Betting And Advertising System

Abstract

An internet based betting and advertising platform where players can place bets on various forms of events, including sport events, social events, stock market, television events as long as the outcome of the event can be determined by searching the internet. Players are provided play money each time they login. Players are exposed to an advertisement. At the end of a predetermined time frame, within specific area code subsets, or break points, whoever has the most play money will be awarded with a prize provided by a sponsor.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

The present application relates to an internet based betting system, and more particularly to a betting system that allows for advertising and provides for betting winners from sponsors.

Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gained from the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.

It is fun, exciting and entertaining to place bets on the outcome of games or sporting events such as American football, international soccer, tennis, hockey, horse racing, NASCAR auto racing, greyhound dogs, baseball, volleyball, and golf etc. The betting is typically performed by a person placing his bet with a friend or another playing person, and the losing side pays.

There are many gaming and betting systems designed for entertaining purposes. For example US 2008/0085770 describes an internet real time gaming and betting system that allows users to select blocks from a gaming matrix to bet on. The games can be sporting events, community events. Payouts can be monetary, points, prizes, non-monetary rewards or compliments collected from users. But this system does not include any element of sponsors or advertisers, and the users pay to play the system.

Another US Patent Application, US 2008/0066111 describes an interactive scoreboard which may be displayed with various game status and alert icons. The interactive scoreboard may allow a viewer to quickly tune between high-interest sporting events, and to play with sports-specific features, such as wagering and fantasy league support. But this system is for interactive media guidance, it does not allow bets over searchable social events, or allow advertisers taking advantage of the popularity of bets using the system.

US 2008/0039192 Patent Application also describes a medium that facilitates personal wagering for sporting or non-sporting events. Users wager against each other. Users can wager for property, goods, services or items with non-monetary value. But this system plays with real money, it is not for pure entertaining of the users. Also advertisers are not part of the system.

US 2007/0060380 Patent Application describes an internet-enabled system for generating TV channels having fantasy betting sports games.

US 2007/0293307 describes an apparatus that allows players to bet on outcomes of gambling games and contests using points provided from sponsors, and also allows for player exposures to advertisement. The system allows a player to redeem the points accumulated from bets won. Although this is a very interesting betting system that players do not need to have real money, and they win real money from sponsors. But this system does not reward winners who have accumulated the most points for a specific period of time. Also it does not allow players to win points from betting correctly on social events or other sports other than online offshore gambling games.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses new approaches to online betting and adverting system that creates entertainment for players for betting on various searchable events, from sports to social events, television reality shows, to win play money from a sponsor for being a winner in a specified period of time or in a geographic area or as specific breakpoint. (breakpoint=when a certain amount of play money is accumulated through betting there will then be different awards given by sponsors)

In one embodiment, players are assigned play money each time at login. Players are exposed to advertisements and may search for events to bet on.

In another embodiment, advertisers and/or sponsors are allowed to login to bid on events to advertise and/or provide sponsorship for a given period.

In another embodiment, winners are selected for a given geographic area and or breakpoints.

In another embodiment, winners are selected for a specified period of time.

The system provides entertainment for players in betting and being a winner as a result of a collective outcome of various bets over a period of time, not just one game. It encourages players to search for various events to take interest and to bet on and therefore it provides entertainment for a broader base of players and broadens the base for targeted advertisement than other described gaming and gambling systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments of the invention and which are incorporated in the specification hereof by reference, wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically shows the interactions of the components of an example betting and advertising system in accordance with this application.

FIG. 2 schematically shows example components of the user interface of an example betting and advertising system in accordance with this application.

FIG. 3 schematically shows example categories of events available for betting on the user interface of an example betting and advertising system in accordance with this application.

FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically shows an example user interface for searching and selecting events for betting in an example betting and advertising system in accordance with this application.

FIG. 6 schematically shows an example user interface for placing bets in an example betting and advertising system in accordance with this application.

FIG. 7 schematically shows an example user interface for advertisers and sponsors in an example betting and advertising system in accordance with this application.

FIG. 8 schematically shows an example mechanism in generating winners in an example betting and advertising system in accordance with this application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments (by way of example, and not of limitation). The present application describes several embodiments, and none of the statements below should be taken as limiting the claims generally.

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and description and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, some areas or elements may be expanded to help improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and the claims, if any, may be used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable. Furthermore, the terms “comprise,” “include,” “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, such that a process, method, article, apparatus, or composition that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, apparatus, or composition.

In reference to FIG. 1, an entertainment betting and advertisement system includes a central server 101 which has processing system for data collecting and processing, databases built for players and advertisers, data input system to collect contents from other resources. User login module 103 collects player information and set up player account and profile for a player in the central server 101 in the player database. User interface 105 provides a playing platform for a player to place bets on various topics or events. The topic or event may be a public event or any searchable internet event, and the outcome of which is verifiable through search of the internet.

Advertiser and sponsors module 107 provides an interactive platform for advertisers or sponsors to set up accounts in the central server 101, and for them to choose the programs to sponsor or to place advertisements in. Moneys are charged and paid through this module by the sponsors and advertisers. Module 109 performs data input and search functions to feed betting content to the central server or to the user interface.

