Patent Grant
11978304
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Copyright 2022 LNW Gaming, Inc.
This disclosure relates generally to systems, methods and apparatus for hosting a table game having a base game and primary bonus game and which includes for each player a video display and player input device to enable the players to exchange between cash, electronic funds and gaming chips, redeem promotions, participate in secondary bonus games including progressive games, to bet on other players and to interface with venue messaging. The disclosure also relates to systems and methods to accept promotions and remotely reserve a seat at a table game.
Gaming venues such as casinos have long known to provide live table games such as Blackjack, Pai Gow, Baccarat, Craps, Poker and other games. A common aspect of these games is a live dealer(s) and live players occupying positions about a physical gaming table. The gaming table in most cases includes a surface bearing a layout printed with information such as designating player positions, betting areas to control and identify the propositions wagered on by the players and the placement of game pieces such as playing cards. To play the game players must find an open position at the table from which to participate.
In many modern casino venues with live table and electronic machine gaming, players may enroll in a player loyalty club. The club is administered through a communication network including one or more servers hosting player data. Upon enrollment, these clubs provide a loyalty (or player's) card for the player to identify himself/herself to the system. Enrollment may include a player establishing an electronic account to be a repository for electronic funds. In some cases the account is funded by the player presenting value such as cash, chips, electronic transfer of funds from a financial institution or credit card company or some other form of value. To wager on live table games players must present casino-compatible, physical gaming chips or cash, which are converted by the dealer into physical gaining chips.
In relation to these table games, it has been known to provide a primary game bonus feature where the bonus is based upon the play/outcome of the base game. For example, Snow, U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,173 discloses a Blackjack base game with a primary bonus game side bet proposition which can be fulfilled based upon the player's cards and the dealer's face up card. Snow, U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,801 discloses a Baccarat base game with a primary game side wager for a bonus based upon the numerical difference between the winning and losing Banker or Player hands. Snow et al U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,102 teaches a four-card Poker game with a bonus wager. Suttle et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553 describes a table game having a primary bonus game with a progressive bonus feature and requiring a side wager.
In the past, for many table games, the application of progressive jackpots was a challenge since there was no mechanism to receive progressive side wagers for allocation to the jackpot and to memorialize participation on the progressive proposition. In Jones et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,964, an early attempt at a solution discloses a table game providing a progressive jackpot for a table game, which includes a token acceptor associated with each player position. Insertion of a physical token indicated the player's participation and provided a processor with information to increment a progressive prize. The table game of Caribbean Stud′″ is a commercial offering including this feature. Kelly et al U.S. Pat. No. 9,142,084, issued Sep. 22, 2015 and titled “WAGER RECOGNITION SYSTEM,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, discloses an optical bet detection unit for a gaming table which can be used to detect a progressive participation wager.
Halter et al US 2016/0217657 filed Mar. 24, 2016 and titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF LINKING GAMING STATIONS,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, teaches a system for linking progressive prizes between gaming tables offering different games and providing a spinning wheel feature when a qualifying base game triggering event has occurred.
It has also been known to provide promotions toward the play of table games. These promotions are in the form of a printed voucher or coupon which may, for example, double a table game wager, e.g. if the player wagers $5 the voucher may act to double the wager to $10. The use of paper vouchers restricts the nature and utility of such instruments.
Some drawbacks to table gaming has been the nature and type of bonusing which can be provided to attract players, the inability of a player to access electronic funds for conversion into physical gaming chips and the inability of a player to remotely accept a table game promotion and reserve a seat at the corresponding gaining table to redeem the promotion. A further drawback is that players could not wager upon another player that other player will, for example, hit the jackpot.
There is, therefore, set forth according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a system, method and apparatus which provide, for live table games, the ability to provide promotions and various bonusing games, the ability to remotely accept promotions and reserve a position at the gaming table, to access electronic funds accounts for conversion into physical gaining chips for live player as well as other features and advantages disclosed herein. Toward this end, in a casino venue, a live gaming table is provided which offers a base game with a bonus game and having a physical base game layout with multiple player positions each to accommodate a live player. The base game provides for the play of a game resulting in a winning or losing outcome for each participating player. For example, the base game may be live Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, Craps or Poker or related games. These games use physical items such as cards or dice to control play and display outcomes. Related to the system of an embodiment of the present invention the players have electronic interface devices including a user input and a video display and adapted for communication with various remote resources. These devices may include a player's own mobile device or an interface device provided by the gaming venue. The system includes a software application (App) operating on the interface device, a communication network and a remote processor. The communication network includes at least wireless and wired sub-networks. The remote processor may be hosted by the venue—but remote from the gaming table. A data structure associable with the remote processor includes a player account storing data representing player account information including, for example, available electronic funds and a virtual promotion. The data structure may be associated with the player's casino loyalty account and host an electronic wallet (eWallet) storing the electronic funds for the player. Where the interface device is a Player's mobile device the system may include an apparatus/system to detect when a player enters or approaches the casino venue and, through the communication network, cause the player's mobile device App to receive from the remote processor a promotion to play the table game. The detection system may be based upon GPS, Wi-Fi or other location awareness techniques. The App is configured to display the promotion at the player's mobile device video display to enable the player to accept the promotion and to reserve a position at the gaming table associated with the promotion. One of the offer and acceptance video displays may include an optically readable code displayed at the mobile device display for redemption.
