IP Verse

Methodology For Equalizing Systemic Latencies In Television Reception In Connection With Games Of Skill Played In Connection With Live Television Programming

Patent No. US11185770 (titled "Methodology For Equalizing Systemic Latencies In Television Reception In Connection With Games Of Skill Played In Connection With Live Television Programming") was filed by Winview Ip Holdings Llc on Jun 23, 2020.

What is this patent about?

’770 is related to the field of distributed gaming, specifically addressing latency issues in real-time entertainment like games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events. The background acknowledges the widespread use of mobile devices and the potential for games of skill based on predicting events in televised sports or game shows. A key challenge arises from the fact that television signal reception is not synchronized nationwide, leading to unfair advantages for some participants due to varying delays in receiving the signal.

The underlying idea behind ’770 is to equalize the effects of latency differences in television signal reception to ensure fair competition in real-time entertainment. This involves identifying and mitigating delays caused by systemic propagation delays (e.g., satellite hops, cable processing), arbitrarily imposed broadcast delays, and variances in broadcast times of taped programs. The core insight is that by accounting for these delays, a level playing field can be created for all participants, regardless of their location or television service provider.

The claims of ’770 focus on methods for implementing a game of skill or chance that involves users making selections related to events occurring within a content stream. The independent claims cover determining the geographic location of a device, providing streaming content based on that location, and using a lockout signal triggered by a person at the live event to prevent users from submitting responses after the outcome is known. The claims also address delivering synchronized game data to devices and determining the service provider for each participant.

In practice, the invention works by first determining how each participant receives their television signal (e.g., over-the-air, cable, satellite). Participants are then grouped into cohorts based on their reception method. The amount of delay for each cohort is determined through various methods, such as requiring participants to answer questions about their television service, marking the time of a predetermined event, or using GPS to determine their location. The system then equalizes the cohorts by time-stamping the lockout signals or imposing delays on the entire game data stream, ensuring that all participants receive the lockout signal at approximately the same time relative to the event triggering it.

This approach differs from prior solutions by actively measuring and compensating for latency differences, rather than simply ignoring them. By using a live observer to trigger the lockout , the system can account for delays introduced by the broadcast network and the user's equipment. Furthermore, the invention addresses the specific problem of participants attending a live event having an advantage over those watching on television by creating separate competitions for each group. This ensures that all participants have a fair chance of winning, regardless of their location or television setup.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the mid-2000s when ’770 was filed, games of skill played in connection with live television programming were at a time when mobile devices were increasingly common, but hardware and software constraints made it non-trivial to synchronize game play across different devices and network connections due to systemic latencies in television reception.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner allowed the claims because they recite triggering a lockout signal using a person attending the events related to the streaming content, which prevents users from submitting a response. Prior art discloses similar lockout signals, but uses local clocks, a guard period, and the broadcast origination to secure the system from cheating using broadcast delays. The examiner stated that the prior art does not teach using a person onsite to facilitate the generation of the lockout signal.

Claims

This patent contains 60 claims, with independent claims 1, 20, 35, and 47. The independent claims generally focus on methods for implementing games of skill or chance in conjunction with streaming content, using geographic location data and lockout signals to synchronize gameplay with events in the content. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific aspects of the independent claims, such as the type of streaming content, methods for determining geographic location, and synchronization techniques.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Content stream
(Claim 20, Claim 47)		“Utilizing software resident in the game control server, game control data for each set of viewers/competitors of the game in progress who are receiving their television picture through the same source are batched together by the game control server, and the appropriate delay is either time stamped on the game “lock out” signals, or is imposed on the entire data stream so that competitors receiving their television information slightly behind or ahead of others gain no material competitive advantage.”A stream of data, such as video or audio, that is delivered to each device based on its geographic location and used in conjunction with a game of skill or chance.
Geographic location
(Claim 1, Claim 20, Claim 35, Claim 47)		“In another methodology, the GPS function in the cellular phone is used to determine the physical location of a viewer which is matched to a database of cable lead ends or over the air broadcast stations available to a consumer in that precise location.”The physical location of a device, used to determine the appropriate streaming content to provide.
Lockout signal
(Claim 1, Claim 20, Claim 35, Claim 47)		“One example is a game is based upon a football telecast, wherein competitors predict the play that the coaches and/or quarterback call prior to the snap of the ball. The competitor's prediction is based among other things on their observation of the down, distance and the offensive and defensive formations on the field and tendencies of the teams in these situations. Such a game utilizes a “lock out” signal, as described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,546 to Fascenda, entitled “Game of Skill Playable by Remote Participants in Conjunction with a Live Event,” which is incorporated by reference herein, to prohibit the entry of predictions after the competitor sees the play begin to unfold, at the snap of the ball.”A signal that prevents users from submitting a response to the game after a result is known or after a predetermined event, triggered by a person attending the event related to the streaming content.
Streaming content
(Claim 1, Claim 35, Claim 47)		“The present invention addresses three separate classes of latency issues for the length of time it takes a television signal to reach a viewer in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with television programming. The latency issues are: 1) systemic propagation delays in the delivery of a television signal to a receiver, 2) arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast television signal and 3) variances in precise broadcast times of segments of taped television programs between local and national commercials, sold through syndication to individual television stations.”A stream of data, such as video or audio, that is delivered to a device based on its geographic location and used in conjunction with a game of skill or chance.
Synchronized game data
(Claim 20, Claim 47)		“Utilizing software resident in the game control server, game control data for each set of viewers/competitors of the game in progress who are receiving their television picture through the same source are batched together by the game control server, and the appropriate delay is either time stamped on the game “lock out” signals, or is imposed on the entire data stream so that competitors receiving their television information slightly behind or ahead of others gain no material competitive advantage.”Game-related information that is delivered to each device in coordination with the content stream.

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case NumberFiling DateTitle
3:25-cv-01146Feb 10, 2025Winview Ip Holdings, Llc V. Fanduel, Inc.
3:25-cv-01143Feb 10, 2025Winview Ip Holdings, Llc V. Draftkings Inc.

Patent Family

Patent Family

File Wrapper

The dossier documents provide a comprehensive record of the patent's prosecution history - including filings, correspondence, and decisions made by patent offices - and are crucial for understanding the patent's legal journey and any challenges it may have faced during examination.

  • Date

    Description

  • Get instant alerts for new documents

US11185770

WINVIEW IP HOLDINGS LLC
Application Number
US16909661
Filing Date
Jun 23, 2020
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Apr 12, 2027
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents