Method and system for storing preselected numbers for use in games of bingo

• US 6,398,646 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Planet Bingo LLC
• Original Assignee: Melange Computer Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Green, James L., Austin, Ronald J., Bean, Richard G., Rappold, Harrold J., Wei, William, Dettloff, Jeffery A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Carmen D.
• Application Number:
  US09/478,685
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-22
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for managing a Bingo game while allowing a repeat player to play the same sets of numbers in multiple sessions of Bingo. The player preselects numbers which he wishes to play in multiple Bingo sessions. The hall stores the numbers in the memory of the computer. On the date of the Bingo game, the player chooses which preselected Bingo numbers to play. The player is provided with a ticket having the preselected numbers with a control number for each set of numbers and a validation number for the ticket. The player is also provided with a receipt indicating the number of preselected sets of numbers bought by the player and the validation number for the ticket. When a player calls Bingo, the hall enters the control number of the potentially winning set of numbers into the computer to verify the set of numbers is a winner.

Claims

1. A system for managing a game of Bingo which comprises:

(a) a computer with a central processing unit (CPU) and with a memory and with a printer connected to the CPU;

(b) an input and output terminal connected to the CPU and memory of the computer; and

(c) a program in the computer enabling;

(i) input of at least two sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by a player to be played in at least one selected game of Bingo in a future period of time;

(ii) storage of the sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by the player as a group in the memory of the computer;

(iii) assignment by the computer of a player identifier unique to the player for the group having the sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by the player wherein the player identifier is assigned to the group for multiple sessions of Bingo;

(iv) retrieval of the group using the player identifier;

(v) selection from the group by the player of at least one of the sets of Bingo numbers preselected by the player and stored in the memory of the computer as the group for play in a selected game of Bingo in a specific session of Bingo wherein a number of sets of Bingo numbers selected for play in the selected game of Bingo is less than a total number of sets of Bingo numbers in the group;

(vi) addition by the computer of a control number for each set of Bingo numbers selected for play in the selected game of Bingo;

(vii) output of a receipt with the control number, the set of Bingo numbers which is preselected and selected by the player, a price for the set of Bingo numbers which is preselected, a date of the game of Bingo and optionally a computer identification number; and

(viii) output for verification of a winning set of Bingo numbers by means of the control number which is input into the computer by a manager of the game of Bingo.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer system or a second computer system with a second program enables an output of a print of the set of Bingo numbers and the control number to be used by the player for the game of Bingo.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the player inputs the set of Bingo numbers which is preselected into the computer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein an operator of the computer inputs the set of Bingo numbers which is preselected by the player.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the input and output terminal includes a video screen which displays the receipt.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the output of the verification of the winning set of Bingo numbers with the control number is printed by the printer.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the program enables selective retrieval by the player of at least one of the set of Bingo numbers preselected by the player and stored in the memory of the computer into a portable terminal for play in a selected game of Bingo.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein a portable terminal is configured to be connected to the CPU to receive at least two of the sets of Bingo numbers preselected by the player and stored in the memory of the computer and selectively retrieved by the player for playing in a selected game of Bingo.

7. A method for playing a game of Bingo which comprises the steps of:

(a) providing a system for managing a game of Bingo which comprises;

a computer with a central processing unit (CPU) and with a memory and with a printer connected to the CPU;

an input and output terminal connected to the CPU and memory of the computer; and

a program in the computer enabling;

(i) input of at least two sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by a player for repetitive play in games of Bingo over a period of time;

(ii) storage of the sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by the player as a group in the memory of the computer;

(iii) assignment of a player identifier unique to the player for the group having the sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by the player wherein the player identifier is assigned to the group for multiple sessions of Bingo;

(iv) retrieval of the group using the player identifier;

(v) selection from the group by the player of at least one of the sets of Bingo numbers preselected by the player and stored in the memory of the computer as the group for play in a selected game of Bingo in a specific session of Bingo wherein a number of sets of Bingo numbers selected for play in the selected game of Bingo is less than a total number of sets of Bingo numbers in the group;

(vi) addition by the computer of a control number for the set of Bingo numbers which is selected by the player for play in the selected game of Bingo;

(vii) output of a receipt with the control number, the set of Bingo numbers which is selected for play in the selected game of Bingo, a price for the set of Bingo numbers which is selected for play in the selected game of Bingo, a date of the selected game of Bingo and optionally a computer identification number; and

(viii) output for verification of a winning set of Bingo numbers by means of the control number which is input into the computer by a manager of the game of Bingo;

(b) playing the game of Bingo using the set of Bingo numbers wherein the player signals a Bingo to indicate the set of Bingo numbers which is selected for play in the selected game of Bingo is the winning set of Bingo numbers; and

(c) verifying the winning set of Bingo numbers with the control number with the program.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the computer system or a second computer system with a second program enables an output of a print of the set of Bingo numbers for play in the selected game of Bingo and the control number to be used by the player for the game of Bingo.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the player inputs the sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected into the computer.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein an operator of the computer inputs the sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by the player.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the input and output terminal includes a video screen which displays the receipt.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the output of the verification of the winning set of Bingo numbers with the control number is printed by the printer.

