System and method for donations using online interactive games

Abstract

A system and method for donations using online interactive games with players using social networks. Users play games wherein winning results in others donating to their selected recipient, such as a cause, charity, school, etc. A database maintains user information, recipient information, and tracks donation credits. Users play games, donate to recipients, and have players donate to their selected recipients. The system and method can automatically match users as teammates, competitors, and tournament members. The system and method facilitate game play, collection of funds, and payment of collected funds to selected recipients. The funds benefit recipients, and new supporters are identified to the recipients.

1 . A method for providing a game and for collecting donations, the method comprising the steps of:
 maintaining account information for a plurality of users in a storage device at a game server, including user profile information and a donation credits amount;   maintaining recipient information for one or more recipients in the storage device at the game server, including a donation credits amount;   pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other for playing a game;   receiving at the game server from each of the users playing the game a wagered donation credits amount and a selected recipient for receiving donation credits;   hosting at the game server the game between the paired users;   determining at the game server one or more winners and one or more losers of the game from among the paired users;   deducting from the donation credits amount for at least one of the losers at least a portion of the wagered donation credits amount and increasing the donation credits amount of the selected recipient of at least one of the winners by at least a portion of the wagered donation credits amount.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising registering at the game server the plurality of users. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein registering at the game server the plurality of users further comprises receiving at the game server for each of the plurality of users as part of the user profile information a list of one or more preselected recipients for receiving donation credits. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the game server a request to purchase one or more donation credits from the plurality of users. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other for playing a game further comprises:
 comparing the user profile information for two or more of the plurality of users;   pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other based on the comparison of the user profile information.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other for playing a game further comprises:
 comparing the list of preselected recipients for two or more of the plurality of users;   pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other based on the comparison of the lists of preselected recipients.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other for playing a game further comprises:
 comparing the selected recipient for a first user to be paired with the list of preselected recipients for one or more other users to be paired;   pairing at the game server the first user to be paired with one or more of the other users to be paired based on the comparison of the selected recipient of the first user to be paired with the lists of preselected recipients for the other users to be paired.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the recipient is any of a charitable cause, a personal cause, a political cause, an educational institution, a school club, a school activity, a civic organization or any other legitimate recipient. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the game server is a plurality of servers. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage device is a database. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the users are grouped into teams. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the donation credit may represent any fractional monetary amount. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user profile information includes at least one of preferred game types, preferred time to play, skill level, past record of wins and losses, designated recipient, credits won for selected recipient, and total credits donated to one or more recipients. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transferring to the one or more recipients funds equivalent to at least a portion of the donation credits amount for each of the recipients. 
     
     
         15 . A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for providing an online interactive game and for collecting donations comprising:
 maintaining account information for a plurality of users in a storage device at a game server, including user profile information and a donation credits amount;   maintaining recipient information for one or more recipients in the storage device at the game server, including a donation credits amount;   pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other for playing a game;   receiving at the game server from each of the users playing the game a wagered donation credits amount and a selected recipient for receiving donation credits;   hosting at the game server the game between the paired users;   determining at the game server one or more winners and one or more losers of the game from among the paired users;   deducting from the donation credits amount for at least one of the losers at least a portion of the wagered donation credits amount and increasing the donation credits amount of the selected recipient of at least one of the winners by at least a portion of the wagered donation credits amount.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 15 , further comprising registering at the game server the plurality of users of the game server, wherein the step of registering further comprises the step of receiving at the game server for each of the plurality of users as part of the user profile information a list of one or more preselected recipients for receiving donation credits. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other for playing an online interactive game further comprises:
 comparing the user profile information for two or more of the plurality of users;   pairing at the game server two or more of the plurality of users with each other based on the comparison of the user profile information.   
     
     
         18 . A system for facilitating donations, the system comprising a server having:
 a registration module for associating one or more users with a donation credits amount and for associating one or more recipients with a donation credits amount;   a game module for administering a game to be played by the one or more users, the game module determining one or more losers of the game and decreasing the donation credits amount of at least one of the one or more losers by at least a portion of a wagered credit amount;   a credit module to facilitate a transfer of funds to the one or more recipients based on the donation credits amount associated with the respective one or more recipients.   
     
     
         19 . A system for facilitating donations, the system comprising:
 a game server adapted to host at least one game to be played by one or more users of the system;   a storage device at the game server; and   a user client computing device in communication with the game server to play the at least one game, the user client computing device enabling the user to select at least one recipient to receive donation credits,   wherein the game server hosts the game between the one or more users, determines one or more winning users and one or more losing users based on the outcome of the game, and the game server decreases a donation credit amount of at least one of the losing users and increases a donation credit amount of the selected recipient of at least one of the winning users.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the game server is further adapted to facilitate a transfer of funds to the selected at least one recipient of the one or more winning users in the amount of at least a portion of a wagered donation credit amount. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the client computing device is any one of a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, an in-flight entertainment system, and a gaming system. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the game server matches a first user to a second user according to a set of matching parameters, for playing one of the plurality of online interactive games. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the database comprises:
 a player profile database for storing user profile information including personal information, billing information, current donation credits amount, user gaming statistics, and one or more recipients;   a recipient database for storing recipient information including recipient name, current donation credits amount, and recipient payment information.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the system is implemented in at least one of a social networking system, an online gaming system, an Internet protocol system, and a telecommunications system. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the game server tracks gaming statistics for the users and recipients including wins, losses and total credits won.