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`Game Show Network Ex. 1002
`IPR of U.S. Pat. 6,174,237
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`FOR THE PURPOSES OF INFORMATION ONLY
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`Codes used to identify States party to the PCT on the front pages of pamphlets publishing international applications under the PCT.
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`Albania
`Amienia
`Austria
`Australia
`Azerbaijan
`Bosnia and Herzegovina
`Barbados
`Belgium
`Burkina Faso
`Bulgaria
`Benin
`Brazil
`Belarus
`Canada
`Central African Republic
`Congo
`Switzerland
`Cote d'Ivoire
`Cameroon
`China
`Cuba
`Czech Republic
`Germany
`Denmark
`Estonia
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`ES
`F]
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`GA
`GB
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`CH
`GN
`GR
`HU
`[E
`II.
`[S
`[T
`J!’
`KE
`KG
`KP
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`KR
`KZ
`LC
`Ll
`LK
`LR
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`Spain
`Finland
`France
`Gabon
`United Kingdom
`Georgia
`Ghana
`Guinea
`Greece
`Hungary
`Ireland
`Israel
`Iceland
`Italy
`Japan
`Kenya
`Kyrgyzstan
`Democratic People's
`Republic of Korea
`Republic of Korea
`Kazakslan
`Saint Lucia
`Liechtenstein
`Sri Lanka
`Liberia
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`LS
`LT
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`LV
`MC
`MD
`MG
`MK
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`ML
`MN
`MR
`MW
`MX
`NE
`NL
`NO
`NZ
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`PT
`R0
`RU
`SD
`SE
`SG
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`Lesotho
`Lithuania
`Luxembourg
`Latvia
`Monaco
`Republic of Moldova
`Madagascar
`The former Yugoslav
`Republic of Macedonia
`Mali
`Mongolia
`Mauritania
`Malawi
`Mexico
`Niger
`Netherlands
`Norway
`New Zealand
`Poland
`Portugal
`Romania
`Russian Federation
`Sudan
`Sweden
`Singapore
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`SI
`SK
`SN
`SZ
`TD
`TG
`TJ
`TM
`TR
`TT
`UA
`UG
`US
`UZ
`VN
`YU
`ZW
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`Slovenia
`Slovakia
`Senegal
`Swaziland
`Chad
`Togo
`Tajikistan
`Turkmenistan
`Turkey
`Trinidad and Tobago
`Ukraine
`Uganda
`United States of America
`Uzbekistan
`Viet Nam
`Yugoslavia
`Zimbabwe
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`W0 97/393 1 1
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`PCT/US9 7/07703
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`DATABASE DRIVEN ONLINE DISTRIBUTED TOURNAMENT SYSTEM
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`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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`The present invention relates generally to games, and more particularly to
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`online electronic tournament games.
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`BACKGROUND
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`Competitive games are a popular form of recreation. From the Olympics to the
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`Super Bowl to backyard volleyball games, competitive games consume a large portion
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`of our free time. Whether watching or participating, the allure is undeniable. In
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`addition to the competitive sports, intellectual competitions such as chess or bridge
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`tournaments are also popular.
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`These competitions remain popular because whether a participant or spectator,
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`one is involved. They require people to meet at a central location and specific time,
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`providing a sense of community and camaraderie, as well as a place to socialize. A
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`typical chess tournament, for example, might have fifty players meeting at a central
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`playing site.
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`Such tournaments and competitions suffer from several drawbacks, however, as
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`participants may have to travel considerable distance to get to the playing site and may
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`require expensive overnight accommodations when the tournament lasts more than one
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`day. The start times for most tournaments must also be fixed in advance. The chess
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`players, for example, might meet at 9:00 AM for the start of the first round. This
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`forces all participants to adhere to the same schedule, an increasingly difficult
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`proposition in today's busy world. Furthermore, facilities used to host the tournament,
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`such as hotel meeting rooms, banquet halls, and auditoriums, represent a significant
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`expense to the tournament organizers.
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`-To ensure that the rules of the tournament are upheld, most competitions require
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`proctors, arbiters, referees, and the like. Retaining such people can add significant
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`costs to competitions. There may also be a limited supply of individuals qualified to
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`oversee the tournament. For example, if there are only two sanctioned backgammon
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`tournament directors in a city, the backgammon tournament might have to be canceled
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`if both are sick on the day of the competition. Such cancellations can be costly for
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`those participants planning on traveling to the tournament, who would have to cancel
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`flights and hotel registrations.
