Automated card game system

• US 4,909,516 A
• Filed: 06/29/1984
• Issued: 03/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas A. Kiefaber
• Original Assignee: Bingotech, Inc.
• Inventors: Kolinsky, Alfred P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/626,419
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: 273/237, 273/269, 273/144 R, 273/85 G
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0645 Electric lottos or bingo games

Abstract

An automated card game system includes cards for distribution to players, a random card number generator, a memory for storing the cards, a keyboard for inputing the randomly selected card numbers into the memory, and a display system for displaying the random card numbers selected. The cards stored in the memory are continuously updated by being marked in accordance with the randomly generated card numbers and the status of the cards is continuously monitored in order to automatically determine a winning card.

Claims

1. An automated card game system played simultaneously by plural human participants and by a data processing apparatus which automatically identifies and annunciates winning participants, said system comprising:

a plurality of individually identifiable game cards, each having respectively corresponding game data contents;

data processing means having a digital memory means for storing said game data;

play means for randomly generating sequential play data which may match a portion of the game data contents of a portion of said game cards;

means for communicating said sequential play data to said human participants whereby they are enabled to play their respective game cards and for communicating said sequential play data to said data processing means; and

said data processing means for automatically;

(1) selecting at least one winning sequence of play data, (2) matching said sequential play data to said stored game data, (3) identifying and communicating winning game cards to said participants at the time said selected at least one winning sequence of play data has been generated (4) changing the game and selecting an associated winning sequence and (5) identifying and communicating winning game cards to said participants at the time said associated winning sequence of play data corresponding to said changed game has been generated.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said play means is a portion of said data processing means.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for enunciating outputs a RGB color signal suitable for inputing to an NTSC signal converter for broadcasting said sequential play data.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an NTSC signal converter and wherein said means for communicating outputs a RGB color signal to said NTSC signal converter for broadcasting said sequential play data.

5. A system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an NTSC signal converter and wherein said means for communicating outputs a RGB color signal to said NTSC signal converter for broadcasting said sequential play data.

6. An automated bingo game comprising:

means for randomly generating a plurality of bingo cards each card having respectively corresponding game date contents for distribution to a plurality of players;

said generating means also continually monitors the played status of said bingo cards and determines when one of said bingo cards has won at which time said generating means changes the bingo game to a new version and continues monitoring the played status of said bingo cards in order to determine and display when one of said bingo cards has won said new version of the bingo game;

memory means for storing said plurality of bingo card game data contents corresponding to said plurality of bingo cards;

means for randomly and sequentially determining bingo card play data;

registering means for sequentially entering into said memory said sequentially determined bingo card play data;

signal generating means for generating signals representative of each of said sequentially determined bingo card play data;

display means for receiving said signals from said generating means and sequentially displaying said bingo card play data wherein said players may mark their respective bingo cards in accordance with said displayed bingo card play data and wherein said memory means records in association with said plurality of bingo card game data contents, said determined bingo card play data entered by said registering means so as to simultaneously also play by the players.

7. An automated bingo game as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a NTSC signal converter for receiving said signals from said generating means and for broadcasting said bingo card play data.

8. An automated bingo game as claimed in claim 6, wherein each one of said plurality of bingo cards has a plurality of sets which define combinations of locations on the bingo cards needed to win the bingo game, each set having a value, for each one of said plurality of bingo cards said generating means increments the value of each one of said plurality of sets which contains one of said sequentially determined bingo card numbers, until the value of at least one of said plurality of sets reaches a predetermined number in order to determine when one of said plurality of bingo cards has won.

9. An automated bingo game comprising:

a plurality of bingo cards to be distributed to players each one of said plurality of bingo cards having a plurality of sets which define combinations of locations on the bingo cards needed to win the bingo game, each set having a value;

first means having a memory for storing digital data representations of said plurality of bingo cards;

second means for sequentially determining bingo card playing data;

a keyboard interconnected with said first means for entering said bingo card playing data into the memory of said first means, said first means generating output signals in accordance with said bingo card data entered by said keyboard; and

a display means for receiving said output signals from said first means and displaying said bingo card playing data;

said first means incrementing the value of each one of said plurality of sets, for each one of said plurality of bingo cards, which contains one of said sequentially determined bingo card playing data, until the value of at least one of said plurality of sets reaches a predetermined number in order to determine when one of said plurality of bingo cards has won.

10. An automated bingo game as claimed in claim 9 wherein said first means randomly generates said plurality of bingo cards.

11. An automated bingo game as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first means continually monitors the played status of said bingo cards and determines and displays when one of said bingo cards has won at which time said memory means changes the bingo game to a new version and continues monitoring the played status of said bingo cards in order to determine and display when one of said bingo cards has won said new version of the bingo game by determining when more than one of said plurality of sets has reached said predetermined number.

12. An automated bingo came as claimed in claim 9, wherein said output signal is an RGB color signal suitable for inputing to a NTSC signal converter for broadcasting over a particular T.V. channel or cable T.V. system.

13. An automated bingo game system, played simultaneously by plural human participants and by a data processing apparatus, capable of progressively playing at least two winning versions of bingo, said system comprising:

a plurality of individually identifiable bingo game cards, each having respectively corresponding bingo game data contents, each one of said bingo game cards having a plurality of sets which define combinations of locations on the bingo game cards needed to win a bingo game, each set having a value;

data processing means having a digital memory means for storing said bingo game data;

play means for randomly generating sequential play data which may match a portion of the bingo game data contents of a portion of said bingo game cards;

means for communicating said sequential play data to said human participants whereby they are enabled to play their respective bingo game cards and for communicating said sequential play data to said data processing means; and

said data processing means for automatically;

(1) selecting winning sequences of play data corresponding to each of said at least two winning versions of bingo, (2) matching said sequential play data to said stored bingo game data, (3) identifying and communicating winning bingo game cards to said participants at the time a first of said winning sequences of play data are generated and (4) progressively changing the winning version of the bingo game;

said data processing means incrementing the value of each one of said plurality of sets, for each one of said plurality of bingo cards, which contains one of said sequential play data, until the value of at least one of said plurality of sets reaches a predetermined number in order to determine when one of said game cards has won, and until more than one of said plurality of sets reaches said predetermined number in order to determine when one of said bingo game cards has won said changed version of the bingo game.

14. A method for playing a bingo game simultaneously by human participants and by a data processing apparatus, said method comprising the following steps:

storing bingo game data contents for each one of a plurality of bingo game cards in said data processing apparatus, each one of said bingo game cards having a plurality of sets which define combinations of locations on the bingo game cards needed to win a bingo game, each set having a value;

distributing said bingo game cards to said human participants;

generating sequential play data which may match a portion of the bingo game data contents of a portion of said bingo game cards;

communicating said sequential play data to said human participants, whereby they are enabled to play their respective bingo game cards, and to said data processing means; and

automatically selecting with said data processing means a winning sequence of play data;

incrementing with said data processing means each one of said plurality of sets, for each one of bingo game cards, which contains one of said sequential play data;

identifying with said data processing means a winning bingo game card by determining when one of said plurality of sets for a specific bingo game card has been incremented to a predetermined number and communicating said winning bingo game card to said participants at the time said selected winning sequence of play data has been generated;

automatically changing with said data processing means the winning version of the bingo game and selecting an associated winning sequence of play data; and

identifying with said data processing means a winning changed bingo game card by determining when more than one of said plurality of sets for a specific bingo game card have been incremented to said predetermined number and communicating said winning changed bingo game card to said participants at the time said associated winning sequence of play data, corresponding to said changed winning version of the bingo game, has been generated.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said communicating step comprises inputing a RGB color signal, representing said sequential play data, to an NTSC signal converter for broadcasting.

16. An automated card game system played simultaneously by plural human participants and by a data processing apparatus which automatically identified and annunciates winning participants, said system comprising:

a plurality of individually identifiable game cards, each having respectively corresponding game data contents, each one of said game cards having a plurality of sets which define combinations of locations on the game cards needed to win a game, each set having a value;

data processing means having a digital memory means for storing said game data;

play means for randomly generating sequential play data which may match a portion of the game data contents of a portion of said game cards;

means for communicating said sequential play data to said human participants whereby they are enabled to play their respective game cards and for communicating said sequential play data to said data processing means; and

said data processing means for automatically;

(1) selecting at least one winning sequence of play data, (2) matching said sequential play data to said stored game data, (3) identifying and communicating winning game cards to said participants at the time said selected at least one winning sequence of play data has been generated (4) changing the game and selecting an associated winning sequence and (5) identifying and communicating winning game cards to said participants at the time said associated winning sequence of play data corresponding to said changed game has been generated;

said data processing means incrementing the value of each one of said plurality of sets, for each one of said game cards, which contains one of said sequential play data, until the value of at least one of said plurality of sets reaches a predetermined number in order to determine when one of said game cards has won, and until more than one of said plurality of sets reaches said predetermined number in order to determine when one of said game cards has won said changed game.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said play means is a portion of said data processing means.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising an NTSC signal converter and wherein said means for communicating outputs a RGB color signal to said NTSC signal converter for broadcasting said sequential play data.

19. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said means for enunciating outputs a RGB color signal suitable for inputting to an NTSC signal converter for broadcasting said sequential play data.

20. A system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising an NTSC signal converter and wherein said means for communicating outputs a RGB color signal to said NTSC signal converter for broadcasting said sequential play data.