Method of developing the activity of an on-line forecasting site

• US 7,963,850 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2007
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovatron SA
• Original Assignee: Innovatron SA
• Inventors: Moreno, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/808,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20080293480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/42, 705/14, 273430-432
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 on-line-game method involves a question engine coupled to a plurality of terminals controlled by game players, with game activity measured by a traffic index representative of the number of game players over a given time interval, a) displaying on the terminals questions, sent by the question engine, relating to a success parameter concerning at least one future event and advertising insertions paid for at a given tariff, b) evaluating receipts associated with the paid-for advertising insertions, c) setting up an endowment for allocating prizes over a given time period, the endowment being a function of the level of the receipts, d) on detecting an increase in the traffic index above a given threshold, correspondingly increasing the tariff, e) on detecting an increase in the receipts above another given threshold, correspondingly increasing the endowment, and f) repeating steps d) and e).

Claims

1. A method of developing the activity of an on-line game site, the site comprising a question engine coupled to a plurality of terminals controlled by respective players;

the activity of the site being measured by a traffic index representative of the number of players that have played the game over a given time interval;

in which method;

the question engine sends questions to players relating to a success parameter concerning at least one future event;

the players respond by providing forecasts on said success parameter; and

after said event(s) has/have occurred, the site evaluates the forecast and allocates prizes to respective players, where appropriate;

a) displaying on the terminals, together with the questions sent to players by the question engine, advertising insertions paid for on the basis of a given rate;

b) evaluating receipts associated with said paid-for advertising insertions;

c) setting up an endowment for sharing amongst a plurality of prizes for allocation over a given period of time, the endowment being a function of the level of said receipts;

d) on detecting an increase in the traffic index above a given threshold, correspondingly increasing said tariff for the advertising insertions;

e) on detecting an increase in said receipts above another given threshold, correspondingly increasing said endowment; and

f) continuing and developing the activity by reiterating above steps d) and e).

2. The method of claim 1, in which said future event is a TV broadcast and said success parameter is a function of the audience rating for said broadcast.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the players can formulate their forecasts before the broadcast and during the broadcast up until a time limit prior to audience results being published.

4. The method of claim 1, in which success parameter is a quantified value representative of said event, and the forecast is a function of said value.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the success parameter is a selection of M events from amongst a plurality of N events, with M≦

N, and that the forecast concerns said selection.

6. The method of claim 5, in which said selection is an ordered selection of M events.

7. The method of claim 1, including a prior stage of starting up the site, including building up a group of precursor players for whom the questions sent are displayed without advertising insertions, until an increase in the traffic index is detected above a given initial threshold leading to a switch to a stage of opening to advertising, in which said paid-for advertising insertions are displayed together with the questions sent to the players.

8. The method of claim 1, in which said prizes are prizes having monetary value.

9. The method of claim 1, in which said given time period for sharing the endowment is a period of one day.

10. The method of claim 1, in which said endowment is a predetermined percentage of said level of the receipts evaluated over said given period of time preceding the allocation of the endowment.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the display of advertising insertions comprises the player responding to a question asked by the site, by making a prior selection of an advertiser from a list of several possible advertisers shown to the player, the displayed advertising insertions then being insertions specific to the advertiser as selected in this way.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising, on each new subscription of a player with the site, a prior stage of determining the player'"'"'s profile, and in which the display of advertising insertions is personalized as a function of said profile of the player.

13. The method of claim 1, in which said increase in the tariff for advertising insertions is an increase with a ceiling on the area of said insertions.

14. The method of claim 1, in which said increase in the tariff for the advertising insertions is an increase with a ceiling on the presentation time of said insertions.