Abstract:
The present invention is a computer-implemented interactive content delivery system having a central control device operable for processing and verifying information, at least one messaging device operable for communicating with the central control device, a location control unit in communication with the central control device, and a service for obtaining data and information. The service is in communication with the central control device and the location control unit. The present invention further includes a user having a mobile communication device operable for sending a signal to the at least one messaging device. When the messaging device receives the signal from the mobile communication device, the messaging device will verify information of the user and communicate information to the central control device. The location control unit will receive information from the central control device and the service, and the location control unit will deliver information to the user.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/134,368, filed Jul. 9, 2008. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an interactive content delivery system, where a user is able to obtain specific information from the content delivery system. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Internet based or web-based games are generally known. The internet has allowed any person with access to a computer and the internet to play all different types of games, some of which can be played against other people anywhere in the world. These types of games include online adventure games, word puzzles, number puzzles, and sports-related games. One of the most common and popular form of web-based sports games are commonly referred to as “fantasy games” or “fantasy sports.” Fantasy sports typically include one or more people which allocate, or “draft” athletes onto their respective teams, which are also called “fantasy rosters.” Often, several people will form a league together amongst friends, family, or coworkers. The athletes typically play for a professional sports team. The performances and statistics of the individual athletes are used to determine the performance of each person&#39;s fantasy team. 
         [0004]    The various fantasy leagues will often have different types of scoring systems, which are usually established by the people in the league. The scoring systems can vary from league to league, and from sport to sport. Many different fantasy sport leagues involve two people facing each other, with the outcome of the contest being decided by which athletes on the respective rosters of the two people performs the best. The overall winner for the fantasy season is typically decided by which person wins the most contests compared to the other players in the league. 
         [0005]    Many of the sporting events in which the athletes on the various fantasy rosters participate in are broadcast on television. Some of these sporting events are broadcast on network television. It is also very common for people to watch these various sporting events at different establishments, such as bars, pubs, restaurants, and the like. Many of the people who attend these various establishments also participate in fantasy sports. However, without the use of a device with internet access, the people who have fantasy teams cannot access their fantasy roster to determine how well the athletes on their fantasy team are performing, or if they are winning their respective contest. Also, many people who have fantasy teams desire to have up-to-the-minute statistics on how well the athletes on their team are performing, which are not always available in the various establishments where these games are being broadcast. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, there exists a need for a way for people who have a fantasy team to access the relevant statistics for their team, as well as view the performance of the athletes on their team, and determine if they are winning their respective fantasy contest. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is a computer-implemented interactive content delivery system having a central control device operable for processing and verifying information, and at least one messaging device operable for communicating with the central control device. The present invention also includes a location control unit in communication with the central control device, and a service for obtaining data and information. The service is in communication with the central control device and the location control unit. The present invention further includes a user having a mobile communication device operable for sending a signal to the at least one messaging device. 
         [0008]    When the messaging device receives the signal from the mobile communication device, the messaging device will verify information of the user and communicate information to the central control device. The location control unit will receive information from the central control device and the service, and the location control unit will deliver information to the user. 
         [0009]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]    The FIGURE is a general schematic of an interactive content delivery system, according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
         [0013]    Referring to the FIGURE, a schematic of an interactive content delivery system is shown generally at  10 . The system  10  includes various servers, processors, and other network devices which are operable for receiving, processing, and transmitting information. The present invention can be practiced in conjunction with the Internet, World Wide Web, intranets, extranets, electronic media (e.g., CD/DVD-based systems), or the like. The system  10  of the present invention is operable with a user for receiving a signal, such as a text message or the like, identifying the user based on the signal received, and transmitting information to the location of the user that the user can view on a display monitor, such as a television, computer monitor, or the like. The information sent to the location of the user is based on a profile created by the user; the profile contains information such as information related to a fantasy sports team or the like which is entered into the profile by the user. The user will then view the information on a display, such as a computer monitor, television, or the like. 
         [0014]    In order to fully appreciate the benefits and features of the interactive content delivery system  10  of the present invention, it is assumed that an individual practicing the present invention will have: access to a mobile communications device, such as a cellular phone (and is conversant with the basic functions thereof, which has various communications capabilities, such as text messaging, email, or the like. 
         [0015]    To fully use the system  10  of the present invention, the user will also have access to a computer (and is conversant with the basic functions thereof); an Internet service provider (“ISP”) (e.g., AOL, JUNO, or the like) with e-mail capability; a Web browser (e.g., INTERNET EXPLORER, NETSCAPE, or the like); any required plug-ins (e.g., FLASH, SHOCKWAVE, JAVA VIRTUAL MACHINE, or the like); and have the ability to navigate successfully to any given uniform resource locator (“URL”). 
         [0016]    The system  10  also includes a user registration and maintenance device  12  which is in electronic communication with a user database  14 . The user registration and maintenance device  12  is a device where a user will create a profile by logging onto a website using a computer, the profile will include various personal information about the user (such as the user&#39;s name, email address, gender, address, or the like) as well as information about any of the user&#39;s web-based activities that the user desires to have as part of the profile. The user&#39;s web-based activities may include information relating to fantasy sports, financial information (such as stock quotes or the like), local, national, and international news, or any other type of information the user desires to have as part of the profile. 
         [0017]    In this embodiment, the profile will contain personal information submitted by the user, as well as various types of information relating to internet-based fantasy sports. Fantasy sports are very common and are continuously growing in popularity. There are fantasy sport leagues for football, baseball, basketball, hockey, auto racing, and the like. Fantasy sport leagues also have various types of scoring systems, which can vary between the different sports, as well as vary within different leagues of the same sport. There are also internet fantasy leagues for other types of activities that are non-sports related, such as television shows, or the like. The profile of the user will not only have the personal information of the user, but will also incorporate scoring systems of the user&#39;s fantasy league, as well as other information relating to the user&#39;s fantasy team. 
         [0018]    It should also be noted that information of multiple user profiles are stored on the user database  14 . The user database  14  is in communication with a data aggregation and presentation server  16 . The data aggregation and presentation server  16  is also in communication with a data service  18 , as well as a stored data device  20 . The data service  18  is a service that is provided by companies which provides statistics and other information relating to sports events and other news events. The data aggregation and presentation server  16  will receive and process information from the data service  18  and user database  14  and store the processed information in the stored data device  20 . 
         [0019]    The data aggregation and presentation server  16  is in communication with a type of web service  22 , which can be any type of ISP as mentioned above. The web service  22  is in electronic communication with a central control server  24  and one or more location control units  26 . The central control server  24  is also in communication with each location control unit  26 , and an SMS messaging server  28 . The web service  22  receives the processed information from the data aggregation and presentation server  16  and will send the processed information regarding the user profile and the user&#39;s fantasy sports team to the location control unit  26 . 
         [0020]    The data aggregation and presentation server  16  is also capable of accessing information from the stored data device  20  as well as process information from the user database  14  and data service  18  at the same time. 
         [0021]    The location control unit  26  also receives information from the central control server  24 . The central control server  24  is a device provides central control of various feeds which are to be presented using the location control unit  26 . The various feeds delivered from the central control server  24  to either the web service or to the location control unit  26  include various types of data, advertising schedules, verification of subscription of the user, performing remote maintenance on the location control unit  26 , or the like. If the information is sent to the web service  22  from the central control server  24 , it is then sent to the location control unit  26 . 
         [0022]    The SMS messaging server  28  receives communication in the form of a signal from the mobile communication device possessed by the user. The signal in this embodiment is in the form of a text message, although it is within the scope of the invention that other types of signals may be used. The central control server  24  receives the signal from the SMS messaging server  28 , the central control server  24  will then send a signal to the location control unit  26  to modify the output of the location control unit  26 . 
