FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the field of computer-implemented games, and more specifically to a method of controlling data input on a user terminal in a game involving correct and incorrect statements, a method of displaying game data, a user terminal, a server, and computer software for input and display of game data. The invention may relate to a computer-implemented prediction game, and more specifically to a method of controlling data input on a user terminal in a prediction game, a method of displaying prediction data, a user terminal, a server, and computer software for display of prediction game data.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many games, a player is required to judge whether a descriptive text, which may also involve a question, is correct or incorrect, and to indicate in reply the player's choice whether the descriptive text is correct or incorrect. Subsequently, an answer is provided to the player to allow the player to check whether the correct reply was given or not.

As an example, prediction games invite participants to predict or guess a possible outcome of a future event, where the aim of the game is to correctly predict as many as possible future events. The correctness of the prediction follows after the event in question has taken place. Between different participants, a ranking may be established depending from the number of correctly predicted events. This in turn will stimulate the participation in the game.

Prediction games are generally operated online and may or may not have free access for users to play. Points or (cash) prizes are awarded to players who most accurately predict the outcome of an event. In some variants of the prediction game, the awarded points may be converted into cash prizes, while in other variants a cash prize or other prize may be paid or transferred to a participant in the game only after having reached a predetermined result.

US 2009/0054127 discloses an apparatus and method for playing a multi-player future event outcome prediction game involving the prediction or forecasting or guessing of the actual outcomes of a series of pre-defined sequentially occurring future events. Players participating in the prediction game aim to predict correctly, progressively, sequentially and continuously the actual outcome of the entire set of predefined future events included in a game unit.

Although some people will enjoy playing a prediction game in which the outcome of a future event is to be predicted progressively, sequentially and continuously, for a majority of people this will demand too much of their knowledge, time and concentration. Accordingly, the number of participants will remain relatively low, and participants will not regularly play the game for lack of time. Additionally, the game involves complex count of results, thus making it difficult to devise participant strategies, and not stimulating participation.

In these and other games, involving judging a correctness or incorrectness of a statement (as visualized by a descriptive text), a need exists for a suitable user interface to enable a player or user to provide input and to subsequently receive output such that it is immediately clear whether the input given indeed was correct or incorrect.

Thus, a technical problem can be formulated as how to provide a user interface providing simple and effective feedback which will enable a participant to understand the game, for example a prediction game, intuitively, consume little time, and make easy decisions in a game that is very easy to play, allowing a simple and powerful user interface and interaction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be desirable to provide a computer-implemented game, such as a prediction game, having an improved user interface.

To better address this concern, in a first aspect of the invention a computer- implemented method of controlling data input on a user terminal comprising a display in a game according to claim 1 or 20 is provided.

In a second aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method of displaying game data on a display of a user terminal in a game according to claim 12 or 35 is provided.

In a third aspect of the invention, a user terminal for performing the method of the invention according to claim 15, 16, 38 or 39 is provided.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, a server for performing the method of the invention according to claim 17, 18, 40 or 41 is provided.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, a computer program or computer program product is provided comprising computer instructions configured to enable a processor to carry out the method of the present invention according to claim 19 or 42.

These and other aspects of the invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description and considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols designate like parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a prediction game system according to the present invention.

Figure 2 depicts a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a user terminal configured for use in a prediction game system according to the present invention.

Figure 3 depicts a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a server configured for use in a prediction game system according to the present invention.

Figure 4 depicts an embodiment of a data structure for use in a prediction game system, server and method according to the present invention.

Figure 5 depicts a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of the method according to the present invention.

Figure 6 depicts a part of a display showing event regions representing events.

Figure 7 depicts a part of a display showing event regions and a count/level region.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Herein, the term 'game' is used as a description of an interaction of a user with a computer system. This term 'game' is to be construed broadly, and may involve any interaction of a user with a computer system wherein a correctness or incorrectness of a descriptive text is to be indicated by a user, whereafter feedback is provided to the user to indicate whether the descriptive text indeed is/was correct or incorrect. The terms user, player or participant may be used where appropriate.

