Abstract:
A fantasy simulation allows participants to challenge each other by comparing the performance of one participant&#39;s reality-based selection to another participant&#39;s reality-based selection. The simulation also allows participants to wager a limited or unlimited amount of simulated funds on the outcome of the challenge. Participants challenge other, individual participants or groups of participants while the simulation measures a reality-based metric associated with all challenge participants&#39; reality-based selection over a period of time. At the conclusion of the period of time, a challenge winner is determined from the change of the metric.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]    Web-based simulations exist for a variety of topics and scenarios. For example, “fantasy” simulations in almost every form of organized athletics are well-known. In a typical fantasy league, participants sign up with a web service and choose a number of players or teams to be included on their fantasy team or league. Once a number of fantasy players have made their choices, the fantasy players are awarded points or other incentives based on the performance of their chosen players or teams in actual contests and compete against other fantasy participants. 
         [0002]    A similar “fantasy” concept may be applied to almost any other group of participants wherein reality-based performance statistics are readily accessible and quantifiable. For example, a web site may host a fantasy stock market game or simulation. Fantasy players would choose a number of stocks, commodities, bonds, funds, or any instrument that is traded in a financial market. The players would then be awarded points or other incentives based on the performance of their individual portfolios as compared to other participant&#39;s portfolios in the simulation. 
         [0003]    Interaction between participants in fantasy games or simulations is limited to reality-based events or transactions. For example, in sports fantasy leagues, fantasy players may consummate transactions that mirror the ability of managers and players to move to other teams or perform other reality-based bargains. Limiting fantasy players to reality-based transactions may provide a realistic simulation experience, but may restrict the fantasy players&#39; options for interaction among other players or other leagues. 
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]    In a fantasy game or simulation, a method allows fantasy players to issue challenges to other fantasy players. One fantasy player may propose that his reality-based selections will outperform a second player&#39;s portfolio. If the second player accepts the challenge, then a negotiated performance indicator common to both portfolios may be monitored for a period of time. At the end of the period, the winner of the challenge may be determined based on the change of the performance indicator. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a data network; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a computing device; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for conducting challenges between participants in an on-line fantasy game. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a data network  100  including a first group of network computers  105  operatively coupled to a web host  110  via a network  115 . The plurality of computers  105  may be located, by way of example rather than limitation, in separate geographic locations from each other, in different areas of the same city, or in different states. The network  115  may be provided using a wide variety of techniques for the transfer of electronic data as well known to those skilled in the art. For example, the network  115  may comprise dedicated access lines, plain ordinary telephone lines, satellite links, combinations of these, etc. Additionally, the network  115  may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected in a known manner. Where the network  115  comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the network  115  via an Internet communication protocol. 
         [0009]    The web host  110  may be a server computer of the type commonly employed in networking solutions. The web host  110  may be used to accumulate, analyze, and download user data. For example, the web host  110  may periodically receive data from each of the network computers  105  indicative of information pertaining to a user profile, a user choice or transaction regarding a fantasy game or account, a desired course of action, or any other data that may be transferred from a fantasy game player to other players or to the web host  110 . The web host  110  may also be a personal computer at which a user may access and view information served from other network computers or servers. For example, the network computers  105  may include one or more servers that may be utilized to store information for a plurality of users. 
         [0010]    Although the data network  100  is shown to include one web host  110  and three network computers  105 , it should be understood that different numbers of computers and hosts may be utilized. For example, the network  100  may include a plurality of web hosts  110  and dozens of network computers  105 , all of which may be interconnected via the network  115 . According to the disclosed example, this configuration may provide several advantages, such as, for example, enabling real time uploads and downloads of information as well as periodic uploads and downloads of information. This provides for a primary backup of all the information generated in the process of updating and accumulating user data. 
