PROVIDING NON-BINGO OUTCOMES FOR A BINGO GAME

• US 20110212759A1
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gail, Ted, Wolf, Bryan, Bansemer, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,562,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for providing a first wagering game (such as a bingo game) that presents a changing pool of displayed game outcomes for a second wagering game (such as a Class III game), preferably on a network of gaming machines. Some implementations of the invention provide a bingo game that presents a changing pool of displayed game outcomes for a slot game or a poker game. In some preferred implementations, game outcomes are generated, e.g., by individual gaming machines, on an ongoing basis and stored in memory. Each of the game outcomes corresponds with a bingo outcome. Preferably, the game outcomes are sorted and stored according to payout amounts for various bingo outcomes. In some implementations, the game outcomes are stored in the form of random number generating (“RNG”) seeds, but in other implementations the game outcomes are stored in a variety of other forms.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

Generating, with a computing device, a plurality of non-bingo game outcomes, each non-bingo game outcome associated with a payout amount;

forming a plurality of queues in a memory, each queue corresponding with a different payout amount, the plurality of queues including a first queue corresponding with a first payout amount;

assigning each generated non-bingo game outcome to a queue in the plurality of queues based on the payout amount associated with the non-bingo game outcome; and

receiving a request for a non-bingo game outcome, the request including information indicating a bingo payout amount corresponding with the first payout amount; and

providing a first non-bingo game outcome from the first queue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated non-bingo game outcomes are random number seeds.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing the first non-bingo game outcome to a random number generator; and

processing the first non-bingo game outcome with the random number generator.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying the first non-bingo game outcome as a combination of game symbols determined by the random number generator in response to processing the first non-bingo game outcome.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the first non-bingo game outcome is not performed until each queue in the plurality of queues includes a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes may vary from queue to queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the first non-bingo game outcome is performed before each queue in the plurality of queues reaches a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes may vary from queue to queue.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the providing of the first non-bingo game outcome is performed after the first queue reaches a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes but before other queues in the plurality of queues reach predetermined numbers of bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes for each queue may vary from queue to queue.

8. A computer program stored in a machine-readable medium, the computer program configured to control a gaming device to:

generate a plurality of non-bingo game outcomes, each non-bingo game outcome associated with a payout amount;

form a plurality of queues in a memory, each queue corresponding with a different payout amount, the plurality of queues including a first queue corresponding with a first payout amount;

assign each generated non-bingo game outcome to a queue in the plurality of queues based on the payout amount associated with the non-bingo game outcome; and

receive a request for a non-bingo game outcome, the request including information indicating a bingo payout amount corresponding with the first payout amount; and

provide a first non-bingo game outcome from the first queue.

9. The computer program stored in a machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein the non-bingo game outcomes are random number seeds.

10. The computer program stored in the machine-readable medium of claim 9, the computer program further configured to control the gaming device to:

provide the first non-bingo game outcome to a random number generator; and

process the first non-bingo game outcome with the random number generator.

11. The computer program stored in the machine-readable medium of claim 10, the computer program further configured to control the gaming device to:

display the first non-bingo game outcome as a combination of game symbols determined by the random number generator in response to processing the first non-bingo game outcome.

12. The computer program stored in the machine-readable medium of claim 8, the computer program further configured to control the gaming device to provide the first non-bingo game outcome only after each queue in the plurality of queues includes a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes may vary from queue to queue.

13. The computer program stored in the machine-readable medium of claim 8, the computer program further configured to control the gaming device to provide the first non-bingo game outcome before each queue in the plurality of queues reaches a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes may vary from queue to queue.

14. The computer program stored in the machine-readable medium of claim 8, the computer program further configured to control the gaming device to provide the first non-bingo game outcome after the first queue reaches a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes but before other queues in the plurality of queues reach predetermined numbers of bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes for each queue may vary from queue to queue.

15. A gaming system, the gaming system comprising:

one or more gaming machines; and

a gaming device, wherein the gaming device is configured to;

generate a plurality of non-bingo game outcomes, each non-bingo game outcome associated with a payout amount;

form a plurality of queues in a memory, each queue corresponding with a different payout amount, the plurality of queues including a first queue corresponding with a first payout amount;

assign each generated non-bingo game outcome to a queue in the plurality of queues based on the payout amount associated with the non-bingo game outcome; and

receive a request for a non-bingo game outcome, the request including information indicating a bingo payout amount corresponding with the first payout amount; and

provide a first non-bingo game outcome from the first queue.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the non-bingo game outcomes are random number seeds.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the gaming device is further configured to:

provide the first non-bingo game outcome to a random number generator; and

process the first non-bingo game outcome with the random number generator.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the gaming device is further configured to:

display the first non-bingo game outcome as a combination of game symbols determined by the random number generator in response to processing the first non-bingo game outcome.

19. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the gaming device is further configured to provide the first non-bingo game outcome only after each queue in the plurality of queues includes a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes may vary from queue to queue.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the gaming device is further configured to provide the first non-bingo game outcome before each queue in the plurality of queues reaches a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes may vary from queue to queue.

21. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the gaming device is further configured to provide the first non-bingo game outcome after the first queue reaches a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes but before other queues in the plurality of queues reach predetermined numbers of bingo game outcomes, wherein the predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes for each queue may vary from queue to queue.