Methods and apparatus for enhanced play in lottery and gaming environments

• US 8,727,853 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Milestone Entertainment LLC
• Original Assignee: Milestone Entertainment LLC
• Inventors: Katz, Randall M., Dawson, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/294,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20070129144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,088 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/17, 463/30, 463/42, 700/91, 700/92, 700/93, 715705-708
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for game play using virtual players, sometimes referred to herein as vBots, is disclosed. In one aspect, a method for game play involves the use of the system electronic system environment described herein, wherein one or more virtual players are displayed to the player of the game, preferably, the virtual players have differing play characteristics, receiving from the user association with a selection of a virtual player, displaying a simulated game using the virtual players, identifying a subset of the virtual players as being winners of the simulated game, and awarding a win to the lottery user if the selected virtual player is in the subset of virtual players.

Claims

1. A method for electronic game play involving one or more users of a system in an electronic environment, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of virtual players including both their image and description of their play characteristics, the virtual players having differing play characteristics,

receiving from the one or more users a selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players,

displaying a simulated game using the one or more virtual players,

compensating for the differing player characteristics such that probabilities of winning are uniform among the one or more users by applying a system generated weighting to equalize the probability of winning by the virtual players,

identifying a subset of the one or more virtual players as being winners of the simulated game, and

awarding a win to the one or more users if the selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players is in the subset of virtual players.

2. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the virtual players are displayed as graphical images.

3. The method for game play of claim 2 wherein the graphical images are cartoon images.

4. The method for game play of claim 2 wherein the graphical images are human images.

5. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the simulated game is poker.

6. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the simulated game is blackjack.

7. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the simulated game is chess.

8. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the simulated game is a sports game.

9. The method for game play of claim 8 wherein the sports game is tennis.

10. The method for game play of claim 8 wherein the sports game is football.

11. The method for game play of claim 8 wherein the sports game is baseball.

12. The method for game play of claim 8 wherein the sports game is hockey.

13. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the outcome of the simulated game is predetermined.

14. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the outcome of the simulated game is not predetermined.

15. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the weighting is a point spread.

16. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the weighting is a handicap.

17. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein there is a single winner.

18. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the subset of the virtual players is two virtual players.

19. The method for game play of claim 18 wherein the virtual players comprises a team of virtual players.

20. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the electronic environment includes remote game play.

21. The method for game play of claim 20 wherein the remote game play is over an electronic network.

22. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the game is a lottery game.

23. The method for game play of claim 22 wherein the lottery game includes a guaranteed prizing structure.

24. A method for electronic game play involving one or more users of a system in an electronic environment, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of virtual players including both their image and description of their play characteristics, the virtual players having differing play characteristics,

receiving from the one or more users a selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players,

displaying a simulated game using the one or more virtual players,

compensating for the differing player characteristics such that system generated probabilities of winning is are uniform among the one or more users,

identifying a subset of the one or more virtual players as being winners of the simulated game, the outcome of the game being predetermined, and

awarding a win to the one or more users if the selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players is in the subset of virtual players.

25. The method for game play of claim 24 wherein the simulated game is poker.

26. The method for game play of claim 24 wherein the simulated game is a sports game.

27. The method for game play of claim 24 wherein a weighting is applied to equalize the probability of winning by the virtual players.

28. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the weighting is a point spread.

29. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the weighting is a handicap.

30. The method for game play of claim 24 wherein the game is a lottery game.

31. The method for game play of claim 30 wherein the lottery game includes a guaranteed prizing structure.

32. The method for game play of claim 24 wherein the electronic environment includes remote game play.

33. The method for game play of claim 32 wherein the remote game play is over the internet.