Method of conducting an interactive competition

• US 20050020336A1
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cesare, Christopher Di
• Granted Patent: US 7,462,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces

Abstract

An interaction competition provides an entertaining enjoyable environment for a player to compete against a celebrity in a head-to-head trivia game. The questions may be associated with the celebrity rather than random general information or general trivia. The celebrity can participate via stored audio media, stored audio-visual media, or in a live real-time format. A goal of the competition is for a player to gain more points than the celebrity. Another goal of the competition is for the player to answer more questions correctly than the celebrity. At least one or more game episodes can be provided on computer-readable media. A game episode may be implemented with a product featuring a celebrity. The competition can be provided in many different gaming environments. The competition can be provided online via a web-based format; a television game show format; telephone call-in radio talk show format; or a cellular phone game format.

Claims

1. A method of conducting an interactive electronic game competition between a celebrity participating against a player, comprising the steps of:

presenting a quiz question to a player having at least a correct answer and at least an incorrect answer;

receiving an answer input from the player;

interactively presenting a stored answer previously selected by the celebrity to the player;

updating at least one of a score for the player and a score for the celebrity based on the accuracy of the received answer input from the player and the stored answer previously selected by the celebrity; and

repeating the quiz question presenting step, the receiving step, the preselected answer presenting step, and the updating step for each of a multiplicity of quiz questions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a quiz question, further includes providing audio data to audibly present the quiz question;

and wherein the step of interactively presenting a stored answer by the celebrity, further includes a step of providing stored audio data of the celebrity for audibly providing the answer to the player.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of presenting a quiz question further includes a step of visually presenting the quiz question;

and wherein the step of interactively presenting an stored answer by the celebrity, further includes a step of providing stored video data of the celebrity for displaying the answer to the player.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including a step of providing data so as to display the answer input from the player differently than the stored answer previously selected by the celebrity.

5. The method according to claim 1, further including a steps of:

providing a bantering message to the player, responsive to a determination that the answer input received from the player matches an incorrect answer and the stored answer previously selected by the celebrity matches the correct answer;

providing a congratulatory message to the player, responsive to a determination that the answer input received from the player matches the correct answer and the stored answer previously selected by the celebrity matches an incorrect answer; and

providing a consoling message to the player, responsive to a determination that the answer input received from the player matches an incorrect answer and the stored answer previously selected by the celebrity matches an incorrect answer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quiz questions are associated with the celebrity.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including a step of providing a multimedia celebrity introduction having audio and video to the player.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including a step of randomly selecting the multiplicity of quiz questions.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising executing the presenting step, the receiving step, the providing step, the updating step, and the repeating step for a plurality of players.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, comprising:

a game host component configured for presenting prerecorded audio data including a plurality of trivia questions;

a celebrity component configured for storing preselected celebrity answers and for presenting the stored celebrity answers to the trivia questions; and

a user interface component configured for receiving a player answers to the trivia questions.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further including a scoring component configured for tracking a score of a player based on the player answers and the stored celebrity answers.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the celebrity component further includes stored audio data including the stored celebrity answers to the trivia questions.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of trivia questions are associated with a celebrity participating via the celebrity component.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the game host component and the celebrity component are configured to provide a visual representation of the trivia questions and of the stored celebrity answers, respectively.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the celebrity component is configured to present at least one stored celebrity message responsive to the player answers.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the at least one stored celebrity message includes a bantering message.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the user interface component is configured to receive DTMF tones or verbal input representing the player answers to the trivia questions.

18. A method of conducting a real-time gaming competition between a celebrity and a non-celebrity, comprising the steps of:

presenting a linking discussion for a question;

presenting said question having a plurality of answer options including at least one correct answer option and at least one incorrect answer option, the question having trivia information being associated with the celebrity;

receiving a first answer option from the non-celebrity;

receiving a second answer option from the celebrity; and

repeating the presenting steps, and the receiving steps for at least three sequential questions.

19. The method according to claim 18, further including steps of adjusting a non-celebrity score, if the first answer option received from the non-celebrity matches the correct answer option;

adjusting a celebrity score, if the second answer option received from the celebrity matches the correct answer option; and

updating the non-celebrity score and the celebrity score for the sequential questions.

20. The method according to claim 18, further including a step of providing the non-celebrity score to a rating system that includes other scores of different non-celebrities.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of receiving a second answer option from the celebrity, further includes providing data to visually display the second answer option on a display device.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the sequential questions includes at least four sequential questions being indirectly associated with the celebrity.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the sequential questions are limited to questions being indirectly associated with the celebrity.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of presenting a question includes a step of displaying the question and the answer options.

25. The method according to claim 18, further comprising recording said presenting steps, said receiving steps, and said repeating step so as to provide a communications signal for transmission to a communications network.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said communications signal includes an audio component and a video component.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for an interactive competition with a celebrity player and a real-time player, comprising:

a question component including a plurality of trivia questions, and the trivia questions being computer readable data for at least one of audio presentation and visual presentation on a computer device, and said trivia questions having a plurality of answer options configured for user selection;

a celebrity component including a plurality of the stored celebrity player answers to the trivia questions; and

a user interface component being operatively connected to the question component and celebrity component;

the interface component being configured for receiving a player answers to the trivia questions and presenting the stored celebrity player answers.

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 27, in which the trivia questions are associated with the celebrity player.

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 27, further including a stored celebrity bantering component having data for presentation to a non-celebrity player.