SYNCHRONIZED GAMING AND PROGRAMMING

• US 20120295686A1
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winview IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: WinView Incorporated (GameSquare Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockton, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,705,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

To encourage viewer participation, games, contests and social interactions are able to be synchronized with programming such as television shows or commercials utilizing a second screen such as a cell phone, iPad® or laptop computer. The programming is able to be television programming, Internet programming (e.g. a video displayed on a webpage or mobile device) or any other programming. The gaming is able to be any game such as a game of skill or chance, for example, a scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing a game or contest with programming, the method programmed in a memory of a device comprising:

a. detecting programming with which to be synchronized; and

b. initiating an application to run simultaneously with the programming.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming comprises at least one of a television program and a commercial.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the application comprises a scavenger hunt game.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the scavenger hunt game comprises users collecting items which appear in the programming by selecting each item within a specified period of time starting from the appearance within a telecast of each item.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the scavenger hunt game is played in groups of teams.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the application comprises a treasure hunt game.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the treasure hunt game comprises:

a. presenting clues to users of items to collect, wherein the clues are related to the programming; and

b. providing a submission mechanism for users to submit the items.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the treasure hunt game further comprises awarding a prize to a user of the users to collect all of the items first.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the treasure hunt game further comprises awarding points based on response time with the points decreasing with a passage of time beginning with a first appearance within a telecast.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the treasure hunt game further comprises awarding a prize to a user with a highest point total or upon reaching a designated point total.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the treasure hunt game is played in groups of teams.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the application comprises a bingo game.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the game or contest is based on the observation of an object or audio or visual event within a television program or commercial, and an execution of an entry on a second screen within a pre-prescribed period of time.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein points awarded decrement beginning with a first appearance of the object or event.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the pre-prescribed period of time relies on an accurate synchronization of television and user input which relies on a clock of a second screen being synchronized with a television clock.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming and the application are synchronized using a first clock on a television and a second clock on a mobile device.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming and the application are synchronized using watermarking or fingerprinting.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein an amount of points awarded in the application is variable depending on a speed of input by a user.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein an amount of points awarded in the application begins at a maximum number of possible points and decreases incrementally as time passes.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein an amount of points awarded in the application begins at a maximum number of possible points and decreases exponentially as time passes.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming is displayed on a first device and the application is run on a second device.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting occurs on a second device.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining results.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein obtaining the results includes awarding points based on selections by a user.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein obtaining the results includes awarding prizes based on selections by a user.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein existing events in the programming are used as synchronization points as start points for previously downloaded data files to a mobile client.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein a synchronization point is a visible or audible event located within the programming.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein a synchronization point for a live telecast is contained in audio or video within the programming.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein information is inserted in a Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) or digital equivalent of a show and tracked online in real-time.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein information is embedded in the programming and tracked online in real-time.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting programming includes using a recognizable signal recognizable by a mobile device.

34. The method of claim 1 further comprising delivering a start time of a commercial using a recognizable signal recognizable by a mobile device.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of synchronization points are used by a client to continuously check to ensure the application is synchronized with the programming.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein inserted audio or video is used to continuously check to ensure application is precisely synchronized on a client with the programming.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the inserted audio or video is used by a client to continuously check to ensure the application is precisely synchronized on the client with the programming.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the inserted audio or video is used by a server to continuously check to ensure the application is precisely synchronized on the client with the programming.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein synchronizing comprises:

a. determining an amount of delay to precisely synchronize between the application stored on a mobile device and the receipt of the programming presented on a television; and

b. substantially equalizing presentation of the application with the programming through adjustment for the amount of delay of the programming.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein substantially equalizing includes equalizing receipt of lock out events relative to a televised event triggering a lock out.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein synchronizing comprises substantially equalizing a participant delay to ensure the participants each receive application data for the application at substantially the same time.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein synchronizing comprises determining a participant latency based on specific participant latencies and synchronizing the application for each of the participants.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein synchronizing comprises utilizing an audio or video recognition system on a client with online access to a game control server.

