초록 ▼

An automated system and method for providing a contest to multiple, geographically dispersed contest participants is disclosed, in which the participants are interconnected by a computer network such as the internet, and in which a contest participant's individual chance of winning the contest is in

An automated system and method for providing a contest to multiple, geographically dispersed contest participants is disclosed, in which the participants are interconnected by a computer network such as the internet, and in which a contest participant's individual chance of winning the contest is increased in response to the performance of certain actions associated with the contest. The actions provide a contest sponsor with information about the participant, or expose the participant to predefined advertising information. The disclosed system provides feedback to participants regarding their current chances of winning the contest, in response to performance of one or more of the actions associated with the contest.

대표청구항 ▼

An automated system and method for providing a contest to multiple, geographically dispersed contest participants is disclosed, in which the participants are interconnected by a computer network such as the internet, and in which a contest participant's individual chance of winning the contest is in

An automated system and method for providing a contest to multiple, geographically dispersed contest participants is disclosed, in which the participants are interconnected by a computer network such as the internet, and in which a contest participant's individual chance of winning the contest is increased in response to the performance of certain actions associated with the contest. The actions provide a contest sponsor with information about the participant, or expose the participant to predefined advertising information. The disclosed system provides feedback to participants regarding their current chances of winning the contest, in response to performance of one or more of the actions associated with the contest. cobs and Albert J. Waldo, dated Apr. 1992, taken from Circulation vol. 85, No. 4, pp. 1311-1317. An article entitled "Controlled Intermittent Asystole: Pharmacologic Potentiation of Vagal-Induced Asystole," by Bradley L. Bufkin, John D. Psukas, Jakob Vinten-Johansen, Steven T. Shearer, and Robert A. Guyton, dated 1998, published by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 6 pages. A presentation summary entitled "Controlled Ventricular Asystole with Surgeon-Actuated Pacing For Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Proposed Surgical Method," by Francis G. Duhaylongsod and William R. Burfeind, Jr., dated Jun. 25, 1998, 1 page. An article entitled "Age-Related Changes of Cardiac Control Function in Man," by Iwao Sato, Yashuhiro Hasegawa, Norikazu Takahashi, Yukio Hirata, Katsuro Shimomura, and Ken Hotta, dated 1981, taken from Journal of Gerontology vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 564-572. An article entitled "Cardiac Muscarinic Receptors Decrease with Age In Vitro and in Vivo Studies," by Otto-Erich Brodde, Ulrich Konschak, Karin Becker, Florian Ruter, Ulrike Poller, Jens Jakubetz, Joachim Radke, and Hans-Reinhard Zerkowski, dated Jan. 1998, taken from the Journal of Clinical Investigation vol. 101, No. 2, pp. 471-478. 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An article entitled "Revision and Removal of Stimulating Electrodes Following Long-Term Therapy with the Vagus Nerve Stimulator" by Jose Espinosa, Mary Aiello, and Dean Naritoku, dated 1999, taken from Surgical Neurology, vol. 51, pp. 659-664. An article entitled "Epilepsy, Vagal Nerve Stimulation by the NCP System, All-Cause Mortality, and Sudden, Unexpected, Unexplained Death" by J. F. Annegers, Sharon P. Coan, W. A. Hauser, and J. Leestma, dated 2000, taken from Epilepsia vol. 41, No. 5, pp. 549-553. An article entitled "Fade of cardiac responses during tonic vagal stimulation" by Paul Martin, Matthew N. Levy, and Yasuo Matsuda, copyright 1982, published by the American Physiological Society, pp. H219-225. A presentation transcript entitled "Techniques of Stabilization" presented by Robert G. Matheny at a conference entitled "Experiences in minimally Invasive Surgery," Minneapolis, Jun. 19-21, 1997, 6 pages. A presentation transcript entitled "Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Method to Temporarily Slow or Arrest the Heart" presented by Robert G. Matheny and Carl J. Shaar at the Second Utrecht MICABG Workshop, Utrecht, Netherlands, Oct. 4-5, 1996, 2 pages. An article entitled "Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Treatment of Partial Seizures: 1. A Controlled Study of Effect on Seizures" by E. Ben-Menachem, R. Manon-Espaillat, R. Ristanovic, B. J. Wilder, H. Stefan, W. Mirza, W.B. Tarver, J. F. Wernicke, and the First International Vagus Nerve Study Group, dated 1994, taken from Epilepsia vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 616-626. An article entitled "Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Treatment of Partial Seizures: 2. Safety, Side Effects, and Tolerability" by R. E. Ramsay, B. M. Uthman, L. E. Augustinsson, A. R. M. Upton, D. Naritoku, J. Willis, T. Treig, G. Barolat, J. F. Wernicke, and the First International Vagus Nerve Stimulation Study Group, dated 1994, taken from Epilepsia vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 627-636. 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