Creation of a winners tournament with fandom impact

Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods and systems related to creating a winner's tournament. Instead of using a traditional tournament matchup structure that establishes a preset duel between participating players of a tournament of an e-sports event, the present disclosure broadens the scope of participants who may be eligible to also participate in the same tournament but may not initially participate in the e-sports event. In an e-sports competition scenario, not only professional players compete with each other during a live e-sports event, but also remote users who watch the e-sports event remotely can join the tournament structure. These remote users can join the live e-sports event to achieve competition with competitive players and join as the purpose of performing exhibition matches with professional players (e.g., fans of the professional players selected based on social media). Therefore, even if the remote user is not at a live e-sports event venue, the system and method will still select and promote legitimate remote users to compete with professional players.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to electronic sports (e-sports). More particularly, the present invention relates to the creation of winners' tournaments with fandom influence. Background Art

[0002] There are currently a wide variety of online games that are played in a variety of different modes. Some games are played head-on with respect to one or more players, while other games are played in teams, which may or may not be against another team. Being able to compete with other players and / or teams facilitates tournament-style games. Similar to real-world tournaments, such tournaments for online games may involve setting up, identifying qualified players, ranking or seeding players, sorting or matching each round, scheduling games, resolving disputes, distributing tournament comparisons to viewers, verifying results, and communicating tournament data when appropriate.

[0003] However, many game titles do not provide local support for tournament-style matches. Thus, current online tournaments can be held by end users or third parties whose systems are not integrated into the game, and therefore lack visibility and understanding of in-game and tournament activities. These online tournaments can therefore experience substantial barriers to entry, and can face many problems when implemented. Not only for players, but also for spectators, commentators, and other anchors, developers, sponsors, etc., these problems can reduce enjoyment and other benefits. As a result, for popular titles with numerous expert players, tournaments may tend to be held by third parties. These tournaments can exclude or at least discourage novice players, and can not provide less popular game titles.

[0004] One problem in the early stages of organizing a tournament can involve skill assessment. For example, tournaments are more competitive and therefore more successful when the differences in skill levels are not too great. Expert players may find it boring to play with unskilled players, while unskilled players may find it frustrating to play with expert players. Furthermore, these games between players with widely varying skill levels are often short and have predictable outcomes, which can lead to boredom for spectators.

[0005] Competitive gaming, often referred to as electronic sports or eSports, involves the competitive playing of video games in a tournament setting. Competitive leagues and a steady stream of tournaments have evolved to provide a structure for the eSports community. Players now have the option of participating in a variety of professional and amateur tournaments held in physical locations or in virtual tournaments conducted online. Examples include the American League of Legends Gaming (MLG) and the Global Leagues and content providers offer tournaments and opportunities to find information about competitive gaming. Until recently, participation in competitive gaming has shown a gradual and steady pace of growth. However, competitive gaming is currently experiencing a rapid expansion in participation and interest.

[0006] Currently, there are limitations on the competitors that can be paired during an eSports event. Although video games (particularly multiplayer games) can use statistics-based matchmaking (e.g., ELO) that can be used to match multiple players against other players of relatively similar skill levels, typical eSports events utilize a bracket system to identify opponents among other existing competitors of the live eSports event. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the matchmaking of live eSports events to incorporate potential "challengers" who do not participate in the live eSports event. Summary of the invention

[0007] Embodiments of the invention include a method.

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention also include a system.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which a program is embodied, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a system for creating winners tournaments with fandom impact.

[0011] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A user device used in the context of a system.

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 gaming network.

[0013] Figure 4 is a method used to create a winners tournament with fandom impact. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The present disclosure describes methods and systems related to creating a winner's tournament. Instead of using a traditional tournament matchup structure that establishes a preset duel between participating players of a tournament of an e-sports event, the present disclosure widens the scope of participants who may be eligible to also participate in the same tournament but may not initially participate in the e-sports event. In an e-sports competition scenario, not only professional players compete with each other during a live e-sports event, but also remote users who watch the e-sports event remotely can join the tournament structure. These remote users can join the live e-sports event to achieve competition with competitive players and join as the purpose of performing exhibition matches with professional players (e.g., fans of the professional players selected based on social media). Even if the remote user is not at the live e-sports event venue, the system and method will still select and promote legitimate remote users to compete with professional players.

[0015] Although the embodiments describe remote users as users who are not at the e-sports event venue and watch the live e-sports event remotely on their computing devices at different locations, it is also possible to expand the features of the present disclosure to cover spectators at the live e-sports event venue who are not participating in the live e-sports event. The audience sitting at the live e-sports event venue can be considered and selected to participate in the live e-sports event in a manner similar to the remote users. Therefore, the present disclosure can not only cover remote users, but also cover spectators at the live e-sports event.

[0016] As mentioned herein, an e-sports event is a competition involving many different video game competitors. The video games used for the competition can have a wide variety of categories and titles. Much like other typical sports (e.g., football, basketball) in designated arenas and stadiums, people can participate in and watch live e-sports events. People can also watch these live e-sports events remotely via distribution, such as via a broadcast stream of the e-sports event stream that can be viewed on people's respective computing devices 120.

[0017] Figure 1 The system 100 is for creating a winner's tournament with fandom influence. As an overview, the system 100 is used to conduct and manage a tournament associated with a live e-sports event 110. Competitors may initially participate in the live e-sports event 110 on site while various remote users watch the ongoing e-sports event on their respective computing devices 120. However, as the e-sports event develops, remote users may have the opportunity to also participate in the live e-sports event 110 on their computing devices 120.

