Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GAMING MACHINE INCLUDING A LOTTERY TICKET DISPENSER
Related Application Data
The present application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent
application Serial No. 10/097,507, which was filed on March 12,.2002.
Background
Electronic gaming machines of various types such as, for example, slot
machines, video poker machines, video keno machines, video blackjack machines
and that like, are known. Typically, casinos or other entertainment facilities
include
numerous electronic gaming machines of various types to accommodate the
varying
preferences of guests. For example, a casino may include a variety of
electronic
gaming machines that may be, but are not necessarily, linked to one another
via a
network.
In one form, lotteries, which may be operated by states or other public or
private organizations, are arranged into various segments called drawings. For
example, a state lottery may have a weekly or daily drawing and, therefore,
there is
a possibility of a new lottery winner each week or each day, respectively.
Before a
lottery drawing, lottery tickets bearing numbers, letters or other indicia are
sold to
those who wish to play that lottery drawing. After all the tickets for a
drawing are
sold, balls, tags or other items having numbers, letters or other indicia
printed
thereon are randomly drawn from a hopper or from multiple hoppers. As items
are
drawn from the hopper or hoppers, the indicia on each items is noted and a
holder
of a ticket having indicia that match each of the indicia on the items drawn
from the
hopper or hoppers is a winner. For example, a ticket having 11-24-35-46-52
printed thereon would be a winning ticket if five items each bearing one of
the
indicia 11, 24, 35, 46 and 52 were pulled from a hopper or from multiple
hoppers.
For lower payoff drawings, tickets typically have a fewer indicia thereon and
fewer items are drawn from the hopper. Additionally, for lower payoff
drawings,
the number of possible indicia may be rather small (e.g., 1 to 10). For
example, a
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daily lottery drawing, which may pay out money on the order of thousands or
tens
of thousands of dollars, may have only four indicia (ranging, for example,
from 1 to
10) printed on each ticket and items bearing the indicia may be drawn from the
same hopper.
Conversely, high payoff drawings may have many indicia on a ticket, each
of the ticket indicia must match indicia on items drawn from a hopper or from
multiple hoppers. High payoff drawings may have a large number of possible
indicia (e.g., 1 to 50 or 1 to 100). For example, a lottery like Powerball~,
which is
a multistate lottery, may have six or more indicia (ranging, for example, from
1 to
49) on a ticket and may have a payout on the order of millions of dollars.
Additionally, tickets for large lotteries, like the Powerball~ lottery, may
also include
an additional marking or index (e.g. a Powerball~ number) that must match a
marking or index on an item drawn from a dedicated hopper.
Along with the lotteries that determine a winner based on the outcome of
drawings, many states or other public or private organizations also provide
what is
commonly referred to as "scratch-offs" or instant lottery tickets. A scratch-
off type
lottery, is conducted by pre-printing tickets, that contain the necessary
information
to determine whether that ticket is a winner. The information may be covered
by an
opaque material that may be scratched off the ticket to reveal the
information. The
winning information is usually displayed in numerical form, or using other
indicia,
which allow a player to deduce whether he has won. A player can usually deduce
whether he has won by evaluating the combination of several indicia. For
example,
a scratch-off game such as Change To Go~ of the Illinois lottery, requires the
player
to combine six different money values. If the combined values add up to over
$1.00, the player wins the prize printed on the ticket. When purchasing the
ticket
the winning and prize information is obscured by the opaque material until
that
material is removed. The types of games played using the scratch-off
technology is
limitless and many different types of indicia may be used.
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Summary of the Invention
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus, including a
display unit that is capable of generating video images, a value input device,
and a
controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input
device. The
controller further including a processor and a memory operatively coupled to
the
processor, wherein the controller is programmed to allow a person to make a
wager
and to cause a video image to be generated on the display unit, where the
video
image representing a game. The controller is programmed to determine, after
the
video image has been displayed, a value payout associated with an outcome of
the
game represented by said video image. The gaming apparatus further including,
a
lottery ticket dispenser being programmed to dispense lottery tickets bearing
generated lottery indicia in response to a signal received from the
controller.
Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a gaming system;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the gaming units
shown schematically in Fig. 1;
Fig. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a control panel for a gaming unit;
Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic components of the gaming unit of
Fig.2;
Fig. 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may be
performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of a main routine that
may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. 6 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be
displayed during performance of the video poker routine of Fig. ~;
Fig. 7 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be
displayed during performance of the video blackjack routine of Fig. 9;
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Fig. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video poker routine that may be
performed by one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video blackjack routine that may
be performed by one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. 10 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be
displayed during performance of the slots routine of Fig. 12;
Fig. 11 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be
displayed during performance of the video keno routine of Fig. 13;
Fig. 12 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a slots routine that may be
performed by one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that may be
performed by one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. 14 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be
displayed during performance of the video bingo routine of Fig. 15;
Fig. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video bingo routine that may be
performed by one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. 16 is an exemplary flow chart of a lottery ticket routine that may be
performed by one or more of the gaming units;
Fig. .17 is an exemplary flow chart of a lottery ticket routine that may be
performed by one or more of the gaming units; and
Fig. 18 is an exemplary flow chart of a lottery ticket redemption routine that
may be performed by one or more of the gaming units.
Detailed Description of Various Embodiments
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous
different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal
scope
of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of
this
patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does
not
describe every possible embodiment of the invention because describing every
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possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous
alternative
embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or
technology
developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within
the scope
of the claims defining the invention.
It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this
patent using the sentence "As used herein, the term ' ' is hereby defined to
mean..." or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of
that term,
either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and
such
term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement
made in
any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the
extent that
any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in
this patent in
a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity
only so as
to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term by
limited, by
implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim
element is
defined by reciting the word "means" and a function without the recital of any
structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be
interpreted based
on the application of 35 U.S.C. ~ 112, sixth paragraph.
Referring to Fig. l, a casino gaming system 10 may include a first group or
network 12 of casino gaming units 20 operatively coupled to a network computer
22
via a network data link or bus 24. The casino gaming system 10 may include a
second group or network 26 of casino gaming units 30 operatively coupled to a
network computer 32 via a network data link or bus 34. The first and second
gaming networks 12, 26 may be operatively coupled to each other via a network
40,
which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a
local area network (LAN), via a first and second network links 42, and 44.
The first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a first casino,
and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided in a second
casino
located in a separate geographic location from the first casino. For example,
the
two casinos may be located in different areas of the same city, or they may be
located in different states. The network 40 may include a plurality of network
computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively
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interconnected. Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data
communication
may take place over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet
communication
protocol. In other examples, the network 40 may be, but is not limited to, a
private
and/or proprietary network, a traditional lottery network, a casino network or
an
accounting network. Similarly, other types of protocols may be used to
communicate over the communication links 42, 44, including, but not limited
to,
proprietary serial based networking protocols.
The network computer 22 may be a server computer and may be used to
accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gaming units 20.
For
example, the network computer 22 may continuously receive data from each of
the
gaming units 20 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being
made
on each of the gaming units 20, data indicative of how much each of the gaming
units 20 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming
habits of
players playing each of the gaming units 20, etc. The network computer 32 may
be
a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions
in
relation to the gaming units 30 as the network computer 22 described above.
A player tracking unit 45, which may be located in or near the gaming unit
20, may be utilized for communication of lottery information between a lottery
system 46 and the gaming unit 20. The lottery system 46 may comprise several
components (not shown), including a controller that may comprise a program
memory, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP), a random access memory
(RAM) and an input/output (I/O) circuit, all of which may be interconnected
via an
address/data bus. It should be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in
the art
that the controller may include additional microprocessors. Similarly, the
memory
of the controller may include multiple RAMs and multiple program memories. It
should also be appreciated that the I/O circuit may include a number of
different
types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s) and program memories may be implemented as
semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically
readable memories, for example.
