System and method for wagering badges

• US 9,047,736 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lempel, Eric, Cho, Jennifer, De Guzman, Dawn Cindy
• Primary Examiner(s): SUN, YU-HSI DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/420,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20100261520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

A method for wagering badges. The method includes establishing badges representing an associated event, such as a window of time that the badge was available. A predetermined criteria for the badges are established, such as an activity required for a gamer to obtain a particular badge, and a determination is made that a gamer is entitled to the badge, based on the predetermined criteria. Similarly, other gamers can also obtain badges by meeting the criteria for the badge. Each gamer, is associated with their badges and a wager or trade between gamers can be established whereby the gamers wager or trade chosen badges. Ownership of the wagered badges is then transferred based on the outcome of the wager or trade.

Claims

1. A method for transacting one or more symbols comprising:

establishing one or more first symbols obtainable in a first game title;

establishing first predetermined criteria for the one or more first symbols;

determining that a first user is entitled to one or more particular first symbols based on the first predetermined criteria;

establishing one or more second symbols obtainable in a second game title, the second game title being different from the first game title across a network of games and the second symbols being different from the first symbols;

establishing predetermined second criteria for the one or more second symbols;

determining that a second user is entitled to one or more particular second symbols based on the second predetermined criteria;

associating the first user with one or more first particular symbols;

associating the second user with one or more second particular symbols;

establishing a transaction between the first user and the second user, the transaction utilizing (1) one or more first particular symbols wagered by the first user and (2) one or more second particular symbols wagered by the second user and (3) a competition,

wherein the competition is a challenge where the first user challenges the second user to meet or exceed a metric; and

transferring the utilized one or more first or second symbols based on the transaction.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria is related to a time period that a particular first symbol or second symbol is available for acquisition by one or more users.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria is related to activities by one or more users.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein selected first symbols are associated with a skill level and selected second symbols are associated with a skill level.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing an electronic escrow account for the first user and the second user to store the utilized first particular symbols for the first user and the utilized second particular symbols for the second user.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transaction comprises an activity between the first user and the second user.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transaction comprises an activity by one of the first user or the second user.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing the transaction comprises:

identifying items and/or first and second particular symbols to be transacted; and

wherein the transferring step comprises determining whether to transfer the identified items and/or first and second particular symbols based on the transaction.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing an indication associated with each first particular symbol and each second particular symbol obtained by the respective first and second users, the indication based on a manner in which the respective first or second particular symbol was obtained.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each first particular symbol and each second particular symbol includes an historical profile of the respective particular symbol.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the first symbols or second symbols include audio data.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring an ownership status of one or more first symbols and the one or more second symbols.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each first symbol and each second symbol has an associated class.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each first symbol and each second symbol has an associated number.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein audio advertising information is played when the one or more particular first symbols or the one or more particular second symbols is displayed to any user,

wherein a third party establishes the one or more particular first symbols or the one or more particular second symbols and the associated advertising information.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

associating a particular status with each first particular symbol and each second particular symbol,

wherein the status determines a type of transaction associated with the respective symbol.

17. A method for transacting one or more symbols comprising:

associating one or more first particular symbols with a first user, the first particular symbol representing an achievement earned by the first user in a first game title;

associating one or more second particular symbols with a second user, the second particular symbol representing an achievement earned by the second user in a second game title, the second game title being different from the first game title across a network of games and the second symbols being different from the first symbols;

establishing a transaction between the first user and the second user, the transaction utilizing (1) the first particular symbol wagered by the first user, and (2) the second particular symbol wagered by the second user, and (3) a competition,

wherein the competition is a challenge where the first user challenges the second user to meet or exceed a metric; and

transferring the utilized first or second particular symbol wagered based on the transaction.