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`Tournaments geared to a narrower subset of tournament players (niche
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`tournaments) are often economically unfeasible because of the high costs associated
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`with obtaining playing facilities. While it may be possible to hold a martial arts
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`tournament in a city, it may be hard to hold a tournament for a specific subset of the
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`martial arts such as Aikido. The few players that would participate would not justify
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`the cost of the facilities.
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`Electronic tournaments allow participants to "meet" in cyberspace, competing at
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`a virtual location accessible to any player at any time. Because no travel is required,
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`many of the disadvantages of physical tournaments are eliminated, while maintaining
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`the sense of camaraderie.
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`Online games and contests have existed almost since online networks were
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`created. The first online services available to a user with a personal computer and a
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`modem were bulletin board systems or BBSs. They started appearing in the early 1980s
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`and exploded in popularity along with the growth of the personal computer. The most
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`primitive of these systems allowed users to share files and exchange entail. The ability
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`to conduct electronic games was quickly added as enthusiasts joined the systems. BBSs
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`were usually operated by computer enthusiasts more as a hobby than as a commercial
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`enterprise. In the late 1980s, corporations began creating online services that could
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`handle thousands of users simultaneously. Online services such as Prodigy,
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`CompuServe, and America Online brought a new level of professionalism and
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`sophistication to the industry. Inelegant text-based user interfaces were replaced with
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`graphical front ends that no longer required users to memorize arcane commands or
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`codes. Game play became more popular as the software became increasingly user-
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`friendly.
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`One of the companies providing games in this new environment is NTN
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`Communications. They offer a trivia game on America Online in which players
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`compete by answering a series of questions. There are five possible answers, with 1000
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`points being awarded for a correct answer. The player is given a limited amount of
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`time to come up with an answer, and fewer points are awarded for a correct answer as
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`time passes. At the end of the contest, the top scores are displayed to all competitors.
`The game has a major drawback, however, in that there are no prizes awarded to
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`players. The competitive drive is diminished when there is no prize for winning. It's
`like playing a game of poker without using money.
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`To increase player interest, several companies have begun to offer online
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`contests with cash prizes. Yoyodyne Entertainment provides an email-based trivia game
`that is available through the Internet and several online services. Players receive
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`questions via email and must submit their answers before a deadline, which is usually a
`day or two later. Points are awarded for each correct answer and deducted for each
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`incorrect answer. The winner is the person with the highest score at the end of the
`contest.
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`Interactive Imaginations also developed online contests for prizes. They created
`the Riddler site on the World Wide Web. Users are offered a selection of games,
`including trivia and puzzle games. Like the Yoyodyne site, prize amounts are
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`necessarily limited because there are no entry fees.
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`One company has combined both entry fees and prizes to generate new potential
`customers. Bert & Associates created an options trading game in which contestants pay
`an entry fee in order to become eligible for the prizes. The game was merely a
`peripheral element of their business, however, meant only to attract customers to their
`brokerage business.
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`Another limitation of the games run by Yoyodyne and Interactive Imaginations
`is that there is no continuity among the games. The results of one game have no impact
`on the results of another game. Each game is an independent event; they are not linked
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`together into a more continuous game experience. After registering for one game, the
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`process must be repeated for future games. A player who has become an expert in a
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`trivia game is able to enter the same trivia games again and again, monopolizing the
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`top prizes. Game organizers are unable to prevent this since there are no effective
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`controls on who can register for a game. Games geared exclusively to experts are
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`impossible as there is no effective way to screen the qualifications of participants.
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`Rating systems, popular in chess and backgammon games, are impossible to
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`implement without a way to track a player's progress over a number of games.
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`Handicap systems popular in golf games are similarly restricted in that player results
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`must be tracked over a series of games, not just one game.
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`Online games also lack effective reservation systems; players simply log on at
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`the appropriate time and begin play. If game organizers want to restrict the number of
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`players, they are forced to establish an arbitrary limit on the number of entrants. If
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`such a limit is enforced, however, players will have no way to know in advance
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`whether or not they will be able to register at the time the tournament starts.
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`Existing electronic games also lack the implementation of levels, a progression
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`of increasing difficulty throughout the competition. What is missing is the excitement
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`of elimination found in virtually every other competitive environment. To date, all
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`online contests have involved a single game session. In a trivia game, players answer a
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`series of questions and receive a score based on the number of correct responses. The
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`winner is the player with the highest score. In a puzzle contest, the first correct
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`solution wins.
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`The world of professional sports demonstrates the desirability of levels.
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`Professional basketball, for example, consists of a regular season followed by post-
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`season play. A certain number of teams qualify for post—season play based on their
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`regular season records. These teams then play each other in an elimination format until
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`two teams remain to play in the final series that determines the winner. Advancement
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`to the next round of post—season play depends on a team's performance in the previous
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`round. There is no doubt that the tournament structure adds a great deal of excitement
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`not only to each of the post—season games, but also to the games at the end of the
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`regular season as well.
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`Imagine a basketball season in which the champion was determined by the
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`regular season record alone. The last games of the season would be irrelevant if the
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`current leader were many games ahead of the nearest team. Spectator and player
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`interest would drop dramatically. Teams whose scores would place them in the middle
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`of the pack could be out of contention with dozens of games remaining. There would
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`be little incentive to press for a win in the remaining games. Key competitive match-
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`ups might also be missed. Two teams with top records that were never scheduled to
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`play each other would vie for the title without ever having played. Player curiosity as
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`to which team was really the best would not be satisfied without a head to head
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`competition.
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`All professional sports use an elimination process to make the game more
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`exciting for participants as well as spectators. Professional football, baseball,
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`basketball, and hockey all have regular seasons followed by post—season play in which
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`teams are eliminated from contention. Instead of having a regular season, professional
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`tennis offers a series of games in which the field narrows through a process of
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`elimination until ultimately one competitor remains and is declared the winner.
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`Professional golf tournaments have a cut in which the field is dramatically cut back
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`before the final round of competition begins.
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`It should be apparent from the foregoing that there is a need for an electronic
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`gaming system in which players from different locations can participate in and win
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`awards. The system should not just support stand-alone games, but should also support
`the coordination of multiple games in which information from one game impacts future
`games.
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`PCT/US97/07703
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`An object of the present invention is to provide methods and devices for
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`effectively operating multiple database-driven distributed electronic game tournaments
`for remotely located players. It provides numerous advantages over existing tournament
`systems; such as simplifying the collection of entry fees and the payment of prizes, as
`well as allowing for rating and handicap systems.
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`In the invented system, players pay entry fees for the right to compete for
`substantial prizes in electronic tournaments. Unlike existing tournament systems, the
`present invention allows for the coordination of multiple tournaments, making each
`tournament part of a whole rather than a stand-alone individual event.
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`In one preferred embodiment, a central controller manages the tournament
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`system, coordinating both the players and game software with which the players
`compete. The system uniquely identifies each player as they log on, authenticating the
`associated input/output device that is connected to the central controller. This unique
`identifier allows other players to know whom they are competing against. Each player
`typically pays the system an entry fee before participating in a particular tournament,
`with payment delivered through the associated input/output device. The tournament
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`begins and ends within a fixed time window, typically measured in hours or minutes.
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`After each tournament is over, the system evaluates player performance,
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`awarding prizes to those players achieving pre-established perfonnance levels.
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`Due to the complexity of coordinating multiple tournaments, one preferred
`embodiment includes the use of a database. In this embodiment the central controller
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`accesses the database to store player information that is generated as the player
`participates in the tournament. Such information is available for use in a subsequent
`tournament, which is administered by the controller and in which the player
`participates.
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`In another preferred embodiment with the central controller, each tournament
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`game is broken down into a series of game sessions in which players must qualify in
`one game session in order to be eligible to play in the next. This elimination format
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`significantly increases tension and enhances excitement in the games, since only the
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`best players are left fighting for the top prizes in the final game session. In such an
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`embodiment, each subsequent game session has at least one fewer player than a
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`previous game session.
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`Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
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`from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the
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`accompanying drawings, illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention.
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`Figure 1 shows a distributed electronic tournament system in the present
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`invention.
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`Figure 2 shows one preferred embodiment implementing the present invention.
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`Figure 3 shows one preferred set of steps to uniquely identify a player in the
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`present invention.