44. The method of claim 39 wherein synchronizing comprises using added audio or video events in the programming as synchronization points.

45. The method of claim 39 wherein a plurality of synchronization points within audio or video are used by software on a client in connection with a server to continuously monitor the programming to ensure the application played on the client is precisely synchronized with the programming.

46. The method of claim 1 wherein an artifact is inserted into the programming recognizable by an audio receiver in a mobile device which is utilized to start and continually keep the application synchronized with the programming.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming and the application are displayed on a single screen.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the single screen includes displaying the application in a picture-in-picture display, an L-shaped space or a graphic overlay.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein a computing device contained within the device couples to a server via the Internet, wherein the server stores files and displays to be synchronized with the programming, and wherein the application is separately displayed for user interaction with the game or contest utilizing a controller for the device.

50. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming is displayed on a television, further wherein the television comprises a wi-fi connection or an open wireless technology to a secondary device to display the application.

13. The method of claim 13 wherein the bingo game comprises:

a. providing a bingo playing board on a first device, wherein the playing board includes items contained in the programming; and

b. providing a mechanism for enabling a user to collect the items by making a selection on the first device after viewing the item on a second device within a specified period of time starting from the appearance of the item.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a winner is determined when a user fills a user'"'"'s bingo playing board.

51. A method of synchronizing a game or contest with television programming or commercials, the method programmed in a memory of a first device comprising:

a. detecting television programming or commercials with which to be synchronized, wherein the television programming or commercials are displayed on a second device; and

b. initiating an application to run simultaneously with the programming, the application displayed on the first device.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the application is selected from the group consisting of a scavenger hunt game, a treasure hunt game and bingo.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein the game or contest is based on the observation of an object or audio or visual event within a television program or commercial, and an execution of an entry on a second screen within a pre-prescribed period of time.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein points awarded decrement beginning with a first appearance of the object or event.

55. The method of claim 51 wherein an amount of points awarded in the application is variable depending on a speed of input by a user.

56. The method of claim 51 wherein the television programming or commercials and the application are displayed on a single screen.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the single screen includes displaying the application in a picture-in-picture display, an L-shaped space or a graphic overlay.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein a computing device contained within the first device couples to a server via the Internet, wherein the server stores files and displays to be synchronized with the television programming, and wherein the application is separately displayed for user interaction with the game or contest utilizing a controller for the first device.

59. The method of claim 51 wherein the television programming is displayed on the second device, further wherein the second device comprises a wi-fi connection or an open wireless technology to a secondary device to display the application.

60. A device for synchronizing a game or contest with television programming or commercials comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application, the application configured for;

i. detecting programming with which to be synchronized; and

ii. presenting the game or contest simultaneously with the programming; and

b. a processing component coupled to the memory, the processing component configured for processing the application.

61. The device of claim 60 wherein the game is selected from the group consisting of a scavenger hunt game, a treasure hunt game and bingo.

62. The device of claim 60 wherein the game or contest is based on the observation of an object or audio or visual event within a television program or commercial, and an execution of an entry on a second screen within a pre-prescribed period of time.

63. The device of claim 62 wherein points awarded decrement beginning with a first appearance of the object or event.

64. The device of claim 60 wherein an amount of points awarded in the application is variable depending on a speed of input by a user.

65. The device of claim 60 wherein the television programming or commercials are displayed on the device.

66. The device of claim 60 wherein the television programming or commercials are displayed on a second device.

67. The device of claim 60 wherein the television programming or commercials and the application are displayed on a single screen.

68. The device of claim 67 wherein the single screen includes displaying the application in a picture-in-picture display, an L-shaped space or a graphic overlay.

69. The device of claim 67 wherein a computing device contained within the device couples to a server via the Internet, wherein the server stores files and displays to be synchronized with the programming, and wherein the game or contest is separately displayed for user interaction with the game or contest utilizing a controller for the device.

70. The method of claim 60 wherein the programming is displayed on the device, further wherein the device comprises a wi-fi connection or an open wireless technology to a secondary device to display the game or contest.