System and method of revealing the outcomes of real world wagers through geolocation reveals

• US 9,922,498 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Game Play Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Game Play Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Fine, Russell M., Selby, Jamison
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US15/381,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 463 25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods of placing real-world wagers, obtaining outcomes of the real-world wagers, facilitating user interactions with various interactive media, and revealing the outcomes of the real-world wagers through location-based reveals to give an appearance that the outcomes of the real-world wagers resulted from the user location even though the outcomes resulted from the real-world wagers. The system may associate certain locations with a reveal such that when a user enters, is determined to be at, and/or leaves a reveal location, a reveal opportunity may be presented to the user. For example, the system may invite the user to make a purchase at a nearby partner retailer for a chance to win a payout or be guaranteed to win a payout and/or may simply obtain a particular payout (e.g., via cash, item, etc.) when a user enters a particular location.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of revealing portions of outcomes of wagers through interactive media applications based on location-triggered reveal opportunities, the method being implemented in a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, an outcome of a wager associated with a user;

updating, by the computer system, a user account balance associated with the user based on the outcome of the wager;

determining, by the computer system, a location associated with the user;

determining, by the computer system, that the location associated with the user corresponds to a location associated with a reveal opportunity; and

responsive to the determination that the location associated with the user corresponds to the location associated with the reveal opportunity, causing, by the computer system, at least a portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that the location corresponds to the location associated with the reveal opportunity comprises a determination that the location associated with the user is the same as the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that the location corresponds to the location associated with the reveal opportunity comprises a determination that the location associated with the user is in a proximity to the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

selecting, by the computer system, the reveal opportunity from a plurality of reveal opportunities based on the reveal opportunity being more suitable than other ones of the plurality of reveal opportunities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location associated with the reveal opportunity comprises a first location, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, a first amount of the user account balance to be revealed to the user based on the location associated with the user responsive to a determination that the location associated with the user corresponds to the first location, wherein the portion of the user account balance comprises the first amount;

determining, by the computer system, a second location associated with the user;

determining, by the computer system, that the second location associated with the user corresponds to a second location associated with a second reveal opportunity, wherein the second location associated with the second reveal opportunity is different from the first location;

determining, by the computer system, a second amount of the user account balance to be revealed to the user based on the second location associated with the user responsive to a determination that the second location associated with the user corresponds to the second location associated with the second reveal opportunity; and

responsive to the determination that the second location associated with the user corresponds to the second location associated with the second reveal opportunity, causing, by the computer system, at least the second amount of the user account balance to be revealed to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, a reveal specification comprising one or more reveal parameters that specify an amount of the user account balance to potentially reveal to the user, wherein the one or more reveal parameters specify at least the portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user and the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user comprises:

causing, by the computer system, the reveal specification to be transmitted, via a network, to an interactive media application.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, back from the interactive media application, information relating to an amount revealed to the user; and

updating, by the computer system, the user account balance based on the information received back from the interactive media application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user account balance is associated with a first balance representative of a revealed portion of the user account balance and a second balance representative of an unrevealed portion of the user account balance, and wherein updating the user account balance based on the information received back from the interactive media application comprises:

decrementing, by the computer system, the second balance based on the amount revealed to the user; and

incrementing, by the computer system, the first balance based on the amount revealed to the user.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more reveal parameters further specify a level of difficulty of an objective to be completed by the user that should be required to obtain the reveal of at least the portion of the user account balance.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more reveal parameters further specify that the reveal of at least the portion of the user account balance is conditioned on a purchase at a participating retailer associated with the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

causing, by the computer system, the wager to be placed on behalf of the user through a third-party wagering system.

13. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

causing, by the computer system, an invitation to be transmitted to the user to visit the location associated with the reveal opportunity to potentially obtain the reveal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the invitation comprises a promotion to incent the user to visit the location associated with the reveal opportunity, the promotion received from a participating retailer associated with the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account balance is associated with a first balance representative of a revealed portion of the user account balance and a second balance representative of an unrevealed portion of the user account balance, and wherein updating the user account balance based on the outcome comprises:

incrementing, by the computer system, the second balance based on a payout of the outcome.

16. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, location information from a location device associated with the user, wherein the location associated with the user is determined based on the location information.

