U.S. patent application number 11/608841 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-12 for in-running wagering system.
Invention is credited to Min He, Xin Wen.
Application Number | 20080139316 11/608841 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39498796 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080139316 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
He; Min ; et al. |
June 12, 2008 |
IN-RUNNING WAGERING SYSTEM
Abstract
A system for providing in-running wagering includes a
communication system that can receive a plurality of wagers placed
on racing animals competing in a race and a computer system in
communication with the communication system. The plurality of
wagers can be placed during the race. The computer processor can
compute winning odds for the plurality of wagers in accordance with
the plurality of wagers received by the communication system.
Inventors: |
He; Min; (San Jose, CA)
; Wen; Xin; (US) |
Correspondence
Address: |
XIN WEN
3449 RAMBOW DRIVE
PALO ALTO
CA
94306
US
|
Family ID: |
39498796 |
Appl. No.: |
11/608841 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/32 20130101;
G06Q 50/34 20130101; G06Q 10/00 20130101; G07F 17/3288
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/42 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A system for providing in-running wagering, comprising: a
communication system configured to receive a plurality of wagers
placed on racing animals competing in a race, wherein the plurality
of wagers are placed during the race; and a computer system in
communication with the communication system, wherein the computer
processor is configured to compute winning odds for the plurality
of wagers in accordance with the plurality of wagers received by
the communication system.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system is
configured to receive the plurality of wagers in wireless signals
from a plurality of computer devices.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system is
configured to send the winning odds to a plurality of computer
devices.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the winning odds are sent to a
plurality of computer devices by the communication system in
wireless signals.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured
to store the plurality of wagers in user accounts associated with a
plurality of players that placed the wagers.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a measurement system
configured to measure positions of the racing animals during the
race and to communicate the positions of the racing animals to a
remote computer device or the communication system.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the measurement system comprises:
a location sensor to be carried by a racing animal in a race track,
wherein the location sensor is configured to determine a location
of the racing animal.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the measurement system further
comprises a transmitter coupled to the location sensor, wherein the
transmitter is configured to transmit a first wireless signal
comprising the location of the racing animal to the remote computer
device or the communication system.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the measurement system or the
computer system is configured to compute a position of the racing
animal in the race track in response to the location of the racing
animal.
10. The system of claim 7, wherein the location sensor is
configured to receive one or more second wireless signals from a
geo position system (GPS) and to determine the location of the
racing animal in response to the one or more second wireless
signals.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is
configured to separate the race into a plurality of time segments
and the communication system is configured to receive the plurality
of wagers in the plurality of time segments during a race, and
wherein the computer processor is configured to compute the winning
odds for the one of the plurality of time segments using wagers
placed in the one of the plurality of time segments.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer processor is
configured to compute the winning odds for the one of the plurality
of time segments based on pari-mutuel principle.
13. A method for enabling in-running wagering, comprising:
receiving a plurality of wagers placed on racing animals competing
in a race, wherein the plurality of wagers are placed during the
race; and computing winning odds for the plurality of wagers in
accordance with the plurality of wagers.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the
plurality of wagers in wireless signals from a plurality of
computer devices.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending the winning
odds to a plurality of computer devices.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending the winning
odds to the plurality of computer devices in wireless signals.
17. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing the
plurality of wagers in user accounts associated with a plurality of
players that placed the wagers.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising: measuring positions
of the racing animals during the race, and communicating the
positions of the racing animals to the communication system or a
remote computer device.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising entering a wager by
a player in accordance with the positions of the racing animals
during the race.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising sending the location
or the position of the racing animal to the remote computer device
or the communication system.
21. The method of claim 18, further comprising: carrying a location
sensor by one of the racing animals in a race track; determining a
location of the one of the racing animals using the location
sensor; and computing a position of the one of the racing animals
in the race track.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: receiving one or
more second wireless signals from a geo position system (GPS) by
the location sensor; and determining the location of the racing
animal in response to the one or more second wireless signals.
23. The method of claim 13, further comprising: separating a race
into a plurality of time segments; receiving the plurality of
wagers in the plurality of time segments; and computing the winning
odds for the one of the plurality of time segments using wagers
placed in the one of the plurality of time segments.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the winning odds for the one of
the plurality of time segments is computed based on pari-mutuel
principle.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] This application related to an off-track wagering
system.
