Video content determinative Keno game system and method

• US 7,850,518 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Tedesco, Daniel E., Tulley, Stephen C., Sammon, Russell P., Walker, Jay S., Hayashida, Jeffrey Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/431,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 463 10- 13, 463 17- 19, 463 21- 22, 463/29, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/142.B, 273/142.A, 273/142.J, 273/269, 273/304, 379/93.13
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A keno game is tied to video content such that events in the video content determine the outcome of the keno game. The outcome determinative events are selected from a set of potential outcome determinative events and marked with cues when the video content is displayed to the keno players and other video content watchers. The cues may be audible or visual and accentuate the fact that an outcome determinative event has occurred. If the player'"'"'s wager has enough of the outcome determinative events selected relative to the actual outcome determinative events, the player may receive a benefit.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a keno game comprising:

presenting video content to a keno player via a display, the video content having pay events marked with a cue therein, each cue being an indication, displayed via the display, that a respective associated pay event in the video content is an outcome determinative pay event;

selling a keno ticket to the keno player wherein the keno ticket comprises indicia relating to potential pay events in the video content and indicates selected pay events from the potential pay events;

determining that a sufficient number of the selected pay events indicated by the keno ticket correspond to the pay events marked with a cue in the video content;

providing a benefit to the keno player after determining that a sufficient number of the selected pay events correspond to the pay events marked with a cue in the video content; and

accounting with a third party based on the keno game,

wherein presenting video content to the keno player comprises presenting video content selected from genres consisting of;

situational comedies,

sports events,

syndicated television shows,

music videos,

feature films,

reality television shows,

nature shows,

weather shows,

casino footage, and

educational documentaries.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein selling a keno ticket to the keno player comprises, in response to the keno player requesting a ticket, randomly selecting pay events from the potential pay events of the video content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selling a keno ticket to the keno player comprises receiving from the keno player an indication as to which pay events should be selected on the keno ticket from among the potential pay events.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content to the keno player comprises presenting video content having static pay events such that the pay events marked with a cue are identical to the potential pay events.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content to the keno player comprises presenting video content whose pay events marked with a cue are randomly selected from among the potential pay events.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the marked with a cue pay events are selected from a group consisting of:

explosions, gunfights, arguments, quips, kisses, romantic encounters, character entrances, character departures, secret identity revelations, laugh tracks, product placement, music, and items in background scenery.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content to the keno player, the video content having pay events marked with a cue therein comprises presenting a visual cue to the keno player, the visual cue selected from a group consisting of:

a pop-up bubble, overlaid text, overlaid graphics, inserted video clips, a pause in the video content, picture-in-picture, a ticker, an added header, an added footer, and an added sidebar.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content to a keno player, the video content having pay events marked with a cue therein comprises presenting a cue and an associated number for each pay event to the keno player.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining if the selected pay events from the potential pay events correspond to the marked with a cue pay events in the video content comprises determining if the associated number matches a number selected by the keno player for that pay event.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting a history of recently occurring marked with a cue pay events.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein presenting a history of recently occurring marked with a cue pay events comprises using a ticket to present the history.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein presenting a history of recently occurring marked with a cue pay events comprises using a second display to present the history.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising announcing a winning keno ticket in conjunction with presenting the video content.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein announcing the winning keno ticket comprises announcing a ticket identifier.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein announcing the winning keno ticket comprises announcing a winning keno player.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content to the keno player comprises presenting the video content to the keno player in a casino.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content to the keno player comprises presenting the video content to the keno player in a hotel room.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content comprises presenting specific video content requested by the keno player.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content comprises presenting video content whose marked with a cue pay events are based on specific keno tickets sold.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content comprises presenting video content broadcast from a remote location.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting video content comprises presenting locally stored video content.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content having pay events marked with a cue therein comprises video content modified from an original form by adding at least one cue in the video content.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content having pay events marked with a cue therein comprises video content edited by an editor to include at least one cue in the video content.

24. A keno game system comprising:

a display for presenting video content to a keno player, the video content having pay events marked with a cue therein, each cue being an indication, displayed via the display, that a respective associated pay event in the video content is an outcome determinative pay event;

a keno terminal for selling a keno ticket to the keno player wherein the keno ticket comprises indicia relating to potential pay events in the video content and indicates selected pay events from the potential pay events; and

a controller adapted to

determine that a sufficient number of the selected pay events indicated by the keno ticket correspond to the pay events marked with a cue in the video content; and

provide a benefit to the keno player after determining that a sufficient number of the selected pay events correspond to the pay events marked with a cue in the video content,

wherein the video content is selected from genres consisting of;

situational comedies,

sports events,

syndicated television shows,

music videos,

feature films,

reality television shows,

nature shows,

weather shows,

casino footage, and

educational documentaries.

25. A computer readable medium comprising software with instructions adapted to:

presenting video content to a keno player via a display, the video content having pay events marked with a cue therein, each cue being an indication, displayed via the display, that a respective associated pay event in the video content is an outcome determinative pay event;

sell a keno ticket to the keno player wherein the keno ticket comprises indicia relating to potential pay events in the video content and indicates selected pay events from the potential pay events;

determining that a sufficient number of the selected pay events indicated by the keno ticket correspond to the pay events marked with a cue in the video content;

providing a benefit to the keno player after determining that a sufficient number of the selected pay events correspond to the pay events marked with a cue in the video content; and

account with a third party based on the keno game,

wherein presenting video content to the keno player comprises presenting video content selected from genres consisting of;

situational comedies,

sports events,

syndicated television shows,

music videos,

feature films,

reality television shows,

nature shows,

weather shows,

casino footage, and

educational documentaries.