Interactive real-time network gaming system

• US 5,762,552 A
• Filed: 12/05/1995
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VT Tech Corporation
• Original Assignee: VT Tech Corporation
• Inventors: Vuong, Xuyen Thanh, Vuong, Phu Thanh, Vuong, Vinh Thanh, Vuong, Binh Thanh, Vuong, Son Thanh
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAAF, JAMES CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US08/567,776
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/42, 463/16, 463/17, 463/22, 463/11, 463/34, 463/29, 463/25, 273/142 E, 273/142 R, 364/412
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• 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 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

The present invention is related to a network based gaming system that enables a plurality of players to place wagers on a real-time game of chance being conducted in a casino via a distributed network system or, alternatively, to place wagers on a game of chance using internally generated game sequences.

In the preferred embodiment of the system, a gaming machine provides a menu of a plurality of live-action board games of chance, such as roulette, craps or baccarat, from which a player selects a desired game. Once the game is selected, the player is presented a video representation of the possible bets on the gaming machine and a means for establishing a stake by either depositing currency or by accessing various credit accounts such as a credit card or casino credit line. After the player'"'"'s bets are placed and recorded in memory resident in the gaming machine, the video representation displayed on the gaming machine is adapted to include a broadcast quality feed comprising, both audio and video signals from the selected gaming table in the casino. The transmission network and the gaming machines are coupled to a network manager which is responsible for maintaining network integrity and for providing memory capacity of the recording of bets placed by gaming machines locate outside the controlled environment of the casino. The result of the next-to-occur play of the selected game of chance is detected and transmitted to the remote gaming machines over the transmission network. The results are compared with the bets placed by the player at each of the gaming machines to determine if the player wins or loses the bets. The won/loss determination is also transmitted to the remote gaming machines by the network manager. If the bets placed by the player are determined to be winners, the appropriate winnings are calculated and returning to the player either in currency or credited to the appropriate account maintained at the network manager. If the bets placed by the player are not winning bets, deposited currency is retained by the gaming machine or, if the bets are placed using a credit account, the appropriate deductions are made from the account.

Claims

1. A real-time interactive gaming system for enabling remotely located players to place wagers on one or more plays of at least one of a plurality of live-action games of chance, said gaming system comprising:

a plurality of game servers having means for generating a series of plays of at least one of said games of chance, each game server having means for generating video signals and audio signals of said series of plays;

a plurality of gaming machines each having means for displaying a bet board and for selectively displaying the video signals and broadcasting said audio signals corresponding to said video signals;

each of said gaming machines having means for graphically placing wagers on said bet boards at a rate that is independent from the rate of play of said selected one of said games of chance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 further comprising:

a network manager means for authenticating the player at each of said plurality of gaming machines, for creating a list of wagers placed at each of said gaming machines and for determining whether wagers are accepted relative to the next to occur play of said sequence of plays; and

transmission means for transmitting said video signals and audio signals of each of said series of plays generated by said plurality of game servers to at least one of said plurality of gaming machines and for coupling said network manager to each of said plurality of gaming machines and to each game server.

3. The gaming system of claim 2 further comprising a second plurality of gaming machines each coupled to said network manager by a second transmission means;

each of said second plurality of gaming machines capable of selecting at least one of said plurality of live-action games of chance, transmitting wagers corresponding to at least one bet on said selected game of chance to said network manager, and receiving from said network manager said video and audio feeds corresponding to the next to occur play of the selected game of chance;

said network manager having means for determining winning and losing bets and means for crediting payoffs corresponding to winning wagers to a user account in response to said outcome detecting means;

said network manager further having means for transmitting the result of each play of the selected game of chance to selected ones of said second plurality of gaming machines.

4. The gaming system of claim 2 further comprising means for detecting the outcome of each game of chance.

5. The gaming system of claim 2 wherein said outcome detector comprises manual means for detecting the outcome of said game of chance.

6. The gaming system of claim 2 wherein said network manager further comprises an outcome detector means for detecting the outcome of each game of chance at each of said game servers and means for determining winning and losing wagers placed at said gaming machines and for distributing payoffs corresponding to winning wagers in response to said outcome detector means.

7. A real-time interactive gaming system that permits a player to participate in a plurality of games of chance from a remote gaming location comprising:

a plurality of game servers for generating a series of plays of said games of chance;

detection means associated with each of said game servers for detecting an outcome of each play of the series of plays of the game of chance and for generating a video signal and an audio signal for the series of plays of the games of chance;

a game machine having user interface means for placing wagers prior to one of the series of plays of the games of chance at a independent rate relative to the rate of play generated by said game servers;

said game machine having means for displaying a bet board related to each of said games of chance and for displaying the video signal of the games of chance;

said game machine having means for determining winning and losing bets placed by the player based on the outcome of the selected play of the series of plays of the game of chance in response to said detection means;

transmission means for transferring said video and audio signals to said game machine and for transferring the outcome of each play of the series of plays of the games of chance detected by said detection means to said game machine.

