Method of and system for conducting multiple contests of skill with a single performance

#The present invention relates to the field of distributed gaming. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of distributed gaming utilizing a mobile device.

#In the United States alone there are over 170 million registered cellular phones. With the expiration of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,546 to Fascenda and Lockton, companies are able to now use the cellular phone and other mobile communication devices utilizing a multicast network to control television viewers in games of skill based upon predicting, for example, what the quarterback may call on the next play within a football game. In addition, games of skill with a common start time can be conducted simultaneously among cellular phone owners, based on classic card, dice, trivia, and other games. In order to avoid the anti-gaming laws in the various states, the winners must be determined by the relative skill, experience and practice of the player in each discrete game.

#U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,913 ('913) to Berner and Lockton provides for a central computing system which includes a means of grouping participants having similar skill levels together in simultaneous, but separate, levels of competition playing an identical game. The relative performances are communicated to only those participants competing at the same skill level. The '913 patent also provides for a wireless receiving device to permanently store the specific skill level for each participant for each type of common event such as those based on televised sports or game shows. The '913 patent provides for a telephonic link at the completion of the game to collect information and update the skill level of the participants of a particular game. When a person achieves sufficient points or meets other objective criteria to graduate into another skill level, a method is provided for accomplishing this in the central computer and then transmitting an alert to the participant notifying them of their promotion. The '913 patent describes awarding prizes and providing recognition for the members of each discreet skill level in a common game. All users, no matter what level they are on, receive the same number of questions and thus the possibility of earning the same number of points. Thus direct comparisons between users at different levels, although not encouraged are possible. Such comparisons between players of disparate skills can lead to user discouragement.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a process of utilizing the present invention.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of a process of generating a user generated competition group.

#FIG. 3 illustrates a graphical representation of an embodiment of the present invention.

#A method and system for conducting a variety of competitions simultaneously are described herein. The organization of competition in a game of skill has previously taken one of three basic formats:

#1) Open contests: where large numbers of players enter an event, and all of the entrants are competing against each other for a single prize pool.

#2) Head-to-head: where competitors are matched between a relatively small number of players identified to compete head-to-head against each other. The actual match making occurs in many forms, such as match play or elimination tournaments.