Electronic gaming apparatus and method

• US 5,810,664 A
• Filed: 03/05/1997
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ronald C. Clapper Jr
• Original Assignee: Ronald C. Clapper Jr
• Inventors: Clapper, Ronald C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US08/811,613
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/18, 273/138.2, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

An electronic gaming apparatus which preferably corresponds to and effectively electronically automates games of chance as, for example, that game of chance known as "Pull-Tab." The apparatus is generally played by a single player and is designed to dispense a ticket containing indicia thereon. A large number of tickets are in the apparatus and the player actuates the apparatus and obtains a dispensed ticket. If the indicia which appears on the ticket constitutes winning or scoring indicia, the player obtains a reward as, for example, a pay-off in money. Only a limited number of the tickets contain any winning or scoring indicia. All tickets are pre-printed and may be dispensed from a bin containing pre-cut tickets. Otherwise, the tickets may be severed from a strip in the form of a roll containing all of the tickets sequentially. The apparatus comprises a display means which displays each of the indicia on a ticket. The display is operated in a manner so that the indicia are effectively scrolled across the display screen to generate an image of rotating wheels which display the indicia. In one embodiment, the display actually constitutes rotating wheels with the indicia printed on the annular surfaces thereof. In another embodiment, the indicia is generated by a raster pattern screen and where the indicia are caused to move across a screen in a manner as though it creates the image of indicia being on rotating wheels. A method of distributing pre-printed rolls of tickets is provided such that each player of the gaming apparatus plays against every other player and not just the gaming apparatus.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming apparatus capable of playing a game of chance using a plurality of individual tickets with each containing indicia thereon which may represent any winning or scoring combination and where each ticket has a machine readable code representative of or correlated to the indicia on that ticket, and where only one or more of the tickets may contain winning or scoring indicia thereon, said apparatus comprising:

a) means for initiating a play of the gaming apparatus with a ticket containing indicia from the plurality of tickets thereof and where the indicia are an integral part of the play of the game of chance;

b) means for reading the machine readable code on the ticket to enable a generation of indicia generally correlated to or representative of that indicia on the ticket so that the generated indicia may be displayed;

c) said tickets being preprinted with the indicia prior to use in said apparatus so that an element of chance in the game of chance is determined at the time of production of the tickets, permitting the game of chance to be played independently of and without the gaming apparatus by enabling the player of the game to visually examine the indicia on the ticket and determine whether or not the ticket of the player is or is not a winning or scoring ticket; and

d) a display means on said apparatus displaying the indicia generated from the code so that the generated and displayed indicia is generally correlated to or representative of that on the ticket so that a player of the gaming apparatus may observe the indicia on the ticket and/or the indicia on the display means in the play of the game and determine whether the player won or scored in the game of chance.

2. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the apparatus comprises an image control means which controls the display means and the display means comprises a raster pattern screen.

3. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 2, further characterized in that said indicia control means causes each of the indicia to be moved across the display means and selectively stopped at fixed positions on the display means.

4. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that image indicia control means causes each of the indicia to be moved vertically across the display means and selectively and successively stopped at fixed horizontal scoring positions on the display means.

5. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the apparatus comprises means for dispensing a ticket which is then read.

6. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the ticket used with the apparatus further comprises:

a) a primary strip containing indicia thereon;

b) a cover strip over the indicia on said primary strip; and

c) the machine readable code on one of said strips.

7. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the indicia on the ticket is imprinted on one surface thereof and the machine readable code is on an opposite surface of the ticket.

8. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 7 further characterized in that the code is one which is a machine readable bar code and which is used to generate the display.

9. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that a processing means is associated with the display means for causing generation of the indicia from the code correlated to or representative of that on the ticket and the processing means operates to determine if the indicia was winning or scoring indicia.

10. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the gaming apparatus side in the game of Pull-Tab and each dispensed ticket constitutes a separate Pull-Tab.