Along with the lottery system 46, a host system or network computer 22,
may communicate with the various gaming units 20. Because the gaming units 20
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may be produced by different manufactures, the gaming units 20 and host system
22
may not be compatible, and may therefore have difficulty communicating
information. The player tracking unit 45, in an effort to resolve the
communication
difficulty, may be~ implemented into the network 12, 26 and 40, thereby
providing,
among other capabilities, the ability to communicate between the gaming units
20
and 30 and the network computers 22 and 32. The player tracking unit 45 may be
implemented as a physical device on or at the gaming unit 20, or may be
implemented as a physical device within the gaming unit 20.
In another example, the network computer 22 may be able to communicate
directly with the gaming unit 20, and the gaming unit 20 may have an
associated
virtual player tracking system 47, as shown in Fig. 3. An exemplary virtual
player
tracking system 47, such as the one developed by the assignee of this patent,
is
disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 09/642,192 entitled "Gaming Machine with
Virtual Player Tracking and Related Services," which was filed was on August
l~,
2000, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The
virtual
player tracking system .47 may be capable of a diverse range of functions. The
virtual player tracking system 47 for example, may be capable of printing
tickets
that have been authorized by the host system 22 and which may contain
individual
authorization numbers. Through the use of virtual player tracking systems 47,
the
gaming unit 20 may exchange with the host system all necessary information
including, for example, authorization, verification and indicia information,
to enable
safe and effective distribution of lottery tickets from gaming units 20. As
shown in
Fig. 3, the virtual player tracking system 47 may reside in the gaming unit
20,
additionally or alternatively, however, the virtual player tracking system 47
may
reside the on one ore more of the network computers 22, 32. In yet another
embodiment, the lottery system 46, may communicate directly with the gaming
unit
20, such that the gaming unit 20 effectively becomes a lottery terminal able
to
dispense lottery tickets.
Although each network 12, 26 as shown in Fig. 1 includes one network
computer 22, 32, four gaming units 20, 30 and four player tracking units 45 it
should be understood that different numbers of computers, gaming units and
tracking devices may be utilized. For example, the network 12 may include a
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plurality of network computers 22 and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all
of
which may be interconnected via the data link 24. The data link 24 may
provided as
a dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although the data link 24 is
shown as
a single data link 24, the data link 24 may comprise multiple data links.
Also shown in Fig. 1 are lottery system blocks 46, which represent the
various places at which each network 12, 26 may be connected to the lottery
system
46. For example, the lottery system 46 may be coupled to any of the various
network computers 22, 32, to the network 40 or to the gaming unit 20. The
lottery
system 46 may, for example, include, but is not limited to, a state or
multistate
lottery system. Such lottery systems may coordinate lottery drawings, provide
communications regarding winning numbers, attend to the distribution of prizes
and
perform any other relevant functions.
The lottery system 46 may also include intercasino .and intracasino lottery
systems. For example, an intracasino lottery system may be responsible for
lottery
drawings in the casino in which the lottery system 46 resides. As will be
readily
appreciated, a casino may run a lottery having drawings that take place at
regular
intervals such as, for example, every hour, twice a day, once a day or at any
other
suitable interval. Additionally, multiple casinos may cooperate to run an
intercasino
lottery system in which multiple casinos sell lottery tickets and hold a
single
drawing or multiple drawings to determine the numbers that define a winning
ticket.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of one or more of
the gaming units 20. Although the following description addresses the design
of the
gaming units 20, it should be understood that the gaming units 30 may have the
same design as the gaming units 20 described below. It should be understood
that
the design of one or more of the gaming units 20 may be different than the
design of
other gaming units 20, and that the design of one or more of the gaming units
30
may be different than the design of other gaming units 30. Each gaming unit 20
may be any type of casino gaming unit and may have various different
structures
and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, various designs of the
gaming
units 20 are described below, but it should be understood that numerous other
designs may be utilized.
