Evaluation of responses of participatory broadcast audience with prediction of winning contestants; monitoring, checking and controlling of wagering, and automatic crediting and couponing

• US 6,443,840 B2
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quest NetTech Corporation (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Response Reward Systems L.C.
• Inventors: Von Kohorn, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US09/088,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/16, 463/20, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/25, 903/23, 273/138.2
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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 2003/083 played via television
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0095 with cooperation amongst players in competitive games, e.g. non zero sum games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/18 Question-and-answer games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/063 with hand-placed probe or plug
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 : Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/375 : Commercial
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 : for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 : for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 : Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/98 : Physical distribution of media, e.g. postcards, CDs or DVDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0806 : the signals being two or more video signals H04N7/0803, H04N7/081 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection

Abstract

A system and method for evaluating responses to broadcast programs, such as television programs, include an instructional signal modulated onto a signal transmitted concurrently with the television program, simulcast, or time-multiplexed with a television. At each of a plurality of remote receiving stations, one or more members of a remote audience has the opportunity to respond to a situation presented in the television program by entering a response on a keyboard. The system includes response evaluation circuitry which may be located at a central facility or partially at the central facility and partially at each remote receiving station, or completely within a response unit at each remote receiving station, in the latter case the response unit having a memory responsive to the instructional signal for storing acceptable responses, a comparison circuit for comparing responses entered at the keyboard with those stored in the memory, circuitry for scoring responses in accordance with commands from the instructional signal, and a recording device for providing a permanent record of the audience score at the remote station. For conducting a sweepstakes, numbers or other responses are entered at the remote stations and are stored at a central facility for verification. The program may be presented live conducted by a host at a central station, or by a prerecorded message accessible by telephone from a remote station with regulation from a central station, and members of the remote audience may predict or select winning contestants.

Claims

1. A method for wagering comprising steps of:

transmitting from a transmission facility, at a central location, electronic signals having information regarding an event wherein the event includes responding by respondents to a scenario and an outcome of the event is a response by an individual one of the respondents;

providing a central account facility having means for electronically debiting and crediting an account of a participant;

providing means for recording wagering information, the wagering information including a wagered amount and predictive data relative to an outcome of the event, the means for recording including tamper-resisting means for storing wagering information entered by the participant;

providing means for comparing the predictive data in the wagering information to an outcome of the event;

presenting the electronic signals at remote locations;

placing a wager by the participant, the step of placing a wager including entering wagering information based on responses of individual ones of the respondents into the means for recording;

communicating at least some of the wagering information, entered into the means for recording, to the central account facility and the means for comparing;

automatically comparing the predictive data of the participant'"'"'s wagering information entered into the means for recording to the outcome of the event by the means for comparing;

determining a payoff amount upon at least some of the predictive data entered by the participant corresponding to the outcome of the event; and

automatically crediting the account of the participant the payoff amount upon at least some of the predictive data corresponding to the outcome of the event.

2. A method for wagering comprising steps of:

transmitting from a transmission facility at a central location, electronic signals having information regarding an event wherein the event includes responding by respondents to a scenario and an outcome of the event is a response by an individual one of the respondents;

providing a central account facility having means for electronically debiting and crediting an account of a participant;

providing means for recording wagering information, the wagering information including a wagered amount and predictive data regarding an outcome of the event;

providing means for determining odds data regarding the outcome of the event;

placing a wager by the participant including entering wagering information based on responses of individual ones of the respondents into the means for recording;

debiting the account of the participant the wagered amount;

communicating the wager to the central account facility along with identification data that identifies the participant'"'"'s account;

comparting the entered wagering information to the outcome of the event, the step of comparing comprising receiving electronic signals having outcome data of the event and comparting the outcome data to the wagering information entered into the means for recording; and

automatically crediting the account of the participant a payoff amount upon an occurrence of the predictive data corresponding, at least partically, to the outcome of the event.

3. In a lottery system playable by a plurality of players at locations remote from a central location in which a player holding a ticket bearing a number selected by the player matching a winning number is deemed to be a winning player, the system comprising:

ticketing means at said remote locations operable by individual ones of said players for entering and recording on a ticket medium of wager information including a lottery number selected by one of said players;

wherein said ticketing means is operable remotely by instructional electronic signals transmitted from a central facility for a subsequent recording on said ticket medium of at least one winning lottery number determined at a central location;

said system further comprises means at said remote locations connected to said ticketing means and operable by a player for electronically transmitting a player'"'"'s wager information including a selected lottery number to a central data storage means;

a central facility having central data storage means and serving for a storing of a player'"'"'s wager information including at least one selected lottery number;

wherein said central facility includes means for storing wager acceptance criteria determined by an operator of the lottery;

said central facility includes first comparison means for accepting or rejecting individual wagers in accordance with said criteria;

said system further comprises central lottery means for determining at least one winning number, said central data storage means being at a location remote from said central lottery means;

second comparison means at a central facility for comparing a winning number with players'"'"' accepted wager numbers to determine a winning player;

central transmitting means for electronically transmitting a winning number to said players'"'"' remote locations; and

central transmitting means for electronically transmitting instructional signals to said ticketing means at said remote locations for recording a winning number on said ticket medium.

4. A system for playing a lottery game comprising a plurality of home subsystems at players'"'"' locations remote from a central location, and a central data processing subsystem having a central data storage at said central location, each of said home subsystems comprising:

an electronics communications receiver;

a response unit operable by a player and having means for entering a selected lottery number and wager information;

wherein said response unit includes means for recording said selected number and wager information on a permanent record and for subsequently recording on said record a winning lottery number in accordance with instructional signals electronically transmitted from a central lottery facility to said receiver;

said response unit includes means operable by a player for electronically communicating a player'"'"'s entered lottery number and wager information to said central data storage;

said central data processing subsystem comprises

means for entering said individual players'"'"' selected lottery numbers and wager information into said central data storage, said entering of said central data storage providing for an entering into said storage of criteria governing acceptance of a player'"'"'s wager wherein said criteria are determined and communicated to said processing system by an operator of said lottery;

comparing means for accepting or rejecting a player'"'"'s wager in accordance with said criteria, said comparing means providing also for comparing a player'"'"'s accepted wager with a winning wager;

wherein said system further comprises a central lottery subsystem comprising

means for determining a winning number; and

means for electronically communicating a winning wager number to players'"'"' response units at remote locations, said electronic communicating means directing individual ones of said response units to record said winning number on said permanent record; and

wherein said system further comprises a facility for honoring a permanent record presented by a player, said record having a selected and a matching winning number recorded thereon, said central data storage being at a location remote from said central lottery subsystem.

5. In a system for a lottery game playable by a plurality of players at locations remote from a central location, in which game a ticket bearing a number selected by one of said players and matching a number drawn at said central location is deemed to be a winning ticket, the system comprising:

ticketing means at said remote locations and identified with and operable by individual ones of said players for selecting a lottery number, said ticketing means including means for recording a player'"'"'s selected number on a ticket;

central storage means for receiving and storing individually selected lottery numbers, each selected number being associated with an identified player;

means for communicating individual players'"'"' selected numbers to said storage means;

means for inhibiting a storing of further numbers following a predetermined point in time, said point in time having been announced to said players, said inhibiting means being a part of said communicating means or said central storage means;

means at a central location, remote from said central storage means, for determining at least one winning lottery number, said determining taking place subsequent to said point in time;

wherein said communicating means provides for communicating a winning lottery number to said remote locations;

said system further comprises at remote locations means for receiving a winning lottery number, and means for recording said winning number on players'"'"' tickets; and

wherein each ticket bearing a selected number matching a winning number is deemed to be a winning ticket.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein said central storage means stores criteria governing acceptance of a player'"'"'s wager, and said means for determining a winning lottery number comprises comparing means for accepting or rejecting a player'"'"'s wager in accordance with said criteria, said comparing means providing also for comparing a player'"'"'s accepted wager with a winning wager.