Systems and methods for integrating graphic animation technologies in fantasy sports contest applications

• US 8,223,154 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hughes, Patrick J., Barber, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T
• Application Number:
  US12/965,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/473, 345/474, 345/475, 345/633, 463/1, 463/4, 463/9, 463/25, 463/29, 463/31, 463/40, 463/42, 348/E5.105, 348/584, 700/91, 700/92
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

Systems and methods for integrating graphic animation technologies with fantasy sports contest applications are provided. This invention enables a fantasy sports contest application to depict plays in various sporting events using graphic animation. The fantasy sports contest application may combine graphical representation of real-life elements such as, for example, player facial features, with default elements such as, for example, a generic player body, to create realistic graphic video. The fantasy sports contest application may provide links to animated videos for depicting plays on contest screens in which information associated with the plays may be displayed. The fantasy sports contest application may play the animated video for a user in response to the user selecting such a link. In some embodiment of the present invention, the fantasy sports contest application may also customize animated video based on user-supplied setup information. For example, the fantasy sports contest application may provide play information and other related data to allow a user to generate animated videos using the user'"'"'s own graphics processing equipment and graphics animation program.

Claims

1. A server system for providing animated video related to a real-life sporting event to remotely-located user equipment, the server system configured to:

receive, from the remotely-located user equipment, a selection of a real-life play from the real-life sporting event;

retrieve stored play information from a database in response to the received selection, wherein the play information describes a portion of the real-life play from the real-life sporting event in a standardized format;

identify a processing capability of the user equipment;

translate, based on the identified processing capability of the user equipment, the play information from the standardized format into one of a plurality of types of graphics instructions; and

deliver the translated graphics instructions to the remotely-located user equipment.

2. The server system of claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to receive, from the remotely-located user equipment, information identifying a type of the user equipment.

3. The server system of claim 2, wherein the translation is performed based, at least in part, on the type of the user equipment.

4. The server system of claim 2, wherein the server system is further configured to deliver the translated graphics instructions to the remotely-located user equipment within a maximum delay time that depends on the type of the user equipment.

5. The server system of claim 2, wherein the standardized format is independent of the type associated with the user equipment.

6. The server system of claim 1, wherein each type of graphics instructions in the plurality of types is compatible with a different type of user equipment.

7. The server system of claim 1, wherein the translation is performed based, at least in part, on a subscriber-level of a user associated with the user equipment.

8. The server system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of graphics instructions comprises more than one library of graphics instructions, and wherein each library of graphics instructions is compatible with a different type of user equipment.

9. The server system of claim 1, wherein the processing capability of the user equipment comprises a graphics processing capability of the user equipment.

10. A method for providing animated video related to a real-life sporting event to remotely-located user equipment, the method comprising:

receiving, from the remotely-located user equipment, a selection of a real-life play from the real-life sporting event;

retrieving stored play information from a database in response to the received selection, wherein the play information describes a portion of the real-life play from the real-life sporting event in a standardized format;

identifying a processing capability of the user equipment;

translating, based on the identified processing capability of the user equipment, the play information from the standardized format into one of a plurality of types of graphics instructions; and

delivering the translated graphics instructions to the remotely-located user equipment.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, from the remotely-located user equipment, information identifying a type of the user equipment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the translation is performed based, at least in part, on the type of the user equipment.

13. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising delivering the translated graphics instructions to the remotely-located user equipment within a maximum delay time that depends on the type of the user equipment.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the standardized format is independent of the type associated with the user equipment.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein each type of graphics instructions in the plurality of types is compatible with a different type of user equipment.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the translation is performed based, at least in part, on a subscriber-level of a user associated with the user equipment.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of types of graphics instructions comprises more than one library of graphics instructions, and wherein each library of graphics instructions is compatible with a different type of user equipment.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing capability of the user equipment comprises a graphics processing capability of the user equipment.