The live gaming table includes at each player position a video display and player interface device (VDPID) and a bet sensing and code reading apparatus. As stated above the VDPID may be embodied as the player's own mobile device appropriately configured by an APP or may be a venue provided device. In an embodiment where a venue provided VDPID is used the gaming table may be configured to include docking stations at each player position for docking the VDPIDs for communication on the network. In this fashion, in an embodiment, the gaming table may be configured for normal play—play not using the VDPIDs and converted for VDPID play by docking the VDPIDs to their stations.
The communication network provides communication between the VDPIDs, a host processor and the remote processor. The communication network may be wired using the docking stations or wireless. A bet sensing and code reading apparatus is configured to sense the placement of a token to participate in the bonus game—such as a bonus game having a progressive prize—and to optically read the code displayed at the player's mobile device display to, through the communication network, access the player's account for access to the player's eWallet and for redemption of a promotion. Reading of the promotion code may also log the player into their casino loyalty account. The gaming table also has a dealer terminal (for the dealer) in communication with the host processor and remote processor mid a chip tray holding an inventory of gaming tokens, i.e. chips.
Each VDPID is configured to communicate with the remote processor to enable the player to request funds from their eWallet account to be converted by the dealer into physical tokens for play of the base and feature game or, where provided, to post electronic wagers on one or more propositions.
The host processor includes a game manager. In response to a bonus game triggering event—such as a game-triggering base game outcome or the occurrence of a random event not associated with the base game such as a mystery event—the game manager controls one or more VDPIDs to display a bonus game played by one or more participating players to provide an outcome for the bonus game. The feature may be a picking game (selecting icons representing an undisclosed prize or prizes, spinning of a wheel or other feature game). For example, the bonus game may include one or more progressive prize awards based upon a triggering event such as the participating player receiving a certain hand of cards in the base game (perhaps a Royal Flush in a Poker related game top prize outcome) as well as lesser prize awards of fixed prizes or the opportunity to play the wheel or picking game). The award may be paid in tokens or electronically to the player's eWallet.
The VDPIDs provide other functionality for the player including the ability to view their eWallet account, their loyalty account and to obtain services such as beverages. Additionally the VDPID provides for a player to “back bet” on other players at their table or another table or play other games such as a video slot machine game during, for example, periods of inactivity at the gaming table.
At the dealer terminal, the system enables the player to cash out their physical tokens in exchange for uploading the electronic equivalent to the player's eWallet account as well as exchanging value in their eWallet for physical gaining tokens. The system accommodates either cashing the player out in physical chips or uploading the funds to the player's eWallet account.
These and other features and advantages will become evident upon review of the following Description and Claims wherein:
The illustrations presented in this disclosure are not meant to be actual views of any particular act in a method, apparatus, system, or component thereof, but are merely idealized representations employed to describe illustrative embodiments. Thus, the drawings are not necessarily to scale. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same or similar numerical designation. Elements with the same number, but including a different alphabet character as a suffix should be considered as multiple instantiations of substantially similar elements and may be referred to generically without an alphabet character suffix.
The terms “gaming,” “gambling,” and the like, refer to activities, games, sessions, rounds, hands, rolls, operations, and other events related to wagering games, the outcome of which is at least partially based on one or more random events (“chance” or “chances”), and on which wagers may be placed by a player. In addition, the words “wager,” “bet,” “bid,” and the like, refer to any type of wager, bet, or gaming venture that is placed on the occurrence of random events, whether of monetary or non-monetary value. Points, credits, and other items of value may be purchased, earned, or otherwise issued prior to beginning the wagering game. In some embodiments, purchased points, credits, or other items of value may have an exchange rate that is not one-to-one to the currency used by the user. For example, a wager may include money, points, credits, symbols, or other items that may have some value related to a wagering game. Wagers may be placed in wagering games that involve the risk of real-world monetary value for the potential of payouts with real-world monetary value (e.g., the “play-for-pay,” such as “house-banked” and “player-banked” configurations, each of which is described in more detail below) or in wagering games that involve no real-world monetary risks for the player (e.g., the “play-for-fun” and “social play-for-fun” configurations described in more detail below).
