US 2005O261043A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2005/0261043 A1 Slade (43) Pub. Date: Nov. 24, 2005 (54) SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR (57) ABSTRACT FACILITATING AWAGER (76) Inventor: Richard Burnham Slade, Provo, UT Methods and Systems of facilitating a wager include, a (US) computer implemented method of facilitating a wager between players. The method may include receiving an Correspondence Address: initial offer from an initial player and a challenging offer KRKPATRICK & LOCKHART NICHOLSON from a challenging player. The initial and challenging offers GRAHAM LLP may include a fantasy team, and a wager amount. The 535 SMITHFIELD STREET method also may include calculating a Score for the initial PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 (US) fantasy team and the challenging fantasy teams. The Score may be determined based on the performance of fantasy (21) Appl. No.: 10/852,613 team members of the initial fantasy team in at least one (22) Filed: May 24, 2004 external event. Awarding a pay-off amount to the initiating player if the Score for the initial fantasy team is higher than Publication Classification the Score for the challenging fantasy team also may be a part of the method, where the pay-off amount is determined (51) Int. Cl. ............................ G06F 17/00; G06F 19/00 based on the total initial wager amount and the challenging (52) U.S. Cl. .................................................................. 463/1 wager amount. CHALLENGE SECTION Y 902 M 902 ORANGECRUSH MDWAY MASHERS 904 -> $500 906M $250 OB BRET FARVE MICHAEL WICK RB EMMIT SMITH CLINTON PORTS RB CLINTON PORTS MARSHALFALK WR RANDY MOSS RANDY MOSS WR JERRY RICE TERRELOWENS TE EREMY SHOCKEY TONY GONZOLEZ K JASON ELAM SEBASTIAN ANAKOWSK DEF MIAM DOLPHNS OAKLAND RAIDERS 908 Click Here to Click Here to Challenge Challenge SLCKVILLE THUNDERSTICK $1,000 $750 JAKE PLUMMER RICH GANNON CHARLE GARNER RCKEY WILLIAMS EMMIT SMTH DUCE STALEY RANDY MOSS EDMCCAFFERY TIM BROWN DAVID BOSTON DOUG JOLLEY CHAD LEWIS MARTIN GRAMMATCA DAVIDACKERS TAMPABAY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Click Here to Click Here to Challenge Challenge Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 1 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 Fig. 1 Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 2 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 CENT CLENT 1 OO N INTERFACE INITIAL OFFER CHALLENGING MODULE MODULE OFFER MODULE TEAM WAGER PLAYER SELECTION RESOLUTION ADMINISTRATION MODULE MODULE MODULE 214 Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 3 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 300 N Receive initial offer 302 Receive at least one challenging offer 304 Resolve wager 306 Fig. 3A Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 4 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 400 Y Receive player log-in information 4O2 Receive external event 4O4. Initial offer or Prepare challenging challenging offer? offer 4O6 408 Prepare initial offer 41 O Receive challenging Offers 412 Close wager 414 Resolve wager 4 16 Fig. 3B Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 5 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 500 N Prompt player to Select team and Wager amount 502 Publish offer to rompt player for Subset of challenging scope of offer players 504 506 Publish Offer to all potential challenging players 508 Fig. 3C Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 6 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 600 N Display initial offers 602 Receive selection from challenging player SO4 Prompt challenging player to select team and Wager amount 606 Submit challenge to initial player 608 inform challenging eceive response fro Receive modification player initial player to initial fantasy team 612 610 614 Receive challenger approval for new team 616 Record wager and notify parties 618 Fig. 3D Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 7 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 700 N Select new team Display preselected teams 702 704 Receive Selection 708 Display team Selection SCreen 7O6 Fig. 3E Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 8 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 8 OO N hallenging Wagers Cance wager 802 804 Receive external event results 806 bid all fantasy tea members particulate in Can Ce wager external event? 