Web application that allows one million players to engage simultaneously in prize-oriented tournaments

• US 20120064974A1
• Filed: 09/10/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Karen L. Wahington
• Original Assignee: Karen L. Wahington
• Inventors: Washington, Karen Lynnette
• Application Number:
  US13/229,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

There is provided a web application and/or software enabling one million users to engage in real-time tournaments that center around trivia and/or entertainment-oriented animations, graphics, text and videos. The web application accepts up to one million players in increments of 100 participants per web page and selectively places Internet users in 10 rows, categorized by Internet connection speeds. The tournaments consist of 1, 2 or 3 rounds with two segments in each round. The web application will record the first correct answer from one participant in a row of ten participants. Each winner [profile image] will be highlighted in his/her row and move on until one winner is identified. The web application will provide a chat area, video player, web cam features and private request chat interactions before each game start time.

Claims

1. A web application will collect input data and systematically place Internet users in slots in a game according to the tested and/or listed Internet speed of each Internet user;

the web application will pull text, graphics, animations or videos from its database and present the content at the onset of each game;

the web application will pause at set intervals and collect data from participants;

the web application will record findings and continue until the operation is complete;

the web application will send data to its database and direct winners to appropriate destinations in website.

2. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program will limit each game or web page to 100 participants.

3. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program will not begin unless a specified percentage of the total number of slots are filled in the tournament, game or web page.

4. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program will cache selected text, graphics, animations, or video for each individual game or tournament.

5. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program will place game information into the appropriate areas on the game web page.

6. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program will place the sponsor'"'"'s logo in the video player'"'"'s data area, near or around the top of the game'"'"'s format and/or design.

7. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program increases or decreases the game information area'"'"'s height and width to the appropriate size for each text, graphic, animation or video. The program activates the chat wall located in the central or middle perimeter of the web page, no larger than 450 pixels in width and not longer than 40% of the height of the web page. The program activates the private chat and records mouse event requests from participants [a mouse event is an activity from a participant that is recorded by the program such as a click on the image of another participant in effort to request a chat]. If the participant has marked his/her image “

private,”

the private chat will not be initiated. The web cam feature will activate if a participant requests a web cam chat 90 seconds before the game begins. All chats will be disabled 90 seconds before the game begins.

8. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program does not display any content in the game information area 90 seconds before the game begins.

9. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program displays text, graphic, animation or video according to the game'"'"'s specifications. The program displays three videos in the video player on each web page. The video to the far left will show a visual angle that would encompass the left peripheral vision of a person'"'"'s sight and/or mental imaging. The video in the center will display a visual angle that would encompass the frontal view or vision of a person'"'"'s sight and/or mental imaging. The video to the far right will show a visual angle that would encompass the right peripheral vision of a person'"'"'s sight and/or mental imaging. The program may show one larger-sized video instead of three smaller sized videos.

10. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program collects the input from the participants, then highlights each winner in each row by placing a watermark image over the profile image of each winning participant or highlights the area around each finalists or winner'"'"'s profile image.

11. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program moves each winner to the front or first row of game format or highlights the winner'"'"'s profile image and records the next piece of data. The program records the final winner and offers the winner a text area on the chat wall on the web page, allowing the winner to write a message to other participants. The program records all data and places results into its database. The program closes the text area option after 30 seconds or less and places the winner'"'"'s image into the next game format. The program repeats the previous steps until the final winner is selected.

12. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program synchronizes tournaments (2 or 3 rounds) with other games in real-time. In 2-round tournaments, a game will hold 100 positions per game and equal 10,000 positions total with 100 games displaying the same data to 10,000 different participants. In 3-round tournaments, games will hold 100 positions per game and equal 1,000,000 positions total with 10,000 games displaying the same data to 1,000,000 different participants.

13. The web application of claim 1, wherein the software program will accept tokens from each participant, granting access to a game or tournament. The program will initially process credit or debit information from each participant prior to the start of each game.

14. The interface web application of claim 1, wherein the software program offers stand-alone games and holds 100, 10,000 or 1,000,000 positions for each game.

15. The interface web application of claim 1, wherein the software program accepts keyed input for each game.