Abstract:
A system and method are provided for playing a single- or multi-player interactive bingo-style game. The system includes an input device for receiving a player&#39;s inputs, a display for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI), and a processor for controlling the operations of the game according to a set of game rules. The system is preferably implemented as a combination of hardware and software. It is further contemplated that the system can also be implemented over a network, such as the Internet, for allowing players in remote locations to play the game.

Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]    This application claims priority from a U.S. Provisional Application filed on March 19, 2002 and assigned U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/365,746, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to games, and more particularly to online interactive and casino slot machine games.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    The gaming industry has come to recognize that to sustain long term success it must be constantly innovative in introducing new games and new gambling concepts to the gaming public. One example of this innovating drive can be appreciated in the embrace of the Internet and online gaming by the gaming industry. Presently, most games found in casinos, both brick-and-mortar and online, have centered on the traditional games associated with the gaming industry.  
           [0006]    The new market for the gaming industry and perhaps most especially the online gaming industry is that group of individuals who find the traditional games too complex or simply not exciting enough. In the drive to attract greater numbers of players, casinos strive to include games that are familiar, simple to understand, engaging, and entertaining.  
           [0007]    Perhaps, the one game that most people are familiar with is BINGO. The challenge for the industry is to take BINGO&#39;s familiarity and simplicity and marry it with exciting, faster pace game play; games which take more than a few minutes to play to completion are generally not economically feasible for the gaming industry.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention involves a game similar to BINGO that is designed with online and casino gaming as its main focus. A preferred version of the game allows the player three spins to attain a winning outcome. The overall goal is to cover all the squares in one or more rows on the game board within the allotted three spins. Each spin causes a new random selection from a group of icons to be chosen for each column. The selection of a number causes the matching number in the corresponding column on the game board to be covered. Special icons can also be included which provide bonus effects, i.e. cover an entire column, additional spins, bonus credits, etc., or deleterious effects, i.e. uncover a column, etc.  
           [0009]    In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the game is played over the Internet or other suitable network, wherein the player interacts with the game via a personal computer or other device capable of establishing a network connection. In this embodiment, the game is single-player only. Game play is initiated by the player by authorizing a predetermined number of credits from player&#39;s account transferred to the game host. The player then, as stated previously, receives three spin chances in an attempt to achieve a winning outcome.  
           [0010]    In an additional embodiment of the invention, the game is incorporated in a slot machine with game play occurring within a casino or other gaming establishment. In this embodiment, the game is also designed for a single player. Game play is initiated by the player inserting a predetermined number of tokens, swiping a prepaid card, or other form of payment. The player then, as stated previously, receives three spin chances in ah attempt to achieve a winning outcome. This embodiment may provide extra features such as the ability of the player to place additional bets on specific rows or even individual squares, increasing the possible payout, etc.  
           [0011]    In another alternate embodiment, the game is similar to the game as described in the preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the game is a multiplayer network game with a preferred maximum of ten players participating. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 1 a - 1   g  illustrate screen views of a version of the game to show various features of the game and the method of game play in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a front view of a slot machine incorporating the game of the present invention; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 3 a - 3   t  illustrate screen views of a version of the game showing a single game play or round. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    The following describes a preferred embodiment and rules for playing the game according to the present invention. It is noted that FIGS. 1 a - 1   g  are not successive figures of a single game play or round, whereas FIGS. 3 a - 3   t  show a single game play or round.  
         [0016]    The game according to the present invention is a computerized matching game played over a network, such as the Internet. The game includes a graphical user interface (GUI)  100 . The GUI  100  includes an area  101  where a player can click or select for initiating game play. The GUI  100  further includes clickable icons  130  for viewing the rules of the game, obtaining help, quitting the game, and for toggling the game sounds on and off.  
         [0017]    Upon clicking the area  101 , the player can be offered the opportunity to register to set up an account and/or to make payment, such as paying to play a number of games and placing a bet of a possible outcome occurring. Payment could be made by credit card or by using an online account, such as a prepaid player account. If the player is already registered, the player can enter a password or other identification in order for the game to determine the player&#39;s identity and retrieve the player&#39;s prepaid account.  
         [0018]    Game play consists of three turns or spins, in an attempt to achieve a favorable outcome as indicated in a Payout Table  102 . A preferred game board  103  for the game consists of  27  positions organized into three rows  104  of nine squares each or nine columns  112  of three squares each (see FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b ). It is noted that the game is not limited to this particular configuration, but may contain more or less rows and positions and the positions may be any of a plurality of shapes. During the setup phase of the game, each of the positions is assigned a randomly selected number  105  (see FIG. 1 b ) and a “Spins” indicator  107  is set to three to indicate the number of turns or spins remaining.  
         [0019]    The randomly selected and displayed number  105  for each position is preferably selected from a numerical range corresponding to the column the position belongs to. For example, the numbers selected and displayed in the leftmost column are selected from the numerical range of 1-10, and the numerical ranges for the rest of the columns  112 , from left to right, are as follows: 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80 and 81-90.  
         [0020]    Each game turn is initiated by the player clicking on the “TAKE SPIN” icon  106 . Spinners  108  then display randomly selected icons (see FIG. 1 c ) from a group of icons consisting of: numbers  109 , Free Spin  113 , jokers  110 , and other icons which represent bonuses or penalties to the player. Points accumulated are indicated by a score indicator  115 .  
