Systems and/or methods for stock portfolio based competitive simulations

• US 8,393,970 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Augustus C. Johnson Jr
• Original Assignee: Augustus C. Johnson Jr
• Inventors: Johnson, Augustus C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/351,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/4, 463/5
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• 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: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments described herein relate to systems and/or methods for competitive simulations and, more particularly, to systems and/or methods in which users build stock portfolios that compete against each other, with the performance of each user'"'"'s stock portfolio being based on one or more stock market related metrics (e.g., price per share, market capitalization, volume of trade, etc.). A user'"'"'s portfolio may be formed and/or reformed so as to comply with certain predefined criteria (e.g., company traded on a particular exchange, company belonging to a particular market sector, etc.). The performance of each team/portfolio may be depicted using sports-related imagery (e.g., as teams on a football field, a basketball court, around a baseball diamond, etc.).

Claims

1. In a computer-mediated network environment comprising a plurality of computers, a method of conducting a competitive simulation between a plurality of users, each said user having an associated team, the method comprising:

enabling a plurality of teams to be built in accordance with the requirements of a pre-selected sport, each said team comprising a plurality of players, and each said player representing an asset tradable on an applicable market;

defining games to be played between the teams, each said game having a set start time and being played over a common game duration;

for each said game, comparing market-related metrics for the players of each team playing in the game, the market related metrics being provided by a feed application running on a computer system; and

determining, via at least said computer, a winner of each said game based on the comparing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sport involves two teams competing against one another.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing built teams into one or more leagues.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the game duration is a one business week period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each predefined period of the game time corresponds to one trading day.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the market-related metrics denote values associated with the assets.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the players to be displayed on a field according to the selected sport; and

causing the displayed players to be animated in dependence on the comparing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing is performed on a player-by-player basis.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each said player is assigned to a position appropriate for the sport and the comparing is performed on a position-by-position basis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing is performed based on aggregated values of the players on each team.

11. A method of conducting a competitive simulation between a plurality of users in accordance with a theme tied to a selected sport, each said user having an associated team with a plurality of player positions to be filled with players, the method comprising:

filling the positions on the teams via a player draft, and/or enabling the users to fill the positions on their teams via the player draft, wherein each said player in the draft represents a tradable asset having an objectively quantifiable market-based value discernable with reference to a data feed application running on a computer system;

enabling each user to designate a lineup for that user'"'"'s team based on players drafted to that team and the positions associated with the selected sport;

simulating, via at least one computer, team performances in predefined game scenarios of the competitive simulation, the game scenarios each occurring over a predetermined time period, the performances being based on the values of the assets corresponding to the players in the lineups of the teams participating in the game scenarios as discerned with reference to the data feed application running on the computer system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the team is rewarded with a bonus situation, the bonus situation being provided randomly or in dependence on a predetermined event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the bonus situation is one or more of a corner-kick, a penalty kick, a free throw attempt, and a power play.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a team is penalized randomly or in dependence on a predetermined event.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein each said player is assigned to a position on the team in dependence on an industry sector in which the associated asset belongs.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein simulated team performance is displayable on a field appropriate for the sport.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the lineup is changeable during a game via a substitution.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the players on a team are changeable based on trades or sales of the players.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing the players to be displayed on a field appropriate for the selected sport; and

causing the displayed players to be animated in dependence on the comparing.

15. The method of 14, wherein the team is penalized with one or more of a technical foul, a player being placed in a penalty box, and an ejection of a player.