Methods and apparatus for enhanced play in lottery and gaming environments

• US 9,940,792 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milestone Entertainment LLC
• Original Assignee: Milestone Entertainment LLC
• Inventors: Katz, Randall M., Dawson, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US14/281,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20150099565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• 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 remote users of a system in an electronic environment, the remote users utilizing first electronic communications devices, the first electronic communications devices having input capability and generate an output corresponding to the input, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of real life personalities depicted as virtual players including their identity and image, the virtual players having differing play characteristics, the differing play characterstics being revealed to the remote users,

receiving at the input from the one or more remote users a selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players, the selection being communicated by the output of the first electronic communications devices over a public communication system to the input, the selection of the virtual player being made solely by the remote user,

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

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

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 remote 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 win in the simulated game is predetermined.

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

15. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein a weighting is applied to equalize the probability of winning by virtual players.

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

17. The method for game play of claim 15 wherein the weighting is a handicap.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the real life personality is a sports personality.

26. The method for game play of claim 1 wherein the real life personality is a gaming personality.

27. A method for electronic game play involving one or more remote users of a system in an electronic environment, the remote users utilizing first electronic communications devices, the first electronic communications devices having input capability and generate an output corresponding to the input, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of real life personalities depicted as virtual players including their image, the virtual player having differing play characteristics, the differing play characteristics being revealed to the remote users,

receiving at the input from the one or more remote users a selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players, the selection being communicated by the output of the first electronic communications devices over a public communication system to the input, the selection of the virtual player being made solely by the remote user,

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

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

subjecting the game play to mandated parameters achieved through application of variable parameters,

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 remote users if the selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players is in the subset of virtual players.

28. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the virtual players are displayed as graphical images.

29. The method for game play of claim 28 wherein the graphical images are cartoon images.

30. The method for game play of claim 28 wherein the graphical images are human images.

31. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the simulated game is poker.

32. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the simulated game is blackjack.

33. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the simulated game is a sports game.

34. The method for game play of claim 33 wherein the sports game is football.

35. The method for game play of claim 33 wherein the sports game is baseball.

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

37. The method for game play of claim 36 wherein the weighting is a point spread.

38. The method for game play of claim 36 wherein the weighting is a handicap.

39. The method for game play a claim 36 further including the step of applying game analytics to the electronic game play.

40. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the virtual players comprise a team of virtual players.

41. The method for game play of claim 27 wherein the simulated game is a lottery game.

42. The method for game play of claim 41 wherein the lottery game includes a guaranteed prizing structure.

43. The method for game play of claim 27 further including association groupings of players.

44. The method for game play of claim 27 further including use of virtual currency.

45. The method for game play of claim 27 further including use of a ticket for entry into the electronic game play.

46. The method for game play of claim 27 further including a player'"'"'s club.

47. The method for game play of claim 27 further including awarding of non-cash prizes.

48. A method for electronic game play involving one or more remote users of a system in an electronic environment, the remote users utilizing first electronic communications devices, the first electronic communications devices having input capability and generate an output corresponding to the input, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of virtual players including their images, the virtual players having differing play characteristics, the differing play characteristics being revealed to the remote users,

receiving at the input from the one or more remote users a selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players, the selection being communicated by the output of the first electronic communications devices over a public communication system to the input, the selection of the virtual player being made solely by the remote user,

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

subjecting the game play to mandated parameters, the mandated parameters being achieved by the system through application of variable parameters,

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 remote users if the selection indicating an association with one of the plurality of virtual players is in the subset of virtual players.

49. The method for game play of claim 48 wherein the virtual players are displayed as graphical images.

50. The method for game play of claim 49 wherein the graphical images are cartoon images.

51. The method for game play of claim 49 wherein the graphical images are human images.

52. The method for game play of claim 49 wherein the simulated game is poker.

53. The method for game play of claim 48 wherein the simulated game is blackjack.

54. The method for game play of claim 48 wherein the simulated game is a sports game.

55. The method for game play of claim 54 wherein the sports game is football.

56. The method for game play of claim 54 wherein the sports game is baseball.

57. The method for game play of claim 48 wherein the system equalizes the probability of winning by the virtual players.

58. The method for game play of claim 57 wherein a weighting is used by the system to equalize the probability of winning by the virtual players.

59. The method for game play of claim 58 wherein the weighting is a point spread.

60. The method for game play of claim 58 wherein, the weighting is a handicap.

61. The method for game play of claim 48 wherein the virtual players comprise a team of virtual players.

62. The method for game play of claim 48 wherein the simulated game is a lottery game.

63. The method for game play of claim 62 wherein the lottery game includes a guaranteed prizing structure.

64. The method for game play of claim 48 further including the step of applying game analytics to the electronic game play.

65. The method for game play of claim 48 further including association groupings of players.

66. The method for game play of claim 48 further including use of virtual currency.

67. The method for game play of claim 48 further including use of a ticket for entry into the electronic game play.

68. The method for game play of claim 48 further including a player'"'"'s club.

69. The method for game play of claim 48 further including awarding of non-cash prizes.