GAME FOR INCREASING VIEWERSHIP OF TELEVISION COMMERICALS AND A METHOD FOR PLAYING THE GAME

• US 20080295127A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xstek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xstek Corporation
• Inventors: Zmuda, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,555,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/23
• 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 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• 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 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A game for increasing viewership of television commercials is provided. The game provides a game card having a plurality of spaces arranged in multiple rows and columns. A player receives a game card associated with a particular participating program. The plurality of spaces on the game card are individually assigned icons representing commercials that may air during the program or special icons having special game-related attributes. During viewing of the program, a player is discouraged from switching channels or fast-forwarding during commercial breaks by requiring the player to match airing commercials with representative icons on the game card. If all spaces of a rank (i.e., row, column, or diagonal) on the game card contain icons representing aired commercials, the player wins. A game card verification process is provided as well to ensure that the player has in fact viewed the commercials while watching the program.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game based on commercials airing during a television program, said method comprising:

listing programs and showtimes to a player;

providing a user interface to said player for selecting at least one program and showtime that said player intends to watch; and

generating a unique game card for each of said at least one program and showtime selected, said unique game card being assigned to said player.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said unique game card comprises a plurality of game spaces oriented in ranks, said game spaces each being assigned randomly selected icons selected from any one of a commercial scheduled to air during said selected program and showtime, a commercial not scheduled to air during said selected program, and an icon representing one of one or more game-related attributes.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein said one or more game related attributes are selected from a group consisting of:

bonus prize, wild space, and instant loss, and wherein said bonus prize providing an additional prize if said rank to which said bonus prizes is assigned is a winning rank, said wild space providing said player a space guaranteed to match one aired commercial, and said instant loss automatically voiding said rank to which said instant loss is assigned.

4. The game as in claim 2, wherein said one or more game related attributes include an instant winner overlay, said instant winner overlay being superimposed on a game space containing a commercial icon and resulting in an automatic winning game card if said commercial represented by said commercial icon airs during said program.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a unique identifier on said game card, said identifier providing authentication of said game card; and

verifying a game card as a winning game card based on said unique identifier.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein said game card is ruled a winning game card if a player selects a winning rank on said game card, said winning rank having each game space in said rank containing any one of a commercial aired during said selected program and said icon representing a beneficial attribute of said one or more game-related attributes.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein said verification step includes comparing each game space of a player selected rank against a network-supplied list of aired commercials.

8. The method as in claim 6, wherein if said player selects a non-winning rank on a game card that includes a winning rank, said game card is invalidated and ruled a losing game card.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein said game card includes an expiration time set to a predetermined time after completion of airing of said selected program, after said expiration time said game card is no longer valid, said expiration time being indicated to said player.

10. A game card for playing a television program-based game, the game card comprising:

a play area arranged in a plurality of ranks;

a plurality of spaces arranged within each rank, each space of said plurality of spaces having an icon assigned thereto, said icon being representative of and selected from any one of a commercial scheduled to air during a selected program, a commercial not scheduled to air during said selected program, and a game-related attribute.

11. The game card as in claim 10, wherein said game card is a scratch and win style game card further comprising a plurality of scratch cells, each covering and obscuring each of the plurality of spaces.

12. The game card as in claim 10, wherein said game card is generated based on a television program selected by a player.

13. The game card as in claim 10, said game card further comprising an expiration time set to a predetermined time after completion of airing of said selected program, after said expiration time said game card is no longer valid, said expiration time being indicated to a player.

14. A television program-based game comprising:

a game server providing a player interface for selecting a television program and timeslot to watch;

a card generation section for generating a unique game card based on said selected television program and timeslot; and

a card validation section for providing validation of a winning game card.

15. The game as in claim 14, wherein said unique game card comprises a plurality of game spaces oriented in ranks, said game spaces each being assigned randomly selected icons representing any one of a commercial scheduled to air during said selected program and showtime, a commercial not scheduled to air during said selected program, and an icon representing one of one or more game-related attributes.

16. The game as in claim 15, wherein said one or more game related attributes are selected from a group consisting of:

bonus prize, wild space, and instant loss, and wherein said bonus prize providing an additional prize if said rank to which said bonus prizes is assigned is a winning rank, said wild space providing said player a space guaranteed to match one aired commercial, and said instant loss automatically voiding said rank to which said instant loss is assigned.

