U.S. patent application number 17/402881 was filed with the patent office on 2022-06-02 for method of verifying that a wager was placed before market close.
This patent application is currently assigned to AdrenalineIP. The applicant listed for this patent is AdrenalineIP. Invention is credited to Joseph W. BEYERS, John CRONIN, Michael D'ANDREA, Casey Alexander HUKE.
Application Number | 20220172573 17/402881 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005842335 |
Filed Date | 2022-06-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220172573 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HUKE; Casey Alexander ; et
al. |
June 2, 2022 |
METHOD OF VERIFYING THAT A WAGER WAS PLACED BEFORE MARKET CLOSE
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a method to determine if a user
had placed a wager and verify that the wager was placed before the
wagering market closed in a play-by-play wagering network. This
method provides the ability to receive a wager from a user and
allows the wagering network to receive a timestamp from the user's
device to determine if the wager was placed before the market
closing. Also, this method provides the ability to verify that
there is no fraud, malicious activity, or cheating from the user by
verifying that through a 3rd party network, such as the user's
network connecting the user to the internet, that the timestamps
provided by the network are correct and allowing the user to
confirm their wager if received a few moments after the market has
closed.
Inventors: |
HUKE; Casey Alexander;
(Washington, DC) ; CRONIN; John; (Jericho, VT)
; BEYERS; Joseph W.; (Saratoga, CA) ; D'ANDREA;
Michael; (Burlington, VT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AdrenalineIP |
Washington |
DC |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
AdrenalineIP
Washington
DC
|
Family ID: |
1000005842335 |
Appl. No.: |
17/402881 |
Filed: |
August 16, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
63119815 |
Dec 1, 2020 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/2322 20190101;
G07F 17/323 20130101; G06Q 50/34 20130101; G07F 17/3288 20130101;
G06Q 20/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G07F 17/32 20060101
G07F017/32; G06Q 20/02 20060101 G06Q020/02; G06Q 50/34 20060101
G06Q050/34; G06F 16/23 20060101 G06F016/23 |
Claims
1. A method for verifying placement of wagers before a market
closes on a sport wagering network, comprising: receiving at least
one wager from a which includes a wager timestamp of when the wager
was placed; storing the wager timestamp of the wager in a wager
time database; and verifying the placement of the wager by
determining if the wager timestamp of the wager was before the time
associated with a close of the wager market; and verifying the
validity of the wager timestamp of the wager by connecting to a
third-party network, comparing at least one third-party network
timestamp with at least one wager timestamp stored in the wager
time database, and determining if the at least one third-party
network timestamp and at least one wager timestamp are within a
predetermined margin of error.
2. The method for verifying placement of wagers before a market
closes on a sport wagering network of claim 1, wherein the
predetermined margin of error further comprises a time value less
than 10 seconds.
3. The method for verifying placement of wagers before a market
closes on a sport wagering network of claim 1, further comprising
utilizing a notification to inform the user of the status of the
wager.
4. The method for verifying placement of wagers before a market
closes on a sport wagering network of claim 1, further comprising
accepting or rejecting the placement of the wager if the timestamps
are within the predetermined margin of error.
5. The method for verifying placement of wagers before a market
closes on a sport wagering network of claim 1, further comprising
displaying a message that the wager was accepted, confirmed,
rejected, or cancelled to the user.
6. A system for verifying placement of wagers before a market
closes on a sport wagering network, comprising: a wager placement
module; a wager time database; a verification module; a time
confirmation module; and a device configured to display a
notification regarding a status of a placed wager, wherein the
wager placement module is configured to receive a wager placed by a
user, store the wager in a wager time database and send the wager
to a verification module and a time confirmation module, the time
confirmation module is configured to poll for a request of a wager
timestamp from the verification module, receive the request,
extract the corresponding wager timestamp from the wager time
database, send the wager timestamp data to the verification module,
poll for a response from the verification module, and receive a
response from the verification module, the wager time database is
configured to house at least a wager ID, a wager timestamp, and a
screenshot of the wager timestamp; the verification module is
configured to determine if the wager of the user was received
before the closing time of the wager market, determine if the wager
timestamp was prior to the close of the wager market, connect to a
third-party network to send and receive at least one series of
timestamps, compare the timestamps received, and confirm or decline
the wager based on if the timestamps fall within a predetermined
margin of error.
7. The system for verifying placement of wagers before a market
closes on a sport wagering network of claim 6, wherein the
screenshot of the wager timestamp is a picture, image, or photo.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present patent application claims benefit and priority
to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/119,815 filed on Dec.
1, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present
disclosure.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosures are generally related to
play-by-play wagering on live sporting events.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Currently, on wagering networks, the user experience may be
interrupted due to loss of a signal, cellular data, Wi-Fi, other
networking capabilities, etc. while the user is trying to place a
wager which may cause frustration for the user if they have placed
a wager.
[0004] Also, users' connections may drop immediately after the
wager has been placed, leaving the user confused about why their
wager was not placed.
[0005] Lastly, there is currently no way to determine if the user
had placed a wager or tried to place a wager, and loss a connection
to a wagering network at the moment of connection loss, leaving the
wagering network with a loss in potential action.
[0006] Thus, there is a need in the prior art to determine if the
user had lost connection and did place a wager before the market
for the wager was closed.
SUMMARY
[0007] Methods, systems and apparatuses for verifying that timing
and placement of a wager may be shown and described. In one
embodiment, a method for verifying placement of wagers before a
market closes on a sport wagering network can include receiving at
least one wager from a which includes a wager timestamp of when the
wager was placed; storing the wager timestamp of the wager in a
wager time database; verifying the placement of the wager by
determining if the wager timestamp of the wager was before the time
associated with a close of the wager market; and verifying the
validity of the wager timestamp of the wager by connecting to a
third-party network, comparing at least one third-party network
timestamp with at least one wager timestamp stored in the wager
time database, and determining if the at least one third-party
network timestamp and at least one wager timestamp are within a
predetermined margin of error.
