U.S. Pat. No. 11,014,006

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the following description details the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of arrangement of the parts or steps of the methods illustrated in the accompanying figures, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways.

Some of the factors that motivate video game players to play video games include winning, financial gain, being fairly challenged by another player, and improving video game playing skills. This invention provides a system, method, and computer program product for professional league, tournament, and competition video game playing that provide these motivations to video game players and provide video game players at all skill levels the opportunity to play professionally. This invention can be implemented in a computer system and network system as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2as non-transitory computer-readable media which comprise all computer-readable media except for a transitory, propagating signal.FIG. 1provides a schematic block diagram of a user system100for implementing this invention. All of the blocks shown are implemented by suitable circuitry and may be implemented in hardware and/or software. The user system100has a computer system101having a graphics controller102and a sound controller103. The graphics controller102and sound controller103are provided by the one or more processors104and memory105. The graphics controller102is configured to provide a video output106. The sound controller103is configured to provide an audio output106. The computer system101has a network interface108allowing the computer system101to be able to communicate with a network such as the Internet or other communication infrastructure. The video output106is provided to a display109. The audio output107is provided to an audio device110such as a speaker and/or earphone. The user device100has an input device111which can take any suitable format and can be one or more keyboards, audio input, mouse, touch screen, joystick or game controller. The user device100is shown by way of example only. In alternative embodiments, one or more of the parts may be omitted. Alternatively, or additionally, some embodiments may comprise one or more other parts. Alternatively, or additionally, one or more parts may be combined.

FIG. 2shows block diagram of an application provider's network server system200for implementing this invention comprising a server201which may provide storage or be in communication with database202. The server201may have all the features shown inFIG. 1, including computer games, learning programs, data storage and comprise one or more units of memory to store computer game programs and applications, and one or more processors to run game related programs, applications, and learning programs. The server201may communicate via a communications infrastructure203to one or more user computer systems101, shown as Xbox204, play station205, computer206, tablet207and smart phone208. The communications infrastructure203may be the Internet or the like.

FIG. 3shows an example of a smart phone208with a standard home page and lobby menu on the display screen300. The present invention uses a smart phone208for communicating with an application provider's server201in the network server system200for league, tournament, and competition video game playing. A smartphone is a handheld personal computer having features like those shown inFIG. 1. A smartphone possesses extensive computing capabilities, including high-speed access to the Internet using both Wi-Fi and mobile broadband. Most, if not all, smartphones are also built with support for Bluetooth wireless transmission and satellite navigation (GPS). Modern smartphones have a touchscreen color display300with a graphical user interface that covers the front surface and enables a user to use a virtual keyboard to type and press onscreen icons. Interaction is mostly done using touch, besides a few physical buttons.

Smartphones function using a rechargeable lithium-ion or lithium-polymer battery. Smartphones use a mobile operating system and can process a variety of software components, known as applications or “apps”. Most basic apps (e.g. event calendar, camera, web browser) come pre-installed with the system, while others are available for download. Apps, and the operating system in the smartphone, can receive additional functionality through updates.

The smartphone208is used by the user to download a league, tournament, and competition video game playing application (the application) from the application provider's network server system200. A login display is shown on the smart phone208after downloading the application. After logging in to the application provider's network server system200the standard home page and lobby menu is shown on the smartphone208, as shown inFIG. 3. The smart phone208can be paired with game playing devices (platforms)204,205,206, and207and serve as a remote controller for the application provider's network server system200and for the devices. Access button301is used for selecting the platforms, access button302is used for selecting live video game tournaments302, and access button302is used for selecting upcoming video game tournaments303through the downloaded application. A user (game player) can select and find a video game contest304and play305or select creating a video game contest306and play307. At the bottom end of the smartphone300there may be a display of access tabs or icons308for accessing various functions such as, for example, accounting309, friends (social media networks),310, lobby311, recent matches312, and live matches313.

The top live tournaments302option shows major tournaments and events for the day, allowing the user to watch the gamer of their choice or a friend playing a video game in a match. The top live tournaments302option also gives users the chance to scout and recruit other video game players to join their teams or squads in other events and tournaments. Similarly, upcoming video game tournaments303can be reviewed for registration.

