CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to South African provisional patent application number 2013/02281 with filing date 27 July 2013, entitled "System and Method for Ownership of Virtual Zones of a Playing Territory", which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to ownership of virtual zones and, more specifically, to a system and method for enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Incentive-driven participation in sports and sporting events is commonly known around the world. Many people participate in competitions, transactions and other activities relating to sporting events on a daily basis and over a wide range of technological platforms.

One way in which incentive-driven participation in sports and sporting events may be carried out, is by awarding benefits to participating parties according to a particular movement of or position of a player or ball during a sporting event.

Gambling games also exist in which benefits are awarded to participating parties when predefined events take place in a specific zone associated with a playing territory such as a playing field. For example, if points are scored in a zone of the playing field selected by a participating party prior to, during or after the commencement of a sporting event, that party may be awarded a prize.

The appeal of the above-mentioned methods of participation may generally be limited to individuals or groups with an interest in gambling or wagering. Furthermore, known methods may not provide a direct sense of participation, responsibility or ownership with regards to the sport or sporting event in question.

A need may thus exist for incentive-driven participation in sports and sporting events which incorporates a direct sense of ownership, participation and/or responsibility.

The present invention aims to address these and other problems, at least to some extent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention there is provided a system for enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory, the system comprising:

a receiving component for receiving dimensions of the playing territory;

a dividing component configured to divide the playing territory into a plurality of virtual zones;

an interface component configured to provide a user interface by which a party is permitted to perform transactions relating to the virtual zones of the playing territory, the transactions including at least a virtual zone ownership transaction by which a party obtains ownership of at least one of the virtual zones; a zone ownership module configured to receive a virtual zone ownership transaction request originating from a party, and to grant or deny the virtual zone ownership transaction request; and

a storing component configured to store records with information relating to transactions performed using the interface component.

The playing territory may be a sports field, and the virtual zones may be provided as a virtual grid overlaying at least part of the sports field.

One or more of the receiving component, the dividing component, the interface component, and the zone ownership module may be associated with a remotely accessible server which is accessible via the user interface.

Further features provide for the receiving component and the dividing component to be provided by a remotely accessible server configured to receive dimensions of the playing territory and divide the playing territory into the plurality of virtual zones; for the zone ownership module to be provided by the remotely accessible server; for the interface component to be provided by the remotely accessible server or by a separate interface server; and for the storing component to be a database associated with the remotely accessible server.

Yet further features provide for the user interface to be an website hosted by means of a web server; for the web server to be the remotely accessible server; for the web server to be an independent web server; and for the user interface to be accessible from an Internet enabled portal provided by an Internet enabled device such as a personal computer or a mobile phone.

Still further features provide for the interface component to be configured to, by means of the user interface, present a party with an option to perform a virtual zone ownership transaction so as to obtain ownership of at least one of the virtual zones; for the user interface to include a social network; and for at least some members of the social network to be owners of the zones of the playing territory.

Even further features provide for the virtual zone ownership transaction to involve buying a virtual zone to obtain ownership of the zone; and for the transactions relating to the virtual zones to further include one or both of competitions and transferring ownership of the zone from one party to another party. Further features provide for the system to include a benefit allocation component configured to allocate benefits to an owner of a zone when a predefined event takes place within the zone or in relation to the zone; for the benefit allocation component to be configured to allocate benefits to the owner of the zone when a set of criteria relating to the zone is met during one or more sports games in the playing territory; for the interface component to be configured to communicate information relating to the benefits to the owner of the zone by means of the user interface; and for the benefits to include at least one prize. Yet further features provide for each virtual zone to include at least one virtual layer containing information relating to the virtual zone and/or an owner thereof, the information being accessible to other parties through the user interface; for the information relating to the virtual zone to include details of transactions performed in relation to the virtual zone; and for the storing component to store the information in one or more database records relating to the owner of the zone.

Still further features provide for the system to further include a layer adding component configured to add additional virtual layers to a zone; for the additional layers to be added and/or configured upon request from the owner of the zone; and for the user interface to be configured to display the virtual layers and the information contained therein. Each additional virtual layer may permit an owner of the zone to perform further transactions in relation to one or more virtual zones of the playing territory, obtain additional benefits and/or share further information with other parties by way of the user interface.