[0018] E-sports event data from the live e-sports event 110 is collected and processed at the event server 130. The e-sports event data from the live e-sports event 110 is then transmitted to the game server 140, which not only provides distribution of the e-sports event data to the remote viewer on the remote viewer's computing device 120, but also facilitates the remote viewer's participation in the live e-sports event 110.

[0019] Remote users watch the live e-sports event 110 and participate in the live e-sports event 110 using their respective computing devices 120 after choosing to participate in the live e-sports event 110. Exemplary computing devices 120 may include laptop devices, desktop devices, mobile devices, and tablets. Remote viewing and participation in the live e-sports event 110 may require special applications and software (e.g., video games) that can be downloaded directly from the game server 140 or other source to the user's computing device 120. In other cases, a web-based application or streaming service may provide user access, viewing, and participation in the live e-sports event.

[0020] In another embodiment, a remote user may be able to watch and participate in live e-sports events using their computing device 120, which has virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) features. VR and AR implementations will provide remote users with a first-person perspective within a video game for the purpose of watching what is happening during a live e-sports event or even playing the game from this perspective. VR and AR may also allow user modifications to the display of e-sports events, such as modifying the user's viewpoint on the video game or adding additional data (e.g., statistics, highlights) to highlight aspects that appear within the video game. Additional details about the features of the system 100 and how each of the features is used to implement the creation of a winner's tournament with fan circle influence will be provided below.

[0021] Generally speaking, event server 130 initiates, conducts, and manages live esports events 110. In doing so, event server 130 may be used to obtain esports data from live esports events 110 for the purpose of distributing information to remote viewers via game server 140 for viewing on their computing devices 120. Live esports events 110 may be video game competitions held at a predetermined location, such as an arena or stadium dedicated to esports. Live esports event data obtained from live esports events 110 may include gameplay information associated with each video game competitor participating in live esports event 110.

[0022] As an example, if the live e-sports event 110 is a first-person shooter game between ten different players (e.g., a 5-on-5 match), the live e-sports event data can be the game plot data associated with each of the ten players during the match. The game plot data obtained from the live e-sports event 110 can include video game plot information associated with each player's personal interaction with the video game, such as each of the player's viewpoint and game state within the video game at any given moment in time. Game plot data can also include inputs (e.g., keyboard and mouse inputs) of different players and communications (e.g., voice and text chat) between teammates that each competitor also provides during the match.

[0023] In the process of obtaining the gameplay data for each player, the event server 130 can also obtain a video recording of each player during the game. The video recording can be a recording of each player's screen while the video game game is in progress. The video recording can also be an in-game perspective (e.g., a spectator camera perspective) of the video game game using features associated with the video game. This video data can be provided to the game server 140 for use in the distribution of e-sports events sent to the user by the user's computing device 120 (or to supplement the rendered gameplay video from the game server 140).

[0024] The event server 130 may also be able to obtain information related to the video games being played during the eSports event 110. For example, microphones, cameras, and / or sensors may be used to collect information about spectators attending the live eSports event 110. In addition, any audio and video related to the live commentators can also be collected by the event server 130.

[0025] The event server 130 can store information obtained from the live eSports event data in a database. The database can be used to store video data retrieved from the event server 130 as well as any gameplay information. The information stored in the database can be accessed by the game server 140, for example, as needed to generate statistics related to the performance of a particular player for use in the eSports event stream.

[0026] Event server 130 is also used to facilitate participation of remote users in live esports events on their computing devices 120. When one or more remote users choose to participate, game server 140 may facilitate a different connection of the selected user computing devices to event server 130. Event server 130 receives user inputs (e.g., controller inputs, gestures) from computing devices 120 in real-time and uses those inputs to effectuate participation of the remote users in the video game of the live esports event.

[0027] Because typical e-sports events make all players in the same venue and therefore use the same network, the time delay difference may not be a problem. However, when using remote users as potential participants in live e-sports events, it will be necessary to provide a dedicated communication channel so that the time delay associated with these remote user inputs can reach a minimum. If there is no dedicated channel, the remote user input will be significantly delayed compared with the input received by the competitor at the e-sports event venue. The delay can bring an unfair advantage to the on-site competitor, that is, the input of the on-site competitor may be typed first. In other cases, if the video game waits for all inputs to be received (considering the possible delay from the remote user), the game state may become ups and downs / non-fluid (e.g., visible pause), which impairs the performance of the video game.

[0028] To address this issue, event server 130 and game server 140 are configured to utilize at least two different communication channels, wherein a dedicated distribution channel may be associated with distributing event data for remote users to view on their computing devices 120, and a different dedicated player channel may be associated for transmitting and receiving game data from participating remote users.

[0029] The dedicated distribution channel may be used by more remote viewers when viewing event data distributed from the game server 140. This dedicated distribution channel may have a higher latency than the dedicated player channel because more users may be associated with the dedicated distribution channel. To compensate for the increased latency, the event data broadcast may not be "real time," but instead introduce a predetermined amount of delay on the remote viewer terminal of the computer device 120.

[0030] A higher quality dedicated player channel with reduced latency will be used with respect to selected remote users participating in a live eSports event 110. This will allow the selected remote users to receive gameplay information from the event server 130 and provide user input from the computing device 120 with minimal delay.

