Box office game

• US 9,218,720 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Costakis, Alexander, Hartke, Jeffrey, Hung, Tzukai
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weatherford, Syvila
• Application Number:
  US12/104,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20090017890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• 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

In at least one aspect, methods and corresponding systems operable to perform the methods are provided herein that allow multiple players, registered and unregistered, to play a game wherein players submit predictions for box office revenue for a plurality of films and, in certain instances, are awarded points for the proximity of the prediction to actual revenues.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a processor, at least two predictions for a box office performance for at least one film, in which the at least two predictions are submitted by a registered player and an unregistered player of a game;

computing, via the processor, an actual box office earning for the at least one film;

computing, via the processor, a percentage by which each prediction is within the actual box office earning;

assigning, via the processor based on the computed percentage, a first quantity of points and at least one prize to the registered user;

assigning, via the processor based on the computed percentage, a second quantity of points to the unregistered user, in which the unregistered user is not permitted to receive a prize; and

transmitting to a remote device, via the processor, an indication that the at least one prize has been assigned to the registered player, in which the remote device and the processor are in electronic communication over a network.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the unregistered player is provided limited privileges in playing the game.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the registered player is provided full privileges in playing the game.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

requesting that the registered player enter an unique user name before providing full privileges.

5. The method of claim 1, in which at least one bonus point is awarded for an exact match between a prediction and the actual box office earning.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, based on an overall score of the registered user, that the registered user qualifies a to be listed on a leader board.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a research link that corresponds to content that assists in the at least two predictions.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request to view at least one result from a previous prediction.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining that the request to view is submitted by a registered player; and

transmitting the at least one result from the previous prediction.

10. An article of manufacture comprising:

a tangible, non-transitory storage medium, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, direct the processor to;

receive at least two predictions for a box office performance for at least one film, in which the at least two predictions are submitted by a registered player and an unregistered player of a game;

compute an actual box office earning for the at least one film;

compute a percentage by which each prediction is within the actual box office earning;

assign, based on the computed percentage, a first quantity of points and at least one prize to the registered user;

assign, based on the computed percentage, a second quantity of points to the unregistered user, in which the unregistered user is not permitted to receive a prize; and

transmit an indication that the at least one prize has been assigned to the registered player.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, in which the unregistered player is provided limited privileges in playing the game.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 10, in which the registered player is provided full privileges in playing the game.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, direct the processor to:

requesting that the registered player enter an unique user name before providing full privileges.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 10, in which at least one bonus point is awarded for an exact match between a prediction and the actual box office earning.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 10, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, direct the processor to:

determine, based on an overall score of the registered player, that the registered player qualifies to be listed on a leader board.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 10, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, direct the processor to:

provide a research link that corresponds to content that assists in the at least two predictions.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 10, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, direct the processor to:

receive a request to view at least one result from a previous prediction.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, direct the processor to:

determine that the request to view is submitted by a registered player; and

transmit the at least one result from the previous prediction.