Computer gambling game

• US 7,008,317 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ingenio Filiale de Loto-Quebec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ingenio Filiale de Loto-Quebec Incorporated
• Inventors: Giard, Stephan, Cote, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/891,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463/25, 463/30, 463 42- 43
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A computer gambling game is disclosed herein. The computer gambling game includes a computer program to provide a plurality of sequences of game states, each leading to a game outcome. A game seed is required by the computer program to generate one of the sequences of game states. Each game seed corresponds to one of the sequences of game states. The program can be acquired in the form of a computer-readable medium, such as a CD-ROM. To play the computer game, a player must also acquire an initiator code that can either be printed on an instant play lottery ticket or distributed via a computer network. The initiator code corresponds to one of the game seeds. The computer program uses a look-up table to retrieve the game seed that corresponds to the initiator code and to provide the corresponding sequence of game states that will lead to the outcome. Some outcomes lead to gains.

Claims

1. A computer gambling game, comprising:

at least one initiator code related to an outcome and a game seed; and

a computer program reading the game seed to generate sequences of games states;

wherein said sequences of game states are matched to the outcome to yield game outcome-game seed pairs, allowing that a predetermined outcome is reachable by a plurality of game seed-outcome pairs.

2. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein the game seed is indexed in a look-up table and has an index value related to said at least one initiator code;

said computer program retrieving the game seed by computing the index value using a related initiator code.

3. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one initiator code is related to an index value using a one-way algorithm.

4. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 2, wherein said look-up table further includes at least one false entry.

5. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 2, wherein said look-up table is encrypted using an encryption algorithm.

6. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 5, wherein said encryption algorithm uses said at least one initiator code corresponding to said game seed as an encryption key.

7. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 2, wherein said look-up table also includes, for each index value, the predetermined outcome corresponding to its respective game seed;

and said computer program simulates said sequence of game states corresponding to the at least one initiator code before executing said sequence of game states;

said simulation of game states generating a simulated outcome;

said computer programs executing said sequence of game states corresponding to the at least one initiator code if the simulated outcome corresponds to the predetermined outcome corresponding to the retrieved game seed.

8. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 2, wherein said look-up table also includes, for each index value, the initiator code corresponding to its respective game seed;

said initiator code being compared to initiator codes in the look-up table;

said computer program retrieving the game seed only if said initiator code corresponds to the initiator code in the look-up table corresponding to the retrieved game seed.

9. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one initiator code is in the form of symbols printed on a lottery ticket.

10. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 9, wherein said lottery ticket is an instant play lottery ticket.

11. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 9, wherein said lottery ticket further includes a control number to validate the predetermined outcome corresponding to said initiator code provided on said lottery ticket.

12. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer program is written on a computer-readable media.

13. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 12, wherein said computer readable media is a CD-ROM.

14. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer program is downloaded via a computer network.

15. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one initiator code is downloaded via a computer network.

16. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein each sequence of game states defines an adventure game.

17. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein each sequence of game states simulates a conventional casino game.

18. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein each sequence of game states defines a gambling game.

19. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one initiator code is randomly related to the game seed.

20. The computer gambling game as recited in claim 1, wherein said game seed and said outcome are linked by a unidirectional relation.

21. A method for playing a computer gambling game, comprising:

providing an initiator code related to a predetermined game outcome and game seeds;

acquiring a computer program that generates a plurality of sequences of game states from the game seeds;

installing the computer program on a personal computer;

running the computer program; and

inputting the initiator code in the computer program;

whereby the computer program uses the initiator code to select sequences of game states that correspond to the predetermined game output and executes the selected sequences of game states to yield the predetermined game output.

22. The method for playing a computer gambling game as recited in claim 21, further comprising downloading via a computer network the initiator code from a lottery site before inputting the initiator code in the computer.

23. A computer-readable media to play a computer gambling game, comprising:

an initiator code related to a plurality of game seeds and predetermined game outcomes;

a computer program to execute a plurality of sequences of game states leading to one of the predetermined game outcomes; and

a look-up table storing game outcome-game seed pairs.

24. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 23, wherein said look-up table is encrypted.

25. A method for generating a computer gambling game, said method comprising:

setting game parameters;

providing initiator codes related to game outcomes and game seeds;

providing a computer program, said computer program generating sequences of game states from the game seeds; and

comparing the sequences of game states to the game parameters to yield game outcome-game seed pairs;

whereby a given game outcome is obtainable by a plurality of different sequences of game states.

26. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 25, wherein said providing initiator codes comprises storing the initiator codes in a computer-readable database.

27. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 25, wherein said comparing the sequences of game states to the game parameters to yield game outcome-game seed pairs comprises storing game seeds that correspond to a sequence of game states leading to one of the determined game outcomes in a look-up table.

28. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 27 further comprising shuffling the game seeds before storing the game seeds in the look-up table.

29. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 27, further comprising storing false entries in the look-up table.

30. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 27, further comprising storing in the look-up table the determined game outcomes corresponding to their respective game seeds.

31. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

indexing the game seeds in the look-up table and assigning an index value to each game seed; and

relating a corresponding initiator code to the index value via a one-way algorithm.

32. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 31, further comprising storing the corresponding initiator code in the look-up table.

33. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 32, wherein said storing the corresponding initiator code comprises generating a corresponding initiator code in the form of a binary value;

said method further comprising translating the initiator code in the form of symbols to be printed on an instant play lottery ticket.

34. The method for generating a computer gambling game as recited in claim 33, further comprising generating a control number to be printed on the lottery ticket for validating said predetermined outcome corresponding to the corresponding initiator code.