In reference to FIG. 2, after a player logs into his account, he is assigned for a certain amount of playing money. Each time when he logs in, an amount of play money is assigned to him. On its user interface includes prior selected betting selections 201, most recent events selected by other players for betting 203, accumulated betting money 205, winning history 207, available choices of betting period 211 for winner selection. The interface also includes targeted advertisements 209 based on the player profile and betting history.

FIG. 3 shows an example list of bettable events to be listed in module 201 or 203 in FIG. 2. The events may directly include sports 301, games 303, stock market 305 (going up or down tomorrow or on certain date), player defined events 307, such as “who will be next president.” or a bettable television reality show where a person can place a bet on whether a participant in a TV game show will answer a question correctly or not, or which participant in the game show will be the “big” winner.

FIG. 4 shows an example user interface for searching for bettable sport events or bettable TV game shows. The sport events or TV game shows may be searched with keywords at 902, or may be listed via 904, or filtered via 906 favorable settings, or searched via a given name in 908 or other criteria such as listed from 910 to 918.

FIG. 5 shows another example for searching bettable sport events or bettable TV game shows. The interface also provides Google™ search for keyword search on the internet for any sport events. Google™ search may be included on other event categories, to provide a player defined betting events.

FIG. 6 shows an example betting interface for placing bets. By clicking on a betting event, player enters into this page to place bets. 601 displays the selected event to bet on, 603 lists the available betting choices from the event providers. The player places the amount of bets in 605, which will be stored in the central server database concerning this player. The system will search the internet or data input from the providers in the following weeks to decide the outcome of the betting and whether the player has won. If the winner is proven to have won, the amount of bets in 605 will be placed in his betting money account together with his other betting money.

In reference to FIG. 7, the system includes an interface for advertisers and sponsors, where an advertiser/sponsor can select betting selections currently being bet on by players in 703 and pledge the amount money in 705 for placing advertisement or in 707 for be being sponsors. The amount of pledge may be suggested by the system. An advertiser or sponsor can check on the status of its currently already selected betting program/events in 701. The time period of advertising or sponsorship can be chosen through module 709.

In FIG. 8, it shows an example mechanism in deciding a winner. In module 801 the player with highest play money may be selected to be the winner for each period time of one week, two weeks or one month, two months, etc and/or for a specified geographic area or if the player reaches a specified break point. The result of winning is stored in 803 for awarding the available rewards from registered sponsors.

Each player's bet may be automatically awarded with the amount of bet money after the system searching for the correct answer and reach an outcome in a period of time. The player may cancel or kill its bet if after a period of time no outcome of correct answer is found.

As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a tremendous range of applications, and accordingly the scope of patented subject matter is not limited by any of the specific exemplary teachings given. It is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

Additional general background, which helps to show variations and implementations, may be found in the following US patent application publications, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes: US 2008/0085770, US 2008/0066111, US 2008/0039192, US 2007/0060380, US 2007/0293307.

None of the description in the present application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element which must be included in the claim scope: THE SCOPE OF PATENTED SUBJECT MATTER IS DEFINED ONLY BY THE ALLOWED CLAIMS. Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of 35 USC section 112 unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.

The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, and NO subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, or abandoned.

Claims

1. An electronic entertainment betting device system, comprising:

a device for assigning a player an amount of play money when the player logs in to his betting account;

a device having a user interface for searching a betting event and placing a bet by the player;

a device for registering at least one sponsorship;

a device for registering at least one advertisement;

a device for exposing the player to at least one advertisement;

a device for searching outcome of the bet and awarding a bet to the player in accordance with the outcome; and

a device for selecting a winner who has the most play money in its account comparing to other players within a certain area code, timeframe, or breakpoint.

2. The electronic entertainment betting device system of claim 1, wherein each of the devices are connected through the internet.

3. The electronic entertainment betting device system of claim 1, wherein the searching for bet event is performed by internet search-engine.

4. The electronic entertainment betting device system of claim 1, wherein the bet event is a social event.

5. The electronic entertainment betting device system of claim 1, wherein the bet event is a sport.

6. The electronic entertainment betting device system of claim 1, wherein searching for outcome of the bet is performed by internet search-engine.

7. A method for providing entertainment and advertisement, comprising the actions of:

assigning a player an amount of play money when the player logs in to his betting account;

having a user interface for searching a betting event and placing a bet by the player;

registering for at least one sponsorship;

registering at least one advertisement;

exposing the player to at least one advertisement;

searching outcome of the bet and awarding a bet to the player in accordance with the outcome; and

selecting a winner who has the most play money in its account comparing to other players within a certain area code, timeframe, or breakpoint.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is performed through the internet.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the action of searching for bet event is performed by internet search-engine.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the bet event is a social event.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the bet event is a sport event.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the action of searching for outcome of the bet is performed by internet search-engine.

13. The method of claim 7 is performed on a server-end user electronic system.