Patent US20030190960A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US20030190960A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for providing access to and administering online gaming leagues and tournaments
Assignee: Yahoo Inc
•
Filing: 2003-04-04
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2023-04-04
Abstract
Abstract An online gaming system operative in a client-server environment is provided in which users are provided comprehensive tools and functionalities for creating and managing online gaming leagues in which a group of member users can play the online games with and against one another in a scheduled and organized fashion. Moreover, said online gaming system enables users to create tournaments in which member users compete against one another in various tournament schemes, and records game results so as to rank and rate players relative to one another.
Inventors
- 👤 Eron Jokipii
- 👤 Chad Walker
- 👤 Michael Pilip
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:40
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q50/00; G06Q50/10; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/32; G07F17/326; G07F17/3272; G07F17/3276; A; A63; A63F; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/40; A63F2300/407; A63F2300/50; A63F2300/55; A63F2300/5546; A63F2300/556; A63F2300/5566; A63F2300/558; A63F2300/57; A63F2300/572; A63F2300/80; A63F2300/8011
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
1 . An tournament system for playing online computer games, the tournament system comprising: a league engine for permitting users of an online gaming system to create and manage an online gaming league, the league engine providing access to league information to members of the league; a game engine for controlling play of the online games; and a tournament engine enabling league members to create and participate in online gaming tournaments, the tournament engine recording results of online games played by members and managing progress of the online gaming tournament.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
1 . An tournament system for playing online computer games, the tournament system comprising: a league engine for permitting users of an online gaming system to create and manage an online gaming league, the league engine providing access to league information to members of the league; a game engine for controlling play of the online games; and a tournament engine enabling league members to create and participate in online gaming tournaments, the tournament engine recording results of online games played by members and managing progress of the online gaming tournament.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
2 . The tournament system of claim 1 , further comprising a ratings engine for ranking the skill level of league members by calculating a rating for each league member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
3 . The tournament system of claim 2 , wherein the ratings engine ranks league members at least based in part on the result of the online game and the difference between the rating for each league member participating in the online game.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
4 . The tournament system of claim 2 , wherein the ratings engine ranks league members according to a ladder system in which league members are ranked according to rungs on a ladder and wherein winning an online game against a higher ranked league member move up a rung, and league members losing an online game against a lower league member move down a rung.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
5 . The tournament system of claim 4 wherein league members must defend their rung by playing lower ranked league members at least a preset number of times in a given time period.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
6 . The tournament system of claim 4 , wherein if a lower ranked player wins an online game against a higher ranked player, the lower ranked player moves up half the number of rungs between the rung of the lower ranked player and the rung of the higher ranked player, and the higher ranked player moves down at least one rung.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
7 . The tournament server of claim 1 , wherein the league engine provides a plurality of league management tools.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
8 . The tournament server of claim 7 , wherein the league management tools include a private game room creation tool.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
9 . The tournament server of claim 7 , wherein the league management tools include a ratings management tool.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
10 . The tournament server of claim 1 , wherein the tournament engine enables creation of a tournament having a single elimination format.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
11 . The tournament server of claim 1 , wherein the tournament engine enables creating of a tournament having a double elimination format.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
12 . The tournament server of claim 1 , wherein tournament pairings are automatically assigned by the tournament engine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
13 . The tournament server of claim 1 , wherein tournament pairings are automatically assigned by the league member designated as a league administrator.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
134 words
14 . A method of administering an online gaming tournament in which a plurality of users access an online gaming system via a network; the method comprising: providing access to a gaming environment via a communications network, wherein the gaming environment comprises a plurality of user created game rooms for playing selected online games, the online gaming system providing the functionality and user interface to enable game play; enabling a user of the online gaming system to create a league in which at least a portion of said plurality of users are members of the league; and enabling members of the league to create an online gaming tournament in which members play a selected online game against one another in a tournament format, the members of the league customizing the tournament format as desired.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
134 words
14 . A method of administering an online gaming tournament in which a plurality of users access an online gaming system via a network; the method comprising: providing access to a gaming environment via a communications network, wherein the gaming environment comprises a plurality of user created game rooms for playing selected online games, the online gaming system providing the functionality and user interface to enable game play; enabling a user of the online gaming system to create a league in which at least a portion of said plurality of users are members of the league; and enabling members of the league to create an online gaming tournament in which members play a selected online game against one another in a tournament format, the members of the league customizing the tournament format as desired.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising recording results of the online games played during the online gaming tournament so as to manage the advance of winning players through the tournament format.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising rating players based on the result of games played during the online gaming tournament.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
17 . The method of claim 16 wherein players are rated at least based in part on a difference in a rating for each respective player participating in the online game.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
66 words
18 . The method of claim 14 wherein players are ranked according to a ladder system in which players are ranked according to rungs on a ladder and wherein winning an online game against a higher ranked player causes the player to move up a rung, and players losing an online game against a lower ranked player causes the losing player to move down a rung.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein players must defend their rung by playing lower ranked players at least a preset number of times in a given time period.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
60 words
20 . The method of claim 18 wherein if a lower ranked player wins an online game against a higher ranked player, the lower ranked player moves up half the number of rungs between the rung of the lower ranked player and the rung of the higher ranked player, and the higher ranked player moves down at least one rung.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5768382A
Cited
US5779549A
Cited
US20020155879A1
Cited
US6015345A
Cited
US6092806A
Cited
US6155924A
Cited
US20020059205A1
Cited
US6443838B1
Cited
US20020055386A1
Cited
US20020132656A1
Cited
US20020115488A1
Cited
US20020142842A1
Cited
US20020173349A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.