Figure 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a game system 100. The game system 100 comprises a game server 102 connected through a network 104 to a user terminal 106. A connection between the server 102 and the network 104, and/or a connection between the user terminal 106 and the network 104 may be wired or wirelessly. The server 102 may be an Internet server or any other type of server hosting game software and communication software. The network 104 may comprise any data communication network such as the Internet and/or a telecommunication network providing data communication services. The user terminal 106 may comprise a desktop computer or a personal computer, a television set, a portable device such as a laptop computer, a telephone comprising a display, a smartphone, a Personal Digital Assistant, PDA, and the like. The user terminal 106 has digital communication capabilities. The user terminal 106 may comprise communication software, such as browser software, for communication with the server 102.

Figure 2 schematically shows a user terminal 200 having a user input device 202 for providing input to the server 102, and a display 204 for outputting visual information, received from the server 102, to a user, who may also be referred to as a participant or player in a game. As a user input device 202, the user terminal 200 may comprise a keyboard and/or a mouse or other pointing device allowing to indicate a particular region on the display 204, e.g. by a cursor. Alternatively, the user terminal 200 may comprise a touchscreen device having a touch-sensitive display 204, where a user's finger or other body part, or an object such as a pen or pencil may be used to touch the display 204 in a particular region for providing a user input at the user terminal 200.

The user terminal 200 comprises a communication interface 210 (network

communication circuitry) comprising hardware and software configured to allow the user terminal 200 to communicate with the server 102 (Figure 1 ) or 300 (Figure 3) through the network 104 (Figure 1 ). The user terminal 200 further comprises at least one processor 212 configured to process input data or data items received from the server 102, to process output data or data items to be transmitted to the server 102, to process input data received from the user input device 202 and/or to process output data to the display 204, amongst other tasks. The user terminal 200 further comprises at least one memory 214 which may comprise RAM and/or ROM storage for data to operate the user terminal 200, and may be configured to store data input to, and output from the user terminal 200 temporarily or permanently.

Figure 3 schematically shows a server 300 comprising a communication interface 310 (network communication circuitry), processor 312 and memory 314. The communication interface 310 comprises hardware and software configured to allow the server 300 to communicate with the user terminal 200 (Figure 2) through the network 104 (Figure 1 ). The server 300 further comprises a processor 312 or a plurality of processors configured to process input data or data items received from the user terminal 200, and/or to process output data or data items to be transmitted to the user terminal 200, amongst other tasks. The server 300 further comprises a memory 314 or a plurality of memories which may comprise RAM and/or ROM storage for data to operate the server 300, and to store data input to, and output from the server 300 temporarily or permanently.

Figure 4 illustrates a data structure 400 of different data items in one or more memories of the game system 100, in particular a prediction game system. The data items may be stored in server memory 314, or at any other location where they may be stored and retrieved through server communication interface 310 for use in the system 100. In Figure 4, associations or relations between data or other data items are indicated with dashed lines. The data structure comprises a plurality of event-related data sets 402, 404, 406, ... of a variable number, as indicated by a dash-dotted (part of a) box. Each event-related data set 402, 404, 406 relates to an event in the physical or virtual world that can be predicted (when it is a future event) and observed (when it is a past event) by a person (user, participant) to take place or not. Each event-related data set 402, 404, 406 comprises at least an event data item 410, a status data item 412, and a support data item 414. The event data item 410, status data item 412 and support data item 414 are associated with one another within one event-related data set of the plurality of event-related data sets 402, 404, 406, .... In some embodiments, an event data item 410 comprises text data describing a event. Examples of such event data items 410 are texts "Soccer team wins competition tomorrow" (where a specific soccer team is mentioned), "Smartphone manufacturer launches new operating system" (where the smartphone manufacturer is explicitly named), "Celebrity reveals truth about relationship" (where the celebrity is explicitly mentioned), etcetera. In some

embodiments, a status data item 412 comprises data indicating whether the event is true or false, if the event is a past event, i.e. the event has taken place, and the outcome is known. Here, the status data item 412 is available. However, when the event has not taken place yet, and the outcome is not known yet, the event is a future event, and the status data item 412 is unavailable. In some embodiments, the support data item 414 comprises data representing a still picture, a moving picture, a graphical item, characters, text, or any other data supporting the event data item 410, such as a category descriptor indicating a category of the event (e.g. "society", "technology", "entertainment", etc.).

