Simulated baseball game

• US 6,292,706 B1
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: William E. Welch
• Inventors: Birch, Larry D., Kuebler, Harold W., Judy, Lawrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/062,034
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 700/91, 700/92, 700/90, 463/2, 463/3, 463/7, 463/37, 463/43, 273/317.6, 273/329, 273/118.R
• US Class Current: 700/91
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8052 Ball team management

Abstract

A computer game simulates the playing of an athletic game such as a baseball game to its conclusion. In particular, the game simulates the sequential game play events and determines the outcomes of the events in accordance with historical or simulated data representative of the game playing characteristics of each team member under selected circumstances. The progress of the game is tracked in accordance with the outcomes through completion of the events to determine the winner of the athletic game and the score thereof.

Claims

1. A game simulation computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for operating a computer to simulate the playing of an athletic game between opposing teams having team members, said program comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving characteristics data representative of the game-playing characteristics of each team member under selected circumstances;

simulation means for simulating the sequential game play events of the game according to the rules thereof;

outcome means for determining the respective outcomes of said events in accordance with said characteristics data; and

tracking means for tracking the progress of the game in accordance with said outcomes through completion of said events thereby simulating the playing of the game to its conclusion.

2. The program as set forth in claim 1, the athletic game including a baseball game.

3. The program as set forth in claim 1, said characteristics data being representative of the historical characteristics of each team member under known prior circumstances.

4. The program as set forth in claim 1, said events including the scoring of points by the teams, said tracking means including means for tracking said scoring in order to produce a game score including a final score to determine a winner of the game.

5. The program as set forth in claim 1, said characteristics data including a plurality of team member records for each team member, said records being representative of game playing characteristics for the associated team member under different ones of said selected circumstances.

6. The program as set forth in claim 5, said records being configured in progression from less detailed to more detailed of said circumstances.

7. The program as set forth in claim 6, said records further including other player records representative of the game playing characteristics of other players of said game configured in progression from less detailed to more detailed of said circumstances.

8. The program as set forth in claim 5, said outcome means including means for determining the outcome of an event involving an individual team member in accordance with the team member records thereof.

9. The program as set forth in claim 8, said outcome means including means for determining the outcome of an event involving an individual team member in accordance with a dynamic weighting factor applied to team member records thereof.

10. The program as set forth in claim 8, said outcome means including means for determining the outcome of an event involving an individual team member in accordance with a dynamic weighting factor and random number percentage applied to team member records thereof.

11. The program as set forth in claim 1, said athletic game including a baseball game, said events including all in-play pitches in sequence,

said outcomes including the scoring of points by the teams, said tracking means including means for tracking said scoring in order to produce a game score including a final score to determine a winner of the game,

said characteristics data being representative of the historical characteristics of each team member under known prior circumstances and including a plurality of team member records for each team member including

individual records representative of game playing characteristics for the associated team member under different ones of said selected circumstances and being configured in progression from less detailed to more detailed of said circumstances, and

other player records representative of the game playing characteristics of other players of said game under the same circumstances as said individual records,

said outcome means including means for determining the outcome of an event involving an individual team member in accordance with a dynamic weighting factor and random number percentage applied to team member records thereof.

12. The program as set forth in claim 11, said events further including at least one of a team replacing a pitcher with another pitcher, an attempt to steal a base, type and location of the pitch, call of the pitch, type of hit and where it lands on the field, and the advancement of all base runners.

13. The program as set forth in claim 11, said events further including at least one of a type and location of the pitch, call of the pitch, type of hit and where it lands on the field, and the advancement of all base runners.

14. A game simulation computer operated by a game simulation computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for simulating the playing of an athletic game between opposing teams having team members, said computer comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving characteristics data representative of the game-playing characteristics of each team member under selected circumstances;

simulation means for simulating the sequential game play events of the game according to the rules thereof;

outcome means for determining the respective outcomes of said events in accordance with said characteristics data; and

tracking means for tracking the progress of the game in accordance with said outcomes through completion of said events thereby simulating the playing of the game to its conclusion.

