System and method for matching users of a gaming application

• US 6,887,159 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interactive Games Limited (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Game Account Limited
• Inventors: Lawrence, Sam B., O'Neal, Kevin R., Leen, Fergus A., McNally, David G., McDowell, David M., Hetherington, Clive
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US10/193,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20030047874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/41, 463/40, 463/29, 463/24, 463/23, 463/1
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A platform for matching users of a gaming application comprises a memory and a processor. The memory stores profile information for a plurality of users of a gaming application. The processor identifies profile information associated with a first user, and determines a subset of second users based at least in part upon the profile information and selection criteria. The processor further matches the first user against a selected second user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application.

Claims

1. A platform for matching users of a gaming application, comprising:

a memory that stores profile information for a plurality of users of a gaming application, the profile information comprising wagering parameters of the plurality of users; and

a processor coupled to the memory that matches a first user against a second user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application, based at least in part upon the wagering parameters of the profile information and selection criteria.

2. The platform of claim 1, wherein the processor:

determines a first subset of users and a second subset of users based at least in part upon the profile information and the selection criteria, wherein the first user and the second user belong to the first subset of users;

selects a third user and a fourth user from the second subset of users based at least in part upon the profile information and the selection criteria; and

matches the third user against the fourth user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application.

3. The platform of claim 1, wherein the profile information comprises user attributes and statistics information.

4. The platform of claim 3, wherein the user attributes comprise wagering parameters and user characteristics.

5. The platform of claim 1, wherein the processor selects the first user based upon profile information associated with the first user and selection criteria associated with the second user.

6. The platform of claim 5, wherein the processor selects the second user based upon profile information associated with the second user and selection criteria associated with the first user.

7. The platform of claim 1, wherein:

the profile information comprises wager preferences of the plurality of users; and

the processor matches a first user against a second user based at least in part upon the wager preferences of the profile information.

8. The platform of claim 7, wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager amounts.

9. The platform of claim 7, wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager types.

10. The platform of claim 7, wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager events.

11. A platform for matching users of a gaming application, comprising:

a memory that stores profile information for a plurality of users of a gaming application, the profile information comprising wagering parameters of the plurality of users; and

a processor coupled to the memory that;

identifies profile information associated with a first user; and

determines a subset of second users based at least in part upon the wagering parameters of the profile information and selection criteria; and

matches the first user against a selected second user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application.

12. The platform of claim 11, wherein the profile information comprises user attributes and statistics information.

13. The platform of claim 12, wherein the user attributes comprise wagering parameters and user characteristics.

14. The platform of claim 11, wherein the processor determines the subset of second users by comparing selection criteria associated with the first user with profile information associated with the second users.

15. The platform of claim 11, wherein the processor determines the subset of second users by comparing selection criteria associated with the second users with profile information associated with the first user.

16. The platform of claim 11, wherein the processor determines the subset of second users based at least in part upon profile information associated with the first user, selection criteria associated with the second users, profile information associated with the second users, and selection criteria associated with the first user.

17. The platform of claim 11, wherein the subset of second users comprises a single second user.

18. The platform of claim 11, wherein the selected second user is selected by the first user from the subset of second users.

19. A platform for matching users of a gaining application, comprising:

a memory that stores profile information for a plurality of users of a gaming application, the profile information comprising wagering parameters of the plurality of users; and

a processor coupled to the memory that;

determines a subset of first users;

determines a subset of second users; and

matches at least one first user against at least one second user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application, based at least in part upon the wagering parameters of the profile information and selection criteria.

20. The platform of claim 19, wherein the processor determines the subset of first users and the subset of second users based at least in part upon the profile information.

21. The platform of claim 19, wherein the profile information comprises user attributes and statistics information.

22. The platform of claim 21, wherein the user attributes comprise wagering parameters and user characteristics.

23. The platform of claim 19, wherein the processor selects the first user based upon profile information associated with the first user and selection criteria associated with the second user.

24. The platform of claim 23, wherein the processor selects the second user based upon profile information associated with the second user and selection criteria associated with the first user.

25. A method for matching users of a gaming application, comprising:

storing profile information for a plurality of users of a gaming application, the profile information comprising wagering parameters of the plurality of users; and

matching a first user against a second user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application based at least in part upon the wagering parameters of the profile information and selection criteria.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a first subset of users and a second subset of users based at least in part upon the profile information and the selection criteria, wherein the first user and the second user belong to the first subset of users;

selecting a third user and a fourth user from the second subset of users based at least in part upon the profile information and the selection criteria; and

matching the third user against the fourth user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the profile information comprises user attributes and statistics information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the user attributes comprise wagering parameters and user characteristics.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising selecting the first user based upon profile information associated with the first user and selection criteria associated with the second user.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising selecting the second user based upon profile information associated with the second user and selection criteria associated with the first user.

31. A platform for matching users of a gaming application, comprising:

a memory that stores profile information for a plurality of users of a gaming application;

a processor coupled to the memory that matches a first user against a second user in a competition associated with the execution of the gaming application, based at least in part upon the profile information and selection criteria; and

wherein the profile information comprises user attributes and statistics information, the user attributes comprising wagering parameters and user characteristics.