Patent Publication Number: US-8118675-B2

Title: System and method for relaying race information

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/503,117, filed Sep. 15, 2003. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject invention relates to a system and method for wagering on races, such as a horse or greyhound races. Particularly, the subject invention relates to a system and method for relaying information related to such races. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various systems and methods for wagering on races are well known in the prior art. An example of such a system and method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,068 to Brenner et al. (the &#39;068 patent). 
     The &#39;068 patent discloses a wagering system for facilitating data communication between racetracks and user terminals. The user terminals allow a user to view information on upcoming races and place wagers on the races. The wagering system includes a computer system for receiving the information from the racetracks and sending the information to the user terminals via a network. The information sent to the user terminals is updated periodically to reflect the most recent data from the racetracks. However, data traffic on the network will increase as the number of user terminals increases. This creates a strain on the network and the computer system itself. This strain on the network may result in lost or delayed data. Thus, the user may not have the most up-to-date information from the racetracks needed to place an educated wager. 
     The present invention is aimed at one or ore of the problems identified above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES 
     The subject invention provides a system for relaying race information related to a plurality of races. The system includes a computer system coupled to a remote device. The computer system receives and stores current race information. The remote device receives initial race information from the computer system. The computer system then compares the initial race information sent to the remote device with the current race information. The remote device then receives updated race information, including only race information that has changed since receiving the initial race information. 
     The subject invention also provides a method of relaying race information related to a plurality of races from a computer system to a remote device. The method includes the steps of receiving and storing current race information on the computer system, receiving, at the remote device, initial race information from the computer system, and comparing, at the computer system, the initial race information with the current race information and sending to the remote device updated race information, the updated race information including only race information that has changed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a system for relaying race information; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a computer system and various components of the computer system; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart detailing steps in a method of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram representing a screen image of a unified user interface shown on a remote device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing an “all results” popup window. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing selection of an “ER” button. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing an “exotic results” popup window. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing selection of an “EX” button. 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing an “exotics” popup window. 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing a “changes” popup window. 
         FIG. 11  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing selection of a “PT” button. 
         FIG. 12  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing a “win pool totals” popup window. 
         FIG. 13  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing a “program” popup window. 
         FIG. 14  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing selection of a “WP” button. 
         FIG. 15  is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing a “will pays” menu. 
         FIG. 16  is a block is a block diagram of the unified user interface showing a “wager pad” popup window and a live video feed of a selected race. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a system for relaying race information related to a plurality of races is shown at  10  in  FIG. 1 . 
     Each race of the plurality of races is typically located on a racetrack  12 . Commonly, these races are contests between horses driven by jockeys or between greyhounds chasing an artificial rabbit lure. However, other types of races may be utilized by the system, such as races between humans, automobiles, etc., with or without a racetrack. 
     Each race typically has a plurality of entrants. It is routine, especially with horse and greyhound racing, for spectators to place wagers on the performance of the entrants. This wagering typically occurs before each race begins or before a series of races begin. Therefore, the term “race”, as used herein, may be extended to include a next race to be run. The race information relayed by the system  10  may include, but is not limited to, one of more of the following: odds of winning associated with each entrant, track conditions, changes related to the race, exotic odds information, wager pool totals, combination wager odds, will pays information, race results, and exotic results. 
     Wagering on horse and greyhound races most often follows a pari-mutuel gambling model. In pari-mutuel gambling, the winners divide, in proportion to their wagers, the total amount bet, minus a percentage for track operators, taxes, etc. As betting on the several entrants progresses, the total mount bet, as well as the amount bet on each entrant changes. Thus, the payout odds for each entrant changes as well. 
     Various bet types are common in pari-mutuel horse and greyhound gambling. For example, a “win” bet will pay off if the entrant wins (finishes first) the race, a “place” bet pays if the entrant comes in first or second, and a “show” bet pays if the entrant finishes in the top three. Other exotic odds bet types are also commonly available to pari-mutuel gamblers. Examples of exotic odds bets types include a “daily double” bet where the object is to pick the winners of two consecutive races (typically the first two races of the day), an “exacta” (or “perfecta”) in which the top two finishers, in finishing order, must be picked, or a “trifecta” where the top three finishers are picked in finishing order. 
     To accomplish the complex calculation of odds and payout amounts for the multitude of available bet types, each racetrack  12  employs a calculating system known as a totalisator  13 , commonly abbreviated as a tote  13 . Each tote  13  tracks the amount of money wagered on each entrant in each race and the form of each wager (win, place, show, part of a trifecta, etc.). 
