IP Library Granted Patent US 10,967,281
Granted Patent B2
US 10,967,281 · App. 16/672,487 · Granted Apr 6, 2021

Automatic fantasy sports data analysis method and apparatus

Inventors: Michael Lazarus (Simi Valley, CA); Maxim Sviridenko (New York, NY); Justin Thaler (New York, NY)
Assignee: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
A63F13/828A63B71/06A63B71/0616A63F13/35A63F13/46A63F13/65A63F13/795A63F2300/69A63F2300/8052
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,967,281
App. No.
16/672,487
Granted
Apr 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for improving interactions with and between computers in content generating, searching, hosting and/or providing systems supported by or configured with personal computing devices, servers and/or platforms. The systems interact to identify and retrieve data within or across platforms, which can be used to improve the quality of data used in processing interactions between or among processors in such systems. The disclosed systems and methods provide systems and methods for automatic fantasy sports data analysis, including analysis of data to equalize player attractiveness in contestant composition of a fantasy sports team.

Claims (55)

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device of an online fantasy sports system, a plurality of fantasy sports salaries for use with a fantasy sports contest of the online fantasy sports system, the plurality of fantasy sports salaries corresponding to a plurality of real-world athletes, determination of a fantasy sports salary for an athlete of the plurality comprising:

determining a number of factors for the fantasy sports salary for the athlete; and

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete using the number of factors, the determining comprising:

making a determination that a threshold amount of past performance data exists for the athlete and including past performance as a factor of the number of factors based on the determination;

communicating, via the computing device and over an electronic communications network to each user computing device of a plurality of users of the online fantasy sports system, a fantasy sports salary cap and the plurality of fantasy sports salaries corresponding to the plurality of athletes, the communicating causing the plurality of fantasy sports salaries and the fantasy sports salary cap to be displayed at each user computing device of the plurality of users;

receiving, at the computing device over the electronic communications network and from the user computing devices, athlete selection input from a number of users, of the plurality of users, participating in the fantasy sports contest of the online fantasy sports system; and

determining, by the computing device and using the athlete selection input received from the number of users, a popularity of each selected athlete for use as a factor, of the number of factors, in minimizing athlete selection duplication in a subsequent fantasy sports contest.

2. The method of claim 1 , selectively including past performance as a factor of the number of factors based on the amount of past performance data associated with the athlete further comprising:

making a determination that a first amount of past performance data for the athlete is insufficient to use in determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete; and

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete exclusive of the athlete's past performance.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

obtaining a second amount of past performance data in addition to the first amount of past performance data; and

determining a subsequent fantasy sports salary for the athlete using the athlete's past performance as a factor, the athlete's past performance being determined using the first and second amounts of past performance data.

4. The method of claim 2 , the first amount of past performance data is associated with an initial number of real-world competitions involving the athlete.

5. The method of claim 4 , the athlete is a rookie player.

6. The method of claim 4 , the athlete is a player returning to the real-world competitions after a break.

7. The method of claim 2 , determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete exclusive of the athlete's past performance further comprising:

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete using a fantasy point projection indicating a number of fantasy points the athlete is likely to score in future real-world competition.

8. The method of claim 7 , the fantasy point projection takes into account aspects of the future real-world competition, including the quality of the athlete's opponent and whether the future real-world competition is at home or away.

9. The method of claim 2 , determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete exclusive of the athlete's past performance further comprising:

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete using a minimum threshold salary associated with the athlete.

10. The method of claim 1 , the number of factors comprising an ownership factor that takes into account the popularity of the athlete with users of the online fantasy sports system.