17. A system for revealing portions of outcomes of wagers through interactive media applications based on location-triggered reveal opportunities, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising one or more processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, program the computer system to;

obtain an outcome of a wager associated with a user;

update a user account balance associated with the user based on the outcome of the wager;

determine a location associated with the user;

determine that the location associated with the user corresponds to a location associated with a reveal opportunity; and

responsive to the determination that the location associated with the user corresponds to the location associated with the reveal opportunity, cause at least a portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the determination that the location corresponds to the location associated with the reveal opportunity comprises a determination that the location associated with the user is the same as the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the determination that the location corresponds to the location associated with the reveal opportunity comprises a determination that the location associated with the user is in a proximity to the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

select the reveal opportunity from a plurality of reveal opportunities based on the reveal opportunity being more suitable than other ones of the plurality of reveal opportunities.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the location associated with the reveal opportunity comprises a first location, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine a first amount of the user account balance to be revealed to the user based on the location associated with the user responsive to a determination that the location associated with the user corresponds to the first location, wherein the portion of the user account balance comprises the first amount;

determine a second location associated with the user;

determine that the second location associated with the user corresponds to a second location associated with a second reveal opportunity, wherein the second location associated with the second reveal opportunity is different from the first location;

determine a second amount of the user account balance to be revealed to the user based on the second location associated with the user responsive to a determination that the second location associated with the user corresponds to the second location associated with the second reveal opportunity; and

responsive to the determination that the second location associated with the user corresponds to the second location associated with the second reveal opportunity, cause at least the second amount of the user account balance to be revealed to the user.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

obtain a reveal specification comprising one or more reveal parameters that specify an amount of the user account balance to potentially reveal to the user, wherein the one or more reveal parameters specify at least the portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user and the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein to cause the portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user, the computer system is further programmed to:

cause the reveal specification to be transmitted, via a network, to an interactive media application.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

receive, back from the interactive media application, information relating to an amount revealed to the user; and

update the user account balance based on the information received back from the interactive media application.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the user account balance is associated with a first balance representative of a revealed portion of the user account balance and a second balance representative of an unrevealed portion of the user account balance, and wherein to update the user account balance based on the information received back from the interactive media application, the computer system is further programmed to:

decrement the second balance based on the amount revealed to the user; and

increment the first balance based on the amount revealed to the user.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more reveal parameters further specify a level of difficulty of an objective to be completed by the user that should be required to obtain the reveal of at least the portion of the user account balance.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more reveal parameters further specify that the reveal of at least the portion of the user account balance is conditioned on a purchase at a participating retailer associated with the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

cause the wager to be placed on behalf of the user through a third-party wagering system.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

cause an invitation to be transmitted to the user to visit the location associated with the reveal opportunity to potentially obtain the reveal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the invitation comprises a promotion to incent the user to visit the location associated with the reveal opportunity, the promotion received from a participating retailer associated with the location associated with the reveal opportunity.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the user account balance is associated with a first balance representative of a revealed portion of the user account balance and a second balance representative of an unrevealed portion of the user account balance, and wherein to update the user account balance based on the outcome, the computer system is further programmed to:

increment the second balance based on a payout of the outcome.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

obtain location information from a location device associated with the user, wherein the location associated with the user is determined based on the location information.

33. A computer implemented method of revealing portions of outcomes of wagers through interactive media applications based on location-triggered wager opportunities, the method being implemented in a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, one or more wager parameters that specify a wager to be placed on behalf of a user;

determining, by the computer system, a location associated with the user;

determining, by the computer system, that the location associated with the user corresponds to a location at which the wager is legally permitted;

responsive to the determination that the location associated with the user corresponds to a location at which the wager is legally permitted, causing, by the computer system, the wager to be placed on behalf of the user based on the one or more wager parameters;

obtaining, by the computer system, an outcome of the wager;

updating, by the computer system, a user account balance associated with the user based on the outcome of the wager; and

causing, by the computer system, at least a portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the one or more wager parameters specify a type of wager event on which to place the wager, a particular wager event on which to place the wager, a particular wager outcome, a wager amount, a number of wagers to place, and/or a type of wager to place.

35. The method of claim 33, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, a reveal specification comprising one or more reveal parameters that specify an amount of the user account balance to potentially reveal to the user, wherein the one or more reveal parameters specify at least the portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein causing the portion of the user account balance to be revealed to the user comprises:

causing, by the computer system, the reveal specification to be transmitted, via a network, to an interactive media application.

37. The method of claim 36, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, back from the interactive media application, information relating to an amount revealed to the user; and

updating, by the computer system, the user account balance based on the information received back from the interactive media application.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the user account balance is associated with a first balance representative of a revealed portion of the user account balance and a second balance representative of an unrevealed portion of the user account balance, and wherein updating the user account balance based on the information received back from the interactive media application comprises:

decrementing, by the computer system, the second balance based on the amount revealed to the user; and

incrementing, by the computer system, the first balance based on the amount revealed to the user.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the user account balance is associated with a first balance representative of a revealed portion of the user account balance and a second balance representative of an unrevealed portion of the user account balance, and wherein updating the user account balance based on the outcome comprises:

incrementing, by the computer system, the second balance based on a payout of the outcome.

40. The method of claim 33, the method further comprising:

causing, by the computer system, the wager to be placed on behalf of the user through a third-party wagering system.

41. The method of claim 33, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, location information from a location device associated with the user, wherein the location associated with the user is determined based on the location information.