The data structure further comprises a user identification, user ID, 430 which may have associated with it (as indicated by dashed lines) contact data 440, count data 442, local level data 444, global level data 446 and rank data 448. The contact data 440 comprises data relating to a name, address, city, zip code, e-mail address, etc. of a user. The count data 442 indicate a count of past events predicted correctly by the user identified by the user ID 430 over a predetermined period of time. The local level data 444 may indicate a user level, obtained by the user through past events predicted correctly, for ranking different local users (such a users in a specific geographic region, such as a country) relative to one another. The global level data 446 may indicate a user level, obtained by past events predicted correctly, for ranking users from all distinguished geographic regions relative to one another. The rank data 448 may indicate a specific name corresponding to the value of the count, the local level or the global level, where names e.g. are chosen following a hierarchy. For example, twelve ranks may run from rank 0 (lowest) to rank 1 1 (highest), respectively indicated by: farmer (rank 0), hunter (rank 1 ), explorer (rank 2), merchant (rank 3), gentleman (rank 4), knight

(rank 5), count (rank 6), prince (rank 7), king (rank 8), emperor (rank 9), genius (rank 10) and wizard (rank 1 1 ). As another example, twenty-three ranks may run from rank 0 (lowest) to rank 22 (highest), respectively indicated by: beginner (rank 0), baby (rank 1 ), toddler (rand 2), scholar (ranks 3, 4, 5, 6), student (ranks 7, 8, 9, 10), graduate (rank 1 1 ), employee (rank 12), manager (rank 13), boss (rank 14), teacher (rank 15), researcher (rank 16), scientist (rank 17), professor (rank 18), mastermind (rank 19), genius (rank 20), magician (rank 21 ) and wizard (rank 22).

The user ID 430 further has associated with it (as indicated by dashed lines) a plurality of choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... of a variable number as indicated by a dash-dotted (part of a) box. Each one of the choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... indicates an event status predicted by the user having user ID 430, the event status being the status of a

corresponding event associated with (as indicated with dashed lines) one of the event-related data sets 402, 404, 406, ....

In the system as explained above with reference to Figures 1 -4, a user (participant in a game) may register, and may thereby identify himself/herself by inputting contact data 440. The system will then assign a user ID 430 to the user. Next, the system may operate as follows, as exemplified by a prediction game and illustrated in the flow diagram of Figure 5 and the display views of Figures 6 and 7.

The server 102, 300 (Figures 1 , 3) runs prediction game computer software provided on a computer readable medium such as a storage medium. The computer software comprises computer instructions configured to cause the server, when the software is loaded in one or more processors of the server, to perform operations as described in detail below, in conjunction with a user terminal 106, 200 (Figures 1 , 2) connected to the server 102, 300 through a network 104 (Figure 1 ).

At the server 102, 300, or under control of the server 102, 300, a plurality of event data items 410 (Figure 4), corresponding status data items 412 (Figure 4), and possibly corresponding support data items 414 (Figure 4) each associated with a particular event are stored as event-related data sets 402, 404, 406, ....

When a user has identified himself/herself at the server 102, 300, the server 102, 300 may transmit a number of event data items 410 to the corresponding user terminal 106, 200 (Figure 5, 502). The event data items 410 may be supplemented with a same number of associated support data items 414. In some embodiments, said number is greater than one.

Next, as shown in Figure 6, at the display 204 (Figure 2) of the user terminal 200, a number of (in the embodiment shown, four) event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604 are shown to the user. An event is described in the event region, and may refer to any subject which is susceptible to prediction, i.e. which either may, or may not occur in the future, depending on circumstances. Such subjects include (the result of) a sports event, a social event, a political event, a financial event, or any other event. Each event region 601 , 602, 603, 604 comprises an event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a, respectively, configured to display an event text in accordance with one of the event data items 410 received. Each event region 601 , 602, 603, 604 may further comprise a support region 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b, respectively, configured to display support information in accordance with one of the support data items 414 received, where the event data item 410 and the support data item 414 are associated with the same future event for a particular one of the regions 601 , 602, 603, 604. In the embodiment of Figure 6, four event data items 410 and four associated support data items 414 are transmitted to the user terminal 200.

Each event region 601 , 602, 603, 604 further comprises a first reply region 601 c,

602c, 603c, 604c, respectively, and a second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, respectively. Each first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c is visually distinguished from the adjacent second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, respectively. As an example, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 6, each first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c is marked with an "X", whereas each second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d is marked with a "check" ("V") sign. Alternatively, or additionally, each first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c may have a first color, such as red, whereas each second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d may have a second color contrasting with the first color, the second color e.g. being green.

A first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c may be selected to indicate that the associated future event as indicated in the corresponding event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a and support region 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b, respectively, is predicted by the user not to take place. By contrast, a second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d may be selected by the user to indicate that the associated future event as indicated in the

corresponding event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a and support region 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b, respectively, is predicted by the user to take place.

For a particular event region 601 , 602, 603, 604, a user may select either the first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c, or the second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, respectively, through control of the input device 202 (Figure 2). In some embodiments, the input device 202 may comprise a computer mouse to control a cursor on the display 204 to position it in a region of choice, and thereafter clicking on a mouse button to confirm the selection. In some embodiments, the input device 202 may comprise a touch screen, where an object such as a human finger or other body part, or a pencil may be used to touch the screen at a selected region, thereby confirming the selection.

After making the selection, the selected first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c, or the selected second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, respectively, for a particular event is highlighted in an appropriate way. In some embodiments, initially, when no selection has been made yet, the first reply regions 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c and second reply regions 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d may be shaded (displaying no, or a bleak color). When a selection has been made for an event in a particular event region 601 , 602, 603, 604, the selected first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c, or the selected second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, respectively, may turn to show a bright color, whereas the adjacent other reply region remains uncolored, or a bleak color.

In some embodiments, when a selection has been made for an event in a particular event region 601 , 602, 603, 604, the selected first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c, or the selected second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, respectively, may be enlarged to cover the previous total area of the first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c and the second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, respectively. For example, Figure 7 illustrates such embodiment in which choices have been made for the event regions 601 (indicating the event associated with event region 601 predicted by the user not to take place) and 603 (indicating the event associated with event region 603 predicted by the user to take place).

Returning to Figure 6, when the user has confirmed a selection, a choice data item 420, 422, 424, ... (Figure 4) is generated in association with the user ID 430 (Figure 4) and the particular event, e.g. as identified by its event data item 410 (Figure 4). At the server 102, 300 or at a storage under control of the server 102, 300, each choice data item 420, 422, 424, ... generated by the user is received (Figure 5, 504) and stored in association with the corresponding event data item 410 and the user ID 430 (Figure 5, 506).

In some embodiments, when a number of event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604 are shown on the display 204, a user is allowed to indicate his/her prediction only for a lower number of events then there are event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604. Hereby, the user is free to choose to make a prediction for a predetermined maximum number of events, and free to choose not to make a prediction for one or more other ones (Figure 5, 507). Thus, the user may choose to make predictions for events of a category he/she is (or believes to be) more comfortable or familiar with than with other ones. In some embodiments, the number of event-related data sets 402, 404, 406 used to build associated event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604 is at least twice as high as the number of choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... to be received from the user. As illustrated in Figure 7, if a maximum of two selections out of four are allowed to be made, after having made the second (last) selection, the remaining first reply regions 602c, 604c, and the remaining second reply regions 602d, 604d cannot be selected any more, as illustrated in Figure 7.

The likelihood of the event occurring in future may vary, but in principle the event may or may not occur so that for a particular event, mere guessing of the occurrence of the future event results in a 50% chance of making the wrong or right selection.

For the future events as shown in the event regions 610, 602, 603, 604, choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... can be generated by the user only during a particular time period which ends at a specified time (which may also be referred to as a closing time), when the event has not taken place yet. The closing time may be a particular point in time at a day, where the local time of the user may or may not be taken into account. Once the user has transmitted his/her predictions in the form of choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... received and stored by the server 102, 300, the user will have to wait at least until after said closing time before he/she may conclude whether or not his/her predictions were correct or not. In some embodiments, the user will have to wait at least until after said closing time before he/she may make new predictions for new future events.

At least some time after said closing time, the future events related to the event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604 will take place (Figure 5, 508), thus becoming past events, and then it will be known whether the events have taken place or not, in other words: which value the status data item 412 (Figure 4) for each one of the past events should take. The status data items 412 are updated accordingly (Figure 5, 510).

Then, for each choice data item 420, 422, 424, ... input by the user during a predetermined time period, or for a predetermined number of past events, the choice data item 420, 422, 424, ... is compared to the status data item 412 for the corresponding past event (Figure 5, 514), until the last choice data item 420, 422, 424, ... has been compared to the status data item 412 for the corresponding past event (Figure 5, 512).

If the choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... input by the user over a predetermined time period are, at a specific time, compared to the corresponding status data items 412, the predetermined time period precedes said specific time, and has a predetermined relationship with said specific time. For example, said specific time is a predetermined time of day. Then, in some embodiments, said predetermined time period may be a fixed length time interval, and extend up to and including the day immediately preceding the day having said specific time.

If the choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... input by the user relate to a predetermined number of past events, and are, at a specific time, compared to the corresponding status data items 412, the past events for which a prediction was made by the user may precede said specific time and have a predetermined relationship with said specific time. In some embodiments, the number of past events for which a prediction was made by the user relate to the youngest past events preceding said specific time. Said predetermined number of past events may e.g. be twenty-two, whereby the user may have made, as a minimum, not a single correct prediction, and as a maximum, twenty-two correct predictions.

It is noted that a user need not participate in the prediction game every time that new event data items 410 are generated. Reasons for not participating may be lack of time, inability to participate, or any other reason. When the above comparison between choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... is made over a predetermined period of time, the number of predictions input by the user over said predetermined period of time may drop as a result of non-participation, and consequently, the number of correct predictions may also drop as a result of this non-participation. When, however, the above comparison between choice data items 420, 422, 424, ... is made for past events for which actually a prediction was made by the user, the number of predictions input by the user will not change as a result of non- participation, and consequently, the number of correct predictions will also not change as a result of this non-participation.

If, in these comparisons, the choice data item 420, 422, 424, ... corresponds to the status data item, count data 442 (Figure 4) associated with the user ID 430 is incremented (Figure 5, 516). In the example explained with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the count data 442 may not be incremented when the user has made two wrong predictions, the count data 442 may be incremented once when the user has made one right prediction and one wrong prediction, and the count data 442 may be incremented twice when the user has made two rights predictions. Count data 442 may be shown to the user through the display 204.

In some embodiments, the count data 442 for correct predictions may (also) be stored as a level and shown on the display 204. In an embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 7, an indicator shaped as an arrow 700 indicates a number of correct predictions (here: ten) within a set of 22 predictions made by the user, and listed in prediction number region 702 displayed as a scale. Other types of images to provide the same information to a user through the display 204 may include a tachometer-type display having an indicator pointing at a number listed along a scale.

When the level is used locally, i.e. only for ranking among a particular group of users among the total number of users, count data 442 may be stored as local level data 444 and shown on the display 204 in a region 610, whereas when the level is used for ranking among the total number of users, count data 442 may be stored as global level data 446 and shown on the display 204 in a region 612.

In some embodiments, global level data 446 reflect the number of predictions made by the user from a particular point in time (e.g. the time the user started to participate in the prediction game). When the global level data 446 reach or exceed a predetermined level, e.g. 100, the user may participate in another (global) version of the prediction game, playing against other players having also reached or exceeded said predetermined global level. In some embodiments, when a predetermined level of count data 442 is reached, the global level data 446 may be incremented with a bonus number.

