METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PLAYING BINGO OVER A WIDE GEOGRAPHIC AREA
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for enabling bingo to be played over a wide geographic area, comprising:
- (a) means for issuing game card arrays in response to purchase requests;
(b) means for keeping track of all game card arrays issued in response to said purchase requests;
(c) means for sequencing through each bingo game in a scheduled bingo session; and
(d) means for communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus (systems) are set forth for enabling bingo (and similar games of chance, referred to hereinafter collectively as “bingo”) to be played in real time at locations which are remote (geographically separated in a physical sense) from the location where the numbers (or more generally symbols) used to play a bingo type of game are being selected. The disclosed methods and apparatus are directed to both passive and interactive systems which allow bingo to be played from the aforementioned remote locations.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. A system for enabling bingo to be played over a wide geographic area, comprising:
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(a) means for issuing game card arrays in response to purchase requests;
(b) means for keeping track of all game card arrays issued in response to said purchase requests;
(c) means for sequencing through each bingo game in a scheduled bingo session; and
(d) means for communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32)
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25. A system for enabling bingo to be interactively played over a wide geographic area, comprising:
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(a) means for issuing game card arrays in response to purchase requests;
(b) means for keeping track of all game card arrays issued in response to said purchase requests;
(c) means for sequencing through each bingo game in a scheduled bingo session;
(d) means for communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players at locations over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session; and
(e) a communications path for allowing a game participant to interact with the system.
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29. A gaming system for playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising:
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(a) means for keeping track of game card arrays in play; and
(b) means for communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session.
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33. An interactive gaming system for playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising:
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(a) means for communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session; and
(b) a communications path for allowing game participants to interact with the system When the game participants are physically located over a wide geographic area. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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34. A gaming system for playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising:
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(a) means for issuing game card arrays in response to purchase requests; and
(b) means for communication over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session.
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35. A gaming system for playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising:
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(a) means for sequencing through each bingo game in a scheduled bingo session; and
(b) means for communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session.
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36. A method for enabling bingo to be played over a wide geographic area, comprising the steps of;
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(a) issuing game card arrays in response to purchase requests;
(b) keeping track of all game card arrays issued in response to said purchase requests;
(c) sequencing through each bingo game in a scheduled bingo session; and
(d) communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session.
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53. A method for operating a gaming system for playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising the steps of:
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(a) keeping track of game card arrays in play; and
(b) communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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55. A method for operating a gaming system for interactively playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising the steps of:
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(a) communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the way geographic area to participate in the bingo session; and
(b) providing a communications path for allowing game participants to interact with the system when the game participants are physically located over a wide geographic area.
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56. A method for operating a gaming system for playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising the steps of:
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(a) issuing game card arrays in response to purchase requests; and
(b) communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session.
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57. A method for playing a game of chance over a wide geographic area, wherein said game requires a plurality of game card arrays, each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, and further wherein it is an object of the game to sequentially and randomly generate symbols from a predefined symbol universe, matching generated symbols against the symbols on said game card arrays, with a winner being declared whenever a predefined pattern of generated symbols is formed on at least one of said game card arrays, comprising the steps of:
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(a) sequencing through each bingo game in a scheduled bingo session; and
(b) communicating over a wide geographic area the sequence of random symbols being generated during a particular bingo game to thereby enable players over the wide geographic area to participate in the bingo session.
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Specification