System and method for web-based sports event scheduling

• US 20080010106A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mary L. Bourne
• Original Assignee: Intercollegiate Sports Scheduling LLC
• Inventors: Bourne, Mary, Bourne, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/008
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

A system and methods are provided for communication between entities that need to coordinate on scheduling events. Communication between schedulers, such as coaches, athletic administrators or organization administrators who may be in charge of a multiplicity of sports or activities at institutions, such as colleges or universities, who need to connect and communicate on a particular task. These tasks may include scheduling of events such as sports competitions or other events or activities in which there may be shared or common interests or a shared network of users, players or participants. Search by criteria to find matching potential opponents for scheduling events is also provided. Automatic schedule updates are maintained, typically in a logically centralized database, facilitated by a messaging system to facilitate ease of scheduling.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling events, comprising the steps of:

creating a schedule database for each of one or more events associated with each of a plurality of differing entities;

searching for at least one of the plurality of differing entities based on criteria; and

updating the schedule database to indicate an agreement between two of the plurality of differing entities to conduct an event on an agreed upon date and location,

wherein the database is accessible by the plurality of differing entities over a network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a profile in the database for each of the differing entities.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile is at least partially searchable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a new open event date to the schedule database by at least one of the plurality of differing entities.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step for adding a new open event date includes adding a tournament.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the differing entities include any of:

an institution, an association, a university, a college, a school, a conference, and an organization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a sporting event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria includes any combination of:

geography, power rating, ranking, facilities, organization, type of organization, and specific dates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria includes:

type of event or type of sport.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for updating the schedule database includes:

scheduling an event between the two of the plurality of differing entities by updating the schedule database to reflect a date, time and venue.

11. The method of claim 10, further including updating the schedule database to indicate a home team.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

accessing a date manager to identify available open dates;

selecting a sport to be scheduled for one of the open dates; and

updating the open date to reflect a closed date once a sport has been scheduled to maintain the schedule database with a current status.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for searching includes:

checking whether the searcher'"'"'s identity is an association, and if so, prompting for an institution;

if the searcher'"'"'s identity is an administrator or an association, prompting for a sport; and

prompting for a type of search including at least any one of;

an open search, a parameter search and a quick search, to aid in searching for a potential opponent.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a selection in response to the prompt and executing the selected type of search.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the quick search matches available dates of a searching entity with at least one other potential opponent having the same available date or dates as specified in the quick search, and wherein the parameter search searches based on one or more parameters to limit the search, and the open search searches based on mutually available open dates between at least one potential opponent and the searching entity.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprises charging a subscription fee or usage fee to access the schedule database.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step for updating keeps the schedules in synchronization between the two of the plurality of differing entities.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a message as an invitation to schedule one of the one or more events to at least one of the plurality of differing entities.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of receiving a reply to the sent message, the reply initiated by a Polite Deny function or a Polite Reply function, wherein the Polite Deny and the Polite Reply each are pre-defined messages.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the Polite Deny function and the Polite Reply function are conditional base on criteria.

21. A system for scheduling events, comprising:

means for providing a display of current schedules for at least two institutions based on information at a logically centralized database;

means for dynamically searching for an available time slot in the current schedules that are mutually available producing one or more results;

means to extend an offer electronically from one of the at least two institutions to at least the other institution based on the one or more results of the dynamic searching;

means to accept the extended offer; and

means to update the logically centralized database to synchronize the current schedules based on the accepted offer in substantially real-time.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the logically centralized database is populated from decentralized information originating substantially from the at least two institutions.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the two institutions comprises at least any of:

a university, a conference, a league, an association, a college, a club, a professional program and an amateur program.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for generating and sending a contract based upon the accepted offer.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the event is a sporting event.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for viewing schedules for multiple institutions all within one conference.

27. A system for scheduling events between institutions, comprising:

at least one software component embedded in a computer readable medium, wherein the at least one software component is operationally executable by a plurality of users and configured to present an interface for users to execute the following selectable functional operations;

a schedule manager that is configured to receive search criteria related to a specific event comprising any one of a conference, a sport, and an institution, and to display a schedule based on the search criteria and to maintain a database of a plurality of events including the specific event;

a game search function that searches for and returns results related to the event that identifies one or more potential entities based on selected criteria related to any one of;

geography, power rating, ranking, organization, conference sport and specific dates; and

a game scheduler function to schedule a game related at least on the returned results.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the selectable functional operations further include:

a game manager that adds a game or event to the database of events for specific time periods; and

wherein the schedule manager is configured to indicate available dates on the schedule.