Interactive predictive games for play on a device connected to a communications network

Abstract

Games for play on a device connected to a communications network are described. Each game allows players to make predictions about some future event or sequence of events by using their devices to enter information indicative of the players' predictions. For example, some games allow players to predict market behavior during a particular time frame with respect to particular products, services, commodities, etc. The players' predictions are scored and can be ranked for each game. All players are awarded zero or more payouts (e.g., points) that are placed into accounts for those players. A player can redeem accumulated payouts that are stored in his account for cash or other awards.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a database arranged to store data about a game that can be played by players using communications-network connected devices; and   one or more servers arranged to receive information from one or more communications-network connected devices of respective players participating in the game, wherein the information received from each communications-network connected device represents a player's prediction regarding a future event,   wherein the one or more servers are arranged to determine a score for each player based, at least in part, on the correctness of the player's prediction and to award a payout to one or more of the players based on their respective scores, and   wherein the payout awarded to any particular player is stored in the database in an account associated with that particular player.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the future event is represented by one or more numerical values. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the future event is the last traded price or official value as of a future specified date and time of a particular financial instrument, financial index or economic indicator. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the future event is a function of all prices quoted, trades made or official values released over a specified future time frame for a particular financial instrument, financial index or economic indicator. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the future event is the volume-weighted average price of all prices quoted or trades made over a specified future time frame for a particular financial instrument. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to rank the players based on their respective scores, and to award a payout to one or more of the players based on their respective rankings. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to compute a score for each player by calculating for each player an absolute difference between the player's predicted value(s) and the actual value(s) of the predicted event, and wherein the one or more servers rank the players based on their respective scores, with the player whose prediction was closest to the actual average value being ranked highest, and the player whose prediction was furthest from the actual average value being ranked lowest. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to award payouts to multiple players having the highest rankings, wherein a player with a higher rank will receive greater or equal payout than a player with a lower rank. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein, if the scores of two or more players are the same, the one or more servers is arranged to assign a higher ranking to the player who submitted his prediction first. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the one or more servers are arranged such that the number of players who are awarded a payout or the total amount of the payouts awarded depends, at least in part, on the number of players who participate in the game. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to receive a real-time data feed regarding one or more related numerical values and to periodically provide to the communications-network connected devices information from the data feed, wherein the information received from each device represents a player's predictions regarding whether one or more of the related values will subsequently increase or decrease. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to receive a real-time data feed regarding activity in a particular market or index and to periodically provide to the communications-network connected devices information from the data feed, wherein the information received from each device represents a player's predictions regarding whether the price for the particular market or index will increase or decrease. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to compute each player's score based on whether or not the player correctly predicted the direction of movement of the particular values and how much the values changed in a particular time frame. 
     
     
         14 . A communications-network connected device comprising:
 circuitry to establish a connection to a communications network;   a display area;   memory storing an application to enable a user to play a game on the communications-network connected device, wherein the game allows the user to make a prediction about a future event;   a controller to control operations of the communications-network connected device;   wherein, in response to the user providing an input to the communications-network connected device requesting to play the game, information about the game is displayed on the display area, and wherein the user can make a prediction about the future event by providing input to the communications-network connected device,   wherein the communications-network connected device is arranged to receive data indicative of a user's score that is based, at least in part, on the correctness of the user's prediction, and   wherein the communications-network connected device is further arranged to display the user's score on the display area.   
     
     
         15 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 14  arranged to receive information indicative of the user's ranking relative to other players of the game, and to display the user's ranking on the display area. 
     
     
         16 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 14  arranged to receive information indicative of a payout placed in an electronic account associated with the user, wherein the payout is awarded based on the user's performance in the game, and to display an amount of the payout on the display area. 
     
     
         17 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 14  wherein the information includes historical market data regarding a financial instrument or index, and wherein the future event is the value of the financial instrument or index during a specified time frame. 
     
     
         18 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 17  arranged to receive updated historical market data periodically for the financial instrument or index and to display the updated market data on the display area. 
     
