US7699707B2 — Fantasy sports system and method thereof

Claim 1

Independent Claim 297 words

A method of playing a fantasy sport comprising: implementing a fantasy sports league using software stored on a computer readable medium of one or more computers, the fantasy sports league having a plurality of fantasy owners, each owning a fantasy team with one or more fantasy players corresponding to one or more real-life players; wherein an actual, statistical performance of the real-life player corresponds to fantasy points of the fantasy player; wherein the fantasy season is divided into a plurality of scoring periods, each period covering at least two scheduled real-life games, in which points of an owner's fantasy player in a starting line-up accrue toward a total score of the fantasy team; on or before the commencement of the chronologically earliest scheduled game in each scoring period, providing the fantasy owner using the software with functionality to activate the one or more fantasy players having a starting opportunity in at least two games in an individual scoring period; allowing the fantasy owner to select a particular one of the fantasy players for placement in the starting line up to start for the fantasy owner within the individual scoring period in a first game, but not in a second game, from among plural games of that fantasy player within the individual scoring period; whereby the software limits the owner from selectively activating and accruing points from that particular fantasy player in every game in the scoring period in which that particular fantasy player has starting opportunities; whereby the software prevents the owner from activating the player for the second game in the individual scoring period in response to the owner activating the player for the first game; and adding and displaying each fantasy owner's points accrued in past scoring periods to track competitive rankings within the league.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 297 words

A method of playing a fantasy sport comprising: implementing a fantasy sports league using software stored on a computer readable medium of one or more computers, the fantasy sports league having a plurality of fantasy owners, each owning a fantasy team with one or more fantasy players corresponding to one or more real-life players; wherein an actual, statistical performance of the real-life player corresponds to fantasy points of the fantasy player; wherein the fantasy season is divided into a plurality of scoring periods, each period covering at least two scheduled real-life games, in which points of an owner's fantasy player in a starting line-up accrue toward a total score of the fantasy team; on or before the commencement of the chronologically earliest scheduled game in each scoring period, providing the fantasy owner using the software with functionality to activate the one or more fantasy players having a starting opportunity in at least two games in an individual scoring period; allowing the fantasy owner to select a particular one of the fantasy players for placement in the starting line up to start for the fantasy owner within the individual scoring period in a first game, but not in a second game, from among plural games of that fantasy player within the individual scoring period; whereby the software limits the owner from selectively activating and accruing points from that particular fantasy player in every game in the scoring period in which that particular fantasy player has starting opportunities; whereby the software prevents the owner from activating the player for the second game in the individual scoring period in response to the owner activating the player for the first game; and adding and displaying each fantasy owner's points accrued in past scoring periods to track competitive rankings within the league.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of games in each individual scoring period ranges from 2 to 14.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein the number of games in each individual scoring period ranges from 3 to 8.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the first game and the second game in the period do not relate to a sequential, chronological order of the games during the scoring period.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of claim 4 , further comprising: providing the functionality to activate the fantasy player for at least a third game within the scoring period at the same time as the opportunity to activate the fantasy player for the first game.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of scoring periods is at least 2.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 6 , wherein the number of scoring periods is greater than or equal to 10.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 7 , wherein the number of scoring periods is greater than or equal to 20.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein each fantasy owner's points accrued in past scoring periods to track competitive rankings within the league are displayed electronically.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 1 , the number of games in each scoring period is not uniform.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the fantasy sports league comprises one or more fantasy sports: basketball, baseball, auto-racing, soccer, football, hockey, ice hockey, volleyball, golf, racing, tennis, ice hockey, motor racing, cricket, rugby or bowling.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 11 , wherein the fantasy sport is selected from one or more professional, collegiate or amateur sports leagues or a combination thereof.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 12 , wherein the fantasy sport is selected from American professional basketball.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 68 words

The method of claim 11 , wherein the sport is selected from one or more professional or national associations in the geographic areas comprising England, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Scotland, Turkey, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Ireland, Brazil, China, Mexico, Argentina, Norway, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Poland, Japan, India, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 289 words

A system for playing a fantasy sport, comprising: a fantasy sports league implemented using software stored on a computer readable medium of one or more computers, the fantasy sports league having a plurality of fantasy owners, each owning a fantasy team with one or more fantasy players, corresponding to one or more real-life players; wherein an actual, statistical performance of the real-life player corresponds to the fantasy points of the fantasy player; wherein the fantasy season is divided into a plurality of scoring periods, each period covering at least two scheduled real-life games, in which points of an owner's fantasy player in a starting line up accrue toward a total score of the fantasy team; wherein the fantasy sports league is further configured to provide, on or before the commencement of the chronologically earliest scheduled game of each scoring period, a fantasy owner with functionality to activate the one or more fantasy players having a starting opportunity in at least two games in an individual scoring period for placement in the starting line up in a first game but not in a second game from among plural games of that fantasy player within the individual scoring period; whereby the software limits the owner from selectively activating and accruing points from starting that particular fantasy player in every game in the scoring period in which that particular fantasy player has starting opportunities; whereby the software prevents the owner from activating the player for the second game in the individual scoring period once the owner activates the player for the first game; and wherein the fantasy sports league is further configured to add and display each fantasy owner's points accrued in past scoring periods to track competitive rankings within the league.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 289 words