[0002] Wagering on races, such as a horse or greyhound races, were
traditionally made in the race tracks. In recent years, the
advancement of telecommunication technologies has transformed the
wagering industry. Off-track wagering has become a popular form of
betting. A wagering system can now facilitate data communication
between race tracks and user terminals to allow users to view
information on upcoming races and place wagers on races. The
wagering system includes a computer system for receiving the
information from the racetracks and sending the information to the
user terminals via a network. In a current off-track wagering
system, the information sent to the user terminals include odds,
horses and jockeys' past statistics, track conditions etc.
Streaming video images can be transmitted. Streaming video,
however, requires high network bandwidth, which can strain the
network to result in lost or delayed data. Thus, the user may not
have the most up-to-date information from the racetracks needed to
place an educated wager.
SUMMARY
[0003] In one aspect, the present invention relates to a system for
providing in-running wagering. The system includes a communication
system configured to receive a plurality of wagers placed on racing
animals competing in a race, wherein the plurality of wagers are
placed during the race; and a computer system in communication with
the communication system, wherein the computer processor is
configured to compute winning odds for the plurality of wagers in
accordance with the plurality of wagers received by the
communication system.
[0004] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method
for enabling in-running wagering. The method includes receiving a
plurality of wagers placed on racing animals competing in a race,
wherein the plurality of wagers are placed during the race; and
computing winning odds for the plurality of wagers in accordance
with the plurality of wagers.
[0005] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system
for providing off-track wagering. The system includes a location
sensor configured to be carried by a racing animal in a race track
and to determine the location of the racing animal, a transmitter
configured to receive the location of the racing animal from the
location sensor and transmit a first wireless signal comprising
location of the racing animal, and a computer system configured to
compute the position of the racing animal in the race track in
response to the first wireless signal.
[0006] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method
for providing off-track wagering. The method includes carrying a
location sensor by a racing animal in a race track, determining the
location of the racing animal using the location sensor,
transmitting a first wireless signal comprising location of the
racing animal, and computing the position of the racing animal in
the race track in response to the first wireless signal.
[0007] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system
for off-track wagering on races. The system includes a transmitter
configured to be carried by a racing animal in a race track,
wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a first wireless
signal; a plurality of sensors configured to receive the first
wireless signal and to produce one or more measurement signals in
response to the first wireless signal; and a computer system
configured to determine the position of the racing animal in the
race track in response to the one or more measurement signals.
[0008] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method
for off-track wagering on races. The method includes carrying a
transmitter by a racing animal in a race track; transmitting a
first wireless signal by the transmitter; receiving the first
wireless signal by a plurality of sensors; producing one or more
measurement signals in response to the first wireless signal; and
determining the position of the racing animal in the race track in
response to the one or more measurement signals.
[0009] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a
computer device for off-track wagering. The computer device
includes a communication device configured to receive a location of
a racing animal in a race track from a remote computer system; a
computer memory configured to store a representation of the race
track; and a display device configured to display the
representation of the race track and a symbol representing the
racing animal in the representation of the race track in accordance
with the location in the racing animal in the race track.
[0010] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method
for off-track wagering. The method includes receiving a location of
a racing animal in a race track by a computer device; storing a
representation of the race track in the computer device; and
displaying on the computer device the representation of the race
track and a symbol representing the racing animal in the
representation of the race track in accordance with the location of
the racing animal in the race track.
[0011] Implementations of the system may include one or more of the
following. The communication system can receive the plurality of
wagers in wireless signals from a plurality of computer devices.
The communication system can send the winning odds to a plurality
of computer devices. The winning odds can be sent to a plurality of
computer devices by the communication system in wireless signals.
