Internet-based system for enabling a time-constrained competition among a plurality of participants over the internet

Abstract

An Internet-based system for enabling a time-constrained competition among a plurality of participants over the Internet. The Internet-based system comprises: a primary server having an embedded global positioning system (GPS) receiver; one or more web servers for providing information about the competition on the World Wide Web (WWW); a login server for enabling participants to log-in with the system prior to the competition; a competitor/participant database for storing information about each participant registered to participate in the competition; an invitation-to-respond/response database for storing invitations-to-responds (ITRs) (e.g. queries, problems, etc.) to be simultaneously displayed to participants at the competition, as well as the responses provided by each of the participants in response to the ITRs; one or more competition-promoting servers, each having an embedded GPS receiver, and conducting the competition process; and a plurality of GSU-enabled client machines. Each GSU-enabled client machine has an embedded Global Synchronization Unit (GSU). Each GSU-enabled client machine enables a registered participant to receive and display ITRs simultaneously with each and every other participant, and provide time and space (TS) stamped responses to the competition promoting servers. The competition promoting server fairly determines a winner amoung the participants independent of network latancies. All such components are interconnected with a globally-extensive network (e.g. the Internet) to enable the competition among the participants.