Granted Patent B1

US 10,026,266 · App. 14/086,830 · Granted Jul 17, 2018

Inventor: Uri Shahak (Tel Aviv, IL)

Assignee: Playtika Ltd.

G07F17/3258

Abstract

Claims (66)

1. A method for operating a contest server in conjunction with a plurality of client devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by the contest server, from the plurality of client devices as bets, credits drawn from accounts of a plurality of players for initiating a plurality of games, wherein each game having a game type, the game type being one of a plurality of different game types, wherein the accounts of the plurality of players are stored by an online system and include credits purchased by the plurality of players via real money transactions;

initiating, by the contest server, the plurality of games accessible to the plurality of client devices of the plurality of players in response to the bets received from the plurality of players;

monitoring, by the contest server, game play of the plurality of client devices of the plurality of players with respect to the plurality of games;

identifying, by the contest server, a subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter a contest based on one or more eligibility criteria comprising a threshold for an amount of winnings of a player during the monitored game play of the plurality of games;

initiating, by the contest server, the contest with a plurality of the eligible players as contestants according to contest criteria, the contest criteria specifying a subset of the plurality of games to be associated with the contest, wherein associated games include a plurality of the different game types;

monitoring, by the contest server, game play of the plurality of client devices of the contestants with respect to the associated games, the monitoring comprising determining an amount of contest winnings for each contestant, wherein the amount of contest winnings is paid out from a first source and stored in an account of the contestant, wherein the amount of contest winnings comprises winnings from games of the plurality of different game types;

funding, by the contest server, a jackpot for the contest from a second source different from the first source at a rate proportional to the amounts of contest winnings of the contestants in games associated with the contest, wherein the second source is independent of a contestants' coin-in and winnings in the plurality of games associated with the contest;

ranking, by the contest server, the contestants based on the amount of contest winnings of each contestant;

distributing, by the contest server, the amount of contest winnings for each contestant as credits to their respective accounts stored by the online system; and

distributing, by the contest server, portions of the jackpot as credits to the respective accounts of one or more of the contestants based on the ranking of the contestants.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more eligibility criteria further comprise a threshold score, and wherein identifying by the contest server the subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter the contest comprises:

responsive to a player having an amount of winnings in the plurality of games during the monitored game play that exceeds the threshold score, identifying the player as eligible to enter the contest.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more eligibility criteria further comprise a threshold time, and wherein identifying by the contest server the subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter the contest comprises:

responsive to a player playing the plurality of games during the monitored game play for the threshold time, identifying the player as eligible to enter the contest.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking by the contest server the contestants comprises:

establishing a baseline amount of winnings;

determining a difference between a current amount of winnings of each player and the baseline amount of winnings; and

ranking the plurality of players based on the determined difference.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying by the contest server the ranking of the contestants on a real-time leader board.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring by the contest server the game play of the plurality of players with respect to the plurality of games comprises:

monitoring respective amounts of winnings of the players in the plurality of games.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions for operating a contest server in conjunction with a plurality of games, the computer program instructions executable to perform steps comprising:

receiving, by the contest server, from the plurality of client devices as bets, credits drawn from accounts of a plurality of players for initiating a plurality of games, wherein each game having a game type, the game type being one of a plurality of different game types, wherein the accounts of the plurality of players are stored by an online system and include credits purchased by the plurality of players via real money transactions;

initiating, by the contest server, the plurality of games accessible to the plurality of client devices of the plurality of players in response to the bets received from the plurality of players;

monitoring, by the contest server, game play of the plurality of client devices of the plurality of players with respect to the plurality of games;

identifying, by the contest server, a subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter a contest based on one or more eligibility criteria comprising a threshold for an amount of winnings of a player during the monitored game play of the plurality of games;

initiating, by the contest server, the contest with a plurality of the eligible players as contestants according to contest criteria, the contest criteria specifying a subset of the plurality of games to be associated with the contest, wherein the associated games include a plurality of the different game types;