The computer system can store the plurality of wagers in user
accounts associated with a plurality of players that placed the
wagers. The system can further include a measurement system
configured to measure positions of the racing animals during the
race and to communicate the positions of the racing animals to a
remote computer device or the communication system. The measurement
system can include a location sensor to be carried by a racing
animal in a race track, wherein the location sensor is configured
to determine a location of the racing animal. The measurement
system can further include a transmitter coupled to the location
sensor. The transmitter can transmit a first wireless signal
comprising the location of the racing animal to the remote computer
device or the communication system. The measurement system or the
computer system can compute a position of the racing animal in the
race track in response to the location of the racing animal. The
location sensor can receive one or more second wireless signals
from a geo position system (GPS) and to determine the location of
the racing animal in response to the one or more second wireless
signals. The computer processor can separate the race into a
plurality of time segments and the communication system is
configured to receive the plurality of wagers in the plurality of
time segments during a race, and wherein the computer processor is
configured to compute the winning odds for the one of the plurality
of time segments using wagers placed in the one of the plurality of
time segments. The computer processor is configured to compute the
winning odds for the one of the plurality of time segments based on
pari-mutuel principle. Implementations of the system may include
one or more of the following. The location sensor and the
transmitter can be provided in a unitary portable device. The first
wireless signal can include an electromagnetic signal or an optical
signal. The first wireless signal can be based on WiMax, WiFi, or a
cellular communication standard. The location sensor can receive a
second wireless signal from a geo position system (GPS) and to
determine the location of the racing animal in response to the
second wireless signal. The computer system can send a second
wireless signal comprising the position of the racing animal in the
race track to a remote computer device. The computer system can
receive a wager on the racing animal in the race track from the
remote computer device.
[0012] Implementation of the system may include one or more of the
following. The transmitter comprises one or more of a laser, a
radio-frequency transmitter, or a radio frequency identification
(RFID) device and the plurality of sensors can include a radio
frequency receiver or an optical sensor. The first wireless signal
can include a radio-frequency electromagnetic signal or a laser
signal. The portable device can further include a geo position
system (GPS) sensor configured to determine a location of the
racing animal and the first wireless signal comprises the location
of the racing animal. The computer system can determine the
position of the racing animal in the race track in response to the
location of the racing animal. The computer system can receive from
the remote computer device a wager on the racing animal in the race
track.
[0013] Implementations of the system may include one or more of the
following. The representation of the race track can include a map,
an image or graphics of the race track. The symbol representing the
racing animal can include one or more of an image resembling the
racing animal, an avatar, an icon, a dot, a circle, a rectangle, a
polygon, a star, a "+" symbol, or a "x" symbol. The computer device
can further include a computer processor configured to compute a
position of the racing animal relative to the representation of the
race track in response to the location of the racing animal in the
race track. The computer processor can produce a first image
including the symbol in the representation of the race track in
accordance with the location of the racing animal. The computer
processor can produce a plurality of second images each including
the symbol in the representation of the race track to simulate the
movement of the racing animal in the race track. The computer
memory can compute the position of the racing animal relative to
the representation of the race track in response to the location of
the racing animal. The communication device can receive wireless
signals comprising the location of the racing animal in a race
track from the remote computer system. The computer device can
further include an input device that can receive a wager on the
racing animal from a user, wherein the communication device is
configured to send the wager to the remote computer system. The
input device can receive a wager during a race. The display device
can display relative positions of a plurality of racing animals in
the representation of the race track in accordance with the
locations of the racing animals running in a race in the race
track.
[0014] The disclosed system and methods include the following
advantages. The disclosed system allows users to make bet during an
animal race such as a horse race or a dog race (i.e. in running).
The users can make bets in accordance with the relative positions
of the racing animals and dynamic winning odds during the race. The
users can make bets before and during the animal race. Each player
can make bets at times more suitable for him. The players can have
the option to bet during a race when he has information and
possibly better judgment about an ongoing race. A player may also
have a chance to correct a seemingly mistaken bet previously made.
More types of betting methods can also be created as result. The
in-running betting can make the wagering more dynamic and exciting
for the players. The in-running betting may attract more players to
participate wagering.
[0015] The disclosed system and methods also disclose an efficient
wireless system to allow users to enter wagers for an animal race
using a portable device without being limited by the communication
bandwidth of the wireless systems. The disclosed system can provide
positions of the racing animals during a race to the portable
devices without using large amount of data such as the video images
of racing animals. The users of the portable devices can make bets
in accordance with the positions of the racing animals displayed on
the portable device.
[0016] The disclosed system and methods also disclose a measurement
system for measuring positions of racing animals during a race in a
race track. The positions of the racing animals can be determined
in real time at high accuracy. The position data can be shared in
real time with computer devices through wired or wireless networks.
The position data allow users to track the status of the racing
animals during a race. The position data also allow users to make
bets during a race in accordance with the relative positions of the
racing animals during the race.