[0008] In another embodiment, a system for verifying placement of
wagers before a market closes on a sport wagering network can
include a wager placement module; a wager time database; a
verification module; a time confirmation module; and a device
configured to display a notification regarding a status of a placed
wager, where the wager placement module is configured to receive a
wager placed by a user, store the wager in a wager time database
and send the wager to a verification module and a time confirmation
module, the time confirmation module is configured to poll for a
request of a wager timestamp from the verification module, receive
the request, extract the corresponding wager timestamp from the
wager time database, send the wager timestamp data to the
verification module, poll for a response from the verification
module, and receive a response from the verification module, the
wager time database is configured to house at least a wager ID, a
wager timestamp, and a screenshot of the wager timestamp; the
verification module is configured to determine if the wager of the
user was received before the closing time of the wager market,
determine if the wager timestamp was prior to the close of the
wager market, connect to a third-party network to send and receive
at least one series of timestamps, compare the timestamps received,
and confirm or decline the wager based on if the timestamps fall
within a predetermined margin of error.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of
systems, methods, and various other aspects of the embodiments. Any
person with ordinary art skills will appreciate that the
illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or
other shapes) in the figures represent an example of the
boundaries. It may be understood that, in some examples, one
element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple
elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an
element shown as an internal component of one element may be
implemented as an external component in another and vice versa.
Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. Non-limiting and
non-exhaustive descriptions are described with reference to the
following drawings. The components in the figures are not
necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
illustrating principles.
[0010] FIG. 1: illustrates a system for verifying that a wager was
placed before market close on a play-by-play wagering network,
according to an embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 2: illustrates a wager placement module, according to
an embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 3: illustrates a time confirmation module, according to
an embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 4: illustrates a wager time database, according to an
embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 5: illustrates a verification module, according to an
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the
following description and related figures directed to specific
embodiments of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art
will recognize that alternate embodiments may be devised without
departing from the spirit or the scope of the claims. Additionally,
well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will
not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure
the relevant details of the invention.
[0016] As used herein, the word exemplary means serving as an
example, instance or illustration. The embodiments described herein
are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. The described
embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or
advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms
embodiments of the invention, embodiments, or invention do not
require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed
feature, advantage, or mode of operation.
[0017] Further, many of the embodiments described herein are
described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for
example, elements of a computing device. It should be recognized by
those skilled in the art that specific circuits can perform the
various sequence of actions described herein (e.g., application
specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) and/or by program
instructions executed by at least one processor. Additionally, the
sequence of actions described herein can be embodied entirely
within any form of computer-readable storage medium such that
execution of the sequence of actions enables the processor to
perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various
aspects of the present invention may be embodied in several
different forms, all of which have been contemplated to be within
the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of
the embodiments described herein, the corresponding form of any
such embodiments may be described herein as, for example, a
computer configured to perform the described action.
[0018] With respect to the embodiments, a summary of terminology
used herein is provided.
[0019] An action refers to a specific play or specific movement in
a sporting event. For example, an action may determine which
players were involved during a sporting event. In some embodiments,
an action may be a throw, shot, pass, swing, kick, and/or hit
performed by a participant in a sporting event. In some
embodiments, an action may be a strategic decision made by a
participant in the sporting event, such as a player, coach,
management, etc. In some embodiments, an action may be a penalty,
foul, or other type of infraction occurring in a sporting event. In
some embodiments, an action may include the participants of the
sporting event. In some embodiments, an action may include
beginning events of sporting event, for example opening tips, coin
flips, opening pitch, national anthem singers, etc. In some
embodiments, a sporting event may be football, hockey, basketball,
baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, MMA, boxing,
swimming, skiing, snowboarding, horse racing, car racing, boat
racing, cycling, wrestling, Olympic sport, eSports, etc. Actions
can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0020] A "bet" or "wager" is to risk something, usually a sum of
money, against someone else's or an entity based on the outcome of
a future event, such as the results of a game or event. It may be
understood that non-monetary items may be the subject of a "bet" or
"wager" as well, such as points or anything else that can be
quantified for a "bet" or "wager." A bettor refers to a person who
bets or wagers. A bettor may also be referred to as a user, client,
or participant throughout the present invention. A "bet" or "wager"
could be made for obtaining or risking a coupon or some
enhancements to the sporting event, such as better seats, VIP
treatment, etc. A "bet" or "wager" can be made for certain amount
or for a future time. A "bet" or "wager" can be made for being able
to answer a question correctly. A "bet" or "wager" can be made
within a certain period. A "bet" or "wager" can be integrated into
the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0021] A "book" or "sportsbook" refers to a physical establishment
that accepts bets on the outcome of sporting events. A "book" or
"sportsbook" system enables a human working with a computer to
interact, according to set of both implicit and explicit rules, in
an electronically powered domain to place bets on the outcome of
sporting event. An added game refers to an event not part of the
typical menu of wagering offerings, often posted as an
accommodation to patrons. A "book" or "sportsbook" can be
integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0022] To "buy points" means a player pays an additional price
(more money) to receive a half-point or more in the player's favor
on a point spread game. Buying points means you can move a point
spread, for example, up to two points in your favor. "Buy points"
can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0023] The "price" refers to the odds or point spread of an event.
To "take the price" means betting the underdog and receiving its
advantage in the point spread. "Price" can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0024] "No action" means a wager in which no money is lost or won,
and the original bet amount is refunded. "No action" can be
integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0025] The "sides" are the two teams or individuals participating
in an event: the underdog and the favorite. The term "favorite"
refers to the team considered most likely to win an event or game.
The "chalk" refers to a favorite, usually a heavy favorite. Bettors
who like to bet big favorites are referred to "chalk eaters" (often
a derogatory term). An event or game in which the sportsbook has
reduced its betting limits, usually because of weather or the
uncertain status of injured players, is referred to as a "circled
game." "Laying the points or price" means betting the favorite by
giving up points. The term "dog" or "underdog" refers to the team
perceived to be most likely to lose an event or game. A "longshot"
also refers to a team perceived to be unlikely to win an event or
game. "Sides," "favorite," "chalk," "circled game," "laying the
points price," "dog," and "underdog" can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0026] The "money line" refers to the odds expressed in terms of
money. With money odds, whenever there is a minus (-), the player
"lays" or is "laying" that amount to win (for example, $100); where
there is a plus (+), the player wins that amount for every $100
wagered. A "straight bet" refers to an individual wager on a game
or event that will be determined by a point spread or money line.
