Method, apparatus, and program product for presenting results in a bingo-type game

• US 20020132661A1
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Lind, Jefferson C., Enzminger, Joseph R., Loebig, Gary L., Graves, Gordon T., Lind, Clifton, Lannert, Robert, Willyard, Rodney L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Each bingo card representation matched with a game designation set in a given bingo game (a “matched bingo card representation”) represents a respective game play record providing a result in the bingo game. The result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in the bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation is correlated to one or more game results in the bingo-type game so that each game result in the bingo-type game is associated with a result representation. According to the invention, each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game. That is, although the game results are simply bingo game results defined by predetermined patterns of matches between the various card designations and the designation set produced or called for a particular bingo-type game, the game results are displayed to the players with a graphical display including a graphic that is not merely a graphical representation or reproduction of a bingo card. Displaying the result of the bingo-type game to the player thus involves displaying the result representation associated with the particular game result in lieu or at least in addition to the representation of the matched bingo-type game card.

Claims

1. A gaming method including the steps of:

(a) producing a game result in a bingo-type game; and

(b) displaying a result representation at an electronic player station, the result representation being correlated to the game result and including a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of producing the game result includes the step of matching a set of bingo card representations with a game designation set and wherein the game result comprises a predefined pattern of matches between the game designation set and designations associated with one of the bingo card representations in the set of bingo card representations.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of matching the set of bingo card representations with the game designation set is performed prior to an assignment of bingo card representations from the set of bingo card representations to players in the bingo-type game.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step of discarding a matched card set in which a predefined winning card is not produced upon matching a final game designation in the game designation set to the set of bingo card representations, the matched card set comprising the set of bingo card representations matched with the game designation set.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

7. A gaming method including the steps of:

(a) producing a game result in a bingo-type game, the game result being associated with a pattern of locations on a bingo card representation; and

(b) displaying a result representation at a player display, the result representation being correlated to the game result and including a graphical representation dissimilar to the pattern of locations on the bingo card representation.

8. The gaming method of claim 7 wherein the player display comprises a variable display capable of display a number of different graphical representations.

9. The gaming method of claim 7 wherein the step of producing the game result includes the step of matching a set of bingo card representations with a game designation set.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of matching the set of bingo card representations with the game designation set is performed prior to an assignment of bingo card representations from the set of bingo card representations to players in the bingo-type game.

11. The method of claim 10 including the step of discarding a matched card set in which a predefined winning card is not produced upon matching a final game designation in the at game designation set to the set of bingo card representations, the matched card set comprising the set of bingo card representations matched with the game designation set.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

15. The gaming method of claim 14 wherein the set of bingo-type game results includes at least one game ending result associated with a predetermined game ending definition of matches.

16. The gaming method of claim 15 wherein the set of bingo-type game results includes a number of additional winning results associated with a prize in the bingo-type game.

17. The gaming method of claim 14 wherein the step of matching the first bingo card representation with the game designation set is performed prior to an assignment of the first bingo card representation to the game player.

18. The gaming method of claim 14 wherein the step of displaying the first result representation comprises displaying the first result representation on a variable display device capable of providing a number of different graphical representations.

19. The gaming method of claim 14 further including the step of displaying the first bingo card representation matched with the bingo designation set.

20. The gaming method of claim 14 wherein the first bingo-type game result comprises a winning result associated with a prize in the bingo-type game, and further including the steps of:

(a) associating a second bingo-type game result in the set of bingo-type game results with a second result representation unrelated to the bingo-type game, the second bingo-type game result comprising a losing result in the bingo-type game with no prize value;

(b) matching a second bingo card representation for the bingo-type game with the bingo designation set to produce the second bingo-type game result; and

(c) displaying the second result representation to a game player to whom the second bingo card representation has been assigned.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the first result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the first result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

24. The gaming method of claim 23 the step of matching the first bingo card representation with the bingo designation set is performed prior to an assignment of the first bingo card representation to the game player.

25. The gaming method of claim 23 wherein the step of displaying the first result representation comprises displaying the first result representation on a variable display device capable of providing a number of different graphical representations.

26. The gaming method of claim 23 further including the step of displaying the first bingo card representation matched with the bingo designation set.

27. The gaming method of claim 23 wherein the first bingo-type game result comprises a winning result associated with a prize in the bingo-type game, and further including the steps of:

(a) associating a second bingo-type game result with a second result representation, the second result representation being dissimilar to any bingo card representation of the set of bingo card representations, and the second bingo-type game result comprising a losing result with no associated prize value;

(b) matching the second bingo card representation with the bingo designation set to produce the second bingo-type game result; and

(c) displaying the second result representation to a game player to whom the second bingo card representation has been assigned.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the first result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the first result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

14. A gaming method utilizing a set of bingo-type game results for a bingo-type game, the method including the steps of:

(a) associating a first bingo-type game result in the set of bingo-type game results with a first result representation unrelated to the bingo-type game;

(b) matching a first bingo card representation for the bingo-type game with a bingo designation set to produce the first bingo-type game result; and

(c) displaying the first result representation to a game player to whom the first bingo card representation has been assigned.