[0031] The game server 140 uses the information obtained from the event server 130 to detect when a live e-sports event may require new competitors. For example, the event server 130 may provide a notification to the game server 140 that all previous matches have been completed and the next round of matches may require additional competitors. When the game server 140 receives this information, the game server 140 may begin querying for legitimate competitors from various remote viewers.

[0032] The game server 140 may have stored information about each remote user associated with the computing device 120 currently viewing the live e-sports event stream. Each user may be required to log into a specific user account and verify the user's identity before being able to access and view the live e-sports event stream. The user profile may also include relevant gameplay statistics for the user.

[0033] Gameplay statistics for each user may be obtained from computing device 120. For example, gameplay statistics may include the total time the user has spent playing a game, progress or completion of a game, and in-game character information. Gameplay statistics may be used to characterize player skill associated with a video game that the user has played. Player skill is a factor in identifying whether a user is eligible to participate in a live e-sports event remotely. For e-sports events, competitors of relatively similar skill levels may be selected in order to provide competitive matches. Selecting skill levels that are too far apart may provide an unmatched match in which one player is more skilled and has an advantage over another player.

[0034] Even if player skill varies widely (perhaps because of the available pool of remote players), player skill may still identify handicaps that will need to be implemented within a live esports event to keep remote players at a relatively balanced play level relative to opposing competitors. For example, extra health or increased damage may be given to less skilled players (or vice versa, reduced health or reduced damage for more skilled players) in order to provide a more level playing field.

[0035] How particular remote users on computing device 120 are selected to participate in a live esports event may depend on a variety of different factors that can be set at game server 140. Developer 160 or any other party associated with establishing and managing live esports event 110 may be able to specify remote users that are eligible to compete.

[0036] For example, remote users on computing device 120 may need to have specific characteristics to place those users in a pool of legitimate competitors that may be randomly selected by game server 140. Exemplary characteristics may include relevant gameplay data that characterizes a user skill level above a preset threshold and that the user has the associated video game installed and running on the computing device. In this way, gameplay server 140 can ensure that the remote user has the game, has experience with the game, and is able to use the video game to participate in the e-sports event when selected.

[0037] The remote user may also need to reserve or purchase the capabilities under consideration through the game server 140. The remote user may be able to watch live e-sports events on their computing device 120 for free or at a low entry price. However, it is contemplated that for possible participation within live e-sports events, the remote user may need to purchase different tickets that allow the remote user to be in a pool of legitimate competitors. There may be different tickets that provide different levels of opportunity for the game server 140 to consider.

[0038] In some embodiments, the game server 140 can also use social media to match remote users with competitors within the live e-sports event 110. The game server 140 can query various social media sites in the public network 150 of potential remote users to select when a challenger is needed. The user may need to link his social media account with his user profile so that the game server 140 will know where to search.

[0039] The example query executed by the game server 140 can search for keywords or phrases. These queries can also be pre-executed and stored in the user profile until needed. For example, if it is known that players A and B participate in a live e-sports event, it is possible to identify remote users who are fans of players A and B (and therefore have hosted positive reactions about those players) from queries involving the player's social media, and the characteristics can be stored and used when necessary before starting the live e-sports event. Possible embodiments can also include also identifying negative reactions from remote users and establishing a showdown between player A and users who report those players negatively (e.g., remote users who report negatively, because the remote users believe they are better).

[0040] During a live esports event 110, exhibition (or non-competitive) matches may be scheduled with remote users who are fans of one or more competitors participating in the live esports event 110. Skill level can be used to find fans with skill levels similar to the competitors (e.g., the competitors may simply want to face fans with a predetermined skill threshold). In other cases, skill level can establish a handicap tier to level the gaming environment. Although used with reference to exhibition matches, social media can also be used to identify competitors for live esports events as well.

[0041] When game server 140 identifies computing device 120 selected as the next participant in live esports event 110, game server 140 may immediately perform a cutoff between the distribution channel and the player channel for the particular computing device without additional input or knowledge of the user at the selected computing device. In some examples, a notification may be provided to the selected remote user of computing device 120 that a change may be implemented in anticipation of some interruptions from delayed distribution of esports event data to more real-time distribution of esports event data. Additional notification may be used to set up the necessary interface for the remote user to participate in the esports event (e.g., launching a video game on computing device 120 so that the user can participate).

[0042] As described above, the game server 140 generates an e-sports event stream that will be distributed to remote users on the computing device 120. These e-sports event stream distributions may typically include a video recording of the live e-sports event 110, as well as additional information and commentary that is intended to engage users while watching the live e-sports event. The video recording may be obtained directly from the e-sports event 110 via the event server 130. It is also possible that the game server 140 renders the game state of the video game using only the gameplay data from the event server 130. For this case, the game server 140 may have stored related video game assets that are associated with the live e-sports event 110. By using the extracted gameplay data and the stored video game assets, the game server 140 may be able to reconstruct the video of the video game as if the gameplay video from the live e-sports event was recorded directly via the game server 140.

[0043] Game server 140, using the live esports event data from event server 130, is then able to extract relevant information about the esports data stream that viewers will watch on their computing devices 120. The multiple types of extracted information obtained by game server 140 may be information that viewers find interesting.

[0044] While a video game may be able to provide some of the information that the game server 140 may be able to extract and process for consumption by viewers, the game server 140 may also be able to provide additional information that video games do not typically track / monitor. For example, the game server 140 may be able to extract each individual statistic associated with a particular match by analyzing the game state and each player input during the match. Information (such as kills, deaths, and accuracy when applied to first-person shooters) may be information that is typically available from a video game. However, the game server 140 will be able to provide additional additional details based on the processing of the gameplay data.

