Information Aggregation Games

• US 20130178276A1
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Plott, Dean P. Alderucci, Mark J. Miller
• Original Assignee: Charles Plott, Dean P. Alderucci, Mark J. Miller
• Inventors: Alderucci, Dean P., Plott, Charles, Miller, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,406,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Games related to the aggregation of information are described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a computing device; and

a non-transitory medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed cause the apparatus to;

determine an outcome for a future game;

determine a plurality of pieces of information, in which the outcome is defined by a plurality of aspects, and in which each piece of information of the plurality of pieces of information describes a respective aspect of the plurality of aspects;

prior to revealing the outcome, provide a first piece of the plurality of pieces to a first player of the future game, in which the first piece of information identifies a first aspect of the plurality of aspects;

receive a first wager in the future game from the first player after the first piece of information was provided to the first player, in which the first wager includes a first amount bet that the outcome is a first particular outcome;

prior to revealing the outcome, provide a second piece of the plurality of pieces to a second player of the future game, in which the second piece is different from the first piece, in which the second piece of information identifies a second aspect of the outcome;

prior to revealing the outcome, allow the second player to purchase a third piece of plurality of pieces;

in response to receiving a purchase of the third piece, provide the second player with the third piece;

receive a second wager in the future game from the second player after the second and third piece were provided to the second player, in which the second wager includes a second amount bet that the outcome is a second particular outcome;

reveal the outcome to the first player and the second player; and

determine whether the first wagers is a winning wager based on a comparison between the outcome and the first outcome and whether the second wager is a winning wager based on a comparison between the outcome and the second outcome.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the future game includes a pari-mutuel game.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the pari-mutuel game includes at least one of a card game, a race, a sporting event, and a casino game.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the future game includes a non-pari-mutuel game.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the future game includes an event occurring in at least one of a card game, a slot game, a lottery game, a casino game, a race, and a sporting event.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine a payout for the second wager;

in which determining the payout includes determining the payout based, at least in part on at least one of a time the second wager is placed, a number of wagers placed before the second wager, and an amount of information known by the second player when the second wager is placed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

provide, to the first player, an indication of a distribution of wagers that have been placed in the future game.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the distribution of wagers includes a distribution of wagers in the future game placed by the first player and a plurality of other players prior to the second wager being placed.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the first piece of information includes at least one of a value of a card, a suit of a card, a color of a card, a characteristic of a ball, a color of a horse, a characteristic of a horse, and a characteristic of a participant in a sporting event.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine a payout for the second wager;

in which determining the payout includes determining the payout based on the time the second wager was placed.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, in which determining the payout based on the time the second wager is placed includes:

determining a first time when the outcome will be revealed;

determining the time the second wager is placed; and

determining the payout such that the payout is in proportion to an amount of time between the time and the first time.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, in which determining the payout includes determining an odds for the second wager based on the time.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine a payout for the second wager;

in which determining the payout includes determining the payout based on the number of wagers placed before the second wager.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the number of wagers includes wagers in the future game placed by the first player and a plurality of other players, in which the plurality of other players includes the second player.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine a payout for the second wager;

in which determining the payout includes determining the payout based on the amount of information known by the second player.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which determining the payout based on the amount of information known by the second player includes:

determining a number of pieces of information of the plurality of pieces of information provided to the second player; and

determining the payout such that the payout is inversely proportional to the number of pieces of information.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

identify to the first player a first time and a second time;

identify to the first player that no wagers in the future game will be accepted after a time that falls between the first time and the second time without identifying the time to the first player;

determine the time; and

prevent further wagers related to the event after the time without identifying the time to the first player.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

in response to receiving the first wager, determine that the first particular outcome is defined by a particular aspect that cannot occur in any outcome including the first aspect; and

require a payment from the first player, in which the payment includes a cost of placing the wager resulting from the determination that the first particular outcome is defined by the particular aspect that cannot occur in any outcome including the first aspect, in which the cost is separate from the first amount bet and includes at least one of a monetary cost and a less favorable odds for at least one wager.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to:

in response to receiving the second wager, determine that the second particular outcome is defined by a second particular aspect that can occur in outcomes including the second aspect; and

determine that a second payment of the cost for placing the second wager is not required.

20. The apparatus of claim 1,

in which the future game includes at least one of a card game, a race, a sporting event, and a casino game;

in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to;

determine a payout for the second wager;

in which determining the payout includes determining the payout based, at least in part on at least one of a time the second wager is placed, a number of wagers placed before the second wager, and an amount of information known by the second player when the second wager is placed;

in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to;

provide, to the first player, an indication of a distribution of wagers that have been placed in the future game;

in which the distribution of wagers includes a distribution of wagers in the future game placed by the first player and a plurality of other players prior to the second wager being placed;

in which the first piece of information includes at least one of a value of a card, a suit of a card, a color of a card, a characteristic of a ball, a color of a horse, a characteristic of a horse, and a characteristic of a participant in a sporting event;

in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to;

identify to the first player a first time and a second time;

identify to the first player that no wagers in the future game will be accepted after a time that falls between the first time and the second time without identifying the time to the first player;

determine the time;

prevent further wagers related to the event after the time without identifying the time to the first player;

in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to;

in response to receiving the first wager, determine that the first particular outcome is defined by a particular aspect that cannot occur in any outcome including the first aspect; and

require a payment from the first player, in which the payment includes a cost of placing the wager resulting from the determination that the first particular outcome is defined by the particular aspect that cannot occur in any outcome including the first aspect, in which the cost is separate from the first amount bet and includes at least one of a monetary cost and a less favorable odds for at least one wager;

in which the instructions are configured to cause the apparatus to;

in response to receiving the second wager, determine that the second particular outcome is defined by a second particular aspect that can occur in outcomes including the second aspect; and

determine that a second payment of the cost for placing the second wager is not required.

21. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, an outcome for a future game;

determining, by the computing device, a plurality of pieces of information, in which the outcome is defined by a plurality of aspects, and in which each piece of information of the plurality of pieces of information describes a respective aspect of the plurality of aspects;

prior to revealing the outcome, providing, by the computing device, a first piece of the plurality of pieces to a first player of the future game, in which the first piece of information identifies a first aspect of the plurality of aspects;

receiving, by the computing device, a first wager in the future game from the first player after the first piece of information was provided to the first player, in which the first wager includes a first amount bet that the outcome is a first particular outcome;

prior to revealing the outcome, providing, by the computing device, a second piece of the plurality of pieces to a second player of the future game, in which the second piece is different from the first piece, in which the second piece of information identifies a second aspect of the outcome;

prior to revealing the outcome, allowing, by the computing device, the second player to purchase a third piece of plurality of pieces;

in response to receiving a purchase of the third piece, providing, by the computing device, the second player with the third piece;

receiving, by the computing device, a second wager in the future game from the second player after the second and third piece were provided to the second player, in which the second wager includes a second amount bet that the outcome is a second particular outcome;

revealing, by the computing device, the outcome to the first player and the second player; and

determining, by the computing device, whether the first wagers is a winning wager based on a comparison between the outcome and the first outcome and whether the second wager is a winning wager based on a comparison between the outcome and the second outcome.