23. A gaming method utilizing a first bingo card representation to be matched with a bingo designation set, the first bingo card representation being included in a set of bingo card representations, the method including the steps of:

(a) associating a first bingo-type game result with a first result representation, the first result representation being dissimilar to any bingo card representation of the set of bingo card representations;

(b) matching the first bingo card representation with the bingo designation set to produce the first bingo-type game result; and

(c) displaying the first result representation to a game player to whom the first bingo card representation has been assigned.

31. A gaming apparatus including:

(a) a back office component for producing a game result in a bingo-type game;

(b) a player station connected for communication with the back office component; and

(c) the player station including a display for displaying a result representation, the result representation being correlated to the game result and including a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the back office system includes a card processing device for matching a set of bingo card representations with a bingo game designation set and wherein the game result comprises a predefined pattern of matches between the game designation set and designations associated with one of the bingo card representations in the set of bingo card representations.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the card processing device matches the set of bingo card representations with the game designation set prior to an assignment of bingo card representations from the set of bingo card representations to players in the bingo-type game.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the card processing device is also for discarding a matched card set in which a predefined winning card is not produced upon matching a final game designation in the bingo game designation set to the set of bingo card representations, the matched card set comprising the set of bingo card representations matched with the game designation set.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

36. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the back office system includes a card processing device for matching a set of bingo card representations with a game designation set to produce the game result.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the card processing device matches the set of bingo card representations with the game designation set prior to an assignment of a bingo card representation from the set of bingo card representations to a player in the bingo-type game.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein and card processing device is also for discarding a matched card set in which a predefined winning card is not produced upon matching a final game designation in the game designation set to the set of bingo card representations, the matched card set comprising the set of bingo card representations matched with the game designation set.

41. The method of claim 37 wherein the result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein the first result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

37. A gaming apparatus including:

(a) a back office system for producing a game result in a bingo-type game, the game result being associated with a pattern of locations on a bingo card representation;

(b) a player station operatively connected for communication with the back office system; and

(c) a display device included with the player station for displaying a result representation, the result representation being correlated to the game result and including a graphical representation dissimilar to the pattern of locations on the bingo card representation.

43. A program product stored on computer readable media, the program product comprising:

(a) game result program code for producing a game result in a bingo-type game; and

(b) result display program code for displaying a result representation at a player station, the result representation being correlated to the game result and including a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game.

44. The program product of claim 43 wherein the game result program code includes matching program code for matching a set of bingo card representations with a bingo game designation set and wherein the game result comprises a predefined pattern of matches between the bingo game designation set and designations associated with one of the bingo card representations in the set of bingo card representations.

45. The program product of claim 44 wherein the matching program code matches the set of bingo card representations with the game designation set prior to an assignment of bingo card representations from the set of bingo card representations to players in the bingo-type game.

46. The program product of claim 44 wherein the game result program code includes set discarding program code for discarding a matched card set in which a predefined winning card is not produced upon matching a final game designation in the bingo game designation set to the set of bingo card representations, the matched card set comprising the set of bingo card representations matched with the bingo game designation set.

47. The program product of claim 43 wherein the result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

48. The program product of claim 43 wherein the result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

50. The program product of claim 49 wherein game result program code includes matching program code for matching a set of bingo card representations with a bingo game designation set.

51. The program product of claim 50 wherein the matching program code matches the set of bingo card representations with the bingo game designation set prior to an assignment of a bingo card representation from the set of bingo card representations to a player in the bingo-type game.

52. The program product of claim 50 wherein the game result program code includes discarding program code for discarding a matched card set in which a predefined winning card is not produced upon matching a final game designation in the bingo game designation set to the set of bingo card representations, the matched card set comprising the set of bingo card representations matched with the bingo game designation set.

53. The program product of claim 49 wherein the result representation includes a representation related to a casino game.

54. The program product of claim 49 wherein the result representation includes a representation of one or more spinning reels, one or more playing cards, a roulette wheel, one or more die, a keno board, or a horse race.

49. A program product stored in computer readable media, the program product including:

(a) game result program code for producing a game result in a bingo-type game, the game result being associated with a pattern of locations on a bingo card representation; and

(b) result display program code for displaying a result representation at a player display, the result representation being correlated to the game result and including a graphical representation dissimilar to the pattern of locations on the bingo card representation.