Online digital photography game system

• US 6,312,337 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Eric, Fisher, Clay Harvey, Jonach, Kurt, Manowitz, Neal Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/672,225
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/13, 463/15, 463/41, 463/42, 275/429, 275/430, 275/431, 275/432, 434/322, 434/325, 434/350, 70/91--93
• 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 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player

Abstract

An online digital photography game system allows multiple participants in the game by submitting digital photography game entries, where the digital photography game system determines a game winner based on equivalency with a game solution. The digital photography game system allows a user to choose a particular game and to save incomplete game entries. Digital photography games may require an entry fee for participation. Additionally, one or more participants can be rewarded for their participation in the game.

Claims

1. A computerized method for administering a digital photography game system comprising:

providing a digital photography game for online access by multiple participants, the digital photography game comprising a set of game instructions;

receiving a digital photography game entry from the multiple participants, the digital photography game entry comprising a number of digital images associated with each game instruction;

determining if the digital photography game entry is equivalent to a game solution; and

declaring at least one digital photography game winner based on an equivalency of the digital photography game entry with the game solution.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:

sorting the digital photography game entry by a unique game identifier; and

sorting the digital photography game entry by an order in which the digital photography game was received.

3. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the digital photography game entry comprises a plurality of digital photograph files, each of the plurality of digital photograph files having a file format selected from the group consisting of TIFF, APS, PCD, PICT, EPS, FPX, Exif, JPEG, TIFF/EP, GIF, JFIF, BMP, and FITS.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:

requiring creation of the digital photography game entry using a digital camera.

5. The computerized method of claim 2 further comprising:

converting the received digital photograph files into a standard file format selected from the group consisting of TIFF, APS, PCD, PICT, EPS, FPX, Exif, JPEG, TIFF/EP, GIF, JFNF, BMP, and FITS.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein receiving the digital photography game entry comprises:

receiving a set of digital images as a plurality of subsets, each subset comprising a digital image associated with one of a plurality of game instructions; and

identifying the digital photography game associated with the digital photography game entry; and

associating the game solution with the digital photography game entry.

7. The computerized method of claim 6 further comprising:

storing a partial digital photography game entry in a working game entry area.

8. The computerized method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of digital photography game entries for the same digital photography game.

9. The computerized method of claim 8 wherein receiving a plurality of digital photography game entries for the same digital photography game further comprises:

receiving each of the plurality of digital photography game entries for the same digital photography game from a cellular signal; and

verifying that the cellular signal originated from a predetermined location.

10. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein determining if the digital photography game entry is equivalent to the game solution comprises:

comparing a resolution of the digital photograph file with a digital game solution;

comparing a color of the digital photograph file with the digital game solution; and

comparing an aggregate pixel content of the digital photograph file with the digital game solution.

11. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying the multiple participants of the at least one digital photography game winner.

12. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a reward for participation in the digital photography game.

13. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:

publishing the game solution online for public viewing.

14. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:

publishing the game solution online for private viewing.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to cause a computer to perform a method comprising:

identifying a digital photography game from a plurality of digital photography games, the digital photography game comprising a set of game instructions;

receiving a digital photography game entry from a user, the digital photography game entry comprising a number of digital images associated with each game instruction; and

determining an equivalency of the digital photography game entry with a game solution.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining an equivalency of the digital photography game entry with a game solution includes converting the digital images to a standard file format.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer is a web site server and the digital photography game is viewable online from the server.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

determining a reward for participation in the digital photography game; and

publishing the reward for public viewing.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein a reward for participation is based on the type of digital photography game.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

notifying a user of the results of the equivalency determination of the digital photography game entry with the game solution; and

publishing game winners for public viewing.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer is a stand-alone computer and the digital photography game is executable on the stand-alone computer.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

receiving a user configuration of the digital photography game; and

modifying the digital photography game in accordance with the user configuration.

23. A computerized system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor through a system bus;

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor through the system bus; and

an online digital photography game process executed from the computer-readable medium by the processor to cause the processor to receive a digital photography game entry from multiple participants, to determine an equivalency of the digital photography game entry with a game solution, and to declare a game winner, wherein a digital photography game comprises a set of game instructions and the digital photography game entry comprises a number of digital images associated with each game instruction.

24. The computerized system of claim 23, wherein the online digital photography game process further causes the processor to publish results of the game online.

25. The computerized system of claim 23, wherein the online digital photography game process further causes the processor to notify the multiple participants of the results of the online digital photography process.

26. The computerized system of claim 23, wherein the online digital photography game process further causes the processor to publish game instructions in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

27. The computerized system of claim 23, wherein the online digital photography game process further causes the processor to publish game instructions comprising a series of scavenger hunt clues describing predetermined digital photographs.

28. The computerized system of claim 27, wherein the online digital photography game process further causes the processor to publish the series of scavenger hunt clues comprising locations within a geographical area.

29. The computerized system of claim 27, wherein the online digital photography game process further causes the processor to publish the series of scavenger hunt clues comprising a product of an advertiser.

30. A computerized system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor through a system bus; and

an online digital photography game process executed from the memory to cause the processor to receive a digital photography game entry from multiple participants, to determine an equivalency of the digital photography game entry with a game solution, and to declare a game winner, wherein a digital photography game comprises a set of game instructions and the digital photography game entry comprises a number of digital images associated with each game instruction.

31. A networked server system comprising:

means for posting a digital photography game, the digital photography game comprising a set of game instructions;

means for posting digital images associated with, the digital photography game comprising a set if game instructions the online digital photography game in a working game entry area;

means for posting a game solution;

means for determining an equivalency of the posted digital images with the posted game solution;

means for determining a winner; and

means for publishing the results of the digital photography game.

32. The networked server system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for awarding one or more of a plurality of participants in the digital photography game based on an order in which an equivalent digital photography game entry with the game solution was received.

33. The networked server system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for notifying one or more of the plurality of participants of the results of the online digital photography game.

34. The network server system of claim 33, wherein the means for notifying creates an electronic mail message to be delivered to the plurality of game participants.

35. A method for rewarding participants in online digital photography games comprising:

displaying multiple digital photography games to a plurality of participants, each game comprising a set of game instructions;

receiving a digital photography game entry from at least one of the plurality of participants, the digital photography game entry comprising a number of digital images associated with each game solution; and

determining at least one game winner from the plurality of participants for each digital photography game by determining the equivalency of the digital photography game entry with a game solution.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the method for rewarding participants in online digital photography games further comprises:

requesting the plurality of participants to submit a digital photography game entry in response to the displaying of the set of game instructions.

37. The method for rewarding participants in online digital photography games of claim 35 further comprising:

rewarding at least one game winner by one or more of recognizing the at least one winner, awarding a prize, and giving an amount of cash.