In order to participate in a video game, the user choses a platform and a video game on the user's smartphone. The smartphone itself can be used as a platform. Each video game will have unique contests and tournaments. For Example, a shooter would not have the same contest and events as a sports video game because each video game is formatted differently. After selecting a video game and contest304the user selects the play now option305. Selecting this option shows the user's friends that the user is ready to play cooperatively in a contest as well as showing with whom the user has recently interacted. This option gives the user and his or her friends a chance to join a contest of their choice together. After the video game is played, depending on where the user places in the video game contest, the user is compensated for the user's participation in the video game contest and receives earnings or winnings (payout) into the user's account. After the user receives his or her payout or if the user lost his or her event, the user remains able to play any match of his or her choosing, depending on how much money is in the user's account.

Using the Account tab309the user has access to his or her avatar and profile and can add or withdraw money, obtain financial transaction history, refer friends, access rewards, and adjust his or her notification settings. The user can get an adjusted balance on his or her profits or money total as well as access points and vouchers received for entering tournaments.

Using the Friends tab310a social media function is provided to the user. The user will be able to connect, chat, live stream, and share with friends, including live streaming.

Using the Lobby tab311provides the user an easy access to enter a game. The user selects a desired platform, selects a desired game, and then selects a desired game structure or contest.

Using the Recent Matches tab312shows the user the recent matches in which the user has participated as well as what platform the user used. The user can watch a video of any match in which the user participated. This feature provides the user the ability to view their performance on video, to edit the video, and to share the video with friends through the social media Friends310function.

Using the Live Matches tab313allows the user to view and stream the major video game events for the current day. Each day may have a major daily tournament or event for each game and platform. Providing viewing of daily video games to video game players is expected to give them confidence to participate in video game competition. There are many video game players who have not participates\d in video game competition because of a lack of confidence in their video game playing abilities. Watching other video game players and friends participate in the video game competition is expected to improve their video game playing ability and give them the confidence to compete in competitive, challenging, professional video game matches and tournaments.

FIG. 4is a flow diagram of the method for professional league, tournament, and competition video game playing of this invention. A user initiates a video gaming competition application on the user's smart phone which the user downloaded from an application provider's server onto the user's smartphone (Step1). The user logs into the application provider's server system through the internet and the quality and sufficiency of the user's network connection to the application provider's server is evaluated for video gaming sufficiency (Step2). The user's options for playing video games through the application provider's server, based on the user's account status, network availability, and game availability are displayed to the user (Step3).

Video game players that utilize an online gaming platform can gain status among a gaming community. Video game players that achieve specific goals in a video game may be awarded items that can be used by the player in that game, in other games, and/or in other services offered by the platform. These items may inform other players of that player's accomplishments on the platform. The achievement of such goals, in combination with high scores in games played on the platform, amount of time spent playing games on the platform, etc, may contribute toward a ranking of the player relative to other players on the platform. Such achievements and rankings can motivate players on the platform to continue to use the platform and improve game play over time. The probability of achieving these goals is achieved if the video game players are evenly and fairly matched.

Video game players can be properly matched if their game playing skills have been measured and quantitated. Video game skills have been measured using machine learning methods. The relationship between video game genres and video game skills has been described (Santos et al, “Relationship between video game genres and soft skills; https://gecon.es/game-genres-and-soft-skills/; 2018, incorporated herein by reference). The video game skills are of four types: cognitive and physical, basic, cross-functional and emotional. Cognitive and physical include the following skills: cognitive flexibility, creativity, logical reasoning, induction, speed of reasoning, problem sensitivity, visualization, spatial relations, and spatial scanning. Basic skills include communication, and monitoring self and monitoring others. Cross-functional skills include complex problem solving; people and team management; time management, judgement and decision making, and coordinating with others. Emotional skills include stress management, frustration tolerance, self-discipline, self-motivation, organizational skills, self-confidence, and goal setting. Video games are generally classified in the following video game genres: adventure, racing, platform, puzzle, racing, role playing, simulation, sports, strategy, and survival. In this invention a video game player's game playing skill may be adequately estimated for any specific video game genre by obtaining the player's score or average score from playing one or more video games in the specific video game genre (baseline score). An estimate of a video game player's overall video game playing skill baseline score can also be estimated from an average of scores obtained from a plurality of video games from a plurality of video game genres. A video game player's game playing skill can also be estimated using a machine learning program, such as, for example, described by LIU et al, U.S. Patent No. 2018/0182208, incorporated herein by reference. Liu et al measure a user's progress in a game which reflects the user's video game playing skills and can provide a video game playing progress baseline score. If a user, using the smartphone208selects play307for the first time, the user can be requested to select a video game in a specific genre and to play the video game in a match to obtain an estimate or measure of the video game player's game playing skills. The user can repeat this process as desired to obtain an overall measure of game playing skills in a plurality of video game genres.