A system for playing a fantasy sport, comprising: a fantasy sports league implemented using software stored on a computer readable medium of one or more computers, the fantasy sports league having a plurality of fantasy owners, each owning a fantasy team with one or more fantasy players, corresponding to one or more real-life players; wherein an actual, statistical performance of the real-life player corresponds to the fantasy points of the fantasy player; wherein the fantasy season is divided into a plurality of scoring periods, each period covering at least two scheduled real-life games, in which points of an owner's fantasy player in a starting line up accrue toward a total score of the fantasy team; wherein the fantasy sports league is further configured to provide, on or before the commencement of the chronologically earliest scheduled game of each scoring period, a fantasy owner with functionality to activate the one or more fantasy players having a starting opportunity in at least two games in an individual scoring period for placement in the starting line up in a first game but not in a second game from among plural games of that fantasy player within the individual scoring period; whereby the software limits the owner from selectively activating and accruing points from starting that particular fantasy player in every game in the scoring period in which that particular fantasy player has starting opportunities; whereby the software prevents the owner from activating the player for the second game in the individual scoring period once the owner activates the player for the first game; and wherein the fantasy sports league is further configured to add and display each fantasy owner's points accrued in past scoring periods to track competitive rankings within the league.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 305 words

A tangible memory medium, wherein the tangible memory medium stores program instructions which are executable to perform a method for playing fantasy sports, the method comprising: implementing a fantasy sports league using software stored on a computer readable medium of one or more computers, the fantasy sports league having a plurality of fantasy owners, each owning a fantasy team with one or more fantasy players, corresponding to one or more real-life players, wherein an actual, statistical performance of the real-life player corresponds to a fantasy performance of the fantasy player; wherein the fantasy season is divided into a plurality of scoring periods, each period covering at least two scheduled real-life games over at least two days, in which points of an owner's fantasy player in a starting line-up accrue toward a total score of the fantasy team; providing a fantasy owner using the software, on or before the commencement of the chronologically earliest schedule game in each scoring period, with functionality to activate the one or more fantasy players having a starting opportunity in at least two games in an individual scoring period for selection into the starting line up for the fantasy owner within an individual scoring period for a first game, but not for a second game, from among plural games of that fantasy player within the individual scoring period; whereby the software limits the owner from selectively activating and accruing points from starting that particular fantasy player in every game in the scoring period in which that particular fantasy player has starting opportunities; whereby the software prevents the owner from activating the player for the second game in the individual scoring period once the owner activates the player for the first game; and adding and displaying each fantasy owner's points accrued in past scoring periods to track competitive rankings within the league.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 305 words

A tangible memory medium, wherein the tangible memory medium stores program instructions which are executable to perform a method for playing fantasy sports, the method comprising: implementing a fantasy sports league using software stored on a computer readable medium of one or more computers, the fantasy sports league having a plurality of fantasy owners, each owning a fantasy team with one or more fantasy players, corresponding to one or more real-life players, wherein an actual, statistical performance of the real-life player corresponds to a fantasy performance of the fantasy player; wherein the fantasy season is divided into a plurality of scoring periods, each period covering at least two scheduled real-life games over at least two days, in which points of an owner's fantasy player in a starting line-up accrue toward a total score of the fantasy team; providing a fantasy owner using the software, on or before the commencement of the chronologically earliest schedule game in each scoring period, with functionality to activate the one or more fantasy players having a starting opportunity in at least two games in an individual scoring period for selection into the starting line up for the fantasy owner within an individual scoring period for a first game, but not for a second game, from among plural games of that fantasy player within the individual scoring period; whereby the software limits the owner from selectively activating and accruing points from starting that particular fantasy player in every game in the scoring period in which that particular fantasy player has starting opportunities; whereby the software prevents the owner from activating the player for the second game in the individual scoring period once the owner activates the player for the first game; and adding and displaying each fantasy owner's points accrued in past scoring periods to track competitive rankings within the league.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2013-04-19	2013-10-19	2014-04-20	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2017-04-19	2017-10-19	2018-04-20	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2021-04-19	2021-10-19	2022-04-20	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fantasy sports system and method thereof

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag