System and method for conducting programming competitions using aliases

• US 8,021,221 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TopCoder, Inc. (Wipro Limited)
• Original Assignee: TopCoder, Inc. (Wipro Limited)
• Inventors: Lydon, Michael, Hughes, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US12/338,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a coding competition. In one embodiment, a method for providing a coding competition includes transmitting a coding problem to contestants, receiving computer code created by a contestant, determining a response of the computer code to test data, and evaluating the response of the computer code to the test data. In another embodiment, a method for evaluating a skill level of a contestant includes electronically communicating a coding problem to contestants, electronically receiving a software program in response to the coding problem from one of the contestants, evaluating the received software program, awarding points to the contestant based on the received software program, and determining a rating for the contestant for the competition based on the number of points awarded to the contestant.

Claims

1. A method for conducting computer programming competitions, comprising:

registering a plurality of contestants with a server by receiving from each contestant an alias for the contestant and associating with the alias, information about the contestant, the alias for use by the contestant in multiple computer programming competitions wherein a number of contestants in each round are invited to participate in the next round based on their submissions and wherein one or more initial rounds are conducted over an internet, and a later round is conducted in person with multiple contestants in the same location; and

in each of two or more computer programming competitions;

associating the contestants with their respective aliases;

communicating, by a server via a network, a plurality of computer programming problems to each of the plurality of registered contestants in the computer programming competition;

receiving submissions via the network from the registered contestants, each submission solving one of the plurality of computer programming problems and associated with said alias;

automatically evaluating, by a competition server, each one of the submissions to determine whether the submissions demonstrate a solution to the computer programming problems;

automatically awarding, by a competition server, points to the contestants based on the evaluation of their respective submissions; and

designating as the computer programming competition winner(s), the contestant(s) who submitted the submission(s) resulting in the greatest number of points, the contestant(s) identified by his (their) respective alias(es).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alias identifies each contestant to other contestants and spectators.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising publishing the submissions with the alias of each respective contestant.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the plurality of computer programming problems to non-participating spectators.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple submissions are submitted for each problem.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the submissions are submitted during a predetermined competition time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the submissions comprise source code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the submissions comprise output data.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the submissions are published during the competition.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the submissions are published following the end of the competition.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein each spectator has an alias.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the data comprises test data.

13. A system for conducting a computer programming competition, comprising:

a contestant registration system for receiving from a plurality of contestants an alias for each contestant and associated information about each contestant, the alias for use by the contestant in multiple computer programming competitions wherein a number of contestants in each round are invited to participate in the next round based on their submissions and wherein one or more initial rounds are conducted over an internet, and a later round is conducted in person with multiple contestants in the same location;

a communication subsystem for communicating over a network a plurality of computer programming problems to each of the plurality of contestants registered for the computer programming competition;

a contest server for receiving submissions over the network from the registered contestants, each submission solving one of the plurality of computer programming problems and associated with said alias;

a scoring system for automatically evaluating each one of the submissions to determine whether the submissions demonstrate a solution to the computer programming problems and awarding points to the contestants based on the evaluation of the submissions; and

a publication system for designating as the computer programming competition winner(s), the contestant(s) having alias(es) who submitted the submission(s) resulting in the greatest number of points.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a submission publication subsystem for publishing the submissions with the respective alias of each contestant.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the alias identifies each contestant to other contestants and spectators.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the submissions comprise test data.