Substantially simultaneous intermittent contest

• US 7,946,910 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vergence Entertainment, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vergence Entertainment, LLC
• Inventors: Barkley, Brent W., Feeney, Robert J., Pinter, Gregory J., Haas, Jeff E.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US11/539,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20070087833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3279 wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

Provided, inter alia, is a type of contest in which, at various intervals, geographically dispersed players attempt to answer the identical problem at substantially the same time. In representative embodiments, problems (typically, questions) are made available at seemingly random times throughout the day (or throughout some specified time interval), and players have the opportunity either to respond to the problem or (e.g., in the event that a given player is occupied when a particular problem arises) to pass on the current problem and wait for another one. In such embodiments, more questions are made available than the players are permitted to answer in accordance with the rules of the game, so that players have flexibility as to when they participate.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a simultaneous, but intermittently played, contest, comprising:

(a) providing, through a plurality of user devices, each associated with a different player from among a plurality of geographically dispersed players, a user interface that includes an alert signal indicating that a problem is about to be made available, and then shortly thereafter, delivering the problem substantially simultaneously to at least some of said geographically dispersed players through their user devices, the problem being identical for all players;

(b) receiving responses to the problem from the players and measuring response times corresponding to the responses;

(c) awarding points to the players based on the responses and corresponding response times; and

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) a plurality of times, with a median time interval between delivery of consecutive problems being at least 30 minutes, and with aggregate point totals being maintained for individual players,

wherein each of said user devices comprises at least one of a personal computer, a wireless telephone or a wireless personal digital assistant.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein there are at least 100 players.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of downloading the problems into the user devices in advance, via a publicly accessible network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user interface permits the players to decide whether or not to participate in a current problem, and wherein only the players who participate in the current problem are scored with respect to the current problem.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

(e) allowing the players to voluntarily associate with at least one other player; and

(f) while and only while an association exists between a first player and a second player, supplementing the aggregate point total for the first player based on a number of points earned by the second player.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the players must answer the problem within a specified period of time after the problem is delivered in order to obtain credit for answering correctly, the specified period of time being not more than 90 seconds.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the problems are provided to the players at times that appear random to the players.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a correct response to a given problem is awarded a number of points that depends upon how quickly the correct response was submitted after the given problem was delivered.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said steps (a)-(c) are repeated on a daily basis over a period of at least 5 days.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

(e) allowing each player to choose an other player with whom to form an association and then withdraw the association or change the association to a different player, as desired; and

(f) while and only while an association exists between a first player and a second player, adjusting the aggregate point total for the first player based on a number of points earned by the second player and adjusting the aggregate point total for the second player based on a number of points earned by the first player.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the aggregate point total for each of the players comprises points that can be exchanged for prizes.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein steps (a)-(c) are repeated over a period of time that is at least one month long.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the time interval between problems is at least two hours.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein at each repetition of steps (a)-(c) the problem is made available to substantially all contest players.

15. A method according to claim 4, wherein more problems are available than the players are permitted to answer, so that the players have flexibility regarding when they participate.

16. A method according to claim 5, wherein the first player has an ability to transfer the association from the second player to a third player, in which case the first player ceases to receive points based on points earned by the second player and begins to receive points that are based on a number of points earned by the third player.

17. A method according to claim 6, wherein the specified period of time is not more than 30 seconds.

25. A method according to claim 13, wherein the players must answer the problem within a specified period of time after the problem is delivered in order to obtain credit for answering correctly, the specified period of time being not more than 90 seconds.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said steps (a)-(c) are repeated on a daily basis over a period of at least 3 days.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein said steps (a)-(c) are repeated on a daily basis over a period of at least 5 days.

18. A system for implementing a simultaneous, but intermittently played, contest, comprising:

a contest server; and

a plurality of user devices, each associated with a different player from among a plurality of geographically dispersed players and configured to communicate with the contest server across a network, wherein

(a) said user devices provide a user interface that includes an alert signal indicating that a problem is about to be made available to said geographically dispersed players, and then shortly thereafter, deliver the problem substantially simultaneously to at least some of said geographically dispersed players, the problem being identical for all players;

(b) the user devices for said at least some of said geographically dispersed players transmit responses to the problem to the contest server across the network, and then the contest server receives and measures response times corresponding to the responses;

(c) the contest server awards points to the players based on the responses and corresponding response times; and

(d) the contest server causes steps (a)-(c) to be repeated a plurality of times, with a median time interval between delivery of consecutive problems being at least 30 minutes, and with aggregate point totals being maintained for individual players,

wherein each of said user devices comprises at least one of a personal computer, a wireless telephone or a wireless personal digital assistant.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein there are at least 100 players.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the contest server downloads the problems into the user devices in advance, via the network.

21. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

(e) the players are allowed to voluntarily associate with at least one other player, and

(f) while, and only while, an association exists between a first player and a second player, the aggregate point total for the first player is supplemented based on a number of points earned by the second player.

22. A system according to claim 18, wherein the problems are provided to the players at times that appear random to the players.

23. A system according to claim 18, wherein the user interface permits the players to decide whether or not to participate in a current problem, and wherein only the players who participate in the current problem are scored with respect to the current problem.

24. A system according to claim 21, wherein the first player has an ability to transfer the association from the second player to a third player, in which case the first player ceases to receive points based on points earned by the second player and begins to receive points that are based on a number of points earned by the third player.

28. A system according to claim 23, wherein more problems are available than the players are permitted to answer, so that the players have flexibility regarding when they participate.