8. The real-time interactive gaming system of claim 7 wherein said game server comprises a first game machine and wherein the video signal of the series of plays of the game of chance comprises a computer generated image of said game of chance representing a randomly generated outcome of said game of chance.

9. The real-time interactive gaming system of claim 8 wherein the game server comprises a first game machine coupled by said transmission means to at least one additional game machine.

10. A method whereby a player may participate in a one or more plays of at least one live-action game of chance from a gaming machine located at a remote location relative to the game of chance where the gaming machine is coupled to the game of chance by an interactive network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a selection of games of chance on a display of the gaming machine;

selecting one of the games of chance;

establishing a stake for the player;

providing a display of available bets for the selected one of the games of chance on the gaming machine;

placing a wager on selected bets by the player at a rate independent from the rate of play of the selected game of chance;

generating and transmitting video signals of the games chance;

displaying the signals of the next to occur play of the selected game of chance and the bets placed by the player at the gaming machine;

detecting the outcome of the next to occur play of the selected one of the games of chance; and

providing means for the player to collect the stake upon termination of the remote participation.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

selecting additional games of chance;

providing a display of available bets for each of the additional games of chance on the game machine;

determining the wager placed on each bet at a rate independent from the rate of play of the selected game of chance;

selectively displaying the video signals of at least one of the additional games of chance and the bets placed by the player at the gaming machine;

detecting the outcome of the next to occur play of each of the additional games of chance;

determining the winning bets at each of said additional games of chance; and

calculating a payout based on the amount of the wager corresponding to the detected outcome and adding the payout to the stake.

12. A method whereby a player may participate in a one or more plays of at least one live-action game of chance from a gaming machine located at a remote location relative to the game of chance where the gaming machine is coupled to the game of chance by an interactive network comprising the steps of:

initiating play at least one of a plurality of gaming machines;

performing an authorization routine which includes establishing a player stake;

providing a selection of games of chance on a display of said gaming machine;

selecting at least one game server on which a game of chance is being played and establishing connection between said at least one game server and said gaming machine;

providing a display of available bets for each game of chance being played on each of said selected at least one game server on the gaming machine;

placing a wager for selected bets at a rate independent from the rate of play of each of the selected at least one game servers prior to the initiation of a next to occur play of the game of chance;

detecting the outcome of the next to occur play;

comparing the outcome of the next to occur play with said selected bets at a network manager; and

providing means for the player to collect the stake upon termination of participation by the player.

13. A real-time interactive gaming system for placing wagers on at least one play of a plurality of live-action games of chance, said gaming system comprising:

a plurality of game servers each generating a series of plays of a game of chance;

detection means associated with each of said game servers for detecting outcomes of each play of the game of chance;

a plurality of gaming machines, each capable of accepting wagers corresponding to at least one play of a sequence of plays of said selected games of chance, sad gaming machines adapted to accept said wagers at a rate that is independent from the rate of play at said selected game servers;

means for transmitting signals showing the play of the at least one play and for transmitting said detected outcomes of each play to selected ones of said gaming machines;

computing means, coupled to said game servers and to said plurality of gaming machines by said transmission means, for authenticating the player at each of said plurality of gaming machines, for creating a list of wagers placed by players at each of said gaming machines and for determining, in response to said designation generated by said gaming machine, whether wagers are accepted relative to the next to occur play and for terminating participation by each player at each gaming machine.

14. The gaming system of claim 13 further comprising a second plurality of gaming machines each coupled to said computing means by a second transmission means;

each of said second plurality of gaming machines capable of selecting at least one of said plurality of live-action games of chance, transmitting wagers corresponding to at least one bet on said selected game of chance to said computing means, and receiving from said computing means said video and audio feeds corresponding to the next to occur play of the selected game of chance;

said computing means having means for determining winning and losing bets and means for crediting payoffs corresponding to winning wagers to a user account in response to said outcome detecting means;

said computing means further having means for transmitting the result of each play of the selected game of chance to selected ones of said second plurality of gaming machines.

15. The gaming system of claim 13 wherein said game server comprises computer means programmed to randomly generate results of a selected game of chance.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 wherein said game of chance is roulette and said computer means further comprises means for positioning a representation of a roulette ball with respect to a graphical representation of a roulette wheel.