Event platform for peer-to-peer digital gaming competition

• US 9,479,602 B1
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skillz Platform, Inc. (Skillz Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Skillz Inc.
• Inventors: Paradise, Andrew, Zografos, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/717,621
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 463 6- 9, 463 16- 25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Data is received identifying a peer-to-peer gaming event and comprising a request to register for the peer-to-peer gaming event, the request originating from peer-to-peer gaming platform software executing on a client. The client is remote from at least one data processor. The peer-to-peer event is a geographically restricted peer-to-peer gaming competition having a plurality of participants each playing a skill-based digital game. The client is associated with the peer-to-peer gaming event. That the client satisfies a geographical location requirement of the peer-to-peer gaming event is determined. The determining is based on the received data and a geolocation of the client. Provision of the skill-based digital game to the client during the peer-to-peer gaming event is caused. The skill-based digital game exchanges game data with a game server remote from the at least one data processor and the client. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Claims

1. A method for implementation by at least one data processor forming part of at least one computing system, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one data processor, data identifying a peer-to-peer gaming event and comprising a request to register for the peer-to-peer gaming event, the request originating from peer-to-peer gaming platform software stored in memory of a client and executing on the client, the client being remote from the data least one data processor, the peer-to-peer event being a geographically restricted peer-to-peer gaming competition having a plurality of participants each playing a skill-based digital game;

associating, using the at least one data processor, the client with the peer-to-peer gaming event;

receiving data characterizing a location of the client according to a geolocation system of the client, wherein the geolocation system of the client is a global positioning system (GPS) service or a local positioning system (LPS) utilizing beacons; and

comparing the location of the client to a predefined geolocation of the peer-to-peer event to determine, using the at least one data processor, that the client satisfies a geographical location requirement of the peer-to-peer gaming event; and

causing, using the at least one data processor, provision of the skill-based digital game to the client during the peer-to-peer gaming event, the skill-based digital game exchanging game data with a game server remote from the at least one data processor and the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the skill-based digital game is a single player game or a multiplayer game.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, using the at least one data processor, a video feed recording in-game actions by, using the peer-to-peer gaming platform, capturing an interface display space of the skill-based digital game and broadcasting the capture to peer-to-peer gaming platforms of one or more additional clients participating in the peer-to-peer event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the video feed includes simultaneously broadcasting the capture and a second capture of in-game actions of another client to enable comparison of the in-game actions between participants of the peer-to-peer gaming event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the another client is selected based on a ranking of performance of the second client in the peer-to-peer gaming competition.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, using at least one data processor, data characterizing historical skill-based gaming metrics for one or more peer-to-peer event participants and historical skill-based gaming metrics for a potential peer-to-peer event participant;

determining, by at least one data processor and using the accessed data, a targeted advertisement to present to the potential peer-to-peer event participant, the targeted advertisement specifying the skill-based digital game and a characterization of the historical skill-based gaming metrics for the one or more peer-to-peer event participants; and

causing to be modified, by at least one data processor, an advertisement display space to include the targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement prompting the potential peer-to-peer event participant to, using a peer-to-peer gaming platform, request to register for the peer-to-peer event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

securing, using the at least one data processor and for a user associated with the client, funds previously deposited by the user as an event entry fee;

transmitting, using the at least one data processor, data characterizing a confirmation that the funds were successfully secured;

receiving, using the at least one data processor, data characterizing an outcome of the peer-to-peer event; and

transferring, using the at least one data processor, at least a portion of the secured funds to an account associated with an event participant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer gaming platform software executing on the client provides a random number seed to an operating system independent random number generator so that an initial state of the skill-based digital game is consistent for the plurality of participants.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer competition includes the plurality of participants concurrently playing the skill-based digital game.

10. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor of at least one computing system, implement a method comprising:

receiving, by at least one data processor, data identifying a peer-to-peer gaming event and comprising a request to register for the peer-to-peer gaming event, the request originating from peer-to-peer gaming platform software stored in memory of a client and executing on the client, the client being remote from the data least one data processor, the peer-to-peer event being a geographically restricted peer-to-peer gaming competition having a plurality of participants each playing a skill-based digital game;

associating, using the at least one data processor, the client with the peer-to-peer gaming event;

receiving data characterizing a location of the client according to a geolocation system of the client, wherein the geolocation system of the client is a global positioning system (GPS) service or a local positioning system (LPS) utilizing beacons; and

