U.S. patent application number 09/768567 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-21 for database driven online distributed tournament system.
Invention is credited to Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S..
Application Number | 20010004609 09/768567 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24548334 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010004609 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Walker, Jay S. ; et
al. |
June 21, 2001 |
Database driven online distributed tournament system
Abstract
A method and a system for a distributed electronic tournament
system in which many remotely located players participate in a
tournament through input/output devices connected to a central
controller which manages the tournament. The method includes the
steps of (a) uniquely identifying a player communicating with the
central controller via an associated input/output device; (b)
responding to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing
the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed
time window via an associated input/output device; (c) accessing a
database to store in the database player information that is
generated as the player participates in the tournament, such
information being available for use in a subsequent tournament,
which is administered by said controller and in which the player
participates; and (d) awarding the player a prize for achieving a
pre-established performance level in the tournament. In another
preferred embodiment, the method further includes the steps of
determining whether the player has been qualified to advance to a
subsequent game session, in which at least one player is eliminated
from the previous game session; and permitting each player
qualified to a subsequent game session to participate in that game
session. The system includes software and hardware to implement the
method steps.
Inventors: |
Walker, Jay S.; (Ridgefield,
CT) ; Jorasch, James A.; (Stamford, CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WALKER DIGITAL
FIVE HIGH RIDGE PARK
STAMFORD
CT
06905
US
|
Family ID: |
24548334 |
Appl. No.: |
09/768567 |
Filed: |
January 24, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09768567 |
Jan 24, 2001 |
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09028781 |
Feb 24, 1998 |
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6224486 |
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09028781 |
Feb 24, 1998 |
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08635576 |
Apr 22, 1996 |
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5779549 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42 ; 463/16;
463/17; 463/29 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3276 20130101;
A63F 2300/8064 20130101; G07F 17/32 20130101; A63F 13/12 20130101;
G07F 17/3248 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/42 ; 463/16;
463/17; 463/29 |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/24 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A distributed electronic tournament system in which a plurality
of remotely located players participate in a tournament through
input/output devices connected to a central controller which
manages the tournament, the system comprising: (a) means for
uniquely identifying a player communicating with the central
controller via an associated input/output device; (b) means
responsive to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing
the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed
time window via an associated input/output device; (c) means for
accessing a database to store in the database player information
that is generated as the player participates in the tournament,
such information being available for use in a subsequent
tournament, which is administered by said controller and in which
the player participates; and (d) means for awarding the player a
prize for achieving a pre-established performance level in the
tournament.
2. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 1
wherein: the system further comprises game software; and part of
the game software resides in the central controller and part of the
game software resides in the input/output devices.
3. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 2
wherein the part of the game software residing in the input/output
device performs bandwidth-intensive functions.
4. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 1
wherein each input/output device includes secured memory storing
tournament-related data.
5. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 4
wherein the tournament-related data include signals representing
time.
6. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 1
wherein the entry fee for the tournament is based on the amount of
time the player participates in the tournament.
7. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 1
wherein the attainment of the pre-established performance level
requires dexterity.
8. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 1
wherein the attainment of the pre-established performance level
involves answering questions with deterministic answers.
9. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim 1
wherein the attainment of the pre-established performance level
involves prediction.
10. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 the attainment of the pre-established performance level involves
solving puzzles.
11. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the attainment of the pre-established performance level
involves strategy.
12. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the attainment of the pre-established performance level
involves chance.
13. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the pre-established performance level includes the amount
of time required to achieve that level.
14. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein solutions to problems posed in tournaments are not
deterministic and evaluating them requires judgment.
15. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the tournament time window has a fixed end time.
16. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
15 wherein the attainment of the pre-established performance level
requires dexterity.
17. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
15 further comprising means for notifying players who are
participating in the tournament that the tournament is about to
end.
18. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the tournament time window has a fixed start time.
19. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
18 wherein the attainment of the pre-established performance level
involves answering questions with deterministic answers.
20. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
18 further comprising means for notifying players who have
registered for the tournament that the tournament is about to
start.
21. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the prize for the tournament depends on the number of
players participating in the tournament.
22. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the number of players in the tournament is restricted to
be below a preset value.
23. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein a pre-determined number of positions for players are
reserved for a selected group of players until the starting time of
the tournament is a preset time away, at which time the reserved
positions will be made available to all players, including those
not within the selected group.
24. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the means responsive to payment of an entry fee provides
the option for the player to pay before the player participates in
the tournament.
25. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
24 wherein the means responsive to payment of an entry fee provides
the option for the player to enter a password, which is linked to
the player's credit card number to automatically charge the entry
fee to the credit card account.
26. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the means responsive to payment of an entry fee provides
a plurality of payment options.
27. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
26 wherein the means responsive to payment of an entry fee: stores
the payment option selected by the player in the tournament; and
automatically activates that option after the player has been
identified in a subsequent tournament.
28. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein there are a plurality of games in the tournament and the
games are different.
29. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
28 wherein each game in the tournament is governed by a set of
parameters, whose values change as a function of time.
30. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein: the tournament includes at least one game; and that game
is based on a contemporaneous live event.
31. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein: the tournament includes a plurality of games; and each
player participates in a plurality of games.
32. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein: there are a plurality of games in the tournament; a
number of games have different game formats; different players are
involved in games in different game formats; the outcomes of the
games are statistically normalized to facilitate comparison among
different game formats; and the players in games in different game
formats compete against each other to win common prizes.
33. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
8 wherein the system keeps track of the amount of time the player
participates in the tournament.
34. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein each player has to complete a qualifying event before the
player can participate in the tournament.
35. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
34 wherein the system determines if a player is eligible to
participate in a subsequent tournament based on the results of the
player's participation in the present tournament.
36. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the difficulty level of the tournament is adjusted as the
tournament is played.
37. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein: the tournament includes games; and the games in the
tournament are based on a recently concluded event.
38. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein each input/output device comprises a screen having
multiple windows thereon, with one window displaying the tournament
in which the associated player is currently participating.
39. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
38 further comprising means for the player to enter preferences
which determine the size of the window displaying the
tournament.
40. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the player information includes payment information.
41. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the player information includes the player's performance
information.
42. A distributed electronic tournament system as recited in claim
1 wherein the player information includes the player's
preferences.
43. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system in which
a plurality of remotely located players participate in a tournament
having multiple game sessions through input/output devices
connected to a central controller which manages the tournament, the
system comprising: (a) means for uniquely identifying a player
communicating with the central controller via an associated
input/output device; (b) means responsive to payment of an entry
fee by the player for allowing the player to participate in a
particular game session occurring within a fixed time window via an
associated input/output device; (c) means for determining whether
the player has been qualified to advance to a subsequent game
session, in which at least one player is eliminated from the
previous game session; (d) means for awarding the player a prize
for being qualified to advance to a subsequent game session; and
(e) means for permitting each player qualified to a subsequent game
session to participate in that game session.
44. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein a database associated with the central
controller manages the game sessions, said database containing
information on individual players.
45. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein: the system further comprises game
software; and for each game session, part of the game software
resides in the central controller and part of the game software
resides in the input/output devices.
46. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein each input/output device includes
secured memory storing game-session-related data.
47. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 46 wherein the game-session-related data include
signals representing time.
48. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 46 wherein the game-session-related data include
payment information.
49. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein the game session time window has a
fixed end time.
50. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein the game session time window has a
fixed start time.
51. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 50 further comprising means for notifying players
who have registered for a game session that the game session is
about to start.
52. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein the number of players in a game session
is restricted to be below a preset value.
53. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein a pre-determined number of positions
for players are reserved for a selected group of players until the
starting time of the game session is a preset time away, at which
time the reserved positions will be made available to all players,
including those not within the selected group.
54. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 where in the means for a player to pay an entry
fee provides a plurality of payment options.
55. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 54 wherein the means for a player to pay an entry
fee: stores the payment option selected by a player in a previous
game session; and automatically activates that option after the
player has been identified.
56. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein: a game session includes at least one
game; and the game sessions are based on a contemporaneous live
event.
57. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein: there are a plurality of games in a
game session; a number of games have different game formats;
different players are involved in games having different game
formats; the outcomes of the games are statistically normalized to
facilitate comparison among different game formats; and the players
in games in different game formats compete against each other to
win common prizes.
58. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein each player has to complete a
qualifying event before the player can participate in a game
session.
59. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 58 wherein the system determines if a player is
eligible to participate in a game session based on the results of
the player's past participation.
60. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein the difficulty level of a game session
is adjusted as the game session is played.
61. A distributed electronic elimination tournament system as
recited in claim 43 wherein: a game session includes games; and the
games in the game session are based on a recently concluded
event.
62. A method of using a distributed electronic tournament system in
which a plurality of remotely located players participate in a
tournament through input/output devices connected to a central
controller which manages the tournament, the method comprising the
steps of: (a) uniquely identifying a player communicating with the
central controller via an associated input/output device; (b)
responding to payment of an entry fee by the player for allowing
the player to participate in a tournament occurring within a fixed
time window via an associated input/output device; (c) accessing a
database to store in the database player information that is
generated as the player participates in the tournament, such
information being available for use in a subsequent tournament,
which is administered by said controller and in which the player
participates; and (d) awarding the player a prize for achieving a
pre-established performance level in the tournament.
63. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein: the system further
comprises game software; and part of the game software resides in
the central controller and part of the game software resides in the
input/output devices.
64. A method as recited in claim 63 wherein the part of the game
software residing in the input/output device performs
bandwidth-intensive functions.
65. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein each input/output
device includes secured memory storing tournament-related data.
66. A method as recited in claim 65 wherein the tournament-related
data include signals representing time.
67. A method as recited in claim 65 wherein the tournament-related
data include payment information.
68. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the entry fee for the
tournament is based on the amount of time the player participates
in the tournament.
69. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level requires dexterity.
70. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level involves answering questions with
deterministic answers.
71. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level involves prediction.
72. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level involves solving puzzles.
73. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level involves strategy.
74. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level involves chance.
75. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the pre-established
performance level includes the amount of time required to achieve
that level.
76. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein solutions to problems
posed in tournaments are not deterministic and evaluating them
requires judgment.
77. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the tournament time
window has a fixed end time.
78. A method as recited in claim 77 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level requires dexterity.
79. A method as recited in claim 77 further comprising the step of
notifying players who are participating in the tournament that the
tournament is about to end.
80. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the tournament time
window has a fixed start time.
81. A method as recited in claim 80 wherein the attainment of the
pre-established performance level involves answering questions with
deterministic answers.
82. A method as recited in claim 80 further comprising the step of
notifying players who have registered for the tournament that the
tournament is about to start.
83. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the prize for the
tournament depends on the number of players participating in the
tournament.
84. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the number of players
in the tournament is restricted to be below a preset value.
85. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein a pre-determined number
of positions for players are reserved for a selected group of
players until the starting time of the tournament is a preset time
away, at which time the reserved positions will be made available
to all players, including those not within the selected group.
86. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the step of responding
to payment provides the option for the player to pay before the
player participates in the tournament.
87. A method as recited in claim 86 wherein the step of responding
to payment provides the option for the player to enter a password,
which is linked to the player's credit card number to automatically
charge the entry fee to the credit card account.
88. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the step of responding
to payment provides a plurality of payment options.
89. A method as recited in claim 88 wherein the step of responding
to payment includes the steps of: storing the payment option
selected by the player in the tournament; and automatically
activating that option after the player has been identified in a
subsequent tournament.
90. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the re are a plurality
of games in the tournament and the game s are different.
91. A method as recited in claim 90 wherein each game in the
tournament is governed by a set of parameters, whose values change
as a function of time.
92. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein: the tournament
includes at least one game; and that game is based on a
contemporaneous live event.
93. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein: the tournament
includes a plurality of games; and each player participates in a
plurality of games.
94. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein: there are a plurality
of games in the tournament; a number of games have different game
formats; different players are involved in games in different game
formats; the outcomes of the games are statistically normalized to
facilitate comparison among different game formats; and the players
in games in different game formats compete against each other to
win common prizes.
95. A method as recited in claim 68 wherein the system keeps track
of the amount of time the player participates in the
tournament.
96. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein each player has to
complete a qualifying event before the player can participate in
the tournament.
97. A method as recited in claim 96 wherein the system determines
if a player is eligible to participate in a subsequent tournament
based on the results of the player's participation in the present
tournament.
98. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the difficulty level of
the tournament is adjusted as the tournament is played.
99. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein: the tournament
includes games; and the games in the tournament are based on a
recently concluded event.
100. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein each input/output
device comprises a screen having multiple windows thereon, with one
window displaying the tournament in which the associated player is
currently participating.
101. A method as recited in claim 100 further comprising the step
of entering by the player preferences which determine the size of
the window displaying the tournament.
102. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the player information
includes payment information.
103. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the player information
includes the player's performance information.
104. A method as recited in claim 62 wherein the player information
includes the player's preference.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to games, and more
particularly to online electronic tournament games.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Competitive games are a popular form of recreation. From the
Olympics to the Super Bowl to backyard volleyball games,
competitive games consume a large portion of our free time. Whether
watching or participating, the allure is undeniable. In addition to
the competitive sports, intellectual competitions such as chess or
bridge tournaments are also popular.
[0003] These competitions remain popular because whether a
participant or spectator, one is involved. They require people to
meet at a central location and specific time, providing a sense of
community and camaraderie, as well as a place to socialize. A
typical chess tournament, for example, might have fifty players
meeting at a central playing site.
[0004] Such tournaments and competitions suffer from several
drawbacks, however, as participants may have to travel considerable
distance to get to the playing site and may require expensive
overnight accommodations when the tournament lasts more than one
day. The start times for most tournaments must also be fixed in
advance. The chess players, for example, might meet at 9:00 AM for
the start of the first round. This forces all participants to
adhere to the same schedule, an increasingly difficult proposition
in today's busy world. Furthermore, facilities used to host the
tournament, such as hotel meeting rooms, banquet halls, and
auditoriums, represent a significant expense to the tournament
organizers.
[0005] To ensure that the rules of the tournament are upheld, most
competitions require proctors, arbiters, referees, and the like.
Retaining such people can add significant costs to competitions.
There may also be a limited supply of individuals qualified to
oversee the tournament. For example, if there are only two
sanctioned backgammon tournament directors in a city, the
backgammon tournament might have to be canceled if both are sick on
the day of the competition. Such cancellations can be costly for
those participants planning on traveling to the tournament, who
would have to cancel flights and hotel registrations.
