Abstract:
A computer-implemented game including at least one terminal controlled by a player, a remote game site coupled to each of the terminals, and a search engine. The terminal and the site are designed to apply a request to the search engine, the request containing a word or a combination of words, and to receive therefrom in response a numerical score representative of the number of hits for the word or the combination of words in a set of web pages indexed by the search engine. Players add additional words to the search terms in an effort to reduce the numerical score to a desired target value or target range of values without falling below that value or range. Prizes are awarded on the basis of the number of words needed to reach the target, the time required, or other suitable criteria.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a game implemented by computer means in which a player is caused to select a combination of words leading to a numerical score that might enable the player to receive a prize.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     The recent development of applications associated with using the Internet has made the use of search engines such as Google (trademark registered by Google Inc.) popular for searching for information because of the capacity of such search engines to index the content of several billion pages that are available for consultation on all kinds of Internet sites.  
         [0005]     Such search engines are operated by sending them a request containing a word or a combination of words, with the search engine responding to the request in a fraction of a second by providing a numerical score that represents the number of occurrences (“hits”) of pages containing the word or the words in the combination from amongst all of the pages indexed by the search engine, together with a list of pertinent corresponding Internet sites.  
         [0006]     The number of hits (referred to below as the “score” or the “numerical score”) returned by the search engine depends greatly on the words selected to make up the request. For some words, the number can be as high as tens or even hundreds of thousands or millions, whereas for other words it can be as small as a single-digit number. If the user submits terms that are very general, the score will be extremely high; conversely if the user uses a designation that is very precise, the score will be much smaller.  
         [0007]     Furthermore, when a plurality of words are submitted in combination to the search engine, combining terms that are very general, but that are situated in semantic fields that are extremely different, usually leads to very few references, since the probability of finding these two (or more) words simultaneously on the same indexed Internet page is very small.  
         [0008]     Thus, the numerical score depends not only on the general or specialized nature of the terms used, but also on the greater or lesser semantic proximity of the various words in the combination of words submitted to the search engine.  
         [0009]     Games have already been proposed that make use of such search engines, for example there is a game known as “Google Walk” that consists in finding a combination of fewer than ten words that causes the search engine to return only one reference, i.e. a combination of words giving a numerical score equal to one (neither more nor less). The drawback of that game, regardless of its recreational value, is that the final result, e.g. “hamlet bandoneons tax guns paris” is meaningless, such that such a game is almost a game of chance, with the final result often being no more than a site containing pure word lists, e.g. lists of words for providing assistance in games such as Scrabble (registered trademark).  
         [0010]     One of the objects of the invention is to provide a game that is implemented by computer means making use of one or more search engines and that is suitable for increasing player motivation by calling on player astuteness and by reducing the contribution of chance in the play of the game.  
         [0011]     Another object of the invention consists in taking advantage in such a game of the player&#39;s general knowledge by searching for words belonging to a common semantic field, which semantic field may optionally be defined using a seed word (e.g. “Shakespeare”, “Piano”, etc.) that the computer system sets for the player, or else a word selected by the player from a predetermined list, e.g. from a pull-down menu.  
         [0012]     That said, and as explained below, this does not make the game of the invention a quiz game, i.e. it is a game that can be made accessible to a very large number of people, insofar as it is intended merely to provide the player with enjoyment and the hope of winnings, and not to test the player&#39;s general or other knowledge.  
         [0013]     Another object of the invention is to make the game more attractive by giving the player some hope of winnings, with a prize being given to a successful player. This is done by setting up an economic model that involves not only the game site proper, but also external commercial sites capable of providing prizes for players in return for the game site carrying advertising for those sites.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The invention proposes a game that awards prizes to players by means of a computer system comprising at least one terminal controlled by a player, a remote game site coupled to each of the terminals, and a search engine. The terminal and the site are designed to submit a request to the search engine, the request containing a word or a combination of words, and to receive in response thereto a numerical score representative of the number of hits for the word or words in combination, from amongst the web pages indexed by the search engine.  
         [0015]     The method of the invention includes a sequence of successive steps including: a) selecting an initial word and inputting a request containing said initial word; b) applying the request to the search engine; c) receiving in response an initial numerical score representative of the number of hits for said initial word in a set of web pages indexed by the search engine; d) selecting, by the player, an additional word and inputting another request containing a combination of the initial word and the additional word; e) receiving in response an amended numerical score representative of the number of hits for said combination of words in the set of web pages indexed by the search engine, said amended score being lower than the initial score; f) if the amended score lies within a predetermined range of values about a target value, stopping the game and awarding a prize to the player; g) if the amended score is less than a lowermost limit of the predetermined range, stopping the game without awarding a prize to the player; and h) if the amended score is greater than an uppermost limit of the predetermined range, continuing the game by iteration from step d), with an additional word being selected and added to the combination of words.  
         [0016]     The target value may be a predetermined value, e.g. 10,000.  
         [0017]     In a variant, the target may have a value that is a function of the initial score, e.g. a predetermined percentage of the initial score.  
         [0018]     The limits of the predetermined range of values around the target value are preferably defined as a percentage of the target value, e.g. ±10% about the target value.  
         [0019]     The additional word or words that are selected may belong to the same semantic field as the initial word.  
         [0020]     The prize awarded may be a function of the number of iterations, and/or of the time that has elapsed since the start of the game.  
         [0021]     The initial word selected may be selected by the player from a predefined set of words or, in a variant, it may be drawn randomly from a predefined set of words.  
         [0022]     Most advantageously, the prize awarded is provided by at least one awarding economic agent that is distinct from the economic agent operating the game site. The terminal can then be coupled to the game site so as to display an advertising message promoting the awarding economic agent(s). 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]     There follows a more detailed description of an implementation of the invention given with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of the computer system of the invention showing the various functional blocks involved in implementing the invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a screen shot showing an example of how successive requests can be presented, together with their results, and also the commands made available to the player.  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart presenting the sequence of the various steps in the game of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.  
         [0028]     The invention may advantageously be implemented by means of an Internet site to which the player connects by means of a computer, however these particular means are not limiting in any way, and the invention could be implemented otherwise, providing means exist for interactively exchanging data in both directions between the player and a remote site, i.e. the game site organizing the running of the various steps of the method of the invention.  
         [0029]     In particular, the invention may be implemented by means of mobile telephones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) capable of exchanging data with the game site via a cellular network using various well-known technologies such as SMS, WAP, GPRS, UMTS-3G, etc.  
         [0030]     The users of such networks can thus occupy spare time (on public transport, in waiting rooms, etc.) by playing the game of the invention, with the hope of winning prizes.  
         [0031]     In  FIG. 1 , reference  10  designates micro-computers used by players. Each micro-computer  10  is connected to a telecommunications network which is constituted in this case by a wired terrestrial network such as a telephone network (in dial-up mode or in DSL mode), a cable TV network, or an Internet connection via a server that is common to a plurality of stations.  
         [0032]     The game may also be implemented by cell phones  14  provided with functions that enable them to exchange numerical data using various well-known technologies such as SMS, WAP, GPRS, or UMTS-3G.  
         [0033]     The computer terminals  10  or telephones  14  are connected via suitable respective interfaces  12 ,  16  to a game site  20  capable of exchanging numerical data with the terminals. Each terminal has a screen on which it can display text messages, in particular information received from the game site  20 , giving the player the option of keying in alphanumerical data and sending it in return to the game site  20 .  
         [0034]     In this respect, the game site  20 , in combination with the interfaces  12  and  16 , serves to format messages as a function of the type of terminal in question, i.e. a computer terminal or a telephone terminal. Thus, for computer terminals  10 , the messages are formatted in such a manner as to be suitable for being received and displayed in the form of web pages readable by means of a browser, whereas for mobile telephones the messages are formatted, for example as WAP pages, which are better suited for display on a screen of small size. Nevertheless, it should be observed that the content of the messages formatted by the game site  20  and the interfaces  12  and  16 , i.e. the actual information exchanged with the various terminals, is identical regardless of the formatting, and the only changes involve the layout with which the information is displayed by computer terminals or by telephone terminals.  
         [0035]     Furthermore, the computer terminals  10  and the telephone terminals  14  are not dedicated to one particular user. A single user may have both a computer terminal  10  and a telephone terminal  14  and can use either of them equally well depending on circumstances, for example depending on whether or not the user is at home. The user merely needs to be identified by the game site  20  using a conventional protocol involving issuing a specific address or telephone number, as appropriate, and then sending an identifier or subscriber number (login) together with a password.  
         [0036]     In addition to being coupled to the various terminals being used by players, the game site is also coupled to at least one search engine  30 , to which it can apply requests formulated by the players and from which it can receive a numerical score. The game site may be coupled to a plurality of search engines, in which case it will give the player a response that is a combination of the various scores obtained (arithmetic mean of the number of hits, highest/lowest number of hits, etc.).  
         [0037]     The game site  20  is also connected to various external sites  40  which are commercial sites of economic agents in a position to deliver prizes to players, in the context of an agreement between the management of the game site and the management of the various commercial sites that provide the prizes.  
         [0038]     Essentially, starting from a given starting word, the game consists in devising a sequence of words which, on being submitted to the search engine(s), serves to obtain a score set in advance (referred to below as the “target value”), e.g. a score of 10,000 hits. A margin is allowed over a certain range (referred to below as the “target range”) about the target value, e.g. ±10%, i.e. in the above example, the result must lie in the range 9,000 hits to 11,000 hits. In other words, the objective is to reach the target value with a result having an error of better than 10%.  
         [0039]     So long as the score is greater than 11,000, the player may add additional words until the range [9000, 11000] is reached. Thus, starting from the set seed word “Napoleon”, the following sequence enables the target to be reached in six turns:  
                                             Napoleon   6 860 000         Napoleon Waterloo   610 000        Napoleon Waterloo Trafalgar   94 800       Napoleon Waterloo Trafalgar Empire   17 200       Napoleon Waterloo Trafalgar Empire Europe   12 000       Napoleon Waterloo Trafalgar Empire Europe France   10 600            =&gt;Result = YOU WIN!                  
 
         [0040]     The player needs to be astute in order to estimate the more or less discriminating nature of the word to be added to the already-existing combination in order to come as close as possible to, or indeed to reach, the target zone, but without overshooting it.  
         [0041]     It will readily be understood that in the example given above starting with the word “Napoleon”, the additional word “war” will provide very little further discrimination because of its general nature, whereas the word “Josephine”, although belonging to the same semantic field, will provide much more discrimination and will lead to the score being reduced much faster.  
         [0042]     The ingenious nature of the game, and its intellectual attraction, consists, while the player is progressively approaching the target range, in judiciously selecting words which, while remaining in the same semantic field, are nevertheless sufficiently discriminating to cause the score to come down quickly while it is too far away from the target range, while nevertheless not being so discriminating as to overshoot the target zone.  
         [0043]     Thus, in the example mentioned above of “Napoleon Waterloo Trafalgar” (94,800 hits), adding the word “empire” reduces the score to 17,200 hits, whereas adding the word “Austerlitz”, which is too discriminating, would lead to the score dropping to 8,370 hits, i.e. beyond the target range:  
                                                       bandoneon   227 000           bandoneon oh    10 700                      
 
         [0044]     In the event of winning, the performance of a player can be evaluated with a bonus/penalty system as a function of: 
        the number of words tried (should be as small as possible);     the time taken to reach the target (should be as short as possible); and/or     the number of requests submitted in succession, supposing the player is allowed to reformulate requests in the event of failure.        
 
         [0048]     Absolute victory might consist in reaching the target zone in two words only (such a possibility is mentioned here purely by way of example, given that its highly improbable nature makes it more a question of chance than of merit). For example:  
                                                       Napoleon   6 860 000           Napoleon Waterloo     610 000           Napoleon Waterloo Trafalgar     94 800           Napoleon Waterloo Trafalgar Austerlitz      8 370                      
 
         [0049]     Variations and exceptions can be devised to increase the attractiveness of the game. For example, instead of associating performance with as small as possible a number of words, some particular number of words can be set (e.g. by means of a rule of the type “reach the target range in ten words”), or else a bonus can be given for some particular number of words (e.g. “bingo” for a game won in three words and/or ten words).  
         [0050]     Instead of having a fixed target (10,000 hits), another variant consists in defining the target as a function of the initial number of hits for the first word, e.g. 50% or 10% of the initial number. Thus, in the above example of the word “bandoneon” (227,000 hits), the target should be set at 22,700 hits (still with a margin of ±10% about this target value).  
         [0051]     It should be noted that, as opposed to the games of chance that just offer some expectation of a reward to the player, in the case of the invention the player enjoys the absolute certainty that there does exist a winning combination, so he may win provided he plays for a time long enough to find the suitable(s) combination(s), whether for minutes, hours or even days. His personal will is strongly stimulated, being confident he shall win sooner or later whatever be his astuteness or skills brought to the game.  
         [0052]      FIG. 2  shows an example of a screen as presented to a player on the display of a terminal while playing the game. The screen  50  includes a field  52  for inputting data, into which the player can key in some number of successive words, that can be sent to the game site by means of a clickable “submit” button  54 .  
         [0053]     A table  56  displays successive trials and their results, together with the number of each trial, the combination of words submitted, and the number of hits found by the search engine, which number constitutes the player&#39;s score.  
         [0054]     The screen also includes a display  58  showing the time that has elapsed since the start, since the game can be time-limited, i.e. the player can be forced to react quickly by applying a “time-out”.  
         [0055]     The screen also has a clickable button  60  marked “get prize” that is normally grayed out (i.e. inactive), but that becomes transformed into an active button if the player reaches the score allowing the player to get a prize. Otherwise, a “game over” message  62  is activated whenever a player has lost a game and can no longer hope to get a prize. Furthermore, a “play again” button  64  serves either to try a new play (if the player has not run out of the number of plays allowed), or else to start again from scratch.  
         [0056]     Finally, the screen has some number of advertising fields  66  where the commercial sites that provide the prizes can promote their products, services, or activities, using well-known display techniques such as columns, banners, animated windows, etc.  
         [0057]     For the operator of the game site, the economic model consists in giving the operators of commercial sites the possibility of displaying advertising fields in exchange for providing prizes to the players connected to the game site.  
         [0058]     These prizes may be physical prizes (CDs or DVDs, gadgets, purchase tokens, etc.) that are sent to the player or that are handed over to the player on visiting a shop belonging to the prize provider. The prizes may also be intangible such as free subscriptions to various services for a limited duration, free telephone call minutes, “pay-per-view” entitlements, loyalty points, or “air miles”, etc.  
         [0059]     At regular intervals, e.g., once a month, the commercial sites pay the game site an agreed fee, e.g. a commission of X % of the face value of the prizes that have actually been given during the period in question.  
         [0060]     Variants of this “barter” can be devised (screen insertions v. awarding prizes), for example with tariffs being modulated as a function of the number of insertions actually made, or the frequency of the insertions, depending on whether insertion is systematic (advertisement inserted on all displayed screens) or otherwise (e.g. one insertion every ten screens).  
         [0061]     The way in which the game of the invention is implemented is described below with reference to the flow chart of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0062]     Initially, the player connects to the game site (step  70 ) via a direct access or via an intermediate portal. At this stage, the game site operator determines whether the player is already known or is a new player, with it being possible to perform such verification in particular by testing whether the visitor has already subscribed, or by testing for the presence of a “cookie” previously placed by the operator in the player&#39;s computer. In the absence of a cookie, the site uses its player database to test whether the identifier and the associated password correspond to a player who has already subscribed.  
         [0063]     In the absence of any subscription or cookie, the operator enters the player in the database and installs a cookie on the player&#39;s computer for subsequent recognition.  
         [0064]     The following step (step  72 ) consists in displaying the game screen of the kind shown in  FIG. 2 , together with various advertisements belonging to the commercial sites that provide the prizes.  
         [0065]     The following step (step  74 ) consists in selecting a starting word. This step may be performed either automatically by the game site, e.g. by making a random selection from a set of predefined words, or else it may be initiated by the player selecting a word from a set of words on the display, e.g., in a pull-down menu, possibly together with thematic sub-menus of words centered on various interests (music, history, movies, . . . ).  
         [0066]     Once the initial word or other term has been selected, e.g. “Napoleon”, it is submitted to the search engine (step  76 ) which returns (step  78 ) the number of hits that constitutes the player&#39;s score. This score together with the corresponding word is displayed in the field  56  of the screen  50  shown to the player.  
         [0067]     The following step (step  80 ) consists in comparing the score with the target range defined around the target value. If the number of hits is higher than the top limit for the target range, the player is invited to select another word (step  82 ) for combining with the word that has already been selected so as to make a new submission to the search engine (steps  76  and  78  as above).  
         [0068]     If the number of hits is smaller than the bottom limit of the target range, i.e. less than 9,000 in the example described above, it is considered that the player has lost the game (step  84 ) which is now ended, possibly with the option of trying another play (step  86 ). In a variant, the player may be given one or more “second” chances by changing one of the words in the combination and trying again.  
         [0069]     If the number of hits lies within the target range, it is considered that the player has won the game (step  88 ) and the player is invited to select a prize (step  90 ). The prize selection is transmitted to the commercial site for giving the corresponding prize (step  92 ), which site sends a confirmation message to the user (step  94 ), possibly together with an identification code enabling the player to claim the prize.  
         [0070]     In another implementation of the invention, the player who wins may be offered a choice of either keeping the prize awarded (a CD, a seat to the movies, etc.) or converting the prize into cash. In the latter case, according to the invention, the method involves a further website, namely a site specialized in the management of online, small-amount payments, such as PayPal (registered trademark). The online payment site will ask the player to register as a new client and then it will create a corresponding client account that will be credited by the amount corresponding to the prize. Through this directed access to the online payment site, such site will easily gain a great number of new clients who otherwise would never have registered on their own initiative.  
         [0071]     The player may also receive money from the game site should such site be interested in “buying” the most astute or original solutions to the game in order to later publish them in a “best of” book, or “book of records” etc.  
         [0072]     The invention being thus described, it will be apparent that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.