Patent Application
20150038232
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Fantasy sports have captured the imagination of sports fans. Fantasy sports allow the fan to become part of the experience by selecting individual players instead of whole teams to root for.
Organizing contests where the individual players points are added to other selected players to determine the outcome of the contest enables the focus on players instead of whole teams. This game structure places the fan in the position of General Manager, by selecting an endless combination in any sport to assemble and manager a team.
While Fantasy sports in its current embodiment have been wildly popular, it has an inherent limitation. Once games begin, the fan is relegated to the sidelines. For example, three of the most popular fantasy sports sites currently in operation are NFL Fantasy Football, ESPN Fantasy Football and Yahoo Fantasy Football. In each of those cases, player replacement or substitution during a real time event is not possible. All selections of players currently in fantasy sports require you to select them for the total playtime of the real event, with no ability to select the player for a portion of the time of the real event. Thus fantasy operators in these contests or leagues are unable to select or substitute players for specific amounts of time during the real time events.
Our invention corrects and improves on all fantasy sports play by overcoming this limitation. Our invention allows for selection of players for use in contests and leagues for specific amounts of time. Those amounts of time are selected in real time so the decisions by the fantasy operator to start or end play are made prior to knowing the outcome of the player's performance. This places the fantasy sports operator in the position of in game manager or coach during the game, deciding who should play and when they should play in real time.
In addition, selecting players for specific amounts of time allows for points to be awarded at a varying degree of multipliers rates. The varying degree of point multipliers adds another level of real time game decision making for the fantasy operator to consider.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,860,862 and 8,371,916 describe interactive fantasy systems. The interaction allows for substitution of players for a variety of reasons, including injury or performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,862 describes a system to trade players during a real event contest. The system describes a process of selecting or replacing players during events that have a single start time played in a day or over the course of several days. The manner of replacement is to trade based on the availability of players not drafted on other teams. This is disadvantageous because it is limited to events with single start times or replacement of players who have not been selected previously by all fantasy operators.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,916 utilizes a substitution time stamp to record player change. In this example, the replacement player is selected from already completed game period or periods. Thus real time substitution is limited to replacement players who have already completed play or are simultaneously playing at the same period of play as the player to be substituted.
Thus the current state of the art is limited to substituting players with a replacement player from a game event with that has a single start time or from a previously completed event. In both iterations, this is disadvantageous. When substituting a current player for performance of a replacement player who has already played, a competitive advantage occurs that renders the value of replacing a player impractical. In the application of a single game replacement, the replacement of players is limited to only those playing in that game or those not previously selected for play by all fantasy operators.
What does not exist, and would be an improvement on the current art is an ability to make real time selections or substitutions of players over multiple games starting at various times. This allows the fantasy operator to utilize all available players while maintaining the competitive integrity of not knowing the outcome when substituting.
This invention relates to fantasy leagues or contests to enable the ability to select or change players in real time during the contest. The ability to select or change players is accomplished by synchronization of real event game clocks to a master time clock.
All real event game clocks used in the contest are synchronized to a master time clock prior to start of play. Each real event game clock represents the total playtime available for players in that contest. When a fantasy operator selects a player, a start signal is generated that marks the start time of play on the real event game clock. The start signal also marks the time on the master time clock. When a fantasy operator terminates the play of that player, an end signal is generated that marks both the real event game clock and the master time clock. The result is the selection of a player by the fantasy operator for a specific amount of time of play in any real event game that is part of a contest regardless of start times. The ability to play players in specific amounts of time results in the operator being able to select or change players in an endless number of combinations for teams in leagues or contests.
The master time clock provides a chronological reference point that marks the time player selections or changes are started or ended in relationship to the start and end times of the real game events the players are actually playing in. The master time clock determines the availability of players by verifying the start and end signals occur while the real event game clock is operating between its start and end times. The master clock ensures the selection occurs contemporarily and not after the play of the player selected. The result is players available for selection by fantasy operators are only those currently in play or scheduled to play in the future. This removes the ability to select a replacement player who has already completed play and whose results are know prior to selection.
One form of the invention is a fantasy sports system for operating a fantasy league. The fantasy sports system includes a fantasy access device such as; an internet web browser, smart phone device or tablet computer, a means to connect the device to a fantasy game server such as; a satellite connection, a fiber optic connection or any other internet connection commonly available, and a fantasy system game server that synchronizes real event game clocks to a master time clock, while determining the points derived by a player during the specific amount of time of play selected by the fantasy operator. The fantasy system allows operators to select players, and then change players at any position or make up of a team for a league so that the performance of the team is a function of the totals of all the specific amounts of time the fantasy operator has selected for use of the player or players during the real time events.
A second form of the present invention is a fantasy system for operating a contest. The contest may be of a variety of different lengths, ranging from one real time game play, series of plays or the entire event, to several real time game events over a number of days or weeks. The fantasy system includes a fantasy access device, a means to connect the device to a fantasy game server, and a fantasy system game server that synchronizes real event game clocks to a master time clock, while determining the points derived by a player during the specific amount of time of play selected by the fantasy operator. The fantasy system allows operators to select players, and or change players at any position or make up of a team for a contest so that the performance of the team in the contest is a function of the totals of all the specific amounts of time the fantasy operator has selected for use of the players during the real time events.