[0017] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the
accompanying drawing and in the description below. Other features,
objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from
the description and drawings, and from the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram for an off-track wagering system that
can provide position information during a race and facilitate
in-running wagering.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a position-measurement system (PMS) in
association with a race track.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplified portable device
that can be used in the PMS.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram for the operations of the system in
FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a functional diagram of a wagering
computer system (WCS) compatible with the off-track wagering system
of FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplified computer device
compatible with the off-track wagering system of FIG. 1.
[0024] FIG. 7A illustrates a portion of a user interface compatible
with the computer device of FIG. 6.
[0025] FIG. 7B illustrates another portion of a user interface
compatible with the computer device of FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1-2, an off-track wager system 100
includes a plurality of position measurement systems (PMS) 110, 130
each associated with a race track. The PMS 110 can include a
computer system 111, a plurality of portable devices 112, 113, and
one or more wireless receivers 114-119 that can facilitate
communications between the computer system 111 and the portable
devices 112, 113. Similarly, the PMS 130 can include a computer
system 131, a plurality of portable devices 132, 133, and one or
more wireless receivers 134-139 that can facilitate communications
between the computer system 131 and the portable devices 132, 133.
The PMS 110, 130 can be in communication with a wager computer
system (WCS) 150 through a computer network 105.
[0027] The computer network 105 can include various wired,
wireless, and satellite communication arrangements including but
not limited to a wide area network such as the Internet, a local
area network, a cellular phone network under various communication
protocols such as 2 G, 2.5 G and 3 G, Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), EDGE,
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA, TD-SCDMA,
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), etc., and
wireless communication standards such as IEEE 802.11, Wi-Fi,
Wi-MAX, and IEEE 806.16, and others.
[0028] The PMS 110, 130 and the WCS 150 can be set up by an
off-track wager service provider. In some embodiments, the computer
system 111 and 131 can communicate with the WCS 150 through an
intranet managed by the off-track wager service provider.
[0029] A plurality of computer devices 160, 170 can be connected to
the computer network 105 and communicate with PMS 110, 130 and the
WCS 150. The computer devices 160 and 170 can include personal
computers, portable digital assistance (PDA) devices such as
Palm.TM. and Blackberry.TM., cellular phones, digital image capture
devices equipped with communication devices, portable music players
such as IPOD.TM. and Zune.TM., and game devices such as Microsoft
XBOX, SONY PlayStation OR PS2, and/or Nintendo 64, GameCube, or
GameBoy.
[0030] The PMS 110 and 130 can each be installed at or near a race
track. For example, various components of PMS 110 can be installed
at or near a race track 200. A plurality of animals 212, 213 such
as horses and greyhounds can participate in a race on a race track
200. Each racing animal 212, 213 can carry the portable device 112
or 113. A coordinate system including an origin, an x-axis, and a
y-axis can be defined in the race track 200 for easily describing
relative locations of the racing animals 212, 213 in the race track
200 and the relative positions between the racing animals 212, 213.
The relative positions of the racing animals can also be based on
distances along the race track 200. For example, distance from the
start position "T.sub.0" can be measured along the race track to
indicate the distance a racing animal has run.
[0031] The racing animals' (or vehicles') positions can be measured
by different arrangements. In some embodiments, referring to FIG.
3, the portable device 112 can include a GPS communication device
that can receive electronic signals from a plurality of satellites
231-233 (for example, the location of a racing animal may be
accurately determined by signals from four or more satellite or by
signals transmitted to four or more satellite). The electronic
signals received form the different satellites 231-233 can be used
to calculate the absolute locations (e.g. in longitudes and
latitudes) of the racing animal 212 by a computer processor 320.
The computer processor 320 can optionally calculate the relative
location of the racing animal 212 in the race track 200. A wireless
transmitter 330 can send the absolute location and/or the relative
location of the racing animal 212 to one or more of the wireless
receivers 114-119. The positions for the racing animals 212, 213
can be measured at pre-defined time intervals. The computer system
111 can receive the position (and optionally time associated with
the position measurement) from the wireless receivers 114-119. The
computer system 111 can calculate the relative locations of the
racing animals 212, 213 in the race track 200 using the absolute
locations of the racing animals 212, 213.
[0032] In some embodiments, the GPS communication device 310 can
transmit electronic signals to one or more satellites 231-233. The
electronic signals can carry position information about the racing
animal 212. The one or more satellites 231-233 can send the
positions of the racing animals to the computer system 111 or the
WCS 150. The wireless transmitter 330 and the wireless receivers
114-119 may not be required in this arrangement.
