Televised bingo game system

• US 5,518,253 A
• Filed: 03/16/1994
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Pocock, Terrence Pocock
• Original Assignee: Andrew Pocock, Terrence Pocock
• Inventors: Pocock, Andrew, Pocock, Terrence
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US08/213,705
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 273/439, 273/269, 273/237, 273/138 R, 273/138 A, 273/139, 283/49, 283/903, 379/92, 358/84, 358/85, 358/86, 455/2, 455/4.2
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/062 Bingo games, e.g. Bingo card games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0645 Electric lottos or bingo games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A system and method to provide a mass audience television game show based on bingo that is played on impulse many times per day. Players use erasable daubers to mark system generated plastic laminated sheets of reusable bingo cards. Entry to the game is by telephone with the automatic acquisition of players names and other information required to play the game. Billing is provided by a `900` number billing service or by charging a players credit card. A computer system plays the selected bingo balls against all the entered bingo cards, determines the winners and announces the winners names over the television channel. This system is totally automated without any staff required to accept players entries or to operate the television game show. A semi-automated version includes an announcer and the selection and display of the bingo balls manually over the television channel as well as the personal announcement of the winners.

Claims

1. A television game show system comprising:

(A) a computer system for generating a number of sheets each containing a preselected number of unique bingo cards from the pool of all potential bingo cards, for distribution to bingo players in a television station'"'"'s viewing area, with each sheet having a unique identification number assigned thereto;

(B) storage means connected to the computer system to store the contents of said sheets of unique bingo cards with the associated identification number;

(C) at least one variable content printing means to print out said sheets of bingo cards;

(D) a telephone system for providing to the computer system information received via a telephone connection which pertains to at least an identification of a player and the sheet identification number for an associated sheet of bingo cards;

(E) means responsive to receipt of a sheet identification number for retrieving from said storage means (B) the contents of an associated sheet of bingo cards and for storing information in a first database relating to the retrieved contents of the cards on the associated sheet and the associated player identification that was received via the telephone connection;

(F) means to define to the computer system at least one winning pattern on a bingo card that is used to determine winners of a bingo game;

(G) means to randomly select bingo numbers one at a time from a pool of all seventy-five possible numbers;

(H) means to inform a television audience of the bingo numbers as they are selected;

(I) means to enter the selected bingo numbers into the computer system;

(J) means to determine if a selected bingo number matches a number that is included in the set of numbers on each bingo card whose contents is stored in said first database;

(K) means to determine if there is a pattern of matched bingo numbers on a card that is the same as a defined winning bingo pattern;

(L) means to determine the identification of a player associated with a winning bingo card; and

(M) means to indicate the identification of the bingo game winner.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said defining means defines multiple winning patterns.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer system controls the variable content printer means to print out game-related information including statistics, a register of players entered in the game, copies of the winning bingo cards and accounting reports.

4. The system of claim 1 further including high speed data communication means for connecting one or more remotely located telephone systems to the computer system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer system stores transactions that are received by the telephone system in a first database for play of the bingo game and also stores these transactions in a non-volatile memory for historical reference.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone system maintains a database of telephone numbers of players that have called in to said system and at least one of an associated telephone number indicator, a bad credit indicator, and a playing frequency indicator.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone system acquires a player'"'"'s telephone number through automatic number identification and transmits this information to the computer system where it is associated with the player'"'"'s sheet of bingo cards for future identification of the player that entered the bingo card.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the telephone system includes means to digitally record a player'"'"'s spoken name and to transmit this information to the computer system where it is associated with the player'"'"'s telephone number and sheet of bingo cards for storage and later retrieval.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone system includes means to acquire the player'"'"'s telephone number and credit card information and to transmit this information to the computer system where it is associated with the player'"'"'s sheet of bingo cards for storage and retrieval for accounting purposes.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein a player provides the system with a unique number and the system generates and prints a unique set of gaming cards associated with that number for the player.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said means to select the bingo numbers includes means to randomly generate the numbers and graphic generating means for displaying bingo ball images of the generated numbers to the television audience, and wherein said telephone system includes voice generating means for informing the television audience of the generated bingo numbers by means of the audio portion of a television channel.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the individual bingo cards on a sheet of bingo cards have further identification allowing a player to play individual cards and portions of a card instead of the whole sheet of bingo cards.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone system includes bridging means activated by the calling party to connect the calling party'"'"'s telephone line to a customer service operator to provide assistance.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone system is connected to at least one of a two-way cable system, a fibre optic communication network, or a radio telephone system to acquire the bingo related information, in addition to a telephone network.

