Socially interactive wagering system

• US 10,198,899 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2014
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, York
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US14/514,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20160104347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A system and method includes one or more processors coupled to a memory, the one or more processors operable to read instructions from the memory to perform one or more steps or operations. The operations may include receiving a signal from a first device, sending a first code and an instruction to broadcast the code to a broadcasting device based on the signal, receiving an access request and a second code broadcasted from the broadcasting device from a second user device, and granting the second user device access to a feature of an application when the second code broadcasted from the broadcasting device matches the first code.

Claims

1. A wagering system comprising:

a wagering configuration module including a hardware processor that;

receives a wager configuration from a first user device, the wager configuration includes access restrictions;

sends to a broadcasting device a first code based on the wager configuration and an instruction to broadcast the first code over a limited wireless transmission range within a venue;

receives, from a second user device, a wager for an activity in the venue according to the wager configuration and a second code, the second code wirelessly received from the broadcast within the limited wireless transmission range by the second user device and the second code matching the first code when the second user device received the broadcast of the first code; and

places the wager when the second code matches the first code and the second user device being eligible to engage in the wager based on the access restrictions; and

a storage module that records the wager when the wager configuration module places the wager.

2. The wagering system of claim 1 further comprising an odds module that calculates a betting odd for the wager configuration.

3. The wagering system of claim 1 wherein the broadcasting device is located in the venue and the venue is a sports arena.

4. The wagering system of claim 3 wherein the access restrictions excludes devices outside of the sports arena from placing wagers with the wager configuration.

5. The wagering system of claim 1 wherein the wager configuration includes a time limit for placing wagers.

6. The wagering system of claim 1 wherein the wager configuration includes a bet settlement trigger.

7. The wagering system of claim 6 further comprising a payout module that receives a signal triggering the bet settlement trigger and conducts a currency exchange based on the signal triggering the bet settlement trigger.

8. The wagering system of claim 7 wherein the signal triggering the bet settlement trigger is an event statistic.

9. A wagering system comprising:

a broadcasting device; and

a server including one or more processors coupled to a memory, the processors configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the server to perform the step of;

receiving a wager configuration from a first user device, the wager configuration includes access restrictions;

instructing the broadcasting device to broadcast a first code over a limited wireless transmission range within a venue based on the wager configuration;

receiving, from a second user device, a request to place a wager for an activity in the venue with the wager configuration and a second code, the second code wirelessly received from the broadcast within the limited wireless transmission range by the second user device and the second code matching the first code when the second user device received the broadcast of the first code; and

granting the request to place a wager when the second code matches the first code and the second user device being eligible to engage in the wager based on the access restrictions.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the broadcasting device broadcasts the first code using Bluetooth®

low energy.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the broadcasting device has a broadcasting range limited to a seating area.

12. The system of 9 wherein the broadcasting device has a broadcasting range limited to the activity in the venue.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the wager configuration having a wager settlement trigger based on a statistic of the activity in the venue and an amount of currency.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the steps further comprise receiving the statistic of the activity in the venue and transferring the amount of currency between a first account related to the first user device and a second account related to a second device based on the statistic.

15. A method for facilitating a wager comprising:

receiving, by a system, a wager configuration from a first user device, the wager configuration includes access restrictions; and

sending to a broadcasting device, by the system, a first code based on the wager configuration and an instruction to broadcast the first code over a limited wireless transmission range within a venue;

receiving, from a second user device, a wager for an activity in the venue according to the wager configuration and a second code, the second code wirelessly received from the broadcast within the limited wireless transmission range by the second user device and the second code matching the first code when the second user device received the broadcast of the first code; and

placing the wager when the second code matches the first code and the second user device being eligible to engage in the wager based on the access restrictions.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the wager configuration excludes devices from outside a seating area from accepting the wager.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the broadcasting device is within the seating area.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the instruction to the broadcasting device directs the broadcasting device to broadcast the first code using Bluetooth®

low energy.