Database driven online distributed tournament system

• US 5,779,549 A
• Filed: 04/22/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Asset Management Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/635,576
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/30, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/29, 364/410, 364/411, 340/323 R
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A method and a system for a distributed electronic tournament system in which many remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament. The method includes the steps of (a) uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device; (b) responding to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed time window via an associated input/output device; (c) accessing a database to store in the database player information that is generated as the player participates in the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller and in which the player participates; and (d) awarding the player a prize for achieving a pre-established performance level in the tournament. In another preferred embodiment, the method further includes the steps of determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session, in which at least one player is eliminated from the previous game session; and permitting each player qualified to a subsequent game session to participate in that game session. The system includes software and hardware to implement the method steps.

Claims

1. A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

(a) means for uniquely identifying one of the players communicating with the central controller via one of the associated input/output devices;

(b) means for allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee; and

(c) means for storing in database player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller

wherein a pre-determined number of positions for players are reserved for a selected group of players until the tournament is a preset time away, at which time the reserved positions will be made available to all players.

2. A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

(a) means for uniquely identifying one of the players communicating with the central controller via one of the associated input/output devices;

(b) means for allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee and

(c) means for storing in database player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller, wherein the means responsive to payment of an entry fee;

provides a plurality of payment options;

stores a payment option selected by the player in the tournament; and

automatically activates the selected payment option after the player has been identified in a subsequent tournament.

3. A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

(a) means for uniquely identifying one of the players communicating with the central controller via one of the associated input/output devices;

(b) means for allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee; and

(c) means for storing in database player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament, such information being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller, wherein the game has associated therewith a difficulty level which is adjusted as the tournament is played based on the information generated during participation in the game.

4. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament having multiple game sessions through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

(a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;

(b) means for allowing the player to participate in a particular game session via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee; and

(c) means for determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session based on player information generated during participation in the particular game session, wherein at least one player from the particular game session is eliminated; and

(d) means for permitting each player qualified to the subsequent game session to participate in the subsequent game session, wherein the game session has a starting time and wherein a pre-determined number of reserved positions for players are reserved for a selected group of players until the starting time of the game session is a preset time away, at which time the reserved positions will be made available to all players.

5. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament having multiple game sessions through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

(a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;

(b) means for allowing the player to participate in a particular game session via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee;

(c) means for determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session based on player information generated during participation in the particular game session, wherein at least one player from the particular game session is eliminated; and

(d) means for permitting each player qualified to the subsequent game session to participate in the subsequent game session, wherein the means for a player to pay an entry fee includes;

means for providing at least one payment option;

means for storing a payment option selected by a player in the particular game session; and

means for automatically activating the selected payment option after the player has been identified in the subsequent game session for payment of a subsequent game session entry fee.

6. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament having multiple game sessions through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the system comprising:

(a) means for uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;

(b) means for allowing the player to participate in a particular game session via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee;

(c) means for determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game session based on player information generated during participation in the particular game session, wherein at least one player from the particular game session is eliminated; and

(d) means for permitting each player qualified to the subsequent game session to participate in the subsequent game session, wherein the particular game session has a difficulty level and further comprising a means for adjusting the difficulty level as the particular game session is played based upon information generated during play of the particular game session.

7. A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;

allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee by the player, the tournament occurring within a time window;

storing player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament; and

restricting player reservation to a selected group of players until a predetermined time prior to the tournament.

8. A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;

allowing the player to participate in the tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee by the player, the tournament occurring within a time window;

storing player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the tournament; and

adjusting the game based on the player information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the tournament has a difficulty level and the step of adjusting the game includes adjusting the difficulty level based on the player information.

10. A distributed electronic tournament system for administering a first game, and a second game, the system comprising:

a plurality of input/output devices, each input/output device including an input component for receiving player input; and

a central controller coupled to the input/output devices including a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to store player information during occurrence of the first game based on the player input and retrieve the stored player information during occurrence of the second game, wherein the first game and the second game are part of the same tournament.

11. A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in tournaments through input/output devices coupled to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;

upon payment of a first entry fee by the player, allowing the player to participate in a first tournament via the associated input/output device, the first tournament occurring within a time window;

storing player information that is generated as the player participates in a game of the first tournament;

retrieving the player information during a second tournament subsequent to the first tournament;

receiving a first payment option for payment of the first entry fee in the first tournament;

storing the first payment option;

retrieving the stored first payment option; and

paying a second entry fee in accordance with the stored first payment option.

12. A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament including at least one challenge through input/output devices connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central controller via an associated input/output device;

allowing the player to participate in a tournament via the associated input/output device upon payment of an entry fee;

generating a first challenge for a first player based on a first contemporaneous event and generating a second challenge for a second player based on a second contemporaneous event;

communicating each challenge to the associated input/output device;

generating an outcome associated with the first player;

generating a second outcome associated with the second player; and

statistically normalizing the outcomes.