         [0011]    The web host  110  may be connected to a network, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), portions of the Internet such as a private Internet, a secure Internet, a value-added network, or a virtual private network. Suitable web hosts  110  may also include personal computers, laptops, workstations, disconnectable mobile computers, mainframes, information appliances, personal digital assistants, and other handheld and/or embedded processing systems. The signal lines that support communications links to a host  110  may include twisted pair, coaxial, or optical fiber cables, telephone lines, satellites, microwave relays, modulated AC power lines, and other data transmission “wires” known to those of skill in the art. Further, signals may be transferred wirelessly through a wireless network or wireless LAN (WLAN) using any suitable wireless transmission protocol, such as the IEEE series of 802.11 standards. Although particular individual and network computer systems and components are shown, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention also works with a variety of other networks and computers. 
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of one possible embodiment of the web host  110  shown in  FIG. 1 . The host  110  may have a controller  200  that is operatively connected to a database  205  via a link  210 . It should be noted that, while not shown, additional databases may be linked to the controller  200  in a known manner. 
         [0013]    The controller  200  may include a program memory  215 , a microcontroller or a microprocessor (MP)  220 , a random-access memory (RAM)  225 , and an input/output (I/O) circuit  230 , all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus  235 . It should be appreciated that although only one microprocessor  220  is shown, the controller  200  may include multiple microprocessors  220 . Similarly, the memory of the controller  200  may include multiple RAMs  225  and multiple program memories  215 . Although the I/O circuit  230  is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit  230  may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s)  225  and program memories,  215  may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example. 
         [0014]    Much of the inventive functionality and many of the inventive principles are best implemented with or in software programs or instructions and integrated circuits (ICs) such as application specific ICs. It is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions, programs, and ICs with minimal experimentation. Therefore, in the interest of brevity and minimization of any risk of obscuring the principles and concepts in accordance to the present invention, further discussion of such software and ICs, if any, will be limited to the essentials with respect to the principles and concepts of the preferred embodiments. 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a method  300  of issuing and managing challenges to participants in a stock market fantasy game or simulation. At block  305 , a first participant in a stock market or other reality-based, on-line fantasy simulation game may initiate a portfolio challenge proposal to another participant. A portfolio may be a collection of stocks, bonds, commodities, or any other item or instrument that may be traded on a public exchange market that includes a publicized performance metric. For example, a portfolio may be a collection, i.e. an account, of stocks that are traded on a major market such as the New York Stock Exchange, while the performance metric may be the stock price. Other performance metrics may include a net gain in price, a performance relative to another stock, or an equity ratio. Of course, many other performance metrics exist. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment, a portfolio may also be any collection of objects or people for which there is a publicly-known and currently-changing metric that cannot be readily influenced by the fantasy game participants. For example, a portfolio may be an athletic team made up of a participant&#39;s selected players and a metric may be the number of rushing yards complied by the portfolio players. As with stocks, there are also many other metrics that measure the performance of an object or person. 
         [0017]    The challenge may include a number of challenge parameters that may define the basis for a first participant&#39;s challenge against a second participant. For example, a challenge may be a prediction that a metric common to all or a portion of the first participant&#39;portfolio may reach a specific value after a period of time. At the conclusion of the time period, the same metric may be measured against the second participant&#39;s portfolio over the same period of time. In one embodiment, the first participant may challenge the second participant that all or a portion of the first participant&#39;s portfolio of stocks will, over a specific time period, achieve a higher net gain in value than the second participant&#39;s portfolio over the same period. In another embodiment, the first participant may issue a challenge that a number of sector-specific stocks will outperform a number of stocks from a same or different category that are part of the second participant&#39;s portfolio. For example, the first participant may issue a challenge that his consumer goods stocks will outperform the second participant&#39;s consumer goods stocks over the same period. In another embodiment, the challenge may include two distinct sectors and/or two distinct time periods. The challenge may include a number of other challenge parameters. 
