GB2411509A

GB2411509A - Mobile gaming and betting system

Info

Publication number: GB2411509A
Application number: GB0501867A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Beer Leonardus Gerardus Chr De
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-02-03
Filing date: 2005-01-31
Publication date: 2005-08-31
Also published as: GB0402304D0; GB0501867D0

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for facilitating mobile gaming or betting. The apparatus includes a mobile electronic device such as a GSM mobile phone 1. The mobile electronic device is adapted to run operating software for playing a game that is downloadable from a first server 5 and payment software that is downloadable from a second server 3. The payment software is capable of communicating with the second server to control any monetary payments associated with the game.

Description

TITLE

Mobile gaming and betting system DF,SCRIP'I'ION

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a gaming and betting that can be carried out using mobile devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants and computers.

Background Art

Mobile devices used for voice and data communications, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants and computers are commonly deployed as part of GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) or other voice or data networks. These mobile devices are normally used to engage in voice communication sessions between other mobile devices or alternatively in data communication sessions with other mobile device users or publicly or privately available data sources using network protocols such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) USSD (IJnstructured Supplementary Services Data), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) or SMS (Short Message Service). 'I'he capabilities of such mobile devices is continuously enhanced by adding more computer processing power and memory to allow them to execute software applications for performing tasks that are not obviously associated with the original intended use of mobile devices such as mobile phones. An example ol' such a task may be the downloading or playing of games on mobile phones.

It is common l'or these mobile devices to operate in an environment where payments associated with their usage are collected by the operator of the mobile network with whom the user of the mobile device has a pre-paid or contractual relationship. For example, a user having entered into a contractual relationship with mobile telephone operator (a GSM operator) incurs a charge imposed by the mobile telephone operator for every telephone call or data transaction undertake by the user of the mobile device.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and system allowing secure financial transactions between the user of a mobile device and a party other than the operator of the mobile network without having to rely on the contractual relationship that exists between the user of the mobile device and the operator of the mobile network. It is anticipated that most of the financial transactions made using the present invention will relate to gaming or betting activities.

The present invention provides an apparatus for facilitating mobile gaming or betting comprising: a mobile electronic device; a first server; and a second server; wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to run operating software for playing a game that is downloadable from the first server, and payment software that is downloadable from the second server and is capable of communicating with the second server to control any monetary payments associated with the game.

The mobile electronic device may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant or a computer, nor example.

The operating sot'tware can be downloaded from the first server using the Internet or some other suitable Communication network or channel. The term "Internet" as used throughout rollers to any network, either private or public, through which data can be transmitted from one computer or mobile electronic device to another.

The payment software can be downloaded from the second server using the Internet or some other suitable communication network or channel.

The operating software and the payment software can send and receive signals to and from the first and second servers using the Internet or some other suitable communication network or channel.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to Figure l, which illustrates the overall component parts of the present invention.

With reference to Figure l, the apparatus includes a mobile communication device such as a GSM mobile phone l but the present invention can also use other mobile electronic devices capable of connecting to wired or wireless networks. The mobile phone l is capable of downloading and executing applications from third parties. In this embodiment, the mobile phone l runs an operating system that allows applications written in compliance with the operating system to be executed on the mobile phone. The mobile phone l is further capable of engaging in data communication sessions using the GPRS protocol that in turn allows the mobile phone l to connect to a computer connected to the Internet 2. This connection is facilitated by the operator of a mobile network 7. In this particular example, the user of the mobile phone l wishes to play a game of chess for which he requires some application sol'tware (or operating software) that is not currently available on his mobile phone l. He is made aware by means outside the scope of the present invention that the application software necessary to play the game of chess on his mobile phone l can be obtained from a content server 5, which is connected to the Internet. Having downloaded the appropriate application software for the chess game from the content server 5, the user of the mobile phone l can activate the application software on his mobile phone l. The application software has been designed to incorporate aspects of the present invention and offers the user of mobile phone l the opportunity select to play the game of chess for financial rewards, where if the users wins the game of chess, he will be rewarded with winnings agreed at the outset of the game, paid through the content owner, associated with content server 5.

When the user of mobile phone l elects to play for a financial rewards, the application software will execute a simple set of instructions on the mobile phone l to determine if the necessary payment software is already present on the mobile phone l. If the payment software is not present, the user will be prompted to download the payment software from a payment server 3, which is also connected to the lntcrnet but operates independently of the content server 5. Only after both the application software and the payment software are available on the mobile phone l, can the user of the mobile phone elect to enter into financial transactions relating to the outcome of the chess game.

In the present invention, the application software, provided by the content owner through the content server 5 will be responsible for all the interaction with the user of said mobile phone I with regards to the playing of the chess game. One oi the key aspects of the present invention is the payment software, which is an independent low-level application that communicates with the application software for playing the chess game to provide secure financial transactions between the user of the mobile phone and the content owner.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, rather then the user playing an interactive game such as chess on his mobile phone l, the user has on his mobile phone access to an application which runs on his mobile device, is downloaded to his mobile phone or runs remotely to his mobile phone but to which he has access using his mobile phone which allows him to place bets, at odds potentially leading to a financial gain to the user of the mobile phone.

In this embodiment: a) The user of mobile phone I connects remotely to a betting server 4 and wishes to place a bet on an event such as the outcome of a horse race.

b) The organization operating the betting server 4 downloads a small application to the mobile phone or establishes through a software application running on the betting server 4 the network data channels if the payment software is present on the mobile phone.

c) If the payment software is not present, the user is prompted to download it from the payment server 3.

d) Alter it has been established that the payment software is present on the mobile phone 1, the betting server 4 allows the user to place a bet on an agreed event at agreed odds.

e) The betting server 4, through the payment software will verify with the payment server 3 that the accounts information on the payment server permits the placement of the bet on the event.

1) If the payment software authorises the bet, upon conclusion of the event on which the bet is placed, the betting server 4 will initiate a results transaction to the payment server 3 ensuring that funds are withdrawn from the account if the user looses his bet or added to the account if the user wins.

For both of the embodiments described above, the payment software communicates with the payment server 3 using secure data communications over the mobile network or the Internet. The communication between the payment software and the payment server 3 serves the following purposes: a) It can verify that the amount gambled by the user when playing chess or placing a bet is authorised using the users account information stored on the payment server 3.

b) The user can request to add funds to his account held on the payment server 3 using credit card information held on the payment server or the initiation of' premium rate voice or data calls to a particular network node.

c) 'I'he user can withdraw i'unds from his account held on the payment server 3 by either depositing funds on the credit card details associated with the user account on the payment server or by the requesting some sort of token from the payment server, where this token is recognised by associated retailers and/or organizations where on delivery of this token, the associated retailer and/or organization will pay the user in cash or by other means.

d) The payment software can inform the user of events taking place relating to the accounts inl'ormation stored on the payment server 3, for example when winnings are added to the account.

A further data communication channel exists between the betting server 4 and / or the content server 5 and payment server 3 through a common network to which these servers are connected, such as the Internet 6. This data communication channel serves the following purposes: a) 'he parties associated with the betting server 4 or content server 5 can request authorizations for transactions initiated by the user.

b) The parties associated with the betting server 4 or content server 5 can inform the payment server 3 ol' gaming results so the payment server can change the account balance of the user account held on this payment server and if desired inform the user of the mobile phone 1 of this transaction.

Claims

I. An apparatus for facilitating mobile gaming or betting comprising: a mobile electronic device; a first server; and a second server; wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to run operating software for playing a game that is downloadable from the first server, and payment software that is downloadable from the second server and is capable of communicating with the second server to control any monetary payments associated with the game.
2. An apparatus according to claim l, wherein the mobile electronic device is a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant or a computer.
3. An apparatus according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the operating software is downloaded from the first server using the Internet or some other suitable communication network or channel.
4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the payment software is downloaded from the second server using the Internet or some other suitable communication network or channel.
5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the operating software and the payment software send and receive signals to and from the first and second servers using the Internet or some other suitable communication network or channel.
6. A betting method comprising the steps of: connecting a mobile electronic device to a betting server; downloading application software from the betting server onto the mobile electronic device; checking to see if payment software is running on the mobile electronic device and if it is not, downloading the payment software onto the mobile electronic device from a payment server; using the mobile electronic device to place a bet with the betting server on an agreed event at agreed odds; using the payment software operating on the mobile electronic device to verify with the payment server that the bet can be placed with the betting server; and if a bet is placed, checking after the agreed event has taken place to see if the bet has been successful and, if it has been successful increasing an account held at the payment server by an amount determined by the agreed odds, or if it has not been successful, decreasing an account held at the payment server by an amount determined by the bet placed with the betting server.
7. A betting method according to claim 6, wherein the payment software communicates with the payment server.
8. A betting method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of verifying that the amount bet with the betting server is authorised using account information stored on the payment server.
9. A betting method according to claim 7 or claim 8, further comprising the step of increasing the account held at the payment server.

IO. A betting method according to any of claims 7 to 9, further comprising the step of reducing the account held at the payment server.

l 1. A betting method according to any oi claims 7 to 10, further comprising the step of informing the mobile electronic device when the account held at the payment server has been changed.