[0045] Such additional detailed information will be available to the game server 140 via the use of customizable instructions that instruct the game server 140 to accumulate relevant gameplay information and process the information to obtain the desired statistics. For an exemplary reaction time for shooting, the game server 140 may be programmed to accumulate gameplay data and track when a target is spotted by the player within the aiming ring and when the shot is fired immediately after the target is spotted. With respect to near misses, game state information may be accumulated and processed to identify all shots that missed the target and the positions of the shots relative to the missed target.

[0046] Utilize the information that game server 140 can obtain from electronic sports event data, generate metadata, make this information can be associated with the video distribution to the user on computing device 120. Video distribution of electronic sports events (described below) will use the metadata to associate what information should be associated with the specific time frame of video.For example, at a specific part of the stream, information about the current performance of the player can be added as a bubble near the player's avatar in the game.The metadata can be used as an indicator about what information will arrive.For example, the metadata can be used to link the player's kill / death ratio when the player kills another player or is killed by another player.Metadata can be similarly used to link the relevant game state information that will be displayed on the electronic sports event data stream, such as the player's current equipment, health, level and ranking when the player appears on the stream.

[0047] Each metadata generated by the game server 140 can be assigned a unique identifier linked to the e-sports event data used in the stream. Because the metadata is uniquely identified as being associated with the event data and used to indicate where and when additional information is incorporated into the event data stream, the game server 140 does not need to store all of the event data used in the stream and the additional information obtained from the live e-sports event 110. This allows the e-sports event data and metadata to be stored separately. In addition, whenever e-sports event data is used in a stream, the corresponding metadata associated with the e-sports event data can be retrieved from the event metadata database 190 via the game server 140, which queries the event metadata database 190 to find any relevant metadata.

[0048] In addition, the game server 140 can accumulate information from each of the players' game plot data in order to compile a map, which is a comprehensive overview of the video game at any point in time. For example, a first-person shooter may not typically generate a comprehensive map of all locations for each player in both teams. Generally speaking, an in-game map may include information from a team's perspective. The other team may be obscured (e.g., by a "fog of war" type effect). However, the game server 140 will be able to use the game state information from both teams to provide a completely unobstructed view of the map, so that the viewer can have a comprehensive understanding of what is happening in the video game at any time. This feature will not prevent the system 100 from limiting the user's field of view of an event as needed (e.g., to provide a perspective of a specific player or team).

[0049] The game server 140 can also provide different viewpoints of the event. The event server 130 collects all types of information from the live eSports event, including the viewpoints of the different players. In addition, the video game may have the ability to provide different viewpoints of the environment within the game, and the game server 140 can use this feature to similarly change the viewpoint that users can see on their respective computing devices 120.

[0050] In another embodiment, the game server 140 can use information collected from live e-sports events from different players to reconstruct a different viewpoint if it is not available within the video game. This reconstruction can be achieved using information collected from the event server 130 and stored game assets available to the game server 140. The game server 140 may be able to render the state of the video game at a given point in time, and then focus on rendering a specific portion based on the desired focus. This allows the game server 140 to provide a different (and possibly comprehensive) view of the video game using all the information available in the case where only part of the information is known to each individual participant (e.g., eliminating the "fog of war" effect).

[0051] The game server 140 can also incorporate advertisements within the e-sports event distribution to promote monetization. Advertisements can be stored in a dedicated advertisement database. When needed, the game server 140 can query the advertisement database to find out the appropriate advertisements to be implemented in the live e-sports event distribution. Choosing what kind of advertisements can be based on many different factors. For example, a user profile can be used to select the type of advertisements that a specific user may be interested in watching. A specific developer or tournament organizer can also indicate a group of advertisements that should be incorporated into the live e-sports event distribution. The advertisement itself can include information suggesting the type of user and / or the stream used to incorporate the advertisement. For example, if a specific category or a specific video game is allocated, a specific advertisement can be incorporated. The incorporation of advertisements allows the monetization of live e-sports events to many possible remote viewers on the computing device 120.

[0052] Commentary can also be added to the eSports event distribution using information obtained from the event server 130 (e.g., from commentators at the live eSports event 110). In other cases, one or more users on the computing device 120 may be able to assume the commentary role. Users assuming the commentary role may need to be verified and authenticated (in order to control who can comment and distribute their comments to remote viewers), but multiple different commentators will be allowed to comment on the same live eSports event 110.

[0053] Under the situation of identification and verification, can provide these users with unique user interface, described user interface and game server 140 interact so that the comment that the e-sports event distribution is modified into corresponding user.For example, the commentator may be able to control the viewpoint of the game data of the e-sports event that is distributed, and the additional information that is also displayed.These features can promote the realization of commentary, thereby allow the commentator to focus on the event in the distributed event data and provide the corresponding details relevant to the content being discussed.In addition, there can also be a separate dedicated commentary distribution channel, to allow to provide the e-sports event data to the commentator in close real time, and enable the commentator to realize the commentary that is distributed to the remote user later.Because each user may have a preferred commentator, then allow third parties and users to add their own comments to the ability in the system 100 also can be useful from the point of view of the e-sports event.