[0006] Tournaments geared to a narrower subset of tournament
players (niche tournaments) are often economically unfeasible
because of the high costs associated with obtaining playing
facilities. While it may be possible to hold a martial arts
tournament in a city, it may be hard to hold a tournament for a
specific subset of the martial arts such as Aikido. The few players
that would participate would not justify the cost of the
facilities.
[0007] Electronic tournaments allow participants to "meet" in
cyberspace, competing at a virtual location accessible to any
player at any time. Because no travel is required, many of the
disadvantages of physical tournaments are eliminated, while
maintaining the sense of camaraderie.
[0008] Online games and contests have existed almost since online
networks were created. The first online services available to a
user with a personal computer and a modem were bulletin board
systems or BBSs. They started appearing in the early 1980s and
exploded in popularity along with the growth of the personal
computer. The most primitive of these systems allowed users to
share files and exchange email. The ability to conduct electronic
games was quickly added as enthusiasts joined the systems. BBSs
were usually operated by computer enthusiasts more as a hobby than
as a commercial enterprise. In the late 1980s, corporations began
creating online services that could handle thousands of users
simultaneously. Online services such as Prodigy, CompuServe, and
America Online brought a new level of professionalism and
sophistication to the industry. Inelegant text-based user
interfaces were replaced with graphical front ends that no longer
required users to memorize arcane commands or codes. Game play
became more popular as the software became increasingly
user-friendly.
[0009] One of the companies providing games in this new environment
is NTN Communications. They offer a trivia game on America Online
in which players compete by answering a series of questions. There
are five possible answers, with 1000 points being awarded for a
correct answer. The player is given a limited amount of time to
come up with an answer, and fewer points are awarded for a correct
answer as time passes. At the end of the contest, the top scores
are displayed to all competitors. The game has a major drawback,
however, in that there are no prizes awarded to players. The
competitive drive is diminished when there is no prize for winning.
It's like playing a game of poker without using money.
[0010] To increase player interest, several companies have begun to
offer online contests with cash prizes. Yoyodyne Entertainment
provides an email-based trivia game that is available through the
Internet and several online services. Players receive questions via
email and must submit their answers before a deadline, which is
usually a day or two later. Points are awarded for each correct
answer and deducted for each incorrect answer. The winner is the
person with the highest score at the end of the contest.
[0011] Interactive Imaginations also developed online contests for
prizes. They created the Riddler site on the World Wide Web. Users
are offered a selection of games, including trivia and puzzle
games. Like the Yoyodyne site, prize amounts are necessarily
limited because there are no entry fees.
[0012] One company has combined both entry fees and prizes to
generate new potential customers. Bert & Associates created an
options trading game in which contestants pay an entry fee in order
to become eligible for the prizes. The game was merely a peripheral
element of their business, however, meant only to attract customers
to their brokerage business.
[0013] Another limitation of the games run by Yoyodyne and
Interactive Imaginations is that there is no continuity among the
games. The results of one game have no impact on the results of
another game. Each game is an independent event; they are not
linked together into a more continuous game experience. After
registering for one game, the process must be repeated for future
games. A player who has become an expert in a trivia game is able
to enter the same trivia games again and again, monopolizing the
top prizes. Game organizers are unable to prevent this since there
are no effective controls on who can register for a game. Games
geared exclusively to experts are impossible as there is no
effective way to screen the qualifications of participants.
[0014] Rating systems, popular in chess and backgammon games, are
impossible to implement without a way to track a player's progress
over a number of games. Handicap systems popular in golf games are
similarly restricted in that player results must be tracked over a
series of games, not just one game.
[0015] Online games also lack effective reservation systems;
players simply log on at the appropriate time and begin play. If
game organizers want to restrict the number of players, they are
forced to establish an arbitrary limit on the number of entrants.
If such a limit is enforced, however, players will have no way to
know in advance whether or not they will be able to register at the
time the tournament starts.
[0016] Existing electronic games also lack the implementation of
levels, a progression of increasing difficulty throughout the
competition. What is missing is the excitement of elimination found
in virtually every other competitive environment. To date, all
online contests have involved a single game session. In a trivia
game, players answer a series of questions and receive a score
based on the number of correct responses. The winner is the player
with the highest score. In a puzzle contest, the first correct
solution wins.
[0017] The world of professional sports demonstrates the
desirability of levels. Professional basketball, for example,
consists of a regular season followed by post-season play. A
certain number of teams qualify for post-season play based on their
regular season records. These teams then play each other in an
elimination format until two teams remain to play in the final
series that determines the winner. Advancement to the next round of
post-season play depends on a team's performance in the previous
round. There is no doubt that the tournament structure adds a great
deal of excitement not only to each of the post-season games, but
also to the games at the end of the regular season as well.
[0018] Imagine a basketball season in which the champion was
determined by the regular season record alone. The last games of
the season would be irrelevant if the current leader were many
games ahead of the nearest team. Spectator and player interest
would drop dramatically. Teams whose scores would place them in the
middle of the pack could be out of contention with dozens of games
remaining. There would be little incentive to press for a win in
the remaining games. Key competitive match-ups might also be
missed. Two teams with top records that were never scheduled to
play each other would vie for the title without ever having played.
Player curiosity as to which team was really the best would not be
satisfied without a head to head competition.
[0019] All professional sports use an elimination process to make
the game more exciting for participants as well as spectators.
Professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey all have
regular seasons followed by post-season play in which teams are
eliminated from contention. Instead of having a regular season,
professional tennis offers a series of games in which the field
narrows through a process of elimination until ultimately one
competitor remains and is declared the winner. Professional golf
tournaments have a cut in which the field is dramatically cut back
before the final round of competition begins.
[0020] It should be apparent from the foregoing that there is a
need for an electronic gaming system in which players from
different locations can participate in and win awards. The system
should not just support stand-alone games, but should also support
the coordination of multiple games in which information from one
game impacts future games.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] An object of the present invention is to provide methods and
devices for effectively operating multiple database-driven
distributed electronic game tournaments for remotely located
players. It provides numerous advantages over existing tournament
systems; such as simplifying the collection of entry fees and the
payment of prizes, as well as allowing for rating and handicap
systems.
[0022] In the invented system, players pay entry fees for the right
to compete for substantial prizes in electronic tournaments. Unlike
existing tournament systems, the present invention allows for the
coordination of multiple tournaments, making each tournament part
of a whole rather than a stand-alone individual event.
[0023] In one preferred embodiment, a central controller manages
the tournament system, coordinating both the players and game
software with which the players compete. The system uniquely
identifies each player as they log on, authenticating the
associated input/output device that is connected to the central
controller. This unique identifier allows other players to know
whom they are competing against. Each player typically pays the
system an entry fee before participating in a particular
tournament, with payment delivered through the associated
input/output device. The tournament begins and ends within a fixed
time window, typically measured in hours or minutes.
[0024] After each tournament is over, the system evaluates player
performance, awarding prizes to those players achieving
pre-established performance levels.
[0025] Due to the complexity of coordinating multiple tournaments,
one preferred embodiment includes the use of a database. In this
embodiment the central controller accesses the database to store
player information that is generated as the player participates in
the tournament. Such information is available for use in a
subsequent tournament, which is administered by the controller and
in which the player participates.
