Fantasy sports system and method thereof

• US 20060252476A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VHRD LLC
• Original Assignee: Hotbox Sports LLC
• Inventors: Bahou, Tarek
• Granted Patent: US 7,699,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• 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 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method of playing a fantasy sport that relates to forming at least two fantasy teams, in which each team is associated with at least one actual player from an actual sport that is played over a multiple-game schedule, selecting a plurality of scoring statistics based on actual scoring statistics associated with the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team, selecting a series corresponding to a portion of an actual schedule of the sport, and determining and evaluating the scoring statistics accrued by the fantasy team during the course of the selected series. The series includes a number of games that is less than the total games in the schedule of the actual sport over a season. A system and an article of manufacture for playing the fantasy sport are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of playing a fantasy sport comprising:

forming at least two fantasy teams, each team associated with at least one actual player from an actual sport that is played over a multiple-game schedule;

selecting a plurality of scoring statistics based on actual scoring statistics associated with the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team;

selecting a series corresponding to a portion of an actual schedule of the sport; and

determining and evaluating the scoring statistics accrued by the fantasy team during the course of the selected series, wherein series comprises a number of games and the portion in all the selected series is less than the total games in the schedule of the sport over a season.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one or more games from the series in which a player will be activated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two fantasy teams compete head-to-head based on the scoring statistics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of series is greater than 1.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of series is greater than or equal to 10.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of series is greater than or equal to 50.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining and evaluating are conducted electronically.

8. The method of claim 1, selecting a number of games within each series that is less than the total number of real games played in the series.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the number of games within the series is from 1 to 14.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the number of games within the series is from 4 to 10.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the number of games selected differs between at least two of the selected series.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual sport comprises basketball, baseball, auto-racing, soccer, football, hockey, golf, racing, tennis, or bowling.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fantasy sport is selected from one or more leagues comprising MLB, NHL, NCAA, NASCAR, PBA, PGA, or ITF, wherein the actual and fantasy sport is the same.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the fantasy sport is selected from the NBA.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein soccer is selected from one or more professional soccer associations comprising the English Premier League, German Premier League, Spanish Premier League, Portuguese Premier League, French Premier League, Italian Premier League, Dutch Premier League, Scottish Premier League, Turkish Premier League, Austrian Premier League, Swedish Premier League, Finish Premier League, Russian Premier League, Polish Premier League, Greek Premier League, Irish Premier League, Brazilian Premier League, Argentinean Premier League, Mexican Premier League, Chinese Premier League, Japanese Premier League, Indian Premier League, Australian Premier League, MLS, or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 2, which further comprises:

aggregating the scoring statistics for each actual player associated with each fantasy team in each selected series;

comparing the aggregate sum of each fantasy team in head-to-head competition; and

determining the winner of the head-to-head competition based on the team having the higher aggregate sum.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the aggregating, comparing, and determining are automatically calculated.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the aggregating, comparing, and determine are manually calculated.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein a fantasy sports season comprises a plurality of head-to-head competitions between a plurality of fantasy teams during the course of a plurality of series.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fantasy sports season involves head-to-head competition amongst at least three fantasy teams.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a champion of the fantasy sports season is selected based on the greatest number of series wins.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of games is less than half the number of games in the actual yearly schedule of the actual sport.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein each fantasy team is selected through drafting.

24. The method claim 1, wherein the drafting occurs through electronic communication amongst a plurality of fantasy team owners.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the scoring statistics are received from statistic provider.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the scoring statistics are received in real time.

25. A system for playing a fantasy sport comprising:

a real-life sport selection having a multiple game schedule,

a plurality of players each of which forms a fantasy team each comprising at least one actual player from the actual sport selected,

a selection of a plurality of scoring statistic categories based on actual types of scoring statistic categories associated with the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team,

a selection of a number of series corresponding to and including less than the total number of games of an actual yearly schedule of the sport, and

optionally a selection of a number of games in each series that is a portion of the total games in the series.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a processing system configured and adapted to communicate with a plurality of computers, wherein the processing system is arranged to accept input of the real-life sport selection, the plurality of players, the selection of the plurality of scoring statistic categories, the selection of the number of series, and optionally the selection of the number of games, wherein the processing system calculates fantasy scoring statistics based on the actual scoring statistic categories accrued by the fantasy team over the at least one series.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising a sports statistic transmission providing at least one statistic from the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team.

27. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

a data structure stored thereon adapted and configured to route signals, wherein the data structure comprises a computer readable system for playing a fantasy sport comprising;

a processing system configured and adapted to communicate with a plurality of computers, wherein the processing system is arranged to accept input of;

a real-life sport selection having a multiple game schedule,

a plurality of players each of which forms a fantasy team each comprising at least one actual player from the actual sport selected,

a selection of a plurality of scoring statistic categories based on actual types of scoring statistic categories associated with the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team,

a selection of a number of series corresponding to and including less than the total number of games of an actual yearly schedule of the sport, and

optionally a selection of a number of games in each series that is a portion of the total games in the series,

wherein the processing system calculates fantasy scoring statistics based on the actual scoring statistic categories accrued by the fantasy team over the at least one series.

31. A method of playing fantasy sports, comprising:

providing a fantasy sports league;

receiving league formation registration from at least two fantasy teams, each team associated with at least one actual player from an actual sport that is played over a multiple-game schedule;

receiving selection of a plurality of scoring statistics based on actual scoring statistics associated with the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team;

receiving selection of a series corresponding to a portion of an actual schedule of the sport;

receiving the scoring statistics accrued by the fantasy team during the course of the selected series, wherein series comprises a number of games and the portion in all the selected series is less than the total games in the schedule of the sport over a season;

processing the scoring statistics accrued; and

transmitting results based on the statistics accrued.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving a selection one or more games from the series in which a player will be activated; and

processing the selection of one or more games.