Database driven online distributed tournament system
First Claim
1. A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:
- (a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
(b) means responsive to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed time window via an associated input/output device;
(c) means for accessing a database to store in the database player information that is generated as the player participates in the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller and in which the player participates; and
(d) means for awarding the player a prize for achieving a pre-established performance level in the tournament.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and a system for a distributed electronic tournament system in which many remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament. The method includes the steps of (a) uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device; (b) responding to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed time window via an associated input/output device; (c) accessing a database to store in the database player information that is generated as the player participates in the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller and in which the player participates; and (d) awarding the player a prize for achieving a pre-established performance level in the tournament. In another preferred embodiment, the method further includes the steps of determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session, in which at least one player is eliminated from the previous game session; and permitting each player qualified to a subsequent game session to participate in that game session. The system includes software and hardware to implement the method steps.
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Citations
104 Claims
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1. A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:
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(a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
(b) means responsive to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed time window via an associated input/output device;
(c) means for accessing a database to store in the database player information that is generated as the player participates in the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller and in which the player participates; and
(d) means for awarding the player a prize for achieving a pre-established performance level in the tournament. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament having multiple game sessions through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:
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(a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
(b) means responsive to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a particular game session occurring within a fixed time window via an associated input/output device;
(c) means for determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session, in which at least one player is eliminated from the previous game session;
(d) means for awarding the player a prize for being qualified to advance to a subsequent game session; and
(e) means for permitting each player qualified to a subsequent game session to participate in that game session. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;
(b) responding to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed time window via an associated input/output device;
(c) accessing a database to store in the database player information that is generated as the player participates in the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller and in which the player participates; and
(d) awarding the player a prize for achieving a pre-established performance level in the tournament. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104)
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Specification