[0026] In another preferred embodiment with the central controller,
each tournament game is broken down into a series of game sessions
in which players must qualify in one game session in order to be
eligible to play in the next. This elimination format significantly
increases tension and enhances excitement in the games, since only
the best players are left fighting for the top prizes in the final
game session. In such an embodiment, each subsequent game session
has at least one fewer player than a previous game session.
[0027] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description, which,
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] FIG. 1 shows a distributed electronic tournament system in
the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 2 shows one preferred embodiment implementing the
present invention.
[0030] FIG. 3 shows one preferred set of steps to uniquely identify
a player in the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 4 shows one preferred set of steps to respond to
payment of an entry fee in the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 5 shows one preferred set of steps to access player
information collected from prior tournaments.
[0033] FIG. 6 shows one preferred set of steps to award a player a
prize in the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 7 shows one preferred set of steps for a player to play
in a specific game session with a fixed start time in the present
invention.
[0035] FIG. 8 shows one preferred set of payment steps in the
present invention.
[0036] FIG. 9 shows a screen with a plurality of windows in the
present invention.
[0037] The numerals in FIGS. 1-9 are assigned to similar elements
in all the figures. Embodiments of the invention are discussed
below with reference to FIGS. 1-9. Those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with
respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes, as the
invention extends beyond these limited embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] FIG. 1 shows a distributed electronic tournament system 100
with a central controller 102 connected to a number of input/output
(I/O) devices, 104 and 106, in the present invention. The
input/output device may be a video gaming console, a personal
computer, handheld electronic device, and the like. The central
controller may be a workstation, a minicomputer, or other type of
computation device, typically in the form of a server computer
connected to a public or private network. The I/O devices are
remotely located from the central controller to allow participation
in a tournament to be distributed. The I/O devices preferably are
connected to the central controller, at least when the I/O devices
are involved in games. Such connection may be through a wireless
telecommunication network or through a ground-based network 108,
such as the Internet. While online, the I/O device typically
communicates with the network via a public or private switched
network such as the circuit switched public telephone network. The
central controller has software which it uses to manage the
tournament. In one preferred embodiment, the I/O devices are
personal computers connected to an online service such as America
Online. The central controller is a workstation computer on America
Online that coordinates the tournament activities.
[0039] The tournament databases are preferably relational, in which
fields from one database are linked to fields of at least one other
database. These databases are controlled by a database management
system (DBMS) which organizes, stores, and retrieves the
tournament's data/information. The DBMS communicates with the
operating system to read data from the storage device. The database
is associated with or resides at the central controller.
[0040] The operating system software runs the central controller
hardware and controls and coordinates all of the tournament
software applications. These software applications include programs
for running the tournament games, registering players, accepting
entry fees, and coordinating prize payment. Tournament games might
be commercially available software programs such as Microsoft Golf,
or proprietary game software designed exclusively for online
tournament play.
[0041] The above hardware and software are configured to implement
the tournaments in the present invention. Each tournament has a
game format, one or more game sessions, and challenges as will be
described in more detail later. The game format is the broad
category that describes the type of game being played.
[0042] Typically, the database system is managed by the central
controller and communicates with the game software used to conduct
the actual tournament. The game software handles operational issues
such as displaying the game format on the I/O device screen,
calculating scores, controlling player access to tournaments,
etc.
[0043] FIG. 2 shows one preferred embodiment 200 implementing the
present invention. Although the control of the operations of the
I/O devices and the central controller are typically incorporated
into software code, such operations can also be embodied in
hardware circuits to implement the invention. The preferred
embodiment 200 includes: (1) process steps 202 for uniquely
identifying a player, who communicates with the central controller
via an associated input/output device; (2) process steps 204
responsive to payment of an entry fee by a player for allowing the
player to participate in a particular tournament via an associated
input/output device; (3) process steps 206 for accessing a
tournament database to store player information that is generated
as the player participates in the tournament, such information
being available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is
administered by said controller and in which the player
participates; and (4) process steps 208 for awarding a player a
prize for achieving a pre-established performance level.
[0044] These process steps are typically implemented by the central
computer controller in order to make tournament operations faster
and more cost efficient. A number of different preferred
embodiments of the above steps will be described to provide a
general view of methods to implement each set of process steps. The
different ways serve only as examples. After the general overview,
more detailed descriptions and examples follow.
[0045] The process steps 202, as shown in FIG. 3, for uniquely
identifying a player preferably include the steps of a player
establishing 300 an online connection between the I/O device and
the central controller. The player enters 302 a unique identifier
through the associated I/O device. The identifier is assigned by
the central controller or chosen by the player. The identifier can
be his name, social security number, account number, password of
his choosing, etc. It is important to note that although the player
may be uniquely identified to the central controller, he may at the
same time remain anonymous with respect to the other competitors in
the tournament. The unique identifier is then communicated 304 to
the central controller via the communication network. The central
controller accesses 306 a database and searches 308 the records to
determine whether or not the identifier already exists. If the
record already exists, the player is identified 310; when the
record does not already exist the registration process 312 begins
in which the player enters 314 information such as name, age,
address, payment preferences, etc. The central controller generates
316 a unique identifier for the player and stores 318 it in the
database.
[0046] In one preferred embodiment, a player must pay an entry fee
to the central controller through the associated I/O device before
he is allowed to participate in a tournament. The process steps
204, as shown in FIG. 4, responsive to the payment of an entry fee
to a tournament typically include the steps of the central
controller requesting the player to enter 350 payment information
into the I/O device. Details of payment methodologies are described
below in more detail. The payment information is communicated 352
to the central controller via the communication network. The
central controller receives and updates 354 the player's record in
the database to reflect that payment has been made and also updates
356 the player's database record to reflect that the player is
eligible to participate in the tournament. In another preferred
embodiment, the controller does not have to request information,
and no payment information is communicated to the controller. This
may be because the player has played before, and the controller is
aware of the player's preferences as described below.
[0047] After determining that the player is eligible to play, the
controller sends an acknowledgment message to the associated I/O
device. When the tournament starts, the player is able to begin
play.
[0048] FIG. 5 describes the process steps 206 for accessing a
tournament database to store player information. The central
controller accesses 400 the tournament database and then stores
into the database 402 the player's information generated by the
player as the tournament progresses.
[0049] Player information stored in the database includes entry fee
data, handicap and rating information, player performance data and
player preferences. Storing entry fee data, such as a credit card
number or bank account number, streamlines the payment process for
subsequent tournaments. When paying for a tournament, the player
simply provides his unique identifier to the central controller,
which pulls his credit card number from the database and credits
his card for the appropriate entry fee amount. Because many online
environments have yet to implement effective transaction security
protocols, reducing the number of times a credit card number is
transmitted enhances security.
[0050] Player performance data can also be carried forward from one
tournament to the next. In addition to wins and losses, performance
data can include accuracy rates, time required to answer, etc. If a
player competes in five trivia tournaments, for example, his
average accuracy rate is stored in a database. Such information is
crucial in establishing handicap systems, which level the playing
field by penalizing the better players and aiding the weaker
players. A golf handicap, for example, allows a skilled player to
compete with a relatively inexperienced player. Performance data
can also be used to generate player ratings, similar to the Elo
rating system used by the United States Chess Federation. Ratings
are numeric values that represent the skill of the player. The
central controller retrieves performance data from a database and
applies an algorithm to determine the rating. A player's rating
rises and falls depending on the results of his play. Ratings allow
tournaments to be easily segmented by skill level.
[0051] Storing performance data allows the central controller to
restrict eligibility to future tournaments. Certain tournaments,
for example, may be available only to players having obtained a
given level of performance in a number of qualification
tournaments.
[0052] A database of performance data also allows inter-tournament
prize pools in which a player is eligible for a prize based not on
the results in a single tournament, but on a combination of
tournaments. For example, in addition to a normal weekly prize,
there may be a grand prize awarded to the player winning the
greatest number of weekly prizes over a year period.
[0053] Continuity between tournaments is improved by storing player
preferences. Once a player's preference for method of prize payment
is established, for example, the central controller no longer needs
to ask how the player wants to be paid. By storing player
preferences for tournament formats, the central controller can send
tournament details to a player when any tournaments of this type
are scheduled in the future. Tournaments are also more fun for
players when data are stored as to favorite opponents, allowing the
central controller to better allocate players among tournament
sections.
[0054] After player information is stored in the database, it is
available for use in a subsequent tournament (administered by the
central controller) in which the player participates.
[0055] The process steps 208, as shown in FIG. 6, for awarding a
player a prize include the steps of the central controller
accessing 450 the tournament database to retrieve the
pre-established performance levels for the awarding of prizes. The
central controller reviews 452 the performance of each player
relative to the established performance requirements for the
awarding of prizes. Preferably, the central controller updates 454
the winning player's database records to reflect that awards have
been allocated to them. The central controller would then arrange
for distribution 456 of the prize or prizes. This distribution
process can be conducted through online or off-line methods.
[0056] Typically, the pre-established performance level is a
relative ranking among players, such as the top five scores of the
tournament. Performance criteria can also be fixed, however, with
prizes paid to any player exceeding a certain score. A trivia
tournament, for example, can award a prize to any player correctly
answering at least twenty questions. Fastest time to completion is
another way to establish performance levels.
[0057] Prizes awarded might be $100 for the player getting the top
score, $50 for the player with the second highest score, and $25
for the third highest score. Alternatively, top scores could
receive free entry fees to future tournaments, or points which may
be accumulated and converted later into prizes. Although prizes are
typically monetary in nature, prizes such as recognition may be
equally appropriate. The recognition of being able to advance from
one game session to the next game session can also be considered a
prize.
[0058] Another preferred embodiment includes the step of
determining whether a player has qualified for advancement to the
next game session. This includes the step of the central controller
reviewing the player's score after the just-concluded game session.
This score is compared to the scores obtained by all of the other
players in the same session. Based on these scores, the central
controller produces a list of those participants qualifying for the
subsequent session. There are a number of preferred embodiments for
the qualifying criteria, including, for example, a minimum required
score, a minimum average score over the last several game sessions,
or the maximum score within a sub-group of players in the game
session. Only those on the qualified list would be allowed to
continue to play in the subsequent game session.
[0059] The central controller generates a list of players qualified
for the subsequent game session. In one preferred embodiment, the
number of players on the qualification list is at least one fewer
than the number playing in the previous game session. Note that in
the present invention, a game session includes one or more games
with a group of players playing the games within an established
time frame. In a trivia tournament of four game sessions, the first
session may be composed of ten groups of fifty players each for a
total of five hundred players. The second game session may comprise
five groups of sixty players each for a total of three hundred
players. Although the size of the playing group has increased from
fifty to sixty, the overall number of players in the game session
has dropped from five hundred to three hundred. In this embodiment,
it is at the point of elimination that the boundary of game
sessions is defined.
[0060] In one preferred embodiment, the central controller also
prevents those players not qualified to play from participating in
a tournament. The central controller generates a game session
password which is distributed only to qualified players. Without
the correct password, non-qualified players are unable to compete.
In one preferred embodiment, players must enter an electronic "chat
room" (of the type commonly found on most commercial online
systems) in order to obtain the game questions. Access to this room
is password protected so that only authorized players are allowed
access to the questions. The central controller might also enforce
qualification rules by terminating a player's online connection, or
by merely preventing a non-qualified player from winning any
prize.
[0061] The following illustrates a number of more detailed examples
of the tournament system. Some of these examples also show
different preferred embodiments of the system.
[0062] In terms of game formats, examples include strategy games
(chess, checkers, bridge, etc.) and puzzles (crossword, jigsaw,
etc.). Each tournament has one or more game sessions which are
sub-units of the tournament. After completion of the first game
session, one or more players may be eliminated from the tournament.
Each game session is further broken down into one or more
challenges, which are the puzzles, trivia questions, or games in
which the players compete. A trivia tournament, for example, may
have three game sessions scheduled for start times of 1:00 PM, 2:00
PM, and 3:00 PM. Each game session may have twenty challenges--in
this case multiple-choice questions. After a player completed the
twenty questions of the first game session, the central controller
would determine whether or not the player had qualified to advance
to the next round at 2:00 PM. After the twenty questions of the
3:00 PM game session a winner would be determined and prizes would
be awarded. In another example, a golf tournament may be held in
which there is one game session and nine challenges--in this case
nine holes of electronic golf. The player's score for the
tournament is simply the total number of strokes taken to complete
the nine holes.
[0063] Each game session takes place within a fixed time window,
and thus has an established start and stop time. The first game
session of the puzzle tournament, for example, may start at 1:00 PM
and end at 3:00 PM. For some game formats, however, all players do
not have to start and stop at the same time. Some players may start
later than others, and some players may finish earlier than others.
As the tournament progresses, more and more players are eliminated.
Although the final game session typically determines the winners
for the tournament, merely advancing from one game session to the
next may qualify the player for a prize or recognition. Typically,
game sessions become progressively harder as the tournament
continues.
[0064] Although the above preferred embodiments have described
tournaments based on games of skill, the same tournament structure
is equally applicable to games of chance or to games that involve a
combination of skill and chance. Computer golf games, for example,
require a great deal of skill in the form of hand/eye coordination,
but may also contain elements of chance, such as a randomly
generated wind speed.
[0065] In one preferred embodiment, the number of players for each
game session has no upper limit and is constrained only by the
availability of I/O devices. In another preferred embodiment, the
number of players is restricted by an established ceiling,
restricting tournament registrations to a fixed maximum. Each
tournament thus has a number of open positions which are gradually
filled as players register. Although these positions are typically
available on a first-come first-served basis, positions can be set
aside for a select group of premium players who may be designated
as such by the central controller. These positions are held open
until a fixed time before the start of the game session. At that
preset time, the reserved positions are made available to all
players, including those not within the selected group. In a
tournament limited to one hundred players, for example, five
positions may be held for premium players. After the ninety five
open positions are filled, only registrations from premium players
are accepted. If no premium players take these positions, they may
be made available to all players twenty minutes before the start of
the first game session.
[0066] Tournaments can also accommodate team play. The unique
identifier for a player then becomes associated with an identifier
for a team so that the central controller can incorporate the
player into a team. Scores of the individual members of a team may
be averaged to generate a team score, or perhaps the top score from
each team represents the team score. In addition to a player's
database record indicating the names of any teams that he is on,
there might also be a database record for each team listing the
players that are members.
