Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080207302 | Method, Apparatus, and Program Product for Presenting Results in a Bingo-Type Game - Each bingo card representation matched with a game designation draw in a given bingo game (a “matched bingo card representation”) represents a respective game play record providing a result in the bingo game. The result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in the bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation is correlated to one or more game results in the bingo-type game so that each game result in the bingo-type game is associated with a result representation. Each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game. That is, although the game results are simply bingo game results defined by predetermined patterns of matches between the various card designations and the designation set produced or called for a particular bingo-type game, the game results are displayed to the players with a graphical display including a graphic that is not merely a graphical representation or reproduction of a bingo card. Displaying the result of the bingo-type game to the player thus involves displaying the result representation associated with the particular game result in lieu of or at least in addition to, the representation of the matched bingo-type game card. | 08-28-2008 |
20090287570 | E-commerce website - An Internet e-commerce website provides online content having incentives that motivate consumers to select affiliated vendors. After purchasing goods or services from the affiliated vendors, consumers view a purchase history and receive credit based on purchase amounts. Credits may be used to enter a sweepstakes. Consumers are also provided access to local vendors via website links to the local vendors' web pages. After completing their purchases, consumers receive scratch cards from the vendor. A consumer logs back onto the e-commerce website, and enters a promotion identifying number from the scratch card. A consumer's account is credited based on purchases made. The consumer uses the credits to enter a sweepstakes or other games offered through the website. The sweepstakes is a lottery-style play wherein the consumer picks a desired set of digits using a lottery play slip. The available numbers may correspond to a scheduled state drawing to ensure integrity. | 11-19-2009 |
20100210363 | GAMING SYSTEM, MACHINE AND METHOD WITH USER SELECTABLE GAME INTERACTIVE MODE - A gaming system, apparatus, and method are disclosed which provide a player selectable option to manually interact by selecting game elements or initiate an automated mode whereby the gaming apparatus selects game elements in accordance with the rules of the game being played. An example disclosed embodiment includes a player being assigned a bingo card representation and a game designation set is associated with the bingo card representation, such that daubing the bingo card representation may be performed manually by the player at the player's respective player station using a suitable interface at the player station. Alternatively to manual daubing, the present invention includes automatically daubing one or more bingo card representations in response to an automatic daub input made by the player at the player station using a suitable input device. | 08-19-2010 |
20110250945 | Gaming apparatus - Described is a method of constructing prize structures that are particularly useful in gaming systems which can be used to implement various games such as bingo and poker. In particular the described pay structures and game systems can have sufficient granularity such that the outcome or payoff of the game being played can be expanded to provide higher payout amounts as well as closely replicate the payoff of a second game. | 10-13-2011 |
20120100906 | Method, System, and Program Product for Conducting Multiple Concurrent Bingo Games - A method for conducting bingo games includes using a server to collect game play requests from a plurality of electronic player stations. The server determines if a group of the collected game play requests meets one or more predefined conditions for establishing a quorum, and if so conducts a game with the group of game play requests. Even after the game is started, the server continues to collect game play requests in preparation for conducting additional games. When enough game play requests are collected, the server starts the next game, even if previous games are still in progress. | 04-26-2012 |
20120190422 | METHOD, APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PRESENTING RESULTS IN A BINGO-TYPE GAME - A result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in a bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game. That is, although the game results are simply bingo game results defined by predetermined patterns of matches between the various card designations and the designation set produced or called for a particular bingo-type game, the game results are displayed to the players with a graphical display including a graphic that is not merely a graphical representation or reproduction of a bingo card. | 07-26-2012 |
20120270631 | Bingo Apparatus - Described is a method of constructing prize structures that are particularly useful in gaming systems which can be used to implement various games such as bingo and poker. In particular the described pay structures and game systems can have sufficient granularity such that the outcome or payoff of the game being played can be expanded to provide higher payout amounts as well as closely replicate the payoff of a second game. Included are methods and apparatus for playing bingo games and determining which bingo cards are winners. In addition, methods and apparatus for evaluating or checking each card in a bingo game using a bit marked card technique and vector operations are described. | 10-25-2012 |
20130316785 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR CONDUCTING MULTIPLE CONCURRENT BINGO GAMES - A method for conducting bingo games includes using a server to collect game play requests from a plurality of electronic player stations. The server determines if a group of the collected game play requests meets one or more predefined conditions for establishing a quorum, and if so conducts a game with the group of game play requests. Even after the game is started, the server continues to collect game play requests in preparation for conducting additional games. When enough game play requests are collected, the server starts the next game, even if previous games are still in progress. | 11-28-2013 |
20140004923 | METHOD, APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PRESENTING RESULTS IN A BINGO-TYPE GAME | 01-02-2014 |
20140120999 | Gaming proxy mechanism - Described is a proxy mechanism for allowing a gaming system such as bingo to be played over the internet from a location situated outside a geographical area within which at least a portion of the gaming system is physically located. The proxy mechanism can include a proxy terminal located within the geographical area that communicates with both players located outside the area and the gaming system within the area. | 05-01-2014 |