When the user selects the option to play a video game the video games available for play are presented to the User and the user picks a video game (Step4). The user's options for type of contest are presented to the user, such as solo match, duo match, or squad match and the user selects a contest (Step5). A user can be an individual, a duo, or a squad. The user is placed in a lobby, pairs the smartphone with one or more video game playing devices which include personal computers, Xboxes, PlayStations, iPads, or televisions, and uses the smartphone for audio and visual communication during video game playing (Step6). The smartphone208may also be used as a video game playing device. The user plays the selected video game and contest, scoring is monitored and recorded application provider's server, and the player's score is compared to his respective video game baseline score. (Step7). User identification is further verified based on the results of machine learning monitoring. If the user's progress in a game is classified as abnormal based on machine learning monitoring, as described by LIU et al, then the User's game playing results may be invalidated (Step8). The video game ends and winnings are distributed to winners (Step9). For example, in a Royale Solo game with 100 players, with each player paying $1.00 to enter the video game, the following payout is made: first place $30.00, second place $17.50, third place $10.00, 4th place $5.00, 5th and 6th place $3.75, 7th-10th place $2.50, 11th-16th place $2.00, and 17th-20th place $1.50. The remaining $2.00 is paid as profit to the host of the video game contest. Players below 20th place may be automatically looped back to the lobby to play another game, as described below.

Video game playing skills can range from poor to average, to good, and to exceptional. These game skills can be measured as described above and can be used to place video game players into video game leagues, tournaments, and games that evenly match their skills with those of opposing players to ensure fair competition. Video games with a level of difficulty comparable to the skill level of the video game players can be also be provided. When video game players are evenly matched in this way, and the video games are evenly and fairly matched to the player skills, the satisfaction and pleasure of the players video game playing are maximized, and they are motivated to continue their video game playing. Based on a video game player's measurement of skills, video games can be selected to train and coach the player to improve his or her video game skills.

Various types of video games known in the art are provided to the video game player, for example, Dota, Starcraft, Counterstrike, Warcraft, Crossfire, FIFI, Fortnite, and the like. It is also important to provide video game players with a variety of video game styles to maintain video game player interest and enthusiasm.FIGS. 5-10show various flows of game play of varying degrees of complexity.FIG. 5shows a flow chart of a single video game play design500with a plurality of game sets501, 1 through n game sets, each game set having two or more identical games. The sets are different from each other in that the payout incentives for playing are different for each game set. The payout incentives are greater in each set in an ascending order from 1 through n. After a video game player has downloaded the video gaming competition application, from the application provider's server, onto the user's smartphone, a main lobby502appears on the display of the smartphone providing a choice of video games for play. When the user selects a video game and contest, the video game is displayed on the user's video game playing device and the user is assigned by the video gaming competition application, preferably randomly, to one of the game sets. The user's smart phone then automatically functions as an audio-visual device so that the user can communicate with others during game play, for example, with the video game player against whom the user is playing, i.e., another user also selected from the same game set as the user's game set. There may be many users in each game set and many video games in each game set. At the end of each video game the winners503are identified and receive a payout504.

