Using currency in online fantasy sports games
View Patent ↗Techniques are provide for linking actions in an online fantasy sports game to a currency balance associated with a user of the game. The techniques adjust the balance by a first quantity in response to a sports player action, where the first quantity is based upon the player action, and adjust the balance by a second quantity in response to transfer of a sports player to or from a fantasy sports team associated with the user, where the second quantity is based upon a value of the sports player; and, prevent transfer of the sports player to the fantasy sports team in response to the second quantity being greater than the balance. The currency balance may be increased by the first quantity in response to the sports player action. The sports player action may include scoring a number of game points, and the first quantity may be based upon the number of game points.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
a storage medium configured to tangibly store thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
currency balance association logic configured to associate a currency balance with a first user of a fantasy sports game;
currency balance adjustment logic configured to:
adjust the currency balance by a first quantity in response to a sports player action that occurs in a real life sports game, wherein the first quantity is based upon the sports player action, and
adjust the currency balance by a second quantity in response to transfer of a sports player to or from a fantasy sports team in the fantasy sports game and associated with the first user, wherein the second quantity is based upon a value of the sports player; and
price enforcement logic configured to prevent transfer of the sports player to the fantasy sports team in response to the second quantity being greater than the currency balance.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the currency balance adjustment logic is further configured to increase the currency balance by the first quantity in response to the sports player action.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sports player action comprises a game play action that is associated with a currency value, and the first quantity is based upon the currency value.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sports player action comprises scoring a number of game points, and the first quantity is based upon the number of game points.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the currency balance adjustment logic is further configured to decrease the currency balance by the second quantity in response to acquisition of the sports player by the fantasy sports team.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the currency balance adjustment logic is further configured to increase a currency balance of a second user by the second quantity in response to acquisition of the sports player by a fantasy sports team associated with the second user,
wherein the sports player is transferred from the team associated with the second user to the team associated with the first user, and
the second quantity is based upon the value of the sports player.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transfer of the sports player comprises a player draft, a player trade, an acquisition of an unclaimed player, a transfer of a sports player between two fantasy sports teams, or a combination thereof.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transfer occurs in an auction or as a result of a user-to-user offer.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value of the sports player is based upon performance of the sports player in the real life sports game.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value of the sports player is based upon a depreciation formula.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value of the sports player is determined based upon a negotiation between the first user and a second user, an auction, or a combination thereof.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the currency balance comprises a number of points, a number of units of currency, or a combination thereof.
13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for tangibly storing computer instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions comprising:
associating a currency balance with a first user of a fantasy sports game;
adjusting the currency balance by a first quantity in response to a sports player action that occurs in a real life sports game, wherein the first quantity is based upon the sports player action;
adjusting the currency balance by a second quantity in response to transfer of a sports player to or from a fantasy sports team in the fantasy sports game and associated with the first user, wherein the second quantity is based upon a value of the sports player; and
preventing transfer of the sports player to the fantasy sports team in response to the second quantity being greater than the currency balance.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for adjusting the currency balance by a first quantity further comprises instructions for increasing the currency balance by the first quantity in response to the sports player action.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the sports player action comprises a game play action that is associated with a currency value, and the first quantity is based upon the currency value.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the sports player action comprises scoring a number of game points, and the first quantity is based upon the number of game points.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for adjusting the currency balance by a second quantity further comprises instructions for decreasing the currency balance by the second quantity in response to acquisition of the sports player by the fantasy sports team.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions for:
increasing a currency balance of a second user by the second quantity in response to acquisition of the sports player by a fantasy sports team associated with the second user,
wherein the sports player is transferred from the team associated with the second user to the team associated with the first user, and
the second quantity is based upon the value of the sports player.
19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the transfer of the sports player comprises a player draft, a player trade, an acquisition of an unclaimed player, a transfer of a sports player between two fantasy sports teams, or a combination thereof.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the transfer occurs in an auction or as a result of a user-to-user offer.
21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the value of the sports player is based upon performance of the sports player in the real life sports game.
22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the value of the sports player is based upon a depreciation formula.
23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the value of the sports player is determined based upon a negotiation between the first user and a second user, an auction, or a combination thereof.
24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the currency balance comprises a number of points, a number of units of currency, or a combination thereof.
25. A method comprising:
associating, by a computer, a currency balance with a first user of a fantasy sports game;
adjusting, by the computer, the currency balance by a first quantity in response to a sports player action that occurs in a real life sports game, wherein the first quantity is based upon the sports player action;
adjusting, by the computer, the currency balance by a second quantity in response to transfer of a sports player to or from a fantasy sports team in the fantasy sports game and associated with the first user, wherein the second quantity is based upon a value of the sports player; and
preventing, by the computer, transfer of the sports player to the fantasy sports team in response to the second quantity being greater than the currency balance.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the adjusting of the currency balance by a first quantity further comprises increasing the currency balance by the first quantity in response to the sports player action.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the sports player action comprises a game play action that is associated with a currency value, and the first quantity is based upon the currency value.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the sports player action comprises scoring a number of game points, and the first quantity is based upon the number of game points.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the adjusting of the currency balance by a second quantity further comprises decreasing the currency balance by the second quantity in response to acquisition of the sports player by the fantasy sports team.
30. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
increasing a currency balance of a second user by the second quantity in response to acquisition of the sports player by a fantasy sports team associated with the second user,
wherein the sports player is transferred from the team associated with the second user to the team associated with the first user, and
the second quantity is based upon the value of the sports player.
31. The method of claim 25 , wherein the transfer of the sports player comprises a player draft, a player trade, an acquisition of an unclaimed player, a transfer of a sports player between two fantasy sports teams, or a combination thereof.
32. The method of claim 25 , wherein the transfer occurs in an auction or as a result of a user-to-user offer.
33. The method of claim 25 , wherein the value of the sports player is based upon performance of the sports player in the real life sports game.
34. The method of claim 25 , wherein the value of the sports player is based upon a depreciation formula.
35. The method of claim 25 , wherein the value of the sports player is determined based upon a negotiation between the first user and a second user, an auction, or a combination thereof.
36. The method of claim 25 , wherein the currency balance comprises a number of points, a number of units of currency, or a combination thereof.