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Referring to Fig. 2, the casino gaming unit 20 may include a housing or
cabinet 50 and one or more input/output devices, which may include a coin slot
or
acceptor 52, a paper currency acceptor 54, a ticket readerlprinter 56, a
lottery ticket
dispenser 57, and a card reader 5~, which may be used to input value to the
gaming
unit 20. In practice, the ticket reader/printer 56 may be embodied in a ticket
printer
and/or bill validator, which is used in a currently available EZ Pay casino
system.
A value input device may include any device that can accept value from a
customer.
As used herein, the term "value" may encompass gaming tokens, coins, paper
currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, and any other object
representative
of value.
If provided, the ticket reader/printer 56 may be used as a bill validator
and/or may be used to read, print or otherwise encode lottery tickets that may
be
purchased by the user. For example, as described below in detail, upon winning
a
jackpot or a hand of cards, the gaming unit 20, via the display unit 70, may
ask the
user if he or she desires to purchase lottery tickets. Upon a user indication
that he
or she desires to purchase lottery tickets, the ticket reader/printer 56 may
print a
lottery ticket having random or user-specified lottery numbers thereon. The
fee
associated with the purchased lottery tickets may be deducted from credits
that the
user has within the gaming unit 20. As will be readily appreciated, the
lottery
tickets may be lottery tickets for state or multistate lotteries.
Additionally, the
lottery tickets may be for intracasino or intercasino lotteries, wherein a
casino holds
a lottery drawing on a regular basis (e.g., daily or hourly). The ticket and
printer
functionality may be combined into a single ticket reader/printer 56 or,
alternatively, may be embodied in a separate physical device, one of which
performs ticket reading and one of which performs ticket printing.
In another example, the gaming unit 20 and/or the ticket reader/printer 56
may be adapted to redeem and/or validate lottery tickets. The player, having
already obtained a lottery ticket, may be able to check whether the lottery
ticket is a
winner and/or how much value the lottery ticket has won. Similarly, the player
may redeem the value of the ticket at the gaming unit 20. The player, for
example,
may insert the lottery ticket into the ticket reader/printer 56 to determine
whether
the ticket is a winner. If the lottery ticket is a winner, the player may be
given a
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choice of redeeming the value of the lottery ticket. If the player chooses not
to
redeem the value of the lottery ticket, the ticket reader/printer 56 may
return the
lottery ticket to the player. If, however, the player chooses to redeem the
value of
the lottery ticket, the player may be prompted, by the gaming unit 20, via the
display 70 or otherwise, to press a button such as the "cash out" button. Upon
pressing the button, the value of the lottery ticket may be added to the
player's
credit, or value, in the gaming unit 20, or the player may choose not to play
the
gaming unit 20 and, rather redeem the credits for another value such as cash
or
voucher. In yet another example, the gaming unit 20 may include a separate
lottery
ticket dispenser 57 for dispensing lottery tickets. The lottery ticket
dispenser 57,
may be able to perform all the functions the ticket reader/printer 56 is able
to
perform.
Alternatively or additionally, the ticket readerlprinter 56 may be used to
read
and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60. The ticket vouchers 60
may be
composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one
or
more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the
casino
name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control
and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher,
redemption
instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other
information
that may be necessary or desirable. Different types of ticket vouchers 60
could be
used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino
chip
ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers,
restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. The ticket vouchers 60
could
be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on the
ticket
vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer 56 may be
provided with the ability to both read and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may
be
provided with the ability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers
60. In
the latter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticket
reader/printer 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which could
then be
used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticket reader/printer 56.
If provided, the card reader 58 may include any type of card reading device,
such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to
read
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data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player
tracking card.
If provided for player tracking purposes, the card reader 58 may be used to
read
data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of
storing
data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the
player's
gaming habits, etc. Like the card reader 58, other gaming devices associated
with
the gaming unit 20, including, but not limited to, the ticket reader/printer
56 and the
display unit 70, may be utilized for multiple purposes. The display unit 70,
for
example, may be of the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or a Cathode Ray Tube
(CRT) type, wherein the display unit 70 may have touch screen capabilities
allowing
for the display unit to be used in multiple ways. More specifically, the touch
screen
capabilities of the display unit 70, may be utilized to choose the type of
game to be
played on the gaming unit 20, it may be used do choose a set of lottery
numbers
when appropriate, or the gaming unit 20 may be adapted to function as an
Automatic Teller Machine Service (ATM), wherein the touch screen display unit
70
may function as a keypad for the ATM. To allow such a flexibility in the
utilization
of the different devices, the gaming unit 20 may include a peripheral manager.
