Royal Rush

• US 20190325705A1
• Filed: 04/24/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Leslie, Sean, Chan, Kin Hang
• Application Number:
  US15/961,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20190325705A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs for providing an option to a player to participate in a competition game of the online game includes monitoring a game play of an online game by a player to determine the player has reached a threshold level that qualifies the player to participate in a competition game. Upon determining the player is qualified, the player is assigned to a class and a division that includes other players that are participating in the competition game. A time period for the competition game is set and the player is enabled to participate in a plurality of game sprints during the time period. Each game sprint spans a sprint time and is associated with a game sprint score. A highest game sprint score of the player is determined from amongst the plurality game sprints. The highest game sprint score is used to rank the player in the division for the competition game.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring game play of a player for an online game to determine the player has reached a threshold level that qualifies the player to participate in a competition game;

determining a class for the player based on a history of game play of the player;

assigning the player to a division of players, based on the class of the player, the division defines a group of players for participating in the competition game;

setting a time period for the competition game;

enabling the player to participate in a plurality of game sprints during the time period, wherein each game sprint is a game session during which a game sprint score is obtained; and

determining a highest game sprint score of the player received for the plurality of game sprints that were played by the player during the time period, the highest game sprint score defining a current ranking of the player in the competition game among the group of players in the division.

2. The method of claim 1, further includes enabling additional game sprints for the competition game for the player, upon determining the time period for the competition game has not expired, each additional game sprint associated with a corresponding game sprint score, the game sprint scores obtained by the player during the additional game sprints used in dynamically updating the current ranking of the player in the division.

3. The method of claim 1, further includes,

continuously evaluating time left in the time period for the competition game;

enabling an additional game sprint when the time left is at least greater than a sprint time required to complete the additional game sprint; and

dynamically updating the current ranking of the player in the division based on game sprint score obtained from the additional game sprint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each game sprint is defined by a sprint time that is variable.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sprint time of a game sprint is varied by dynamically adjusting the sprint time by a pre-defined increment based on a size of game bet provided by the player for the game sprint.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the class is one of a plurality of classes, wherein each class of the plurality of classes is defined based on average size of bets placed over a period of time, with a higher class being associated with a higher average size of bet and a lower class being associated with a lower average size of bet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a class of the player further includes,

establishing an analysis period for analyzing the history of game play of the online game by the player;

analyzing the history of game play of the player to identify size of bets placed by the player for the online game during the analysis period, wherein the analysis period includes one or more game play sessions of the online game of the player; and

computing an average size of bet from the size of bets of the player, the average bet used in identifying the class of the player.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each player of the group of players is assigned to the division based on skill levels possessed by each player.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein when the player is in a top class, the player is assigned to a top division.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when the player is in a bottom class, the player is assigned to a bottom division.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein when the player is in the class that is between a top class and a bottom class, the player is randomly assigned to one of two divisions that are between a top division and a bottom division, the two divisions identified based on the skill levels possessed by the player.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a class of the player further includes,

determining game winnings accumulated by the player during game play of the online game;

and

computing a qualifying bet as a pre-defined percentage of the game winnings of the player, the qualifying bet used in identifying the class of the player.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more game sprints of the plurality of game sprints includes an option to trigger a bonus game for the player during execution of the corresponding one or more game sprints, the bonus game of a game sprint is associated with a bonus game score that is updated to the game sprint score of the game sprint upon completion of the bonus game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the bonus game is triggered during the game sprint, the triggering causes,

pausing of the sprint time of the game sprint to complete the bonus game;

and

resuming the sprint time of the game sprint after completion of the bonus game.

15. A method, comprising:

monitoring game play of a player for an online game to obtain current game state of the player, the current game state used to detect the player reaching a threshold level of the online game that qualifies the player to participate in a competition game;

analyzing history of game play of the player to determine a size of game winnings of the player collected during game play of the online game;

determining a class for the player based on the size of game winnings;

assigning the player to a division of players, based on the class of the player, the division defines a group of players for participating in the competition game;

enabling the player to participate in a plurality of game sprints during a time period set for the competition game, wherein each game sprint is a game session during which a game sprint score is obtained; and

determining a highest game sprint score of the player received for the plurality of game sprints that were played by the player during the time period, the highest game sprint score defining a current ranking of the player among the group of players in the division.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the class of the player is determined by computing a qualifying bet for the player as a pre-defined percentage of the size of game winnings of the player.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the class is one of a plurality of classes, wherein each class of the plurality of classes is defined based on size of game winnings, with a higher class being associated with a higher game winning and a lower class being associated with a lower game winning.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein player is assigned to one of two divisions in the class using random assignment, the two divisions identified based on the size of game winnings of the player.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein a game sprint of the plurality of game sprints includes an option to trigger a bonus game during execution of the game sprint, the bonus game of the game sprint is associated with a bonus game score that is updated to the game sprint score of the game sprint upon completion of the bonus game.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein triggering the bonus game during the game sprint causes,

pausing of a sprint time of the game sprint;

executing the bonus game; and

resuming the sprint time of the game sprint after completion of the bonus game.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for performing a method, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

program instructions for monitoring game play of a player for an online game to determine the player has reached a threshold level that qualifies the player to participate in a competition game;

program instructions for determining a class for the player based on a history of game play of the player;

program instructions for assigning the player to a division of players, based on the class of the player, the division defines a group of players for participating in the competition game;

program instructions for setting a time period for the competition game;

program instructions for enabling the player to participate in a plurality of game sprints during the time period, wherein each game sprint is a game session during which a game sprint score is obtained; and

program instructions for determining a highest game sprint score of the player received for the plurality of game sprints that were played during the time period, the highest game sprint score defining a current ranking of the player among the group of players in the division.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein each game sprint is defined by a sprint time that is variable, the storage medium including program instructions for dynamically adjusting the sprint time of a game sprint by a pre-defined increment based on a size of game bet provided by the player for the game sprint.

23. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein program instructions for enabling one or more game sprints further includes program instructions for enabling a bonus game during a game sprint, the bonus game associated with a bonus game score that is updated to the game sprint score of the game sprint upon completion of the bonus game.