Granted Patent B2

US 6,884,166 · App. 10/194,186 · Granted Apr 26, 2005

Abstract

Claims (127)

1. A platform for establishing a wager associated with a gaming application, comprising:

a processor that:

receives a wager offer generated by a first user, wherein the wager offer is associated with a gaming application hosted by a remote server;

presents the wager offer to a plurality of second users;

receives a wager acceptance by a second user, the wager offer and the wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the first user and the second user; and

generates a wager record in response to receiving the wager acceptance, the wager record associated with the wager between the first user and the second user and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

a memory coupled to the processor that stores the wager record according to a wager record identifier.

2. The platform of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the wager offer and the wager acceptance is received during the execution of the gaming application.

3. The platform of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor presents a wager window to the first user during the execution of the gaming application;

the wager offer is generated by the first user using the wager window; and

the wager window comprises a graphical user interface.

4. The platform of claim 3 , wherein the processor presents the wager window to the first user based at least in part on wager preferences of the first user.

5. The platform of claim 4 , wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager amounts.

6. The platform of claim 4 , wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager types.

7. The platform of claim 4 , wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager events.

8. The platform of claim 3 , wherein the processor presents the wager window to the first user in response to a game event that occurs during the execution of the gaming application.

9. The platform of claim 3 , wherein the processor presents the wager window to the first user in response to a request from the first user.

10. The platform of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first user and the second user comprises a player of the gaming application.

11. The platform of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first user and the second user comprises a spectator of the gaming application.

12. The platform of claim 1 , wherein:

the memory stores first financial information associated with the first user and second financial information associated with the second user; and

the processor validates the wager offer using the first financial information and validates the wager acceptance using the second financial information.

13. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the wager record comprises a wager event and a wager value.

14. The platform of claim 13 , wherein the wager event comprises an action performed during the execution of the gaming application that changes the state of the gaming application and upon which the outcome of the wager between the first user and the second user is determined.

15. The platform of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor:

receives a second wager offer generated by a third user, wherein the second wager offer is associated with a second gaming application hosted by a second remote server;

presents the second wager offer to a plurality of fourth users;

receives a second wager acceptance by a fourth user, the second wager offer and the second wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the third user and the fourth user; and

generates a second wager record in response to receiving the second wager acceptance, the second wager record associated with the second wager and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

the memory stores the second wager record according to a second wager record identifier.

16. The platform of claim 15 , wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are substantially similar.

17. The platform of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor:

receives a second wager offer generated by a third user, wherein the second wager offer is associated with a second gaining application hosted by the remote server;

presents the second wager offer to a plurality of fourth users;

receives a second wager acceptance by a fourth user, the second wager offer and the second wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the third user and the fourth user; and

generates a second wager record in response to receiving the second wager acceptance, the second wager record associated with the second wager and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

the memory stores the second wager record according to a second wager record identifier.

18. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the processor:

receives event information during the execution of the gaming application, the event information associated with at least one game event of the gaming application; and

determines the outcome of the wager based at least in part upon the event information and the wager parameters.

19. The platform of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the plurality of second users for presentation of the wager offer based at least in part on wager preferences of the plurality of second users.

20. The platform of claim 19 , wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager amounts.

21. The platform of claim 19 , wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager types.

22. The platform of claim 19 , wherein the wager preferences comprise preferred wager events.

23. The platform of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the plurality of second users for presentation of the wager offer based at least in part on wager records of the plurality of second users.

24. A method for establishing a wager associated with a gaming application, comprising:

receiving a wager offer generated by a first user, wherein the wager offer is associated with a gaming application hosted by a remote server;

presenting the wager offer to a plurality of second users;

receiving a wager acceptance by a second user, the wager offer and the wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the first user and the second user;

generating a wager record in response to receiving the wager acceptance, the wager record associated with the wager between the first user and the second user and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

storing the wager record according to a wager record identifier.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the wager offer and the wager acceptance is received during the execution of the gaming application.

26. The method of claim 24 , further comprising presenting a wager window to the first user during the execution of the gaming application, wherein the wager offer is generated by the first user using the wager window, and the wager window comprises a graphical user interface.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising presenting the wager window to the first user in response to a game event that occurs during the execution of the gaming application.

28. The method of claim 26 , further comprising presenting the wager window to the first user in response to a request from the first user.

29. The method of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first user and the second user comprises a player of the gaming application.

30. The method of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first user and the second user comprises a spectator of the gaming application.

31. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

storing first financial information associated with the first user and second financial information associated with the second user;

validating the wager offer using the first financial information;

validating the wager acceptance using the second financial information.