     The system  10  of the present invention includes a computer system  14  in operative communication with a tote  13  associated with each racetrack  12 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the computer system  14  includes at least one server computer  16  located at a central location  18 . However, those skilled in the art will realize that the computer system  14  may include more than one server computer  16  at the central location  18  or multiple computers  16  spread out at a plurality of locations. 
     A remote device  20  is coupled to the computer system  14 . The remote device  20  may be implemented as a computer terminal, a personal computer, a telephone, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a portable gaming device, a personal digital assistant, or any other suitable device. The remote device  20  includes an output interface  44  to deliver information to a user  48  and an input interface  46  for the user  48  to input commands or selections. The output interface, in one embodiment, includes a display  24  for viewing the information. The input interface  46  may include a keyboard, keypad, mouse, touchscreen, etc. The remote device  20  allows the user  48 , via the input interface  46 , to select at least one race to view from a larger set of races. The user  48  can also select a plurality of races to view simultaneously. 
     The system  10  further includes a communication network  22  for coupling the computer system  14  and the remote device  20 . The network  22  utilizes hard-wired transmission of data, wireless transmission of data, or a combination of hard-wired and wireless transmission of data. Examples of networks with hard-wired transmission of data include, but are not limited to, the plain-old telephone service (POTS), fiber-optic communication cables, and Ethernet cables. Examples of networks with wireless transmission of data include, but are not limited to cellular telephone networks, personal communication system (PCS) networks, Wi-Fi networks, or Bluetooth. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, the computer system  14  includes a customer account manager (CAM)  30  implemented in software. The CAM  30  manages all financial activities associated with a wagering account associated with the user  48 . The CAM  30  is in operative communication with a risk management system  32  and a funding system  34 . The risk management system  32  assists the CAM  30  in determining whether to accept a wager. The funding system  34  acts as an interface between funding agents  36 , such as banks and other financial institutions. 
     The computer system  14  may also include a database  38  and a wager manager  40  in operative communication with each other and the CAM  30 . In one embodiment, the database  38  is a structured query language (SQL) server. However, other types of databases are well known to those skilled in the art and can be implemented instead of the SQL server. The database  38  stores data related to the wager account of the user  48 . 
     The wager manager  40  operatively communicates with a tote interface  42 , which is in operative communication with the tote  13  at each racetrack  12 . In one embodiment, only wager-related data is sent from the wager manager  40  to the tote interface  42 . No user-specification information, such as an identity of the user  48 , is sent to the tote interface  42 . Therefore, the totes  13  at the various racetracks  12  never know the identity of the user  48  placing the wager and the wager is treated as an anonymous cash transaction. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , in a first step  50 , the computer system  14  continuously receives and stores current race information from the race tracks  12 . This race information includes, but is not limited to, the odds of winning associated with each entrant, track conditions, changes related to the race (scratched entrants, etc.), exotic odds information, wager pool totals, combination wager odds, will pays information, race results, and exotic results. 
     In a second step  52 , the computer system  14  sends initial race information to the remote device  20  and in a third step  54 , the remote device  20  receives the initial race information. The initial race information is a first transmission of race information. As the wagering prior to a race proceeds and the race progresses, the race information changes. For example, odds for each entrant typically changes, some entrants may be scratched, the weather conditions at the racetrack  12  may change, etc. In a fourth step  56 , the computer system  14  compares the initial race information sent to the remote device  20  with the current race information. Based on this comparison, the computer system  14  generates updated race information The updated race information includes only race information that has changed since the initial race information was sent. The computer system  14  may filter the updated race information based on what races have been chosen by the user to view at the remote device  20 . The computer system  14  then prepares a data package containing the updated race information at periodic intervals. The data package includes a data message sequence which identifies the race information which has been updated. In a fifth step  58 , the data package containing the updated race information is then transmitted to the remote device  20 . The updated race information is received by the remote device  20  in a sixth step  60 . 
     The computer system  14  continues repeatedly in this fashion. In a seventh step  62 , the updated race information is compared with the current race information. Further updated race information, including only the race information that has changed, is generated. The further updated information is sent from the computer system  14  to the remote device  20  in an eighth step  64 . In a ninth step  66 , the remote device  20  receives the further updated race information. By only sending the race information that has changed since the transmission of the data package, bandwidth of the network  22  is conserved. 
