System and method for betting

• US 9,028,323 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David John Bowman Tharp
• Original Assignee: David John Bowman Tharp
• Inventors: Tharp, David John Bowman
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/630,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 26
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

In various aspects there are provided a system, method, and an apparatus for playing a betting game in conjunction with the play of a sporting event. The apparatus may include a system and/or a computer program product for playing a better game, such as roulette, which may be played in combination with watching a sporting event, such as cricket. Related methods, systems, apparatus, and/or articles are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented apparatus for running a betting game in which users can bet on a micro-event which occurs during a sporting event, the apparatus comprising:

a feed content receiver and transformer arranged to receive micro-event data in real time relating to a sporting event, which sporting event involves the repeated occurrence of a micro-event in variable regions of a field of play and the micro-event data comprising data fields relating to each individual occurrence and including an identification of an actual region of the field of play where the micro-event occurs;

an adjudicator arranged to;

determine a result of the micro-event using the micro-event data and a set of stored rules; and

a client-side module arranged to;

receive bet-placing data from one or more users, the bet-placing data identifying a given individual occurrence of a micro-event and a bet type that are associated with a region of the field of play; and

compare said received bet data with said determined result and to identify given bet data as constituting a winning bet if the bet type corresponds to the actual region of the field of play in the micro-event data for said given individual occurrence or else to identify said bet data as constituting a losing bet;

a feed collator arranged to;

determine whether a complete set of data relating to the micro-event has been received and if any data is missing, request the missing data; and

receive any requested missing data,

wherein the feed collator is further arranged to determine whether received micro-event data relates to a result of a micro-event and if the micro-event data does, send collated data for that microevent to the adjudicator and otherwise send the collated data to the client-side module with an indication that bets can be re-opened for the next micro-event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the feed collator is further arranged to:

determine whether any duplicate data relating to the micro-event has been received and if any has been received, process to leave remaining data; and

collate the remaining data and any received missing data,

and wherein the adjudicator is arranged to use the collated micro-event data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the feed content receiver and transformer comprises:

a feed listener arranged to receive micro-event data from a data feed when new micro-event data is available; and

a feed puller arranged to poll a data feed for new micro-event data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the feed listener is arranged to receive micro-event data from a data feed at regular intervals determined by a data source providing data through the data feed.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the feed puller is arranged to poll a data feed at regular time intervals.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the feed puller is arranged to poll a data feed at times which differ from the times at which the feed listener is arranged to receive micro-event data.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed collator is arranged to transmit data to the adjudicator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed content receiver and transformer is arranged to receive data from multiple data sources and transform the data into a common format for use by the feed collator.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed collator is arranged to use bet-placing data or information derived therefrom in the said determination.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stored rules used by the adjudicator comprise rules relating to reliability of a data source.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the adjudicator is arranged to continually or at intervals update the rules in dependence on the quality of data received from a data source.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the client-side module is arranged to accept bet-placing data in respect of a next micro-event prior to the occurrence of the next micro-event and to determine when betting for the next micro-event is closed.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the client-side module is further arranged to apply a bet to the next micro-event if betting for that micro-event is still open or otherwise to apply the bet to a subsequent micro-event.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the client-side module is arranged to accept bet-placing data in respect of a next micro-event prior to the occurrence of the next micro-event and to determine when betting for the next micro-event is closed and wherein the client-side module is arranged to provide bet-placing data or information derived therefrom to the feed collator and to use data provided from the adjudicator or the feed collator to determine whether to re-open an existing bet or to open a new bet for the next microevent.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sports event is:

cricket and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a ball being hit to the boundary of the field and the said region of the field of play is a portion of the boundary;

baseball and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a home run being hit and the said region of the field of play is a portion of the fence;

golf and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a ball being hit onto the putting green and the said region of the field of play is an area of the green;

or

horseracing and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a horse arriving or falling and the said region of the field of play is the end of a furlong or a fence.

16. A computer-implemented apparatus for running a betting game in which users can bet on a micro-event which occurs during a sporting event, the apparatus comprising:

a feed content receiver and transformer arranged to receive micro-event data in real time relating to a sporting event, which sporting event involves the repeated occurrence of a micro-event in variable regions of a field of play and the micro-event data comprising data fields relating to each individual occurrence and including an identification of an actual region of the field of play where the micro-event occurs;

an adjudicator arranged to;

determine a result of the micro-event using the micro-event data and a set of stored rules; and

a client-side module arranged to;

receive bet-placing data from one or more users, the bet-placing data identifying a given individual occurrence of a micro-event and a bet type that are associated with a region of the field of play; and

compare said received bet data with said determined result and to identify given bet data as constituting a winning bet if the bet type corresponds to the actual region of the field of play in the micro-event data for said given individual occurrence or else to identify said bet data as constituting a losing bet;

wherein said micro-event involves the projection of at least one object by one or more players in a variable direction relative to a field of play towards a boundary of said field of play, and said micro-event data comprises data fields relating to each individual projection, including an actual portion of the boundary where the object crosses said boundary, such that the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is the crossing of the boundary and the said region of a field of play is the portion of the boundary.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a feed collator arranged to:

determine whether a complete set of data relating to the micro-event has been received and if any data is missing, request the missing data; and

receive any requested missing data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the feed collator is further arranged to:

determine whether any duplicate data relating to the micro-event has been received and if any has been received, process to leave remaining data; and

collate the remaining data and any received missing data,

and wherein the adjudicator is arranged to use the collated micro-event data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the feed listener is arranged to receive micro-event data from a data feed at regular intervals determined by a data source providing data through the data feed.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the feed puller is arranged to poll a data feed at times which differ from the times at which the feed listener is arranged to receive micro-event data.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the feed puller is arranged to poll a data feed at regular time intervals.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the feed collator is arranged to transmit data to the adjudicator.

23. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the feed content receiver and transformer is arranged to receive data from multiple data sources and transform the data into a common format for use by the feed collator.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the feed collator is arranged to use bet-placing data or information derived therefrom in the said determination.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the client-side module is arranged to accept bet-placing data in respect of a next micro-event prior to the occurrence of the next micro-event and to determine when betting for the next micro-event is closed and wherein the client-side module is arranged to provide bet-placing data or information derived therefrom to the feed collator and to use data provided from the adjudicator or the feed collator to determine whether to re-open an existing bet or to open a new bet for the next microevent.

26. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the feed collator is further arranged to determine whether received micro-event data relates to a result of a micro-event and if the micro-event data does, send collated data for that micro-event to the adjudicator and otherwise send the collated data to the client-side module with an indication that bets can be re-opened for the next micro-event.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the adjudicator is arranged to continually or at intervals update the rules in dependence on the quality of data received from a data source.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the feed content receiver and transformer comprises:

a feed listener arranged to receive micro-event data from a data feed when new micro-event data is available; and

a feed puller arranged to poll a data feed for new micro-event data.

29. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the stored rules used by the adjudicator comprise rules relating to reliability of a data source.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the client-side module is further arranged to apply a bet to the next micro-event if betting for that micro-event is still open or otherwise to apply the bet to a subsequent micro-event.

31. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the client-side module is arranged to accept bet-placing data in respect of a next micro-event prior to the occurrence of the next micro-event and to determine when betting for the next micro-event is closed.

32. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the sports event is:

cricket and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a ball being hit to the boundary of the field and the said region of the field of play is a portion of the boundary;

baseball and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a home run being hit and the said region of the field of play is a portion of the fence;

golf and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a ball being hit onto the putting green and the said region of the field of play is an area of the green;

or

horseracing and the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is a horse arriving or falling and the said region of the field of play is the end of a furlong or a fence.

33. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising a program which can be executed to implement the following steps to run a betting game in which users can bet on a micro-event which occurs during a sporting event:

receiving micro-event data in real time relating to a sporting event, which sporting event involves the repeated occurrence of a micro-event in variable regions of a field of play and the micro-event data comprising data fields relating to each individual occurrence and including an identification of an actual region of the field of play where the micro-event occurs;

determining a result of the micro-event using the micro-event data and a set of stored rules;

receiving bet-placing data from one or more users, the bet-placing data identifying a given individual occurrence of a micro-event and a bet type that are associated with a region of the field of play; and

comparing said received bet data with said result to identify given bet data as constituting a winning bet if the bet type corresponds to the actual region of the field of play in the micro-event data for said given individual occurrence or else to identify said bet data as constituting a losing bet,

determining whether a complete set of data relating to the micro-event has been received and if any data is missing, requesting the missing data; and

receiving any requested missing data,

determining whether the received micro-event data relates to a result of a micro-event and if the micro-event data does, send collated data for that microevent to the adjudicator and otherwise send the collated data to the client-side module with an indication that bets can be re-opened for the next micro-event.

34. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising a program which can be executed to implement the following steps to run a betting game in which users can bet on a micro-event which occurs during a sporting event:

receiving micro-event data in real time relating to a sporting event, which sporting event involves the repeated occurrence of a micro-event in variable regions of a field of play and the micro-event data comprising data fields relating to each individual occurrence and including an identification of an actual region of the field of play where the micro-event occurs;

determining a result of the micro-event using the micro-event data and a set of stored rules;

receiving bet-placing data from one or more users, the bet-placing data identifying a given individual occurrence of a micro-event and a bet type that are associated with a region of the field of play; and

comparing said received bet data with said result to identify given bet data as constituting a winning bet if the bet type corresponds to the actual region of the field of play in the micro-event data for said given individual occurrence or else to identify said bet data as constituting a losing bet,

determining whether a complete set of data relating to the micro-event has been received and if any data is missing, requesting the missing data; and

receiving any requested missing data,

determining whether the received micro-event data relates to a result of a micro-event and if the micro-event data does, send collated data for that microevent to the adjudicator and otherwise send the collated to the client-side module with an indication that bets can be re-opened for the next micro-event

projecting at least one object by one or more players in a variable direction relative to the field of play towards a boundary of said field of play, wherein said micro-event data comprises data fields relating to each individual projection, including an actual portion of the boundary where the object crosses said boundary, such that the said repeated occurrence of a micro-event is the crossing of the boundary and the said region of a field of play is the portion of the boundary.