[0054] The public network 150 facilitates the communication of the e-sports event data from the game server 140 with the plurality of user computing devices 120. The public network 150 can also include: one or more private networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN); or a network of public / private networks, such as the Internet. The Internet is a wide network of interconnected computers and servers, thereby allowing the transmission and exchange of Internet Protocol (IP) data between user devices connected via a network service provider. Examples of network service providers include a public switched telephone network, a cable service provider, a provider of a digital subscriber line (DSL) service, or a satellite service provider.

[0055] Developers 160 can also influence the manner in which distribution of live eSports event data is performed. Developers 160 can interact with event server 130 and game server 140 using respective computing devices. For example, developers 160 can create, run, and manage live eSports events. In addition, modifications to the manner in which event data is distributed to remote viewers on computing device 120 can also be implemented by developers 160, such as identifying what advertisements should be incorporated and what additional information (e.g., statistics) should be shown during the distribution of eSports event data.

[0056] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A user computing device 200 is used in the context of a system of the invention. The user computing device 200 (e.g., a desktop device, a laptop device, a tablet, a mobile device, a console gaming system) is a device that a user can use to facilitate practicing features of the invention with respect to creating a winner tournament with fandom influence. The user computing device 200 can also facilitate user viewing of distributed esports event data via a display associated with the user computing device 200.

[0057] The user computing device 200 may include Figure 2 It should be noted that the elements described are exemplary and that other embodiments may incorporate more or fewer of the illustrated elements. Figure 2The user computing device 200 includes a main memory 202, a central processing unit (CPU) 204, at least one vector unit 206, a graphics processing unit 208, an input / output (I / O) processor 210, an I / O processor memory 212, a controller interface 214, a memory card 216, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 218, and an IEEE 1394 interface 220, an auxiliary (AUX) interface 222 for connecting a tracking device 224, but other bus standards and interfaces may be used. The user computing device 200 also includes an operating system read-only memory (OS ROM) 226, a sound processing unit 228, an optical disk control unit 230, and a hard disk drive 232, the foregoing components are connected to the I / O processor 210 via a bus 234. The user computing device 200 also includes at least one tracking device 224.

[0058] Tracking device 224 can be a camera that includes eye tracking capabilities. The camera can be integrated into user device 200 or attached to user device 200 as a peripheral device. In a typical eye tracking device, infrared non-collimated light is reflected from the eye and then sensed by a camera or optical sensor. The information is then analyzed to extract eye rotation from changes in reflection. Camera-based trackers focus on one or both eyes and record eye movements when the viewer looks at a certain type of stimulus. Camera-based eye trackers use the pupil and the center of light to form a corneal reflection (CR). The vector between the pupil and the CR can be used to calculate the gaze point or gaze direction on the surface. Before using an eye tracker, a simple calibration procedure of the viewer is usually required.

[0059] Alternatively, more sensitive trackers use reflections from the front of the cornea and the back of the eye's lens as features for tracking over time. Even more sensitive trackers image features inside the eye, including retinal blood vessels, and follow these features as the eye rotates.

[0060] Most eye trackers use a sampling rate of at least 30 Hz, but 50 / 60 Hz is most common. Some trackers operate at frequencies as high as 1250 Hz, which is required to capture details of extremely fast eye movements.

[0061] Instead, a rangefinder camera can be used with the present invention to capture gestures made by the user and enable facial recognition. Rangefinder cameras are often used to capture and interpret specific gestures, thus allowing hands-free control of entertainment systems. This technology can use infrared projectors, cameras, depth sensors, and microchips to follow the movement of objects and individuals in three dimensions. This user device can also use deformation based on image-based prose reconstruction.

[0062] The tracking device 224 may include a microphone that is integrated into the user computing device 200 that collects sound data or is attached to the user computing device as a peripheral device. The microphone may perform sound source localization and / or ambient noise suppression. The microphone may be used to receive verbal instructions from the user to schedule content, retrieve the content, and display the content on the user computing device 200.

[0063] Alternatively, the tracking device 224 can be a controller of the user computing device 200. The controller can use a combination of built-in accelerometers and infrared detection to sense the position of the controller in 3D space when it is pointed at an LED in a sensor near the console of the entertainment system, attached to the console, or integrated into the console. This design allows the user to control the functionality of the user computing device 200 using body gestures as well as button presses. The controller is connected to the user device 200 using wireless technology that allows data exchange over short distances (e.g., 30 feet). The controller may additionally include a "noise" feature (i.e., the jitter of the controller during specific points in the game) and / or an internal speaker.

[0064] Additionally or alternatively, the controller may be designed to take biometric readings using sensors in the remote control to record data including, for example, skin moisture, heart rate, and muscle movement.

[0065] As mentioned above, the user computing device 200 may be an electronic game console. Alternatively, the user computing device 200 may be implemented as a general purpose computer, a set-top box, or a handheld gaming device. In addition, similar user devices may contain more or fewer operating components.

[0066] The CPU 204, vector unit 206, graphics processing unit 208, and I / O processor 210 communicate via system bus 236. In addition, the CPU 204 communicates with the main memory 202 via a dedicated bus 238, while the vector unit 206 and graphics processing unit 208 may communicate via a dedicated bus 240. The CPU 204 executes programs stored in the OS ROM 226 and the main memory 202. The main memory 202 may contain pre-stored programs and programs transferred from a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical disk (not shown) using the optical disk control unit 232 via the I / O processor 210. The I / O processor 210 primarily controls data exchange between various devices of the user computing device 200, including the CPU 204, vector unit 206, graphics processing unit 208, and controller interface 214.

