NETWORK-CONNECTED GOLF GAME IMPROVEMENT, ENTERTAINMENT AND MONETIZATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110250939A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SmartGolf Interactive, LLC
• Original Assignee: SmartGolf Interactive, LLC
• Inventors: Hobler, Marc L.
• Application Number:
  US13/081,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3605 Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• 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 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/55 : Details of game data or player data management
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 : by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 : Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 : Ball
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 : Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 : based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/00 : Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 : Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

A network-connected golf game improvement and entertainment system and methods that connect golf simulators in a plurality of golf sites or residences into an interactive player network. The player network facilitates the context of interaction between players, spectators and adversities. The system and method further include an on-line marketplace that enables advertisers to purchase and place interactive advertising into specific experience channels in real-time. Advertisers would have a direct and real-time channel into their ads analytics, performance and automated financial transaction processing.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate the acquisition and sharing of information related to a golfer, comprising:

collecting and storing, in a memory associated with and accessible by a networked computer, personal information about the golfer;

collecting and storing, in the memory, performance data representative of the golfer'"'"'s performance in at least one event associated with a simulated golf environment wherein said data collection and storage is automated and occurs without the golfer'"'"'s intervention;

subsequently providing access to said memory and data to the golfer, including performing at least one analysis of the golfer'"'"'s performance data and reporting a result of the at least one analysis performed; and

initiating, in response to a golfer'"'"'s input, an event in which the golfer and at least one other golfer may participate, said event operating upon the collection of data in the memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further including providing access to said memory and data on a basis selected from the group consisting of:

subscription,

bidding, and

negotiation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory includes a data repository and where at least a portion of the golfer'"'"'s performance data is generated by a golf simulator.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein golfers data is analyzed to determine at least one a plurality of metrics and where at least a portion of the golfer'"'"'s performance data includes both current and trend data associated with the at least one performance metric.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the golfer dynamically adjusts a display of the at least one performance metric.

6. The method according to claim 4, further including displaying to the golfer an advertisement as a function of at least a portion of the golfer'"'"'s performance data.

7. The method according to claim 6 further including data tagging wherein a first level of revenue is collected as a result of the golfer acknowledging the displayed advertisement

8. The method according to claim 7, further including a purchasing transaction associated with the displayed advertisement, wherein the golfer'"'"'s personal information is referenced for purposes relating to completion of the transaction.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including event tagging wherein an advertiser bids for rights to host the event.

10. The method according to claim 1, further including advertiser bidding wherein a plurality of advertisers bid for on-line advertising time associated with real-time display in the simulated golf environment.

11. The method according to claim 1, further including conducting a search in said data collection for at least one characteristic of the at least one other golfer, wherein the search results in the display of at least one other golfer matching the criteria and where a user interface depicts a combination of personal information and performance information for the at least one other golfer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one other golfer is invited to play in the event.

13. The method according to claim 1, further including collecting and storing video data depicting a golfer'"'"'s performance, said video data being associated with the golfer'"'"'s performance data.

14. The method according to claim 1, further including course building wherein a user constructs a course that is loaded into memory accessible by and is used in the simulated golf environment.

15. The method according to claim 1, further including providing an interface by which at least one spectator views the performance of the golfer.

16. The method according to claim 1, further including an event builder interface, said interface providing for the creation and editing of an event from the group consisting of:

Individual play, one-time competition, league play, tournament play, and tour play.

17. A system for facilitating the acquisition and sharing of information related to a golfer, comprising:

a simulator for providing a simulated golf environment for at least one golfer;

an application rich cloud, including at least one networked computer and associated memory that serves to enable global access to various processes, said cloud facilitating the storage of data generated by the simulator when used by the golfer; and

a plurality of computer platforms having access to said application rich cloud, whereby the golfer accesses the data generated by the simulator and stored therein.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a display associated with at least one of the simulator and the computer platforms provides a user-interface for collecting and storing, in a memory associated with and accessible by a computer platform, personal information about the golfer and data representative of the golfer'"'"'s performance in at least one event associated with the simulator where data collection by the simulator and storage thereof is automated and occurs without the golfer'"'"'s intervention.

20. The system of claim 18, further including the user-interface displaying to the golfer an advertisement, said advertisement stored in the associated memory, as a function of the golfer'"'"'s performance data, and a data tagging application wherein a first level of revenue is collected as a result of the golfer acknowledging the displayed advertisement.

19. The system of 18, further including a user-interface by which at least one spectator views the performance of the golfer.