62results about How to "Stay interested" patented technology

A computer system representing user preferences in an N-dimensional preference topography and making recommendations based on such topography. The preference topography depicts user ratings of products in a recommendation database. Each product is represented by a product vector associated with N objectively measurable characteristics. The user rating of a product, therefore, represents the user's preference for the particular combination of the N objectively measurable characteristics making up the product. In making a recommendation of products to the user, the system assigns a rating to each product in the recommendation database based on the preference topography. The system then selects a plurality of maximally unique choices from the rated products for recommendation to the user. These maximally unique choices are calculated to be as diverse from one another as possible but still to the user's liking. In another embodiment of the invention, the system identifies portions of the N-dimensional rating space for which the user has indicated a positive association (a positive preference cluster) or a negative association (a negative preference cluster). In making a recommendation of a potential product, the system determines the similarities of products that fall in the positive preference cluster with the potential product. The system also takes into account the products that fall in the nearest negative cluster and determines the similarities with such products and the potential product. In one particular aspect of the invention, the system presents a virtual character for making the usage of the system more user-friendly and interesting. The virtual character is programmed to interact with the user for obtaining user ratings of products and thus determining where the user preferences lie.

A method of playing a fantasy sport that relates to forming at least two fantasy teams, in which each team is associated with at least one actual player from an actual sport that is played over a multiple-game schedule, selecting a plurality of scoring statistics based on actual scoring statistics associated with the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team, selecting a series corresponding to a portion of an actual schedule of the sport, and determining and evaluating the scoring statistics accrued by the fantasy team during the course of the selected series. The series includes a number of games that is less than the total games in the schedule of the actual sport over a season. A system and an article of manufacture for playing the fantasy sport are also provided.

The present invention provides a game that uses a standard deck of cards and enables play in several poker activities at once. The invention provides a method of playing Poker games that allows a player to have an interest in a current game even after folding his hand. This is achieved in part by a method of playing a card game played with a standard deck of fifty-two cards by two to seven original players, comprising a first step of each player posting a first wager and a second wager. At least a portion of this first wager is allocated to a jackpot fund wherein after all remaining river players have selected said declared hands, the following awards are distributed:(1) wagers are awarded to the remaining river player(s) holding the winning declared hand(s) in accord with a standard poker rank;(2) a bonus pay is awarded to each of said remaining river player(s) in accord with a scale; and(3) a jack pot is awarded to all remaining river player(s) if two or more players declared hands equal to or exceed a set jackpot rank.

A playset system for toy vehicles, preferably wheeled toy vehicles, the playset system having multiple levels including a base level, having one or more and preferably two or more base segments that are interconnectable; and a roadway level having one or more and preferably two or more segments that are interconnectable, wherein the roadway level is located on an upper surface of the base level. In a preferred embodiment, the playset system is specifically designed and scaled to accommodate die cast vehicles, preferably 1:64 scale die cast vehicles that are known in the art. The playset in preferred embodiments utilizes magnetic fields to operatively connect the components of the base level to components of the roadway level.

A game program recognizes a graphic drawn by a player with an input device such as a touch pen (30). An icon corresponding to the graphic is matched and displayed on a display section (20). With such a configuration, the player is able to create a desired icon at a desired position. Thus, the content of the game program may be customized freely and varies widely. Accordingly, the player is able to enjoy a drawing operation with a touch pen. At the same time, it is possible to enhance the flexibility of the development of the game story.

A gaming machine capable of maintaining the interest of a player even when the gaming machine does not work normally. For, example, a slot machine (10) comprises a display device (30) for displaying an image, and an image state control unit for controlling the display device (30) to display an image relating to a game. The slot machine (10) may be characterized in that the image state control unit controls the display device into a predetermined state upon determination that an image signal relating to the image provided to the display device fails to satisfy a predetermined condition.

An educational aid is provided for teaching a sequence, including groups and subgroups within the sequence, to a student. In one embodiment, the educational aid is a set of mats. The mats bear information about the sequence, such as the sequence members and the groups and subgroups within the sequence. The mats are arranged in sequential order to form a navigable path. The path is repeatedly traversed by the student. As the student becomes knowledgeable about the sequence, the path is arranged such that traversal is more difficult. The path includes test points for evaluating the student's knowledge of the sequence. The changeable path and varying test points make the path incrementally more or less complex or equally complex at each progression through the teaching process. A competitive game is presented in which two or more students compete to complete increasingly complex paths.

A game program recognizes a graphic drawn by a player with an input device such as a touch pen (30). An icon corresponding to the graphic is matched and displayed on a display section (20). With such a configuration, the player is able to create a desired icon at a desired position. Thus, the content of the game program may be customized freely and varies widely. Accordingly, the player is able to enjoy a drawing operation with a touch pen. At the same time, it is possible to enhance the flexibility of the development of the game story.

A rule (applied to a battle) is set according to a stage of the progress of a game every time the stage of the game advances. When a battle is started, either a player character or an enemy character that can execute an action is determined. When it is decided that the player character can execute the action, a player selects the action of the player character. When the action selected by the player is against a rule, a rule violation is recorded. When the result of the action of the player character is also against a rule, a rule violation is recorded. When the rule violation is recorded, a predetermined penalty is imposed on the player after the battle ends.

A card game of Blackjack including a novel side wager. If a Player has made the side wager, two dice are rolled. If the sum of the two rolled dice is 2, 3 or 12, the side bet is automatically lost similar to the Come-Out roll in the game of craps. If the dice sum is 7 or 11, the side bet is automatically won. If the dice sum is anything other, a Point is established. As in traditional Blackjack, each Player is dealt two cards face up, and the Dealer is dealt two cards—one face up. A Player wins the side bet if one of their dealt cards has a face value equal to the Point, or if the sum of their dealt cards equals the Point. Several variations on the basic game method are described. According to one variation, the side wager is resolved uniformly for all Players that have made the optional side wager based on the Dealer's initial up card or on the Dealer's first two cards when both are revealed. The invention may be implemented as a live table game in conjunction with the card game Blackjack, or in electronic implementations were the cards, playing surface, and dice are simulated on a display screen through the action of a non-transitory computer readable medium coded with instructions and executed by a processor.

The invention provides an intelligent toy system with a network interaction function. The intelligent toy system comprises a toy provided with a slot. A first identification chip storing identification codes is internally installed in the slot; the toy is connected with an intelligent core component by the slot; the intelligent core component is wirelessly connected with a central control unit; the central control unit is connected with a content server. The invention also provides a control method for an intelligent toy with the network interaction function. The control method comprises the step of issuing a corresponding control command by the content server through each identification code of the toy and each input operation made on the toy by a user. According to the intelligent toy system and the control method provided by the invention, by realizing the network interaction function on a common toy, virtual characters in fairy tales / games are presented on the physical toy, and the toy can interact with the user. All interactive content is stored in the content server, and is downloaded in real time, and therefore, the interactive content is updated according to the preference of the user to keep the interest of the user.

A method for providing an electronic document to a user in which the electronic document has one or more pages and one or more content placeholders associated with the pages. The method includes the steps of: providing content for insertion into the electronic document, inserting content into one or more content placeholders in response to a request by the user, and displaying the one or more pages of the electronic document with the content inserted in the one or more content placeholders.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for enhancing the value of prerecorded works such as movies and music, as well as computer games, by randomly choosing alternative content segments at different points within the work, thereby potentially offering the user a different experience each time the work is played. This invention is suitable for use with specially prepared music, movies, videos, computer games and the like, wherein a plurality of interchangeable parallel or sequential content segments are specified. At each time point where such content segments are specified, the instant method selects randomly from them for presentation to the user.

A lottery instant win game card simulating a Hold'Em Poker styled card game with multiple chances of winning for a player. The instant game card includes at least two sets of player hands and at least two sets of opponent hands, with at least two sets of community cards, and at least two prizes. The player can combine one set of the player hands with either set of community cards to form a strongest hand for that set of player hands. The strongest player hand is compared against the strongest opponent hand. If the player wins, the player wins the prize associated with that winning player hand.

An electronic catch-and-throw game is disclosed that requires physical skill, logical thought, and advancing complexity in order to challenge players of all skill levels and hold their interest.

A rule (applied to a battle) is set according to a stage of the progress of a game every time the stage of the game advances. When a battle is started, either a player character or an enemy character that can execute an action is determined. When it is decided that the player character can execute the action, a player selects the action of the player character. When the action selected by the player is against a rule, a rule violation is recorded. When the result of the action of the player character is also against a rule, a rule violation is recorded. When the rule violation is recorded, a predetermined penalty is imposed on the player after the battle ends.