Promotional scanning and validating device.

<u style="single">FIELD OF THE INVENTION</u>

0001The present invention relates to promotional devices requiring customer interaction for determination of promotional prizes.

<u style="single">BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION</u>

0002Various promotional devices have been developed to promote products and services which require customer interaction. Some of these include devices the customer can participate in at home, i.e., scratch-off cards which reveal prizes or discounts, as well as devices for which a customer must be present to participate, i.e., mailing keys to customers who must bring them to location at which a locked trunk, car or the like is kept.

0003It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved promotional device to attract customer participation at the promoter's location.

<u style="single">SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION</u>

0004In accordance with the present invention, a promotional device requiring customer interaction is presented comprising a removable, tamper-resistant housing with a slot in said housing for accepting an encoded substrate, said substrate having a coded area and validation area, and an electromechanical assembly located within said housing comprising means for aligning said substrate, means for scanning said encoded area of said substrate and means for validating said substrate in said validation area.

0005The encoded substrate to be inserted by the customer can be any type of substrate including a metal, plastic or paper card or the like having a coded area and a validation area thereon. The code can be a bar type code or a magnetic code to be read by a moving scanner or an optical shaded area to be illuminated and read by fixed light sensor or scanners, or any other suitable code and reading or scanning device. The coded information can include whether the holder or customer has won a prize, and even what prize has been won, or merely the eligibility of the encoded substrate, i.e., eligibility based on a specified time period, a specific location, etc.

0006The electromechanical assembly includes means for aligning the substrate, means for scanning the encoded area of the substrate adapted to read the encoded portion of the substrate, means for processing the information and signaling a means for validating the substrate and means for validating the substrate in the validation area. The means for validating can be any known type including a stamping mechanism, a printer or other known marking means. The means for validating preferably includes means to allow several various markings to distinguish winning and losing participants as well as various prize levels.

0007The display housing can be used in conjunction with any known means of display to attract customer attention and should be capable of being securely, removably fixed to an object or within a supervised area to avoid unauthorized removal or tampering with the internal components.

<u style="single">BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS</u>

0008The following drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, are illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner whatsoever, as encompassed by the claims forming a part hereof.

0009FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the promotional device of the present invention attached to a post.

0010FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the promotional device of the present invention.

0011FIGURE 3 is a front plan view of an encoded card to be "read" by the means for scanning forming a part of the electromechanical assembly located within the housing of the promotional device.

<u style="single">DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT</u>

0012As shown in the drawings, and specifically FIGURES 1 and 2, the present invention comprises a promotional device 2 which is designed for customer interface to be located at a point of sale, etc.

0013The scanning and validating electromechanical assembly is located within a housing 4 which is shown mounted on a frame 6. Also mounted on the frame 6 is an optional game overlay poster 10. A slot 8 in the housing 4 is adapted to allow access of an encoded substrate, such as a card, to the electromechanical assembly within the housing 4. The electromechanical assembly 16 can then utilize means for scanning and means for validating the substrate to identify a winning customer.

0014As best shown in FIGURE 2, the housing 4 is made up of an exposed housing faceplate 12 and a rear housing cover 14 which, when connected, enclose the electromechanical assembly 16. A D.C. battery pack 18, which powers the elctromechanic assembly 16 and allows operation of the device remote from an electric power source, is also enclosed in the housing 4. An instruction card 20, or the like, is removably mounted on the faceplate 12.

0015The frame 6, optionally included to mount the housing 4, is provided with a structural back panel 22 which is attached to a column (As shown in FIGURE 1) by tampering resistant mounting brackets 24 designed to avoid unauthorized removal of the device 2. Other display means include legs (not shown) attached to the back panel 22 to support the device 2 when placed on a countertop, etc. Although these types of display means are described, the method of display of the device 2 is not an essential part of the invention and any known means of display is intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

0016The encoded substrate to be placed in slot 8 by the customer can be virtually any encodable and encoded substrate having a validation area. As shown in FIGURE 3 the preferred substrate is a card 26 having an encoded section 28 and a validation section 30. The encoded section 28 is encoded with a predetermined number of shaded or non-shaded segments forming an individual code.

0017Other types of codes and scanners can be used with the present invention including bar type codes or magnetic strips and corresponding readers or scanners, etc., without deviating herefrom. Of course, several coded sections 28 and/or a combination of codes can be used on a single card or substrate.

0018In the preferred embodiment, the encoded card 26 shown in FIGURE 3 is inserted into the slot 8 in the faceplate 12 of the housing 4. An internal structure adapted to accept and properly align the card 26 in the electromechanical assembly 16, corresponding to the slot 8, positions the card in the assembly 16 at a point where the coded section 28 is in proper relation to the card scanning means.

0019The preferred card scanning means comprises a number of infrared transmitters corresponding to the predetermined number of shaded and non-shaded segments on the encoded section 28 of the card 26, positioned according to the location of the segments on the encoded section 28. Aligned opposite the infrared transmitters on the other side of the properly positioned card 26 are phototransistors which measure the amount of light radiation from the infrared transmitters to determine whether the particular segment relating thereto is shaded or non-shaded. Depending on the number of shaded or non-shaded segments, a great number of combinations and coded information can be stored in the coded section 28 of the card 26.

0020A microcomputer also located in the housing 4 and forming a part of the electromechanical assembly 16 processes the information from the coded area 28 of the card 26. As stated above, the information on the coded area 28 may merely contain information on the validity of the card, based on, i.e., the date, time, location, etc., with the prize chosen randomly, periodically or systematically, or the information on the coded area 28 may contain information on the validity of the card 26 and the prize won.

0021A port to the microcomputer can be placed in the housing 4 to allow information to be removed or the program of the microcomputer to be changed. When the validity deals with the time or date a clock is also provided as part of the electromechanical assembly 16.

0022When only the validity is encoded on the card 26, and the microcomputer determines that the card 26 is valid, the micrcomputer performs a random, periodic or systematic generation to determine whether the customer has won a prize and what that prize will be. The microcomputer then activates the validing means to mark the card 26 in the validation area 30. Similarly, when both the validity and prize are encoded on section 28 of the card 26, the scanning means reads the information and the microprocessor determines the proper mark and activates the validating means to mark the code 26 in the validation area 30.

0023The validating means located within the electromechanical assembly 16 can be any type of marking means including stamps, printers, or other markers. In the preferred embodiment, the validation means comprises a replaceable rotating drum having various stamp pads relating to losing cards, winning cards and prizes available. Once the microcomputer determines prize, a small D.C. electric motor rotates the drum on its axis to the proper stamp pad.

0024Precise positioning of the stamp pad for contact with the validation area 30 is provided by the use of a four-quadrant positioning servo. A reference disc is attached to the axis on which the stamp drum rotates having slots therein relating to proper alignment of the stamp pads and an additional slot provided as a reference.

0025One or more infrared transmitters are located on one side of the reference disc opposite a corresponding number of phototransistors located on the other side of the disc. The positioning servo rotates the stamp drum, and reference disc, in forward and reverse directions until a predetermined light radiation value is sensed by the phototransistor(s). The slot is posiitoned so that one-half of the light value of the infrared transistor(s), relates to precise placement of the stamp. Once this position is located, the drum is locked into place.

0026The precisely aligned stamp pad on the stamping drum, being locked into place, is moved into contact with the validation area 30 of the card by a second D.C. electric motor. By monitoring the current in the second motor the stamp can be placed with constant pressure and the motor can back-off once a predetermined pressure is reached. This feature provides for proper and constant marks without the use of excess power, increasing battery life.

0027The electromechanical assembly 16 of the promotional device 2 also includes one or more flashing or operational lights or LEDs and a speaker to audibly and visually signal winning and losing participants by tones or voice.

0028Liquid crystal displays in the faceplate or voice instructions from the speaker provides for user interaction when a keypad is included with the device, hooked to the electromechanical assembly. Prizes and prize levels are then determinable by the user's entry of, <u style="single">inter alia</u>, answers to questions displayed on the LCD, or asked by voice, etc., on the keypad.

0029The housing 4, is removably attached to the frame 6 or other display area by tamper-resistant locking means which are not visable to the user. The blind locking means to attach the housing 4 to the frame 6 includes trapped hardware in tunnel openings which are operable only with special conforming tools. This allows removal of the assembly by authorized personnel during non-attended hours.

0030A gasket between the faceplate 12 and rear cover 14, as well as angled walls to shed water from openings, provides a water resistant housing 4 allowing for outdoor use of the device 2.

0031Obvious variations on the above invention will be apparant to one skilled in the art and are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, limited only by the following claims.