Game-based advertising system and method

Abstract

A game-based system and method are provided which employ a central system controller and a plurality of interactive display terminals geographically dispersed from the system controller. Players interact with the display terminals via respective, anonymous recognition codes (ARCs). The display terminals are configured to record a session data set on each player interaction session therewith via the players' respective ARCs. The session data set includes the player's ARC, a location-identifier of the display terminal, a reward selected by the player from multiple rewards of a displayed reward and advertisement data set and an advertisement selected by the player from multiple advertisements of the data set. Players access data of their session data set via a personal electronic compartment accessible through an internet-accessible web server of the controller. The personal electronic compartment is automatically initiated responsive to first use of the player's ARC with one of the interactive display terminals.

1 . A system comprising:
 a system controller comprising memory and at least one processor,   the system controller including an internet-accessible web server servicing an internet-accessible website, and the system controller being configured for automatic communications with at least one interactive display terminal disposed geographically remote from the system controller; and   wherein responsive to a player's first interaction with an interactive display terminal of the at least one interactive display terminal using an anonymous recognition code of a plurality of predefined anonymous recognition codes, the system controller automatically initiates a personal electronic compartment accessible through the internet-accessible web sever corresponding to the player's anonymous recognition code, and associates therewith a location identifier of the interactive display terminal at which the anonymous recognition code was first used, wherein the personal electronic compartment is player-accessible via the internet, through the internet accessible website serviced by the internet accessible web server of the system controller.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the personal electronic compartment is player-accessible, via the internet, other than through the at least one interactive display terminal using, at least in part, one of the player's anonymous recognition code or a predefined identification code associated with the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system controller automatically obtains at least one session data set from the interactive display terminal on the player's interaction session with the interactive display terminal and associates the at least one session data set with the automatically-initiated, personal electronic compartment corresponding to the player's anonymous recognition code, and accessible through the internet-accessible website. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system controller facilitates third-party electronic communication with the player via the player's automatically-initiated, personal electronic compartment corresponding to the player's anonymous recognition code, and an anonymous direct linkage facility to the player's personal electronic compartment provided by the system controller. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising the at least one interactive display terminal, the at least one interactive display terminal being configured for automatic communication with the system controller, and comprising a display screen, and wherein the system is a game-based advertising system, the at least one interactive display terminal being configured to present on the display screen, responsive to actuation thereof by only the player's anonymous recognition code, a reward and advertisement data set for player selection of a reward of multiple rewards and an advertisement of multiple advertisements using only the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one interactive display terminal is configured to record at least one session data set on the player's interaction session therewith, the at least one session data set comprising the player's anonymous recognition code, the location identifier of the interactive display terminal, the date that the player interacted with the interactive display terminal using the player's anonymous recognition code, the player selected reward and the player selected advertisement, and wherein the at least one session data set is subsequently automatically transferred to the system controller for association with the personal electronic compartment corresponding to the player's anonymous recognition code, and accessible through the internet accessible web site. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the reward and advertisement data set comprises multiple rewards and multiple advertisements, and wherein the interactive display terminal is configured for the player to select one reward of the multiple rewards and one advertisement of the multiple advertisements using only the player's anonymous recognition code, and the system controller further associates the reward and advertisement data set with the at least one session data set automatically transferred from the interactive display terminal, the reward and advertisement data set having been previously automatically downloaded from the system controller to the interactive display terminal. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the interactive display terminal is configured to sequentially highlight for a first defined time period each reward of the multiple rewards of the reward and advertisement data set until the player selects one highlighted reward of the multiple rewards using only the player's anonymous recognition code, and to sequentially highlight each advertisement of the multiple advertisements of the reward and advertisement data set for a second defined time period until the player selects one highlighted advertisement of the multiple advertisements using only the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein selection of the one advertisement by the player results in the interactive display terminal enlarging a display form factor of the one advertisement on the display for a third defined time period. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one interactive display terminal is configured to capture a digital image of the player interacting therewith via the player's anonymous recognition code, and to associate the digital image with the player's anonymous recognition code for automatic transfer to the system controller for association with the personal electronic compartment corresponding to that player's anonymous recognition code, and accessible through the internet-accessible website. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the player interacts with the interactive display terminal wirelessly using only the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 an interactive display terminal configured for player interaction therewith via an anonymous recognition code of a plurality of predefined anonymous recognition codes, the interactive display terminal comprising a display screen and an input device configured to recognize the player's anonymous recognition code for player interaction with the interactive display terminal, wherein the player communicates with the input device of the interactive display terminal using only the player's anonymous recognition code, and wherein the interactive display terminal is configured for player selection of a reward employing the input device and the player's anonymous recognition code, and for player selection of an advertisement using the input device and the player's anonymous recognition code, the reward being one reward of multiple rewards of a reward and advertisement data set presented to the player on the display screen and the advertisement being one advertisement of multiple advertisements of the reward and advertisement data set; and   
       wherein responsive to the player's selection of the reward and selection of the advertisement, the interactive display terminal automatically associates the player's anonymous recognition code with the selected reward in a session data set, and displays for a period of time the selected advertisement on the display screen. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the interactive display terminal sequentially highlights for a first period of time each reward of the multiple rewards of the reward and advertisement data set until the player selects a highlighted reward by signaling the input device using the player's anonymous recognition code while that reward is highlighted, and wherein the interactive display terminal sequentially highlights, for a second period of time, each advertisement of the multiple advertisements of the reward and advertisement data set until the player selects a highlighted advertisement by signaling the input device using the player's anonymous recognition code while that advertisement is highlighted. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of interactive display terminals geographically dispersed, and wherein the player initiates an interactive session with any interactive display terminal of the plurality of interactive display terminals by only signaling to the interactive display terminal's input device using the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the displaying for the period of time the selected advertisement on the display screen comprises changing form factor of the selected advertisement to substantially fill the display screen for the period of time. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the interactive display terminal automatically transfers to a central system controller at least one session data set on the player's interaction session with the interactive display terminal, the at least one session data set comprising the player's anonymous recognition code, a location-identifier of the interactive display terminal, the date the player interacted with the interactive display terminal using the player's anonymous recognition code, the player-selected reward and the player-selected advertisement. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the player communicates wirelessly with the input device of the interactive display terminal using the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the interactive display terminal further comprises a camera to capture a digital image of the player interacting therewith using the player's anonymous recognition code, the interactive display terminal associating the digital image with the player's anonymous recognition code for automatic transfer to a central system controller of the system. 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising: 
       a plurality of interactive display terminals configured for players to interact therewith via respective anonymous recognition codes of a plurality of predefined anonymous recognition codes, each interactive display terminal of the plurality of interactive display terminals being configured to record a session data set on a player's interaction session therewith using the player's respective anonymous recognition code, the session data set comprising the player's anonymous recognition code, a
 location identifier of the interactive display terminal, a reward selected by the player from multiple displayed rewards of a reward and advertisement data set and an advertisement selected by the player from multiple displayed advertisements of the reward and advertisement data set; and
 a central system controller comprising an internet-accessible web server servicing an internet-accessible website, the central system controller and the plurality of interactive display terminals being 
 
