Pattern matching in a keno game

• US 9,053,609 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: DeFrance, Daniel L., Byrd, Jerry L., Joehler, Tyson, Brown, Bradford D., Sehy, Christopher K, Wenker, Ross D
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US13/830,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/18
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A method for determining an award during a keno game includes, but is not limited to any of combination of: generating a predetermined number of draws for placement on a keno board during the keno game, wherein the keno board includes a predetermined number of spots; evaluating a plurality of sub-regions of the keno board associated with the keno game for matches between the generated draws and one or more predetermined patterns; and determining an award based on results of the evaluating step.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

(a) after receiving, via an acceptor, a physical item associated with a monetary value and identifying the received physical item, establishing, by one or more processors, a credit balance based at least in part on the monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item;

(b) displaying, by at least one display device, a keno board including a predetermined quantity of spots, each spot being associated with a keno number of a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(c) forming, by the one or more processors, a player keno number set including one or more of the keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(d) forming, by the one or more processors, a gaming system keno number set by selecting a predetermined quantity of the keno numbers from the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(e) for each keno number in the gaming system keno number set, displaying, by the at least one display device, an indicator in the respective one of the predetermined quantity of spots with which said keno number is associated;

(f) determining, by the one or more processors, any primary award based on a comparison of the player keno number set and the gaming system keno number set and displaying, by the at least one display device, any determined primary award;

(g) for each of a plurality of sub-regions of the keno board, determining, by the one or more processors, if a pattern formed by any indicators displayed within said sub-region matches one or more predetermined patterns, wherein each predetermined pattern can be matched in a plurality of the sub-regions;

(h) determining, by the one or more processors, any secondary award based on any matched predetermined patterns and displaying, by the at least one display device, any determined secondary award; and

(i) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, causing, by the one or more processors, an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined patterns include six predetermined patterns, wherein each predetermined pattern corresponds to a side of a die and is three spots long and three spots wide.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of sub-regions is three spots wide and three spots long.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes determining, by the one or more processors, that a pattern formed by one or more indicators displayed within a sub-region matches one of the one or more predetermined patterns when the pattern does not include any indicators other than those included in said predetermined pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary award is based on a number of detected matches.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary award includes a play of a bonus game, and which includes determining, by the one or more processors, a bonus award based on a predetermined quantity of dice rolls for said play of the bonus game.

7. The method of claim 6, which includes providing, by the one or more processors, at least one additional dice roll upon an occurrence of a triggering event during said play of the bonus game.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes providing, by the one or more processors, an award modifier upon the occurrence of the triggering event during said play of the bonus game.

9. The method of claim 1, which includes determining, by the one or more processors, that a pattern formed by one or more indicators displayed within a sub-region matches one of the one or more predetermined patterns only when the pattern exactly matches said predetermined pattern.

10. An electronic gaming machine comprising:

a housing;

a display supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, the plurality of input devices including a user-input panel and an acceptor; and

a game controller having one or more data processors and one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to operate with the display and the plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item associated with a monetary value is received via the acceptor, identify the received physical item and establish a credit balance based at least in part on the monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item;

(b) display a keno board including a predetermined quantity of spots, each spot being associated with a keno number of a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(c) form a player keno number set including one or more of the keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(d) form a gaming system keno number set by randomly selecting a predetermined quantity of the keno numbers from the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(e) for each keno number in the gaming system keno number set, display an indicator in the respective one of the predetermined number of spots with which said keno number is associated;

(f) determine any primary award based on a comparison of the player keno number set and the gaming system keno number set and display any determined primary award;

(g) for each of a plurality of sub-regions of the keno board, determine if a pattern formed by any indicators displayed within said sub-region matches one or more predetermined patterns, wherein each predetermined pattern can be matched in a plurality of the sub-regions;

(h) determine any secondary award based on any matched predetermined patterns and display any determined secondary award; and

(i) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, initiate a payout associated with the credit balance.

11. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the one or more predetermined patterns include six predetermined patterns, wherein each predetermined pattern corresponds to a side of a die and is three spots long and three spots wide.

12. The electronic gaming machine of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of sub-regions is three spots wide and three spots long.

13. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to determine that a pattern formed by one or more indicators displayed within a sub-region matches one of the one or more predetermined patterns when the pattern does not include any indicators other than those included in said predetermined pattern.

14. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the secondary award is based on a number of detected matches.

15. The electronic gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the secondary award includes a play of a bonus game, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a bonus award based on a predetermined quantity of dice rolls for said play of the bonus game.

16. The electronic gaming machine of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide at least one additional dice roll upon an occurrence of a triggering event during said play of the bonus game.

17. The electronic gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide an award modifier upon the occurrence of the triggering event during said play of the bonus game.

18. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to determine that a pattern formed by one or more indicators displayed within a sub-region matches one of the one or more predetermined patterns only when the pattern exactly matches said predetermined pattern.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

(a) after receipt, via an acceptor, of a physical item associated with a monetary value and identification of the received physical item, establish a credit balance based at least in part on the monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item;

(b) cause at least one display device to display a keno board including a predetermined quantity of spots, each spot being associated with a keno number of a set of a plurality of different keno numbers;

(c) form a player keno number set including one or more of the keno numbers of the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(d) form a gaming system keno number set by selecting a predetermined quantity of the keno numbers from the set of the plurality of different keno numbers;

(e) for each keno number in the gaming system keno number set, display an indicator in the respective one of the predetermined number of spots with which said keno number is associated;

(f) determine any primary award based on a comparison of the player keno number set and the gaming system keno number set and cause the at least one display device to display any determined primary award;

(g) for each of a plurality of sub-regions of the keno board, determine if a pattern formed by any indicators displayed within said sub-region matches one or more predetermined patterns, wherein each predetermined pattern can be matched in a plurality of the sub-regions;

(h) determine any secondary award based on any matched predetermined patterns and cause the at least one display device to display any determined secondary award; and

(i) if an actuation of a cashout button is received, cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more predetermined patterns include six predetermined patterns, wherein each predetermined pattern corresponds to a side of a die and is three spots long and three spots wide.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of sub-regions is three spots wide and three spots long.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that a pattern formed by one or more indicators displayed within a sub-region matches one of the one or more predetermined patterns when the pattern does not include any indicators other than those included in said predetermined pattern.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that a pattern formed by one or more indicators displayed within a sub-region matches one of the one or more predetermined patterns only when the pattern exactly matches said predetermined pattern.