15. A method for televising a game show and enabling members of a television viewing audience to play the game, comprising the steps of:

(A) generating a required number of sheets each containing a preselected number of unique bingo cards from the pool of all potential bingo cards, with each sheet having a unique identification number assigned thereto;

(B) storing the contents of said sheets of unique bingo cards with the associated identification number;

(C) printing said sheets of bingo cards and distributing them to game players in a television viewing area;

(D) receiving information via a telephone connection which pertains to at least an identification of a player and the sheet identification number for an associated sheet of bingo cards;

(E) retrieving from storage the contents of an associated sheet of bingo cards and storing information in a first database relating to the retrieved contents of the cards on the associated sheet and the associated player identification that was received via the telephone connection;

(F) defining at least one winning pattern on a bingo card that is used to determine winners of a bingo game;

(G) randomly selecting bingo numbers one at a time from a pool of all seventy-five possible numbers;

(H) informing the television audience of the bingo numbers as they are selected;

(I) determining whether a selected bingo number matches a number that is included in the set of numbers on each bingo card whose information is stored in said first database;

(J) determining whether there is a pattern of matched bingo numbers on a card that is the same as a defined winning bingo pattern;

(K) determining the identification of a player associated with a winning bingo card; and

(L) informing the television audience of the identification of the bingo game winner.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the game consists of multiple winning patterns with prizes awarded to players that obtain one or more of the multiple patterns.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein further numbers are selected after an initial winner is determined to create additional winners in a particular game.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein participants in the game comprise both remotely located players who observe the game through television broadcasts and local players who are present at the site at which the numbers are selected.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the step of verifying that a player is a winning player by determining whether a sheet identification number associated with that player is registered for a given game and, if so, whether a card on the associated sheet contains a winning pattern.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein a bingo card and its associated identification number are universal in concept for use in multiple games conducted at different times on various regional bases with no connection between any games except the universal card.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the bingo cards are printed on printers connected to one or more computers at one or more locations at multiple times in one or more physical formats.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein a computer system operated by a single player accepts a series of identification numbers that enables the computer system to regenerate bingo cards for those identification numbers for play of the regenerated bingo cards in the bingo game by the player.

23. The method of claim 15 further including the steps of storing transactions that are received by the telephone system in a first database in temporary memory for play of the bingo game and storing these transactions in a non-volatile memory for historical reference.

24. The method of claim 15 further including the step of maintaining a database of telephone numbers of players that have called in to register for a game and at least one of an associated telephone number indicator, a bad credit indicator, and a playing frequency indicator.

25. The method of claim 15 further including the steps of acquiring a player'"'"'s telephone number through automatic number identification and transmitting this information to a computer system where it is associated with the player'"'"'s sheet of bingo cards for future identification of the player that entered the bingo card.

26. The method of claim 25 further including the steps of digitally recording a player'"'"'s spoken name and transmitting this information to a computer system where it is associated with the player'"'"'s telephone number and sheet of bingo cards for storage and later retrieval.

27. The method of claim 15 further including the steps of acquiring a player'"'"'s telephone number and credit card information and transmitting this information to a computer system where it is associated with the player'"'"'s sheet of bingo cards for storage and retrieval for accounting purposes.

28. The method of claim 15 wherein a player provides the system with a unique number, and further including the steps of generating and printing a unique set of gaming cards associated with that number for the player.

29. The method of claim 15 wherein a non-paying player who has not entered a current game can play along as if a paid player and, upon obtaining a winning bingo pattern, can call to enter a sheet identification number, and including the steps of using the bingo sheet identification number to regenerate the play-along player'"'"'s bingo cards and compare the numbers on the bingo cards to the bingo numbers that were drawn for that game to determine if the play-along player is a winner.

30. The method of claim 15 further including the steps of randomly generating the bingo numbers automatically by a computer system, displaying bingo ball images of these generated numbers to the television audience, and audibly informing the television audience of the generated bingo numbers by means of the audio portion of a television channel.

31. The method of claim 15 wherein the individual bingo cards on a sheet of bingo cards have further identification allowing a player to play individual cards and portions of a card instead of the whole sheet of bingo cards.