E-INK BINGO DISPLAY

• US 20090075713A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fortunet Incorporated (Yuri Itkis Gaming Trust 1993)
• Original Assignee: Fortunet Incorporated (Yuri Itkis Gaming Trust 1993)
• Inventors: Goodman, Justin, Hartman, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US11/857,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075713A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2436 Characteristics of the input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2458 LCD's
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/246 Computer generated or synthesized image
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00075 War games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/062 Bingo games, e.g. Bingo card games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0645 Electric lottos or bingo games

Abstract

A system, method and computer-readable medium for implementing gaming systems and devices using portable e-ink bingo display devices. In one embodiment, an electronic game device includes a display controller adapted for generating a game face and a display assembly that displays the generated game face. The display assembly includes an electronic ink display sheet on which the generated game face is displayed, and a dauber interface that converts dauber input signals to electronic signals received by the display controller to adjust the display of the game face on the electronic ink display.

Claims

1. An electronic game device comprising:

a display controller adapted for generating a game face; and

a display assembly that displays the generated game face, said display assembly including;

an electronic ink display sheet on which the generated game face is displayed; and

a dauber interface that converts dauber input signals to electronic signals received by said display controller to adjust the display of the game face on said electronic ink display.

2. The electronic game device of claim 1, wherein said display controller is adapted for generating multiple independently playable bingo game card faces.

3. The electronic game device of claim 1, wherein said dauber interface comprises a pressure-sensitive grid addressable to corresponding planar positions on the displayed game face.

4. The electronic game device of claim 3, wherein the displayed game face is a bingo game card face.

5. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication interface having transceiver and signal processing means that enable wireless communications between said display controller and a remote master game controller that issues control instructions for multiple game participants.

6. The electronic game device of claim 1, wherein said display assembly comprises a substantially flexible layered planar member having multiple layers including:

said electronic ink display sheet; and

an overlay sheet disposed over and covering said electronic ink display sheet, said overlay sheet forming a touch sensitive input interface for said dauber interface.

7. The electronic game device of claim 6, wherein said electronic ink display sheet comprises a flexible substrate sheet layer supporting a display plane layer.

8. The electronic game device of claim 7, wherein said display plane layer comprises:

a pair of opposing electrodes that receive display signals generated by said display controller; and

multiple electronic ink microcapsules disposed in a plane between said pair of opposing electrodes.

9. The electronic game device of claim 8, wherein each of said electronic ink microcapsules comprises a sealed unit containing a pigmented fluid in which multiple pigmented particles are immersed, and wherein the pigmentation of the multiple particles visually contrasts with the pigmentation of the contained fluid.

10. The electronic game device of claim 1, wherein said display assembly includes a winning pattern control button that is selectable using said dauber interface, wherein selection of said winning pattern control button sends a winning pattern signal prompt to a game controller.

11. The electronic game device of claim 1, wherein said display assembly includes an unmark control button that is selectable using said dauber interface for removing both a visual indication of and an underlying game controller recordation of an incorrectly daubed indicium on the displayed game face.

12. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising a memory device storing player information.

13. An electronic bingo gaming system comprising:

an electronic ink display card displaying at least one bingo card face, wherein said electronic ink display card includes;

an electronic ink display sheet comprising a flexible substrate sheet layer supporting a display plane layer, wherein said display plane layer comprises;

a pair of opposing electrodes that receive display signals generated by said display controller; and

multiple electronic ink microcapsules disposed in a plane between said pair of opposing electrodes, wherein each of said electronic ink microcapsules comprises a sealed unit containing a pigmented fluid in which multiple pigmented particles are immersed, and wherein the pigmentation of the multiple particles visually contrasts with the pigmentation of the contained fluid; and

an overlay sheet disposed over and covering said electronic ink display sheet, said overlay sheet forming a pressure sensitive dauber user input interface input interface; and

a game controller having game server functionality and communicatively coupled to said electronic ink display card, wherein said game controller generates bingo game indicia calls.

14. The electronic bingo gaming system of claim 13, wherein said game controller further includes point-of-sale functionality for receiving and managing bingo card sales information.

15. The electronic bingo gaming system of claim 13, wherein said electronic ink display card further comprises a wireless communication interface for communicating with said game controller.

16. The electronic bingo gaming system of claim 13, wherein said electronic ink display card displays multiple independently playable bingo card faces.

17. The electronic bingo gaming system of claim 13, wherein said electronic ink display card further includes a portable battery power supply.

18. The electronic bingo game system of claim 13, further comprising a display table having display card interfaces for communicatively interfacing multiple electronic ink display cards with a local game controller.