Computer-implemented question and answer game

Abstract

A computer-implemented question and answer game based on using opinion polls that have already been carried out on a representative sample of people. Results of the opinion polls and predefined questions are stored in a knowledge base associated with the system, which is typically implemented on an Internet site. Players connecting via the Internet are asked to guess what they think the opinion poll results were, and are scored by the computer-implemented system according to the correspondence between their guesses and the information stored in the knowledge base, with prizes being distributed on the basis of the score.

1 . A method of allocating a prize to at least one individual using a computer system having at least one host computer terminal for presenting and collecting -data, a question engine for sending a battery of successive predefined questions to the individual, and a knowledge base storing a predetermined reference answer for each question, said predefined questions being questions of an opinion poll previously carried out on a representative sample of a population, said reference answers being results obtained by the poll, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a) on the host terminal, presenting the individual with one of the questions from the battery of predefined questions;    b) asking the individual to guess the reference answer, the answer as given being a quantified value for said guess;    c) collecting the answer made from said individual;    d) comparing the answer given with the corresponding reference answer stored in the knowledge base and evaluating a difference value representative of the difference between the answer given and the reference answer;    e) incrementing or decrementing a score value as a function of said difference value;    f) comparing the incremented or decremented score with a predefined threshold;    g) if the score exceeds the threshold, giving the individual a choice between continuing with the sequence of questions, iterating the preceding steps from step b) with another question from the battery of questions; or    allocating a prize; and    i) if the score does not exceed the threshold, iterating the preceding steps from step b) with another question from the battery of questions.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prize allocated in step g) is a prize of a value that depends on the difference between the predefined threshold and the score.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the prize is a number of points awarded to the individual.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the prize is a tangible item.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the prize is a service to be performed for the individual.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step c) further includes obtaining the answer that the individual would have given personally to the question.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined questions are questions having a closed set of answers of the multiple choice type.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the answer given by the individual in step b) includes classifying a plurality of said multiple choices.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the answer given by the individual in step b) is an answer selected from a limited subset of the set of different combinations that are possible amongst said multiple choices.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a prior stage of establishing said reference answers from a population of said individuals, said prior stage comprising the successive steps of: 
 i) on the host terminal, presenting the individual with a question from the battery of predefined questions, asking the individual to give his or her own opinion on said question as an answer and collecting said answer;    ii) repeating step i) iteratively with a plurality of questions from the battery of questions;    iii) repeating steps i) and ii) with other individuals; and    iv) statistically processing the collected answers so as to set up said reference answers and storing said reference answers in the knowledge base.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step a) comprises selecting a question from said battery of predefined questions by means of a random draw.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step a) includes selecting a question from said battery of predefined questions by means of the individual selecting a parameter.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein step a) includes selecting a question from said battery of predefined questions by means of the individual selecting a parameter.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steps a) and b) are implemented via a graphical interface having a series of fields displayed on a screen of said host terminal, the fields being movable by controlled action of the individual so as to cause them to slide on the screen and form a stack representative of the answer given.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising before step a), the step of initially allocating, by the host terminal, a starting score value to the individual, said starting score value being the score value incremented or decremented in step e).