15. A computer program stored on a computer readable memory device for directing operation of a computer in the simulation of an athletic game, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for receiving and storing data on the memory device corresponding to a plurality of different historical game playing event characteristics of each of a plurality of athletic players;

a code segment for receiving instructions from at least one game player for selection of said data corresponding to at least some of said plurality of athletic players received and stored by the memory device to participate in a computer-simulated game;

a code segment for, in response to the selection instructions from the game player, processing said data to generate all of the game events necessary to simulate the athletic game without requiring any game player interaction after receiving the selection instructions from the at least one game player; and

a code segment for providing a report of simulated game results generated by the processing code segment including at least some of the series of sequential simulated game events.

16. A computer program as set forth in claim 15, wherein the code segment for processing generates said series of sequential simulated game events from data received and stored by said code segment for receiving and storing without game player interaction.

17. A computer program as set forth in claim 15, further including a code segment for automatically comparing the simulated game events generated by said processing code segment to predetermined substitution criteria during said processing of the data by said processing code segment, the comparison being conducted in order to determine whether to substitute historical game playing event characteristics corresponding to another athletic player on which the data has been received and stored for the data of one of the athletic players selected by said game player.

18. A computer program as set forth in claim 15, further including a code segment for receiving game player instructions corresponding to a level of detail to be provided by the code segment for reporting and providing the level of detail instructions to the reporting code segment for providing a report corresponding to the level of detail instructions.

19. A computer program as set forth in claim 15, wherein said code segment for processing accesses and compares data corresponding to historical game playing event characteristics of different athletic players to generate said sequential simulated game events.

20. A computer program as set forth in claim 15, wherein said athletic game is baseball, said code segment for receiving and storing data receives and stores historical athletic player data corresponding to a first plurality of batters and at least one pitcher comprising a first simulated team and a second plurality of batters and at least another pitcher comprising a second simulated team, wherein said code segment for receiving instructions enables selection by the game player of the membership of a first lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of said first simulated team and second lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of the second simulated team and identification of which of the first simulated and second simulated team will be identified as the home team, and wherein the code segment for processing selects historical athletic player data from the players of each said first and second lineups using random number generation and performance weighting criteria to generate the sequential simulated game events without intervening game player instructions.

21. A computer-implemented method of providing a simulated outcome of an athletic game comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing data in a computer corresponding to a plurality of different historical game playing event characteristics of each of a plurality of athletic players;

receiving instructions in the computer from at least one game player for selection of said data corresponding to at least some of said plurality of athletic players to participate in a computer-simulated game;

processing said data with the computer to generate all of the game events necessary to simulate the athletic game without requiring any game player interaction after receiving the selection instructions from the at least one game player; and

providing a report of simulated game results including at least some of the series of sequential simulated game events.

22. A computer-implemented method of providing a simulated outcome of an athletic game as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the step of generating said series of sequential simulated game events from the selected stored data and without game player interaction.

23. A computer-implemented method of providing a simulated outcome of an athletic game as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the step of automatically comparing the simulated game events during to predetermined substitution criteria stored by the computer during said processing step to determine whether to substitute another athletic player on which data has been received and stored for one of the athletic players selected by said game player.

24. A computer-implemented method of providing a simulated outcome of an athletic game as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the step of receiving game player instructions corresponding to the level of detail to be provided in said reporting step.

25. A computer-implemented method of providing a simulated outcome of an athletic game as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the step of accessing and comparing data corresponding to historical game playing event characteristics of different athletic players to generate said sequential simulated game events.

26. A computer-implemented method of providing a simulated outcome of an athletic game as set forth in claim 21, wherein said athletic game is baseball, and further comprising the steps of receiving and storing historical athletic player data corresponding to a first plurality of batters and at least one pitcher comprising a first simulated team and a second plurality of batters and at least another pitcher comprising a second simulated team, selection by the game player of the membership of a first lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of said first simulated team and second lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of the second simulated team and identification of which of the first simulated and second simulated team will be identified as the home team, and selecting historical athletic player data from the players of each said first and second lineups using random number generation and performance weighting criteria to generate the sequential simulated game events without intervening game player instructions.

