Methods and apparatus for distributed gaming over a mobile device
View Patent ↗A system and method are provided for updating game participants. In some embodiments, the participants receive game control information via a one-way broadcast. The method selects a set of sampling participants from the set of all participants of a game. In some embodiments, the selection occurs prior to the start of the game. The method of some embodiments establishes a two-way connection between a server and each of the sampling participants. For some embodiments, the two-way connection is realtime. The method continuously maintains the two-way connection throughout the game. During each discrete game period, the method receives from a sampling participant, data for the sampling participant's game period performance. Based on the received data, the method determines the performance for the game period and broadcasts this information to a non-sampling participant. A non-sampling participant is a participant who was not selected for the set of sampling participants. In some embodiments, the non-sampling participant determines a standing relative to the other participants in the game event. Some embodiments provide a method and system for detecting unusual performance in a game. The game has a participant. The method calculates for the participant an average performance level. Based on the average performance level, the method tracks for the participant a participant improvement factor and stores the participant improvement factor. The method compares the participant improvement factor to a threshold value.
1. A method of updating participants of a game, comprising:
selecting from a plurality of participants of the game, a subset of sampling participants;
establishing a two-way connection with each of the sampling participants;
maintaining the two-way connection throughout the game with each of the sampling participants;
periodically, receiving through the two-way connection, data from only the sampling participants, the data representing performance of the sampling participant for a period of the game;
based only on the sampling data, determining a performance metric for the game; and
broadcasting the performance metric to a participant of the game.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasting to the participant comprises a non-sampling participant, wherein the non-sampling participant is a participant of the game that was not selected for the subset of sampling participants.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasting is to a plurality of participants of the game.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting occurs before the start of the game.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game performance metric comprises a distribution of scores based on the received data from the plurality of sampling participants, wherein the plurality of sampling participants substantially represent a statistically significant number of participants in the game.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting the subset of sampling participants comprises utilizing a random selection methodology.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a local performance metric for the broadcast participant;
receiving the game performance metric; and
comparing the local performance metric to the received game performance metric.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the comparison.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the displaying comprises a histogram.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein based on the comparison, the broadcast participant sends the local performance metric to a server, the server for hosting the game.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game comprises a mobile device network.
12. A system for updating participants of a game, comprising:
means for selecting from a plurality of participants of the game, a subset of sampling participants;
means for establishing a two-way connection with only each of the sampling participants;
means for maintaining the two-way connection throughout the game with each of the sampling participants;
means for periodically, receiving through the two-way connection, data from only sampling participants, the data representing performance of the sampling participant for a period of the game;
means for based only on the sampling data, determining a performance metric for the game; and
means for broadcasting to a participant of the game the game performance metric.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the broadcasting to the participant comprises a non-sampling participant, wherein the non-sampling participant is a participant of the game that was not selected for the subset of sampling participants.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the broadcasting is to a plurality of participants of the game.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the selecting occurs before the start of the game.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the game performance metric comprises a distribution of scores based on the received data from the plurality of sampling participants.
17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a local performance metric for the broadcast participant;
receiving the game performance metric; and
comparing the local performance metric to the received game performance metric.
18. The system of claim 12 , further comprising means for displaying the comparison.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein based on the comparison, the broadcast participant sends the local performance metric to a server, the server for hosting the game.
20. A method of updating participants of a game on a device, comprising:
randomly selecting a subset of sampling participants from a plurality of participants of the game, wherein randomly selecting the subset of sampling participants is performed by a server;
establishing a two-way connection only with each of the sampling participants;
maintaining the two-way connection with each of the sampling participants throughout the game;
periodically, receiving through the two-way connection, data from only sampling participants, the data representing performance of the sampling participant for a period of the game;
based only on the sampling data, determining a performance metric for the game;
broadcasting the performance metric to a participant of the game.
21. A method of updating participants of a real-time game of skill based on televised events on a device, comprising:
selecting a sampling subset of sampling participants from a plurality of participants of the game, wherein the plurality of participants of the game are a participant subset of a plurality of viewers;
establishing a two-way connection with only each of the sampling participants;
maintaining the two-way connection with each of the sampling participants throughout the game;
periodically, receiving through the two-way connection, real-time sampling data from a only sampling participants, the data representing performance of the sampling participant for a period of the game;
based only on the sampling data, determining a performance metric for the game; and
broadcasting the performance metric to all participants of the game.
22. A method of updating participants of a contest on a device, comprising:
selecting a sampling subset of sampling participants from a plurality of participants of the contest, wherein the plurality of participants includes the sampling subset of sampling participants and a non-sampling subset of non-sampling participants, wherein each of the sampling subset of sampling participants and each of the non-sampling subset of non-sampling participants are participating in the contest on the device;
establishing a two-way connection only with each of the sampling subset of sampling participants;
maintaining the two-way connection with each of the sampling subset of sampling participants throughout the contest;
periodically, receiving through the two-way connection, data from each of the sampling subset of sampling participants, the data representing performance of the sampling participant for a period of the contest;
based only on the sampling data, determining a performance metric for the contest; and
broadcasting the performance metric to the participants of the contest.