A further feature provides for the layer adding component to be configured to amend or remove one or more of the additional virtual layers upon request from the owner of the zone.

Further features provide for the storing component to store information relating to the virtual layers of the zone; for the records in the database to be updated when information relating to the virtual layers of the zone is changed; and for the records in the database to be updated when a virtual layer is added or removed from a virtual zone.

Yet further features provide for the virtual zone of the playing territory to be situated on the surface of the playing territory; for the virtual zone on the surface of the playing territory to include an area above the playing territory; for the virtual zone of the playing territory to be situated in other areas of the playing territory, such as in proximity to a goal post, in an area above the playing territory, or in an area that may be occupied by spectators; for all of the virtual zones to be of equal surface area; for the virtual zones to be of varying surface area; and for the surface area of all of the virtual zones to be equal to one square foot.

The playing territory may include a plurality of sports fields, each sports field having a grid of virtual zones overlaying at least part of the sports field, and the user interface may permit a party to perform transactions relating to the virtual zones of any one of the sports fields. The invention further provides a method of enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving dimensions of the playing territory;

dividing the playing territory into a plurality of virtual zones;

providing a user interface by which a party is permitted to perform transactions relating to the virtual zones of the playing territory, the transactions including at least a virtual zone ownership transaction by which a party obtains ownership of at least one of the virtual zones;

receiving a virtual zone ownership transaction request originating from a party;

granting or denying the virtual zone ownership transaction request; and

storing a record with information relating to the virtual zone ownership transaction. A further feature provides for the method to include the step of using the user interface to offer at least one of the virtual zones to the party for sale.

The step of receiving a virtual zone ownership transaction request originating from a party may be preceded by the step of presenting, via the user interface, the party with an option to perform a virtual zone ownership transaction, the virtual zone ownership transaction involving purchasing a virtual zone.

Yet further features provide for the method to include one or more of the steps of: if the virtual zone ownership request is granted, issuing a certificate of ownership to the party identifying the party as the owner of at least one zone; providing the certificate of ownership to the owner of the zone by via the user interface; and updating the records stored in the storing component when a change in ownership of a zone takes place. Still further features provide for the method to include one or more of the steps of: updating database records when information relating to the virtual zone is altered; transferring ownership of the zone from one party to another party when the zone is sold by one party to another party; and presenting a party with an option to obtain ownership of a zone after the zone has been sold by one party without transferring ownership thereof to another party.

In order for the invention to be more fully understood, implementations thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, primarily by way of example with reference to the accompanying representations in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of a system for enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory; Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating steps performed in a method of enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory; and, is a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of a system for enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of a system (1 ) for enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory is schematically illustrated in Figure 1 . The system (1 ) includes a number of parties (10, 12) each capable of obtaining or requesting to obtain ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory.

In this embodiment, the system (1 ) includes two categories of parties: a zone owner (10) and an interested party (12). The owner (10) and the interested party (12) are capable of accessing a user interface (14) by which they are permitted to perform transactions relating to the virtual zones of the playing territory. In this embodiment, the user interface (14) is a website provided by an interface component of a remotely accessible server (16). Access to the remotely accessible server (16) may be provided through the website (14). The remotely accessible server (16) may be a web server, or the user interface may be provided by an independent web server separate from the remotely accessible server (16).

In the case of Figure 1 , the remotely accessible server (16) provides the website (16), which may be accessed from an Internet enabled portal provided by an Internet enabled device such as a personal computer (18), a mobile phone (20), or the like.

The remotely accessible server (16) is in communication with a storing component (22), in this embodiment in the form of a database, on which records (24) relating to transactions performed on the website (16) are stored. The system (1 ) further includes a playing territory, which is a sports field (26) in this embodiment.

The remotely accessible server (16) may include a receiving component for receiving dimensions of the sports field (26), for example, by means of input from an administrator of the website (14). The remotely accessible server (16) may further include a dividing component for dividing the playing territory into a plurality of virtual zones. In this embodiment, the surface of the sports field (26) is virtually divided by the remotely accessible server (16) into multiple virtual zones (28). In this way, the virtual zones (28) are provided as a virtual grid overlaying the sports field (26). The remotely accessible server (1 6) may be configured to establish the virtual zones (28) so that they are of equal area, as shown in Figure 1 . It should be noted that zones (28) of varying areas may also be established. The sports field may, for example, be a rugby field or a soccer field. The system (1 ) further includes a zone ownership module (30) configured to receive a virtual zone ownership transaction request originating from a party, and to grant or deny the virtual zone ownership transaction request. The zone ownership module (30) may further be configured to issue certificates of ownership (32), as will be described in greater detail in what follows.