A third form of the present invention is a fantasy system for operating a league or a contest. The league or contest may be of a variety of different lengths, ranging from one real time game play, series of plays or the entire event, several real time game events over a number of days or weeks or over the course of a part of or the full season of the real time events. The fantasy system includes a fantasy access device, a means to connect the device to a fantasy game server, and a fantasy system game server that synchronizes real event game clocks to a master time clock, while determining the points derived by a player during the specific amount of time of play selected by the fantasy operator. The fantasy system allows operators to select players, and or change players at any position or make up of a team for a league or contest so that the performance of the team in the league or contest is a function of the totals of all the specific amounts of time the fantasy operator has selected for use of the players during the real time events. The ability to select or change players in real time obviates the need to draft rosters, and enables the fantasy operator to select from part or all of the available players in the sum of the real time events for the league or contest.
The invention can be used with any real time sporting event or contest participants. For example, participants can include National Football League players, Major League Baseball players, National Basketball Association players, National Hockey League players, Major League Soccer players, Union of European Football Association players, Professional Golf Tour players, or National Association of Sports Car Auto Racing.
The invention can be utilized in a variety of different league configurations. For example, in fantasy football leagues that have teams whose rosters include starters and bench players, the teams can be enabled to make changes in real time during the contests. The fantasy operator can decide to play starters for a specific amount of time, then use the remaining total time available for that position by selecting their bench player for play. The selection and strategy involved in selecting and terminating play of players occur during the real event games the players are playing in.
In another example, a weekly contest is organized by groups of operators. The operators can select or change players for a specific amount of time during the real events. The operator with the most points accumulated at the end of a contest period is the group winner. Group winners can proceed to a winners group for further competition, while the weekly contest resets and begins anew.
In another example, the weekly contests can be daily contests, where the selection or changing of players is allowed during the day of real time events. The selection or changing of players can be for the amount of time equal to one play or a series of plays. The duration of contests can vary from daily to an entire season of real time events.
The aforementioned forms and other forms as well as objects and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of various embodiments of the present invention read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings of the various embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting, the scope of the present invention being defined by the claims and equivalent thereof.
For purposes of this invention the term “fantasy operator” is broadly defined herein as a fantasy operator utilizing any type of device to view and manage players in a league or contest in real time. The fantasy operator may use a smart phone, and Internet browser from a computer, laptop, tablet, satellite TV or web enabled TV as the means to view and manage players in a league or contest in real time.
The fantasy operator is connected (20) to the fantasy server through bi directional networking channels. The connection can be through any variety of different types of communication means to connect smart phones, computers, laptops, tablets or TV's to web based or app based network servers. The connection means can include but is not limited to wireless connection, satellite, microwave, fiber optic, cable, modem, or blue tooth. The use of means to connect the fantasy operator results in real time or near real time communications to the fantasy server.
The fantasy server (30) incorporates a number of the operational aspects of the present invention. A new and unique operational aspect of the fantasy server is the generation of a master time clock that is utilized in the synchronization process.
Prior to the start of play, the master time clock is synchronized to all real event game clocks to be used in the contest. The fantasy server maintains the master time clock and its synchronization to all real event game clocks throughout the contest.
A new and unique operational aspect of the fantasy server is the receiving of player start signals and player end signals from all fantasy operator devices via the communication means. Upon receipt of a player start signal, the fantasy server identifies the game clock of the player selected. The player start and end signals are referenced to the master time clock to verify player eligibility. The fantasy server compares the master time clock, start and end signals and game clocks to ensure that the player selection occurs either during the real event or prior to the start of the real event.
Another new and unique operational aspect of the present invention is the management of total amount of player time per fantasy player position. Each league or contest may have a variety of different game rules, which are managed by the fantasy server game manager (32). The league or contest rules identify the number of player positions allowed per league game, season or contest. The fantasy server allocates a total amount of game time available per player position allowed in the league or contest. The fantasy server then keeps a real time account of time played per player position, and time available per position for the fantasy operator to utilize. The fantasy operator can select multiple players per position simultaneously and the fantasy server will keep a real time account of time played per player, and time available per position cumulatively. This information is communicated via the communication means to the fantasy operator device for display.
The fantasy server manages the availability of all fantasy players available for selection by the fantasy operator. The fantasy player availability can be determined by a league or contest that requires the drafting of players and rosters. In the case of drafting of fantasy players and rosters for each fantasy operator, the fantasy server manages the total game time availability per player position allowed on each roster by league or contest rules.
A new and unique operational aspect of the present invention is the ability to operate a league or contest without a draft of fantasy players. The ability of fantasy operators to select or change any player by total amount of player time enables the availability of all players for all position to be available for selection.
Additionally, it allows for real time correction of player selection, resulting in more competitive leagues or contests throughout the timeframe of the fantasy games, seasons or contest.
Another unique operational aspect of the fantasy server game manager is the totaling of all game total points scored by the combination of fantasy operator selected specific amounts of player times and the corresponding points accumulated during those specific amounts of times. The type of points accumulated is determined by the league or contest rules. The fantasy server management of specific amount of player time allows for the opportunity to award bonus points at a variety of times during a league or contest.
For example, in a football fantasy league contest, if Peyton Manning is selected, the fantasy operator can be given the opportunity to boost or double all point accumulated by Peyton Manning during the next two minutes of game time play. The awarding of different points per player for specific amounts of time can also act as a means to handicap player selection. The fantasy server communicates the scores to the fantasy operator device for display to the fantasy operator. The fantasy server calculates the order of finish for the fantasy operators based on the league or contest rules.
The fantasy server may delegate some of it's functions, such as point tracking, player management, clock management, fantasy operator alerts to the fantasy operator device with resident app based or web enable programs. The functions of the fantasy server may not change; the location of execution is left to the most efficient means of current computing and networking strategies.
