Interactive wagering system

• US 7,201,658 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ODS Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ODS Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Satterfield, Kevin D., Zaring, Jon C., Marshall, Connie T., Hamilton, Joni L., Jacobson, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/881,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20040235561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 463 12- 13, 463 16- 20, 463 25- 26, 463/29, 463 40- 43, 273292-293, 273/143.R, 379 9312- 93, 379/93.09, 340/323.R, 340/825.29, 340/5.1, 340/5.4, 700 91- 93, 705/14, 705 16- 18, 902/23, 377 4- 5
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

An interactive wagering application is provided that displays information areas on various wager creation screens. The information areas may be configurable. Information such as promotions, weather information, jockey information, trainer information, odds, or any other suitable information may be displayed in the information areas. The interactive wagering application may create a wagering ticket that reflects the amount of a user'"'"'s wager and the total amount of the user'"'"'s wager when multiple runners are taken into account. The interactive wagering application may record the user'"'"'s position within the application and the user'"'"'s recent wagering selections, so that this information may be used to assist the user in restarting the application after exiting or when creating additional wagers.

Claims

1. A method for allowing users to place electronic wagers on races that are to be run using an interactive wagering application that is implemented using user equipment having a display, comprising:

displaying a wager creation screen for a user on the display, wherein the wager creation screen includes a plurality of interactive menu items that consists of all menu items that are selections for a wager requirement provided in the wager creation screen, wherein each menu item has a distinct associated information area that is provided on the wager creation screen, wherein each associated information includes information related to the associated menu item, wherein at least one of the information areas is interactive, and wherein the user creates a wager by selecting desired menu items on the wager creation screen; and

providing the user with an opportunity to use the interactive wagering application to place the wager.

2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising displaying, in response to a user selection of an interactive information area, a screen containing additional information related to the content of the selected interactive information area.

3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a racetrack selection screen in which the menu items are selectable racetrack options.

4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a race selection screen in which the menu items are selectable race options.

5. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a horse selection screen in which the menu items are selectable horse options.

6. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager type selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager type options.

7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options.

8. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the user selects multiple runners for a given wager with the wager creation screens, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options and wherein the information areas that are associated with the wager amount options are located adjacent to the wager amount options and contain information indicating how much the given wager costs for each wager amount option taking into account the multiple runners that have been selected.

9. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising allowing a content creator to modify the content in the information areas.

10. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising automatically rotating the content displayed in the information areas.

11. An interactive wagering system that provides a user with an opportunity to submit electronic wagers on races that are to be run to computer equipment over a communications path using an interactive wagering application, comprising:

user equipment with which the interactive wagering application is implemented, wherein the user equipment is configured to;

display a wager creation screen for a user on the display, wherein the wager creation screen includes a plurality of interactive menu items that consists of all menu items that are selections for a wager requirement provided in the wager creation screen, wherein each menu item has a distinct associated information area that is provided on the wager creation screen, wherein each associated information area includes information related to the associated menu item, wherein at least one of the information areas is interactive, and wherein the user creates a wager by selecting desired menu items on the wager creation screen; and

provide the user with an opportunity to use the interactive wagering application to place the wager.

12. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the user equipment is further configured to display, in response to a user selection of an interactive information area, a screen containing additional information related to the content of the selected interactive information area.

13. The system defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a racetrack selection screen in which the menu items are selectable racetrack options.

14. The system defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a race selection screen in which the menu items are selectable race options.

15. The system defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a horse selection screen in which the menu items are selectable horse options.

16. The system defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager type selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager type options.

17. The system defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options.

18. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the user selects multiple runners for a given wager with the wager creation screens, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options and wherein the information areas that are associated with the wager amount options are located adjacent to the wager amount options and contain information indicating how much the given wager costs for each wager amount option taking into account the multiple runners that have been selected.

19. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the user equipment is further configured to allow a content creator to modify the content in the information areas.

20. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the user equipment is further configured to automatically rotate the content displayed in the information areas.

21. An interactive wagering system that provides a user with an opportunity to submit electronic wagers on races that are to be run to computer equipment over a communications path using an interactive wagering application, comprising:

means for displaying a wager creation screen for a user on the display, wherein the wager creation screen includes a plurality of interactive menu items that consists of all menu items that are selections for a wager requirement provided in the wager creation screen, wherein each menu item has a distinct associated information area that is provided on the wager creation screen, wherein each associated information includes information related to the associated menu item, wherein at least one of the information areas is interactive, and wherein the user creates a wager by selecting desired menu items on the wager creation screen; and

means for providing the user with an opportunity to use the interactive wagering application to place the wager.

22. The system defined in claim 21, further comprising means for displaying, in response to a user selection of an interactive information area, a screen containing additional information related to the content of the selected interactive information area.

23. The system defined in claim 21, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a racetrack selection screen in which the menu items are selectable racetrack options.

24. The system defined in claim 21, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a race selection screen in which the menu items are selectable race options.

25. The system defined in claim 21, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a horse selection screen in which the menu items are selectable horse options.

26. The system defined in claim 21, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager type selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager type options.

27. The system defined in claim 21, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options.

28. The system defined in claim 21, wherein the user selects multiple runners for a given wager with the wager creation screens, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options and wherein the information areas that are associated with the wager amount options are located adjacent to the wager amount options and contain information indicating how much the given wager costs for each wager amount option taking into account the multiple runners that have been selected.

29. The system defined in claim 21, further comprising means for allowing a content creator to modify the content in the information areas.

30. The system defined in claim 21, further comprising means for automatically rotating the content displayed in the information areas.

31. A machine-readable medium for allowing users to place electronic wagers on races that are to be run using an interactive wagering application that is implemented using user equipment having a display, comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for:

displaying a wager creation screen for a user on the display, wherein the wager creation screen includes a plurality of interactive menu items that consists of all menu items that are selections for a wager requirement provided in the wager creation screen, wherein each menu item has a distinct associated information area that is provided on the wager creation screen, wherein each associated information includes information related to the associated menu item, wherein at least one of the information areas is interactive, and wherein the user creates a wager by selecting desired menu items on the wager creation screen; and

providing the user with an opportunity to use the interactive wagering application to place the wager.

32. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for displaying, in response to a user selection of an interactive information area, a screen containing additional information related to the content of the selected interactive information area.

33. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a racetrack selection screen in which the menu items are selectable racetrack options.

34. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a race selection screen in which the menu items are selectable race options.

35. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a horse selection screen in which the menu items are selectable horse options.

36. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager type selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager type options.

37. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options.

38. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, wherein the user selects multiple runners for a given wager with the wager creation screens, wherein at least one of the wager creation screens is a wager amount selection screen in which the menu items are selectable wager amount options and wherein the information areas that are associated with the wager amount options are located adjacent to the wager amount options and contain information indicating how much the given wager costs for each wager amount option taking into account the multiple runners that have been selected.

39. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for allowing a content creator to modify the content in the information areas.

40. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 31, further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for automatically rotating the content displayed in the information areas.