[0033] In some embodiments, the racing animals' locations can be
measured without a GPS system (including the satellites 231-233 and
the GPS communication device 310). The wireless signals transmitted
by the portable devices 112, 113 can be measured by the wireless
receivers 114-119 for determining the positions of the racing
animals 212, 213. In some embodiments, the relative intensities of
the wireless signals transmitted by a portable device 112 can be
used to calculate the location of the racing animal 212 at the time
of transmission. In one arrangement, the relationship between the
different race-track locations of the portable device 112 and the
relative intensities received by the different wireless receivers
114-119 can be calibrated prior to a real race. The ratios of the
intensities can be used to uniquely determine the location of the
portable device 112 (and thus the racing animal 212) on the race
track 200.
[0034] In some embodiments, the racing animals' locations can be
measured by short-range position measure devices such as RFID
readers or optical interception devices. The portable device
carried by a racing animal can include a RFID sensor having a
unique identification. A plurality of RFID readers can be
positioned along the race track to detect the specific radio
frequency (RF) signals emitted by the RFID sensor. The RFID sensor
can include a power supply or being powered by inductive RF signals
from the RFID readers. An example of an optical interception device
can include a laser beam and a photo sensor installed by the race
track. The laser beam is set up to illuminate across the track into
the photo sensor. An interruption in the laser signal by a racing
animal can be used to determine the location of the racing
animal.
[0035] The off-track wager system 100 can provide wagering services
to many players. The players can register and open accounts at the
off-track wager system 100 through the computer network 105. A
player can access their accounts using a user name and a password.
The players can also have store money in his account for automatic
withdrawal of wager fees. The user account information and the
wager information can be stored in the WCS 150.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1-4, the operations of the off-track wager
system 100 can include following steps. A race can be hosted at a
race track 200. The racing animals 212, 213 positions can be
measured by position measurement system (PMS) 110 (step 410). The
racing animals' relative locations in the race track 200 can be
calculated using their measured absolute locations by the computer
system 111 or the computer processor 320 (step 420).
[0037] The (relative) locations of the racing animals 212, 213
running in the race are sent to a remote computer device 160 (step
430) and received by the communication module 610 (FIG. 6). The
relative positions of the racing animals during the race are
instantaneously displayed on the display 640 of the remote computer
device 160 (step 440). The racing animals' relative locations can
also be sent to and stored at the WCS 150. In some embodiments, the
racing animals' relative locations in the race track 200 can also
be calculated in WCS 150 or by the computer processor 620 in the
remote computer device 160.
[0038] A player can log-in to the off-track wager system 100 using
the input device 630 on the remote computer device 160. The player
can enter a wager prior to a race using the remote computer device
160 (step 450). The player can monitor the performance of the
racing animals 212, 213 during a race. The player can enter a wager
during the race using an input device 630 in accordance with the
performance of the racing animals 212, 213 during the race.
Information about the wager can be transmitted to the WCS 150 (step
460) and stored in association with the player's account. The
winning odds for the pari-mutuel betting can be continuously
computed by the WCS 150 (step 470). The updated winning odds and
other race related information can be received by the computer
devices 160, 170. After the race results are known after the race,
if the player wins, the winning amount is computed by the WCS and
stored in the player's account at the off-track wager system
100.
[0039] A WCS 150, referring to FIG. 5, can include an account
management subsystem 510, a pre-race status subsystem 520, an
in-running status subsystem 530, an odds computation system 540, a
betting subsystem 550, and a post-race subsystem 560. The account
management subsystem 510 can store information about users of the
off-track wager system 100. The user information can include user
identification, password, name and address, account balance,
current active bets, betting history, performance analysis, money
transfer information (e.g. credit card, bank account information,
and other electronic payment method such as Paypal), bonus point
management, and payout calculation. The user account can be
registered by users using the computer devices 160, 170 through the
computer network 105. The user information can also be entered and
managed by the users and updated by the account management
subsystem 510.
[0040] Before each race at a race track 200, a user can receive
pre-race information about the race from the pre-race status
subsystem 520. The pre-race information can include race schedules,
participating animals in the race, pre-game odds, the sizes of each
betting pools, race status, track status, track assignment,
profiles of the racing animals, jockey profile including historic
performance, expert's picks, weather information at the race track,
and scratch update. The pre-race information can be pre-stored in
the WCS 150 (e.g. historic data), or received from the race track
200 (weather, scratch, and track information) or other race
information agencies. The pre-race information can be sent to the
pre-race status subsystem 520 through the computer network 105 or
through other communication methods. The pre-race status
information can also include updated odds for each type of bet for
a given race. The odds information can be received from external
sources or from the odds computation system 540.
[0041] The players can receive pre-race information using the
computer devices 160, 170 and enter bets on the racing animals. The
bets are received by the betting subsystem 550 from the computer
device 160, 170. The betting subsystem 550 can verify the validity
of the bets, and decides to accept or reject the bets. The balance
in the user's account may be checked to ensure sufficient fund is
available for the bets. Fees for the bets can be withdrawn. A
confirmation message may be sent from the WCS 150 to the computer
devices 160 or 170 to inform the players about the successful
entries or rejections of the bets.
[0042] The official results after each race can be received by a
post-race subsystem 560 from the race tracks 200 or other agencies.
The outcome for each bet is determined. The winning amount is
calculated for the winning bets. The appropriate fund is
transferred into the user accounts associated with the winning
bets.
[0043] The players can also receive in-running information from the
in-running status subsystem 530 during a race. The in-running
status can include the positions and relative order of the racing
animals 212, 213 and real time video or audio information from the
race track 200. As discussed below, the in-running information can
be displayed on the computer devices 160 or 170 in image, text, or
multi-media presentations/animations. The in-running status can be
received from the race track 200, the PMS 110 and 130 associated
with the race tracks, and other systems that may capture live race
information. For example, the in-running information can include
video signals captured by an electronic Video or still-image
camera. The in-running status subsystem 530 can also receive the
positional information of the racing animals from the satellites
231-233 if that may determine the locations of the racing animals
212-213 using the signals transmitted from the GPS communication
device 310. The in-running status subsystem 530 can also calculate
the relative positions of orders of the racing animals 212, 213 in
the race track 200 using the location information measured by the
PMS 110 and 130, or received from the satellites 231-233.
[0044] In some embodiments, the off-track wager system 100 can
facilitate players to make bets during a race (i.e. in running).
The players can send bets during a race to the betting subsystem
550 using the computer devices 160 or 170. The betting subsystem
550 can verify the validity of the bets, and decides to accept or
reject the bets similar to the bets entered before the race. Due to
the shorter time available, the betting subsystem 550 may
pre-quality certain players that can make bets during a race. For
example, the betting subsystem 550 may only allow players having
good betting and credit records to make bets during a race. The
betting subsystem 550 can also require a minimum fund to be
available in the player's user account and specific in-running
conditions to be agreed upon.
[0045] The in-running betting information can also include the
winning odds and the pool sizes for the pari-mutuel bets. During
the race, the odd computation subsystem 540 can continually
calculate the winning odds from different bets using information
received from the track 200, PMS 110-130, and other sources. The
players can receive the winning odds and the pool sizes during the
race using the computer devices 160 or 170, which can help the
players make bets during the race.
[0046] In some embodiments, the in-running bets can be arranged in
different time segments during a race. For example, referring to
FIG. 2, a race may start at position "T.sub.0" and finish at
position "T.sub.4". The race can be divided into four segments
"T.sub.0 to T.sub.1", "T.sub.1 to T.sub.2", "T.sub.2 to T.sub.3",
and "T.sub.3 to T.sub.4". The in-running bets may be accepted
during some or all the four segments. For example, the in-running
bets may be entered during the "T.sub.1 to T.sub.2" and "T.sub.2 to
T.sub.3" segments, that is, after the racing animals have
demonstrated their performances but before they are too close to
the finish line. The bets can be entered separately for the
"T.sub.1 to T.sub.2" and "T.sub.2 to T.sub.3" segments. The odds
computation system 540 can calculate the winning odds for each
segment in accordance with the number of bets for each racing
animal during that segment. The odds in a segment can be calculated
using pari-mutuel principle based on the money betted in this
segment only. The odds of different segments can be calculated
independently from each other. The odds of different segments can
also be calculated based on the bets in several segments.