11. An electronic gaming apparatus capable of playing a game of chance using a plurality of individual tickets with each containing indicia thereon which may represent winning or scoring combinations and where each ticket has a machine readable code representative of or correlated to the indicia on that ticket, and where only certain of the tickets may contain winning or scoring indicia thereon, said apparatus comprising:

a) means for initiating a play of the gaming apparatus with a ticket containing indicia from the plurality of tickets thereof and where the indicia are an integral part of the play of the game of chance;

b) display means on said apparatus for displaying indicia generated from the code correlated to or representative of the indicia on the tickets so that the generated indicia may be displayed;

c) said tickets being preprinted with the indicia prior to use in said apparatus so that an element of chance in the game of chance is determined at the time of production of the tickets, permitting the game of chance to be played independently of and without the gaming apparatus by enabling the player of the game to visually examine the indicia on the ticket and determine whether or not the ticket of the player is or is not a winning or scoring ticket; and

d) means for causing the indicia presented on the display means to move generally across the display means and where the indicia on the display means corresponding to or representative of those on the ticket will selectively stop at a fixed positions and rows on the display means so that a player of the gaming apparatus may observe the indicia on the ticket and/or the indicia on the display means in the play of the game and determine whether the player won or scored in the game of chance.

12. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 11 further characterized in that each of the indicia corresponding to those on the ticket will selectively and successively stop at one or more fixed horizontal rows on the display means.

13. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 11 further characterized:

a) said code on said tickets is machine readable and not readily discernable by visual examination; and

b) means is located in said apparatus for reading the code corresponding to the indicia of the ticket which is being read.

14. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 11 further characterized in that the ticket used in said apparatus further comprises;

a) a primary strip containing indicia thereon;

b) a cover strip over the indicia on said primary strip; and

c) the machine readable code on one of said strips.

15. A method of playing a game of chance with an electronic gaming apparatus using a plurality of individual tickets with each containing indicia thereon which may represent any winning or scoring combination and where each ticket has a machine readable code representative of or correlated to the indicia on that ticket and where only one or more of the tickets may contain winning or scoring indicia thereon, said method comprising:

a) playing a game of chance with a ticket containing indicia from the plurality of tickets and where the indicia are an integral part of the play of the game of chance and the indicia having been preprinted on the ticket, so that the element of chance is determined at the time of production of the tickets;

b) determining if the indicia was a winning or scoring indicia;

c) reading the machine readable code on a ticket which is being played and generating indicia representative of or correlated to that indicia on the ticket so that the generated indicia may be displayed;

d) displaying the indicia generated from the machine readable code so that a player of the gaming apparatus may observe the indicia on the ticket and/or the indicia on the display means in the play of the game and determine whether the player won or scored in the game of chance; and

e) allowing for the playing of the game of chance independently of and without the apparatus enabling the player to determine whether or not the player has a winning or scoring ticket by visually examining the indicia on the ticket.

16. The method of playing a game of chance using the electronic gaming apparatus of claim 15 further characterized in that the method comprises simulating an image of rotating wheels on a display screen with the generated indicia on the wheels.

17. The method of playing a game of chance using the electronic gaming apparatus of claim 15 further characterized in that the method comprises causing the generated indicia to be moved across a display screen and selectively stopped at selected fixed positions thereon.

18. The method of playing a game of chance using the electronic gaming apparatus of claim 17 further characterized in that the method comprises causing each of the generated indicia to be moved vertically across a display screen and selectively and successively stopped at selected fixed horizontal positions on the display screen.

19. The method of claim 15 further characterized in that the method comprises locating a cover strip over each ticket to preclude observation of indicia on that ticket prior to play thereof.

20. The method of claim 15 further characterized in that each of the tickets are in a roll of the tickets.

21. The method of claim 15 further characterized in that the tickets constitutes a stack of precut tickets.

22. A ticket used in the play of a game of chance in an electronic gaming apparatus and where there are a large number of such tickets available in playing the game of chance, said ticket comprising;

a) a ticket substrate having a first surface and an oppositely disposed second surface and which first surface constitutes a primary surface for visual reading;

b) indicia on said first surface and which indicia may represent winning or scoring combinations in the game of chance and where the indicia are an integral part of the play of the game of chance, said tickets being preprinted with the indicia prior to use in said apparatus so that an element of chance in the game of chance is determined at the time of production of the tickets; and

c) a machine readable code on one of said surfaces and which is not readable by visual examination, said machine readable code being encrypted to preclude reading by visual observation but capable of generating a display of indicia relating to or corresponding to the indicia on the first surface of the ticket so that a player of the game of chance can also observe the indicia on the display and determine whether the player won or scored in the game of chance and which allows for the playing of the game of chance independently of and without the apparatus enabling the player to determine whether or not the player has a winning or scoring ticket by visually examining the indicia on the ticket.

23. The ticket of claim 22 further characterized in that the machine readable code is on the second surface of the ticket.

24. The ticket of claim 22 further characterized in that a removable cover strip is disposed over the indicia on the first surface and precludes visual observation until removal of the cover strip.