81 O 808 Calculate Score for initial fantasy team 812 For each challenging player, determine Wager an O unt and Winner 814 Award pay-off an Ount to appropriate players 816 Fig. 3F Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 9 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 CHALLENGE SECTION Y 902 902 ORANGECRUSH MIDWAY MASHERS 906 904 -> $500 y $250 OB BRET FARVE MICHAEL VICK RB EMMIT SMITH CLINTON PORTS RB CLINTON PORTS MARSHALFALK WR RANDY MOSS RANDY MOSS WR JERRY RICE TERRELOWENS TE JEREMY SHOCKEY TONY GONZOLEZ K JASON ELAM SEBASTIAN JANAKOWSK DEF MIAM DOLPHNS OAKLAND RAIDERS Click Here to Click Here to 908 Challenge Challenge Y 902 Y 902 SLICKVILLE THUNDERSTICK $1,000 $750 JAKE PLUMMER RCH GANNON CHARLE GARNER RICKEY WILLIAMS EMMIT SMTH DUCE STALEY RANDY MOSS EDMCCAFFERY TIM BROWN DAVID BOSTON DOUG JOLLEY CHAD LEWIS MARTINGRAMMATICA DAVIDACKERS TAMPABAY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Click Here to Click Here to Challenge Challenge Fig. 4A Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 10 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 M 1000 ORANGECRUSH ADMINISTRATION PAGE OFFER TO PLAY PURPLEREIGN DESIRESTO PLAY YOUR TEAM FOR $100. HISTEAM IS: OB RICH GANNON RB RICKEY WILLIAMS RB CLINTON PORTS WR DAVID BOSTON WR ISSAC BRUCE TE CHAD LEWIS K JASON ELAM DEF NEW ORLEANS SAINTS DOLLARAMOUNT $100 ACCEPT DECLINE Fig. 4B Patent Application Publication Nov. 24, 2005 Sheet 11 of 11 US 2005/0261043 A1 11 OO CREATE YOUR TEAM M • QB 1102 M WR WR RB RB TE K DEF 1104 p SUBMIT Fig. 4C US 2005/0261043 A1 Nov. 24, 2005 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING A the challenging fantasy team. The pay-off amount may be WAGER determined based on the total initial wager amount and the challenging Wager amount. BACKGROUND 0006. In another general aspect, a wager may be facili 0001. The present invention relates generally to systems tated by a System. The System may include a team Selection and techniques for wagering and, more particularly to SyS module for facilitating the Selection of at least one fantasy tems and techniques for fantasy wagering. team containing fantasy team members. The System also may include an initial offer module for receiving an initial 0002 Sports have provided considerable entertainment offer from an initial player and publishing fantasy teams and for generations. Many individuals each year attend Sporting wager amounts. The initial offer may include an initial events, Such as baseball games, football games, and auto fantasy team and an initial total wager amount. The System races. Many other individuals watch the events on television also may include a challenging offer module for receiving a or read about them in magazines or newspapers. Another challenging offer from a challenging player and querying the common method of enjoying Sporting events involves initial player to accept the challenging offer. The challenging wagering on the events. Traditional methods of wagering on offer may include a challenging fantasy team and a chal Sporting events often involve a player Selecting the indi lenging wager amount. Additionally, the System may include vidual or team who the player believes will win a particular a wager resolution module for calculating and comparing game, auto race, or tournament. The player wins or loses an Scores of at least two fantasy teams. The Scores may be amount at Stake based on the accuracy of his or her predic determined based on the performance of the fantasy teams in tion. at least one external event. The wager resolution module 0003) The Internet, including the World Wide Web has also may be for determining a pay-offamount awarded to the brought another form of wagering, fantasy wagering, into initial player and the challenging player based on the initial the mainstream. Many sites on the Web and other networks total wager amount, the challenging wager amount, and the provide fantasy Wagering games. In fantasy Wagering, a Score of the initial fantasy team and the challenging fantasy player Selects a fantasy team made up of individuals or team. The System also may include a fantasy team member entities that compete in a real external event (e.g. game, etc.) database for Storing the names of potential fantasy team or set of external events (e.g. tournament). For example, a members. fantasy baseball team may include a pitcher, a first baseman, etc., who actually compete in one or more professional DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS baseball games. The members of the fantasy team need not 0007 FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a communications system be on the same real team. For example, the fantasy baseball for facilitating a wager according to one embodiment of the team may include a pitcher from St. Louis and a first present invention. baseman from Chicago. The Success or failure of a player's fantasy team is determined by the performance of its mem 0008 FIGS. 3A-3F illustrate methods for facilitating a bers in the external event or events. wager according to one embodiment of the present inven 0004 Existing fantasy methods often are among a large tion. number of players. Also, existing fantasy methods generally 0009 FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate exemplary graphical user involve paying to participate in a player draft, consequently, interfaces according to one embodiment of the present a player does not view an opposing player's complete invention. fantasy team before deciding whether to wager against the other player. Accordingly, enhanced Systems and techniques DETAILED DESCRIPTION for facilitating a wager are needed. 0010. In one general aspect, the present invention is directed to Systems and methods for facilitating a wager. For SUMMARY Simplicity, the basic components of Such methods and Sys 0005.