IP Library Granted Patent US 8,920,232
Granted Patent B2
US 8,920,232 · App. 11/826,829 · Granted Dec 30, 2014

Gaming event management system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,920,232
App. No.
11/826,829
Granted
Dec 30, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An event management architecture (EMA) for managing gaming events includes a plurality of sub-events associated with a gaming event. Each sub-event has at least one sub-event participant and provides a sub-event score to each sub-event participant according to a set of sub-event rules during a sub-event interval. A scheduling coordinator schedules, for each sub-event, the sub-event interval. A registration coordinator registers, for each sub-event, each participant. A scoring processor records, for each sub-event, the sub-event score for each participant, where the sub-event score is converted into a standard format. Each sub-event may be associated with a generic sub-event container, which takes advantage of the common characteristics or functionality requirements of the sub-events to facilitate the management of the sub-events. The EMA minimizes the need to administer the events individually, and can be scalably used to manage complex arrangements of interdependent sub-events of varying types.

Claims (78)

1. A system for managing gaming events, the system comprising:

a management computing device adapted to receive information regarding a first sub-event associated with a gaming event having one or more participants, the information regarding the first sub-event providing a first sub-event score to at least one first sub-event participant of the one or more participants according to a set of first sub-event rules during a first sub-event interval, the first sub-event score being in a first format, and information regarding a second sub-event associated with the gaming event, the information regarding the second sub-event providing a second sub-event score to at least one second sub-event participant of the one or more participants according to a set of second sub-event rules during a second sub-event interval, the second sub-event score being in a second format that is different from the first format;

a scheduling coordinator computing device adapted to schedule, for the first sub-event, the first sub-event interval, and for the second sub-event, the second sub-event interval;

a registration coordinator computing device adapted to register, for the first sub-event, the at least one first sub-event participant, and, for the second sub-event, the at least one second sub-event participant; and

a scoring processor computing device adapted to convert the first sub-event score and the second sub-event score into a standard format, record the first sub-event score in the standard format and the second sub-event score in the standard format, and determine whether each of the at least one first sub-event participant and the at least one second sub-event participant qualifies to be a participant in a subsequent sub-event associated with the gaming event based on the first sub-event score in the standard format and the second sub-event score in the standard format.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rules for the first sub-event is different from the rules of the second sub-event.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the scheduling coordinator schedules the second sub-event interval to begin after the first sub-event interval is completed.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the registration coordinator registers, for at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event, at least one sub-event participant during a registration interval, and the scheduling coordinator further schedules, for at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event, the registration interval.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the scheduling coordinator schedules the sub-event interval for at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event to begin after the registration interval is completed for the at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the scheduling coordinator schedules the sub-event interval for at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event to begin before the registration interval is completed for the at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event are associated with at least one independent sub-event, and registration, by the registration coordinator, of at least one sub-event participant in the at least one independent sub-event is independent of participation by the at least one sub-event participant in either the first sub-event or the second sub-event.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event is associated with at least one prerequisite sub-event and a dependent sub-event, and the registration, by the registration coordinator, of at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event depends on participation by the at least one sub-event participant in the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein registration, by the registration coordinator, of the at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event further requires the at least one sub-event participant to satisfy participation criteria associated with the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein registration, by the registration coordinator, of the at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event further requires the at least one sub-event participant to have at least one of a minimum score, a minimum qualifying percentile, and a minimum ranking from each of the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein registration, by the registration coordinator, of the at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event participant further requires the at least one sub-event participant to have a minimum pooled score determined from the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein, before the minimum pooled score is determined for the at least one sub-event participant, a weighting factor is applied, for each prerequisite sub-event, to the sub-event score for the at least one sub-event participant.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the pooled score is the average score from the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event score and the second sub-event score includes at least one of a raw score, a percentile placement, and a rank position.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event occurs through a standalone system.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the scheduling coordinator synchronizes scheduling with the standalone system.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first sub-event and the second sub-event are associated with a common container.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the common container is associated with persistent records in a database.

19. The system according to claim 17 , wherein standardized promotion for at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event is provided via the common container.

20. The system according to claim 17 , wherein an online chat element is provided via the common container.

21. The system according to claim 17 , wherein a video broadcasting element is provided via the common container.

22. The system according to claim 17 , wherein a mini-game element is provided via the common container.

23. The system according to claim 17 , wherein a notification element is provided via the common container.

24. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event participant and the second sub-event participant is associated with persistent records in a database.

25. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a central administrative tool.

26. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the gaming event is electronic.

27. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event is electronic.

28. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the registration coordinator, the scheduling coordinator, and the scoring processor operates on a computer device.

29. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an interface for viewing data for the gaming event.

30. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a content management tool managing electronically displayed content associated with the gaming event.

31. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the content management tool manages a display layer for the gaming event or at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event.

32. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the content management tool generates customizable display templates.

33. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the content management tool manages display of at least one of contextual information and custom display elements associated with multiple time-bound states of the gaming event.

34. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the content management tool manages display content according to types of viewers.

35. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the content management tool manages promotional content.

