Multi-player bingo game with multiple cards per player

• US 9,105,159 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E.
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/863,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20130231172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 463/19, 273/269
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The invention is directed to methods and gaming units for conducting a multi-player wagering game in which at least one of the players may win the occurrence of the wagering game by matching a game-winning pattern of game indicia on one or more game arrays having unique combinations of game indicia based on matching the game indicia on the game arrays to game indicia randomly selected for the occurrence of the wagering game. Each player matching a game-winning pattern may receive game-winning award, and may receive a game-winning award for each game array on which a game-winning pattern is matched. The method and gaming unit may further include an alternate outcome display wherein an outcome of a second wagering game may be displayed that corresponds to the outcome for the player on the one or more game arrays for the occurrence of the multi-player wagering game.

Claims

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to enroll a plurality of real players of a plurality of gaming devices for an occurrence of a multiplayer wagering game, wherein said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game includes a predetermined total number of game arrays and each game array includes a different combination of indicia of a set of game indicia;

(b) for each enrolled real player, providing said enrolled real player with one or more of the game arrays for said occurrence of the multi-player wagering game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether a number of the game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays;

(d) if the number of game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to enroll one or more virtual players for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

(e) for each enrolled virtual player, providing said enrolled virtual player with one or more of the game arrays not provided to the enrolled real players;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select game indicia from the set of game indicia;

(g) for each randomly selected game indicium, for each enrolled real player and each enrolled virtual player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said randomly selected game indicium matches any of the game indicia of the game arrays of said enrolled player;

(h) cause at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled real player to display any said matches;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine one or more of the game arrays that each include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a game-winning pattern, wherein the game-winning pattern is determined by causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to;

(i) determine a desired statistical distribution of the randomly selected game indicia for at least one game array to match the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

(ii) determine criteria for selecting the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game based on the number of game arrays provided to the enrolled players in said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game such that a statistical distribution of the randomly selected game indicia for at least one enrolled player to match the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multi-player wagering game is approximately the same as the desired statistical distribution; and

(iii) select the game-winning pattern for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game based on the determined criteria;

(j) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award for said enrolled real player, wherein said determined award causes an increase of a credit balance for said enrolled real player, and said credit balance is;

(i) increasable via;

(A) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(B) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and

(k) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled virtual player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award associated with said enrolled virtual player.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes, for each enrolled real player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled real player to display an outcome of a second wagering game, wherein said outcome of the second wagering game corresponds to an outcome of said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game for said enrolled real player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the award is determined based on a number of randomly selected game indicia required to match the game-winning pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the game-winning pattern is also determined based on the total number of game arrays.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:

determine whether any of the game arrays include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a secondary pattern; and

for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the secondary pattern, determine a secondary award for said enrolled real player.

6. The method of claim 1, which is provided through a data network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data network is an internet.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions stored in the at least one memory device to enroll the plurality of real players of the plurality of gaming devices for the occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game, during a predetermined enrollment time period.

9. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to enroll a plurality of real players of a plurality of gaming devices for an occurrence of a multiplayer wagering game, wherein said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game includes a predetermined total number of game arrays and each game array includes a different combination of indicia of a set of game indicia;

(b) for each enrolled real player, providing said enrolled real player with one or more of the game arrays for said occurrence of the multi-player wagering game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether a number of the game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays;

(d) if the number of game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to enroll one or more virtual players for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

(e) for each enrolled virtual player, providing said enrolled virtual player with one or more of the game arrays not provided to the enrolled real players;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select game indicia from the set of game indicia;

(g) for each randomly selected game indicium, for each enrolled real player and each enrolled virtual player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said randomly selected game indicium matches any of the game indicia of the game arrays of said enrolled player;

(h) cause at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled real player to display any said matches;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine one or more of the game arrays that each include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a game-winning pattern;

(j) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award for said enrolled real player, wherein the award is determined based on a number of randomly selected game indicia required to match the game-winning pattern, said determined award causes an increase of a credit balance for said enrolled real player, and said credit balance is;

(i) increasable via;

(A) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(B) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and

(k) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled virtual player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award associated with said enrolled virtual player, wherein the award is determined based on a number of randomly selected game indicia required to match the game-winning pattern.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes, for each enrolled real player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled real player to display an outcome of a second wagering game, wherein said outcome of the second wagering game corresponds to an outcome of said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game for said enrolled real player.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the game-winning pattern is determined based on the total number of game arrays.

12. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:

determine whether any of the game arrays include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a secondary pattern; and

for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the secondary pattern, determine a secondary award for said enrolled real player.

13. The method of claim 9, which is provided through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

15. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions stored in the at least one memory device to enroll the plurality of real players of the plurality of gaming devices for the occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game, during a predetermined enrollment time period.

16. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to enroll a plurality of real players of a plurality of gaming devices for an occurrence of a multiplayer wagering game, wherein said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game includes a predetermined total number of game arrays and each game array includes a different combination of indicia of a set of game indicia;

(b) for each enrolled real player, providing said enrolled real player with one or more of the game arrays for said occurrence of the multi-player wagering game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether a number of the game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays;

(d) if the number of game arrays provided to the enrolled real players is less than the total number of game arrays, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to enroll one or more virtual players for said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game;

(e) for each enrolled virtual player, providing said enrolled virtual player with one or more of the game arrays not provided to the enrolled real players;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select game indicia from the set of game indicia;

(g) for each randomly selected game indicium, for each enrolled real player and each enrolled virtual player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said randomly selected game indicium matches any of the game indicia of the game arrays of said enrolled player;

(h) cause at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled real player to display any said matches;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine one or more of the game arrays that each include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a game-winning pattern, wherein the game-winning pattern is determined based on the total number of game arrays;

(j) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award for said enrolled real player, wherein said determined award causes an increase of a credit balance for said enrolled real player, and said credit balance is;

(i) increasable via;

(A) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(B) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and

(k) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each enrolled virtual player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the game-winning pattern, determine an award associated with said enrolled virtual player.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes, for each enrolled real player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the at least one display device of the gaming device of said enrolled real player to display an outcome of a second wagering game, wherein said outcome of the second wagering game corresponds to an outcome of said occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game for said enrolled real player.

18. The method of claim 16, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:

determine whether any of the game arrays include a pattern of matched game indicia that matches a secondary pattern; and

for each enrolled real player having at least one game array including a pattern of matched game indicia that matches the secondary pattern, determine a secondary award for said enrolled real player.

19. The method of claim 16, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.

21. The method of claim 16, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions stored in the at least one memory device to enroll the plurality of real players of the plurality of gaming devices for the occurrence of the multiplayer wagering game, during a predetermined enrollment time period.