[0067] The graphics processing unit 208 executes graphics instructions received from the CPU 204 and the vector unit 206 to generate images for display on a display device (not shown). For example, the vector unit 206 may transform an object from three-dimensional coordinates to two-dimensional coordinates and send the two-dimensional coordinates to the graphics processing unit 208. In addition, the sound processing unit 230 executes instructions for generating sound signals, which are output to an audio device (not shown) such as a speaker.

[0068] A user of the user computing device 200 provides instructions to the CPU 204 via the controller interface 214. For example, the user may command the CPU 204 to store specific information on the memory card 216, or to command the user computing device 200 to perform some prescribed action. Example controllers associated with the controller interface 214 may include a touch screen, a keyboard, and a game controller.

[0069] Other devices may be connected to the user computing device 200 via the USB interface 218, the IEEE 1394 interface 220, and the AUX interface 222. In particular, a tracking device 224 including a camera or sensor may be connected to the user computing device 200 via the AUX interface 222, while a controller may be connected via the USB interface 218. In some embodiments, a VR headset or related hardware device may be communicatively coupled to the computing device 200 via one or more computing interfaces. Hardware and related software for implementing an augmented reality (AR) experience may similarly be coupled to the computing device 200 via one or more computing interfaces.

[0070] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The game server 300 of the present invention is provided. The game server 300 facilitates, for example, the distribution of e-sports event data to remote viewers, the selection of possible remote users to participate in e-sports events, and the establishment of a communication channel for allowing remote users to participate. The game server 300 includes a plurality of different features that facilitate the creation of a winning tournament. As illustrated in the figure, the game server 300 may include an application program interface (API) 310, a storage 320 of user profiles, an e-sports event data storage and buffer 330, an allocation module 340, a match arrangement module 350, and a communication interface 360. Details about each of these features will be provided in more detail below.

[0071] An application programming interface (API) 310 allows an entity to customize and manage how the game server operates. For example, via use of the API 310, an administrator (e.g., a developer, a tournament organizer) can modify how the game server distributes live esports event data to remote viewers and modify how the game server selects remote users to participate in live esports events. The administrator can also modify (via use of the API 310) information stored within the game server, such as information associated with various user profiles 320 for remote users.

[0072] In addition, the API 310 can also be used to implement any updates needed regarding features associated with the game server. For example, various video games can obtain patches and other fixes during or between live e-sports events. The API 310 can be used to modify the features of the game server to incorporate those patches and other fixes so that problems that affect distribution and communication with remote users are also resolved.

[0073] User profile 320 is used to store information about each remote viewer. Remote viewers may need to create their own profiles and log into their respective profiles before being allowed to access / watch live e-sports event data and / or remotely participate in live e-sports events. User profile 320 can be used by, for example, game server 300 to identify legitimate remote users who want to participate in live e-sports events, and to establish a dedicated communication channel that can allow remote users to participate.

[0074] In the embodiment that needs people to buy ticket to personally participate in live e-sports event, remote viewer also may need to buy one of many possible tickets or purchase subscription, so that remotely watch and / or participate in live e-sports event.If there are a plurality of different tickets or a plurality of different states based on subscription type, then user profile 320 can have the information relevant to remote user.Based on the state that is associated with specific ticket and / or subscription purchase of user, there may be different features that can be utilized for example for user.If ticket A allows remote user to only watch live e-sports event, and ticket B allows remote user to watch and potentially participate in live e-sports event remotely, the information about the specific ticket purchased will be stored in user profile 320.

[0075] The user profile 320 may also store user preferences assigned regarding live e-sports events viewed remotely on a user computing device. For example, the user profile 320 may customize preferred viewpoints, preferred additional information to be displayed, and advertisements that may be of interest to the user that may be shown to the remote user during a live e-sports event. The user profile 320 may be updated at any time by the corresponding user via his or her user computing device.

[0076] The user profile 320 can also store information about the user's computing device. This information can be used by the game server 300 to identify how to process and transmit live e-sports event data. This information can identify, for example, the format of the live e-sports event data that needs to be transmitted, as well as the capabilities of the computing device. Modifications can be made to the distributed e-sports event data to be compatible with the user's computing device.

[0077] The eSports event data storage and buffer 330 is used to store the eSports event data from the event server. The eSports event data storage and buffer 340 can be used to temporarily store the eSports data until the data can be processed and used for distribution to remote users.

[0078] The distribution module 340 manages different channels that can be used to: 1) distribute live e-sports event data to remote users; 2) connect remote players to live e-sports events so that they can participate with minimal latency / delay; and 3) facilitate commentators to incorporate their comments into the distributed live e-sports data. For example, the distribution module 340 performs this disconnection of the channel of the game server by notifying the communication interface 360 ​​when the disconnection should be performed. For the remote user, the distribution module 340 performs a switch between the distribution channel and the player channel, and vice versa, because the remote user is selected to participate in the live e-sports event.

[0079] The allocation module 340 can track the characteristics of each connected remote user (e.g., remote viewer, remote participant, commentator) and ensure that the appropriate communication channel is used for that remote user. When the characteristics of the user change, the allocation module 340 can notify the communication interface 360 ​​to make corresponding adjustments.

