METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INTERACTIVE GAMING

• US 20200134975A1
• Filed: 12/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ERA Sports, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ERA Sports
• Inventors: Alexander, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 10,839,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A computer implemented interactive gaming tournament system includes selecting, by a user, a game server and an entrance fee for a gaming match and submitting an entrance request that identifies the game server. The system includes sending a request for validation from a payment acceptance platform in response to receiving the entrance request and sending match population content to the game server in response to receiving validation from the payment acceptance platform that confirms a user account contains funds that are equal to or greater than the entrance fee. The system includes determining a payout amount in response to receiving a tournament endgame report from the game server and authenticating payment information for the user account and distributing the payout amount from a payment distribution platform to the user account if the payout amount is greater than zero and the user account is authenticated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting, by a user, from interactive gaming match content displayed on a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a user device, a game server for a gaming match and an entrance fee to be paid for at least one of a number of players per team for the gaming match;

sending, over the network, from the user device to a cloud server that includes one or more processors and a memory, an entrance request that identifies the selected game server for the gaming match and a selected entrance fee to be paid for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match;

sending, over the network, by the one or more processors, from the cloud server to a third-party payment acceptance platform, a request for validation from the third-party payment acceptance platform in response to the cloud server receiving the entrance request from the user device;

sending, over the network by the one or more processors, match population content from the cloud server to the selected game server that includes the at least one of the number of players per team in response to receiving validation content from the third-party payment acceptance platform, wherein the validation content includes confirmation that a user account associated with the user contains funds that are equal to or greater than the selected entrance fee for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match associated with the selected game server;

determining, by the one or more processors, a payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match in response to receiving, over the network by the cloud server, a tournament endgame report from the selected game server for the gaming match, wherein the payout amount is based on data included in the tournament endgame report;

authenticating, by the one or more processors, payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero, wherein the payment attribute information includes financial transaction information for the user account associated with the user; and

distributing, by the one or more processors over the network, the payout amount from a third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero and the payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user is authenticated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming match is a bracket-style series of interactive gaming matches, wherein the tournament endgame report is sent over the network, by the one or more processors, from the selected game server to the cloud server via a game Application Programming Interface (API) hosted on the cloud server, after a conclusion of a final match in the bracket-style series of the interactive gaming matches.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party payment distribution platform and the third-party payment acceptance platform are the same third-party payment platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the number of players per team is equal to one player per team and a number of teams is equal to or greater than two, wherein the payout amount is defined by a play position ranking based on the data included in the tournament endgame report, wherein the payout amount for the one player per team with a first play position ranking is greater than the payout amount for another one of the one player per team with a second play position ranking, and wherein the first play position ranking is greater than the second play position ranking.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the number of players per team is two or more players per team and a number of teams is equal to or greater than two, wherein the payout amount is defined by a play position ranking based on the data included in the tournament endgame report, wherein the payout amount for each one of the two or more players per team for a first team with a first play position ranking is greater than the payout amount for the each one of the two or more players per team for a second team with a second play position ranking, and wherein the first play position ranking is greater than the second play position ranking.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the payout amount from the third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user further comprises authenticating, by the third party payment distribution platform over the network, the payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the payout amount from the third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user further comprises sending, by the one or more processors over the network, payment confirmation content from the cloud server to the user device associated with the user to be displayed on the GUI of the user device in response to receiving payment distribution content from the third-party payment distribution platform, wherein the payment distribution content includes confirmation that the distribution of the payout amount to the user account associated with the user is complete.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, by the one or more processors, the interactive gaming match content from the memory of the cloud server if the payout amount for the user is equal to or less than zero, wherein the interactive gaming match content is sent, over the network, by the one or more processors to the user device.

9. A computer program product embodied in a computer-readable storage device and comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors and a memory, cause the one or more processors to implement a method comprising:

selecting, by a user, from interactive gaming match content displayed on a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a user device, a game server for a gaming match and an entrance fee to be paid for at least one of a number of players per team for the gaming match;

sending, over the network, from the user device to a cloud server that includes one or more processors and a memory, an entrance request that identifies the selected game server for the gaming match and a selected entrance fee to be paid for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match;

sending, over the network, by the one or more processors, from the cloud server to a third-party payment acceptance platform, a request for validation from the third-party payment acceptance platform in response to the cloud server receiving the entrance request from the user device;

sending, over the network by the one or more processors, match population content from the cloud server to the selected game server that includes the at least one of the number of players per team in response to receiving validation content from the third-party payment acceptance platform, wherein the validation content includes confirmation that a user account associated with the user contains funds that are equal to or greater than the selected entrance fee for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match associated with the selected game server;