 configured for automatic communications therebetween, wherein session data sets accumulated at the plurality of interactive display terminals are automatically transferred to the central system controller, and wherein players access data of their session data sets via respective, personal electronic compartments accessible through the internet-accessible website serviced by the internet-accessible web server. 
 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the central system controller automatically initiates a personal electronic compartment accessible through the internet accessible web site corresponding to a new player's respective, anonymous recognition code responsive to the player's first use of the respective, anonymous recognition code, and wherein the central system controller automatically associates a session data set, collected from the new player's interaction with the interactive display terminal, with the player's personal electronic compartment corresponding to the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of interactive display terminals are geographically dispersed, and wherein a player initiates an interactive session with one interactive display terminal of the plurality of interactive display terminals using only the player's anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the central system controller further comprises a reward and advertisement server comprising reward and advertisement data sets for the plurality of interactive display terminals, and wherein upon transfer of a session data set to the central system controller, the reward and advertisement data set displayed to the player during the player's interaction session with the interactive display terminal collecting the session data set is associated with the received session data set for subsequent retrieval by the player via the player's personal electronic compartment accessible through the internet-accessible website using one of the player's respective, anonymous recognition code or a predefined identification number associated with the player's respective, anonymous recognition code. 
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 providing a central system controller comprising memory and at least one processor, the central system controller including an internet-accessible web server configured to service an internet-accessible system web site, and the central system controller being configured for automatic communications with a plurality of interactive display terminals;   geographically dispersing the plurality of interactive display terminals, wherein each interactive display terminal is configured to record a session data set on each player interaction session therewith via a respective anonymous recognition code of a plurality of predefined anonymous recognition codes, each session data set comprising the player's anonymous recognition code, a location-identifier of the interactive display, a reward selected by the player from multiple displayed rewards of a reward and advertisement data set and an advertisement selected by the player from multiple displayed advertisements of the reward and advertisement data set; and   wherein session data sets accumulated by the plurality of interactive display terminals are automatically transferred to the central system controller, and players access data of their session data sets via respective, personal electronic compartments corresponding to their anonymous recognition codes, and accessible through the internet-accessible web server of the central system controller.