17. The game as in claim 15, wherein said one or more game related attributes include an instant winner overlay, said instant winner overlay being superimposed on a game space containing a commercial icon and resulting in an automatic winning game card if said commercial represented by said commercial icon airs during said program.

18. The game as in claim 14, further comprising:

a unique identifier disposed on said game card, said identification number providing authentication of said game card, said game card is validated as a winning game card based on said unique identifier.

19. The game as in claim 14, wherein said game card is ruled a winning game card if a player selects a winning rank on said game card, said winning rank having each game space in said rank containing any one of a commercial aired during said selected program and said icon representing a beneficial attribute of said one or more game-related attributes.

20. The game as in claim 14, wherein said card validation section compares each game space of a player selected rank against a network-supplied list of aired commercials.

21. The game as in claim 14, wherein if said player selects a non-winning rank on a game card that includes a winning rank, said game card is invalidated and ruled a losing game card.

22. The game as in claim 14, wherein said game card includes an expiration time set to a predetermined time after completion of airing of said selected program, after said expiration time said game card is no longer valid, said expiration time being indicated to said player.

23. A computer readable medium embodying a set of computer readable instructions capable of being executed by at least one processor for playing a game comprising the steps of:

selecting, by a player, a program that said player plans to watch at a future time, the program being selected from a list of participating programs;

generating a unique game card with randomly placed icons selected from at least one of advertiser/program icons and special icons, said special icons representing game related attributes;

verifying authenticity of said game card by comparing said entered game card identifier with a database of issued game cards, if said game card identifier does not match an issued game card, said verification fails and said game card is invalidated;

presenting a digital representation of said game card to said player, if said GMS verifies that said game card is authentic;

selecting, by the player, a rank judged by said player to be a winning rank from said plurality of ranks displayed on said game card representation;

determining, by said GMS, if said selected rank is said winning rank; and

designating said game card as a winning game card if a winning rank is selected by said player, said player being awarded a prize in accordance with a predetermined prize schedule, if said selected rank is determined to not be said winning rank said game card is designated a non-winning game card and said game card is voided.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said game related attributes are selected from a group consisting of:

bonus prize, wild space, and instant loss, said bonus prize providing an additional prize if said rank in which said bonus prizes appears is a winning rank, said wild space providing said player a space guaranteed to match one aired commercial, and said instant loss automatically voiding said ranks in which said instant loss appears, said bonus prize and said wild space being beneficial attributes and said instant loss being a detrimental attribute.

25. A set of computer executable instructions embedded in a carrier wave, said set of computer readable instructions capable of being executed by at least one processor for playing a game comprising the steps of:

selecting, by a player, a program that said player plans to watch at a future time, the program being selected from a list of participating programs;

generating a unique game card with randomly placed icons selected from at least one of advertiser/program icons special icons, said special icons representing beneficial and detrimental attributes;

verifying authenticity of said game card by comparing said entered game card identifier with a database of issued game cards, if said game card identifier does not match an issued game card, said verification fails and said game card is invalidated;

presenting a digital representation of said game card to said player, if said GMS verifies that said game card is authentic;

selecting, by the player, a rank judged by said player to be said winning rank from said plurality of ranks displayed on said game card representation;

determining, by said GMS, if said selected rank is said winning rank; and

designating said game card as a winning game card if a winning rank is selected by said player, said player being awarded a prize in accordance with a predetermined prize schedule, if said selected rank is determined to not be said winning rank said game card is designated a non-winning game card and said game card is voided.

26. A method for playing a television program-based game by a player, comprising:

selecting a program that said player plans to watch at a future time;

receiving a unique game card generated based on the selected program and assigned to said player, said game card having a plurality of game spaces arranged in ranks, each game space being assigned an icon selected from at least one of advertiser/program icons, special icons, said special icons representing beneficial and detrimental attributes;

watching said selected program and tracking which commercials air during said program against said assigned icons of the game card;

determining a winning rank by matching the assigned icons with aired commercials during the selected program, said winning rank being a rank having all said assigned icons matching at least one of said aired commercials and said special icons representing beneficial attributes;

verifying authenticity of said game card by providing a game card identifier and comparing said game card identifier with a database of issued game cards, if said game card identifier does not match an issued game card, said verification fails and said game card is invalidated;

viewing a digital representation of said game card, if said game card is verified as authentic;

selecting a rank judged by said player to be said winning rank from said plurality of ranks displayed on said game card representation; and

receiving a prize in accordance with a predetermined prize schedule if said selected rank is determined to be said winning rank, said game card being voided if said selected rank is not said winning rank.