As used herein, the term “wager” includes any form of wagering value, including money, casino chips, tokens other physical means for payment, and online or remote electronic authorization of a wager in any acceptable form to the casino or online or virtual game host. Also included are physical representations of money (e.g., casino chips) at a local game, as well as virtual representations of money in the form of electronic authorizations of a transfer of money and digital representations of money (e.g., digital representations of bills or coins, digital representations of chips, numerical quantities of money, numerical quantities of points, or numerical quantities of credits) at a local or remote electronic gaming device. As used herein, the term “wagering element” means and includes objects and symbols used to signify the acceptance of a wager. For example, physical wagering elements include physical money (e.g., bills and coins) and physical wagering tokens (e.g., poker chips), which may or may not be redeemable for monetary value and may or may not include electronic identifiers (e.g., RFID chips) embedded within the tokens, enabling electronic sensing and tracking of wagering. Virtual wagering elements include, for example, images (e.g., images of money or poker chips) and text (e.g., a string of numbers), which may or may not be redeemable for monetary value. In the “play-for-fun” and “social play-for-fun” configurations, a “wager” may not have a cash value (i.e., a real-world monetary value).
While the following description is directed to a live table base game such as Blackjack playing on a table having the traditional, semi-circular shape, it should be understood that the inventions described herein can be applied to other live games such as Craps, Roulette, Sic-Bo or other games whose live table may have a different shape and layout. Further, the present invention is agnostic to the nature of the underlying base game since the apparatus, system and method described herein can be applied to any nature of a base game which includes a bonus or feature game component.
Referring to
Associated with each player position 20a-f is a video display and player input device (VDPID) 26a as well as a bet sensor 28 shown in an enlarged view at
The bet sensors 28 may be of the type described in Kelly et al, U.S. Pat. No. 9,142,084 issued Sep. 22, 2015 and titled “WAGERING RECOGNITION SYSTEM”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. According to the present invention, to provide for the optical reading of displayed or printed codes, the bet sensors 28 are configured to include upward optical scanning. Bet sensors 28, as shown in
The VDPIDs 26a, b are adapted to provide to the players an interface to the system 12 for various operations. Broadly, the VDPIDs 26a,b provide player access to a player's loyalty account to view his/her status and loyalty points, access to the player's eWallet (an electronic moneyed, funded account) and other features and benefits provided by the venue. The VDPIDs 26a, b enable the players to access and use or convert eWallet funds into physical gaming tokens for the play of the game and to make electronic wagers on various propositions. Additionally, the players may receive advertising and promotions as well as system 12 provided games and features. An advantage of the VDPIDs 26a, b is that their form factor is familiar to players as reminiscent of mobile telephones.
To provide the above functionalities and others the system 12 as depicted in
Continuing with
For dealing of physical cards for the play of the base game and/or feature game, the system 12 may include an automatic shuffler 412 of a type known in the art. The shuffler 412 receives one or more decks of physical playing cards and randomizes them through an electro-mechanical shuffling process. The shuffler 412 may be a combined shuffler and dealing shoe or, in an embodiment, the shuffler 412 may be a card reading shoe adapted to received shuffled cards and read them as they are dispensed during the play of the game. As used herein and depicted in
To provide a means for identifying players at the table 10 who are members of the loyalty club (also referred to as the player's club), the system 12 at the table 10 includes a system interface 420 which may be a “Table View” including a card reader 422 adapted to read a player's loyalty card. The system interface 420 communicates with an interface controller 424, which, in turn, communicates with a casino market place CMP 426 which manages player loyalty accounts including player loyalty points and comps. The power bank module 428 of CMP 426 manages and supports cashless wagering features such as the funding and maintenance of the player's eWallet and cash-equivalent promotions. The account may be funded at the casino cashier or a kiosk. The CMP 426 communicates with the venue's slot management system shown as a slot data system SDS 430. SDS 430 manages the “commerce” from the gaming machines and tables 10 throughout the casino to determine things such as performance, irregularities and security information.
To enable players to fund their eWallet accounts and to cash out all or a portion of the accounts, at least one kiosk 432 is provided for the system 12. The kiosk 432 may include a player card reader, a displayed code scanner, a voucher or ticket reader (for vouchers and slot machine cash out tickets) and have a capability to dispense cash. The ability to read slot machine cash out tickets is well known, as is the ability to dispense cash. The kiosk 432 communicates with the SDS 430 and CMP 426 to access the player's eWallet account to deposit and withdraw funds. For example, a player could cash out a $100 ticket from a slot game and have the ticket read at the kiosk 432 and the $100 uploaded to the player's eWallet or dispensed as cash. Access to the player's eWallet may require entry of security information such as a personal identification number (PIN) at a display/keyboard at the kiosk 432.
The player mobile device 400 may also communicate with a Beverage Ordering Service System BOSS 444 and a point-of-sale manager 446. The player may thus order a beverage using his/her mobile device 400 or may use his/her mobile device at points of sale within the venue such as accessing his/her eWallet or loyalty account to purchase a meal or a room.
