Multiplayer gaming system

• US 9,761,088 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novomatic AG
• Original Assignee: Novomatic AG
• Inventors: Kirnsttter, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): SKAARUP, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US15/359,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• 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 17/3262 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to gaming systems for playing ball games where a hall is launched into a gaming area. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multiplayer gaming system comprising a ball game device having a launching mechanism for launching a ball into a gaming area to start a game, the gaming system further comprising a start control means for controlling start of the launching mechanism and a plurality of gaming terminals for a plurality of players, said gaming terminals including an input device for inputting a prediction and/or a bet for the outcome of a game. In accordance with the present invention, the input device of each gaming terminal includes start signal input means for inputting a start signal for starting the launching mechanism, wherein the start control means of the gaming system includes a random signal generator for randomly selecting one of the plurality of gaming terminals for each game to generate the start signal and a display signal generator for generating a display signal indicative of the gaming terminal selected for the generation of the start signal.

Claims

1. A multiplayer gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals, wherein each of the plurality of gaming terminals comprises;

an acceptor configured to accept a physical item from a player, the physical item being associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance,

a display device,

an input device configured to accept a wager and a prediction concerning an outcome of a wagering game, wherein the wager is deducted from the credit balance, and

wherein each of the plurality of gaming terminals has a number associated with the gaming terminal; and

a ball game device comprising;

a gaming area;

a launching mechanism configured to launch a ball into the gaming area in connection with the wagering game; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit is in communication with the plurality of gaming terminals and wherein the control unit comprises a random number generator configured to generate a number at random and a timer device configured to establish a time frame to place at least one of the wager and the prediction,

wherein the control unit is configured to select the gaming terminal using the number generated by the random number generator at a first point in time within the time frame,

wherein the display device of the gaming terminal selected at random by the control unit is controlled to begin displaying a start signal at a second point in time after the time frame,

wherein the launching mechanism is configured to launch a ball into the gaming area in response to the player applying a user input to the start signal displayed on the display device, and

wherein the display device is configured to display a cashout button in connection with a payout from the credit balance to the player based on the outcome of the wagering game.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises a random timeout delay controller configured to provide a random delay upon receiving the user input applied to the start signal, wherein the random delay delays the launching of the ball into the gaming area.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises an activator configured to activate the display device of the gaming terminal selected at random to display the start signal and wherein the control unit further comprises a deactivator configured to deactivate the display devices of the remaining gaming terminals to not display the start signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ball game device comprises a rotatably supported wheel forming at least a part of the gaming area, wherein the launching mechanism is configured to launch the ball onto the rotatably supported wheel as part of the wagering game.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the start signal is generated by the player activating a launch button displayed on the display device of the gaming terminal selected at random.

6. A multiplayer gaming system comprising:

a ball game device comprising;

a gaming area, and

a launching mechanism configured to launch a ball into the gaming area in connection with a wagering game; and

a plurality of gaming terminals, wherein each of the plurality of gaming terminals has a number associated with the gaming terminal, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals further comprises a timer device configured to establish a time frame to place at least one of a wager and a prediction, and wherein each of the plurality of gaming terminals comprises;

an acceptor configured to accept a physical item from a player, the physical item being associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance,

a display device,

an input device configured to accept the wager and the prediction concerning an outcome of the wagering game, wherein the wager is deducted from the credit balance, and

a random number generator configured to generate a number at random,

wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals is selected using the number generated at random by the random number generator and the number associated with the respective gaming terminal, wherein the gaming terminal selected using the random number generator is selected at a first point in time within the time frame,

wherein the gaming terminal selected at random is controlled to begin displaying a start signal using the display device of the gaming terminal at a second point in time after the time frame,

wherein the launching mechanism is configured to launch a ball into the gaming area in response to the player applying a user input to the start signal displayed on the display device, and

wherein the display device is configured to display a cashout button in connection with a payout from the credit balance to the player based on the outcome of the wagering game.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals further comprises a random timeout delay controller configured to provide a random delay upon receiving the user input applied to the start signal, wherein the random delay delays the launching of the ball into the gaming area.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals further comprises an activator configured to activate the display device of the gaming terminal selected at random to display the start signal and wherein the at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals further comprises a deactivator configured to deactivate the display devices of the remaining gaming terminals to not display the start signal.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the start signal is generated by the player activating a launch button displayed on the display device of the gaming terminal selected at random.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the ball game device comprises a rotatably supported wheel forming at least a part of the gaming area, wherein the launching mechanism is configured to launch the ball onto the rotatably supported wheel as part of the wagering game.

11. A method of operating a wagering game, the method comprising:

accepting, with an acceptor of a gaming terminal, a physical item from a player, the physical item being associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance based on the monetary value, wherein the gaming terminal is one of a plurality of gaming terminals of a multiplayer gaming system;

establishing, using a timer device of the start controller of the multiplayer gaming system, a time frame to place at least one of a wager and a prediction;

accepting, via an input device of the gaming terminal, the wager and the prediction concerning an outcome of the wagering game, wherein the wager is deducted from the credit balance;

selecting at random, using a random number generator of a start controller, at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals to control the launching of a ball into a gaming area of a ball game device at a first point in time within the time frame;

causing a display of the gaming terminal to begin displaying, at a second point in time after the time frame, a start signal configured to receive a user input from the player at the gaming terminal, wherein the start signal indicates the gaming terminal is selected to launch the ball into the gaming area;

receiving, from the gaming terminal selected, a user input applied to the start signal;

launching, using a launching mechanism of the gaming system, a ball into the gaming area in connection with the wagering game in response to the user input received from the gaming terminal selected at random; and

initiating, via a cashout button of at least one of the plurality of gaming terminals, a payout from the credit balance to the player based on the outcome of the wagering game.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising adding a random delay using a random timeout delay controller upon receiving the user input applied to the start signal, wherein the random delay delays the launching of the ball into the gaming area.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the random number generator is part of a game server in communication with the plurality of gaming terminals and the ball game device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the ball game device comprises a rotatably supported wheel forming at least part of the gaming area, wherein the launching mechanism is configured to launch the ball onto the rotatably supported wheel as part of the wagering game.