Method for authenticating a wager using a system and method for interacting with virtual geographic zones

• US 9,317,996 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonal Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Pierce II
• Inventors: Pierce, Robert L. II, Northrup, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US14/209,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20140194192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• 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: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A system and method for user interaction includes a network, a server connected to the network, a supervisor device receiving information from a global positioning system and connected to the network, a user device receiving information from the global positioning system and connected to the network. The supervisor, having the supervisor device, defines a set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones in which the user device is tracked, and saves the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones to a supervisor account on the server. The user downloads a user application, sets-up a user account, and downloads the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones. As the user, having the user device, moves through the virtual geographic zones and sub-zones the location of the user device is determined and a set of supervisor-defined actions are executed on the user device based on the location of the user device.

Claims

1. In a system comprising a network, a server connected to the network, a supervisor device connected to the network, and a user device connected to the network, the server programmed to store and execute instructions that cause the system to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the supervisor device, a first set of points;

defining, by the supervisor device, a zone from the first set of points by defining the first set of points as a set of vertices for the zone;

receiving, by the supervisor device, a second set of points within the zone;

defining, by the supervisor device, a sub-zone from the second set of points;

defining, by the supervisor device, a set of actions for the zone;

receiving, by the user device, a location of the user device;

comparing, by the server, the location of the user device to a location of the zone;

executing, by the user device, the set of actions if the location of the user device engages the zone;

receiving, by the server, a wager if the location of the user device is within the zone;

receiving, by the server, an outcome;

comparing, by the server, the outcome to the wager;

allocating, by the server, a credit if the outcome coincides with the wager; and

,

allocating, by the server, a debit if the outcome does not coincide with the wager.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

comparing, by the user device, the location of the user device to the sub-zone; and

,

executing, by the user device, the set of actions if the location of the user device is within the sub-zone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining a sub-zone further comprises the steps of:

defining, by the supervisor device, an “

exclusion”

zone;

receiving, by supervisor device, a subset of excluded actions from the set of actions; and

,

associating, by supervisor device, the subset of excluded actions with the exclusion zone.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of periodically monitoring, by the user device, the location of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving, by the supervisor device, a set of gaming classes for the zone.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of defining, by the supervisor device, the set of gaming classes for the zone.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of defining, by the supervisor device, a subset of the set of gaming classes for the zone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a range, by the server, for the zone;

receiving, by the server, a set of contact locations;

comparing, by the server, each contact location of the set of contact locations to the range to determine an included set of contacts; and

,

sending, by the server, the included set of contacts to the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

calculating, by the server, a fee from the wager; and

,

allocating, by the server, the fee to a location host.

10. The method of claim 1:

wherein each vertex of the set of vertices includes longitude, latitude, and altitude;

wherein the zone includes a building and a plurality of sub-zones;

wherein the zone includes a time period;

wherein the sub-zone is one of the plurality of sub-zones and each floor of the building includes one of the plurality of sub-zones;

wherein each sub-zone includes a time period;

wherein the zone is displayed on the user device;

wherein a user account associated with the wager is linked to a social media network account of a user of the user device;

wherein the user device queries a contact list of the social media network account and searches for other users that are;

on the contact list, in one of a set of zones, have user accounts linked to social media network accounts, and are declared as discoverable;

wherein upon being selected to display friends, the user device displays one or more of the other users that are in the zone;

wherein upon being selected to expand coverage, the user device displays one or more of the other users that are in the set of zones;

wherein the wager is between the user in the zone, which is one of the set of zones, and one of the other users in a different zone of the set of zones; and

,

wherein each zone of the set of zones is a gaming zone that defines a gaming class where selected games and subsets of games are enabled.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the zone is a first three dimensional polyhedron.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the subzone is a second three dimensional polyhedron.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the zone is displayed on a map on the user device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, social network criteria including a username, a password, a discoverability status, and a discoverability range;

logging into a social media network, by the server, with the social network criteria;

determining, by the server, a set of users based on the social network criteria, a contact list of the social media network associated with the user device;

wherein the set of users is displayed on the user device;

wherein one or more other users of the set of users is selected for communication and contacted via the user device; and

,

wherein one of the other users places the wager.

15. In a system comprising a network, a server connected to the network, a supervisor device connected to the network, and a user device connected to the network, the server programmed to store and execute instructions that cause the system to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the supervisor device, a first set of points;

defining, by the supervisor device, a zone from the first set of points by defining the first set of points as a set of vertices for the zone;

receiving, by the supervisor device, a second set of points within the zone;

defining, by the supervisor device, a sub-zone from the second set of points;

defining, by the supervisor device, a first set of actions for the zone;

defining, by the supervisor device, a second set of actions for the sub-zone;

determining, by the user device, a location of the user device;

comparing, by the server, the location of the user device to a location of the zone;

executing, by the user device, the first set of actions if the location of the user device is within the zone;

receiving, by the server, a first wager if the location of the user device is within the zone;

receiving, by the server, a first outcome;

comparing, by the server, the first outcome to the first wager;

calculating, by the server, a first credit;

calculating, by the server, a first debit;

allocating, by the server, the first credit if the first outcome coincides with the first wager;

allocating, by the server, the first debit if the first outcome does not coincide with the first wager;

comparing, by the server, the location of the user device to a location of the sub-zone;

executing, by the user device, the second set of actions if the location of the user device is within the sub-zone;

receiving, by the server, a second wager if the location of the user device is within the sub-zone;

receiving, by the server, a second outcome;

comparing, by the server, the second outcome to the second wager;

calculating, by the server, a second credit;

calculating, by the server, a second debit;

allocating, by the server, the second credit if the second outcome coincides with the second wager; and