comparing the location of the client to a predefined geolocation of the peer-to-peer event to determine, using the at least one data processor, that the client satisfies a geographical location requirement of the peer-to-peer gaming event; and

causing, using the at least one data processor, provision of the skill-based digital game to the client during the peer-to-peer gaming event, the skill-based digital game exchanging game data with a game server remote from the at least one data processor and the client.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the skill-based digital game is a single player game or a multiplayer game.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, the method further comprising:

generating, using the at least one data processor, a video feed recording in-game actions by, using the peer-to-peer gaming platform, capturing an interface display space of the skill-based digital game and broadcasting the capture to peer-to-peer gaming platforms of one or more additional clients participating in the peer-to-peer event.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein generating the video feed includes simultaneously broadcasting the capture and a second capture of in-game actions of another client to enable comparison of the in-game actions between participants of the peer-to-peer gaming event.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the another client is selected based on a ranking of performance of the second client in the peer-to-peer gaming competition.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, the method further comprising:

accessing, using at least one data processor, data characterizing historical skill-based gaming metrics for one or more peer-to-peer event participants and historical skill-based gaming metrics for a potential peer-to-peer event participant;

determining, by at least one data processor and using the accessed data, a targeted advertisement to present to the potential peer-to-peer event participant, the targeted advertisement specifying the skill-based digital game and a characterization of the historical skill-based gaming metrics for the one or more peer-to-peer event participants; and

causing to be modified, by at least one data processor, an advertisement display space to include the targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement prompting the potential peer-to-peer event participant to, using a peer-to-peer gaming platform, request to register for the peer-to-peer event.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, the method further comprising:

securing, using the at least one data processor and for a user associated with the client, funds previously deposited by the user as an event entry fee;

transmitting, using the at least one data processor, data characterizing a confirmation that the funds were successfully secured;

receiving, using the at least one data processor, data characterizing an outcome of the peer-to-peer event; and

transferring, using the at least one data processor, at least a portion of the secured funds to an account associated with an event participant.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the peer-to-peer gaming platform software executing on the client provides a random number seed to an operating system independent random number generator so that an initial state of the skill-based digital game is consistent for the plurality of participants.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the peer-to-peer competition includes the plurality of participants concurrently playing the skill-based digital game.

19. A system comprising:

at least one data processor;

memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by the at least one data processor, data identifying a peer-to-peer gaming event and comprising a request to register for the peer-to-peer gaming event, the request originating from peer-to-peer gaming platform software stored in memory of a client and executing on the client, the client being remote from the data least one data processor, the peer-to-peer event being a geographically restricted peer-to-peer gaming competition having a plurality of participants each playing a skill-based digital game;

associating, using the at least one data processor, the client with the peer-to-peer gaming event;

receiving data characterizing a location of the client according to a geolocation system of the client wherein the geolocation system of the client is a global positioning system (GPS) service or a local positioning system (LPS) utilizing beacons; and

comparing the location of the client to a predefined geolocation of the peer-to-peer event to determine, using the at least one data processor, that the client satisfies a geographical location requirement of the peer-to-peer gaming event; and

causing, using the at least one data processor, provision of the skill-based digital game to the client during the peer-to-peer gaming event, the skill-based digital game exchanging game data with a game server remote from the at least one data processor and the client.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the skill-based digital game is a single player game or a multiplayer game.

21. The system of claim 19, the operations further comprising:

generating, using the at least one data processor, a video feed recording in-game actions by, using the peer-to-peer gaming platform, capturing an interface display space of the skill-based digital game and broadcasting the capture to peer-to-peer gaming platforms of one or more additional clients participating in the peer-to-peer event.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein generating the video feed includes simultaneously broadcasting the capture and a second capture of in-game actions of another client to enable comparison of the in-game actions between participants of the peer-to-peer gaming event.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the another client is selected based on a ranking of performance of the second client in the peer-to-peer gaming competition.

24. The system of claim 19, the operations further comprising:

accessing, using at least one data processor, data characterizing historical skill-based gaming metrics for one or more peer-to-peer event participants and historical skill-based gaming metrics for a potential peer-to-peer event participant;

determining, by at least one data processor and using the accessed data, a targeted advertisement to present to the potential peer-to-peer event participant, the targeted advertisement specifying the skill-based digital game and a characterization of the historical skill-based gaming metrics for the one or more peer-to-peer event participants; and

causing to be modified, by at least one data processor, an advertisement display space to include the targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement prompting the potential peer-to-peer event participant to, using a peer-to-peer gaming platform, request to register for the peer-to-peer event.