     
         19 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 18  arranged to receive the historical market data substantially in real-time. 
     
     
         20 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 14  including a user-adjustable value displayed on the display area, wherein the device is arranged for the user to make a prediction about the future event by adjusting the displayed value. 
     
     
         21 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 14  wherein the information includes historical market data regarding a financial instrument or index, and wherein the display area includes a plurality of user-interactive areas to indicate the user's prediction as to whether the value for said financial instrument or index will increase or decrease. 
     
     
         22 . The communications-network connected device of  claim 21  operable to send, in response to the user's selection of a particular one of the user-interactive areas, a communication to a game server indicating the user's prediction. 
     
     
         23 . A system for playing a game on a communications-network connected device, the system comprising:
 a plurality of communications-network connected devices each of which is associated with a player of the game;   a database arranged to store data about the game; and   one or more servers arranged to receive information from the communications-network connected devices of the respective players participating in the game, wherein the information received from each communications-network connected device represents a player's prediction regarding a future event,   wherein the one or more servers are arranged to determine a score for each player based, at least in part, on the correctness of the player's prediction and to award a payout to one or more of the players based on their respective scores, and   wherein the payout awarded to any particular player is stored in the database in an account associated with that particular player.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the one or more servers are arranged such that the payouts awarded to each player of the game always are greater than or equal to zero. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to rank the players based on their respective scores, and to award a payout to one or more of the players based on their respective rankings. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to compute a score for each player by calculating for each player an absolute difference between the player's prediction and an actual value of the predicted event, and wherein the one or more servers rank the players based on their respective scores, with the player whose prediction was closest to the actual average value being ranked highest, and the player whose prediction was furthest from the actual average value being ranked lowest. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to award payouts to multiple players in such a way that a player with a higher rank will receive a greater or equal payout to a player with a lower rank. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the one or more servers are arranged such that the number of players who are awarded a payout or the total amount of the payouts awarded depends, at least in part, on the number of players who participate in the game. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the one or more servers are arranged to receive a real-time data feed regarding activity in a particular market and to provide periodically to the communications-network connected devices information from the data feed, wherein the information received from each portable communications-network connected device represents a player's predictions regarding whether the value of the particular financial instrument or financial index will increase or decrease. 
     
     
         30 . A method of providing a game for play on communications-network connected devices, the method comprising:
 receiving information from communications-network connected devices of respective players participating in the game, wherein the information received from each communications-network connected device represents a player's prediction regarding a future event,   determining a score for each player based, at least in part, on the correctness of the player's prediction,   awarding a payout to one or more of the players based on their respective scores, and   storing the payout awarded to the one or more particular players in respective accounts associated with the particular players.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  including:
 ranking the players based on their respective scores; and 
 awarding a payout to one or more of the players based on their respective rankings. 
 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  including:
 computing a score for each player by calculating for each player an absolute difference between the player's prediction and an actual value of the of the predicted event, 
 ranking the players based on their respective scores, with the player whose prediction was closest to the actual average value being ranked highest, and the player whose prediction was furthest from the actual average value being ranked lowest; and 
 awarding payouts to multiple players having the highest rankings, wherein the amounts of the payouts differ from one another. 
 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the number of players who are awarded a payout or the total amount of the payouts awarded depends, at least in part, on the number of players who participate in the game. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31  including:
 receiving a real-time data feed regarding quotation or trading activity in a particular financial instrument or financial index; and 
 providing periodically to the communications-network connected devices information from the data feed, 
 wherein the information received from each communications-network connected device represents a player's predictions regarding whether the value of the particular financial instrument or financial index will increase or decrease. 
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the payout awarded to each player of the game always is greater than or equal to zero. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30  including receiving a request from a particular one of the players to redeem an accumulated payout amount stored in the account associated with the particular player and providing something of value to the particular player based on the accumulated payout amount. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein providing something of value to the particular player occurs only if the accumulated amount stored in the account associated with the particular player is equal to or greater than a pre-specified amount. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  including charging a fee to the particular player based on the accumulated amount stored in the account associated with the particular player.