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`Figure 4 shows one preferred set of steps to respond to payment of an entry fee
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`in the present invention.
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`Figure 5 shows one preferred set of steps to access player information collected
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`from prior tournaments.
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`Figure 6 shows one preferred set of steps to award a player a prize in the
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`present invention.
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`Figure 7 shows one preferred set of steps for a player to play in a specific game
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`session with a fixed start time in the present invention.
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`Figure 8 shows one preferred set of payment steps in the present invention.
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`Figure 9 shows a screen with a plurality of windows in the present invention.
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`The numerals in Figures 1-9 are assigned to similar elements in all the figures.
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`Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to Figures 1-9.
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`Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein
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`with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes, as the invention extends
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`beyond these limited embodiments.
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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`Figure 1 shows a distributed electronic tournament system 100 with a central
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`controller 102 connected to a number of input/output (I/O) devices, 104 and 106, in the
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`present invention. The input/output device may be a video gaming console, a personal
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`computer, handheld electronic device, and the like. The central controller may be a
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`workstation, a minicomputer, or other type of computation device, typically in the fonn
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`of a server computer connected to a public or private network. The I/O devices are
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`remotely located from the central controller to allow participation in a tournament to be
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`distributed. The I/O devices preferably are connected to the central controller, at least
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`when the I/O devices are involved in games. Such connection may be through a
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`wireless telecommunication network or through a ground-based network 108, such as
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`the Internet. While online, the I/O device typically communicates with the network via
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`a public or private switched network such as the circuit switched public telephone
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`network. The central controller has software which it uses to manage the tournament.
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`In one preferred embodiment, the I/O devices are personal computers connected to an
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`online service such as America Online. The central controller is a workstation
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`computer on America Online that coordinates the tournament activities.
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`The tournament databases are preferably relational, in which fields from one
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`database are linked to fields of at least one other database. These databases are
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`controlled by a database management system (DBMS) which organizes, stores, and
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`retrieves the tournament's data/information. The DBMS communicates with the
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`operating system to read data from the storage device. The database is associated with
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`or resides at _the central controller.
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`The operating system software runs the central controller hardware and controls
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`and coordinates all of the tournament software applications. These software
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`applications include programs for running the tournament games, registering players,
`accepting entry fees, and coordinating prize payment. Tournament games might be
`commercially available software programs such as Microsoft Golf, or proprietary game
`software designed exclusively for online tournament play.
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`The above hardware and software are configured to implement the tournaments
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`in the present invention. Each tournament has a game format, one or more game
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`sessions, and challenges as will be described in more detail later. The game format is
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`the broad category that describes the type of game being played.
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`Typically, the database system is managed by the central controller and
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`communicates with the game software used to conduct the actual tournament. The game
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`software handles operational issues such as displaying the game format on the I/O
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`device screen, calculating scores, controlling player access to tournaments, etc.
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`Figure 2 shows one preferred embodiment 200 implementing the present
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`invention. Although the control of the operations of the I/O devices and the central
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`controller are typically incorporated into software code, such operations can also be
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`embodied in hardware circuits to implement the invention. The preferred embodiment
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`200 includes: (1) process steps 202 for uniquely identifying a player, who
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`communicates with the central controller via an associated input/output device; (2)
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`process steps 204 responsive to payment of an entry fee by a player for allowing the
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`player to participate in a particular tournament via an associated input/output device;
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`(3) process steps 206 for accessing a tournament database to store player information
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`that is generated as the player participates in the tournament, such information being
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`available for use in a subsequent tournament, which is administered by said controller
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`and in which the player participates; and (4) process steps 208 for awarding a player a
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`prize for achieving a pre-established performance level.
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`These process steps are typically implemented by the central computer
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`controller in order to make tournament operations faster and more cost efficient. A
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`number of different preferred embodiments of the above steps will be described to
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`provide a general view of methods to implement each set of process steps. The
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`different ways serve only as examples. After the general overview, more detailed
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`descriptions and examples follow.