FIG. 6shows a flow chart of multiple aggressive video game play600. The user selects a game from a main lobby601, enters into one of 1 through n game sets602, and initiates video game play with an opposing video game player on the user's video game playing device. A percentage603of top scoring video game players advance into another 1 through n game sets604and play a new game. The remaining players are eliminated from play. A percentage605of top scoring video game players advance into another 1 through n game sets606and play a new game. The winners in each set 1 through n will play a final game607. Winners608in the final game607will receive a payout609. In this video game design video game players have a chance to compete in multiple games. Although only three game sets602,604, and606are shown, as many games sets as desired may be used.

FIG. 7shows a flow chart of a continuous multiple video game play700based on the single video game design ofFIG. 5. The user selects a game from a main lobby701and is presented with a loop lobby702wherein the user will be placed into one set of video games in 1 through n game sets703. Winners704in each game set will receive a payout705. Eliminated players706will be able to choose leaving game play707, rebuying708and entering the main lobby701, or being looped back709to the loop lobby702to be automatically entered into the same game set, into which the player was first placed, to play another video game. Eliminated players706can cycle or loop through the loop lobby702continuously or until video game play is ended by the video gaming competition application.

FIG. 8shows a flow chart of a continuous multiple progressive video game play800based on the continuous game design ofFIG. 7. The user selects a game from a main lobby801and is presented with a loop lobby802wherein the user will be placed into one game set of video games in 1 through n game sets803. Winners804in each game set will receive a payout805. Eliminated players806will be able to choose leaving game play807, rebuying808and entering the main lobby801, or being looped back809to the loop lobby802to be automatically entered into the same game set, into which the player was first placed, to play another video game. However, a percentage810of the eliminated players in each game set will be placed in a next higher game set (greater payout incentive), based on the player's video game performance in the player's previous game. Eliminated players806can cycle or loop through the loop lobby802continuously or until video game play is ended by the video gaming competition application.

FIG. 9shows a flow chart of a continuous multiple aggressive video game play900based on the multiple aggressive game design ofFIG. 6. The user selects a game from a main lobby901and is presented with a loop lobby902wherein the user will be placed into one game set of video games in 1 through n game sets903. The user initiates play with an opposing video game player on the user's game playing device. A percentage904of top scoring video game players advance into another 1 through n game sets905and play a new game. The remaining players are eliminated from play. A percentage906of top scoring video game players advance into another 1 through n game sets907and play a new game. The winners in each set 1 through n will play a final game908. Winners909in the final game908will receive a payout910. Eliminated players911will be able to choose leaving game play912, rebuying913, and entering the main lobby901, or being looped back914to the loop lobby902to be automatically entered into the same game set, into which the player was first placed, to play another video game. Eliminated players911can cycle or loop through the loop lobby902continuously or until video game play is ended by the video gaming competition application.

FIG. 10shows a flow chart of a continuous multiple progressive aggressive video game play1000based on the continuous multiple progressive video game design ofFIG. 8and the continuous multiple aggressive video game design ofFIG. 9. The user selects a game from a main lobby1001and is presented with a loop lobby1002wherein the user will be placed into one game set of video games in 1 through n game sets1003. The user initiates play with an opposing video game player on the user's game playing device. A percentage1004of top scoring video game players advance into another 1 through n game sets1005and play a new game. The remaining players are eliminated from play. A percentage1006of top scoring video game players advance into another 1 through n game sets1007and play a new game. The winners in each set 1 through n will play a final game1008. Winners1009in the final game1008will receive a payout1010. Eliminated players1011will be able to choose leaving game play1012, rebuying1013and entering the main lobby1001, or being looped back1014to the loop lobby1002to be automatically entered into the same game set, into which the player was first placed, to play another video game. However, a percentage1015,10161017of the eliminated players in each game set will be placed in a next higher game set (greater payout incentive), based on the player's video game performance in the player's previous game. Eliminated players1011can cycle or loop through the loop lobby1002continuously or until video game play is ended by the video gaming competition application.

The foregoing description illustrates and describes the disclosure. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only the preferred embodiments but, as mentioned above, it is to be understood that the preferred embodiments are capable of being formed in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and are capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the invention concepts as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings and/or the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. The embodiments described herein above are further intended to explain the best modes known by applicant and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure in such, or other, embodiments and with the various modifications required by the particular applications or uses thereof. Accordingly, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Also, it is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments. It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.