32. The method of claim 24 , wherein the wager parameters comprise a wager event and a wager value.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the wager event comprises an action performed during the execution of the gaming application that changes the state of the gaming application and upon which the outcome of the wager between the first user and the second user is determined.

34. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

receiving a second wager offer generated by a third user, wherein the second wager offer is associated with a second gaming application hosted by a second remote server;

presenting the second wager offer to a plurality of fourth users;

receiving a second wager acceptance by a fourth user, the second wager offer and the second wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the third user and the fourth user;

generating a second wager record in response to receiving the second wager acceptance, the second wager record associated with the second wager and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

storing the second wager record according to a second wager record identifier.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are substantially similar.

36. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

receiving a second wager offer generated by a third user, wherein the second wager offer is associated with a second gaming application hosted by the remote server;

presenting the second wager offer to a plurality of fourth users;

receiving a second wager acceptance by a fourth user, the second wager offer and the second wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the third user and the fourth user;

generating a second wager record in response to receiving the second wager acceptance, the second wager record associated with the second wager and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

storing the second wager record according to a second wager record identifier.

37. The system of claim 36 , wherein at least one of the wager offer and the wager acceptance is received during the execution of the gaming application.

38. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

receiving event information during the execution of the gaming application, the event information associated with at least one game event of the gaming application;

determining the outcome of the wager based at least in part upon the event information and the wager parameters.

39. A system for establishing a wager associated with a gaming application, comprising:

a server that hosts a gaming application for a plurality of users;

a processor remotely coupled to the server that:

receives a wager offer generated by a first user, wherein the wager offer is associated with the gaming application;

presents the wager offer to a plurality of second users;

receives a wager acceptance by a second user, the wager offer and the wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the first user and the second user; and

generates a wager record in response to receiving the wager acceptance, the wager record associated with the wager between the first user and the second user and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

a memory coupled to the processor that stores the wager record according to a wager record identifier.

40. The system of claim 39 , wherein:

the processor presents a wager window to the first user during the execution of the gaming application;

the wager offer is generated by the first user using the wager window; and

the wager window comprises a graphical user interface.

41. The system of claim 40 , wherein the processor presents the wager window to the first user in response to a game event that occurs during the execution of the gaming application.

42. The system of claim 40 , wherein the processor presents the wager window to the first user in response to a request from the first user.

43. The system of claim 39 , wherein at least one of the first user and the second user comprises a player of the gaming application.

44. The system of claim 39 , wherein at least one of the first user and the second user comprises a spectator of the gaming application.

45. The system of claim 39 , wherein:

the memory stores first financial information associated with the first user and second financial information associated with the second user; and

the processor validates the wager offer using the first financial information and validates the wager acceptance using the second financial information.

46. The system of claim 39 , wherein the wager parameters comprise a wager event and a wager value.

47. The system of claim 46 , wherein the wager event comprises an action performed during the execution of the gaming application that changes the state of the gaming application and upon which the outcome of the wager between the first user and the second user is determined.

48. The system of claim 39 , further comprising a second server that hosts a second gaming application for the plurality of users, wherein:

the processor:

receives a second wager offer generated by a third user, wherein the second wager offer is associated with the second gaming application;

presents the second wager offer to a plurality of fourth users;

receives a second wager acceptance by a fourth user, the second wager offer and the second wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the third user and the fourth user; and

generates a second wager record in response to receiving the second wager acceptance, the second wager record associated with the second wager and comprising a third user identifier, a fourth user identifier, and a plurality of wager parameters; and

the memory stores the second wager record according to a second wager record identifier.

49. The system of claim 48 , wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are substantially similar.

50. The system of claim 39 , wherein:

the server hosts a second gaming application for the plurality of users;

the processor:

receives a second wager offer generated by a third user, wherein the second wager offer is associated with the second gaming application;

presents the second wager offer to a plurality of fourth users;

receives a second wager acceptance by a fourth user, the second wager offer and the second wager acceptance combining to form a wager between the third user and the fourth user, and

generates a second wager record in response to receiving the second wager acceptance, the second wager record associated with the second wager and comprising a plurality of wager parameters; and

the memory stores the second wager record according to a second wager record identifier.

51. The system of claim 39 , wherein:

the server:

monitors a plurality of game events during the execution of the gaming application; and

communicates event information associated with at least one of the plurality of game events; and

the processor:

receives the event information during the execution of the gaming application; and

determines the outcome of the wager based at least in part upon the event information and the wager parameters.

Assignments (8)