Multi-player bingo game with game-winning award selection

• US 7,980,943 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: McGlone, James T., Gail, Ted
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US10/940,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 463 19- 20, 463 21- 30, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The invention is directed to methods and gaming units for conducting a multi-player wagering game, such as a Bingo game, in which at least one of the players may win the occurrence of the wagering game by matching a predetermined game-winning pattern of game indicia on one or more game arrays having unique combinations of game indicia based on matching the game indicia on the game arrays to game indicia randomly selected for the occurrence of the wagering game. Once a player matches a game-winning pattern to win the occurrence of the wagering game, the gaming unit may display a plurality of selection symbols, at least one of which may correspond to a game-winning award or a further game array. In the embodiment with the further game array, the indicia on the game array may be compared to the randomly selected game indicia to determine the amount of game-winning award for the player.

Claims

1. A method for determining a game-winning award for a player of a multi-player wagering game, wherein each player has a game array having a unique combination of indicia from a range of game indicia for an occurrence of the wagering game, wherein individual game indicia are randomly selected from the range of game indicia during the occurrence of the wagering game, the method comprising:

determining, by a gaming unit controller including a microprocessor, that a player for an occurrence of the multi-player wagering game has matched a first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia;

displaying to the player a plurality of selection symbols in response to determining that the player has matched the first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia, wherein the plurality of selection symbols comprise a first selection symbol and a second selection symbol, wherein the first selection symbol corresponds to a game-winning award and the second selection symbol corresponds to a termination selection;

allowing the player to select the plurality of selection symbols;

displaying, via a display device, a Bingo card upon receiving the selection of the first selection symbol from the player, wherein the display device is coupled with the gaming unit controller;

awarding the game-winning award upon determining that the first predetermined pattern is matched and upon determining that game indicia on the Bingo card matches a second predetermined pattern; and

ceasing to allow the player to select remaining of the plurality of selection symbols in response to the player selecting the second selection symbol.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of selection symbols comprises a third selection symbol, the method further comprising awarding a sum of the game-winning award and an additional game-winning award, wherein the additional game-winning award corresponds to the third selection symbol selected by the player prior to the player selecting the second selection symbol.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising selecting the game-winning award from a pool of available game-winning awards.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, comprising preventing the game-winning award from being selected again.

5. A method for determining a game-winning award for a player of a multi-player wagering game wherein each player has a game array having a unique combination of indicia from a range of game indicia for an occurrence of the wagering game, wherein individual game indicia are randomly selected from the range of game indicia during the occurrence of the wagering game, the method comprising:

determining, by a gaming unit controller including a microprocessor, that a player for an occurrence of the multi-player wagering game has matched a first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia;

displaying, via a display device, to the player a plurality of selection symbols in response to determining that the player has matched the first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia, wherein the plurality of selection symbols comprise a first selection symbol and a second selection symbol, wherein the first selection symbol corresponds to a Bingo card having a combination of indicia from the range of game indicia and the second selection symbol corresponds to a termination selection;

allowing the player to select the plurality of selection symbols, wherein the display device is coupled with the gaming unit controller;

comparing the indicia of the Bingo card corresponding to the first selection symbol selected by the player to the randomly selected game indicia;

awarding the player a game-winning award when the player has matched the first predetermined pattern and when the player has matched a second predetermined pattern of game indicia on the Bingo card with the randomly selected game indicia; and

ceasing to allow the player to select remaining selection symbols from the plurality of the selection symbols in response to the player selecting the second selection symbol.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the plurality of selection symbols comprise a third selection symbol, the method further comprising awarding a sum of the game-winning award and an additional game-winning award, wherein the additional game-winning award corresponds to a third pre-determined pattern matched on the Bingo card prior to the player selecting the second selection symbol.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, comprising selecting the Bingo card corresponding to the first selection symbol such that none of the indicia from the range of game indicia on the Bingo card is the same as any of the indicia from the range of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array.

8. A method in accordance with claim 5, comprising selecting the Bingo card independent of selecting the player'"'"'s game array.

9. A method in accordance with claim 5, comprising providing a third predetermined pattern to be matched on the Bingo card by the randomly selected game indicia, wherein the third predetermined pattern is associated with an award amount.

