Apparatus and method for a gaming tournament network
First Claim
1. A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaming system comprising:
- a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, one of said gaming units comprising;
a value input device;
a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games;
video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, or pachinko, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of moving balls and obstacles if said game comprises pachinko, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; and
a host computer operatively coupled to said gaming units, said host computer comprising;
a host interface unit capable of receiving audio or visual input from a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament; and
a host computer controller operatively coupled to said host interface unit, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer, said host computer controller being programmed to cause host data to be transmitted to at least one of said gaming units during said gaming tournament, said host data being generated based on said audio or visual input received from said live person by said host interface unit during said gaming tournament, wherein said gaming unit controller is programmed to cause a host display image to be generated on said display unit, said host display image being generated from said host data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming system may include a number of gaming units and a host computer operatively coupled to the gaming units, and be configured to allow a gaming tournament to be conducted. Each of the gaming units may comprise a video display unit, a microphone, a camera, a speaker and a gaming unit controller. The gaming unit controller may be programmed to allow a person to select tournament play as a single or a group tournament player at a reserved or unreserved gaming unit, and to allow player data to be transmitted to the host computer. The host computer may include a host interface unit capable of receiving audio, visual and/or data input from a tournament host during the tournament, and a host computer controller capable of causing host data to be transmitted to the gaming units.
136 Citations
52 Claims
-
1. A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaming system comprising:
-
a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, one of said gaming units comprising;
a value input device;
a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games;
video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, or pachinko,said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of moving balls and obstacles if said game comprises pachinko, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; and
a host computer operatively coupled to said gaming units, said host computer comprising;
a host interface unit capable of receiving audio or visual input from a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament; and
a host computer controller operatively coupled to said host interface unit, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer, said host computer controller being programmed to cause host data to be transmitted to at least one of said gaming units during said gaming tournament, said host data being generated based on said audio or visual input received from said live person by said host interface unit during said gaming tournament, wherein said gaming unit controller is programmed to cause a host display image to be generated on said display unit, said host display image being generated from said host data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaming system comprising:
-
a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, one of said gaming units comprising;
a value input device;
a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games;
video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, or pachinko,said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of moving balls and obstacles if said game comprises pachinko, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; and
a host computer operatively coupled to said gaming units, said host computer comprising;
a host interface unit capable of receiving audio and visual input from a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament; and
a host computer controller operatively coupled to said host interface unit, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer, said host computer controller being programmed to cause host data to be transmitted to at least one of said gaming units during said gaming tournament, said host data being generated based on said audio and visual input received from said live person by said host interface unit during said gaming tournament. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaming system comprising:
-
a host computer, said host computer comprising;
a host computer controller, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer; and
a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, said plurality of gaming units operatively coupled to said host computer, one of said gaming units comprising;
a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
a player interface unit capable of receiving audio and visual input from a tournament player; and
a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said player interface unit, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause player data to be transmitted from said one gaming unit to said host computer during said gaming tournament, said player data being generated based on audio and visual input received by said player interface unit during said gaming tournament;
said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games;
video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, or pachinko,said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of moving balls and obstacles if said game comprises pachinko, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaming system comprising:
-
a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, one of said gaming units comprising;
a value input device;
a plurality of slot machine reels of a slots game, each of said slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols;
a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said value input device and said player interface unit, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a payline selection, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game, said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols; and
a host computer operatively coupled to said gaming units, said host computer comprising;
a host interface unit capable of receiving audio and visual input from a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament; and
a host computer controller operatively coupled to said host interface unit, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer, said host computer controller being programmed to cause host data to be transmitted to at least one of said gaming units during said gaming tournament, said host data being generated based on audio and visual input received from said live person by said host interface unit during said gaming tournament. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaming system comprising:
-
a host computer, said host computer comprising;
a host computer controller, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer; and
a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, said plurality of gaming units operatively coupled to said host computer, one of said gaming units comprising;
a plurality of slot machine reels of a slots game, each of said slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols;
a player interface unit capable of receiving audio and visual input from a tournament player; and
a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said plurality of slot machine reels of a slots game and said player interface unit, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause player data to be transmitted from said one gaming unit to said host computer during said gaming tournament, said player data being generated based on audio and visual input received by said player interface unit during said gaming tournament;
said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a payline selection, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game, said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A gaming system that allows a gaming tournament to be conducted, said gaming system comprising:
-
a plurality of gaming units that may be used by a plurality of tournament players, one of said gaming units comprising;
a value input device;
a display unit that is capable of generating video images and live host images;
a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said gaming unit controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said gaming unit controller, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow one of said tournament players to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game, and said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine, after said video image has been displayed, a value payout associated with an outcome of said game represented by said video image; and
a host computer operatively coupled to said gaming units, said host computer comprising;
a host interface unit capable of receiving audio and visual input from a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament; and
a host computer controller operatively coupled to said host interface unit, said host computer controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said host computer, said host computer controller being programmed to cause host data to be transmitted to at least one of said gaming units during said gaming tournament, said host data being generated based on audio and visual input received from said live person by said host interface unit during said gaming tournament. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A method of conducting a gaming tournament among a plurality of tournament players and a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament, said gaming tournament being conducted using a gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming units and, said method comprising:
-
causing a video image representing a game to be generated on a first display unit of a first gaming unit being used by a first tournament player, said video image representing one of the following games;
video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo or video pachinko,said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, and said video image comprising an image of a plurality of moving balls and obstacles if said game comprises pachinko;
determining a value payout associated with an outcome of said gaming tournament represented by said video image of said game;
causing a video image representing a game to be generated on a second display unit of a second gaming unit being used by a second tournament player;
generating host data from audio or visual input from said live person acting as the tournament host, said host data being generated during said gaming tournament;
transmitting said host data to said first gaming unit during said gaming tournament, said host data generating a host display image on said first display unit; and
transmitting said host data to said second gaming unit during said gaming tournament, said host data generating said host display image on said second display unit. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. A method of conducting a gaming tournament among a first tournament player, a second tournament player, and a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament, said method comprising:
-
generating host data from audio or visual input from said live person acting as the tournament host, said host data being generated during said gaming tournament;
causing said host data to be transmitted to a first gaming unit being played by said first tournament player during said gaming tournament, said first gaming unit comprising a first display unit capable of generating video images representing a tournament game, said host data generating a host display image on said first display unit; and
causing said host data to be transmitted to a second gaming unit being played by said second tournament player during said gaming tournament, said second gaming unit comprising a second display unit capable of generating video images representing a tournament game, said host data generating said host display image on said second display unit. - View Dependent Claims (50)
-
-
51. A method of conducting a gaming tournament among a first tournament player, a second tournament player, and a live person acting as a tournament host during said gaming tournament, said method comprising:
-
generating first player data from audio and visual input from said first tournament player, said first player data being generated during said gaming tournament;
causing said first player data to be transmitted from a first gaming unit being played by said first tournament player to a host unit during said gaming tournament;
generating second player data from audio and visual input from said second tournament player, said second player data being generated during said gaming tournament; and
causing said second player data to be transmitted from a second gaming unit being played by said second tournament player to said host unit during said gaming tournament. - View Dependent Claims (52)
-
Specification