To provide communication within the system 12 an arrangement as suggested in
Turning to
With reference to
At 704 the Power Bank module 428 may also display the funds available for play in the player's eWallet account. For example, the display 202 may announce, “You have $10 in Promotional Play. Your eWallet Account has $200.”
With reference to
The system 12 also enables the player to convert electronic funds into physical chips/tokens for play of the base game. In an embodiment as shown in
To cash out all or a portion of the available player funds at the table 10, several techniques can be used. One technique is for the dealer to accept, the remaining player physical chips/tokens and at the dealer terminal 404 select to credit the corresponding amount to the players eWallet account at the power bank module 428. The crediting of the amount would be displayed at the player's VDPID 26a, b to confirm and act as a receipt for the credit. Conversely, and as shown in
In one or more various embodiments, the player may end his/her gaming session as suggested in
The operation and method for an embodiment employing the system 12 is shown in
At 764 the game is started and to prevent further progressive or secondary feature wagering at 766 the bet sensors 28 and VDPIDs 26a, b are locked out from further wagering. At 768 the dealer deals the base game using physical cards dispensed from a deck of cards, multiple decks or a card-dealing shoe to complete the base game. At 770 the dealer determines if there is any progressive or secondary feature winner. If so the dealer selects at 772 the VDPID 26a, b associated with the triggering outcome and at 774 the dealer selects the award. A feature of the present invention provided by the VDPIDs 26a,b is that part of the award structure can be a known award, either a fixed award or an award from a progressive pool, or can be an entry into a bonus feature game which determines the prize. The bonus feature game increases the excitement associated with the awarding of a prize. For example, where a player receives a triggering base game outcome the prize structure may include a chance to spin a virtual wheel to determine the award. At 776 the dealer determines if the prize is an opportunity to spin the wheel. If not, at 778 the dealer at the dealer terminal 404 enters a pay jackpot command and at 780 the award is posted to the player's VDPID 26a, b. At 782 the dealer checks for other winners and if there are, the award process as to those player(s) starts as 772. If there are no other winners at 782 at 784 the hand of the game is ended.
If at 776 the base game outcome is a triggering event of the spin of a virtual wheel at 786 the triggering player's VDPID 26a, b is enabled and displays at least a segment of a prize wheel that may be virtually spun by the player swiping his/her video display 202 to spin to determine the bonus award. At 788 the video displays for the other VDPIDs 26a, b as well as the table display 410 may be synchronized to display images corresponding to the prize wheel to increase the excitement at the table 10 and for bystanders. At 790 the results of the wheel spin are displayed. If the result at 792 is a large prize or the progressive prize at 794 the dealer at the dealer terminal 404 selects the “Hand Pay” input to indicate that the player must be paid by hand. At 796 the hand pay may instruct the player to go to the cashier cage for payment indicated or the payment may be made by an attendant at the table 10. The process returns to 782 to determine if there are other bonus game winners.
If at 792 the award is not above a limit the dealer at the dealer terminal 404 selects at 798 to pay the award and at 799 the award is paid to the player's VDPID 26a, b.
In the example, the Progressive Mega Prize is shown to be incremented by currently at $7,491.61 and the Major Prize at $3,748.81. Both of these prizes have reset values, i.e. values above “0” to which they will reset after the prize is awarded. By way of example only, and for this example, the reset value for the Mega Prize is $5000 and for the Major Prize $3000.
Play is commenced with the dealer dealing the first two cards to each Player A, B and C and to himself.
Player C is fortunate enough to receive three 7s of Diamonds and is entitled to be awarded the current value of the progressive Mega Prize. This award, in the example, would be by a hand pay. Player A (or any additional players who wagered on the bonus along with Player C) would receive the jackpot reset value that would also be handled as a hand pay.
While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in connection with the figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to those embodiments explicitly shown and described herein. Rather, many additions, deletions, and modifications to the embodiments described herein may result in embodiments within the scope of this disclosure, such as those specifically claimed, including legal equivalents. In addition, features from one disclosed embodiment may be combined with features of another disclosed embodiment while still being within the scope of this disclosure, as contemplated by the inventors.
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/837,609 filed Apr. 1, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/902,112 filed Feb. 22, 2018 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,643,424) which claims the benefit of prior filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/466,865 filed Mar. 3, 2017, The disclosures of the Ser. No. 16/837,609 application, the Ser. No. 15/902,112 application, and the 62/466,865 application are each incorporated by reference herein in their respective entireties.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20230124919 A1 | Apr 2023 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 62466865 | Mar 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16837609 | Apr 2020 | US |
| Child | 18083771 | US | |
| Parent | 15902112 | Feb 2018 | US |
| Child | 16837609 | US |