The user may retrieve event regions for past events, to inspect his/her own prediction results over a past period of time. For this purpose, a display view of, or similar to Figure 7 may be used. To provide easy and powerful feedback to the user to indicate whether or not the user made a correct or an incorrect prediction, two different colors may be used for coloring a respective event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a and a respective one of the first reply regions 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c or the second reply regions 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d in the event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604. If a first color, e.g. green, is used to indicate that the past prediction was correct, an event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a stating a correct prediction may be provided with the first color. If a second color different from the first color, e.g. red, is used to indicate that the past prediction was incorrect, an event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a stating an incorrect prediction may be provided with the second color. Now, for the first reply regions 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c, indicating that the user predicted the event to take place, the first color is selected, whereas for the second reply regions 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d, the second color is selected.

Referring to Figure 7, supposing that the event associated with event region 601 did take place, the event description region 601 a will be colored the first color, such as green. However, the first reply region 601 c for the event region 601 is colored the second color, such as red, following the prediction of the user. The user, seeing at a glance two different colors in the same event region 601 , immediately and effortlessly understands that for this event his/her count was not incremented, since he/she made an incorrect prediction. On the other hand, supposing that the event associated with event region 603 also did take place, the event description region 603a will be colored the first color, such as green. Likewise, the second reply region 603d for the event region 603 is also colored the first color, such as green, following the prediction of the user. The user, here seeing at a glance the event description region 603a and the second reply region 603d in the same color, will immediately and effortlessly understand that for this event his/her count was incremented, since he/she made a correct prediction.

The remaining event regions 602, 604 may have event description regions 602a, 604a, first reply regions 602c, 604c, and second reply regions 602d, 604d which may not carry any particular indication or color, or may even not be present, which in particular may be the case for the reply regions.

The prediction game as described above may further have a training mode in which event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604 for past events may be retrieved and choice data items for the corresponding events may be generated by the user as described above in relation with Figures 5 and 6. Correct and incorrect predictions may be checked by thereafter in a user interface explained in conjunction with Figure 7.

In Figures 6 and 7, in a preferred embodiment one or more of the event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604, the event description regions 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a, the support regions 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b, the first reply regions 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c and the second reply regions 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d has a substantially rectangular shape. One or more corners of the event regions 601 , 602, 603, 604, the event description regions 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a, the support regions 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b, the first reply regions 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c and the second reply regions 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d may be rounded. An event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a preferably has a smaller area than a support region 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b. A first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c preferably is located next to a second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d. A combination of a first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c and a second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d preferably extends across a width of the event region 601 , 602, 603, 604. A first reply region 601 c, 602c, 603c, 604c and a second reply region 601 d, 602d, 603d, 604d preferably are located below an event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a. An event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a preferably is located below, or at a lower side of, a support region 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b, where the event description region 601 a, 602a, 603a, 604a may be partly transparent to show part of the support region 601 b, 602b, 603b, 604b.

As part of the prediction game, the user is challenged to participate on a regular basis. In an embodiment, the user may play the prediction game once a day. Referring to the example above, every day the count may be incremented twice at maximum. When a count (score of correct predictions) over a preceding time period of 1 1 days is considered, the count may have been incremented twenty-two times at maximum in this time period. For each day that a user does not participate in the prediction game during the immediately preceding time period, the count will be decremented twice. So, the user, in order not to lose count value, is challenged to participate every day during extended periods of time. This is easily done, and may take less than a minute per day. On the other hand, when the user misses one day out of a sequence of days, he/she will still retain most of the count previously established, thereby stimulating his/her continued participation in the game.

Participants may be stimulated to continue to participate further by awarding prizes when a count or local level or global level has reached a certain level. This may be done in a local competition only taking into account counts or local levels of users of a particular group amongst the total number of participants, or in a global competition taking into account counts or global levels of all of the participants.

In a generalized way, an event region may be indicated as a subject region, and an event description region may be indicated as a subject description region. The subject region has a subject description region containing a descriptive text which may be correct or incorrect. The subject region may further comprise one or two reply regions. The subject region may further comprise a support region.

One or more of such subject regions may be used to interact with a user in the same way as has been explained above for event regions, as far as the selection of a reply region of a subject region is concerned, and as far as the display of the correctness or incorrectness of the selection of a reply region is concerned. Other features as explained in the above embodiment of a prediction game may or may not be omitted, such as the illustrated feature of counting results, establishing levels, time restrictions, etc..

In a subject region, the descriptive text may not only refer to an event, but may also refer to statements relating to facts (or deemed facts) in other fields and for other purposes, such as for advertizing, market research, education and business (including government bodies and NGOs) to business, or business to consumer communication. Accordingly, the user interface of subject regions (as described specifically above for future events and for past events) may be used in a general way for a general game environment in which a user (or participant, or player) is given a choice to judge a descriptive text as being correct or incorrect, and subsequently feedback may be provided to the user (or participant, or player) in a subject region to show a correctness or incorrectness of the user's choice and the descriptive text.

As an example, the user interface of the present invention may be applied in market research by any company or organization to investigate how people think about a particular issue. Through the user interface showing one or more subject regions, such as one or more of regions 601 , 602, 603 or 604 in Figure 6, one or more statements relating to the issue may be made. An example of such a statement is: "Dutch soccer team will be in semi-final during European championship". Here, a user in fact is asked to indicate whether or not he/she agrees to the presented issue, e.g. believes that the presented issue will happen. In fact, according to the method of the invention, the following steps are taken:

displaying at least one subject region on a display, the subject region comprising: a subject description region configured to display a descriptive text about the issue at hand; and

a first reply region and a second reply region,

detecting, in the at least one subject region, a user input indicating one of the first and second reply regions; and

providing, as a result of detecting the user input, in the at least one subject region, at least said one of the first and second reply regions with a color different from a color of the other one of the first and second reply regions to confirm the user input.

Other issues may be presented. After collecting all user inputs, a conclusion may be drawn which opinion or belief the users of the system as a group have on the issue. In a user interface showing one or more subject regions, such as one or more of regions 601 , 602, 603 or 604 in Figure 7, the outcome of the market research may be presented to the user in a later stage, indicating e.g. on which of the issues a majority of users have presented a similar input or not. In fact, according to the method of the invention, the following steps are taken: displaying at least one subject region on a display, the subject region comprising: a subject description region configured to display a descriptive text about the issue at hand; and

a reply region for displaying a user selection of an indication of a correctness or incorrectness of the descriptive text,

wherein, for each subject region:

if the descriptive text indicated in the subject region was indicated to be correct by a majority of users, providing the subject description region with a first color;

if the descriptive text indicated in the subject region was indicated to be incorrect by a majority of users, providing the subject description region with a second color different from the first color;

if the reply region displays a user selection of the descriptive text to be correct, providing the subject description region with the first color; and

if the reply region displays a user selection of the descriptive text to be incorrect, providing the subject description region with the second color.

As another example, the user interface of the present invention may be applied by any company or organization in a game testing factual knowledge of a user. Through the user interface showing one or more subject regions, such as one or more of regions 601 , 602, 603 or 604 in Figure 6, one or more facts may be presented. An example of such a fact is: "2.5% of all water in the world is sweet". Here, a user in fact is asked to indicate whether or not this fact is (believed to be) true. In fact, according to the method of the invention, the following steps are taken:

displaying at least one subject region on a display, the subject region comprising: a subject description region configured to display a descriptive text of the fact; and

a first reply region and a second reply region,

detecting, in the at least one subject region, a user input indicating one of the first and second reply regions; and

providing, as a result of detecting the user input, in the at least one subject region, at least said one of the first and second reply regions with a color different from a color of the other one of the first and second reply regions to confirm the user input.

Other facts may be presented. Such facts may be in a same category, such as relating to nature, to insurance, to energy, etc.. After collecting one or more user inputs, the user may receive the correct indication of the facts to be true or not. In a user interface showing one or more subject regions, such as one or more of regions 601 , 602, 603 or 604 in Figure 7, the outcome of the game may be presented to the user in a later stage. In fact, according to the method of the invention, the following steps are taken:

displaying at least one subject region on a display, the subject region comprising: a subject description region configured to display a descriptive text of the fact; and

a reply region for displaying a user selection of an indication of a correctness or incorrectness of the descriptive text,

wherein, for each subject region:

if the descriptive text indicated in the subject region was indicated to be correct, providing the subject description region with a first color;

if the descriptive text indicated in the subject region was indicated to be incorrect, providing the subject description region with a second color different from the first color; if the reply region displays a user selection of the descriptive text to be correct, providing the subject description region with the first color; and

if the reply region displays a user selection of the descriptive text to be incorrect, providing the subject description region with the second color.

As explained above, in a prediction game method, system en server, data are transmitted and received through a network between a server and a user terminal. Computer software is provided to store a plurality of event data items and corresponding status data items, indicating whether the corresponding event has taken place or not, each data item associated with an event. A plurality of event data items for future events are transmitted to a user identified by a user identification. At least one choice data item transmitted by the user is received, each choice data item relating to a corresponding event data item, and indicating whether the user predicts the future event indicated by the corresponding event data item to take place or not. Received choice data item are stored in association with the corresponding event data item and the user identification. When an event becomes a past event, the corresponding status data item is updated. Then, for each user, the stored choice data items are compared with the corresponding status data items of past events. If the stored choice data item corresponds to the status data item, a count associated with the user identification is incremented. The count is stored in association with the user identification, and the count is transmitted to the user.

As further explained above, and more generally, in a computer-implemented method of controlling data input on a user terminal having a display in a game, one or more subject regions are displayed on the display. Each subject region has a subject description region configured to display a text indicating a subject, and a first reply region and a second reply region. In the subject region, a user input indicating one of the first and second reply regions is detected. Then, in one of the subject regions, at least said one of the first and second reply regions is provided with a color different from a color of the other one of the first and second reply regions. Further, the method provides for displaying at least one subject region on the display, where the subject region has a subject description region configured to display a descriptive text indicating a subject, and a reply region for displaying a user selection of a correctness or incorrectness of the descriptive text. For each subject region, if the descriptive text indicated in the subject region was correct, the subject description region is provided with a first color. If the descriptive text indicated in the subject region was incorrect, the subject description region is provided with a second color different from the first color. If the reply region displays a user selection of a correctness of the descriptive text, the subject description region is provided with the first color. If the reply region displays a user selection of an incorrectness of the descriptive text, the subject description region is provided with the second color.

A subject may be a (future) event. As also explained above, in a computer- implemented method of controlling data input on a user terminal having a display in a prediction game, a plurality of subject regions are displayed on the display. Each subject region has a subject description region configured to display a text indicating a future event, and a first reply region and a second reply region. In one of the subject regions, a user input indicating one of the first and second reply regions is detected. Then, in one of the subject regions, at least said one of the first and second reply regions is provided with a color different from a color of the other one of the first and second reply regions. Further, the method provides for displaying a plurality of subject regions on the display, where each subject region has a subject description region configured to display a text indicating a past event, and a reply region for displaying a user selection of a prediction of the event to happen or not. For each subject region, if the past event indicated in the subject region did happen, the subject description region is provided with a first color. If the past event indicated in the event region did not happen, the event description region is provided with a second color different from the first color. If the reply region displays a user selection of a prediction of the event to happen, the event description region is provided with the first color. If the reply region displays a user selection of a prediction of the event not to happen, the event description region is provided with the second color.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention.

The terms "a" or "an", as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language, not excluding other elements or steps). Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims or the invention.

The term "data item" relates to computer data which together represent coded information. For the purpose of the present invention, the term may be deemed equivalent with the term "information".

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

A single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims.

The terms computer software, program, software application, and the like as used herein, are defined as a set of instructions designed for execution on a computer system. A program, computer program, or software application may include a subroutine, a function, a procedure, an object method, an object implementation, an executable application, an applet, a servlet, a source code, an object code, a shared library/dynamic load library and/or other sequence of instructions designed for execution on a computer system.

A computer program may be stored and/or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.