[0047] Furthermore, the odds in a segment can be calculated before
the segment is closed. Alternatively, the odds for a segment can be
calculated dynamically as the bets and the money are received and
updated as the race progresses during the segment. The winning
odds, the total size of the bets for each segment can be sent to
the computer devices 160 or 170. The winning odds before a race and
the winning odds for one or more segments during a race can be
displayed on the computer devices 160 or 170. Moreover, the winning
odds for the current in-running segment during a race can be
displayed on the computer devices 160 or 170 (shown in FIGS. 7A and
7B below).
[0048] In some embodiments, the segmentations can also be based on
the time. For example, the average run time for a race can be
divided into five segments wherein in running bets can be entered
in the second, the third and the fourth segments. Other embodiments
can include all or any subsets of the segments "T.sub.0 to
T.sub.1", "T.sub.1 to T.sub.2", "T.sub.2 to T.sub.3", and "T.sub.3
to T.sub.4". A race may include a portion, one or more rounds
around a race track. More or fewer segments can be defined for a
race.
[0049] In some embodiments, the off-track wager system 100 can
facilitate a social network among the players. For example, the
players can post messages on a bulletin board and chat in chat
rooms to exchange information and opinions about racing animals,
jockeys, and so on. The WCS 150 can allow a group of players to
create an account to make bets on racing animals before or during
races.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 6, the computer device 160 can include a
communication module 610, a computer processor 620, an input device
630, a display device 640, and a memory module 650. The input
device 630 can include a mouse, keyboard, touch-sensitive device, a
voice recognition system, and so on. The communication module 610
is connected with the computer network 105 and can communicate with
the WCS 150, and optionally PMS 110, 130. The communication module
610 can receive pre-race, in-running, and post-race information
respectively from the pre-race status subsystem 520, the in-running
status subsystem 530, and the post-race subsystem 560 in the WCS
150. The computer processor 620 can process the received
information to allow the pre-race and in-running status information
to be displayed on the display device 640. The computer processor
620 can optionally calculate the positions of the racing animals
212, 213 in the race track 200 using their absolute locations
measured by PMS 110 and 130 or satellites 231-233. A player can
also enter a bet using the input device 630 prior to or during a
race, which can be subsequently transmitted to the WCS 150 by the
communication module 610. The communication module 610 can receive
confirmation from the betting system 550 about the successful entry
of (or rejection to) a bet. The confirmation can be displayed on
the display device 640.
[0051] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 7A, a user interface
700 on the display device 640 can display static information, which
can be pre-stored in the memory module 650 before a race, and
dynamic information that can be updated in real-time. For example,
the static information may include a representation 710 of the race
track 200. The representation 710 can be a layout or an image of
the race track 200. An image of the race track 200 can be obtained
from a satellite image or a mag that are available from Internet
services such as Yahoo! and Google. The image of the race track 200
can also include computer graphics and drawings. The static
information may also include marks at positions "P.sub.0",
"P.sub.1", "P.sub.2", "P.sub.3", and "P.sub.4" along the
representation 710 of the race track 200. The positions "P.sub.0",
"P.sub.1", "P.sub.2", "P.sub.3", and "P.sub.4" may correspond to
the starting and ending points of the segmentations "T.sub.0",
"T.sub.1","T.sub.2", and "T.sub.4 " during the race for grouping
the in-running bets and calculating the winning odds. A coordinate
system can also be defined as part of the static information to
allow relative positions of the racing animals to be displayed. The
dynamic information can include pre-race, in-running, and post-race
information provided in real-time by the WCS 150 and other sources.
The dynamic information can include text, image, animation or video
information. The dynamic information can include positions of the
racing animals during a race. The computer processor 620 can
prepare image data and enable the display device 640 to display
symbols 712, 713 representing the racing animals 212, 213 in the
presentation 710 in accordance with the position information. (For
clarity, only two symbols 712 and 713 are shown in the race track
in the representation 710. It is understood that other numbers of
symbols may be displayed depending on the number racing animals
participate in the race. For example, eight racing horses can be
displayed in the representation 710.) The symbol 712, 713 can also
include an image or animation resembling the racing animal (e.g. a
horse or a greyhound), an avatar, an icon, a dot, a circle, a
rectangle, a polygon, a star, a symbol such as "+" or "x".
[0052] The computer processor 620 can produce a digital image
including the symbol representing the racing animal in the
representation of the race track. The position of the symbol in the
representation is determined by the positions of the racing animal.