27. Data relating to a computer simulated athletic game created by the method comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing data corresponding to a plurality of different historical game playing event characteristics of each of a plurality of athletic players;

receiving instructions from at least one game player for selection of said data corresponding to at least some of said plurality of athletic players to participate in a computer-simulated game;

processing said data to generate all of the game events necessary to simulate the athletic game without requiring any game player interaction after receiving the selection instructions from the at least one game player; and

providing a report of simulated game results including at least some of the series of sequential simulated game events.

28. Data relating to a computer simulated athletic game as set forth in claim 27 and further created by the method including the step of generating said series of sequential simulated game events from the selected stored data and without game player interaction.

29. Data relating to a computer simulated athletic game as set forth in claim 27 and further created by the method including the step of automatically comparing the simulated game events during to predetermined substitution criteria stored by the computer during said processing step to determine whether to substitute another athletic player on which data has been received and stored for one of the athletic players selected by said game player.

30. Data relating to a computer simulated athletic game as set forth in claim 27 and further created by the method including the step of receiving game player instructions corresponding to the level of detail to be provided by said reporting step.

31. Data relating to a computer simulated athletic game as set forth in claim 27 and further created by the method including the step of accessing and comparing data corresponding to historical game playing event characteristics of different athletic players to generate said sequential simulated game events.

32. Data relating to a computer simulated athletic game as set forth in claim 27 and further created by the method including the steps of receiving and storing historical athletic player data corresponding to a first plurality of batters and at least one pitcher comprising a first simulated team and a second plurality of batters and at least another pitcher comprising a second simulated team, selection by the game player of the membership of a first lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of said first simulated team and second lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of the second simulated team and identification of which of the first simulated and second simulated team will be identified as the home team, and selecting historical athletic player data from the players of each said first and second lineups using random number generation and performance weighting criteria to generate the sequential simulated game events without intervening game player instructions.

33. A computer system for operating a simulated computer-generated simulated athletic game, the system comprising:

a host computer; and

a plurality of user computers operatively connected to the host computer via a communications network,

the host computer being programmed to;

receive and store data corresponding to a plurality of different historical game playing event characteristics of each of a plurality of athletic players;

receive instructions from at least one game player for selection of said data corresponding to at least some of said plurality of athletic players to participate in a computer-simulated game;

process said data to generate all of the game events necessary to simulate the athletic game without requiring any game player interaction after receiving the selection instructions from the at least one game player; and

provide a report of simulated game results including at least some of the series of sequential simulated game events.

34. A computer system as set forth in claim 33, wherein the host computer is further programmed to generate said series of sequential simulated game events from the selected stored data and without game player interaction.

35. A computer system as set forth in claim 33, where in the host computer is further programmed to automatically compare the simulated game events to predetermined substitution criteria stored by the computer during the processing of said data to determine whether to substitute another athletic player on which data has been received and stored for one of the athletic players selected by the game player.

36. A computer system as set forth in claim 33, wherein the host computer is further programmed to receive game player instructions corresponding to the level of said sequential simulated game events to be reported.

37. A computer system as set forth in claim 33, wherein the host computer is further programmed to access and compare data corresponding to historical game playing event characteristics of different athletic players to generate said sequential simulated game events.

38. A computer system as set forth in claim 33, wherein the host computer is further programmed to receive and store historical athletic player data corresponding to a first plurality of batters and at least one pitcher comprising a first simulated team and a second plurality of batters and at least another pitcher comprising a second simulated team, to receive selection instructions by the game player of the membership of a first lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of said first simulated team and second lineup from the batters and at least one pitcher of the second simulated team and identification of which of the first simulated and second simulated team will be identified as the home team, and to select historical athletic player data from the players of each said first and second lineups using random number generation and performance weighting criteria to generate the sequential simulated game events without intervening game player instructions.