         [0018]    The challenge may also include a wager of a value. In one embodiment, the wager may be less than or equal to the total value of the first participant&#39;s account. For example, the account value may be a dollar amount based on the value of the first participant&#39;s stock or other investment instrument account holdings. If the first participant maintains a portfolio containing 50 shares of ABC Corporation and 20 shares of XYZ Corporation that are valued, respectively, at the time of the challenge at $100 and $40, the first participant may have a total account value of $140. The first participant may then issue, as part of the challenge, a wager of up to $140 that a second participant&#39;s portfolio may not perform over a given period of time according to a chosen performance metric. In another embodiment, the first participant may wager more than his or her account value. In a still further embodiment, challenge wagers may be capped at a value or percentage of a first or second participant&#39;s total account assets or may be capped at a fixed amount. For example, continuing with the previous amounts, the method  300  may determine that the second participant only has a total account value of $100. The first participant, who may issue the challenge, may then be prevented from wagering an amount over $100 despite having a total account value of $140. Of course, other forms of challenges and wagers related to stock market and other types of portfolios. 
         [0019]    At block  310 , the first participant may send the challenge to a number of second participants. Challenges may be sent electronically through a message system incorporating any number of HTML or other protocol commands as are well known. The challenges may be conveyed through a system that is internal to a web server that hosts the simulation. In another embodiment, the challenges may be convoyed electronically through an external messaging system and sent, for example, to a second participant&#39;s e-mail account that may or may not be hosted by the same web server that hosts the simulation. Additionally, the first participant may send the challenge to a single, second participant. In another embodiment, the first participant may send the challenge to a plurality of second participants. For example, the first participant may initially send the challenge to multiple second participants. Alternatively or additionally, the first participant may send the challenge to a single, second participant. The second participant, may, in turn, forward the challenge to a number of third participants who may, at their option, participate in the challenge. In a still further embodiment, participation by a third participant may be conditioned upon acceptance of the challenge by the third participant and subsequent approval by the first participant who initiated the challenge. Other embodiments of conveying the challenge to another participant may also exist. 
         [0020]    At block  315 , the second participant may accept the challenge. In one embodiment, the second participant may receive the challenge, as discussed in relation to block  310 , through a message system that is hosted by the same web server, or within the same system that hosts or maintains the simulation. As also previously discussed, the second participant may receive the challenge through an externally-hosted electronic messaging system. The second participant may accept the challenge by selecting a button, radio button, checkbox, or other control structure within the message. In another embodiment, the second participant may be directed to a website via an embedded hyperlink associated with the challenge of block  310 . Many other methods also exist for optionally accepting the challenge. 
         [0021]    If, at block  315 , the second participant does not accept the challenge, the method  300  may permit the first or second participant to modify the challenge terms as initiated and described in relation to block  305 . In one embodiment, the second participant may review the challenge parameters, decline the challenge at block  315 , modify the challenge parameters or suggest new challenge parameters, and initiate a new portfolio challenge proposal with the first participant at block  305 . In another embodiment, the second participant may communicate declining the challenge to the first participant at block  315 . The first participant may, at block  317 , modify the challenge or propose new challenge parameters and, at block  305 , initiate the new portfolio challenge proposal to the second participant. In a still further embodiment, a third participant that is not a party to the original proposal of block  305  may, at block  317 , modify the challenge between the first and second participants. The third participant may be another user that maintains a distinct portfolio. Further, the third participant may be a system administrator or other monitor that may communicate suggestions to a first or second participant to modify the challenge. Additionally, the third participant may, at block  317 , modify the challenge in an attempt to persuade the original parties to the challenge to permit the third participant to join the challenge. 
         [0022]    If, at block  315 , the second participant accepts the challenge issued by the first participant, a message indicating acceptance may be sent back to the first participant using the same or a different message delivery method as described in relation to block  310 . In another embodiment, an acceptance message may be sent to a challenge monitor or other service that gathers and records challenge data. For example, the acceptance message may include the challenge parameters as accepted by the second participant and any additional parameters or information added by the second participant. Also, the acceptance may include a personalized message to the first participant. 
