Minimizing the effects of chance

• US 6,604,997 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WorldWinner.Com (Qurate Retail Group (f/k/a Liberty Interactive Corporation))
• Original Assignee: WorldWinner.Com (Qurate Retail Group (f/k/a Liberty Interactive Corporation))
• Inventors: Utin, Daniil, Ganelis, Alexander, Saidakovsky, Alexander L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US09/883,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/43, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/23, 463/25, 463/1, 463/16, 273/299, 273/138.1, 273/272
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

A method for providing a tournament system over a communications network enables players from different locations to participate in tournaments by playing an electronic games of skill and win awards based on the player'"'"'s skill. A selection of electronic games of skill, in which the effect of chance has been minimized for each electronic game, is provided at a tournament host location. Players can participate in a selected tournament by playing the electronic game for that tournament via the communications network. Each player'"'"'s score is determined based on player manipulation of the electronic game. A tournament winner is determined by comparing the score of each player with scores of other players.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a tournament in which a plurality of remote players compete against each other by playing an electronic game via a communications network comprising:

providing an electronic game, in which the effect of chance within the electronic game has been minimized, disposed at a tournament host location;

enabling a plurality of remote players to participate in the tournament by playing the electronic game via the communications network; and

comparing the score of each remote player with scores of other remote players to determine a winner of the tournament.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requiring each remote player to set up an account and provide an initial monetary deposit at the tournament host location.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

registering each remote player for the tournament based on qualifications of such remote player.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the registering further comprises:

qualifying each remote player based upon one or more of player experience, player rank and player winnings.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

awarding a prize to the winner of the tournament.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling further comprises:

limiting the number of remote players that can participate in the tournament to a specific number.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

enabling additional remote players to participate in an additional tournament for the electronic game when the tournament has been filled with the specific number of remote players.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the enabling further comprises:

limiting the number of remote players that can participate in the tournament to those remote players that register before a definate registration closing time.

9. A method for creating a tournament system in which remote players compete against each other by playing modified electronic games over a communications network comprising:

determining an element of chance within each of a plurality of electronic games, wherein each electronic game has a scoring system based primarily on skill;

minimizing the element of chance within each such electronic game to thereby provide a selection of modified electronic games at a tournament host location;

providing one or more tournaments for each modified electronic game at the tournament host location;

enabling remote players to participate in a selected tournament by playing a selected modified electronic game over the communications network.

10. The method of claim 9 to wherein the enabling further comprises:

requiring each remote player to set up an account and provide an initial monetary deposit at the tournament host location.

11. The method of claim 9 to wherein the enabling further comprises:

registering each remote player for the selected tournament based on qualifications of such remote player.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the enabling further comprises:

limiting the number of remote players that can play in the selected tournament to a specified number.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

enabling additional remote players to play the selected electronic game in an additional tournament when the specified number of remote players for the selected tournament has been reached.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the enabling further comprises:

limiting the number of remote players that can play in the selected tournament to those remote players that register before a defined registration closing time.

15. A method of conducting an electronic tournament system comprising:

providing one or more tournaments for each of a plurality of electronic games of skill, in which the effect of chance within each electronic game has been minimized, at a tournament host location;

registering each of a plurality of remote players for a selected tournament based on qualifications of the remote player;

scoring each remote player based on user manipulation of the game;

comparing the score of the remote players to determine a winner for the selected tournament; and

awarding a prize to the winner of the selected tournament.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the registering further comprises:

qualifying each remote player based upon one or more of player experience, player rank, and player winnings.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the enabling further comprises:

limiting the number of remote players that can participate in the selected tournament to a specified number.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

enabling additional remote players to participate in an additional tournament when the specified number of remote players for the selected tournament has been reached.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the enabling further comprises:

limiting the number of remote players that can play in the selected tournament to those remote players that register before a defined registration closing time.