[0080] The match arrangement module 350 is used to identify possible remote users who can participate in a live e-sports event. Generally speaking, a live e-sports event can include different rounds between multiple competitor pairs or multiple competitor teams. After each round, a winner and a loser can be identified. In the case where a loser is removed from a live e-sports event and a new competitor is needed (e.g., king of a hill type event), the match arrangement module 350 can receive an indication that a winner has been identified and that a new competitor may need to be selected.

[0081] The matchmaking module 350 can then perform a query of all remote users and their associated user profiles 320 to find legitimate users. If there are more legitimate users than the desired competitors, the matchmaking module 350 can select from the legitimate users in any of a number of different ways. For example, the matchmaking module 350 can randomly select from the legitimate users. The random selection can also take into account weights based on external factors such as ticket / reservation purchases and social media (e.g., fan information). User skill can be used to rank legitimate users and those remote users with higher skills who are then selected to participate in a live e-sports event.

[0082] After identification, the match arrangement module 350 can provide the identified remote user to the allocation module 340 so that a communication channel can be established to facilitate the remote user's participation in the live e-sports event. In addition, the match arrangement module 350 can provide a notification to the identified remote user that the remote user has been selected to participate in the live e-sports event and request authorization to continue connecting the remote user to the live e-sports event. If after a preset amount of time the remote user is not authorized to connect, the remote user will not be able to connect to the live e-sports event after the preset amount of time, or if the selected remote user declines the opportunity to participate, a new remote user may be selected later. The match arrangement module 350 can repeatedly search for new remote users until the new remote user is successfully connected to the live e-sports event and is able to participate in the live e-sports event.

[0083] Communication interface 360 ​​facilitates Figure 1 The communication interface 380 may facilitate communication between various features of the system. For example, this may facilitate the transmission of information from the event server to the game server and from the game server to the remote viewer. The communication interface 380 may also facilitate user interaction with the game server (e.g., developers, commentators).

[0084] The communication interface 360 ​​may be responsible for providing dedicated distribution, player and commentator communication channels to remote users for practicing the present disclosure. The communication interface 360 ​​may receive instructions from the distribution module 340 and the match arrangement module 350 regarding what communication channel should be provided to which remote user.

[0085] Figure 4 A method 400 is provided for creating a winners tournament with fandom influence. The tournament is associated with a live esports event. At various points during the tournament, there may be requests for additional competitors to compete within the live esports event. The method 400 is capable of identifying remote users remotely viewing the live esports event, selecting legitimate remote users to participate, and facilitating remote participation of the selected remote users in the live esports event.

[0086] In step 410, a tournament request may be received by an event server. The requested tournament may be associated with an administrator (e.g., a developer), and may include any multiple competitors in a live e-sports event venue. The tournament request may involve one or more game titles available via a gaming network associated with the event server, and may specify various parameters for qualifying, ranking, and scheduling the participants in a live e-sports event. Players with user accounts (or teams with team accounts) may register, and their data may be automatically shared with the event server to facilitate registration, ranking, promotion, reward, search, and other tournament-related activities associated with live e-sports events. The tournament request may further explain a ranking system, which may include any combination of gameplay metrics for evaluating each registrant in a standardized manner.

[0087] In step 420, past gameplay data may be tracked for the game title specified in the tournament request. The specific metrics tracked and evaluated may be differentiated by game title and parameters specified by the tournament organizer. In addition, the parameters may be weighted differently based on preferences also specified by the tournament organizer. In this way, each participant may be characterized, for example, by their skill level, for match scheduling purposes.

[0088] Once the live e-sports event has begun, the registered player can normally participate in the tournament. In some cases, the loss of a predetermined number can remove the player from the tournament. In other cases, some players may not be able to participate in future rounds (such as illness, injury). In this case, new participants (such as competitors) may be needed to fill the newly entered and vacated positions. In step 430, method 400 identifies legal remote users as possible challengers who can also participate in live e-sports events remotely. The game server can handle the skill level of each remote user, and based on the preference specified by the tournament organizer, the game server can identify the legal remote user to select when necessary. The game server can select the legal remote user based on any multiple criteria, such as randomly, according to skill level, status (such as purchased specific tickets or reservations) and social media connections (such as fans). Possible legal remote users can be stored in a list, and the list can be quoted by the game server when necessary.

[0089] In step 440, a match for a tournament associated with the live esports event is initiated. Based on the rankings generated in step 420, competitors may be initially paired. Matchmaking may be performed, for example, based on similar skill levels. In other embodiments, head-to-head matchmaking can be performed using the rankings, such that the highest ranked player plays against the lowest ranked player, the second highest ranked player plays against the second lowest ranked player, and so on.

[0090] In step 450, the results of each game of the tournament are obtained. The results may include which players won, as well as game plot statistics associated with the finished game. The ranking of each player within the live e-sports event may be updated based on the results.

[0091] In step 460, the winner of the previous match will be matched against subsequent challengers. These challengers may be other players participating in the live e-sports event, but may also include remote users needed to fill vacant positions (e.g., the previous player was unable to continue or was eliminated). Matchmaking for selecting which remote users should compete can be performed using the list of legal remote users.

[0092] In a different embodiment, the matchmaking for the next challenger, particularly in exhibition matches (or non-competitive matches), can be based on social media information and fan-based information about the players participating in the live e-sports event. Competitive players participating in the live e-sports event can be matched with fans of the players who are among the legal remote players willing to participate. Handicap matches can be implemented where the skill level between the competitive players and the players' fans who play the game remotely can be added to make the match more fair.