         [0023]    At block  320 , the method  300  may monitor the challenge. In one embodiment, the method  300  may monitor the performance indicator(s) as included in the challenge accepted by the second participant. For example, at block  320 , the method may monitor a market price for a specific challenge stock included in both the first and second participant&#39;s portfolio to determine a performance indicator of net gain, percentage net gain, or other metric. The method  300  may access real-time stock market or other reality-based data to monitor the challenge. The method may then compare the challenge parameters against the reality-based data. In one embodiment, the method  300  may monitor the stock price continuously during the challenge period. For example, the method  300  may provide an application that provides the challenge participants or other participants with a real-time measurement of the performance indicator. Also, the method  300  may present a graphical representation of the performance indicator&#39;s change during the challenge period, for example, a line or other graph indicating the rise and fall of the performance indicator. The method  300  may also display the progress of the challenge in a dedicated area of a website by displaying the performance indicator, or a representation of he indicator, along with the challenge parameters. 
         [0024]    In another embodiment, the method  300  may monitor the stock price to determine a net gain during discrete times over the challenge period. For example, at block  320 , the method may record only the closing price for a challenge stock on each day or another period of time within the challenge period. 
         [0025]    In a still further embodiment, while monitoring the challenge  320 , the method  300  may allow the first and second participants to modify, add, or otherwise manipulate their respective portfolios during the challenge period. For example, after a second participant accepts the challenge  315 , the first and second participants may continue to sell and purchase traded instruments within their respective portfolios. Therefore, when monitoring the challenge parameters  320 , the method  300  may record the performance indicator for a changing set of portfolio items wherein each item of the set may match a challenge parameter. 
         [0026]    Another embodiment may include targeted advertising while monitoring a challenge in block  320 . For example, the challenge participants&#39; portfolios contain the stock ticker symbols for a number of companies. As a participant is online to monitor the challenge, advertising associated with the companies making up the participant&#39;s portfolio may be visible. Further, as a participant checks on a particular stock, either form his current challenge portfolio or unrelated to the challenge portfolio, advertising for that company may be visible. For example, a user desiring a stock quote on Company A may type that company&#39;s symbol, “CPA,” in an online field. Upon completion of the symbol, advertising for Company A or advertising for companies in competition with Company A may appear in an online sidebar. In one embodiment, the visible advertising may be associated with the portfolio of the currently-online participant. In another embodiment, the advertising may be associated with other challenge participants. Of course, other methods of monitoring a fantasy game challenge and displaying advertising may also exist. 
         [0027]    At block  325 , the method  300  may determine a challenge winner. In one embodiment, the method  300  may compare the monitored data of block  320  with the challenge parameters as accepted in block  315 . For example, a challenge performance indicator may be stock price. Based on difference between the stock price(s) at the beginning and end of the challenge, the method  300  may compare the net gain of the first participant&#39;s portfolio to the net gain of the second participant&#39;s portfolio. The method  300  may then determine the challenge winner  325  by identifying the participant that is closest to matching the challenge parameter(s) of net gain. In another embodiment, after determining a challenge winner  325 , the method may deposit a wagered value from the losing participant into the account of the winning participant. From the previous example, if the first participant won over the second participant, a wagered value may be subtracted from the second participant&#39;s account and added to the first participant&#39;s account. Block  325  may also include other methods for determining a challenge winner. 
         [0028]    Thus, a method  300  for conducting challenges in a fantasy simulation may include initiating a challenge proposal  305  including challenge parameters based on performance metrics, sending the challenge to one or more second participants  310 , accepting or declining the challenge  315 , optionally modifying the challenge parameters  317 , monitoring the challenge  320 , and determining a challenge winner  325 . Although the forgoing text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the scope of the patent is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment because describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. 
         [0029]    Thus, many modifications and variations may be made in the techniques and structures described and illustrated herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present claims. Accordingly, it should be understood that the methods and apparatus described herein are illustrative only and are not limiting upon the scope of the claims.