Method and system for providing access to and administering online gaming leagues and tournaments

#The present invention is directed to networked gaming and, more particularly, to providing a method and system for administering tournament and league play as part of integral to such network gaming.

#Present systems providing access to online gaming environments fail to provide comprehensive tools for creating and maintaining public and private leagues and creating and administering tournaments. Thus, present systems and methods do not permit users to create leagues in which the users (i.e., the members of the league) are in control over management, membership, and direction of the league. Moreover, present system and methods do not enable users to create customized tournaments or permit users to attain desirable ratings or rankings based on game play.

#The exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein are generally related to online gaming. The term “online gaming” refers to games such as chess, checkers, poker, blackjack, and the like that can be played via a communications network such as the Internet. It should be understood that while the exemplary embodiments described herein are discussed in relation generally to the Internet, computer games accessible to user via any communications network now known or heretofore developed is within the scope of the present invention.

#In the drawing figures, which are merely illustrative, and wherein like reference numerals depict like elements throughout the several views:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an overview of an exemplary embodiment of the system architecture of an online gaming system in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an exemplary interface for permitting user to create an online gaming league;

#There will now be shown and described in connection with the attached drawing figures several exemplary embodiments of a system and method of providing access to and administering online gaming leagues and tournaments.

#In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 7, an online gaming system 100 for playing online computer games generally comprises a league engine 325 operative on a league administration server 320 for permitting users of the online gaming system 100 to create and manage an online gaming league, the league engine 325 providing access to league information to members of the league; a game engine 335 operative on a game room server 330 for controlling play of the online games; and a tournament engine 345 operative on a tournament server 340 enabling league members to create and participate in online gaming tournaments, the tournament engine 345 recording results of online games played by members and managing progress of the online gaming tournament. The tournament system preferably further comprises a ratings engine 355 for ranking the skill level of league members by calculating a rating for each league member.

#According to an exemplary embodiment, a game room generally refers to the game application triggered when a user of the online gaming system desires to play a particular online game. The game room preferably features a graphical interface, as shown and described below in connection with FIG. 6, in order to facilitate game play. A user can create a game room by selecting an online game type and entering certain customized information about the game room, such as by way of example a game room name, game room description, and whether the game room will host ladder ranking games. The user may also set whether the room will be a private room available to only league members or a public room open to all members of the online gaming system. The game room or table type determines how easy it is for other players to get to your table. There are preferably at least three table types: public, private, and protected. The host of the table chooses the table type. Public tables or game rooms are available to all members of the online gaming system to join or watch. Protected tables or game rooms are only available to invited players, but any member of the online gaming system can watch. Private tables or game rooms are only available to invited players.