10. A gaming unit for conducting multi-player wagering game over a gaming network having a plurality of gaming units operatively coupled together, wherein each player has a game array having a unique combination of indicia from a range of game indicia for an occurrence of the wagering game, wherein individual game indicia are randomly selected from the range of game indicia during the occurrence of the wagering game and transmitted to the gaming units over the gaming network, the gaming unit comprising:

an input device for receiving a plurality of input selections;

a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing a player to deposit a medium of currency;

a display device; and

a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to the input device, the currency-accepting mechanism, the display device, and to the gaming network,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to allow the currency-accepting mechanism to accept a deposit of an amount of a medium of currency by a player,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to allow the input device to receive input for a player'"'"'s wager on an occurrence of the multi-player wagering game at the input device,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to receive the randomly selected game indicia transmitted over the gaming network and to compare the received randomly selected game indicia to the player'"'"'s game array for the occurrence of the multi-player wagering game,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to determine whether the player has matched a first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to cause the display device to display a plurality of selection symbols in response to determining that the player has matched the first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia, wherein the plurality of selection symbols comprise a first selection symbol and a second selection symbol, wherein the first selection symbol corresponds to a game-winning award and the second selection symbol corresponding to a termination selection,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to cause at least one of the input device and the display device to receive input for a player'"'"'s selection of the plurality of selection symbols;

the gaming unit controller being programmed to display a Bingo card upon receiving the selection of the first selection symbol from the player;

the gaming unit controller being programmed to determine the game-winning award for the player based on the first selection symbol selected by the player;

the gaming unit controller being programmed to award the game-winning award to the player upon determining that the first predetermined pattern has been matched and upon determining that a second predetermined pattern on the Bingo card has been matched; and

the gaming unit controller programmed to cause the at least one of the input device and the display device to cease receiving input for remaining of the plurality of selection symbols in response to the player selecting the second selection symbol.

11. A gaming unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the gaming unit controller is programmed to calculate the game-winning award for the player by adding an amount of the game-winning award with another amount of an additional game-winning award in response to the player selecting the second selection symbol, wherein the additional game-winning award corresponds to a third selection symbol.

12. A gaming unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the game-winning award is selected from a pool of available game-winning awards and transmitted to the gaming unit over the gaming network, and wherein the gaming unit controller is programmed to receive the game-winning award transmitted over the gaming network.

13. A gaming unit in accordance with claim 10, wherein the gaming unit controller is programmed to select the game-winning award from a pool of available game-winning awards.

14. A gaming unit for conducting multi-player wagering game over a gaming network having a plurality of gaming units operatively coupled together, wherein each player has a game array having a unique combination of indicia from a range of game indicia for an occurrence of the wagering game, wherein individual game indicia are randomly selected from the range of game indicia during the occurrence of the wagering game and transmitted to the gaming units over the gaming network, the gaming unit comprising:

an input device for inputting a plurality of input selections;

a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing a player to deposit a medium of currency;

a display device; and

a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to the input device, the currency-accepting mechanism, the display device, and to the gaming network,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to allow the currency-accepting mechanism to accept a deposit of an amount of a medium of currency by a player,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to allow the input device to receive input for a player'"'"'s wager on an occurrence of the multi-player wagering game at the input device,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to receive the randomly selected game indicia transmitted over the gaming network and to compare the received randomly selected game indicia to the player'"'"'s game array for the occurrence of the multi-player wagering game,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to determine whether the player has matched a first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to cause the display device to display a plurality of selection symbols in response to determining that the player has matched the first predetermined pattern of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array with the randomly selected game indicia, wherein the plurality of selection symbols comprise a first selection symbol and a second selection symbol, wherein the first selection symbol corresponds to a Bingo card having a combination of indicia from the range of game indicia and the second selection symbol corresponds to a termination selection,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to cause at least one of the input device and the display device to receive input for a player'"'"'s selection of the plurality of selection symbols,

the gaming unit controller being programmed to compare the indicia of the Bingo card to the randomly selected game indicia in response to the player selecting the first selection symbol, and

the gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a gaming-winning award for the player in response to determining that a pattern of indicia on the Bingo card matched by the randomly selected game indicia matches a second predetermined pattern of game indicia;

the gaming unit controller being programmed to award the game-winning award to the player upon determining that the first and the second predetermined patterns have been matched; and

the gaming unit controller programmed to cause the at least one of the input device and the display device to cease receiving input for remaining of the plurality of selection symbols in response to the player selecting the second selection symbol.

15. A gaming unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the gaming unit controller is programmed to calculate a sum of an amount of the game-winning award with an additional amount of an additional game-winning award in response to receiving the selection of the second selection symbol, wherein the additional game-winning award corresponds to a third predetermined pattern matched on the Bingo card.

16. A gaming unit game in accordance with claim 14, wherein none of the indicia from on the Bingo card is the same as any of the indicia from the range of game indicia on the player'"'"'s game array.

17. A gaming unit in accordance with claim 14, wherein the gaming unit controller is programmed to select the Bingo card independent of selecting the player'"'"'s game array.

18. A gaming unit for conducting a multi-player wagering game in accordance with claim 14, wherein the gaming unit controller is programmed to compare the indicia of the Bingo card to a third predetermined pattern that may be matched on the Bingo card by the randomly selected game indicia, wherein the third predetermined pattern has a corresponding award amount.