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`The process steps 202, as shown in Figure 3, for uniquely identifying a player
`preferably include the steps of a player establishing 300 an online connection between
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`the I/O device and the central controller. The player enters 302 a unique identifier
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`through the associated I/O device. The identifier is assigned by the central controller or
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`chosen by the player. The identifier can be his name, social security number, account
`number, password of his choosing, etc. It is important to note that although the player
`may be uniquely identified to the central controller, he may at the same time remain
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`anonymous with respect to the other competitors in the tournament. The unique
`identifier is then communicated 304 to the central controller via the communication
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`network. The central controller accesses 306 a database and searches 308 the records to
`determine whether or not the identifier already exists. If the record already exists, the
`player is identified 310; when the record does not already exist the registration process
`312 begins in which the player enters 314 information such as name, age, address,
`payment preferences, etc. The central controller generates 316 a unique identifier for
`the player and stores 318 it in the database.
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`In one preferred embodiment, a player must pay an entry fee to the central
`controller through the associated I/O device before he is allowed to participate in a
`tournament. The process steps 204, as shown in Figure 4, responsive to the payment of
`an entry fee to a tournament typically include the steps of the central controller
`requesting the player to enter 350 payment information into the I/O device. Details of
`payment methodologies are described below in more detail. The payment information is
`communicated 352 to the central controller via the communication network. The central
`controller receives and updates 354 the player's record in the database to reflect that
`payment has been made and also updates 356 the player's database record to reflect that
`the player is eligible to participate in the tournament. In another preferred embodiment,
`the controller does not have to request information, and no payment information is
`communicated to the controller. This may be because the player has played before, and
`the controller is aware of the player's preferences as described below.
`After determining that the player is eligible to play, the controller sends an
`acknowledgment message to the associated I/O device. When the tournament starts, the
`player is able to begin play.
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`Figure 5 describes the process steps 206 for accessing a tournament database to
`store player information. The central controller accesses 400 the tournament database
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`and then stores into the database 402 the player's information generated by the player
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`as the tournament progresses.
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`Player information stored in the database includes entry fee data, handicap and
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`rating information, player performance data and player preferences. Storing entry fee
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`data, such as a credit card number or bank account number, streamlines the payment
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`process for subsequent tournaments. When paying for a tournament, the player simply
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`provides his unique identifier to the central controller, which pulls his credit card
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`number from the database and credits his card for the appropriate entry fee amount.
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`Because many online environments have yet to implement effective transaction security
`protocols, reducing the number of times a credit card number is transmitted enhances
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`security.
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`Player performance data can also be carried forward from one tournament to the
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`next. In addition to wins and losses, performance data can include accuracy rates, time
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`required to answer, etc. If a player competes in five trivia tournaments, for example,
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`his average accuracy rate is stored in a database. Such information is crucial in
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`establishing handicap systems, which level the playing field by penalizing the better
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`players and aiding the weaker players. A golf handicap, for example, allows a skilled
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`player to compete with a relatively inexperienced player. Performance data can also be
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`used to generate player ratings, similar to the E10 rating system used by the United
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`States Chess Federation. Ratings are numeric values that represent the skill of the
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`player. The central controller retrieves performance data from a database and applies
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`an algorithm to determine the rating. A player's rating rises and falls depending on the
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`results of his play. Ratings allow tournaments to be easily segmented by skill level.
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`Storing performance data allows the central controller to restrict eligibility to
`future tournaments. Certain tournaments, for example, may be available only to players
`having obtained a given level of performance in a number of qualification tournaments.
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`A database of performance data also allows inter-tournament prize pools in
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`which a player is eligible for a prize based not on the results in a single tournament,
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`but on a combination of tournaments. For example, in addition to a normal weekly
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`prize, there may be a grand prize awarded to the player winning the greatest number of
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`weekly prizes over a year period.
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`Continuity between tournaments is improved by storing player preferences.
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`Once a player's preference for method of prize payment is established, for example, the
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`central controller no longer needs to ask how the player wants to be paid. By storing
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`player preferences for tournament fonnats, the central controller can send tournament
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`details to a player when any tournaments of this type are scheduled in the future.
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`Tournaments are also more fun for players when data are stored as to favorite
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`opponents, allowing the central controller to better allocate players among tournament
`sections.
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`After player information is stored in the database, it is available for use in a
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`subsequent tournament (administered by the central controller) in which the player
`participates.
