Entertainment system offering merit-based rewards

• US 6,343,990 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Balligomingo Entertainment LLC (Equitable IP Corporation), Intellectual Ventures Assets 25 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Paul Donovan
• Inventors: Donovan, Paul, Rasmussen, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/492,125
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/40-42, 463/30, 463/29, 463/36, 463/35, 463/25, 273/429-430, 273/459-460, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/309, 700/91-92
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An entertainment system comprising in one embodiment an Internet site configured to enable participants to submit content, such as jokes, and view the submissions of others. The site also enables participants to cast a vote for the best content, e.g., the best joke, with each visit. The votes are redeemable for cash or free access to the site. The payout to participants is preferably funded by charging a fee for accessing the site. This permits participants to be rewarded for the quality of their submissions as judged by others. In another embodiment the Internet site hosts a game, such as a video game. The highest scores are tracked and expert players are identified. The system enables novice players who wish to expand their knowledge of the game to view the play of more skilled players, who receive a portion of the access fees paid by all players. This enables players to be rewarded for their skill.

Claims

1. A method for entertaining persons over a communications network, comprising:

provisioning a communications network site accessible by a group of participants, wherein said site is configured to enable a given participant to interact therewith in a predefined manner and to enable other participants to view the given participant'"'"'s interaction with said site;

granting each participant credits based on that person'"'"'s participation level with said site;

enabling each participant to transfer that person'"'"'s credits to another selected participant; and

enabling each participant to periodically exchange accumulated credits, if any, for valuable consideration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said viewing ability is immediate or delayed.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein participants are charged a fee for accessing said communications network site, and wherein said participation level corresponds to the access fees.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

said pre-defined manner of interaction includes interacting with a video game hosted by said communications network site;

the ability for a first participant to view a second participant'"'"'s interaction with said site is blocked unless the first participant has transferred a predetermined amount of credit to the second participant.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said predefined manner of interaction includes posting content to said site and reading content submitted by others.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein participants are charged a fee for accessing said site, and wherein said participation level corresponds to the access fees.

7. The method according to claim 6, including enabling participants to cast a vote in respect of content submitted by a selected participant and storing for later recall the number of votes received by the selected participant, wherein each said vote represents a predetermined quantity of said credit.

8. The method according to claim 7, including enabling participants to redeem accumulated votes for cash or access rights.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said content includes any of

(a) textual matter, including stories, jokes, news reports;

(b) visual matter, including pictures or photographs;

(c) audio matter, including music; and

(d) multimedia matter, including executable computer programs.

10. A method for entertaining persons over a communications network, comprising:

provisioning a communications network site configured to enable a group of participants to take part in a particular forum and to view the submissions of other users relative to said forum;

granting each participant credits based on that person'"'"'s participation level with the forum;

enabling a given participant to transfer that individual'"'"'s credits to another participant as a reward for the quality of the other participant'"'"'s submissions; and

enabling each participant to periodically exchange accumulated credits, if any, for valuable consideration.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein participants are charged a fee for accessing the forum, and wherein the participation level corresponds to the access fees such that the quantity of credits granted to a participant is based on the access fees charged thereto.

12. The method according to claim 11, including enabling participants to cast a vote in respect of content submitted by a selected participant and storing for later recall the number of votes received by the selected participant, wherein each vote represents a predetermined quantity of credit.

13. The method according to claim 12, including enabling participants to send content submitted to the forum to a third party via electronic mail.

14. The method according to claim 12, including enabling participants to redeem accumulated votes for cash or access rights.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the forum relates to any of:

(a) textual matter, including stories, jokes, news reports;

(b) visual matter, including pictures or photographs;

(c) audio matter, including music, and

(d) multimedia matter, including executable computer programs.

16. An entertainment system, comprising:

a server including a database;

a plurality of client computers associated with a group of participants; and

a computer network for interconnecting said server and client computers;

wherein said server and client computers are configured to

(i) enable the participants to post content to said database and to view the submissions of other users,

(ii) issue each participant credits based on that person'"'"'s participation level with respect to at least one of posting and reading content to or from said database, and

(iii) enable a given participant to transfer that individual'"'"'s credits to another participant as a reward for the quality of the other participant'"'"'s submissions; and

wherein said accumulated credits represent valuable consideration.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said server is configured to charge participants a fee for accessing the database, and wherein the participation level corresponds to the access fees such that the quantity of credits granted to a participant is based on the access fees charged thereto.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the server is configured to allow participants to cast a vote in respect of content submitted by a selected participant and storing for later recall the number of votes received by the selected participant, and wherein each vote represents a predetermined quantity of credit.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the server is configured to allow participants to send a copy of the content stored on the database to a third party client computer over the network.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the server is configured to allow participants to redeem accumulated votes for cash or access rights.

21. A method for entertaining persons over a communications network, comprising:

provisioning a communications network site which hosts a game accessible by a group of participants and playable by any one of the participants;

charging each participant a fee in exchange for permission to view a selected participant'"'"'s play of said game;

crediting at least a portion of said fee to an account associated with said selected participant; and

enabling participants to periodically exchange any such accumulated credits for valuable consideration.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said viewing ability occurs in substantially real time or is delayed as a result of the playback of a pre-recorded play of said game.

23. The method according to claim 22, including charging participants an access fee for at least one of playing the game and viewing the play of said selected participant, wherein each said participant is granted credits based on said access fees the server enables said credits to be transferred to said selected participant as payment for the right to view the game play thereof.

24. An entertainment system, comprising:

a server;

a plurality of client computers associated with a group of participants; and

a computer network for interconnecting said server and client computers;

said server hosting a game accessible by a group of participants and playable by any one of the participants over their client computers;

said server being configured to charge each participant a fee in exchange for permission to view a selected participant'"'"'s play of said game, credit at least a portion of said fee to an account associated with said selected participant, and enable participants to periodically exchange any such accumulated credits for valuable consideration.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said viewing ability occurs in substantially real time or is delayed as a result of the playback of a pre-recorded play of said game.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said server establishes a multicast connection with a plurality of client computers so as to enable at least one participant to view the play of said selected participant.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein said server is configured to charge participants an access fee for at least one of playing the game and viewing the play of said selected participant, grant each participant credits based on said access fees, and enable said credits to be transferred to said selected participant as payment for the right to view the game play thereof.