Providing non-bingo outcomes for a bingo game

• US 7,955,170 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Bansemer, Mark, Gail, Ted, Wolf, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pierce; Damon J.
• Application Number:
  US10/969,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,422 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463 16- 20, 273/269
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for providing a first wagering game (such as a bingo game) that presents a changing pool of displayed game outcomes for a second wagering game (such as a Class III game), preferably on a network of gaming machines. Some implementations of the invention provide a bingo game that presents a changing pool of displayed game outcomes for a slot game or a poker game. In some preferred implementations, game outcomes are generated, e.g., by individual gaming machines, on an ongoing basis and stored in memory. Each of the game outcomes corresponds with a bingo outcome. Preferably, the game outcomes are sorted and stored according to payout amounts for various bingo outcomes. In some implementations, the game outcomes are stored in the form of random number generating (“RNG”) seeds, but in other implementations the game outcomes are stored in a variety of other forms.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game of chance, the method comprising:

offering a game of chance for play on a gaming machine, wherein the game of chance is a bingo game;

receiving an indication of player inputs to the gaming machine during play of the game of chance;

determining payouts responsive to the player inputs, each payout corresponding to a zero payout or a non-zero payout;

retrieving a non-bingo game outcome from a first area of a local memory of the gaming machine when the payouts correspond to the zero payout;

retrieving a non-bingo game outcome from a second area of the local memory of the gaming machine when the payouts correspond to the non-zero payout;

displaying the retrieved non-bingo game outcomes on the gaming machine during the play of the game of chance;

generating, by the gaming machine, a first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a first payout level of the game of chance, the first payout level comprising a zero payout level;

generating, by the gaming machine, a second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a second payout level of the bingo game, the second payout level comprising a non-zero payout level;

saving the first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in the first area of the local memory of the gaming machine; and

saving the second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in the second area of the local memory of the gaming machine,

wherein the saving steps comprise replacing non-bingo game outcomes previously retrieved from the local memory.

2. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the saving steps comprise saving the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a predetermined pattern.

3. The gaming method of claim 2, wherein the step of saving the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a predetermined pattern comprises saving the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a sequential pattern.

4. The gaming method of claim 2, wherein the step of saving the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a predetermined pattern comprises replacing the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a “

first in, first out”

sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved non-bingo game outcomes are used only once prior to being replaced by the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes.

6. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes are generated in response to rates at which the non-bingo game outcomes are retrieved.

7. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes are generated at rates that correspond to rates at which the non-bingo game outcomes are retrieved.

8. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the generating steps generate the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes at rates that do not correspond to rates at which the non-bingo game outcomes are retrieved.

9. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes are generated in the form of RNG seeds.

10. The gaming method of claim 1, further comprising making a determination of whether a predetermined number of non-bingo game outcomes previously stored in the local memory is available for use, wherein at least one of the generating steps is responsive to the determination.

11. The gaming method of claim 1, further comprising making a determination of how many non-bingo game outcomes previously stored in the local memory have been retrieved, wherein at least one of the generating steps is responsive to the determination.

12. The gaming method of claim 1, further comprising replacing selected non-bingo game outcomes previously stored in the local memory with newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes on an ongoing basis during the play of bingo games.

13. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes is performed more frequently than the generating of the second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes.

14. The gaming method of claim 1, wherein the saving of the first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes is performed more frequently than saving of the second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes.

15. A computer program stored in a non-transitory machine-readable medium, the computer program operable to control a gaming machine to perform the following steps:

offer a game of chance for play on a gaming machine, wherein the game of chance is a bingo game;

receive an indication of player inputs to the gaming machine during play of the game of chance;

determine payouts responsive to the player inputs, each payout corresponding to a zero payout or a non-zero payout;

retrieve a non-bingo game outcome from a first area of a local memory of the gaming machine when the payouts correspond to the zero payout;

retrieve a non-bingo game outcome from a second area of the local memory of the gaming machine when the payouts correspond to the non-zero payout;

display the retrieved non-bingo game outcomes on the gaming machine during the play of the game of chance;

generate a first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a first payout level of the game of chance, the first payout level comprising a zero payout level;

generate a second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a second payout level of the game of chance, the second payout level comprising a non-zero payout level;

save the first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in the first area of the local memory of the gaming machine;

save the second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in the second area of the local memory of the gaming machine;

and

wherein the saving steps comprise replacing non-bingo game outcomes previously retrieved from the local memory.

16. A gaming machine, comprising:

a local memory;

means for retrieving non-bingo game outcomes from the local memory, wherein the retrieved non-bingo game outcomes correspond with payout levels indicated during play of a bingo game;

means for generating a first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a first payout level of the bingo game and for generating a second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a second payout level of a bingo game, the first payout level comprising a zero payout level and the second payout level comprising a non-zero payout level, wherein the generating means is configured to generate more of the first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes than of the second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes;

means for saving the first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a first area of the local memory and for saving the second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a second area of the local memory; and

means for displaying the retrieved non-bingo game outcomes on the gaming machine,

wherein the saving means replaces non-bingo game outcomes previously retrieved from the local memory.

17. A gaming machine, comprising:

a local memory;

a display system comprising at least one display device;

a first logic device configured for performing the following tasks;

generating a first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a first payout level of a bingo game, wherein the first payout level corresponds to a zero payout level,

saving the first plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a first area of the local memory,

generating a second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes corresponding to a second payout level of the bingo game, wherein the second payout level corresponds to a non-zero payout level, and

saving the second plurality of newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes in a second area of the local memory,

wherein the saving tasks comprise replacing non-bingo game outcomes previously stored in the local memory with the newly-generated non-bingo game outcomes; and

a second logic device configured for performing the following tasks;

retrieving the non-bingo game outcomes previously stored in the local memory from the local memory,

wherein the retrieved non-bingo game outcomes correspond with payout levels indicated during play of the bingo game; and

controlling the display system to display the retrieved non-bingo game outcomes,

wherein the saving tasks performed by the first logic device comprise replacing the non-bingo game outcomes previously stored in the local memory and retrieved by the second logic device.