11. The method of claim 10 , the ownership factor acting to increase the fantasy sports salary of the athlete as a disincentive for user selection in a case that the athlete is identified as being popular with users of the online fantasy sports system.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device perform a method comprising:

determining a plurality of fantasy sports salaries for use with a fantasy sports contest of an online fantasy sports system, the plurality of fantasy sports salaries corresponding to a plurality of real-world athletes, determination of a fantasy sports salary for an athlete of the plurality comprising:

determining a number of factors for the fantasy sports salary for the athlete; and

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete using the number of factors, the determining comprising:

making a determination that a threshold amount of past performance data exists for the athlete and including past performance as a factor of the number of factors based on the determination;

communicating, over an electronic communications network to each user computing device of a plurality of users of the online fantasy sports system, a fantasy sports salary cap and the plurality of fantasy sports salaries corresponding to the plurality of athletes, the communicating causing the plurality of fantasy sports salaries and the fantasy sports salary cap to be displayed at each user computing device of the plurality of users;

receiving, over the electronic communications network and from the user computing devices, athlete selection input from a number of users, of the plurality of users, participating in the fantasy sports contest of the online fantasy sports system;

determining, using the athlete selection input received from the number of users, a popularity of each selected athlete for use as a factor, of the number of factors, in minimizing athlete selection duplication in a subsequent fantasy sports contest.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , selectively including past performance as a factor of the number of factors based on the amount of past performance data associated with the athlete further comprising:

making a determination that a first amount of past performance data for the athlete is insufficient to use in determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete; and

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete exclusive of the athlete's past performance.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

obtaining a second amount of past performance data in addition to the first amount of past performance data; and

determining a subsequent fantasy sports salary for the athlete using the athlete's past performance as a factor, the athlete's past performance being determined using the first and second amounts of past performance data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete exclusive of the athlete's past performance further comprising:

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete using a fantasy point projection indicating a number of fantasy points the athlete is likely to score in future real-world competition.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the fantasy point projection takes into account aspects of the future real-world competition, including the quality of the athlete's opponent and whether the future real-world competition is at home or away.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete exclusive of the athlete's past performance further comprising:

determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete using a minimum threshold salary associated with the athlete.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , the number of factors comprising an ownership factor that takes into account the popularity of the athlete with users of the online fantasy sports system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , the ownership factor acting to increase the fantasy sports salary of the athlete as a disincentive for user selection in a case that the athlete is identified as being popular with users of the online fantasy sports system.

20. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:

determining logic executed by the processor for determining a plurality of fantasy sports salaries for use with a fantasy sports contest of an online fantasy sports system, the plurality of fantasy sports salaries corresponding to a plurality of real-world athletes, determination of a fantasy sports salary for an athlete of the plurality comprising:

determining logic executed by the processor for determining a number of factors for the fantasy sports salary for the athlete; and

determining logic executed by the processor for determining the fantasy sports salary for the athlete using the number of factors, the determining comprising:

making logic executed by the processor for making a determination that a threshold amount of past performance data exists for the athlete and including past performance as a factor of the number of factors based on the determination;

communicating logic executed by the processor for communicating, over an electronic communications network to each user computing device of a plurality of users of the online fantasy sports system, a fantasy sports salary cap and the plurality of fantasy sports salaries corresponding to the plurality of athletes, the communicating causing the plurality of fantasy sports salaries and the fantasy sports salary cap to be displayed at each user computing device of the plurality of users;

receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, over the electronic communications network and from the user computing devices, athlete selection input from a number of users, of the plurality of users, participating in the fantasy sports contest of the online fantasy sports system

determining logic executed by the processor for determining, using the athlete selection input received from the number of users, a popularity of each selected athlete for use as a factor, of the number of factors, in minimizing athlete selection duplication in a subsequent fantasy sports contest.

Assignments (6)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061571/0773 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: YAHOO AD TECH LLC (FORMERLY VERIZON MEDIA INC.)
To: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
Reel/Frame 058982/0282 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: OATH INC.
To: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
Reel/Frame 054258/0635 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2020
From: LAZARUS, MICHAEL; SVIRIDENKO, MAXIM; THALER, JUSTIN
To: YAHOO! INC.
Reel/Frame 051679/0338 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2020
From: YAHOO! INC.
To: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051762/0400 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2020
From: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
To: OATH INC.
Reel/Frame 051763/0001 →