Methods and apparatus for awarding prizes based on authentication of computer generated outcomes using coupons
First Claim
1. A method, comprising the steps of:
- executing a computer game program by a first processor to generate a computer game outcome;
encoding the computer game outcome by a second processor to generate an encoded message;
providing said encoded message to a user; and
providing by said user said encoded message to a device configured for decoding said encoded message.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides authentication of computer generated game or test results (“outcomes”), and a system by which persons who play games or take tests on a game or testing computer, respectively, may submit the outcomes of the games or tests to a central authority having at least one central computer, and have the central computer “certify” those outcomes as being accurately reported and fairly achieved. This certification of the computer generated result constitutes a “remote-auditing” of the activity taking place on the game computer. In one application, the system enables computer generated game tournaments in which players play the games on game computers and compete against each other by submitting the outcomes for those tournament games to the central computer, which certifies the outcomes and rates and ranks the players. In another application, the system provides for players of computer games to obtain a certified ranking and rating without participation in a tournament. In other embodiments, the system provides for self-authentication and certification of outcomes for games played on the game computer itself, or for mutual-authentication and certification of such outcomes on any other game computer in the system.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method, comprising the steps of:
- executing a computer game program by a first processor to generate a computer game outcome;
encoding the computer game outcome by a second processor to generate an encoded message;
providing said encoded message to a user; and
providing by said user said encoded message to a device configured for decoding said encoded message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- executing a computer game program by a first processor to generate a computer game outcome;
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4. A method, comprising the steps of:
- receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game;
decoding said encoded message to retrieve said outcome;
storing for further use said decoded message; and
metering time use of said computer game. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
- receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game;
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9. A computer device comprising:
- means for executing a computer game program to generate a computer game outcome;
means for metering an amount of time of use of said computer game program;
means for encoding the computer game outcome to generate an encoded message; and
means for providing said encoded message to a user. - View Dependent Claims (10)
- means for executing a computer game program to generate a computer game outcome;
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11. A computer device, comprising:
- means for receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game;
means for decoding said encoded message to retrieve said outcome;
means for storing the decoded message; and
means for metering an amount of time of use of said computer game. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
- means for receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game;
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14. A computer device comprising:
- a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, said computer readable program code means comprising encoding means for causing said computer device to generate an encoded message representing an outcome of a computer game, code means for causing said computer device to provide said encoded message to a user and metering means for metering an amount of time of use of said computer game.
- View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A computer device comprising:
- a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, said computer readable program code means comprising decoding means for causing said computer device to decode an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game, fraud-detection code means for causing said computer device to determine whether said outcome is fraudulent, and metering means for metering an amount of time of use of said computer game.
- View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method, comprising the steps of:
- executing a computer game program to generate a computer game outcome;
metering time use of said computer program to generate metered time information;
encoding the computer game outcome and said metered time information to generate an encoded message; and
providing said encoded message to a user. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
- executing a computer game program to generate a computer game outcome;
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23. A method, comprising the steps of:
- receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game and metered time use information of said computer game;
decoding said encoded message to retrieve said outcome and said metered use information; and
storing for further use said decoded message. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
- receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game and metered time use information of said computer game;
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28. A computer device, comprising:
- means for receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game and metered time use information of said computer game;
means for decoding said encoded message to retrieve said outcome and said metered use information; and
means for storing the decoded message. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
- means for receiving from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game and metered time use information of said computer game;
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31. A computer device comprising:
- a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, said computer readable program code means comprising (a) encoding means for causing said computer device to generate an encoded message representing an outcome of a computer game and metered time use of said computer game, and (b) code means for causing said computer device to provide said encoded message to a user.
- View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A computer device comprising:
- a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, said computer readable program code means comprising (a) decoding means for causing said computer device to decode an encoded message corresponding to an outcome and metered time use of a computer game and (b) fraud-detection code means for causing said computer device to determine whether said outcome is fraudulent.
- View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A computer device comprising:
- a memory device configured to store a computer game program; and
a processor configured to;
execute a computer game program to generate a computer game outcome;
meter use of said computer program to generate metered time information;
encode the computer game outcome and said metered time information to generate an encoded message; and
provide said encoded message to a user.
- a memory device configured to store a computer game program; and
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36. A computer device, comprising:
- a processor adapted to;
receive from a user an encoded message corresponding to an outcome of a computer game and metered time use information of said computer game;
decode said encoded message to retrieve said outcome and said metered time use information; and
store for further use said decoded message; and
a memory device configured to store said decoded message for further use.
- a processor adapted to;
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37. A method, comprising the steps of:
- executing a computer game program by a first processor to generate a computer game outcome;
encoding the computer game outcome by a second processor to generate an encoded message;
providing said encoded message to a user for transmission to a remote device configured for decoding said encoded message.
- executing a computer game program by a first processor to generate a computer game outcome;
Specification