Automatic electronic downloading of bingo cards with algorithm for generating bingo cards

• US 5,072,381 A
• Filed: 03/09/1990
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Gaming Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Selectro-Vision, Ltd.
• Inventors: Richardson, John, MacKay, H. Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Dale M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huntley, David
• Application Number:
  US07/491,751
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 364/410, 364/411, 364/412, 273/237, 273/269, 273/274, 273/284, 273/138 A
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

An electronic gaming system for playing games which includes a system base station and a plurality of gaming boards. The system base station downloads game instructions, a game schedule, and game card arrays into the gaming boards. These game card arrays are stored in the system base station as a gaming card library. The gaming card library contains a plurality of game card arrays such that no two arrays are identical. Each game card array is stored as a single record containing the elements of a particular array, while the individual enjoys instantaneous access to a plurality of gaming cards. The game schedule stores symbols which are to be matched with randomly generated symbols, particularly where the symbols are numbers and the pattern is a plurality of elements of a 5×5 array. The base station employs an algorithm to generate cards which ensures that numerical arrays of consecutive adjacent gaming arrays in said library differ by more than one array entry.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming system for playing a game which requires a plurality of gaming card arrays each formed from a plurality of symbols positioned in predetermined symbol display locations, said gaming system comprising:

a) a system base station including;

game card array production means for producing a series of unique gaming card arrays each of which complies with the rules of a game, each gaming card array comprising data representing a plurality of symbols, a plurality of said gaming card arrays together comprising a gaming card library;

a base station communications port;

request means for requesting at least one gaming card array for a game participant; and

system base station data transfer means responsive to said request means for retrieving at least one of said gaming card arrays from said gaming card array production means and for presenting it to said base station communication port;

b) a plurality of gaming boards each including;

a gaming board communications port designed to exchange information with said base station communications port;

memory means for storing gaming card arrays;

gaming board data transfer means responsive to the receipt of a gaming card array at said gaming board communications port from transferring said gaming card array from said gaming board communications port to said memory means;

game playing means for implementing a serial gaming schedule comprising a plurality of win patterns which describe a schedules sequence of successive independent games each having at least one predetermined win pattern, each said gaming board having means for recalling and executing the gaming schedule to play the respective individual games in the schedule sequence;

said gaming schedule utilizing at least one gaming

card array in said memory means;

wherein said game card array production means includes means for ensuring that numerical arrays of consecutive adjacent said gaming arrays in said library differ by more than one array entry.

2. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said game card array production means further includes random number generation means for generating random numbers and game card array examination means for examining said plurality of gaming card arrays prior to inclusion in said gaming card library to exclude duplicate gaming card arrays from said gaming card library.

3. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said gaming card array is stored a said single record containing the elements of a particular array, each said gaming card array being arranged sequentially in said gaming card library, each said gaming card array being associated with a unique gaming card library number.

4. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said gaming card arrays are arranged sequentially as a series of records stored in memory such that no two adjacent records contain array numbers which are substantially identical.

5. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system base station is implemented using a microprocessor and disk operating system which together run an interactive applications program receiving operator inputs and providing system control.

6. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system base station further includes auditing mean for auditing said memory means of said electronic gaming boards to distinguish legitimate gaming cards which were downloaded by said system base station into said gaming board from all other types of gaming cards.

7. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 and further including at least one portable validation unit for validating a win condition of said gaming boards, said validation unit comprising:

reception means for receiving validation data from said system base station or from said gaming board, said validation data including a game code number, a player code number, a gaming card library number and a win indication;

comparing means for comparing corresponding data received from said system base station with data received from said gaming board;

indicating means for producing an indication if said data match.

8. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said validation unit comprises means for auditing said memory means of said gaming boards to distinguish legitimate gaming card arrays which were downloaded by said system base station into said gaming board from all other types of gaming card arrays.

9. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said validation unit further includes means to audit said electronic gaming boards, said auditing means including means to confirm matches between randomly-called numbers and numbers entered into said electronic gaming board during said game which are subsequently stored within said memory means of said gaming boards.

10. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said validation unit further includes means to audit said electronic gaming boards, said auditing means including means to confirm matches between randomly-called numbers and game card array numbers stored within said memory means of said gaming boards.

11. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gaming boards further include means for selecting and visually displaying one of a plurality of said game card arrays.

12. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of gaming boards each include means whereby the user may enter into said memory means of said gaming board a plurality of symbols including data and function commands.

13. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of gaming boards each include means for selecting a first communications mode, said gaming board including means for generating, in response to said communications mode, control signals causing the input state of said gaming board communications port to be periodically sensed, causing said memory means of said gaming board to store a base station program transmitted from said system base station communications port to said gaming board communications port.

14. An electronic gaming system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of gaming boards each include means for selecting a play mode for playing said game, said gaming board including means for generating, in response to said play mode, control signals causing the contents of gaming card arrays stored within said memory means of said gaming board to be compared with randomly-called numbers entered into input means of said gaming board, said input means including means for accepting user data, according to win patterns stored within said memory means of said gaming board, said plurality of gaming boards each including match confirmation means for confirming matches between said randomly called numbers said contents of game card arrays in accordance with said win patterns, and said plurality of gaming boards each including win indication means for generating a win indication upon confirmation of a match.