Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-18
2003-05-27
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S016000, C463S017000, C463S018000, C463S020000, C463S021000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06569017
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to bingo-type gaming systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for assigning prizes from a number of different prize levels available in a bingo-type game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous gaming systems have been developed in which participants may be awarded prizes based on the result or outcome of a game play. The outcome of a game play in a gaming system may be determined in a number of different fashions. Video and electronic games available in casinos may determine a win or loss for each play of the game according to some algorithm. Lottery-type games rely on predetermined game records which are analogous to lottery tickets. Each game record is predetermined as being a winning or losing record, and winning records are associated with some prize. These predetermined game records are distributed to players in the course of game play, and a player receiving a winning record is entitled to the prize associated with that record.
Bingo-type games make up another general class of gaming systems. A bingo-type game is played with predetermined cards that include a number of symbols randomly arranged in a grid of spots or locations. The cards may be physically printed on paper or another suitable material or may be represented by a data structure which defines the various card locations and symbols associated with the locations. In the course of play, symbols are randomly selected from a pool of the symbols and matched to the symbols on the card. A card having matching symbols arranged in some predetermined pattern is considered a winning card.
A new type of gaming system is disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/265,100 entitled “Object Draw Gaming System and Program Product.” The entire content of this provisional patent application is incorporated herein by this reference. This gaming system uses predetermined bingo-type cards, each card comprising a grid or other structure of locations and each location associated with one of a number of symbols. Outcomes in the game are determined by matching randomly selected symbols with the symbols on the player cards as in any bingo-type game. However, the matches and thus winning and losing player cards are determined prior to distributing the cards to the players. The matched or “daubed” cards are distributed in some random order to players in response to game play requests from the players. Preferably, each player card and each matched player card is represented by a data structure, and the data structure itself or related data for a matched card is distributed to a player in response to a request for a play in the game. The players make these game play requests through player terminals which are in communication with a central computer used to distribute the matched game cards or related data.
Lottery-type games are each associated with a prize distribution or prize table. The prize table assigns the various outcomes in the game to different prize levels. For example, a prize table may be patterned on a poker game with various poker hands related to the various prize levels in the game. In this example, the poker hand representation is a graphic representation of the outcome in the game. The different possible hands are each associated with, or assigned to, a particular prize level in the prize table. Other prize tables may have a reel-type game (slot machine) theme, some other traditional casino game theme, or a theme totally unrelated to traditional gaming.
It is desirable for the games available at a particular gaming establishment to have a variety of different prize distributions. This variety in prize distributions helps maintain player interest and makes the gaming experience more exciting. It is also desirable that each particular prize distribution include a diverse set of the available prizes. A diverse set of prizes available in a game helps make the game more interesting and enjoyable to the players.
One problem with bingo-type games is that the probability of winning or losing with a particular card is always determined by a fixed set of constraints. These constraints include the number of symbols available in the pool of symbols, the predetermined pattern or patterns to be matched, and the number of locations on the card (or card data structure). For a given set of constraints, the probabilities of winning and losing are generally fixed. Although it is possible to vary these bingo probabilities by varying these constraints, varying the constraints may be cumbersome. Also, even varying the constraints for the bingo game only has a limited effect on the resulting bingo probabilities.
Using bingo game probabilities to determine prize levels in a bingo-type game such as that described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/265,100 would constrain the possible prize distribution for the game and prevent the use of a desirable prize table/prize distribution. It is therefore desirable to develop some new method of assigning or distributing prizes in bingo-type games in general, and particularly the bingo-type game described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/265,100.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for assigning bingo-type game prizes which overcomes the above-described problems associated with bingo-type games. The invention encompasses both a method for developing a desirable prize distribution for a bingo-type game and method for assigning prizes in a bingo-type game.
A method according to the invention includes determining a pattern probability for each of a number of target patterns achievable in a bingo-type game. Each pattern probability comprises a probability of achieving the respective target pattern in the bingo-type game. The method next includes associating or mapping a different pattern set to each different prize level in a desired prize distribution. The target patterns and their respective pattern probabilities are then assigned or mapped to the different pattern sets so that the individual pattern probabilities included in each pattern set add up to the desired probability of the prize level with which the pattern set is associated. In this way, a desired prize distribution may be developed for a bingo-type game. That is, the prize table or prize distribution for the bingo-type game need not be constrained to the bingo probabilities associated with achieving particular patterns in the game.
The target patterns may be any patterns that may be achieved in a bingo-type game. For example, a card for a bingo-type game may include a grid of the 5×5 spots or locations, with a symbol associated with each location in the grid. A target pattern within the scope of the invention may be any pattern which may be produced by the locations on the card. A target pattern may, for example, comprise a straight line of five locations, or two diagonal lines of locations forming an “X.” Any other pattern may be used as a target pattern within the scope of the present invention, including patterns which do not form an identifiable shape.
For a given bingo-type game conducted with a given set of rules, each target pattern will be associated with a pattern probability. This pattern probability is the probability of a player achieving that particular pattern under the rules of play in the bingo-type game. For a certain number of target patterns there will be associated a corresponding number of target probabilities, each target pattern in the group associated with a characteristic pattern probability. As used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, a “number” of elements such as a “number” of target patterns will mean some integer value greater than one, unless specifically stated otherwise. Thus, the phrase “a number of target patterns” refers to a group of more than one target pattern.
A desired prize distribution or prize table within the scope of the present invention will include a number of different prize levels. Each prize level in a desired prize distrib
Brandt David Michael
Enzminger Joseph Richard
Lind Clifton
Lind Jefferson C.
Loebig Gary L.
Culbertson Russell D.
Hughes S. Thomas
Multimedia Games, Inc.
Shaffer & Culbertson L.L.P.
White Carmen D.
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