepstakes results to be imprinted upon the purchased product with the purchaser is provided with a record of the sweepstakes outcome of the purchased product.

What is Claimed is: 
     
         1.   An automated game for dispensing a product with an associated sweepstakes result comprising: 
       a computer readable medium; 
         a set of sweepstakes results embodied in said computer readable  medium; 
        a product dispenser in electronic communication with said computer readable medium for dispensing a product purchased by a purchaser; 
        a printer operatively associated with said dispenser in electronic communication with said computer readable medium; and, 
        a set of computer readable instructions embodied in said computer readable medium for retrieving one of said sweepstakes results from said sweepstakes set,  imprinting said sweepstakes result on a visually readable medium, and dispensing said visually readable medium from said dispenser along with the product purchased by the consumer. 
     
     
         2.   2  The game of  claim 1  including a display in electronic communication with said computer readable medium for displaying said retrieved sweepstakes results; and, 
         said computer readable instructions including instructions for displaying said retrieved sweepstakes result on said display. 
     
     
         3.   3  The game of  claim 1  wherein said product dispenser is constructed and arranged for dispensing a card product which is the product purchased by the purchaser; and said computer readable instructions include instructions for controlling said printer to print said sweepstakes result on said product card, prior to said card product being dispensed through a dispensing slot of said dispenser. 
     
     
         4.   4  The game of  claim 3  wherein said product dispenser is constructed and arranged to dispense a plurality of products, and said computer instructions include instructions for controlling said product dispenser to dispense a selected one of said products in response to a selection being made by the purchaser. 
     
     
         5.   5  The game of  claim 4  wherein said card product includes a product side containing the purchased product and a sweepstakes side which is imprinted with said sweepstakes result. 
     
     
         6.   6  The game of  claim 4  wherein the card product includes a first end which contains the product and a second end which is imprinted with said sweepstakes result. 
     
     
         7.   7  The game of  claim 1  including a money acceptor for accepting cash or credits in electronic communication with said computer readable medium for actuating said computer readable medium once the correct amount of money or credits is paid, so that said actuated computer readable medium carries out said computer readable instructions to retrieve a sweepstakes result, imprint the sweepstakes result on the visually readable medium. 
     
     
         8.   8  The game of  claim 1  wherein said computer readable instructions include instructions for deleting said retrieved sweepstakes result from said sweepstakes set after being retrieved. 
     
     
         9.   9  A computerized sweepstakes game for automatically generating a sweepstakes result in association with the purchase of a product comprising: 
        a computer readable medium; 
        a product dispenser in electronic communication with said computer readable medium for dispensing a product; 
        a printer in electronic communication with said computer readable medium; 
        a display in electronic communication with said computer readable medium for visually displaying sweepstakes result; 
        a money acceptor for accepting cash or credits in electronic communication with said computer readable medium; and, 
        a set of computer readable instructions embodied in said computer readable medium for generating a sweepstakes result in response to said money acceptor being satisfied, imprinting the sweepstakes result on a visually readable medium, and displaying said display result on said display. 
     
     
         10.   10  The game of  claim 9  wherein said product dispenser includes a storage for the product being dispensed, and said printer is associated with said dispenser so as to receive the product  from storage and imprint the sweepstakes result on the product prior to the product being dispensed from the product dispenser. 
     
     
         11.   11 A system for dispensing a product containing a sweepstakes result comprising: 
         a computer readable medium; and 
         a set of computer readable instructions in communication with said computer readable medium for retrieving a sweepstakes result from a set of sweepstakes results, imprinting the sweepstakes result on a visually readable medium, and dispensing the visual readable medium from a dispenser. 
     
     
         12.   12 The system of  claim 11  wherein said set of computer readable  instructions include instructions for displaying the retrieved sweepstakes result on a display screen in communication with said computer readable medium. 
     
     
         13.   13 The system of  claim 11  wherein said set of computer readable instructions include instructions for printing the sweepstakes result on a product card through a printer in communication with said computer readable medium. 
     
     
         14.   14 The system of  claim 11  wherein said set of computer readable instructions include instructions for receiving input from a purchaser representing a product desired to be purchased, selecting the product purchased by the purchaser from a set of products, and dispensing the product in response to the selection being made by the purchaser. 
     
     
         15.   15 The system of  claim 11  wherein said set of computer readable instructions include instructions for accepting cash or credits from a purchaser through a money acceptor in communication with said computer readable medium. 
     
     
         16.   16 The system of  claim 11  wherein said set of computer readable instructions include instructions for deleting the retrieved sweepstakes result from the set of sweepstakes results after retrieving the sweepstakes result.