The gaming unit 20 may include one or more audio speakers 62, a coin
payout tray 64, an input control panel 66, and a color video display unit 70
for
displaying images relating to the game or games provided by the gaming unit
20.
The audio speakers 62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise
of
spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any
other
audio related to a casino game. The input control panel 66 may be provided
with a
plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a
player to
select games, make wagers, select lottery numbers or information, make gaming
decisions, etc.
Fig. 2A illustrates one possible embodiment of the control panel 66, which
may be used where the gaming unit 20 is a slot machine having a plurality of
mechanical or "virtual " reels. Referring to Fig. 2A, the control panel 66 may
include a "See Pays" button 72 that, when activated, causes the display unit
70 to
generate one or more display screens showing the odds or payout information
for
the game or games provided by the gaming unit 20. As used herein, the term
"buffo n" is intended to encompass any device that allows a player to make an
input,
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such as an input device that must be activated to make an input selection or a
display
area that a player may simply touch, such as a switch, touchscreen etc. The
control
panel 66 may include a "Cash Out" button 74 that may be activated when a
player
decides to terminate play on the gaming unit 20, in which case the gaming unit
20
may return value to the player, such as by returning a number of coins to the
player
via the payout tray 64.
The control panel 66 may also include a "Lotter y Purchase" button 73, that
may be activated when a player decides to terminate play on the gaming unit
20, in
which case the gaming unit 20 may dispense the desired amount of lottery
tickets as
requested by the user. Alternatively, when the player decides to terminate
play on
the gaming unit 20, the player may depress the "Cash Out" button 74, at which
time
the player may be given several options, including whether to redeem all or
part of
the redeemable value in lottery tickets. The player may then depress the
"Lottery
Purchase" button 73 to redeem all or part of the redeemable value in lottery
tickets.
If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels and a
plurality of paylines that define winning combinations of reel symbols, the
control
panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 76, each of
which
allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to spinning
the reels.
For example, five buttons 76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player
to
select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines. Additionally, the control
panel 66
may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 78 each of which allows
a
player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if
the
smallest wager accepted by the gaming unit 20 is a quarter ($0.25), the gaming
unit
20 may be provided with five selection buttons 78, each of which may allow a
player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each
payline
selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the "5" button 76
(meaning that
five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then
activate the
"3" button 78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the
total
wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).
The control panel 66 may include a "Max Bet" button 80 to allow a player
to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where
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up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for
each
payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25. The
control
panel 66 may include a spin button 82 to allow the player to initiate spinning
of the
reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.
In Fig. 2A, a rectangle is shown around the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82.
It should be understood that the rectangle simply designates, for ease of
reference,
an area in which the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 may be located.
Consequently,
the term "control panel" should not be construed to imply that a panel or
plate
separate from the housing 50 of the gaming unit 20 is required, and the term
"control panel" may encompass a plurality or grouping of player activatable
buttons .
Although one possible control panel 66 is described above, it should be
understood that different buttons could be utilized in the control panel 66,
and that
the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be
played
on the gaming unit 20. Although the control panel 66 is shown to be separate
from
the display unit 70, it should be understood that the control panel 66 could
be
generated by the display unit 70. In that case, each of the buttons of the
control
panel 66 could be a colored area generated by the display unit 70, and some
type of
mechanism may be associated with the display unit 70 to detect when each of
the
buttons was touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen.
