Method and system to assign a lottery-awarded good

Abstract

There are described a method and relative system to assign a lottery-awarded good. A message of participation is sent to the lottery through a communication device. A central electronic processor stores information representative of the telephone number of origin of the message of participation received into a database. The processor increases a counter by an amount equal to the amount of participation. The counter indicates an amount representative of an overall current amount of participation. The processor compares the overall amount with a predetermined value made available for purchasing goods belonging to the category of prizes offered. If the overall amount of participation is less than such predetermined value, further messages of participation in the lottery are accepted. If the overall amount of participation is equal to the predetermined value, goods are awarded in that predetermined category of prizes offered.

1 . A method to assign a lottery-awarded good, comprising:
 sending, by a user through a communication device, a message of participation in the lottery to a central electronic processor, the message of participation comprising information representative of the amount of participation in the lottery;   storing into a database, by the central electronic processor, information representative of the telephone number of origin of the message of participation received;   increasing a counter, by the central electronic processor, based on the information representative of the amount of participation in the lottery, by an amount equal to the amount of participation, the counter indicating an amount representative of an overall current amount of participation;   comparing, by the central electronic processor, the overall current amount of participation in the lottery with a predetermined value made available for purchasing goods belonging to the category of prizes offered;   if the overall amount of participation is less than said predetermined value accepting, by the central electronic processor, further messages of participation in the lottery; and   if the overall amount of participation is equal to said predetermined value awarding, by the central electronic processor, goods in that predetermined category of prizes offered,   
       wherein said awarding comprises:
 randomly drawing, by the central electronic processor, a telephone number from the database; 
 sending, by the central electronic processor, a free notification message of the award of goods to the telephone number drawn, such notification message comprising a reservation code of a nominal prepaid card of the value corresponding to the predetermined value made available for purchasing goods in the category of prizes offered. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said awarding further comprises
 blocking, by the central electronic processor, the receipt of further messages of participation for that specific category of prizes offered.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said message of participation in the lottery is a message of SMS type. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said message of participation in the lottery is a voice call. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said sending, if the user takes part in the lottery by making a voice call, comprises
 guiding, by the central electronic processor, the user through an automated response along an alphanumerical response menu for obtaining an identification code of the category of prizes offered selected by the user.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said sending, if the user takes part, in the lottery by sending a message of participation of SMS type, comprises
 sending to the user, by the central electronic processor, a free confirmation message of SMS.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 sending to the user, by the central electronic processor, a free confirmation message for the participation in the lottery.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said sending, if the user takes part in the lottery by making a voice call, comprises
 automatically answering to the user, by the central electronic processor, through an automated response for informing him/her of the confirmation of his/her participation in the lottery.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said sending, in the case of participation in the lottery by the transmission of a message of participation of SMS type, comprises sending, by the central electronic processor, a free notification message of SMS containing the reservation code of the prepaid card. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said sending, in the case of participation in the lottery by voice call, comprises
 sending, by the central electronic processor, a message comprising the telephone number to call and the reservation code of the nominal prepaid card to a call management centre suitable for contacting the user the telephone number whereof has been drawn by telephone.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 sending, by the central electronic processor, along with the step of sending the free notification message of the award of goods to the telephone number drawn, a message comprising the name of the user the telephone number whereof has been drawn and the reservation code of the prepaid card to a bank or other financial institution whereat the user will go for the identification and the subsequent collection of the prepaid card awarded as a prize.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 resetting, by the central electronic processor, the counter corresponding to the awarded category of prizes offered.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 restarting, by the central electronic processor, the participation by the lottery users for the category of prizes offered and already awarded by unlocking the possibility of receiving messages of participation in the lottery.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 displaying, by a display device, information representative of goods offered in a lottery for a predetermined category of prizes.   
     
     
         15 . A system for awarding goods offered in a lottery, comprising:
 a communication device, associated to a user, configured for sending a message of participation in the lottery, the message of participation comprising information representative of the amount of participation in the lottery, to a central electronic processor;   a central electronic processor and a database, said central electronic processor being configured for storing information representative of the telephone number of origin of the message of participation received to the database; and   a counter configured for indicating an amount representative of an overall current amount of participation in the lottery, said central electronic processor being configured for increasing such counter, based on the information representative of the amount of participation in the lottery, by an amount equal to the amount of participation,   wherein said central electronic processor is further configured for comparing the overall current amount of participation in the lottery with a predetermined value made available for purchasing goods belonging to the category of prizes offered,   if the overall amount of participation is less than said predetermined value, the central electronic processor is configured for accepting further messages of participation in the lottery,   if the overall amount of participation is equal to the predetermined value, the central electronic processor is configured for awarding goods in that predetermined category of prizes offered, said central electronic processor being further configured for randomly drawing a telephone number from the database, said central electronic processor being further configured for sending a free notification message of the award of goods to the telephone number drawn, such notification message comprising a reservation code of a nominal prepaid card of the value corresponding to the predetermined value made available for purchasing goods in the category of prizes offered.   
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the communication device is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the communication device is a landline phone. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 15 , further comprising a display device configured for displaying information representative of goods offered in a lottery for a predetermined category of prizes. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein such communication device is a TV, said information being displayed on a television channel dedicated to the lottery. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein such communication device is a local electronic processor, said information being displayed on an Internet website dedicated to the lottery.