     Some race information may be more critical to the user  48  than other race information. For instance, the odds of winning for each entrant may be of greater importance than track conditions. Therefore, the race information may be broken into more than one piece of data, such as first and second pieces of data. The first piece of data is sent at a first periodic interval and the second piece of data at a second periodic interval. For example, the first piece of data (e.g. odds of winning for each entrant) is sent every 5 seconds, while the second piece of data (e.g. track conditions) is sent every 60 seconds. Even when breaking the race information down into more than one piece of data, the computer system  14  still sends only race information that has changed since the last transmission of data. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-17 , the display  24  of the remote device  20  displays a unified user interface  26  for simultaneously showing the race information for each of the plurality of races. The unified user interface  26  allows the user  48  to select the plurality of races that are to be displayed from a larger set of races. The unified user interface  26  also allows the user  48  to select a plurality of racetracks  12 . Each of the plurality of races is located at one of the plurality of racetracks  12 . In one embodiment, the unified user interface  26  includes a plurality of strips  28 . Each strip  28  corresponds to one of the plurality of racetracks and displays the updated race information pertaining to at least one race located at the corresponding racetrack  12 . As shown in the  FIG. 4 , each strip  28  includes each entrant&#39;s current odds of winning the next race, the current track conditions, and the payouts for win, place and show. However, the strips  28  of the unified user interface  26  may be configured to display other race information. 
     The unified user interface  26  allows the user  48  to quickly access all previous race results from any particular racetrack  12 . Each strip  28  includes an “ALL” button adjacent the payouts. In one embodiment, when the “ALL” button is selected via the input interface  46 , an “all results” popup window appears, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The “all results” popup includes, among other things, the winner of the race and where the other horses placed, the payouts for a win, place and show and the payouts for the exotics. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the unified user interface  26  allows the user  48  to review exotic results from previous races at each racetrack  12  by selecting the “ER” button adjacent the payouts. After a particular race is selected, an “exotic results” popup window appears, as shown in  FIG. 7 . The information in the “exotic results” popup includes the results/payouts for the exotics. 
     The “exotic menu” feature, as shown in  FIG. 8 , is accessed by selecting the “EX” button adjacent each entrant&#39;s current win odds. The “exotic menu” allows the user  48  to access specific exotics (i.e., wagers typically involve the user selecting a combination of horses in one or more races such as so-called Exactas, Trifectas, Quinellas, Daily Doubles, etc.) information for the associated racetrack  12  and race(s). Referring to  FIG. 9 , in one embodiment, an “exotics” popup window allows the user to access to view the amounts wagered for a particular exotic wagering category (e.g. the so-called Exacta). 
       FIG. 10  shows a “changes” popup window accessed through the “LC” button adjacent the track conditions on each strip  28 . The “changes” popup window allows the user  48  to review information that has recently changed before a race, such as race conditions and whether an entrant is scratched before the race. 
     The unified user interface  26  also allows the user  48  to view pool totals for win, place, and show. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the user  48  selects the “PT” button adjacent each entrant&#39;s current win odds. The user  48  can then select whether to view pool totals for win, place, or show. Once selected an appropriate popup window is opened.  FIG. 12  shows a “win pool totals” popup displaying allowing the win pool totals for the race including the amount bet on each entrant in the race. 
     A “program” popup window, as shown in  FIG. 13 , is accessed when the user  48  selects the entrant&#39;s current win odds section of the strip  28 . The “program” popup allows the user  48  to view the specific, detailed information that would normally be available in a race program. For example, the user can see the number of horses racing, their names, their win percentage, any concessions or allowances (weight allowances, apprentice allowances, etc.), the jockeys, their weights, etc., for each race. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 14 , the user  48  can access a “will pays” by selecting the “WP” button adjacent each entrant&#39;s current win odds on strip  28 . The “will pays” menu, shown in  FIG. 15 , allows the user  48  to view and select various pay features such as, but not limited to, daily doubles. For example, the user  48  can access the payout for a second race of a daily double after the first race has been run. 
     The remote device  20  allows the user  48  to place a wager on at least one of the races being viewed on the display  24 . As shown in  FIG. 16 , a “wager pad” popup window is available via the unified user interface  26 . Wager information is sent from the remote device  20  to the computer system  14 . The computer system  14  then registers the wager with the tote  13  at the appropriate racetrack  12 . 
     Racetracks  12  typically provide live video and audio feeds of their races, which are broadcast throughout the facility of the racetrack  12 . These video and audio feeds are usually simulcast at other racetracks  12 , off-track betting facilities, casinos, etc. The remote device  20  also allows the user  48  to view these live video feed and/or audio feeds of a selected race. 
     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims.