Controlled gaming between registered and unregistered players

• US 10,398,983 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• 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:
  US14/974,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20160310849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• 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 by at least one processor from an unregistered player via a computing device in use by the unregistered player a prediction for a variable associated with each of a plurality of events;

generating by the at least one processor a unique identifier automatically for the unregistered player;

causing by the at least one processor a data file to be stored on the computing device in use by the unregistered player, the data file comprising the unique identifier for the unregistered player;

retrieving by the at least one processor a result of the predictions for the unregistered player based on the unique identifier stored in the data file;

communicating by the at least one processor the result to the unregistered player via the computing device;

receiving by the at least one processor from a registered player via an interface screen of a computing device in use by the registered player a prediction for a variable associated with each of a plurality of events;

retrieving by the at least one processor a result of the predictions for the registered player based on a unique identifier associated with the registered player; and

communicating by the at least one processor the result of the predictions for the registered player to the registered player;

generating by the at least one processor electronic commands directed to the computing device associated with the registered player to cause the interface screen of the computing device associated with the registered player to be directed to another interface screen that comprises a listing of participating players; and

communicating by the at least one processor a list of a plurality of new events and wherein the predictions from the unregistered and registered players are for each of the plurality of new events, wherein each of the plurality of events comprises a film, wherein the list comprises at least one holdover, and wherein the predictions received from the unregistered and registered players are further for the at least one holdover.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of events comprises a film and wherein the variable associated with each of the plurality of films comprises box office revenue for the film for an amount of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the amount of time comprises an opening weekend.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the amount of time comprises a weekend following an opening weekend.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a score for the registered player based on the results of the predictions for the registered player, wherein the score is computed based on sum of at least a first score applied to predictions within a first range of an actual value of the variable and a second score applied to predictions within a second range of the actual value of the variable.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing an interface screen to be displayed at the computing device associated with the unregistered and registered players, the interface screen comprising a listing of events and a form element adjacent to each of the events for the players to specify their predictions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an average of predictions of a plurality of players and communicating the average to at least one of the unregistered and the registered players.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating only to registered players a leader board comprising a listing of other registered players having a best score for a period of time.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one processor and having software instructions stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor direct the at least one processor to;

receive from an unregistered player via a computing device in use by the unregistered player a prediction for a variable associated with each of a plurality of events;

generate a unique identifier automatically for the unregistered player;

cause a data file to be stored on the computing device in use by the unregistered player, the data file comprising the unique identifier for the unregistered player;

retrieve a result of the predictions for the unregistered player based on the unique identifier stored in the data file;

communicate the result to the unregistered player via the computing device;

receive from a registered player via a computing device in use by the registered player a prediction for a variable associated with each of a plurality of events;

retrieve a result of the predictions for the registered player based on a unique identifier associated with the registered player;

communicate the result of the predictions for the registered player to the registered player;

generate by the at least one processor electronic commands directed to the computing device associated with the registered player to cause the interface screen of the computing device associated with the registered player to be directed to another interface screen that comprises a listing of participating players; and

communicate a list of a plurality of new events and wherein the predictions from the unregistered and registered players are for each of the plurality of new events, wherein each of the plurality of events comprises a film, wherein the list comprises at least one holdover, and wherein the predictions from the unregistered and registered players are further for the at least one holdover.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of events comprises a film and wherein the variable associated with each of the plurality of films comprises box office revenue for the film for an amount of time.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the amount of time comprises an opening weekend.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the amount of time comprises a weekend following an opening weekend.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to determine a score for the registered player based on the results of the predictions for the registered player, wherein the score is computed based on sum of at least a first score applied to predictions within a first range of an actual value of the variable and a second score applied to predictions within a second range of the actual value of the variable.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to cause an interface screen to be displayed at the computing device associated with the unregistered and registered users, the interface screen comprising a listing of events and a form element adjacent to each of the films for the players to specify their predictions.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to determine an average of predictions of a plurality of players and communicating the average to at least one of the unregistered and the registered players.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to communicate only to registered players a leader board comprising a listing of other registered players having a best score for a period of time.