monitoring, by the contest server, game play of the plurality of client devices of the of the contestants with respect to the associated games, the monitoring comprising determining an amount of contest winnings for each contestant, wherein the amount of contest winnings is paid out from a first source and stored in an account of the contestant, wherein the amount of contest winnings comprises winnings from games of the plurality of different game types;

funding, by the contest server, a jackpot for the contest from a second source different from the first source at a rate proportional to the amounts of contest winnings of the contestants in games associated with the contest, wherein the second source is independent of a contestants' coin-in and winnings in the plurality of games associated with the contest;

ranking, by the contest server, the contestants based on the amount of contest winnings of each contestant;

distributing, by the contest server, the amount of contest winnings for each contestant as credits to their respective accounts stored by the online system; and

distributing, by the contest server, portions of the jackpot as credits to the respective accounts of one or more of the contestants based on the ranking of the contestants.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the one or more eligibility criteria further comprise a threshold score, and wherein identifying by the contest server the subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter the contest comprises:

responsive to a player having an amount of winnings in the plurality of games that exceeds the threshold score, identifying the player as eligible to enter the contest.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the one or more eligibility criteria further comprise a threshold time, and wherein identifying by the contest server the subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter the contest comprises:

responsive to a player playing the plurality of games for the threshold time, identifying the player as eligible to enter the contest.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein ranking by the contest server the contestants comprises:

establishing a baseline amount of winnings;

determining a difference between a current amount of winnings of each player and the baseline amount of winnings; and

ranking the plurality of players based on the determined difference.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the computer program instructions further executable to perform steps comprising:

displaying by the contest server the ranking of the contestants on a real-time leader board.

12. A contest server system for operating a contest associated with a plurality of games, the system comprising:

a betting module for receiving, as bets, credits drawn from accounts of a plurality of players for initiating the plurality of games, wherein each game having a game type, the game type being one of a plurality of different game types, wherein the accounts of the plurality of players are stored by an online system and include credits purchased by the plurality of players via real money transactions and initiating the plurality of games in response to the bets received from the plurality of players;

an eligibility determination module for:

monitoring game play of the plurality of players with respect to the plurality of games; and

identifying a subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter a contest based on one or more eligibility criteria comprising a threshold for an amount of winnings of a player during monitored game play;

a contest initiation module for initiating the contest with a plurality of eligible players as contestants according to contest criteria, the contest criteria specifying a subset of the plurality of games to be associated with the contest and, wherein associated games include a plurality of different game types;

a jackpot funding module for:

monitoring game play of the contestants with respect to the associated games, the monitoring comprising determining an amount of contest winnings for each contestant, wherein the amount of contest winnings is paid out from a first source and stored in an account of the contestant, wherein the amount of contest winnings comprises winnings from games of the plurality of different game types; and

funding a jackpot for the contest from a second source different from the first source at a rate proportional to the amounts of contest winnings of the contestants in games associated with the contest, wherein the second source is independent of a contestants' coin-in and winnings in the plurality of games associated with the contest;

a jackpot distribution module for:

ranking the contestants based on the amount of contest winnings of each contestant;

distributing the amount of contest winnings for each contestant as credits to their respective accounts stored by the online system; and

distributing portions of the jackpot as credits to the respective accounts of one or more of the contestants based on the ranking of the contestants.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the eligibility criteria further comprise a threshold score, and wherein the eligibility determination module identifying the subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter the contest further comprises:

responsive to a player having an amount of winnings in the plurality of games that exceeds the threshold score, identifying the player as eligible to enter the contest.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the eligibility criteria further comprise a threshold time, and wherein the eligibility determination module identifying the subset of the plurality of players as eligible to enter the contest further comprises:

responsive to a player playing the plurality of games for the threshold time, identifying the player as eligible to enter the contest.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the jackpot distribution module ranking the eligible players further comprises:

establishing a baseline score;

determining a difference between a current amount of winnings of each player and the baseline amount of winnings; and

ranking the players based on the determined difference.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the jackpot distribution module displays the ranking of the contestants on a real-time leader board.

Assignments (8)

Cited By (3)

US 12,284,188 US 12,626,561 US 12,705,952