Gaming Unit Electronics
Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a number of components that may be
incorporated in the gaming unit 20. Referring to Fig. 3, the gaming unit 20
may
include a controller 100 that may comprise a program memory 102, a
microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 104, a random-access memory (RAM) 106
and an input/output (I/O) circuit 108, all of which may be interconnected via
an
address/data bus 110. It should be appreciated that although only one
microprocessor 104 is shown, the controller 100 may include additional
microprocessors. Similarly, the memory of the controller I00 may include
multiple
RAMS 106 and multiple program memories 102. Although the I/0 circuit 108 is
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shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit 108 may
include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s) 104 and
program
memories 102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically
readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.
Fig. 3 illustrates that the player tracking unit 45, the control panel 66, the
display 70, the coin acceptor 52, the bill acceptor 54, the card reader 58 and
the
ticket reader/printer 56 may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 108,
each of
those components being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional,
single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the design of the
component that is used. The speakers) 62 may be operatively coupled to a sound
circuit 112, that may comprise a voice- and sound-synthesis circuit or that
may
comprise a driver circuit. The sound-generating circuit 112 may be coupled to
the
I/O circuit 108.
As shown in Fig. 3, the components 45, 52, 54, 56, 58, 66, 70, 112 may be
connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a respective direct line or conductor.
Different
connection schemes could be used. For example, one or more of the components
shown in Fig. 3 may be connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a common bus or
other
data link that is shared by a number of components. Furthermore, some of the
components may be directly connected to the microprocessor 104 without passing
through the I/O circuit 108.
Overall Operation of Gaming Unit
One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or more
of the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connection with a
number
of flowcharts that represent a number of portions ~ or routines of one or more
~ computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of the
controller 100. The computer programs) or portions thereof may be stored
remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20, and may control the operation of the
gaming unit 20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated
with
the use of a wireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects
the gaming
unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the network computers 22, 32 as
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shown in Fig. 1) having a memory in which the computer program portions are
stored. The computer program portions may be written in any high level
language
such as C, C#, C+, C++ or the like or any low-level, assembly or machine
language. By storing the computer program portions therein, various portions
of
the memories 102, 106 are physically and/or structurally configured in
accordance
with computer program instructions.
Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a main operating routine 200 that may be stored in
the memory of the controller 100. Referring to Fig. 4, the main routine 200
may
begin operation at block 202 during which an attraction sequence may be
performed
in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit
20.
The attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video
images
on the display unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as
voice or
music, to be generated via the speakers 62. The attraction sequence may
include a
scrolling list of games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or video
images of various games being played, such as video poker, video blackjack,
video
slots, video keno, video bingo, etc. The attraction sequence may also include
.
promotions or advertisement to promote the casino property and/or sequences to
entice the player to play or purchase one or more lottery games.
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes
any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 204, the attraction
sequence
may be terminated and a game-selection display may be generated on the display
unit 70 at block 206 to allow the player to select a game available on the
gaming
unit 20. The gaming unit 20 may detect an input at block 204 in various ways.
For
example, the gaming unit 20 could detect if the player presses any button on
the
gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if the player deposited one
or
more coins into the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if
player
deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.
The game-selection display generated at block 206 may include, for
example, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or
a
visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20.
While
the game-selection display is generated, the gaming unit 20 may wait for the
player
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to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as
determined at block 208, the controller 100 may cause one of a number of game
routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played. For example,
the
game routines could include a video poker routine 210, a video blackjack
routine
220, a slots routine 230, a video keno routine 240, and a video bingo routine
250.
At block 208, if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the
operation may branch back to block 202.
After one of the routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 has been performed to
allow the player to play one of the games, block 260 may be utilized to
determine
whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20 or to select
another game. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which
may
be expressed, for example, by selecting a "Cash Out" button or by selecting
the
"Lottery Purchase" button, control may pass to a lottery tickets routine block
261A
or 261B. The lottery tickets routine block 261A and 261B, as described in
detail in
conjunction with Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, respectively, may prompt a user to
purchase
and dispense lottery tickets. As will be readily appreciated by those having
ordinary .
skill in the art, the lottery ticket routine 261A or 261B need not be located
as shown
in Fig. 4, but may be located between the routines 210-250 and the block 260.