[0067] There are, of course, many different game formats that lend
themselves to electronic online tournament competition. The
following eight general categories provide a brief summary.
[0068] Dexterity games are perhaps the most common games seen in an
online environment. These games require hand/eye coordination and
are usually patterned after arcade video games or personal computer
games. Examples include martial arts fighting games or flight
simulators. Such games are often referred to as "twitch" games
since even the slightest mistake in coordination can prove fatal to
a player's chances. Another category of dexterity games is sports
games. Computer golf, for example, is played on millions of
personal computers. Players enter parameters such as the type of
club used, the placement of their feet, the force with which they
hit the ball, the direction of the shot, etc. The computer
calculates where the ball should go and displays the new ball
position on the screen of the I/O device. In an online tournament,
players might compete in a "closest to the pin" tournament. The
above parameters would be sent to the central controller which
calculates where the ball landed The player whose ball lands
closest to the pin, for example, may win a prize or qualify to
advance to a subsequent game session.
[0069] The game of golf also lends itself to hole-in-one
competitions. For his entry fee, each player gets five virtual golf
balls to hit. Starting from a given par three hole, any hole-in-one
is awarded with a prize. To prevent players from eventually
discovering the optimal mix of parameter inputs (foot placement,
force of swing, etc.), game characteristics such as pin placement,
tee location, and sand trap location could be varied for every
tournament. Course configurations would be stored in the tournament
database for every course.
[0070] Another popular electronic game format involves answering
questions with deterministic answers, such as trivia games. Players
are presented with questions that have a definite answer. This type
of game format is particularly well suited to online tournaments
since the amount of information exchanged between the central
controller and the I/O devices is minimal due to the text-based
nature of the game. A question might require the player to type in
the correct answer, or select from a list of potential answers.
Linked to the tournament database would be a database devoted to
storing questions and answers, from which trivia tournaments would
extract questions. In addition to thousands of questions and
answers, this database would contain fields for the category of
question (sports, movies, geography, etc.), the date in which the
question entered the database, the number of times the question had
been used, the difficulty of the question (predicted by the
tournament organizers), and a list of tournaments that had already
used the question. This last database field is especially important
given the time and expense associated with creating questions and
answers, since the re-use of some questions is almost inevitable.
While tournament organizers obviously do not want to have players
seeing questions for the second time, they also do not want to
throw out a question that only a small percentage of potential
tournament participants have seen. Databases provide the best
compromise since it is possible to track exactly which tournaments
(and thus what players) have seen a question. When questions are
selected for a given tournament, the database would be searched to
see whether any player in this tournament had participated in
another tournament which had already seen the question.
[0071] Databases also make possible tournaments in which teams of
players each gets different questions. On a four player team, the
first team member may get the most difficult question while the
fourth member of the team may always get the easiest question. The
database would simply match the difficulty of the question with
player team status.
[0072] With dozens of tournaments occurring simultaneously, and
players competing in multiple tournaments at the same time, another
function of the tournament database is to track which players are
entered in what tournaments.
[0073] Prediction games are also gaining popularity in online
environments. These games involve the player predicting the outcome
of a future event, such as the price performance of a stock over
the next thirty days or the temperature of a group of cities the
following day at noon. Because player selections must be stored
until the event in question has transpired, a database is an
essential component of the tournament. The database is especially
useful for prediction tournaments in which the player chooses from
a selection of target performance levels. Players in a weather
prediction tournament might choose five cities from a selection of
one hundred, and may also choose the hour at which their
temperature prediction is to be assessed for each chosen city. The
database would contain fields for possible cities, chosen cities,
temperatures, and times.
[0074] Puzzle games have been popular for many years. Examples
include crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, Rubik's Cube, etc. In
one embodiment, the puzzle is posted on the World Wide Web at noon
on Saturday. Players submit their answers to the game controller
with the first three correct responses receiving a prize or
advancing to a further game session. In a jigsaw puzzle
competition, teams of players compete to put together an electronic
jigsaw puzzle in the shortest time. A puzzle database tracks which
players are on which teams, and prevents unauthorized players from
participating in puzzles.
[0075] Strategy games are also well represented in online
tournaments, partly because there have been parallels in the
off-line world for so many years in the form of tournament chess,
backgammon, bridge, etc. Although the result is a discrete
win/lose/draw, the manner in which the player attains the result is
critical. There is no such thing as a "correct" answer. An online
chess tournament might start with sixty-four players, dropping to
half that number each game session as players are eliminated.
[0076] Support for complex pairing/matching systems is one of the
key benefits provided by tournament databases. After each game
session of a Swiss-system (non-elimination) chess tournament, for
example, players must be paired again with a different opponent.
Information such as the number of previous wins/losses, the color
allocation, and the rating of the player all must be incorporated
into the pairing in order to ensure the fairness of the
competition. Databases also offer the ability to incorporate player
preferences into the pairings, allowing a player to list preferred
opponents, or people with whom he would rather not play.
[0077] Because some strategy tournaments such as chess take place
over days or even weeks, database systems are especially useful in
maintaining order. These databases can communicate with an email
system to provide a tournament coordination system in which players
are being constantly informed as to when and with whom their next
game is scheduled.
[0078] Judgment games require human judgment to establish who will
advance to the next game session or win a prize. Examples include
essay writing tournaments or art tournaments. Because these forms
of competition have no "correct" answer, they obviously cannot be
evaluated by computer and so require the participation of human
judges. In an exemplary essay writing tournament, players submit a
short essay for scoring by a panel of three judges. The average of
these three scores is then compared with the scores of other
participants. The top ten percent of the scores, for example, could
qualify to advance to the next game session in which a new,
possibly more lengthy or detailed essay, was submitted. Judgment
tournaments are not restricted to text-based entries. In a skating
tournament, participants could videotape their skating performance
and send a digitized version to the central controller for judging
in much the same way that the written essays were submitted.
[0079] The database record for every tournament participant might
contain all of their submissions to judgment tournaments. This
would prevent a player, for example, from submitting the same essay
to more than one essay tournaments since all essay submissions
could be checked against past submissions.
[0080] Databases of judges scores would allow tournament organizers
to check the comparability of their scores, determining whether one
judge was consistently giving low marks, or whether some judges
were giving excessively high marks to a particular player.
[0081] Tournaments can also be based on games of luck or chance in
which a player has no control over his progression through the
tournament. One example is a slot machine tournament in which
advancement to the next game session depends on the slot machine
payout over the current game session. Since the slot machine payout
is determined randomly, each participant in the tournament has the
exactly same chance to win. A database of all slot machine outcomes
would of course be helpful in verifying the randomness of the
algorithms used to create the outcomes.
[0082] Lastly, tournaments in which time to completion is the
primary method of differentiating among players are also popular.
One example is electronic car race simulations in which the
shortest lap times receive prizes or awards. A tournament might
consist of ten laps around a track, with the shortest time to
completion declared the winner.
[0083] Many games, of course, exhibit characteristics from two or
more of the above categories. A poker tournament, for example,
contains elements of both strategy (the way you bet) and luck (the
cards you draw).
[0084] Tournaments may be held contemporaneously with a live event.