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`The process steps 208, as shown in Figure 6, for awarding a player a prize
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`include the steps of the central controller accessing 450 the tournament database to
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`retrieve the pre-established performance levels for the awarding of prizes. The central
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`controller reviews 452 the performance of each player relative to the established
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`perfonnance requirements for the awarding of prizes. Preferably, the central controller
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`updates 454 the winning player's database records to reflect that awards have been
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`allocated to them. The central controller would then arrange for distribution 456 of the
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`prize or prizes. This distribution process can be conducted through online or off-line
`methods.
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`Typically, the pre-established performance level is a relative ranking among
`players, such as the top five scores of the tournament. Performance criteria can also be
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`fixed, however, with prizes paid to any player exceeding a certain score. A trivia
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`tournament, for example, can award a prize to any player correctly answering at least
`twenty questions. Fastest time to completion is another way to establish performance
`levels.
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`Prizes awarded might be $100 for the player getting the top score, $50 for the
`player with the second highest score, and $25 for the third highest score. Alternatively,
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`top scores could receive free entry fees to future tournaments, or points which may be
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`accumulated and converted later into prizes. Although prizes are typically monetary in
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`nature, prizes such as recognition may be equally appropriate. The recognition of being
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`able to advance from one game session to the next game session can also be considered
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`a prize.
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`Another preferred embodiment includes the step of determining whether a
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`player has qualified for advancement to the next game session. This includes the step of
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`the central controller reviewing the player's score after the just-concluded game
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`session. This score is compared to the scores obtained by all of the other players in the
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`same session. Based on these scores, the central controller produces a list of those
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`participants qualifying for the subsequent session. There are a number of preferred
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`embodiments for the qualifying criteria, including, for example, a minimum required
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`score, a minimum average score over the last several game sessions, or the maximum
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`score within a sub-group of players in the game session. Only those on the qualified list
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`would be allowed to continue to play in the subsequent game session.
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`The central controller generates a list of players qualified for the subsequent
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`game session. In one preferred embodiment, the number of players on the qualification
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`list is at least one fewer than the number playing in the previous game session. Note
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`that in the present invention, a game session includes one or more games with a group
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`of players playing the games within an established time frame. In a trivia tournament of
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`four game sessions, the first session may be composed of ten groups of fifty players
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`each for a total of five hundred players. The second game session may comprise five
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`groups of sixty players each for a total of three hundred players. Although the size of
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`the playing group has increased from fifty to sixty, the overall number of players in the
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`game session has dropped from five hundred to three hundred. In this embodiment, it is
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`at the point of elimination that the boundary of game sessions is defined.
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`In one preferred embodiment, the central controller also prevents those players
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`not qualified to play from participating in a tournament. The central controller
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`generates a game session password which is distributed only to qualified players.
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`Without the correct password, non-qualified players are unable to compete. In one
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`preferred embodiment, players must enter an electronic "chat room" (of the type
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`commonly found on most commercial online systems) in order to obtain the game
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`questions. Access to this room is password protected so that only authorized players
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`are allowed access to the questions. The central controller might also enforce
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`qualification rules by terminating a player's online connection, or by merely preventing
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`a non~qualified player from winning any prize.
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`The following illustrates a number of more detailed examples of the tournament
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`system. Some of these examples also show different preferred embodiments of the
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`system.
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`In terms of game formats, examples include strategy games (chess, checkers,
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`bridge, etc.) and puzzles (crossword, jigsaw, etc.). Each tournament has one or more
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`game sessions which are sub-units of the tournament. After completion of the first
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`game session, one or more players may be eliminated from the tournament. Each game
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`session is further broken down into one or more challenges, which are the puzzles,
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`trivia questions, or games in which the players compete. A trivia tournament, for
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`example, may have three game sessions scheduled for start times of 1:00 PM, 2:00
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`PM, and 3:00 PM. Each game session may have twenty challenges—-in this case
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`multiple-choice questions. After a player completed the twenty questions of the first
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`game session, the central controller would determine whether or not the player had
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`qualified to advance to the next round at 2:00 PM. After the twenty questions of the
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`3:00 PM game session a winner would be determined and prizes would be awarded. In
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`another example, a golf tournament may be held in which there is one game session
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`and nine challenges--in this case nine holes of electronic golf. The player's score for
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`the tournament is simply the total number of strokes taken to complete the nine holes.
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`Each game session takes place within a fixed time window, and thus has an
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`established start and stop time. The first game session of the puzzle tournament, for
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`examp