Fantasy sports alert generator

• US 20080096664A1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Shawn, Baray, Cristobal, Riess, Chuck
• Granted Patent: US 8,403,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS

Abstract

A fantasy sports alert agent provides notifications of relevant news articles and occurrences in a fantasy sports game, such as fantasy team roster changes or player trades, and also suggests changes to a fantasy team roster to improve the team'"'"'s chances of winning. The notifications are based on items of data received from an item generator, which is typically a server process that communicates with the agent via a network. The alert agent may suggest alternative fantasy team roster lineups and, if the user accepts a suggestion, the agent may change the lineup. Each notification includes a call to action feature, such as a web link, which a user can select to perform an action, such as accepting a trade or changing the team'"'"'s roster. The notifications may be displayed on a user'"'"'s computer screen by the alert agent, or by an RSS reader or electronic mail reader.

Claims

1. A fantasy sports item generator for generating fantasy sports items in an online fantasy sports game, comprising:

item generation logic for generating at least one fantasy sports item in response to at least one event in the online fantasy sports game,

wherein the at least one item comprises an item type and a sports identifier,

wherein the item type is based upon the at least one event, and

wherein the sports identifier identifies a sports entity that is associated with the at least one event.

2. The item generator of claim 1, wherein the item generation logic is operable to generate the at least one fantasy sports item as an XML-format electronic document.

3. The item generator of claim 1, wherein the event is based upon a sports team, a sports player, or a combination thereof.

4. The item generator of claim 1, wherein the sports identifier comprises a game identifier, a league identifier, a team identifier, a player identifier, a content field, or a combination thereof.

5. The item generator of claim 4,

wherein the item generation logic is operable to generate the at least one fantasy sports item if the roster of a fantasy sports team is incomplete, and

wherein the item generation logic is further operable to set the team identifier to identify the fantasy sports team.

6. The item generator of claim 4,

wherein the item generation logic is operable to generate the at least one fantasy sports item if a roster of a fantasy sports team changes, and

wherein the item generation logic is further operable to set the team identifier to identify the fantasy sports team, and to set the content field to a description of the change.

7. The item generator of claim 4,

wherein the item generation logic is operable to generate the at least one fantasy sports item if a trade action occurs in the online fantasy sports game,

wherein the item generation logic is further operable to set the player identifier to identify at least one player involved in the trade action, and

wherein the item generation logic is further operable to set the team identifier to identify at least one team involved in the trade action.

8. The item generator of claim 4,

wherein the item generation logic is operable to generate the at least one fantasy sports item if a particular player has been added to at least a specified number of different fantasy sports teams,

wherein the particular player is on an add buzz list,

wherein the particular player is available to be added to a team in a league, and

wherein the item generation logic is further operable to set the player identifier to identify the particular player.

9. The item generator of claim 4,

wherein the item generation logic is operable to generate the at least one fantasy sports item if a news story refers to a particular player on a fantasy sports team, wherein the team is associated with a user,

wherein the item generation logic is further operable to set the content field to a content value associated with the news story, and

wherein the item generation logic is further operable to set the player identifier to identify the particular player.

10. The item generator of claim 4, further comprising:

item transmission logic for sending a representation of the at least one fantasy sports item to at least one user via a computer network,

wherein the item transmission logic is operable to address the at least one fantasy sports item to the at least one user.

11. The item generator of claim 10, wherein the item transmission logic is further operable to send the representation of the at least one fantasy sports item to the at least one user if the at least one user comprises

a fantasy sports user associated with the at least one fantasy sports item,

a fantasy sports user associated with a team having a player referenced in the at least one fantasy sports item,

a fantasy sports user associated with a team referenced in the at least one fantasy sports item, or a combination thereof.

12. A fantasy sports suggestion generator for generating suggestions in an online fantasy sports game, comprising:

statistics monitoring logic for receiving game play statistics associated with at least one player;

suggestion generation logic for generating a suggested action for a user if a condition is true, wherein the condition is based upon the statistics and upon the user; and

item transmission logic for providing a representation of the suggested action to a client, wherein the client is associated with the user.

13. The suggestion generator of claim 12, further comprising:

player suggestion logic for determining a first weighting of a first player and a second weighting of a second player,

wherein the first player is available to be added a fantasy sports team associated with the user, and the second player is on the fantasy sports team, and

wherein the suggestion generation logic is operable to generate a suggestion to add the first player to the fantasy sports team if the first weighting is greater than the second weighting.

14. The suggestion generator of claim 13,

wherein the first weighting and the second weighting are based upon a first player ranking and a second player ranking, respectively,

wherein the first player ranking and the second player ranking are generated by a player ranker for the first player and the second player, respectively.