,

allocating, by the server, the second debit if the second outcome does not coincide with the second wager.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

defining, by the supervisor device, a subset of excluded actions from the first set of actions; and

,

associating, by the supervisor device, the subset of excluded actions with the sub-zone.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of updating, by the supervisor device, the first set of actions.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of defining, by the supervisor device, a first set of actions for the zone further comprises the step of defining, by the supervisor device, a set of games.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of receiving a first set of points by the supervisor device further comprises receiving, by the supervisor device, a set of location information.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of defining a first set of actions for the zone by the supervisor device further comprises the step of defining, by the supervisor device, a set of gaming classes for the games.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring, by the user device, the location of the user device; and

,

determining, by the user device, if the location of the user device is within the zone.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of defining a zone by the supervisor device further comprises the step of determining, by the supervisor device, a zone type selected from the group of an “

exclusion”

zone and an “

inclusion”

zone.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of defining a sub-zone by the server further comprises the step of determining, by the user server, a sub-zone type selected from the group of an “

exclusion”

sub-zone and an “

inclusion”

sub-zone.

24. A system for interacting with a user, comprising:

a network;

a server, connected to the network,

a supervisor device connected to the network,

a user device, connected to the network,

the supervisor device programmed to carry out the steps of;

receiving a first set of points;

defining a set of zones from the first set of points by defining the first set of points as a set of vertices for the set of zones;

receiving a second set of points within the set of zones;

defining a set of sub-zones from the second set of points;

receiving a set of actions related to the set of zones;

the server programmed to carry out the steps of;

comparing the location of the user device to locations of the set of zones;

allocating a credit if the outcome coincides with the wager;

allocating a debit if the outcome does not coincide with the wager;

the user device programmed to carry out the steps of;

determining a location of the user device;

executing the set of actions, if the location of the user device is engaged with the set of zones;

receiving a wager if the location of the user device is within the set of zones;

sending the wager to the server;

determining an outcome; and

,

sending the outcome to the server.

25. The system of claim 24,

wherein the supervisor device is programmed to carry out the step of:

defining the set of actions.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the supervisor device is further programmed to carry out the steps of:

receiving a subset of excluded actions from the set of actions; and

,

associating the subset of excluded actions with a zone of the set of zones.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the supervisor device is further programmed to carry out the step of determining an “

exclusion”

zone.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the user device is further programmed to carry out the steps of:

monitoring the location of the user device at a predetermined frequency; and

,

altering the predetermined frequency, based on a velocity of the user device.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the server is further programmed to carry out the steps of:

comparing the outcome to the wager.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is further programmed to carry out the steps of:

receiving a transfer amount; and

,

allocating the transfer amount to a user account.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the set of actions is a set of gaming class authentications.

32. A method of a user device connected to a network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the user device and from a server associated with a zone, a first set of points, a second set of points, and a set of actions;

wherein a zone is defined from the first set of points by defining the first set of points as a set of vertices for the zone;

wherein a sub-zone is defined from the second set of points;

receiving, by the user device, a location of the user device;

comparing, by the user device, the location of the user device to a location of the zone;

executing, by the user device, the set of actions delivered from the server associated with the zone, if the location of the user device is within the zone;

entering, by the user device, a wager if the location of the user device is within the zone;

determining, by the user device, an outcome;

wherein the outcome is compared to the wager;

wherein a credit is allocated if the outcome coincides with the wager; and

,

wherein a debit is allocated if the outcome does not coincide with the wager.

33. In a system comprising a network, a server connected to the network, a supervisor device connected to the network, and a user device connected to the network, the user device programmed to store and execute instructions that cause the system to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the user device from a server associated with a zone, a first set of points, a second set of points, a first set of actions, and a second set of actions;

wherein a zone is defined from the first set of points by defining the first set of points as a set of vertices for the zone;

wherein a sub-zone is defined from the second set of points;

wherein a first set of actions is defined for the zone;

wherein a second set of actions is defined for the sub-zone;

determining, by the user device, a location of the user device;

comparing, by the user device, the location of the user device to a location of the zone;

executing, by the user device, the first set of actions if the location of the user device is within the zone;

entering, by the user device, a first wager if the location of the user device is within the zone;

determining, by the user device, a first outcome;

wherein the first outcome is compared to the first wager;

wherein a first credit is calculated;

wherein a first debit is calculated;

wherein the first credit is allocated if the first outcome coincides with the first wager;

wherein the first debit is allocated if the first outcome does not coincide with the first wager;

comparing, by the user device, the location of the user device to a location of the sub-zone;

executing, by the user device, the second set of actions if the location of the user device is within the sub-zone;

entering, by the user device, a second wager if the location of the user device is within the sub-zone;

determining, by the user device, a second outcome;

wherein the second outcome is compared to the second wager;

wherein a second credit is calculated;

wherein a second debit is calculated;

wherein the second credit is allocated if the second outcome coincides with the second wager; and

,

wherein the second debit is allocated if the second outcome does not coincide with the second wager.