Patent Application
20160042585
The present invention pertains to games, and more particularly to a game apparatus, system and method employing player-influenced odds of winning.
Bingo is a known game of chance. In many instances, Bingo is played by providing players with a substrate such as a playing card having player indicia pre-arranged in a table or grid/matrix, with column headers indicating a letter such as “B”, “I”, “N”, “G” and “O” and rows of numbers underneath each header. A game operator then randomly draws elements, such as ping pong balls, for example, with game indicia such as numbers or letter-number combinations printed on the elements. Alternatively, the game operator may run a software program for randomly selecting the game indicia. For example, one selected/determined game indicia may be “B1”, another may be “B2” another may be “O64”, etc. As the game indicia are randomly drawn and/or determined, players somehow mark their playing card to note that the number or letter/number combination has been called. A player can win the game by being the first to mark off a pre-determined pattern of game indicia (for example, a straight vertical line through a column of game indicia, a straight horizontal line through a row of game indicia, or a diagonal line through the matrix or a section of the matrix). In some Bingo games, players can win without being the first to complete a pre-defined pattern. Wins are typically validated for accuracy by checking that the player's card has the requisite pattern marked off before officially confirming the win and issuing prizes. In computerized versions, a win can be validated using a security code or other identifier provided on a physical card, ticket or receipt, or associated with a virtual card or ticket. Other games such as keno operate in similar ways to that described above.
In traditional Bingo, Keno and other similar games, the player indicia on the playing cards are provided as a subset of all of the available game indicia that can be determined. For instance, the game indicia may include a set of “B” game indicia from one to fifteen (i.e., B1 . . . B15), a set of “I” game indicia from sixteen to thirty (i.e., I16 . . . I30), and so forth up to O75. Nevertheless, each playing card may only have a limited number of playing indicia within each letter column (i.e., five “B” numbers from the group of B1 . . . B15, five “I” numbers, five “N” numbers, five “G” numbers and five “O” numbers). In this way, each card effectively has the same odds of winning, since the same number of matches is needed to mark off the player indicia in the prescribed pattern on each card. Further, in many instances of Bingo and related games, player card matrices may be provided with one or more “free” spaces, which essentially act as a marked spot to help each player come closer to marking off a pre-determined pattern of numbers. In such instances, the free spot can be positioned anywhere on the matrix, but is usually positioned in the middle of the matrix, such as where the third “N” number would otherwise be placed.
Many gaming establishments that offer Bingo, Keno and related games have a display board that shows the called game indicia, or that shows all of the available game indicia with the previously called game indicia somehow marked or illuminated.
Aspects of the present invention provide a game apparatus, system and method employing free spaces in such a way as to encourage player excitement and participation, thereby increasing the number and amount of wagers placed.
As shown in
Another user device 30 is shown in the form of a retail terminal, and this device 30 is operable by a retail clerk 32, for example, who may be interacting with a customer user 34 in a retail environment. The terminal 30 includes one or more processors, memory, programming, communications hardware and/or software, input/output mechanisms and a display suitably directed for the clerk 32 to facilitate the desired transaction of the user 34. Still another form of user device (e.g., 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d) is shown in the form of a gaming terminal tied to a group, wherein each terminal is operable by an individual user (e.g., 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d). Each terminal (e.g., 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d) includes one or more processors, memory, programming, communications hardware and/or software, input/output mechanisms and a display suitably directed to facilitate the desired operation of the user (e.g., 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d). It will be appreciated that group users may be organized in a certain gaming establishment so as to simultaneously play games such as Bingo and Keno, wherein the players are playing and/or wagering on the same game (e.g., the same randomly drawn or determined game indicia). It will further be appreciated that the number of terminals and users of those terminals can be more or less than the number illustrated in
As further shown in
Game engine 54 acts, at least in part, to store, manage and conduct individual games in accordance with aspects of the present invention. For example, game engine 54 can store different wagering games for different game providers (such as, for example, government lotteries and casinos). Exemplary wagering games include Bingo and Keno. For a new game, the game engine 54 can establish rules of play, such as the number of game indicia available to be selected, the number of game indicia available to be drawn, the number of free spaces available to be selected, the cost of a wager and individual selections, the availability of repetitive play, the availability of selecting multiple boards per game, the prize structure(s) for each game, the display mechanisms, the validation format and the delivery format for wager confirmations, for example. The game engine 54 can provide instructions for each user device (e.g., 22, 26, 30, 36a-d, etc.) to use in displaying appropriate graphics to the user device displays, thereby permitting potential players to learn about the game and make wagering selections. The game engine 54 can access prizes and prize structures through a prize module 58, and/or a database 62, for example. Once the game is established, the game engine 54 can process wager requests from the user devices, process any payment of funds or utilization of loyalty points, and issue appropriate receipts, tickets, cards or other such information to confirm the wager made. In embodiments of the present invention, the host 20 includes a ticket generator module 60 that receives the processed wager request, and issues ticket details to be printed or displayed by a user device, for example. For example, the tickets and/or receipts 150, 152 in
The game engine 54 can further process information for conducting of specific games, such as by receiving outcomes from a random outcome generator component 56 in order to provide the game indicia for a particular game. For example, once all wagers have been confirmed for a particular Bingo game, the players need to see the randomly drawn or determined game indicia in order to play the game and determine if they are winners. As each game indicia is determined by the game engine 54 (such as by employing random outcome generator component 56), the game indicia can be presented to the displays associated with the user devices, including display 40 and other displays intended for individual use. When the game is over, such as when one player has a matching pattern, the game engine 54 can consult the prize module to determine the appropriate prize for the winning individual.