The term "straight-up" means winning the game without any regard to
the "point spread," a "money-line" bet. "Money line," "straight
bet," and "straight-up" can be integrated into the embodiments in a
variety of manners.
[0027] The "line" refers to the current odds or point spread on a
particular event or game. The "point spread" refers to the margin
of points in which the favored team must win an event by to "cover
the spread." To "cover" means winning by more than the "point
spread." A handicap of the "point spread" value is given to the
favorite team so bettors can choose sides at equal odds. "Cover the
spread" means that a favorite wins an event with the handicap
considered or the underdog wins with additional points. To "push"
refers to when the event or game ends with no winner or loser for
wagering purposes, a tie for wagering purposes. A "tie" is a wager
in which no money is lost or won because the teams' scores were
equal to the number of points in the given "point spread." The
"opening line" means the earliest line posted for a particular
sporting event or game. The term "pick" or "pick 'em" refers to a
game when neither team is favored in an event or game. "Line,"
"cover the spread," "cover," "tie," "pick," and "pick-em" can be
integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0028] To "middle" means to win both sides of a game; wagering on
the "underdog" at one point spread and the favorite at a different
point spread and winning both sides. For example, if the player
bets the underdog+41/2 and the favorite -31/2 and the favorite wins
by 4, the player has middled the book and won both bets. "Middle"
can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0029] Digital gaming refers to any type of electronic environment
that can be controlled or manipulated by a human user for
entertainment purposes. A system that enables a human and a
computer to interact according to set of both implicit and explicit
rules in an electronically powered domain for the purpose of
recreation or instruction. "eSports" refers to a form of sports
competition using video games, or a multiplayer video game played
competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers.
Digital gaming and "eSports" can be integrated into the embodiments
in a variety of manners.
[0030] The term event refers to a form of play, sport, contest, or
game, especially one played according to rules and decided by
skill, strength, or luck. In some embodiments, an event may be
football, hockey, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, soccer,
cricket, rugby, MMA, boxing, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, horse
racing, car racing, boat racing, cycling, wrestling, Olympic sport,
etc. The event can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety
of manners.
[0031] The "total" is the combined number of runs, points or goals
scored by both teams during the game, including overtime. The
"over" refers to a sports bet in which the player wagers that the
combined point total of two teams will be more than a specified
total. The "under" refers to bets that the total points scored by
two teams will be less than a certain figure. "Total," "over," and
"under" can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of
manners.
[0032] A "parlay" is a single bet that links together two or more
wagers; to win the bet, the player must win all the wagers in the
"parlay." If the player loses one wager, the player loses the
entire bet. However, if they win all the wagers in the "parlay,"
the player receives a higher payoff than if the player had placed
the bets separately. A "round robin" is a series of parlays. A
"teaser" is a type of parlay in which the point spread, or total of
each individual play is adjusted. The price of moving the point
spread (teasing) is lower payoff odds on winning wagers. "Parlay,"
"round robin," "teaser" can be integrated into the embodiments in a
variety of manners.
[0033] A "prop bet" or "proposition bet" means a bet that focuses
on the outcome of events within a given game. Props are often
offered on marquee games of great interest. These include Sunday
and Monday night pro football games, various high-profile college
football games, major college bowl games, and playoff and
championship games. An example of a prop bet is "Which team will
score the first touchdown?" "Prop bet" or "proposition bet" can be
integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0034] A "first-half bet" refers to a bet placed on the score in
the first half of the event only and only considers the first half
of the game or event. The process in which you go about placing
this bet is the same process that you would use to place a full
game bet, but as previously mentioned, only the first half is
important to a first-half bet type of wager. A "half-time bet"
refers to a bet placed on scoring in the second half of a game or
event only. "First-half-bet" and "half-time-bet" can be integrated
into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0035] A "futures bet" or "future" refers to the odds that are
posted well in advance on the winner of major events. Typical
future bets are the Pro Football Championship, Collegiate Football
Championship, the Pro Basketball Championship, the Collegiate
Basketball Championship, and the Pro Baseball Championship.
"Futures bet" or "future" can be integrated into the embodiments in
a variety of manners.
[0036] The "listed pitchers" is specific to a baseball bet placed
only if both pitchers scheduled to start a game start. If they do
not, the bet is deemed "no action" and refunded. The "run line" in
baseball refers to a spread used instead of the money line. "Listed
pitchers," "no action," and "run line" can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0037] The term "handle" refers to the total amount of bets taken.
The term "hold" refers to the percentage the house wins. The term
"juice" refers to the bookmaker's commission, most commonly the 11
to 10 bettors lay on straight point spread wagers: also known as
"vigorish" or "vig". The "limit" refers to the maximum amount
accepted by the house before the odds and/or point spread are
changed. "Off the board" refers to a game in which no bets are
being accepted. "Handle," "juice," vigorish," "vig," and "off the
board" can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of
manners.
[0038] "Casinos" are a public room or building where gambling games
are played. "Racino" is a building complex or grounds having a
racetrack and gambling facilities for playing slot machines,
blackjack, roulette, etc. "Casino" and "Racino" can be integrated
into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0039] Customers are companies, organizations or individuals that
would deploy, for fees, and may be part of, or perform, various
system elements or method steps in the embodiments.
[0040] Managed service user interface service is a service that can
help customers (1) manage third parties, (2) develop the web, (3)
perform data analytics, (4) connect thru application program
interfaces and (4) track and report on player behaviors. A managed
service user interface can be integrated into the embodiments in a
variety of manners.
[0041] Managed service risk management service are services that
assist customers with (1) very important person management, (2)
business intelligence, and (3) reporting. These managed service
risk management services can be integrated into the embodiments in
a variety of manners.
[0042] Managed service compliance service is a service that helps
customers manage (1) integrity monitoring, (2) play safety, (3)
responsible gambling, and (4) customer service assistance. These
managed service compliance services can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0043] Managed service pricing and trading service is a service
that helps customers with (1) official data feeds, (2) data
visualization, and (3) land based on property digital signage.
These managed service pricing and trading services can be
integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0044] Managed service and technology platforms are services that
help customers with (1) web hosting, (2) IT support, and (3) player
account platform support. These managed service and technology
platform services can be integrated into the embodiments in a
variety of manners.