determining, by the one or more processors, a payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match in response to receiving, over the network by the cloud server, a tournament endgame report from the selected game server for the gaming match, wherein the payout amount is based on data included in the tournament endgame report;

authenticating, by the one or more processors, payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero, wherein the payment attribute information includes financial transaction information for the user account associated with the user; and

distributing, by the one or more processors over the network, the payout amount from a third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero and the payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user is authenticated.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the gaming match is a bracket-style series of interactive gaming matches, wherein the tournament endgame report is sent over the network, by the one or more processors, from the selected game server to the cloud server via a game Application Programming Interface (API) hosted on the cloud server, after a conclusion of a final match in the bracket-style series of the interactive gaming matches.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the number of players per team is equal to one player per team and a number of teams is equal to or greater than two, wherein the payout amount is defined by a play position ranking based on the data included in the tournament endgame report, wherein the payout amount for the one player per team with a first play position ranking is greater than the payout amount for another one of the one player per team with a second play position ranking, and wherein the first play position ranking is greater than the second play position ranking.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the number of players per team is two or more players per team and a number of teams is equal to or greater than two, wherein the payout amount is defined by a play position ranking based on the data included in the tournament endgame report, wherein the payout amount for each one of the two or more players per team for a first team with a first play position ranking is greater than the payout amount for the each one of the two or more players per team for a second team with a second play position ranking, and wherein the first play position ranking is greater than the second play position ranking.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein distributing the payout amount from the third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user further comprises authenticating, by the third party payment distribution platform over the network, the payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein distributing the payout amount from the third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user further comprises sending, by the one or more processors over the network, payment confirmation content from the cloud server to the user device associated with the user to be displayed on the GUI of the user device in response to receiving payment distribution content from the third-party payment distribution platform, wherein the payment distribution content includes confirmation that the distribution of the payout amount to the user account associated with the user is complete.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising generating, by the one or more processors, the interactive gaming match content from the memory of the cloud server if the payout amount for the user is equal to or less than zero, wherein the interactive gaming match content is sent, over the network, by the one or more processors to the user device.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory elements including instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

selecting, by a user, from interactive gaming match content displayed on a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a user device, a game server for a gaming match and an entrance fee to be paid for at least one of a number of players per team for the gaming match;

sending, over the network, from the user device to a cloud server that includes the one or more processors and the one or more memory elements, an entrance request that identifies the selected game server for the gaming match and a selected entrance fee to be paid for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match;

sending, over the network, by the one or more processors, from the cloud server to a third-party payment acceptance platform, a request for validation from the third-party payment acceptance platform in response to the cloud server receiving the entrance request from the user device;

sending, over the network by the one or more processors, match population content from the cloud server to the selected game server that includes the at least one of the number of players per team in response to receiving validation content from the third-party payment acceptance platform, wherein the validation content includes confirmation that a user account associated with the user contains funds that are equal to or greater than the selected entrance fee for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match associated with the selected game server;

determining, by the one or more processors, a payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team for the gaming match in response to receiving, over the network by the cloud server, a tournament endgame report from the selected game server for the gaming match, wherein the payout amount is based on data included in the tournament endgame report;

authenticating, by the one or more processors, payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero, wherein the payment attribute information includes financial transaction information for the user account associated with the user; and

distributing, by the one or more processors over the network, the payout amount from a third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero and the payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user is authenticated.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the gaming match is a bracket-style series of interactive gaming matches, wherein the tournament endgame report is sent over the network, by the one or more processors, from the selected game server to the cloud server via a game Application Programming Interface (API) hosted on the cloud server, after a conclusion of a final match in the bracket-style series of the interactive gaming matches.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein distributing the payout amount from the third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user further comprises authenticating, by the third party payment distribution platform over the network, the payment attribute information for the user account associated with the user if the payout amount for the at least one of the number of players per team is greater than zero.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein distributing the payout amount from the third-party payment distribution platform to the user account associated with the user further comprises sending, by the one or more processors over the network, payment confirmation content from the cloud server to the user device associated with the user to be displayed on the GUI of the user device in response to receiving payment distribution content from the third-party payment distribution platform, wherein the payment distribution content includes confirmation that the distribution of the payout amount to the user account associated with the user is complete.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising generating, by the one or more processors, the interactive gaming match content from the one or more memory elements of the cloud server if the payout amount for the user is equal to or less than zero, wherein the interactive gaming match content is sent, over the network, by the one or more processors to the user device.