Game balls bearing multiple game indicia and games played therewith

• US 20100230896A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradley G. Ward
• Original Assignee: Bradley G. Ward
• Inventors: Ward, Bradley G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/144.B
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/02 Marking of balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0466 spherical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0486 Dice with symbols, e.g. indicating a direction for moving a playing piece
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/061 in which the players select their own numbers, e.g. Lotto
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/40 Balls or other moving playing bodies, e.g. pinballs or discs used instead of balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0415 Details of dice, e.g. non-cuboid dice
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/001 with balls or the like

Abstract

A game ball has two different game indicia associated therewith. One or more of such game balls may be part of a set of game balls, such as a set of balls used to play a bingo, keno or lottery game where the game indicia may comprise numbers used to play lottery or keno, or combinations of letters and numbers for play of a bingo game. Compared to game balls bearing a single game indicia, selection of a game ball bearing multiple game indicia presents a player with an increased or bonus matching opportunity. The game balls may be physical elements or be electronic representations, such as displayed images, thereof.

Claims

1. A set of game balls for use in playing a game utilizing a set of multiple game indicia, one or more of said game balls bearing a single of said game indicia selected from said set of multiple game indicia and at least one of said game balls bearing at least two different game indicia selected from said set of multiple game indicia.

2. The set of game balls in accordance with claim 1 wherein said game balls bear game indicia for use in play of a bingo, lottery or keno game.

3. The set of game balls in accordance with claim 1 wherein said each indicia of said set of multiple game indicia comprises a combination of a letter and a number.

4. The set of game balls in accordance with claim 3 wherein said at least one of said game balls bearing at least two different game indicia comprises a game ball bearing a first combination of a letter and a number and a second combination of a letter and a number, said first and second combinations differing from one another.

5. The set of game balls in accordance with claim 1 wherein each game indicia from said set of multiple game indicia is associated with at least one game ball.

6. The set of game balls in accordance with claim 1 wherein said game balls comprise spherical objects.

7. The set of game balls in accordance with claim 1 wherein said game balls comprise electronic images.

8. A method of playing a bingo game comprising:

providing a set of game indicia, each game indicia comprising a combination of a letter and a number;

providing a set of bingo balls bearing said game indicia from said set, one or more of said bingo balls bearing a single of said game indicia from said set and at least one of said bingo balls bearing at least two of said game indicia from said set;

providing at least one game card bearing a plurality of player game indicia;

selecting one or more of said bingo balls from said set; and

matching said game indicia associated therewith to said player game indicia.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said bingo balls comprise physical balls printed with at least one game indicia.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said bingo balls comprise electronic representations of bingo balls bearing at least one game indicia.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said step of matching comprises matching the single bingo number associated with a bingo ball bearing a single game indicia, and matching multiple game indicia associated with a bingo ball bearing multiple game indicia, to said player game indicia.