[0045] Managed service and marketing support services are services
that help customers (1) acquire and retain clients and users, (2)
provide for bonusing options, and (3) develop press release content
generation. These managed service and marketing support services
can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0046] Payment processing services are services that help customers
with (1) account auditing and (2) withdrawal processing to meet
standards for speed and accuracy. Further, these services can
provide for integration of global and local payment methods. These
payment processing services can be integrated into the embodiments
in a variety of manners.
[0047] Engaging promotions allow customers to treat players to free
bets, odds boosts, enhanced access, and flexible cashback to boost
lifetime value. Engaging promotions can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0048] "Cash out" or "pay out" or "payout" allow customers to make
available, on singles bets or accumulated bets with a partial cash
out where each operator can control payouts by always managing
commission and availability. The "cash out" or "pay out" or
"payout" can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of
manners, including both monetary and non-monetary payouts, such as
points, prizes, promotional or discount codes, and the like.
[0049] "Customized betting" allows customers to have tailored
personalized betting experiences with sophisticated tracking and
analysis of players' behavior. "Customized betting" can be
integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0050] Kiosks are devices that offer interactions with customers,
clients, and users with a wide range of modular solutions for both
retail and online sports gaming. Kiosks can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0051] Business Applications are an integrated suite of tools for
customers to manage the everyday activities that drive sales,
profit, and growth by creating and delivering actionable insights
on performance to help customers to manage the sports gaming.
Business Applications can be integrated into the embodiments in a
variety of manners.
[0052] State-based integration allows for a given sports gambling
game to be modified by states in the United States or other
countries, based upon the state the player is in, mobile phone, or
other geolocation identification means. State-based integration can
be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0053] Game Configurator allows for configuration of customer
operators to have the opportunity to apply various chosen or newly
created business rules on the game as well as to parametrize risk
management. The Game Configurator can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0054] "Fantasy sports connectors" are software connectors between
method steps or system elements in the embodiments that can
integrate fantasy sports. Fantasy sports allow a competition in
which participants select imaginary teams from among the players in
a league and score points according to the actual performance of
their players. For example, if a player in fantasy sports is
playing at a given real-time sport, odds could be changed in the
real-time sports for that player.
[0055] Software as a service (or SaaS) is a software delivery and
licensing method in which software is accessed online via a
subscription rather than bought and installed on individual
computers. Software as a service can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0056] Synchronization of screens means synchronizing bets and
results between devices, such as TV and mobile, PC, and wearables.
Synchronization of screens can be integrated into the embodiments
in a variety of manners.
[0057] Automatic content recognition (ACR) is an identification
technology that recognizes content played on a media device or
present in a media file. Devices containing ACR support enable
users to quickly obtain additional information about the content
they see without any user-based input or search efforts. A short
media clip (audio, video, or both) is selected to start the
recognition. This clip could be selected from within a media file
or recorded by a device. Through algorithms such as fingerprinting,
information from the actual perceptual content is taken and
compared to a database of reference fingerprints, wherein each
reference fingerprint corresponds with a known recorded work. A
database may contain metadata about the work and associated
information, including complementary media. If the media clip's
fingerprint is matched, the identification software returns the
corresponding metadata to the client application. For example,
during an in-play sports game, a "fumble" could be recognized and
at the time stamp of the event, metadata such as "fumble" could be
displayed. Automatic content recognition (ACR) can be integrated
into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0058] Joining social media means connecting an in-play sports game
bet or result to a social media connection, such as a FACEBOOK.RTM.
chat interaction. Joining social media can be integrated into the
embodiments in a variety of manners.
[0059] Augmented reality means a technology that superimposes a
computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus
providing a composite view. In an example of this invention, a real
time view of the game can be seen and a "bet"--which is a
computer-generated data point--is placed above the player that is
bet on. Augmented reality can be integrated into the embodiments in
a variety of manners.
[0060] Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its
features, will now be discussed in detail. It can be understood
that the embodiments are intended to be open-ended in that an item
or items used in the embodiments is not meant to be an exhaustive
listing of such item or items or meant to be limited to only the
listed item or items.
[0061] It can be noted that as used herein and in the appended
claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural
references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although
any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described
herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments, only
some exemplary systems and methods are now described.
[0062] FIG. 1 is a system for verifying that wager was placed
before market close on a play-by-play wagering network. This system
may include a live event 102, for example, a sporting event such as
a football, basketball, baseball, or hockey game, tennis match,
golf tournament, eSports, or digital game, etc. The live event 102
may include some number of actions or plays, upon which a user,
bettor, or customer can place a bet or wager, typically through an
entity called a sportsbook. There are numerous types of wagers the
bettor can make, including, but not limited to, a straight bet, a
money line bet, or a bet with a point spread or line that the
bettor's team would need to cover if the result of the game with
the same as the point spread the user would not cover the spread,
but instead the tie is called a push. If the user bets on the
favorite, points are given to the opposing side, which is the
underdog or longshot. Betting on all favorites is referred to as
chalk and is typically applied to round-robin or other tournaments'
styles. There are other types of wagers, including, but not limited
to, parlays, teasers, and prop bets, which are added games that
often allow the user to customize their betting by changing the
odds and payouts received on a wager. Certain sportsbooks will
allow the bettor to buy points which moves the point spread off the
opening line. This increases the price of the bet, sometimes by
increasing the juice, vig, or hold that the sportsbook takes.
Another type of wager the bettor can make is an over/under, in
which the user bets over or under a total for the live event 102,
such as the score of an American football game or the run line in a
baseball game, or a series of actions in the live event 102.
Sportsbooks have several bets they can handle, limiting the number
of wagers they can take on either side of a bet before they will
move the line or odds off the opening line. Additionally, there are
circumstances, such as an injury to an important player like a
listed pitcher, in which a sportsbook, casino, or racino may take
an available wager off the board. As the line moves, an opportunity
may arise for a bettor to bet on both sides at different point
spreads to middle, and win, both bets. Sportsbooks will often offer
bets on portions of games, such as first-half bets and half-time
bets. Additionally, the sportsbook can offer futures bets on live
events in the future. Sportsbooks need to offer payment processing
services to cash out customers which can be done at kiosks at the
live event 102 or at another location.