In this embodiment, the zone ownership module (30) is separate from the remotely accessible server (16). In other embodiments, the zone ownership module (30) may be part of the remotely accessible server (16) and, for example, be provided by software installed on the remotely accessible server (16) itself.

It should be appreciated that the playing territory is not limited to the type illustrated in Figure 1 . Furthermore, the virtual zones (28) may be located in other areas of the playing territory, such as only partially covering a playing area, in proximity to a goal post, in an area above the playing territory, or in an area that may be occupied by spectators. In one embodiment, the surface area of all of the virtual zones maybe equal to one square foot. The virtual zones (28) may also have varying or dissimilar areas. The system (1 ) as described with reference to Figure 1 may be used to perform a method of enabling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory. Steps which may be performed in such a method are illustrated by the block diagram (40) of Figure 2.

At a first stage (41 ), the remotely accessible server (16) receives dimensions of the sports field (26) and then divides the sports field (26) into a plurality of virtual zones (28), as described above, at a next stage (42).

At a next stage (43), a user interface is provided by which a party is permitted to perform transactions relating to the virtual zones (28). In this embodiment, the website (16) provides the user interface by means of which the interested party (12) or the owner (10) of one or more of the virtual zones (28) may perform transactions relating to the virtual zones (28) of the sports field (26). The transactions may include at least a virtual zone ownership transaction by which a party obtains ownership of at least one of the virtual zones (28). The virtual zone ownership transaction may involve buying a virtual zone to obtain ownership of the zone.

The interested party (12) accesses the website (14), where the party (12) is presented with an option to obtain ownership of one or more of the virtual zones (28) through purchasing the one or more virtual zones (28). Typically, the website (14) may provide information as to available and/or unavailable zones, cost, duration of ownership, benefits, rules, and the like. It should be appreciated that any appropriate method of payment may be used to purchase one or more of the virtual zones (28), as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The user interface may be used to offer a virtual zone (28) for sale to a party in any suitable manner.

If the party (12) decides to purchase one or more zones (28), the party (12) sends a virtual zone ownership transaction request which is received at the remotely accessible server (16) by means of the website (14). At a next stage (44), the zone ownership module (30) receives the virtual zone ownership request originating from the party via the remotely accessible server (16). If the request is deemed valid and the appropriate payment process is followed, the request may be granted at a next stage (45). Alternatively, the request may be denied. It should be appreciated that the purchase of one or more zones (28) is not limited to a website or an electronic medium. The party (12) may obtain one or more zones (28) without accessing a website, for example, by completing an application form which serves as a virtual zone ownership transaction request. Furthermore, the party (12) may obtain ownership of one or more zones (28) through receiving it as, for example, a gift or a prize.

The zone ownership module (30) may transfer ownership of the one or more virtual zones (28) to the new owner (10) by issuing a certificate of ownership (32) to the owner of the zone (10), the certificate (32) identifying the party as the owner of the particular zone. At a next stage (46), information relating to the virtual zone ownership transaction may be stored in the database (22).

The certificate of ownership (32) may then be made available to the owner of the zone (10). In one embodiment, the certificate of ownership (32) is a physical document which is printed and, for example, posted to the owner (10). The certificate (32) may also be displayed or otherwise provided to the owner (10) on the website (10). It is foreseen that the certificate (32) may include personal information of the owner (10), for example, a name and address, information relating to the zone (28), such as a zone identification number and duration of ownership of the zone (28), as well as a means of verifying authenticity, such as a certificate identification number. The broken line (34) in Figure 1 provides an example of a virtual zone which may be purchased. It should be appreciated that the certificate of ownership (32) may be issued through any other appropriate channel, for example, by means of an e-mail to the owner (10) or by means of the physical delivery of the certificate (32) to the owner (10).

