Apparatus and method for a tabletop bingo card monitor
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring bingo cards during play, comprising:
- a computer system comprising a display and memory;
instructions in the memory of computer system for monitoring bingo cards during a game;
bingo card data stored in the memory of the computer system representative of a plurality of bingo cards;
game data stored in the memory of the computer system representative of a set of games and a set of winning patterns;
a keyboard comprising memory;
player data stored in the keyboard memory including an identifier for a number of bingo cards in play; and
a wireless communication link connecting the keyboard and the computer.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are described for monitoring bingo cards using a computer and a keyboard communicating via a wireless communication link. Stored in computer memory are data representing a number of bingo cards and a set of games and winning patterns. Stored in keyboard memory is an identifier of the number of cards in play. The keyboard may be powered by a battery and may have a reduced power operating mode to which it switches itself. The keyboard may charge its batteries to full charge individually. The keyboard may have an external power jack to which an external power supply can be connected without interrupting a game in progress. The keyboard may receive data from an external device via its wireless communication link and load that data into its memory. The keyboard may have in its memory a unique identifier that it transmits to the computer.
59 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring bingo cards during play, comprising:
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a computer system comprising a display and memory;
instructions in the memory of computer system for monitoring bingo cards during a game;
bingo card data stored in the memory of the computer system representative of a plurality of bingo cards;
game data stored in the memory of the computer system representative of a set of games and a set of winning patterns;
a keyboard comprising memory;
player data stored in the keyboard memory including an identifier for a number of bingo cards in play; and
a wireless communication link connecting the keyboard and the computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of monitoring bingo cards during play using a computer system and a keyboard, the computer system and keyboard communicating through a wireless communication link, the keyboard including memory, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing bingo card data in the memory of the computer system representative of a plurality of bingo cards, including bingo cards in play;
storing game data in the memory of the computer system representative of a set of games and a set of winning patterns;
storing player data in the memory of the keyboard including an identifier for the number of bingo cards in play;
transmitting called numbers entered at the keyboard from the keyboard to the computer system over the wireless communication link;
the computer system comparing the called numbers on each bingo card in play to the winning patterns; and
the computer system notifying the user when one of the bingo cards in play contains called numbers in a winning pattern. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- storing bingo card data in the memory of the computer system representative of a plurality of bingo cards, including bingo cards in play;
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16. A method of supplying game devices for monitoring bingo cards during play, the steps of the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of computer systems, each including a wireless transceiver and memory;
loading data into the memories of the computer systems, the data representative of a plurality of bingo cards, including bingo cards in play, a set of games, and a set of winning patterns;
accepting an order from a player specifying a number of bingo cards to be played;
providing a keyboard including memory and a wireless transceiver;
loading data into the keyboard, including an identifier for the number of bingo cards in play; and
initiating a bingo game by communicating between the keyboard and one of the plurality of computer systems using the wireless transceivers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
- providing a plurality of computer systems, each including a wireless transceiver and memory;
Specification