[0093] In step 470, the selected remote user is connected to the live eSports event so that the selected remote user can participate in the tournament. The connection may include providing a notification to the remote user that the remote user has been selected, and requesting authorization to establish the connection. The established connection used by the remote user to participate in the tournament may be different from the situation used to view the live eSports event data (e.g., stream) on the remote user's computing device. In particular, a dedicated player connection is provided to the selected remote user to minimize latency and delay during participation in the tournament.

[0094] Other authorization steps may be used to ensure that the selected remote user is able to participate in the tournament. For example, verification of the status of the selected remote user as legitimate (via the remote user's user profile) can be performed. In addition, tests for compatible computing devices and related video games for the tournament may need to be met. If these authorization steps are not met within a predetermined amount of time (or if the selected remote user refuses to participate), a different remote user may be selected.

[0095] Steps 440 through 470 may be repeated as many times as necessary with respect to selecting remote users and matching said users with competitors within a live eSports event until the tournament is complete.

[0096] The previous detailed description of the technology herein has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The described embodiments are selected so as to best explain the principles of the technology and its practical application, so as to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the technology in various embodiments and with various modifications suitable for the specific use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the technology be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for creating a winners tournament, the method comprising: Create esports tournaments with multiple diverse professional competitors; generating a ranking for each of the professional competitors, the generated rankings being used to establish matches between the competitors; identifying legitimate remote users capable of participating in the e-sports tournament, the remote users remotely viewing the e-sports tournament on their computing devices, wherein the identifying includes processing user information about each of the remote users; initiating matches of the e-sports tournament between the matched competitors, wherein the outcomes of the initiated matches provide winning competitors and gameplay statistics; detecting the existence of an empty seat within the esports tournament; Selecting from among the identified legitimate remote users to fill the detected slot; requesting authorization from the selected remote user to participate in the e-sports tournament; establishing a player communication channel between the selected remote user and the e-sports tournament, wherein the established player communication channel has less latency than a distribution communication channel used for remote viewing of the e-sports tournament; Using information collected from the e-sports tournament at a specific point in time, a reconstructed viewpoint of the e-sports tournament is provided to selected remote users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying legitimate remote users able to participate in the e-sports tournament includes detecting specific ticket purchases or reservations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying legitimate remote users capable of participating in the e-sports tournament comprises detecting that the remote users have a skill level that satisfies a predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a legitimate remote user capable of participating in the e-sports tournament comprises detecting that the remote user computing device is compatible with the e-sports tournament.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gameplay statistics obtained from the outcome of the match are used to update the generated ranking of each of the professional competitors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting of said legitimate remote users is performed randomly.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the random selection of the legitimate remote user takes into account a weight based on the user's ticket purchase or reservation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the legitimate remote user is performed based on a skill ranking.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the legitimate remote user is made using social media information indicating that the remote user is a fan of one of the competitors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the competition involving fans and competitors utilizes handicaps to provide a more level playing field for less skilled fans.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein authorization of the request includes notifying the remote user that he or she has been selected to participate and confirming a desire to participate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if no user responds to providing user authorization to the request within a predetermined amount of time, selecting a different remote user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein authorization of the request includes verifying that the remote user computing device is compatible with the eSports tournament.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein if the remote user computing device is incompatible, selecting a different remote user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the processed user information about each remote user is stored in a user profile.

16. A system for creating a winners tournament, the system comprising: An event server, wherein the event server: generating a ranking for each of the professional competitors, the generated rankings being used to establish matches between the competitors within an e-sports tournament, initiating matches of the e-sports tournament between the matched competitors, wherein the outcomes of the initiated matches provide winning competitors and gameplay statistics, detecting the presence of an empty seat within the e-sports tournament, the detection providing a notification to a gaming server, A game server, wherein the game server: identifying legitimate remote users who are able to participate in the e-sports tournament, the remote users remotely viewing the e-sports tournament on their computing devices, wherein the identifying includes processing user information about each of the remote users, selecting from among the identified legitimate remote users to fill the detected vacancy; requesting authorization from the selected remote user to participate in the e-sports tournament, establishing a player communication channel between the selected remote user and the event server, wherein the established player communication channel has less latency than a distribution communication channel used to provide the esports tournament data for remote viewing; and providing a reconstructed viewpoint of the e-sports tournament to a selected remote user using information collected from the e-sports tournament at a specific point in time; as well as A plurality of computing devices whereby remote users are able to view the distributed e-sports tournament data and participate in the e-sports tournament.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a program embodied thereon, the program executable by a processor to perform a method for creating a winner tournament, the method comprising: Create esports tournaments with multiple diverse professional competitors; generating a ranking for each of the professional competitors, the generated rankings being used to establish matches between the competitors; identifying legitimate remote users capable of participating in the e-sports tournament, the remote users remotely viewing the e-sports tournament on their computing devices, wherein the identifying includes processing user information about each of the remote users; initiating matches of the e-sports tournament between the matched competitors, wherein the outcomes of the initiated matches provide winning competitors and gameplay statistics; detecting the existence of an empty seat within the esports tournament; selecting from among the identified legitimate remote users to fill the detected vacancy; requesting authorization from the selected remote user to participate in the e-sports tournament; establishing a player communication channel between the selected remote user and the e-sports tournament, wherein the established player communication channel has less latency than a distribution communication channel used for remote viewing of the e-sports tournament; Using information collected from the e-sports tournament at a specific point in time, a reconstructed viewpoint of the e-sports tournament is provided to selected remote users.

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