[0063] Further, embodiments may include a plurality of sensors 104
that may be used such as motion, temperature, or humidity sensors,
optical sensors, and cameras such as an RGB-D camera which is a
digital camera capable of capturing color (RGB) and depth
information for every pixel in an image, microphones,
radiofrequency receivers, thermal imagers, radar devices, lidar
devices, ultrasound devices, speakers, wearable devices, etc. Also,
the plurality of sensors 104 may include but are not limited to,
tracking devices, such as RFID tags, GPS chips, or other such
devices embedded on uniforms, in equipment, in the field of play
and boundaries of the field of play, or on other markers in the
field of play. Imaging devices may also be used as tracking
devices, such as player tracking, which provide statistical
information through real-time X, Y positioning of players and X, Y,
Z positioning of the ball.
[0064] Further, embodiments may include a cloud 106 or a
communication network that may be a wired and/or wireless network.
The communication network, if wireless, may be implemented using
communication techniques such as visible light communication (VLC),
worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), long term
evolution (LTE), wireless local area network (WLAN), infrared (IR)
communication, public switched telephone network (PSTN), radio
waves, or other communication techniques that are known in the art.
The communication network may allow ubiquitous access to shared
pools of configurable system resources and higher-level services
that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort,
often over the Internet, and relies on sharing resources to achieve
coherence and economies of scale, like a public utility. In
contrast, third-party clouds allow organizations to focus on their
core businesses instead of expending resources on computer
infrastructure and maintenance. The cloud 106 may be
communicatively coupled to a peer-to-peer wagering network 114,
which may perform real-time analysis on the type of play and the
result of the play. The cloud 106 may also be synchronized with
game situational data such as the time of the game, the score,
location on the field, weather conditions, and the like, which may
affect the choice of play utilized. For example, in an exemplary
embodiment, the cloud 106 may not receive data gathered from the
sensors 104 and may, instead, receive data from an alternative data
feed, such as Sports Radar.RTM.. This data may be compiled
substantially immediately following the completion of any play and
may be compared with a variety of team data and league data based
on a variety of elements, including the current down, possession,
score, time, team, and so forth, as described in various exemplary
embodiments herein.
[0065] Further, embodiments may include a mobile device 108 such as
a computing device, laptop, smartphone, tablet, computer, smart
speaker, or I/O devices. I/O devices may be present in the
computing device. Input devices may include but are not limited to,
keyboards, mice, trackpads, trackballs, touchpads, touch mice,
multi-touch touchpads and touch mice, microphones, multi-array
microphones, drawing tablets, cameras, single-lens reflex cameras
(SLRs), digital SLRs (DSLRs), complementary metal-oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) sensors, accelerometers, IR optical sensors,
pressure sensors, magnetometer sensors, angular rate sensors, depth
sensors, proximity sensors, ambient light sensors, gyroscopic
sensors, or other sensors. Output devices may include but are not
limited to, video displays, graphical displays, speakers,
headphones, inkjet printers, laser printers, or 3D printers.
Devices may include, but are not limited to, a combination of
multiple input or output devices such as, Microsoft KINECT,
Nintendo Wii remote, Nintendo WII U GAMEPAD, or Apple iPhone. Some
devices allow gesture recognition inputs by combining input and
output devices. Other devices allow for facial recognition, which
may be utilized as an input for different purposes such as
authentication or other commands. Some devices provide for voice
recognition and inputs including, but not limited to, Microsoft
KINECT, SIRI for iPhone by Apple, Google Now, or Google Voice
Search. Additional user devices have both input and output
capabilities including but not limited to, haptic feedback devices,
touchscreen displays, or multi-touch displays. Touchscreen,
multi-touch displays, touchpads, touch mice, or other touch sensing
devices may use different technologies to sense touch, including
but not limited to, capacitive, surface capacitive, projected
capacitive touch (PCT), in-cell capacitive, resistive, IR,
waveguide, dispersive signal touch (DST), in-cell optical, surface
acoustic wave (SAW), bending wave touch (BWT), or force-based
sensing technologies. Some multi-touch devices may allow two or
more contact points with the surface, allowing advanced
functionality including, but not limited to, pinch, spread, rotate,
scroll, or other gestures. Some touchscreen devices, including but
not limited to, Microsoft PIXELSENSE or Multi-Touch Collaboration
Wall, may have larger surfaces, such as on a table-top or on a
wall, and may also interact with other electronic devices. Some I/O
devices, display devices, or groups of devices may be augmented
reality devices. An I/O controller may control one or more I/O
devices, such as a keyboard and a pointing device, or a mouse or
optical pen. Furthermore, an I/O device may also contain storage
and/or an installation medium for the computing device. In some
embodiments, the computing device may include USB connections (not
shown) to receive handheld USB storage devices. In further
embodiments, an I/O device may be a bridge between the system bus
and an external communication bus, e.g., USB, SCSI, FireWire,
Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Fiber Channel, or Thunderbolt buses. In
some embodiments, the mobile device 108 could be an optional
component and would be utilized in a situation where a paired
wearable device employs the mobile device 108 for additional memory
or computing power or connection to the internet.
[0066] Further, embodiments may include a wagering software
application or a wagering app 110, which is a program that enables
the user to place bets on individual plays in the live event 102,
streams audio and video from the live event 102, and features the
available wagers from the live event 102 on the mobile device 108.
The wagering app 110 allows the user to interact with the wagering
network 120 to place bets and provide payment/receive funds based
on wager outcomes.
[0067] Further, embodiments may include a mobile device database
112 that may store some or all the user's data, the live event 102,
or the user's interaction with the wagering network 120.