         [0023]    The present invention also includes the user having a specific location, represented at  30  in the FIGURE. The location user  30  and location control unit  26  both interface with a display  32 . The display  32  is in the form of a computer monitor, television, or the like. In this embodiment, the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD) television. The display  32  is controlled by the location control unit  26 , and will display information based on the information sent to the location control unit from the web service  22  or the central control server  24 . The information on the display  22  is therefore based on the user profile, the data service  18 , and the stored data device  20 . 
         [0024]    The location control unit  26  also has a location display modification service  34 . The location display modification service  34  is a service which updates the location control unit  26  to change the information produced on the display  32  as the amount or type of location users  30  change, as well as information provided by the data service  18  and stored data device  20  changes. The location display modification service  34  is controlled by the central control server  24 . 
         [0025]    In operation, a location user  30  will be in a specific location where the location control unit  26  and display  32  are also located. This location could be a restaurant, a bar or pub, or any other establishment where it is desired to obtain information regarding the user&#39;s profile, the data service  18  and the stored data device  20 . The location user  30  will send a signal, which in this embodiment is a text message having a specific numerical code, to the SMS messaging server  28 . The location user  30  will send the text message from a mobile communications device, such as a cell phone; because each cell phone has a different phone number, the phone number is then used to provide identification of the location user  30 , allowing the proper information to be accessed. Additionally, the text message containing the proper code will ensure that the proper location control unit  26  is updated with the profile of the location user  30 . Because there are several location control units  26 , which are located at various establishments which are visited by various location users  30 , each location control unit  26  will have a specific code, which is used by the location user  30  in the form of a text message to access the information desired by the location user  30 . 
         [0026]    Once the SMS messaging server  28  receives the text message, the SMS messaging server  28  will then communicate with the central control server  24 , indicating to the central control server  24  the identification of the location user  30 , as well as the location of the location user  30  such that the central control server  24  will communicate with the proper location control unit  26  and web services  22  to modify or add information to be displayed by the location control unit  26  on the display  32 . The location control unit  26  will communicate with the web service  22 , which receives information from the data aggregation and presentation server  16  regarding statistics, scoring systems, and personal information of the location user  30 . 
         [0027]    Every location user  30  will have a profile established in the user data base  14  as described above, relating to the personal information as well as the fantasy sports information of the location user  30 . Each location control unit  26  will then publish the information on the display  32 . The information relating to statistics, the scoring system of the user&#39;s fantasy sports team, and personal information is all visible on the display  32  at the location of the location user  30 . The information of other location users  30  is published as well. Multiple location users  30  at the same location (i.e. bar, restaurant, or the like) are able to send the same text message from their respective cellular phones and are able to view each of their respective personal and fantasy information on the display  32 . The display  32  will show each location user&#39;s  30  name (which is the actual user&#39;s first name only, first and last name, a nickname of the location user  30 , or the like), fantasy team name, the relevant statistics, and fantasy scoring. The display  32  is also able to show scoring comparisons if two location users  30  are playing against each other. 
         [0028]    Additionally, the display  32  will also show various types of advertising. The types of advertising shown are received from the central control server  24 . The central control server  24  will dictate how often the advertisements change, and how often a location user&#39;s information will be shown on the display  32 . The rate at which the information of the location user  30  is shown on the display  32  is also varied by how many location users  30  have sent a text message to the SMS messaging server  28 . If there are a large amount of location users  30  at one location, the information of each location user  30  will be shown less frequently. 
         [0029]    Additionally, the central control server  24  also has the ability to change the rate at which the information of each location user  30  as well as any advertising is shown on the display  32 . Different factors such as the time of year, a specific sporting event, holiday, or the like may have an effect on the type of location user  30  at the location of the location control unit  26  and display  32 . The advertising may be changed to compensate for different interests of each location user  30 . For example, it may be desirable to have different advertising for a location user  30  having a fantasy baseball team, which plays its season through the spring and summer months, compared to a location user having a fantasy football team, which plays its season through the fall and winter months. 
         [0030]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.