15. The suggestion generator of claim 13, wherein the first weighting and the second weighting are based upon positions in a buzz list of the first player and the second player, respectively.

16. The suggestion generator of claim 13, wherein the first weighting and the second weighting are based upon projected points of the first player and the second player, respectively.

17. A fantasy sports item generator for generating at least one fantasy sports item to inform a fantasy sports user of an occurrence of at least one event in a smart server environment, comprising:

item generation logic for generating the at least one fantasy sports item if a condition is true,

wherein the condition is based upon at least one fantasy sports league, at least one fantasy sports team, at least one sports player, or a combination thereof, and

wherein the item generation logic is operable to associate at least one attribute value with the at least one fantasy sports item, wherein the at least one attribute value is based upon the at least one event; and

item transmission logic for sending the at least one fantasy sports item to the user via a computer network.

18. The fantasy sports item generator of claim 17, wherein the at least one event comprises detection of an incomplete team roster, a team lineup change, a team roster change, a trade proposal, a trade acceptance, a trade completion, a trade rejection, a user message being posted, a news story being received, a player injury, or a combination thereof.

19. The fantasy sports item generator of claim 17, wherein the at least one attribute value comprises an item type, a user identifier, a league identifier, a team identifier, a player identifier, a description, or a combination thereof.

20. The fantasy sports item generator of claim 17, wherein the item comprises a suggestion for improving a fantasy sports team associated with the user.

21. The fantasy sports item generator of claim 17, wherein the condition is true if a player at the top of an add buzz list has been added to more than a predetermined number of different fantasy sports teams.

22. The fantasy sports item generator of claim 17, wherein the condition is true if a first projected points value associated with a candidate player is greater than a second projected points value associated with a starting player,

wherein the candidate player is not a member of a fantasy sports team associated with the user, and

wherein the starting player is a member of the fantasy sports team.

23. A method for generating fantasy sports items in an online fantasy sports game, comprising the step of:

generating at least one fantasy sports item in response to at least one event,

wherein the at least one item comprises an item type and a sports identifier,

wherein the item type is based upon the at least one event, and

wherein the sports identifier identifies a sports entity that is associated with the at least one event.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of generating the at least one fantasy sports item comprises generating an XML-format electronic document to represent the at least one fantasy sports item.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one event is based upon a sports team, a sports player, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the sports identifier comprises a game identifier, a league identifier, a team identifier, a player identifier, a content field, or a combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

addressing the at least one fantasy sports item to at least one user; and

sending a representation of the at least one item to the at least one user via a computer network.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of:

sending the at least one item to the at least one user if the at least one user comprises a fantasy sports user associated with the at least one item,

a fantasy sports user associated with a fantasy sports team having a player referenced in the item,

a fantasy sports user associated with a fantasy sports team referenced in the item,

or a combination thereof.

29. A method for generating suggestions in an online fantasy sports game, comprising the steps of:

receiving game play statistics associated with at least one player;

generating a suggested action for a user if a condition is true,

wherein the condition is based upon the statistics and upon the user, and

wherein the at least one player is associated with a team that is associated with the user; and

providing a representation of the suggested action to a client, wherein the client is associated with the user.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

determining a first weighting of a first player and a second weighting of a second player,

wherein the first player is available to be added to a fantasy sports team associated with the user, and the second player a member of the team; and

generating a suggestion to add the first player to the team if the first weighting is greater than the second weighting.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein determining a first weighting of a first player and a second weighting of a second player comprises the steps of:

invoking a player ranker to generate a first player ranking and a second player ranking for the first player and the second player, respectively; and

determining the first weighting and the second weighting based upon the first player ranking and the second player ranking, respectively.

32. A method for generating a fantasy sports item for informing a user of an occurrence of a fantasy sports event in a smart server environment, comprising the steps of:

determining if a condition is true, wherein the condition is based upon information associated with at least one fantasy sports league, at least one fantasy sports team, at least one sports player, or a combination thereof;

generating the fantasy sports item if the condition is true;

associating at least one attribute value with the item, wherein the at least one attribute value is based upon the event;

addressing the item to the user; and

sending the item via a computer network to the user.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the event comprises detection of an incomplete team roster, a team lineup change, a team roster change, a trade proposal, a trade acceptance, a trade completion, a trade rejection, a user message being posted, a news story being received, a player injury, or a combination thereof.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one attribute value comprises an item type, a user identifier, a league identifier, a team identifier, a player identifier, a description, or a combination thereof.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the item comprises a suggestion for improving a fantasy sports team associated with the user.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the condition is true if a player at the top of an add buzz list has been added to more than a predetermined number of different teams.