[0068] Further, embodiments may include a wager placement module
114, which may begin with the user selecting a wager on the
wagering app 110. For example, the user may select that the first
pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees will be a strike
at 11:59:55 am. Then the user may confirm a wager on the wagering
app 110. For example, the user may confirm the wager of the first
pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees will be a strike
at 11:59:55 am. Then the wager placement module 114 may store the
wager time stamp in the wager time database 118. For example, the
wager ID number, such as #789456123, the time, such as 11:59:55 am,
and a screenshot of the confirmed wager stored as a JPEG file, such
as #789456123.JPEG. The wager placement module 114 may send the
wager to the verification module 130. For example, the wager that
the first pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees will be
a strike may be sent to the verification module 130. Then the wager
placement module 114 may determine if the wager was allowed. For
example, the wager placement module 114 may receive a confirmation
from the verification module 130 if the wager is accepted, or the
wager placement module 114 may receive a notice that the wager has
been declined or that more data is needed to confirm the wager. If
the wager was accepted or confirmed by the verification module
1330, then the process ends. For example, the wager placement
module 114 may receive a confirmation from the verification module
130 if the wager is accepted. If the wager was not accepted by the
verification module 130, then the wager placement module 114 may
initiate the time confirmation module 116. For example, the wager
placement module 114 may receive a notice that the wager has been
declined or that more data is needed to confirm the wager in which
the wager placement module 114 may initiate the time confirmation
module 116.
[0069] Further, embodiments may include a time confirmation module
116, which may begin with the time confirmation module 116
continuously polling for a request from the verification module 130
for the timestamp of the wager. For example, if the wager is
declined or more data is needed to confirm the wager, the
verification module 130 may send a request for the data stored in
the time wager database 118. Then the time confirmation module 116
may receive a request for the time stamp from the verification
module 130. In some embodiments, the verification module 130 may
send the wager ID to receive the correct wager timestamp data from
the time confirmation module 116. The time confirmation module 116
may extract the time stamp from the wager time database 118. For
example, the time confirmation module 116 may extract the wager ID,
the time stamp, and the screenshot of the wager confirmation from
the wager time database 118. Then the time confirmation module 116
may send the time stamp data to the verification module 130. For
example, the time confirmation module 116 may send the wager ID,
such as #789456123, the time stamp, such as 11:59:55 am, and the
screenshot of the wager confirmation in a JPEG file, such as
#789456123.JPEG. Then the time confirmation module 116 may
continuously poll for a response from the verification module 130.
For example, the time confirmation module 116 is polling for the
verification module 130 to either confirm or accept the wager or
decline or cancel the wager. Then the time confirmation module 116
may receive a response from the verification module 130. For
example, the time confirmation module 116 may receive that the
wager is confirmed or accepted or declined or canceled.
[0070] Further, embodiments may include a wager time database 118,
which may contain the wager ID, such as #789456123, the time stamp,
such as 11:59:55 am, and the screenshot of the wager confirmation
in a JPEG file, such as #789456123.JPEG. This database may be
created from the process described in the wager placement module
114, which may take a screenshot of the wager once confirmed and
stores the data in the wager time database 118. In some
embodiments, the screenshot may be stored as a picture, image,
photo, or some other visual data that displays the user device's
screen to show the time in which the wager was confirmed.
[0071] Further, embodiments may include the wagering network 120,
which may perform real-time analysis on the type of play and the
result of a play or action. The wagering network 120 (or the cloud
106) may also be synchronized with game situational data, such as
the time of the game, the score, location on the field, weather
conditions, and the like, which may affect the choice of play
utilized. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the wagering
network 120 may not receive data gathered from the sensors 104 and
may, instead, receive data from an alternative data feed, such as
SportsRadar.RTM.. This data may be provided substantially
immediately following the completion of any play and may be
compared with a variety of team data and league data based on a
variety of elements, including the current down, possession, score,
time, team, and so forth, as described in various exemplary
embodiments herein. The wagering network 120 can offer several
software as a service (SaaS) managed services such as user
interface service, risk management service, compliance, pricing and
trading service, IT support of the technology platform, business
applications, game configuration, state-based integration, fantasy
sports connection, integration to allow the joining of social
media, or marketing support services that can deliver engaging
promotions to the user.
[0072] Further, embodiments may include a user database 122, which
may contain data relevant to all users of the wagering network 120
and may include, but is not limited to, a user ID, a device
identifier, a paired device identifier, wagering history, or wallet
information for the user. The user database 122 may also contain a
list of user account records associated with respective user IDs.
For example, a user account record may include, but is not limited
to, information such as user interests, user personal details such
as age, mobile number, etc., previously played sporting events,
highest wager, favorite sporting event, or current user balance and
standings. In addition, the user database 122 may contain betting
lines and search queries. The user database 122 may be searched
based on a search criterion received from the user. Each betting
line may include, but is not limited to, a plurality of betting
attributes such as at least one of the live event 102, a team, a
player, an amount of wager, etc. The user database 122 may include
but is not limited to information related to all the users involved
in the live event 102. In one exemplary embodiment, the user
database 122 may include information for generating a user
authenticity report and a wagering verification report. Further,
the user database 122 may be used to store user statistics like,
but not limited to, the retention period for a particular user,
frequency of wagers placed by a particular user, the average amount
of wager placed by each user, etc.
[0073] Further, embodiments may include a historical plays database
124 that may contain play data for the type of sport being played
in the live event 102. For example, in American Football, for
optimal odds calculation, the historical play data may include
metadata about the historical plays, such as time, location,
weather, previous plays, opponent, physiological data, etc.
Further, embodiments may utilize an odds database 126--that may
contain the odds calculated by an odds calculation module 128--to
display the odds on the user's mobile device 108 and take bets from
the user through the mobile device wagering app 110.
[0074] Further, embodiments may include the odds calculation module
128, which utilizes historical play data to calculate odds for
in-play wagers.
