Lottery and gaming systems with single representation for multiple instant win game outcomes

• US 7,887,404 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Saffari, Ali, Wolf, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): DungBa; Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US11/044,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20060166725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 463/2, 463 16- 19, 463/25, 463 40- 42, 235/375, 235/381, 273/138.1, 273/143.R, 273/121.B
• 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 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

The invention is directed to a gaming network and a method for conducting an electronic wagering game, such as a pull-tab game or other instant win game, having a finite pool of outcome records from which outcomes are selected for the players. The method may include receiving value from a player, receiving game option selections for the wagering game from the player, and selecting a plurality of outcome records for the wagering game from the finite pool of outcome records for the wagering game based on the game option selections from the player. The method may further include determining whether each selected outcome record is a winning outcome or a losing outcome for the wagering game, and displaying the outcomes of the plurality of selected outcome records to the player in a single graphical outcome presentation. In one embodiment, the outcome presentation may be in the form of a printed ticket printed at a player terminal unit and presenting information relating to the outcomes selected for the player. In another embodiment, the outcome presentation may be in the form of a video display at a player terminal unit providing a graphical presentation of information relating to the selected outcomes, such as the display of a single outcome of a second wagering game corresponding to the selected outcomes of the wagering game.

Claims

1. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game in a gaming network having a plurality of player terminal units wherein each player may purchase a plurality of outcome records from a finite pool of outcome records, the player terminal unit comprising:

an input device for inputting a plurality of input selections;

a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing a player to deposit a medium of currency;

a video display device; and

a controller operatively coupled to the input device, the currency-accepting mechanism and the display device,

the controller being programmed to allow the currency-accepting mechanism to accept a deposit of an amount of the medium of currency by a player at the player terminal unit,

the controller being programmed to allow the input device to receive input for game option selections from the player to purchase outcomes for a first wagering game,

the controller being programmed to cause a selection device of the gaming network to select outcome records from the finite pool of outcome records corresponding to a number of outcomes requested by the player in response to receiving input for the game option selections by the player at the input device,

the controller being programmed to determine whether each of the selected outcome records corresponds to a winning outcome or a losing outcome, and

the controller being programmed to cause the display device to display the outcomes of the plurality of selected outcome records for the first wagering game to the player in the form of a predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of a second wagering game which simulates play of the second wagering game, wherein the predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of the second wagering game corresponds to the outcomes of the selected outcome records of the first wagering game such that each result of the selected outcome records of the first wagering game is independently identifiable as a winning or losing outcome within the predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of the second wagering game.

2. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 1, further including a printing device, and wherein the controller is programmed to cause the printing device to print a ticket with information corresponding to the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

3. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to cause the printing device to print information for each winning outcome of the selected outcome records on at least one separate line on the ticket.

4. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 3, wherein the controller is programmed to cause the printing device to print explanatory information for each winning outcome of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

5. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to cause the printing device to print information for each losing outcome of the selected outcome records on at least one separate line on the ticket.

6. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to cause the printing device to print summary information for the losing outcomes of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

7. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to cause the printing device to print graphical images corresponding to the outcomes of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

8. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to select the outcomes of the second wagering game from a plurality of stored outcomes of the second wagering game based on the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

9. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to determine the outcomes of the second wagering game based on the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

10. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 9, wherein the controller is programmed to input information regarding the outcomes of the selected outcome records into an algorithm to determine the outcomes of the second wagering game.

11. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 1, wherein the second wagering game is a video slot game.

12. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 11, wherein the video slot game has multiple paylines and each selected outcome record corresponds to one of the paylines, the controller being programmed to cause the video display device to display a combination of symbols on each payline of the video slot game resulting in an outcome of the video slot game corresponding to the outcome of the selected outcome record corresponding to the payline.

13. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game

according to claim 1, wherein the selection device of the gaming network is the player terminal unit.

14. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game at a gaming network, comprising:

receiving value from a player via a value-accepting mechanism;

receiving game option selections for a first wagering game from the player via an input device;

selecting, by use of a programmed controller, a plurality of outcome records for the first wagering game from a finite pool of outcome records for the first wagering game based on the game option selections from the player;

determining, by use of the programmed controller, whether each selected outcome record is a winning outcome or a losing outcome for the first wagering game; and

displaying a graphical display of the outcomes of the plurality of selected outcome records for the first wagering game to the player at a display device in a predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of a second wagering game which simulates play of the second wagering game, wherein the predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of the second wagering game corresponds to the outcomes of the selected outcome records of the first wagering game such that each result of the selected outcome records of the first wagering game is independently identifiable as a winning or losing outcome within the predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of the second wagering game.

15. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 14, wherein displaying the outcomes further comprises printing information corresponding to the outcomes of the selected outcome records on a ticket.

16. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 15, comprising printing information for each winning outcome of the selected outcome records on at least one separate line on the ticket.

17. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 16, comprising printing explanatory information for each winning outcome of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

18. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 15, comprising printing information for each losing outcome of the selected outcome records on at least one separate line on the ticket.

19. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 15, comprising printing summary information for the losing outcomes of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

20. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 15, comprising printing graphical images corresponding to the outcomes of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

21. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 14, comprising selecting the outcomes of the second wagering game from a plurality of stored outcomes of the second wagering game based on the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

22. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 14, comprising determining the outcomes of the second wagering game based on the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

23. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 22, comprising inputting information regarding the outcomes of the selected outcome records into an algorithm to determine the outcomes of the second wagering game.

24. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 14, wherein the second wagering game is a video slot game.

25. A method for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 24, wherein the video slot game has multiple paylines and each selected outcome record corresponds to one of the paylines, the method comprising displaying a combination of symbols on a payline of the video slot game resulting in an outcome of the video slot game corresponding to the outcome of the selected outcome record corresponding to the payline.

26. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game in a gaming network having a plurality of player terminal units wherein each player may purchase a plurality of outcome records from a finite pool of outcome records for a first wagering game, the player terminal unit comprising:

a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing a player to deposit a medium of currency, wherein a player may deposit an amount of the medium of currency to purchase outcomes for the first wagering game;

an input device for inputting a plurality of input selections, wherein the input device may receive input for game option selections from the player to purchase outcomes for the first wagering game;

a video display device; and

a controller operatively coupled to the input device, the currency-accepting mechanism and the display device,

wherein the controller causes a selection device of the gaming network to select outcome records from the finite pool of outcome records corresponding to a number of outcomes requested by the player in response to the input of game option selections by the player at the input device,

wherein the controller determines whether each of the selected outcome records corresponds to a winning outcome or a losing outcome, and

wherein the controller causes the display device to display the outcomes of the selected outcome records for the first wagering game to the player in a predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of a second wagering game which simulates play of the second wagering game, wherein the graphical outcome of the second wagering game corresponds to the outcomes of the selected outcome records of the first wagering game such that each result of the selected outcome records of the first wagering game is independently identifiable as a winning or losing outcome within the predetermined combination of graphical outcomes of the second wagering game.

27. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 26, further including a printing device, and wherein the controller causes the printing device to print a ticket with information corresponding to the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

28. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 27, wherein the controller causes the printing device to print information for each winning outcome of the selected outcome records on at least one separate line on the ticket.

29. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 28, wherein the controller causes the printing device to print explanatory information for each winning outcome of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

30. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 27, wherein the controller causes the printing device to print information for each losing outcome of the selected outcome records on at least one separate line on the ticket.

31. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 27, wherein the controller causes the printing device to print summary information for the losing outcomes of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

32. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 27, wherein the controller causes the printing device to print graphical images corresponding to the outcomes of the selected outcome records on the ticket.

33. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 26, wherein the controller selects the outcomes of the second wagering game from a plurality of stored outcomes of the second wagering game based on the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

34. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 26, wherein the controller determines the outcomes of the second wagering game based on the outcomes of the selected outcome records.

35. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 34, wherein the controller inputs information regarding the outcomes of the selected outcome records into an algorithm to determine the outcomes of the second wagering game.

36. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 26, wherein the second wagering game is a video slot game.

37. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 36, wherein the video slot game has multiple paylines and each selected outcome record corresponds to one of the paylines, and wherein the controller causes the video display device to display a combination of symbols on each payline of the video slot game resulting in an outcome of the video slot game corresponding to the outcome of the selected outcome record corresponding to the payline.

38. A player terminal unit for conducting an electronic wagering game according to claim 26, wherein the selection device of the gaming network is the player terminal unit.