         [0021]    Following the display of the icons, the effects are preferably prosecuted one icon at a time. Numbers  109  which appear in the spinner  108  result in the matching number in the corresponding column being covered by a covering icon  111 . However, if no matching numbers exist in the corresponding column, then there is no action taken, other than one or more game sounds.  
         [0022]    The appearance of a joker  110  results in an entire corresponding column  112  being covered (see FIG. 1 c ). If in a turn a select number of jokers appear, then payouts are made according to the exemplary Payout Table 102 which is provided below:  
                                           TABLE 1                           exemplary Payout Table                Outcome   Payout                            Cover 1 Row Across   10           Cover 2 Rows Across   25           Cover All Numbers   100           4 Super Jokers   5           5 Super Jokers   10           6 Super Jokers   500           7 Super Jokers   5,000           8 Super Jokers   15,000           9 Super Jokers   25,000                      
 
         [0023]    The appearance of a “Free Spin”  113  (see FIG. 1 d ) offers the player an additional turn beyond the standard three turns, in an attempt to achieve a favorable outcome. Total number of free spins acquired by the player is indicated by a “Free Spins” indicator  114 . Maximum number of free spins allowable per game can vary from one version of the game to the next. However, in the preferred embodiment, two free spins per game is the maximum allowed. Any “Free Spin” beyond the two is disregarded and no action is performed on the game board  103 .  
         [0024]    Additionally, some versions of the game may include penalties indicated by a particular icon, which may result in the uncovering one position or several positions of the game board, loss of a spin, loss of a predetermined number of points as indicated by the score indicator  115 , or any other penalty.  
         [0025]    Occasionally, in the embodiment shown by the figures, when a position on the game board  103  is covered or marked, a “Gold Coin” or other icon  116  appears. This results in a predetermined number of coins or credits being instantly credited to the player&#39;s account as indicated by graphic  117 . The coins or credits can then be redeemed for prizes or cash, or be used to play additional games.  
         [0026]    At the end of each turn, the player&#39;s score is updated to reflect the results of the turn. The player&#39;s score is indicated by the score indicator  115 . During the course of game play, the player may cover or mark an entire row  118  (see FIG. 1 f ) resulting in a payout as indicated in the Payout Table 102. The corresponding payout will be added to the player&#39;s game score as indicated by the score indicator  115 . Upon completion of all three turns and any accumulated Free Spins, the game ends with a “Game Over” message  119  (see FIG. 1 g ). The winnings as indicated by the score indicator  115  are added to the player&#39;s account  117 . After a predetermined number of games as indicated by a Cash Out indicator  120 , the winnings are automatically cashed out.  
         [0027]    The rules outlined above generally apply to all versions of the game according to the present invention. However, in some versions, the game is played by more than one player, or is incorporated in a slot machine device for installation at a casino. Additionally, the basic rules may be further expanded to enhance game play, risk, and payouts with the addition of other spinner icons or with the incorporation of side bets—the ability for the player to place bets in addition to the standard pay-to-play bet—on such outcomes as the covering of a particular row or position during a turn or course of game play, i.e., over a series of turns. If the outcome occurs, the player is awarded points based on the bet placed and/or the odds of the outcome occurring.  
         [0028]    In another embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the game is incorporated into a slot machine  210  for installation in gaming establishments. While game play remains essentially unchanged from the preferred embodiment described above, certain elements have been adapted to slot machine devices. A player initiates a game by first inserting a token, coin, prepaid account card or other means of payment through the appropriate slot  206  and  207 . The processor prepares the game board and displays it on a video screen  208 . The appearance of the game board is generally similar to that described above. During each turn, spinners  209  are activated by either pulling the spin arm  204   a  or pressing a spin button  204   b , at which point the processor simulates the spinning reels of a conventional slot machine on screen along with the associated sounds. Each spinner  209  eventually comes to a stop and spinner icons are displayed in each. As described above, the displayed icons on the spinners  209  are processed and results are posted in a score area  201 . Payouts are then calculated by the processor based on the posted payout table  205 . The winnings are cashed out when the player presses a Pay Out button  202 , attains a predetermined maximum score, or after playing a predetermined number of games. The winnings can be deposited into a cash out bin  203 , credited to the player&#39;s account card, or provided to the player in some other method.  
         [0029]    Various support components are not shown, but understood to be part of conventional video slot machine devices of the type indicated here, and therefore components of this embodiment. These components include one or more processors to handle the task of managing the player&#39;s account, winnings, and bets as well as overall game play, a means of providing winnings to the player, i.e. an internal cash out vault containing monies or tokens to be used to award the player, means for applying winnings to the player&#39;s account, etc., and a candle or other apparatus for signaling an attendant.  
         [0030]    Additionally, this embodiment readily lends itself to the incorporation of side bet functionality with the inclusion of additional buttons, touch screen, or other such input method. The challenge, and resulting payout amounts, are increased with the inclusion of additional spinner icons which impart one or more penalties to the player or increasing the range of possible numbers from which the position numbers are randomly chosen.  
         [0031]    Additionally the game as described may also take the form of a table game in which the means for conducting game play is provided by a dealer and the spinners are replaced with cards, dice or some other appropriate instruments. Generally, the rules remiain the same as described herein, but like the slot version, such a table embodiment allows for modification and expansion of the rules to enhance game play.  
         [0032]    A further embodiment of the present invention is a computer-readable medium, such as a CD-ROM, containing a set of computer executable instructions for display and prosecution of the game described herein.  
         [0033]    Accordingly, it will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein, and that the above descriptions should not be construed as limiting, but merely as illustrative of preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto