Collaborative Virtual Coaching

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide opportunities for non-participants of an event to participate in the event as virtual event participants. According to various embodiments, virtual event participants are provided with available actions for the actual event participants that may be chosen by the virtual event participants. The results are analyzed and an action is selected and presented to an actual event participant or directly implemented. Success data corresponding to the selections of the virtual event participants is tracked and may be used during subsequent participation opportunities to select virtual event participants and to weigh selections by the virtual event participants.

1 . A method for providing real-time directive input to an actual event participant during an event, comprising:
 receiving a first plurality of action votes from a plurality of virtual event participants, the first plurality of action votes each corresponding to one of a plurality of available actions;   selecting a first action for the actual event participant from the first plurality of action votes;   inducing the actual event participant to perform the first action;   determining a success indicator corresponding to the first action;   determining a plurality of ratings for the plurality of virtual event participants, the plurality of ratings corresponding to the first plurality of action votes, the first action, and the success indicator corresponding to the first action;   receiving a second plurality of action votes from the plurality of virtual event participants;   selecting a second action for the actual event participant from the second plurality of action votes according to the plurality of ratings; and   inducing the actual event participant to perform the second action.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a plurality of virtual participant opportunities for the event;   identifying the plurality of virtual event participants; and   presenting the plurality of available actions to each virtual event participant for each virtual participant opportunity, wherein the first plurality of action votes corresponds to a first virtual participant opportunity and the second plurality of action votes corresponds to a second virtual participant opportunity.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying the plurality of virtual participant opportunities comprises receiving the plurality of virtual participant opportunities from a primary coach of the actual event participant. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying the plurality of virtual event participants comprises determining the virtual event participants from an event rule or from a primary coach of the actual event participant. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying the plurality of virtual event participants comprises determining the virtual event participants according to subscription information. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the success indicator corresponding to the first action comprises receiving the success indicator from a primary coach of the event. 
   
   
       7 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
 receive a first plurality of action votes from a plurality of virtual event participants, the first plurality of action votes each corresponding to one of a plurality of available actions;   select a first action for an actual event participant from the first plurality of action votes;   induce the actual event participant to perform the first action;   determine a success indicator corresponding to the first action;   determine a plurality of ratings for the plurality of virtual event participants, the plurality of ratings corresponding to the first plurality of action votes, the first action, and the success indicator corresponding to the first action;   receive a second plurality of action votes from the plurality of virtual event participants;   select a second action for the actual event participant from the second plurality of action votes according to the plurality of ratings; and   induce the actual event participant to perform the second action.   
   
   
       8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
 identify a plurality of virtual participant opportunities for an event;   identify the plurality of virtual event participants; and   present the plurality of available actions to each virtual event participant for each virtual participant opportunity, wherein the first plurality of action votes corresponds to a first virtual participant opportunity and the second plurality of action votes corresponds to a second virtual participant opportunity.   
   
   
       9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of virtual participant opportunities varies for different virtual event participants according to subscription information associated with each virtual event participant. 
   
   
       10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein causing the computer to identify the plurality of virtual participant opportunities comprises causing the computer to determine the plurality of virtual participant opportunities from an event rule. 
   
   
       11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein causing the computer to select the first action for the actual event participant from the first plurality of action votes comprises causing the computer to determine a quantity of action votes received for each available action and identifying one available action receiving a largest quantity of action selections as the first action. 
   
   
       12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein causing the computer to select the second action for the actual event participant from the second plurality of action votes according to the plurality of ratings comprises causing the computer to determine a quantity of action votes received from a subset of the plurality of virtual event participants for each available action and identifying one available action receiving a largest quantity of action selections as the second action, wherein the subset of the plurality of virtual event participants comprises a plurality of virtual event participants possessing a rating superior to a threshold rating. 
   
   
       13 . A system for providing real-time directive input to an actual event participant during an event, comprising:
 a memory for storing a program containing code for providing real-time directive input to the actual event participant; and   a processor functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program and operative to:
 receive a first plurality of action votes from a plurality of virtual event participants, the first plurality of action votes each corresponding to one of a plurality of available actions, 
 select a first action for the actual event participant from the first plurality of action votes, 
 induce the actual event participant to perform the first action, 
 determine a success indicator corresponding to the first action, 
 determine a plurality of ratings for the plurality of virtual event participants, the plurality of ratings corresponding to the first plurality of action votes, the first action, and the success indicator corresponding to the first action, 
 receive a second plurality of action votes from the plurality of virtual event participants, 
 select a second action for the actual event participant from the second plurality of action votes according to the plurality of ratings, and 
 induce the actual event participant to perform the second action. 
   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further operative to:
 identify a plurality of virtual participant opportunities for the event;   identify the plurality of virtual event participants; and   present the plurality of available actions to each virtual event participant for each virtual participant opportunity, wherein the first plurality of action votes corresponds to a first virtual participant opportunity and the second plurality of action votes corresponds to a second virtual participant opportunity.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor being operative to present the plurality of available actions to each virtual event participant comprises the processor being operative to provide a user interface to each of the plurality of virtual event participants, each user interface comprising the plurality of available actions and configured to receive an action vote corresponding to a selection of an available action via an input device associated with each virtual event participant. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the input device comprises one of a video game controller, a remote control, and a mouse. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from a primary coach or an actual event participant for the first plurality of action votes from the plurality of virtual event participants;   in response to the request, providing the plurality of virtual event participants with the plurality of available actions.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 13 , further the processor is further operative to:
 receive a request from a primary coach for the first plurality of action votes from a subset of the plurality of virtual event participants, wherein each virtual event participant of the subset shares a common characteristic; and   identify the subset of the plurality of virtual event participants,   wherein causing the computer to select the first action for the actual event participant from the first plurality of action votes comprises causing the computer to select the first action from the first plurality of action votes corresponding to the subset of the plurality of virtual event participants.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein causing the computer to induce the actual event participant to perform the first action comprises causing the computer to present the first action to a primary coach of the actual event participant with instructions to implement the first action. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein causing the computer to induce the actual event participant to perform the first action comprises causing the computer to provide control signals to the actual event participant to execute the first action.