It will be appreciated that prizes according to the present invention may vary widely based upon the wagers made. For example, in embodiments of the present invention, multiple prize structures are provided depending upon the number of free spaces selected by the player when placing a wager. If, for example, the player can select up to five free spaces for a board in a particular game, then there would be five separate prize structures associated with that game.
As shown in
It will be appreciated that players can play games associated with the present invention alone (such as against a phantom player or computer) as well as against other players. It will further be appreciated that aspects of the present invention can operate such that the game is played in draw-based fashion or in instant-result fashion. For instant operations, the present invention can operate so as to provide a ticket (physical or virtual) that includes player indicia (e.g., selected or randomly determined) and one or more free spaces, along with a set of game indicia that are randomly determined, wherein the game indicia are optionally covered by a scratch-off material or simulated electronic covering. The game indicia on the ticket can be a subset of all available game indicia, such that the player can uncover and/or view all game indicia on the ticket in order to try to match the player indicia on the ticket in a pattern for a win. It will be appreciated that the player may not win each time, since the game indicia may be a finite number of indicia whereby the player does not mark enough of the player indicia to cover a winning pattern and thereby earn an award. For draw-based operations, the present invention can operate with a deadline for making wagers, after which the game engine can operate to determine randomly selected game indicia for presenting to players, at which time the players can cover any “called” indicia until one or more players win the game according to the specific rules of play. It will be appreciated that the game can be operated with a finite number of “called” numbers (i.e., game indicia), such that there may be one or more winners, or there may be no winners of any given game.
Draws can be conducted on devoted displays (such as display 40, device 22, device 26, etc.). Further draws can be conducted at regular time intervals, including multiple times per day if desired.
As shown in
Winnings are determined based on prize structures. Thus, for example, for a one-line win in connection with a one-free-space wager for $1 as illustrated in
It will thus be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention involve a system, apparatus and method including one or more betslips, a host and one or more processors for executing programming that awards a prize associated with winning game cards, receipts or tickets when randomly drawn game indicia match a designated pattern of player indicia. It will be appreciated that the terms card, receipt and ticket can be used interchangeably herein to describe a representation of a player's desired game play and/or wager. The betslip is provided to receive a selection for a number of free spaces to apply to a game of chance. The betslip can be provided in a physical media, such as paper, and can also be provided virtually, such as an electronically represented betslip on a display of a user device. As described above, the host can generate randomly determined and/or pre-determined player indicia and game indicia, and can facilitate the issuance of at least one player card with the player indicia, the requested number of free spaces and at least one pattern including at least a portion of the player indicia thereon.
In facilitating card, ticket or receipt issuance, the host can operate to process requested game play and/or wager information as received from users, obtain randomly generated player and game indicia, associate the randomly generated player indicia with the player request, store the associated indicia and request information in a database, optionally generate a validation code (such as through game engine 154) and associate the validation code with the associated indicia and request information, deliver the code, player indicia, relevant request information to a device, and instruct the device to display, print or otherwise reveal the delivered information to a requesting player. In this way, while the host may not print tickets, it delivers suitable information for a player to recognize that his or her wager has been appropriately processed (via a printed or displayed ticket, receipt or card, for example), while also storing necessary information to be able to confirm that the player is a winner as appropriate and in accordance with game play. It will be appreciated that, in alternative embodiments, the host may print a variety of pre-packaged tickets with zero, one or more free spaces, player indicia and a validation code already thereupon, and may distribute such tickets to retailers for physical sale in connection with a drawing. In this way, the host provides another form of facilitating card, ticket or receipt issuance.
