Method of and system for conducting multiple contests of skill with a single performance

• US 9,314,686 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winview IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: WinView Incorporated (GameSquare Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockton, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/706,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20150238839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 463/5, 463/9, 463/16, 463/25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A method and system for conducting multiple competitions of skill for a single performance are described herein. User generated competition groups and system generated competition groups allow users to participate in multiple competitions at once based on answering the same questions or making the same selections related to a single event. The users are informed of each competition either via email, text message or when logging into the network via a website. The users select which competition groups to join. After joining the desired groups, users then make their selections related to the event which are transmitted to the network where results are tabulated and transmitted back to the users. The results are separated based on each competition group, so that users can continually know where they stand in each separate competition. With multiple competition groups, users are able to have varying success from the same performance in multiple competitions.

Claims

1. A server device for conducting multiple contests of skill corresponding to an event comprising:

a. a storage mechanism; and

b. an application for interacting with the storage mechanism to generate and store competitive groups which are used to simultaneously compete in the multiple contests of skill, the application further for;

i. receiving user input including event selections related to the event, wherein the event selections are separately applied to each of the competitive groups;

ii. storing results and standings based on the event selections, wherein the standings are based on the results; and

iii. transmitting the standings to the device.

2. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the application is further for providing an interface for generating competitive groups related to the event.

3. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of a television-based sporting event, an entertainment show, a game show, a reality show, a news show and a commercial contained in a broadcast.

4. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the event comprises card, dice, trivia and word games played simultaneously.

5. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the server device communicates data for generating the competitive groups, for selecting the competitive groups to join and for submitting the selections.

6. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the standings are transmitted periodically to the device and represent performance within the competitive groups.

7. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the standings are separated based on the competitive groups.

8. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a network identifies the competitive groups a user is eligible for.

9. The server device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a database stored on the server device for managing the selections, the results, the standings and the competitive groups.

10. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the results are adjusted using a handicap by providing additional points to users in lower level groups.

31. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the event comprises multiple athletic contests.

32. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the event comprises multiple athletic contests taking place in a single day.

33. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the event comprises a variety of events.

34. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein event comprises a season of events.

35. The server device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the event comprises events that occur on multiple days.

36. The server device as claimed in claim 35 wherein the events are related events.

11. A device for participating in multiple contests of skill corresponding to an event comprising:

a. a communications module for coupling to a server; and

b. an application for utilizing the communications module for coupling to a server to communicate with the server to generate competitive groups which are used to compete in the multiple contests of skill, wherein the application is configured for receiving user input including a group selection of a plurality of competitive groups to join and receiving additional user input including a single set of event selections related to the event.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the application utilizes the communications module for coupling to the server to send selections to and receive standings from the server.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of a television-based sporting event, an entertainment show, a game show, a reality show, a news show and a commercial contained in a broadcast.

14. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the event comprises card, dice, trivia and word games played simultaneously.

15. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the competitive groups comprise user generated competitive groups including contacts on a social networking site.

16. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the device and the server implement HTML5.

37. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the event comprises multiple athletic contests.

38. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the event comprises multiple athletic contests taking place in a single day.

39. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the event comprises a variety of events.

40. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein event comprises a season of events.

41. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the event comprises events that occur on multiple days.

42. The device as claimed in claim 41 wherein the events are related events.

17. A method programmed in a memory of a device comprising:

a. generating a list of competitive groups to join;

b. presenting the list of competitive groups to join, wherein the list of competitive groups are for participating in multiple contests of skill corresponding to an event;

c. receiving user input including event selections related to the event, wherein the event selections are separately applied to each of the competitive groups;

d. storing results and standings based on the event selections, wherein the standings are based on the results; and

e. transmitting the standings to the device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein users are provided a currency for watching the event or participating in the multiple contests of skill.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 where the currency is redeemable for prizes or services.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein each group pools the currency received by users and the currency is distributed to a member of each group.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the member is chosen at random.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the member is chosen based on skill.

23. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein participants in a group of the competitive groups pool sweepstakes entries together and divide a resulting award from the sweepstakes among the participants of the group.

24. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein a game of skill is synchronized with the event.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the game of skill is synchronized with the event using watermarking or fingerprinting.

26. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the multiple contests of skill are generated by users using a template.

27. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein promotional awards are awarded for participating.

28. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein frequent player points are offered for participating.

29. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein users are able to invite other user to a contest of the multiple contests of skill through a social networking site.

30. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein a user pays a separate consideration to play in a contest of the multiple contests of skill through a micropayments system, where a prize is supplemented or funded by an entry fee or consideration paid by all who participate in a group.

43. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the event comprises multiple athletic contests.

44. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the event comprises multiple athletic contests taking place in a single day.

45. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the event comprises a variety of events.

46. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein event comprises a season of events.

47. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the event comprises events that occur on multiple days.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47 wherein the events are related events.