The certificate of ownership (32) may provide login information to enable the party (12) to access the website (14) as the owner (10) of one or more virtual zones (10). New records (24) that are stored in the database (22), containing login information and personal details of the owner (10), may be created once the virtual zone ownership request has been granted by the server (16). The duration of ownership of the one or more zones (28) may be specified by the certificate (32). Ownership may be temporary or permanent, depending on the activities and competitions launched for a specific sports field or sporting code. In one embodiment, the duration of ownership may be annual. After each year, the owner (10) may have the option of renewing ownership for another year. Should the owner (10) choose not to renew ownership, the zone (28), and therefore also the certificate of ownership (32), may become available for resale.

A party's ownership of the one or more zones (28) may also last for the duration of a particular sporting season, after which the owner (10) may have the option of renewing ownership for the next season.

In some embodiments, when the owner (10) of one or more zones (28) accesses the website (14) with the login information obtained from the certificate (32), the owner (10) may be presented with an option to obtain ownership of additional virtual zones (28). The owner (10) may then purchase additional available zones (28), for example, in the manner described above. Furthermore, the owner (10) may be presented with options to perform various other transactions on the website (14). The other transactions may include competitions and transferring ownership of the zone from one party to another party. The owner (10) may take part in competitions relating to the virtual zones (28) or to the sports games played on the sports field (26), sell one or more virtual zones (28) in order to transfer ownership of the one or more zones (28) from the owner (10) to another party, and the owner (10) may sell one or more virtual zones (28) without transferring ownership thereof to a specific party, thereby making the one or more zones (28) available for purchase on the website (14). In such a case, the remotely accessible server (16) may, using the user interface, present a different party with an option to obtain ownership of the zone after the zone has been sold by one party without transferring ownership thereof to another party.

In some embodiments, database records are updated when information relating to a virtual zone is altered. The records stored in the storing component may typically be updated to reflect a change in ownership of a zone.

The system may enable incentive-driven participation in sports by means of, among other things, various benefits that are associated with the ownership of one or more virtual zones (28). The server (16) may include a benefit allocation component configured to allocate benefits to the owner (10) when a predefined event takes place within the zone (28) or in relation to the zone (28) by, for example, awarding a prize to the owner (10) when a try is scored in the zone (28) owned by the owner (10) during a rugby match, or when a penalty is awarded in the zone (28) owned by the owner (10) during a soccer match.

The benefit allocation component may be further configured to allocate benefits to the owner (10) when a set of criteria relating to the zone is met during one or more sports matches on the field (26), for example, when a try is scored within five meters of the zone owned (28) in three consecutive rugby matches. The benefits may include prizes, awards, public recognition, discount on additional zones, virtual points on the website (14) and the like. The interface component of the remotely accessible server (16) may be configured to communicate information relating to the benefits to the owner (10) of the zone by means of the user interface.

Existing database records (24) may be updated when any information relating to one or more of the virtual zones (28) changes, for example, when ownership of one or more zones (28) is transferred from one party to another party when the zone is sold by one party to another party, when the owner (10) modifies personal details on the website (14), when the owner (10) takes part in an activity or competition, or when the result of an activity or competition relates to the owner (10).

It is foreseen that the website (14) may include a social network wherein at least some of the members of the social network are the owners (10) of one or more virtual zones (28) of the sports field (26). The social network may, among other things, provide the owner (10) with the opportunity to create a personal profile, share information regarding the virtual zones (28) or the games played on the sports field (26), acquire information about other owners, take part in competitions launched on the social network, advertise on the social network or the website itself and take part in community interaction.

A second embodiment of a system (50) for enabling and controlling ownership of virtual zones of a playing territory is shown in Figure 2. This embodiment is similar to the system (1 ) of Figure 1 and like reference numerals represent like entities, devices and components. However, this embodiment further illustrates the presence of at least one virtual layer in each of the zones (28) owned by the owner (10).

The system (50) of Figure 3 may function substantially in the same manner as the first embodiment, with the added feature of one or more virtual layers in each of the zones (28) being owned by the owner (10). The broken lines in Figure 3 illustrate various owners (10) and the zones (28) in their possession.

The first, or bottom, virtual layer (52) may be obtained along with ownership of the zone (28) and may include personal information of the owner (10).

A virtual layer may include information relating to the virtual zone it is associated with and/or an owner of the virtual zone. This information may be accessible to other parties through the website (14).

The first layer (52) may remain valid and in existence for the duration of ownership of the zone (28). In the situation where the website (14) includes a social network, the first virtual layer (52) may allow the owner (10) to establish a profile on the social network in order to take part in the activities of the social network including, but not limited to, the activities described above.

The owner (10) may request, by means of the website (14), the addition of one or more additional virtual layers (54). If the request is granted by the remotely accessible server (16) or the zone ownership module (30), the one or more layers (54) are added. The remotely accessible server (16) or zone ownership module (30) may include a layer adding component configured to add additional virtual layers to a zone, and/or to amend or remove one or more of the additional virtual layers upon request from the owner of the zone. The owner (10) may then configure the information and functionality of the one or more layers (54) by means of the website (14).

The additional layers (54) may enable owners (10) of virtual zones (28) to perform further transactions relating to the virtual zones (28) of the sports field (26) or to obtain further or additional benefits as described above. The owner (10) may use the layers (54) to share information with other parties by means of the website (14) or the social network. Also, the addition of layers (54) may serve to differentiate the owner (10) from other owners.

The owner (10) may, for example, obtain a "gold supporter status" layer, which is shared with other parties on the website (14) in order to express the level of participation or commitment shown by the owner (10) with regards to the relevant sporting events. Another example is the addition of a "charity supporter" layer, which may be shared with other parties in order for the owner (10) to express support for a particular community or organisation.

The owner (10) of the zone (28) may request the amendment or removal of the additional virtual layers (54) while retaining ownership of the zone (28) and the first virtual layer (52). The remotely accessible server (16) or the zone ownership module (30) may then carry out the amendment or removal if the request is granted.

Furthermore, existing database records (24) may be updated when any information relating to one or more of the layers (52, 54) changes, for example, when a layer (54) is added or removed, or when the information provided or shared by the owner (10) is amended or removed.

It is envisaged that parties (12) that do not own one or more of the zones (28), as well as parties that have previously owned one or more zones (28), but have not renewed ownership thereof, may have access to a website with less features and possible transactions than the owners (10) of one or more zones (28). For example, parties (12) that do not own a zone (28) may have access to a so-called "freemium" version of the website (14). In one embodiment, the social network may be available only to owners of zones. The invention therefore provides a system and method which may facilitate incentive-driven participation in sports and sporting events. By enabling parties to own and trade in virtual pieces of the territory associated with their preferred teams and sporting organisations, the parties may have the opportunity to experience a direct sense of ownership, entitlement and responsibility. Owners may also use this platform as a social network in order to, among other things, share information, build a personal profile, contribute towards charities and build relationships with individuals that share their interests. The website may also provide interested entities with marketing or branding opportunities, and may interact with other existing social networks.

The above-mentioned features in combination with the opportunity to take part in competitions or obtain benefits relating to the zones or events, may have a synergistic effect in that parties have access to a diverse range of activities, for example, from wagering-based participation to formal information-sharing, on a single platform.

The above description is by way of example only and it should be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the remotely accessible server may be an independent server, with the database, the zone ownership module, or both the database and ownership module in communication with another, remotely accessible server. The remotely accessible server may then provide the interface component to act as an interface server to provide a user interface for communication between users and the remotely accessible server.

In some embodiments, one or more of the receiving component, the dividing component, the interface component, and the zone ownership module may be associated with the remotely accessible server which is accessible via the user interface. It is also foreseen that the database, the zone ownership module, or both the database and the zone ownership module may be managed by one or more external entities. The issuing of certificates of ownership may also be performed by the remotely accessible server without the presence of a zone ownership module in the system. The virtual zones may have any suitable size or shape.

It should be appreciated that references to "playing territory" should throughout this specification be interpreted so as to include multiple playing territories, each playing territory having a separate set of virtual zones associated therewith. The user interface may be a website which provides a party with access to multiple playing territories. For example, the website may provide access to a number of rugby stadiums, each having a grid of virtual zones overlaying its playing field, and a party may be permitted to purchase available virtual zones from one or more desired rugby stadiums. A "playing territory" may thus include more than one sports field.