[0075] Further, embodiments may include a verification module 130,
which may begin with the verification module 130 continuously
polling for a wager from the wager placement module 114. Then the
verification module 130 may receive the wager from the wager
placement module 116. Then the verification module 130 may
determine if the wager was received before the wager window has
closed. For example, the verification module 130 may determine if
the time in which the wager was received was before the wager
closing, for example, the wager window closing at 12:00:00 pm. If
the wager was received before the wager window closed, the
verification module may send a confirmation to the wager placement
module 116. For example, the wager window closed at 12:00:00 pm,
but the wager was received before 12:00:00 pm. If the wager was not
received before the wager window closed, then the verification
module 130 may send a request for the wager timestamp data to the
time confirmation module 116. For example, if the wager was
received at 12:00:10 .mu.m and the wager window closed at 12:00:00
pm, the verification module 130 may send a request for wager
timestamp data. Then the verification module 130 may receive the
time stamp data from the time confirmation module 116. For example,
the verification module 130 may receive the wager ID, such as
#789456123, the time stamp, such as 11:59:55 am, and the screenshot
of the wager confirmation in a JPEG file such as #789456123.JPEG
from the time confirmation module 116. The verification module 130
may determine if the time stamp data time is before the wager
window closes. For example, the wager window closed at 12:00:00 pm,
but the time stamp data for the wager was 11:59:55 am. If the time
stamp data time is after the wager window closing, then the
verification module 130 may send wager declined to the time
confirmation module 116. For example, if the wager timestamp data
was for 12:00:10 .mu.m and the wager window closed at 12:00:00, the
wager may be declined. If the time stamp data time is before the
wager window closing, then the verification module 130 may connect
to the 3rd party network 132. For example, the wager window closed
at 12:00:00 pm, but the time stamp data for the wager was 11:59:55
am the verification module 130 may connect to the 3rd party network
132. Then the verification module 130 may send a request for a
series of timestamps to the 3rd party network 132. For example, the
verification module 130 may request when the user data was received
to confirm the wager was sent to the 3rd party network; also, the
verification module 130 may request the 3rd party network 132 to
send timestamps or pings of timestamps at different times so that
the verification module has various time stamps from the 3rd party
network 132. The verification module 130 may receive a series of
timestamps from the 3rd party network 132. For example, the
verification module 130 may request when the user data was received
to confirm the wager was sent to the 3rd party network; also, the
verification module 130 may request the 3rd party network 132 to
send timestamps or pings of timestamps at different times so that
the verification module has various time stamps from the 3rd party
network 132. Then the verification module 130 may compare the
wagering network 120 to the received timestamps from the 3rd party
network 132. For example, the verification module 130 may receive
time stamps or pings of timestamps at different times from the 3rd
party network 132 and may compare them to the time that the wager
network 120 has when the timestamps are received so that the
verification module 130 can determine if the 3rd party network 132
timestamps are correct or if they have been altered in any fashion.
For example, if the 3rd party network 132 sends a timestamp of
12:00:00 .mu.m and the time for the wagering network 120 is
12:00:05 pm, then the 5-second discrepancy may be due to a latency
issue. However, if the 3rd party network 132 sends a timestamp of
11:00:00 am, and the time for the wagering network 120 is 12:00:05
pm, then the time stamps for the 3rd party network 132 have been
altered in some fashion. The verification module 130 may determine
if the timestamps are within a predetermined margin of error, for
example, within 10 seconds. For example, if the 3rd party network
132 sends a timestamp of 12:00:00 .mu.m and the time for the
wagering network 120 is 12:00:05 pm, this may fall into the
10-second predetermined margin of error, and the discrepancy may be
due to a latency or disconnection issue. However, if the 3rd party
network 132 sends a timestamp of 11:00:00 am, and the time for the
wagering network 120 is 12:00:05 pm, then this may be above the
predetermined margin of error, and the wager may be declined or
canceled. If the timestamps are not within the predetermined margin
of error, then the verification module may send that the wager was
declined to the time confirmation module 116. If the time stamps
were within the predetermined margin of error, then the
verification module 130 may send a wager confirmation to the time
confirmation module 116.
[0076] Further, embodiments may include a 3rd party network 132
used by the mobile device 108 to connect to the wagering network
120 to place wagers. The 3rd party network 132 may be a wired
and/or a wireless network. The 3rd party network 132, if wireless,
may be implemented using communication techniques such as visible
light communication (VLC), worldwide interoperability for microwave
access (WiMAX), long term evolution (LTE), wireless local area
network (WLAN), infrared (IR) communication, public switched
telephone network (PSTN), radio waves, or other communication
techniques that are known in the art. The 3rd party network 132 may
allow ubiquitous access to shared pools of configurable system
resources and higher-level services that can be rapidly provisioned
with minimal management effort, often over the internet, and relies
on sharing resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale,
like a public utility. In contrast, third-party clouds allow
organizations to focus on their core businesses instead of
expending resources on computer infrastructure and maintenance.
[0077] FIG. 2 illustrates the wager placement module 114. The
process may begin with the user selecting, at step 200, a wager on
the wagering app 110. For example, the user may select that the
first pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees will be a
strike at 11:59:55 am. Then the user may confirm, at step 202, a
wager on the wagering app 110. For example, the user may confirm
the wager of the first pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York
Yankees will be a strike at 11:59:55 am. Then the wager placement
module 114 may store the wager time stamp, at step 204, in the
wager time database 118. For example, the wager ID number, such as
#789456123, the time, such as 11:59:55 am, and a screenshot of the
confirmed wager stored as a JPEG file, such as #789456123.JPEG. The
wager placement module 114 may send, at step 206, the wager to the
verification module 130. For example, the wager that the first
pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees will be a strike
may be sent to the verification module 130. Then the wager
placement module 114 may determine, at step 208, if the wager was
allowed. For example, the wager placement module 114 may receive a
confirmation from the verification module 130 if the wager is
accepted, or the wager placement module 114 may receive a notice
that the wager has been declined or that more data is needed to
confirm the wager. If the wager was accepted or confirmed by the
verification module 130, then the process may end at step 210. For
example, the wager placement module 114 may receive a confirmation
from the verification module 130 if the wager is accepted. If the
wager was not accepted by the verification module 130, then the
wager placement module 114 may initiate, at step 212, the time
confirmation module 116. For example, the wager placement module
114 may receive a notice that the wager has been declined or that
more data is needed to confirm the wager in which the wager
placement module 114 may initiate the time confirmation module
116.