In embodiments of the present invention, the host stores a plurality of prize structures, including a first prize structure associated with a single free space, and one or more additional prize structures associated with a plurality of free spaces. Separately, it is within the scope of operation to provide an additional prize structure associated with zero free spaces. The prize structures can include prizes to be awarded in the event of different types of pattern matches, based at least upon the number of free spaces selected and the dollar amount wagered.
Embodiments of the present invention further involve a system, apparatus and method for providing a game of chance, including a host for storing a first prize structure for game tickets including at least one game board having one free space per board, storing a second prize structure for game tickets including at least one game board having zero or a plurality of free spaces per board, and generating randomly determined game indicia, along with at least one processor for executing programming to award a prize associated with one or more of the boards based on the randomly determined game indicia. The game tickets can be on physical media or can be virtual. The host can further receive a request for a game ticket including at least one game board, wherein the request includes a request for zero, one or a plurality of free spaces, and can thereafter facilitate the issuance of the requested game ticket. In one embodiment of the present invention, the game ticket includes at least a subset of the randomly determined game indicia. Such an embodiment may arise, for example, where the game is played as an instant ticket, and the subset of the randomly determined game indicia are provided to give the player the impression of a draw-based game, with a limited number of randomly determined game indicia.
The game of the present invention can operate with traditional print tickets, tickets purchased and/or played over the Internet, and tickets purchased as part of a subscription. The game can further operate as part of an electronic instant ticket, a video lottery terminal game, a “play for fun” game with no monetary value, a game that awards credits or prizes instead of money, a mobile application game, a Bingo game, a slot game, a Keno game, a game that is revealed on a monitor, a game that is associated with a public or private drawing, and other games.
Unless otherwise stated, devices or components of the present invention that are in communication with each other do not need to be in continuous communication with each other. Further, devices or components in communication with other devices or components can communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediate devices, components or other intermediaries. Further, descriptions of embodiments of the present invention herein wherein several devices and/or components are described as being in communication with one another does not imply that all such components are required, or that each of the disclosed components must communicate with every other component. In addition, while algorithms, process steps and/or method steps may be described in a sequential order, such approaches can be configured to work in different orders. In other words, any ordering of steps described herein does not, standing alone, dictate that the steps be performed in that order. The steps associated with methods and/or processes as described herein can be performed in any order practical. Additionally, some steps can be performed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously.
It will be appreciated that algorithms, method steps and process steps described herein can be implemented by appropriately programmed general purpose computers and computing devices, for example. In this regard, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor or controller device) receives instructions from a memory or like storage device that contains and/or stores the instructions, and the processor executes those instructions, thereby performing a process defined by those instructions. Further, programs that implement such methods and algorithms can be stored and transmitted using a variety of known media. At a minimum, the memory includes at least one set of instructions that is either permanently or temporarily stored. The processor executes the instructions that are stored in order to process data. The set of instructions can include various instructions that perform a particular task or tasks. Such a set of instructions for performing a particular task can be characterized as a program, software program, software, engine, module, component, mechanism, or tool. Common forms of computer-readable media that may be used in the performance of the present invention include, but are not limited to, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, CD-ROMs, DVDs, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read. The term “computer-readable medium” when used in the present disclosure can refer to any medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that may be read by a computer, a processor or a like device. Such a medium can exist in many forms, including, for example, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media can include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes the main memory. Transmission media may include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires or other pathways that comprise a system bus coupled to the processor. Transmission media may include or convey acoustic waves, light waves and electromagnetic emissions, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications.
Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying sequences of instructions associated with the present invention to a processor. For example, sequences of instruction can be delivered from RAM to a processor, carried over a wireless transmission medium, and/or formatted according to numerous formats, standards or protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GSM, CDMA, satellite, EDGE and EVDO, for example. Where databases are described in the present disclosure, it will be appreciated that alternative database structures to those described, as well as other memory structures besides databases may be readily employed. The drawing figure representations and accompanying descriptions of any exemplary databases presented herein are illustrative and not restrictive arrangements for stored representations of data. Further, any exemplary entries of tables and parameter data represent example information only, and, despite any depiction of the databases as tables, other formats (including relational databases, object-based models and/or distributed databases) can be used to store, process and otherwise manipulate the data types described herein. Electronic storage can be local or remote storage, as will be understood to those skilled in the art. Appropriate encryption and other security methodologies can also be employed by the system of the present invention, as will be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art.
The present disclosure describes numerous embodiments of the present invention, and these embodiments are presented for illustrative purposes only. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it will be appreciated that other embodiments may be employed and that structural, logical, software, electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced with various modifications and alterations. Although particular features of the present invention can be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments or figures that form a part of the present disclosure, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or figures with reference to which they are described. The present disclosure is thus neither a literal description of all embodiments of the invention nor a listing of features of the invention that must be present in all embodiments.