36. A method for managing gaming events, the method comprising:

receiving, by a management computing device, information regarding a first sub-event associated with a gaming event having one or more participants, the information regarding the first sub-event providing a first sub-event score to at least one first sub-event participant of the one or more participants according to a set of first sub-event rules during a first sub-event interval, the first sub-event score being in a first format, and information regarding a second sub-event associated with the gaming event, the information regarding the second sub-event providing a second sub-event score to at least one second sub-event participant of the one or more participants according to a set of second sub-event rules during a second sub-event interval, the second sub-event score being in a second format that is different from the first format;

registering, by a registration coordinator computing device, for the first sub-event, the at least one first sub-event participant, and, for the second sub-event, the at least one second sub-event participant;

scheduling, by a scheduling coordinator computing device, for the first sub-event, the first sub-event interval, and for the second sub-event, the second sub-event interval;

converting, by a scoring processor computing device, the first sub-event score and the second sub-event score into a standard format;

recording, by the scoring processor computing device, the first sub-event score in the standard format and the second sub-event score in the standard format; and

determining, by the scoring processor computing device, whether each of the at least one first sub-event participant and the at least one second sub-event participant qualifies to be a participant in a subsequent sub-event associated with the gaming event based on the first sub-event score in the standard format and the second sub-event score in the standard format.

37. The method according to claim 36 , wherein the rules for the first sub-event is different from the rules of the second sub-event.

38. The method according to claim 36 , wherein the step of scheduling includes scheduling the second sub-event interval to begin after the first sub-event interval is completed.

39. The method according to claim 36 , wherein the step of scheduling includes scheduling the first sub-event interval to begin after the registration interval is completed for the first sub-event.

40. The method according to claim 36 , wherein the step of scheduling includes scheduling the first sub-event interval to begin before the registration interval is completed for the first sub-event.

41. The method according to claim 36 , wherein the step of converting the first sub-event score and the second sub-event score into the standard format includes normalizing the first sub-event score and the second sub-event score.

42. The method according to claim 36 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event are associated with at least one independent sub-event, and registering at least one sub-event participant in the at least one independent sub-event is independent of participation by the at least one sub-event participant in either the first sub-event or the second sub-event.

43. The method according to claim 36 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event are associated with at least one prerequisite sub-event and a dependent sub-event, and registering at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event depends on participation by the at least one sub-event participant in the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

44. The method according to claim 43 , wherein registering at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event further requires at least one sub-event participant to satisfy criteria associated with the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

45. The method according to claim 44 , wherein registering at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event further requires the at least one sub-event participant to have at least one of a minimum score, a minimum qualifying percentile, and a minimum ranking from each of the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

46. The method according to claim 44 , further comprising determining, from the at least one prerequisite sub-event, a pooled score for the at least one sub-event participant, wherein registering at least one sub-event participant in the dependent sub-event participant further requires the at least one sub-event participant to have a minimum pooled score.

47. The method according to claim 46 , further comprising, before the step of determining the minimum pooled score for the at least one sub-event participant, applying a weighting factor, for each prerequisite sub-event, to the sub-event score for the at least one sub-event participant.

48. The method according to claim 46 , wherein the step of determining, from the at least one prerequisite sub-event, a pooled score comprises averaging, for the at least one sub-event participant, the sub-event score from the at least one prerequisite sub-event.

49. The method according to claim 36 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event score and the second sub-event score includes at least one of a raw score, a percentile placement, and a rank position.

50. The method according to claim 36 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event occurs through a standalone system.

51. The method according to claim 50 , wherein the step of scheduling includes synchronizing a schedule with the standalone system.

52. The method according to claim 36 , further comprising associating each of the first sub-event and the second sub-event with a common container.

53. The method according to claim 52 , further comprising storing persistent records for the common container.

54. The method according to claim 52 , further comprising providing standardized promotion via the common container.

55. The method according to claim 52 , further comprising providing an online chat element via the common container.

56. The method according to claim 52 , further comprising providing a video broadcasting element via the common container.

57. The method according to claim 52 , further comprising providing a notification element via the common container.

58. The method according to claim 36 , further comprising storing persistent records for at least one of the first sub-event participant and the second sub-event participant.

59. The method according to claim 36 , wherein the gaming event is electronic.

60. The method according to claim 36 , wherein at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event is electronic.

61. The method according to claim 36 , wherein at least one of the step of registering, the step of scheduling, the step of converting, and the step of recording comprises executing instructions on a computer.

62. The method according to claim 36 , further comprising providing an interface for viewing data for the gaming event.

63. The method according to claim 36 , further comprising centrally managing electronically displayed content associated with the gaming event.

64. The method according to claim 63 , wherein the step of centrally managing electronically displayed content associated with the gaming event includes managing a display layer for the gaming event or at least one of the first sub-event and the second sub-event.

65. The method according to claim 63 , wherein the step of centrally managing electronically displayed content associated with the gaming event includes generating customizable display templates.

66. The method according to claim 63 , wherein the step of centrally managing electronically displayed content associated with the gaming event includes displaying at least one of contextual information and custom display elements associated with multiple time-bound states of the gaming event.

67. The method according to claim 63 , wherein the step of centrally managing electronically displayed content associated with the gaming event includes displaying content according to types of viewers.

68. The method according to claim 63 , wherein the step of centrally managing electronically displayed content associated with the gaming event includes managing promotional content.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 23, 2008
From: CNET NETWORKS, INC
To: CBS INTERACTIVE INC.
Reel/Frame 021719/0564 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2008
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: CNET NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 021172/0207 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2008
From: COLLETTI, TODD; PARKER, SAM; SCHLENKER, ETHAN
To: CNET NETWORKS
Reel/Frame 020574/0990 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 22, 2007
From: CNET NETWORKS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 019995/0150 →