A trivia tournament, for example, could be based on a popular
television situation comedy with questions based on the actions of
characters in the show. Questions could also be asked regarding the
anticipated actions of the show's characters, creating a prediction
format for the tournament.
[0085] In one preferred embodiment, there may be several different
game formats represented in a tournament or game session. A
tournament, for example, may start with three groups of
players--one group answers trivia questions, the next solves a
crossword puzzle, while the last group plays electronic football.
Qualification to advance to the next game session is based on a
player's performance relative to the mean performance of their own
group. Each player's score is normalized by converting it into a
number of standard deviations above or below the mean. Comparisons
are then made among players competing in entirely different games.
Any player scoring better than one standard deviation above the
mean of his group qualifies for advancement to the next round. In
addition to the normalization process, standard deviations can be
subjectively adjusted by some numeric constant in order to reflect
a perceived difference in the difficulty of the different game
formats.
[0086] Another variation is to have competitors play the same game
format, but with different game parameters. In a golf game, for
example, the trajectory of the ball may be affected by wind speed,
humidity levels, slickness of the grass, etc. Two competitors
hitting a ball with the same club using the same force and the same
foot placement might have their ball land in a different spot due
to the different game parameters. The wind for one player's shot my
be five miles per hour out of the East, while the second player
faced a wind speed of twenty miles per hour out of the South.
[0087] In another preferred embodiment, the difficulty level of a
game session is adjusted as the game session is played. In a
conventional trivia tournament, for example, the difficulty of the
questions is determined in advance. A tournament might have a
series of ten questions that are prepared before the contest. A
prize may be awarded to the player with the best score. If there
are a large number of participants, however, there may be a number
of perfect scores at the end of the contest. In order to increase
the probability that there is only one winner at the end, more
difficult questions can be used. The problem with this strategy,
however, is that less skilled players will feel frustration because
of their poor performance. Ideally, questions would become more
difficult only if it seemed as though there was a chance of
multiple perfect scores. This would allow easy or moderate
questions at the beginning of the game to make beginners feel more
comfortable, while allowing for more difficult questions to be
included if more differentiation is required. Reflexive software
provides just such a solution. A pool of game questions are
assigned a difficulty level in advance. The first question of the
contest is always fairly easy, but the difficulty of subsequent
questions is based on the accuracy rate achieved on prior
questions. If players are doing well, the questions get harder.
Although these techniques are well suited to trivia games, they are
also applicable to almost any other game format.
[0088] In one preferred embodiment, the time window for a game
session has a fixed end time, which means that all the games within
the game session must be completed by a certain time. The fixed end
time for the game session could be applied only to players in
contention for prizes. In a crossword puzzle tournament, for
example, after the fixed end time for the final game session has
been reached the winners have already been determined. Players who
have not yet finished the puzzle can of course continue to work on
it beyond the fixed end time, although they are out of contention
for prizes.
[0089] In another preferred embodiment, the time window for a game
session has a fixed start time, which means that all the games or
questions within the game session start at the same time. As an
example, trivia games preferably should have a fixed start time
since a player who starts later would have the advantage of knowing
the questions posted to players who had started earlier. This would
give the later player the ability to look up the answers in advance
of answering them himself, resulting in an unfair advantage. Not
all game formats require a fixed start time. Dexterity game
formats, for example, may involve a staggered start of players. In
a closest to the pin golf tournament, a player beginning after
another player has finished is at no particular advantage or
disadvantage.
[0090] One preferred embodiment notifies a player of impending
start or end times for tournaments. FIG. 7 shows an example of such
a notification process 550 for a tournament with a fixed start
time. In that example, the game session has a number of game
formats. First, the player enters 552 the game format he prefers to
play via the associated I/O device. The preference is communicated
554 to the central controller, which registers 556 the preference.
When the game session is five minutes from starting, the central
controller sends a start message 558 to the I/O device of the
player through the communication network. This communication would
typically be electronic mail, although it could take other forms
such as audible or visual alerts. Similar mechanisms may be used to
alert the player that a game session is about to end.
[0091] Note that the game software described does not have to
reside completely at the central controller. Part of the game
software may reside in the central controller and part of it may
reside within the I/O device. This configuration can be implemented
in a client/server environment. In the case of an online tournament
golf game, for example, if the client/server model is not used then
the I/O device acts as a dumb terminal. All of the game software
resides on the game controller (server machine), receiving input
from the I/O device and sending back the results. The game
parameters such as club selection and force of swing are
transmitted to the game controller which calculates the new
position of the ball. A graphics screen depicting the new ball
placement is then downloaded to the I/O device. Because the
downloading of detailed graphics screens is such a
bandwidth-intensive function, the time of transmission is normally
long. Players are forced to wait for a period of time even with
relatively fast modems. Although increasing modem speeds are
beginning to alleviate these delays in the transmission of
graphics, game software graphics usually increase in screen
resolution (and hence bandwidth requirement) as new versions are
released, partially counteracting the hardware improvements.
[0092] Switching to a client/server model for bandwidth-intensive
functions may be more appropriate. In the case of the golf game
described above, much of the game software can be handled by the
I/O device. The I/O device would send the game parameters up to the
central controller which would calculate the coordinates of the new
ball position. These coordinates would then be sent back down to
the I/O device where the game software would generate the graphics
display of the new ball position. The time of data transmission is
dramatically reduced since no bandwidth intensive functions
(transmission of graphics) are required.
[0093] There are many different ways for a player to pay his entry
fee. In one preferred embodiment, the process steps 204 responsive
to payment of an entry fee include the step of providing a number
of payment options for the player before he participates in a game
session. Payments may be processed non-electronically, such as with
cash or checks, or may be communicated electronically with the
online transmission of credit card number, digital cash, debit card
number, or bank account information for electronic fund transfers.
Players may also register any one of the above electronic payment
methods with the central controller and then simply use a unique
payment identification number for future transactions. A player,
for example, could register his credit card number and a password
with the central controller. From that time forward, the player
would only have to present his password for payment. The central
controller would look up the password to find the player's credit
card number and would bill the card for the tournament entry fee.
This preferred embodiment has the added advantage of eliminating
the need for secure transmission of the payment information. A
hacker intercepting the player's payment communication with the
central controller would get only the password, not the more
valuable credit card number. The password has little value as any
winnings obtained from the use of another player's account would be
credited to that player's credit card and thus would not benefit
the hacker.
[0094] FIG. 8 shows another type 600 of payment option in which the
player approves automatic payments. The player first chooses a
preferred method of payment, such as by credit card. This
preference is stored 602 at the central controller. The payment
option is then activated 604 by any tournament activity by the
player. If the player's unique identifier is used in tournament
registration, his credit card is automatically charged for the
appropriate amount.
[0095] The entry fee can also be tied to the amount of time that
the player participates in the tournament--the longer he plays, the
larger the entry fee. In this preferred embodiment, the tournament
system keeps track of the amount of time the player spends in the
tournament, billing the player at the end of the tournament. This
procedure may be applicable in a flight simulator tournament in
which players score points for perfect landings. The more time the
player spends at the simulation, the greater the number of
opportunities to land.
[0096] Much like a student who must complete required pre-requisite
courses before attending higher level classes, participation in
some tournaments may require a confirmation of the player's
performance data. Entry into the Star Trek Master's tournament, for
example, might require previous participation in at least five of
seven Star Trek category tournaments. When the player tries to
register for the Master's tournament, the central controller looks
up the player's unique identifier to check past performance data.
If the performance data do not meet the criteria of the tournament,
registration is denied. The player is given a list of the missing
qualifications, as well as the starting times of future tournaments
that would satisfy those criteria.
[0097] Prior tournament history can also be used to handicap
players. In registering for a golf tournament, for example, part of
the registration process involves the central controller checking
to see whether the player has won any prior tournaments, or whether
he has simply played in many tournaments. The player receives a
handicap value from one to ten, depending on his level of
experience. When the tournament starts, players with the most
experience start from the tees farthest away from the pin, and face
the strongest winds.
[0098] A database system allows for creative applications of a
common prize pool, which is a set of prizes not associated with a
particular tournament. If there are ten trivia tournaments, for
example, there could be a prize for the longest string of
consecutive correct answers. This could be the longest string
within a given tournament, or it could span tournaments so that a
player finishing a tournament with a string of correct answers
could continue this string in the next tournament he enters. The
common prize pool thus spans a number of individual tournaments.
Other criteria that could be used include the greatest number of
standard deviations above the mean, the greatest number of standard
deviations above the lowest score, the best score by a senior
citizen, the most consecutive correct answers by a player under
thirty years of age, etc.
[0099] Databases also allow for entry fees to be paid based on the
actions taken within the tournament. In a hole-in-one tournament,
players could hit as many balls as they want to, but would be
charged for each ball that they hit. In this respect, entry fees
are no longer paid in advance, but after the tournament. The number
of balls hit can be stored in a database so that the player can
participate in multiple tournaments before paying.
[0100] Tournament promotions can make extensive use of the
information contained within the tournament database. Electronic
mail about future bridge tournaments, for example, can go out to
any player participating in at least two bridge tournaments in the
last year. Tournament databases would also be valuable to companies
promoting goods and services. Star Trek videos, for example, could
be marketed to those players competing in at least three Star Trek
tournaments per year.
[0101] Player complaints about activity from prior tournaments are
easily handled by the tournament database. If a player complains
that he has not received payment for a tournament victory six
months prior, the central controller would pull up the database
record for that tournament to see if the player was indeed one of
the winners. If he was, the central controller would then access
the player's database record to discover whether or not he had be
paid.
[0102] Normally, tournament prizes are established before the
tournament begins. In one preferred embodiment, however, the prizes
for a game session depend on the number of players participating in
the game session--the more players participating, the larger the
prizes.
[0103] In another preferred embodiment, each I/O device includes
secure memory (RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and the like) for storing
tournament data. This memory is contained within a secure
perimeter, which may include physical, electronic, or a combination
of physical and electronic features to resist tampering. For
example, physical features could include encapsulation while
electronic features could include a silicon firewall. Combination
features could include self-zeroing, or otherwise volatile memory,
or memory that electrically modifies its contents upon detection of
tampering. Such tampering might include physically stressing the
device, attempting to change the clock rate by replacing the
external power source with a battery outside allowable current or
voltage ranges, or attempting to change the clock rate by replacing
external power sources with an AC power source operating outside an
allowable frequency range. Alternatively, the secure perimeter
could be merely tamper-evident. In that case, the device might be
returned to the tournament organizers before any large prize could
be claimed. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a
great variety of tamper-resistant/tamper-evident techniques can be
deployed, and will not be enumerated in detail herein. Therefore,
as a matter of convenience, terms such as "tamper
resistant/tamper-evident" or "secure" shall be understood to refer
to any of the aforementioned or other security measures throughout
this discussion.
[0104] Many preferred tournament embodiments are improved through
the use of a secure perimeter. One example is a puzzle tournament
in which the time to solution is the critical component of the
player's score. One game session may require the player to solve
ten short puzzles with the number of seconds required to solve the
puzzles being the player's score for that game session. If there is
a delay in the communication of the player's answers, perhaps due
to latency problems in the online network, the player is penalized
by factors outside of his control. If the times of puzzle
completion are stored locally in the secure perimeter of the
player's I/O device, however, the player may not be penalized. His
times would be sent to the central controller at the end of the
game session and compared with the times registered by the game
controller over the online connection. The player would be credited
with the times registered by the processor within the secure
perimeter of the I/O device. The secure tamper-resistant nature of
the secure perimeter would prevent players from altering their
times to solution before they were sent to the central
controller.
[0105] Payment information likewise benefits from the use of a
secure perimeter. An I/O device may store cryptographic keys within
the secure perimeter to encrypt credit card information before it
is communicated to the game controller.
[0106] FIG. 9 shows another preferred embodiment, in which each I/O
device includes a screen 650 having multiple windows 652, 654
thereon, with one window 652 displaying the tournament game session
in which the associated player is currently participating. The
other windows may be displaying documents that the player is
working on, while he is playing in the tournament. In one preferred
embodiment, the player may enter preferences that determine the
size of the window displaying the tournament game session. This
entering process can be similar to the player entering his game
format preference, as shown in FIG. 7. A player might opt to have
the game session window take up a small portion of the I/O device
screen at the beginning of a tournament, but expand to a full sized
window as the player advances to further game sessions of a given
tournament. Thus, the tournament window expands as the possibility
of receiving prizes increases.
[0107] In one preferred embodiment, the database includes the
following fields, and each field includes the corresponding
information:
[0108] 1. Player Information/Demographics
[0109] Name
[0110] Address
[0111] Age
[0112] Sex
[0113] Preferences
[0114] Billing Type
[0115] Favorite tournament format
[0116] Start/stop times
[0117] Opponents
[0118] Language
[0119] 2. Billing Systems
[0120] Credit card numbers of players
[0121] Bank account numbers for electronic fund transfer (EFT)
[0122] Digital cash accounts
[0123] Total revenues
[0124] Aging of accounts receivable
[0125] Desired frequency of billing
[0126] Billing dates
[0127] Payment dates
[0128] Mailing addresses for prize payments by check
[0129] 3. Tournament Information
[0130] Format (trivia, strategy, prediction, etc.)
[0131] Start date/time
[0132] Stop date/time
[0133] Duration of tournament
[0134] Scheduled breaks
[0135] Scheduled times for player notification/warning
[0136] Prizes
[0137] Players currently registered
[0138] Players currently logged on
[0139] Cash entry fees received
[0140] Credit entry fees received
[0141] Number of game sessions
[0142] Player qualification requirements
[0143] Requirements for advancement to subsequent game sessions
[0144] 4. Player history
[0145] List of tournaments played
[0146] Prizes won
[0147] Average score
[0148] Number of times in final round
[0149] Average time to answer
[0150] Entry fees paid
[0151] 5. Question/Parameter/Answer Database
[0152] Format (trivia, strategy, etc.)
[0153] Creation date
[0154] Difficulty
[0155] Number of times it has been used
[0156] Tournaments that it has been used in
[0157] Scheduled deletion date
[0158] Percentage of correct responses
[0159] Parameter values (wind speed, speed of greens, etc.)
[0160] Results of prediction variables
[0161] The above-described database fields are not meant to be a
comprehensive description of a tournament database system. It will
be understood by those skilled in the art of tournaments that there
are many other possible variations.
[0162] Other preferred embodiments of the invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this
specification or practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is
intended that the specification and examples be considered as
exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention
being indicated by the following claims.
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