[0078] FIG. 3 illustrates the time confirmation module 116. The
process may begin with the time confirmation module 116
continuously polling, at step 300, for a request from the
verification module 130 for the timestamp of the wager. For
example, if the wager is declined or more data is needed to confirm
the wager, the verification module 130 may send a request for the
data stored in the time wager database 118. Then the time
confirmation module 116 may receive, at step 302, a request for the
time stamp from the verification module 130. For example, if the
wager is declined or more data is needed to confirm the wager, the
verification module 130 may send a request for the data stored in
the time wager database 118. In some embodiments, the verification
module 130 may send the wager ID to receive the correct wager
timestamp data from the time confirmation module 116. The time
confirmation module 116 may extract, at step 304, the time stamp
from the wager time database 118. For example, the time
confirmation module 116 may extract the wager ID, the time stamp,
and the screenshot of the wager confirmation from the wager time
database 118. Then the time confirmation module 116 may send, at
step 306, the time stamp data to the verification module 130. For
example, the time confirmation module 116 may send the wager ID,
such as #789456123, the time stamp, such as 11:59:55 am, and the
screenshot of the wager confirmation in a JPEG file, such as
#789456123.JPEG. Then the time confirmation module 116 may
continuously poll, at step 308, for a response from the
verification module 130. For example, the time confirmation module
116 is polling for the verification module 130 to either confirm or
accept the wager or decline or cancel the wager. Then the time
confirmation module 116 may receive, at step 310, a response from
the verification module 130. For example, the time confirmation
module 116 may receive that the wager is confirmed, accepted,
declined, or canceled.
[0079] FIG. 4 illustrates the wager time database 118. The database
may contain the wager ID, such as #789456123, the time stamp, such
as 11:59:55 am, and the screenshot of the wager confirmation in a
JPEG file, such as #789456123.JPEG. This database may be created
from the process described in the wager placement module 114, which
may take a screenshot of the wager once confirmed and stores the
data in the wager time database 118. In some embodiments, the
screenshot may be stored as a picture, image, photo, or some other
visual data that displays the user device's screen to show the time
in which the wager was confirmed.
[0080] FIG. 5 illustrates the verification module 130. The process
may begin with the verification module 130 continuously polling, at
step 500, for a wager from the wager placement module 114. For
example, the verification module 130 may poll for a wager the user
has confirmed, such as the first pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs.
New York Yankees will be a strike at 11:59:55 am. Then the
verification module 130 may receive, at step 502, the wager from
the wager placement module 116. For example, the verification
module 130 may receive a wager the user has confirmed, such as the
first pitch of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees will be a
strike at 11:59:55 am. Then the verification module 130 may
determine, at step 504, if the wager was received before the wager
window has closed. For example, the verification module 130 may
determine if the time in which the wager was received was before
the wager closing, for example, the wager window closing at
12:00:00 pm. If the wager was received before the wager window
closed, the verification module may send, at step 506, a
confirmation to the wager placement module 116. For example, the
wager window closed at 12:00:00 pm, but the wager was received
before 12:00:00 pm. If the wager was not received before the wager
window closed, then the verification module 130 may send, at step
508, a request for the wager timestamp data to the time
confirmation module 116. For example, if the wager was received at
12:00:10 .mu.m and the wager window closed at 12:00:00 pm, the
verification module 130 may send a request for wager timestamp
data. Then the verification module 130 may receive, at step 510,
the time stamp data from the time confirmation module 116. For
example, the verification module 130 may receive the wager ID, such
as #789456123, the time stamp, such as 11:59:55 am, and the
screenshot of the wager confirmation in a JPEG file such as
#789456123.JPEG from the time confirmation module 116. The
verification module 130 may determine, at step 512, if the wager
timestamp data time is before the wager window closing. For
example, the wager window closed at 12:00:00 pm, but the time stamp
data for the wager was 11:59:55 am. If the time stamp data time is
after the wager window closing, then the verification module 130
may send, at step 514, that the wager was declined to the time
confirmation module 116. For example, if the wager timestamp data
was for 12:00:10 .mu.m and the wager window closed at 12:00:00, the
wager may be declined. If the time stamp data time is before the
wager window closing, then the verification module 130 may connect,
at step 516, to the 3rd party network 132. For example, the wager
window closed at 12:00:00 pm, but the time stamp data for the wager
was 11:59:55 am the verification module 130 may connect to the 3rd
party network 132. Then the verification module 130 may send, at
step 518, a request for a series of timestamps to the 3rd party
network 132. For example, the verification module 130 may request
when the user data to confirm the wager was sent to the 3rd party
network; also, the verification module 130 may request the 3rd
party network 132 to send timestamps or pings of timestamps at
different times so that the verification module has various time
stamps from the 3rd party network 132. The verification module 130
may receive, at step 520, a series of timestamps from the 3rd party
network 132. For example, the verification module 130 may request
when the user data to confirm the wager was sent to the 3rd party
network; also, the verification module 130 may request the 3rd
party network 132 to send timestamps or pings of timestamps at
different times so that the verification module has various time
stamps from the 3rd party network 132. Then the verification module
130 may compare, at step 522, the wagering network 120 to the
received timestamps from the 3rd party network 132. For example,
the verification module 130 may receive time stamps or pings of
timestamps at different times from the 3rd party network 132 and
may compare them to the time that the wager network 120 has when
the timestamps are received so that the verification module 130 can
determine if the 3rd party network 132 timestamps are correct or if
they have been altered in any fashion. For example, if the 3rd
party network 132 may send a timestamp of 12:00:00 pm and the time
for the wagering network 120 is 12:00:05 pm, then the 5-second
discrepancy may be due to a latency issue. However, if the 3rd
party network 132 sends a timestamp of 11:00:00 am, and the time
for the wagering network 120 is 12:00:05 pm, then the time stamps
for the 3rd party network 132 have been altered in some fashion.
The verification module 130 may determine, at step 524, if the
timestamps are within a predetermined margin of error, for example,
within 10 seconds. For example, if the 3rd party network 132 sends
a timestamp to the verification module 130 at 12:00:00 .mu.m and
the time for the wagering network 120 is 12:00:05 pm, this may fall
into the 10-second predetermined margin of error, and the
discrepancy may be due to a latency or disconnection issue.
However, if the 3rd party network 132 may send a timestamp of
11:00:00 am, and the time for the wagering network 120 is 12:00:05
pm, this may be above the predetermined margin of error, and the
wager may be declined or canceled. If the timestamps are not within
the predetermined margin of error, then the verification module may
send, at step 526, that the wager was declined to the time
confirmation module 116. If the timestamps were within the
predetermined margin of error, then the verification module 130 may
send, at step 528, a wager confirmation to the time confirmation
module 116.
[0081] The foregoing description and accompanying figures
illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments, and modes of
operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be
construed as being limited to the embodiments discussed above.
Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art.
[0082] Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be
regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it
should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be
made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope
of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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