The digital image can be displayed on the display device 640. A
series of such images can be produced by the computer processor 620
which can simulate the movement of the racing animal in the race
track during a race. The player of the computer device 160 can
easily determine the relative positions and speeds of the racing
animals as the race progresses and can make in-running bets
accordingly using the input device 630.
[0053] A larger view 720 of the relative positions of the racing
animals can also be displayed to more clearly show the relative
positions of the racing animals. For example, in a race
participated by eight horses, the positions of the eight horses in
running can be represented by arrow signs labeled by the horses'
numbers in the larger view 720. For example, the eight horses are
sequenced in the order of 6, 4, 2, 1, 5, 8, 3, and 7 at the moment
of the race shown in FIG. 7A. Horse number 6 is leading the group
at this particular moment. The relative positions and timing of the
horses can be displayed in a table 730. The row "P" lists the
updated sequence of the horses in running. The row "H" indicates
the horses at each position. The row "T" can display the times for
the horses to catch up with the leading horse (horse number 6 at
the moment). The updated winning odds for the horses can be
displayed in table 740. The winning odds for horses 1-8 can be
categorized for win, place and show. The winning odds can be
calculated from one or more previous segments or dynamically
calculated using the bets placed in the current segment. Moreover,
the information listed in tables 730 and 740 can include updated
in-running information and post race information including the
official results.
[0054] The display device 640 can also display the relative
positions or the ranking order of the racing animals during a race
in accordance with the location in the racing animal in the race
track. For example, a horse race, a table in the user interface 700
may include rows of information each for a racing horse. Different
columns can include the names of the horse and the jockeys, the
track numbers for the horses, the current running sequence for the
racing horses, as well as the current number of bets and winning
odds for each bet on the horses. The user interface 700 can also
include features for accepting bets for different horses and
different wagering configurations. Referring to FIG. 7B, tables 751
and 753 can include a plurality of cells for win, place and show
for each of the racing horses (numbers 1 through 8). Different
betting amount can be listed in the same table or different tables
751 and 753. A user can select betting configurations such as win
for horse number 4 and place for horse number 6 at $2 betting value
by clicking the corresponding cells in table 751. Similarly, the
user can also select betting configurations such as place for horse
number 2 and win for horse number 7 at $6 betting value by clicking
the corresponding cells in table 751. Other betting amounts can
also be included in the user interface 700. The user can click a
button 760 to verify the betting(s) he or she placed. The user can
click a button 770 to submit the bets. A plurality of bets can
therefore submitted by clicking a button.
[0055] It is understood that user interface for the computer device
160 or 170 can take different forms. For example, the betting on a
horse can begin by a user using a mouse to click on the arrow sign
labeled by the corresponding horse in the larger view 720. A
pull-down menu can occur next to the horse to allow the user to
choose a betting method such as "win", "place" or show". After the
user clicks on one of these betting methods, a pull-down menu can
give the user selections on the betting amount such as $2, $4, $6 .
. . , and so on.
[0056] Embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein
include one or more of a number of advantages. One advantage of the
in-running betting is that the winning odds may fluctuate as a
function of the performance of the racing animals during the race.
The dynamics and added uncertainty can make the in-running betting
more exciting than pre-race betting. Another advantage of the
in-running betting is that a player can make bets using a
combination of pre-race betting and in-running betting. The
in-running betting can thus make wagering more entertaining and may
attract more players to participate in off-track wagering. The
disclosed system and methods also provide effective segmentation
methods for racking in-running bets and computing the odds for
in-running bets. For example, the beginning and the ending periods
may be excluded from the acceptance of the in-running bets.
[0057] It is understood that the disclosed systems and methods are
compatible with different techniques and materials in addition to
the ones described above. For example, the races can include racing
vehicles as well as animals. The off-track wagering system is
compatible with different configurations of the position
measurement systems and different in-running betting segmentations.
The disclosed method and system are also not limited to off-track
betting. A player can use a computer device such as a cellular
phone or a portable computer to enter bets while watching a race in
a race track. The positions of the racing animals can be measured
by different techniques other than the ones disclosed above. The
disclosed system and methods are compatible with different devices
that can communicate with the wager computing and management
system. The configuration of the devices and the user interfaces on
the devices can also take different forms. The in-running wagering
can be implemented in different ways without deviating from the
spirit of the disclosure.
[0058] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the
foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the
invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described
herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications,
and substitutions without departing from the scope of the
invention. The following claims are intended to encompass all such
modifications.
* * * * *