Fantasy sports data analysis for game structure development

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11358060-B2
Application number	US-202016939700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2020
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

In an aspect, fantasy sports data is analyzed to generate and/or manage the delivery of and user experience of fantasy sports games and contests, including timing and payout structure(s) for short-term fantasy contests, such as daily, weekly, etc. fantasy sports contests, that motivate and appeal to contestants and is/are reasonably structured and concisely represented. In yet another aspect, a daily fantasy contest system is provided to automatically adjust to user demand without overshooting profitable levels and offer a variety of different contests, as well as offer contests with guaranteed and non-guaranteed payouts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
creating, by a computing device, an initial number of instances of a contest during a first portion of a contest generation period associated with the contest;
identifying, by the computing device, second and third portions of the contest generation period, the second portion being prior to the third portion and the third portion being a predetermined amount of time before the start time of the contest;
for the second portion of the contest generation period:
estimating, by the computing device, a number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period; and
creating, by the computing device, an additional number of instances using the estimated number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period; and
for the third portion of the contest generation period:
prohibiting creation of any instances of the contest.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the computing device, a parameter indicating the initial number of instances of the contest.

3. The method of claim 2 , obtaining further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, the initial number of instances of the contest from a provider of the contest.

4. The method of claim 1 , the estimating further comprising:
using a number of contest participants joining during the second portion of the contest generation period of at least one other contest in determining the estimated of the number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period.

5. The method of claim 1 , the estimating further comprising:
making an initial estimate of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period using a number of contest participants joining during the second portion of the contest generation period of at least one previous contest;
determining a number of openings remaining in the initial number of instances; and
determining the estimated number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period using the initial estimate and the determined number of openings remaining in the initial number of instances.

6. The method of claim 5 , the creating further comprising:
using an entry slot capacity associated with each of the initial number of instances of the contest in making a determination that the estimated number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period is less than the entry slot capacity; and
setting the number of additional contest instances to one.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
setting the entry slot capacity of the one additional contest instance to the estimated number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period.

8. The method of claim 1 , each instance of the additional number of instances replaces a filled contest instance.

9. The method of claim 1 , each instance of the additional number of instances has a number of entry slots set in accordance with an entry slot capacity associated with each of the initial number of instances of the contest.

10. The method of claim 1 , the additional number of instances is set to zero if a start time of the contest is within a given amount of time.

11. The method of claim 10 , the given amount of time falls with the third portion of the contest generation period.

12. The method of claim 1 , creating the additional number of instances further comprising:
ensuring that the additional number of instances satisfies a maintenance number of contest instances.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring, by the computing device, activity of participants of the contest; and
adjusting, by the computing device, the initial number of instances of a different contest in accordance with the activity.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
in accordance with the activity of the participants of the contest, adjusting, by the computing device and for the different contest, a maintenance number of instances used in creating the additional number of instances in the second portion of the contest generation period of the different contest.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device perform a method comprising:
creating an initial number of instances of a contest during a first portion of a contest generation period associated with the contest;
identifying second and third portions of the contest generation period, the second portion being prior to the third portion and the third portion being a predetermined amount of time before the start time of the contest;
for the second portion of the contest generation period:
estimating a number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period; and
creating an additional number of instances using the estimated number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period; and

for the third portion of the contest generation period:
prohibiting creation of any instances of the contest.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the estimating further comprising:
making an initial estimate of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period using a number of contest participants joining during the second portion of the contest generation period of at least one previous contest;
determining a number of openings remaining in the initial number of instances; and
determining the estimated number of potential contest participants likely to enter the contest during the second portion of the contest generation period using the initial estimate and the determined number of openings remaining in the initial number of instances.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , creating the additional number of instances further comprising:
ensuring that the additional number of instances satisfies a maintenance number of contest instances.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
monitoring activity of participants of the contest; and
adjusting the initial number of instances of a different contest in accordance with the activity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , further comprising:
in accordance with the activity of the participants of the contest, adjusting, for the different contest, a maintenance number of instances used in creating the additional number of instances in the second portion of the contest generation period of the different contest.

20. A computing device comprising:
a processor;
a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
creating logic executed by the processor for creating an initial number of instances of a contest during a first portion of a contest generation period asso

Assignees

• Yahoo Assets Llc

Inventors

• Thaler Justin
• Sviridenko Maxim
• Liberty Edo
• Uppal Prerit
• Belmarch Ron
• Shen Jerry

Classifications

• G07F17/3288 Primary

  Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking · CPC title

• G07F17/3244

  Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes · CPC title

• A63F13/65 Primary

  automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition · CPC title

• G07F17/3276

  wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament · CPC title