13. A method using a programmable computer having a memory to track a set of Bingo numbers selected by a player to be played in a game of Bingo which comprises the steps of:

(a) receiving at least two sets of Bingo numbers preselected by the player to be played in at least one game of Bingo;

(b) storing the sets of Bingo numbers preselected by the player as a group;

(c) assigning a player identifier unique to the player to the group having the sets of Bingo numbers which are preselected by the player wherein the player identifier is assigned to the group for multiple sessions of Bingo;

(d) retrieving the group using the player identifier;

(e) selecting from the group at least one of the set of Bingo numbers preselected by the player and stored in the memory of the computer as the group for play in a selected game of Bingo in a specific session of Bingo wherein a number of sets of Bingo numbers selected for play in the selected game of Bingo is less than a total number of sets of Bingo numbers in the group;

(f) assigning a control identifier to the set of Bingo numbers selected by the player to be played in the selected game of Bingo;

(g) storing the set of Bingo numbers and the control identifier on a computer readable medium;

(h) displaying the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the selected game of Bingo along with the control identifier;

(i) receiving a potentially winning control identifier corresponding to a potentially winning set of Bingo numbers selected by the player after the selected game of Bingo has been played; and

(j) displaying the set of Bingo numbers selected by the player corresponding to the potentially winning control identifier to determine whether the potentially winning set of Bingo numbers is a winning set of Bingo numbers.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein in step (f) the display of the set of Bingo numbers and the control identifier is a printed receipt and wherein the printed receipt is used to obtain a Bingo card having the set of Bingo numbers selected by the player.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the printed receipt has a receipt validation number and wherein the receipt validation number is received by the computer or a second computer to obtain the Bingo card having the set of Bingo numbers selected by the player.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein in step (f), the display is received by a portable terminal.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein after step (f), and after or during the game of Bingo, winning numbers are received, wherein in step (h), the set of Bingo numbers corresponding to the potentially winning control identifier are compared to the winning numbers to determine whether the potentially winning set of Bingo numbers is a winning set of Bingo numbers.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein in step (f), the display of the set of Bingo numbers and the control identifier is a printed receipt and wherein the printed receipt also includes a date of the game of Bingo, a price for the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo and a computer identification number.

19. A method using a programmable computer to track a set of Bingo numbers selected by a player to be played in a game of Bingo which comprises the steps of:

(a) receiving at least two preselected sets of Bingo numbers from a player;

(b) assigning a player identifier unique to the player to a group having the preselected sets of Bingo numbers wherein all preselected sets of Bingo numbers corresponding to one player belong to one group and are assigned one player identifier and wherein the player identifier is assigned to the group for multiple sessions of Bingo;

(c) storing the group of preselected sets of Bingo numbers and the player identifier on a computer readable medium;

(d) receiving the player identifier for the player and retrieving the group having the preselected sets of Bingo numbers corresponding to the player;

(e) selecting the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo in a specific session of Bingo from the group having the preselected sets of Bingo numbers from the computer readable medium wherein a number of sets of Bingo numbers selected for play in the selected game of Bingo is less than a total number of sets of Bingo numbers in the group;

(f) assigning a control identifier for the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo;

(g) storing the control identifier for the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo on the computer readable medium;

(h) displaying the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo along with the corresponding control identifier;

(i) receiving a potentially winning control identifier corresponding to a potentially winning set of Bingo numbers after the game of Bingo has been played; and

(j) displaying the set of Bingo numbers corresponding to the potentially winning control identifier to determine whether the potentially winning set of Bingo numbers is a winning set of Bingo numbers.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (h), the display of the set of Bingo numbers is a printed receipt and wherein the printed receipt is used to obtain a Bingo card having the set of Bingo numbers.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the printed receipt has a receipt validation number and wherein the receipt validation number is received by the computer or a second computer to obtain the Bingo card having the set of Bingo numbers.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (h), the display is received by a portable Bingo terminal.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein when the winning set of Bingo numbers is determined, the control identifier for the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo is erased from the computer readable medium and the method is repeated starting at step (d) for a new game of Bingo.

24. The method of claim 19 comprising additional steps after step (f) of:

(a) receiving an easy pick identifier and randomly generating a random set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo in response to the easy pick identifier; and

(b) assigning a control identifier for the random set of Bingo numbers and wherein in step (g), the control identifier for the random set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo is stored with the control identifier for the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein an accounting of the set of Bingo numbers which is selected by the player for play in the game of Bingo is provided comprising the additional steps before step (b) of:

receiving an amount of buying points corresponding to the player;

storing the amount of buying points on the computer readable medium;

assigning the player identifier to the buying points wherein one player identifier is assigned to the buying points and the preselected set of Bingo numbers corresponding to one player;

retrieving the buying points along with the group having the preselected set of Bingo numbers corresponding to the player in step (d);

subtracting from the amount of buying points a number of buying points corresponding to each set of Bingo numbers selected by the player to be played in the game of Bingo;

displaying a new amount of buying points with the set of Bingo numbers to be played in the game of Bingo in step (h); and

replacing the amount of buying points with the new amount of buying points on the computer readable medium.