Method and apparatus for challenge-based gaming using points and/or money

• US 8,814,664 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Games LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Amaitis, Lee, Williams, Paul, Glantz, Nolan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US13/689,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463 40- 42, 463/1, 700 91- 93
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

Some embodiments may include a poker indexing service. For example, a multi dimensional vector of player performance and/or other data may be determined based on gaming related activity that is input or otherwise captured. Such a vector may be used in various forms to generate a metric or to facilitate wagering and/or other gaming activity. Other methods and apparatus are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a mobile device associated with a first player is located in a first location that is designated as a non-monetary, points only wagering area;

in response to determining that the mobile device is located in the first location, automatically enabling, by the computing device, points wagering and automatically disabling, by the computing device, monetary wagering from the mobile device while the mobile device remains in the first location;

receiving, by the computing device from the mobile device, a challenge by the first player, in which the challenge identifies an amount of points selected by the first player and a second player selected by the first player against whom to place the challenge;

in response to receiving the challenge, identifying, by the computing device, the challenge to the second player;

receiving, by the computing device, an acceptance of the challenge from the second player;

in response to receiving the acceptance, forming, by the computing device, a wager between the first player and the second player based on the challenge;

adjusting, by the computing device, points in an account of a winning player of the challenge in response to determining an outcome of the challenge;

determining, by the computing device, that the mobile device is located in a second location that is designated as a monetary wagering area; and

in response to determining that the mobile device is located in the second location, automatically enabling, by the computing device, said monetary wagering and automatically disabling, by the computing device, said points wagering from the mobile device while the mobile device remains in the second location;

wherein the second location is geographically different from the first location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device from the mobile device, a second challenge by the first player, in which the second challenge identifies a penalty and the second player against whom to place the challenge, in which the penalty is neither a monetary penalty nor a point-based penalty;

in response to receiving the second challenge, identifying, by the computing device, the second challenge to the second player;

receiving, by the computing device, a second acceptance of the second challenge from the second player;

in response to receiving the second acceptance, forming, by the computing device, a second wager between the first player and the second player based on the second challenge; and

imposing, by the computing device, the penalty on the losing player of the second challenge in response to determining a second outcome of the second challenge.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the penalty affects an operation of the losing player'"'"'s mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the penalty includes a change to a ring tone on the losing player'"'"'s telephone.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the penalty includes a change in a background image of the losing player'"'"'s computing device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the penalty includes a change to a social network of the losing player.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the penalty includes a restriction on internet traffic of the losing player'"'"'s computing device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the penalty includes a change to a voicemail of the losing player.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the second challenge identifies a time period during which the penalty is to be imposed, and wherein imposing the penalty on the losing player includes imposing the penalty for the time period.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein imposing the penalty on the losing player includes queuing the penalty for imposition until a previously imposed penalty imposed on the losing player has expired.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the second challenge identifies a benefit that is neither a monetary benefit nor a point based benefit;

and the method further comprises imparting the benefit on the winning player of the second challenge in response to determining the second outcome of the second challenge.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the benefit affects an operation of a computing device of the winning player.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the benefit includes removing a previously imposed penalty from a computing device of the winning player.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the benefit includes access to media.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the challenge includes a fantasy sports challenge, in which the first player identifies a first fantasy team for the fantasy sports challenge, the second player identifies a second fantasy team for the fantasy sports challenge, and the computing device determines an odds for the fantasy sports challenge in response to the identifying of the first fantasy team and the second fantasy team based on historical performance of members of each of the first fantasy team and the second fantasy team in real sporting events.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device from the mobile device, a second challenge by the first player, in which the second challenge identifies a penalty and the second player against whom to place the challenge, in which the penalty is neither a monetary penalty nor a point-based penalty;

in response to receiving the second challenge, identifying, by the computing device, the second challenge to the second player;

receiving, by the computing device, a second acceptance of the second challenge from the second player;

in response to receiving the second acceptance, forming, by the computing device, a second wager between the first player and the second player based on the second challenge; and

imposing, by the computing device, the penalty on the losing player of the second challenge in response to determining a second outcome of the second challenge;

wherein the challenge includes a fantasy sports challenge, in which the first player identifies a first fantasy team for the fantasy sports challenge, the second player identifies a second fantasy team for the fantasy sports challenge, and the computing device determines an odds for the fantasy sports challenge in response to the identifying of the first fantasy team and the second fantasy team based on historical performance of members of each of the first fantasy team and the second fantasy team in real sporting events;

wherein the penalty does at least one of affects an operation of the losing player'"'"'s mobile telephone, changes a ring tone on the losing player'"'"'s telephone, changes a background image of the losing player'"'"'s computing device, changes a social network of the losing player, restricts internet traffic on the losing player'"'"'s computing device, and changes a voicemail of the losing player;

wherein the second challenge identifies a time period during which the penalty is to be imposed;

wherein imposing the penalty on the losing player includes imposing the penalty for the time period;

wherein imposing the penalty on the losing player includes queuing the penalty for imposition until a previously imposed penalty imposed on the losing player has expired;

wherein the second challenge identifies a benefit that is neither a monetary benefit nor a point based benefit;

wherein imparting the benefit on the winning player of the second challenge is in response to determining the second outcome of the second challenge; and

wherein the benefit does at least one of affects an operation of a computing device of the winning player, removes a previously imposed penalty from a computing device of the winning player, and allows access to media by the winning player.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to;

determine that a mobile device associated with a first player is located in a first location that is designated as a non-monetary, points only wagering area;

in response to determining that the mobile device is located in the first location, automatically enable points wagering and automatically disabling monetary wagering from the mobile device while the mobile device remains in the first location;

receive, from the mobile device, a challenge by the first player, in which the challenge identifies an amount of points selected by the player and a second player selected by the player against whom to place the challenge;

in response to receiving the challenge, identify the challenge to the second player;

receive an acceptance of the challenge from the second player;

in response to receiving the acceptance, form a wager between the first player and the second player based on the challenge;

adjust points in an account of a winning player of the challenge in response to determining an outcome of the challenge;

determine mobile device is located in a second location that is designated as a monetary wagering area; and

in response to determining that the mobile device is located in the second location, automatically enable monetary wagering and automatically disable points wagering from the mobile device while the mobile device remains in the second location;

wherein the second location is geographically different from the first location.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

receive from the mobile device a second challenge by the first player, in which the second challenge identifies a penalty and the second player against whom to place the challenge, in which the penalty is neither a monetary penalty nor a point-based penalty;

in response to receiving the second challenge, identify the second challenge to the second player;

receive a second acceptance of the second challenge from the second player;

in response to receiving the second acceptance, form a second wager between the first player and the second player based on the second challenge; and

impose the penalty on the losing player of the second challenge in response to determining a second outcome of the second challenge.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the penalty affects an operation of the losing player'"'"'s mobile telephone.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the challenge includes a fantasy sports challenge, in which the first player identifies a first fantasy team for the fantasy sports challenge, the second player identifies a second fantasy team for the fantasy sports challenge, and the instructions cause the computing device to:

determine an odds for the fantasy sports challenge in response to the identifying of the first fantasy team and the second fantasy team based on historical performance of members of each of the first fantasy team and the second fantasy team in real sporting events.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the computing device, wherein the computing device includes a processor.