Locating the lottery tickets routine 261A or 261B before the block 260 would
result
in the user having the option to purchase lottery tickets without the user
opting to
quit at the block 260.
Alternatively or additionally, the lottery tickets routine 261A or 261B could
be used in one or more of the routine 210-250. For example, the lottery ticket
routine 261A or 261B, when located in the poker routine 210 (Fig. 8), may be
located anywhere between block 394 and 400. More specifically, the lottery
ticket
routine 261A or 261B, may be located between block 396 and block 398, such
that
the gaming unit 20 may prompt the player if he would like to purchase lottery
tickets shortly after the player has won a jackpot or hand of cards.
Therefore, the
player may have one or more opportunities to purchase or redeem lottery
tickets
within the routine 200 and 210. The lottery ticket routine 261A or 261B rnay
also
be located in the blackjack routine 220 (Fig. 9), anywhere between block 438
and
444. More specifically, the lottery ticket routine 261, may be located between
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block 440 and block 442, such that the player is prompted to purchase lottery
tickets
shortly after the player has won a hand. Therefore, the player may, once
again,
have one or more opportunities to purchase or redeem lottery tickets within
the
routine 200 and 220. Similarly, the lottery routine 261A or 261B may be
located
between blocks 494 and 504, between blocks 578 and 584, and between blocks 640
and 646 in the slots routine 230 (Fig. 12), the keno routine 240 (Fig. 13),
and the
bingo routine 220 (Fig. 15), respectively. As a further alternative, the
lottery ticket
routine 261A or 261B could be available on an interrupt basis prompted by the
depression of the Lottery Purchase button 73.
After the operation returns to the main routine 200 from the lottery tickets
routine 261A or 261B, the controller 100 may dispense value to the .player at
block
262 based on the outcome of the games) played by the player. The operation may
then return to block 202. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at
block
260, the routine may return to block 208 where the game-selection display may
again be generated to allow the player to select another game.
It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in Fig. 4, a
different number of routines could be included to allow play of a different
number
of games. The gaming unit 20 may also be programmed to allow play of different
games.
Fig. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative main operating routine 300 that may be
stored in the memory of the controller 100. The main routine 300 may be
utilized
for gaming units 20 that are designed to allow play of only a single game or
single
type of game. Referring to Fig. 5, the main routine 300 may begin operation at
block 302 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt
to
induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit 20. The
attraction
sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the
display
unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to
be
generated via the speakers 62.
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes
any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 304, the attraction
sequence
may be terminated and a game display may be generated on the display unit 70
at
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block 306. The game display generated at block 306 may include, for example,
an
image of the casino game that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a
visual
message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. At
block
308, the gaming unit 20 may determine if the player requested information
concerning the game, in which case the requested information may be displayed
at
block 310. Block 312 may be used to determine if the player requested
initiation of
a game, in which case a game routine 320 may be performed. The game routine
' 320 could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of
the five
game routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, or another game routine.
After the routine 320 has been performed to allow the player to play the
game, block 322 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to
terminate play on the gaming unit 20. If the player wishes to stop playing the
gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a "Cash
Out" button, control may pass to a lottery tickets routine 261A or 261B, which
provides the user the option of purchasing lottery tickets, before the
controller 100
dispenses value to the player at block 324 based on the outcome of the games)
.
played by the player. Alternatively, as described above, lottery tickets could
be
dispersed at any time when the Lottery Purchase button 73 is depressed.
Further
dctail regarding the lottery tickets routines 261A and 261B is provided in
connection
with Fig. 16 and Fig 17, respectively. Additionally or alternatively, the
lottery
ticket routine 261A or 261B may be located between blocks 312 and 322, such
that
the player may purchase or redeem lottery tickets in routine 300 before
deciding to
quit the game at block 322. After the completion of the block 324, operation
may
then return to block 302. If, however, the player did not wish to quit as
determined
at block 322, the operation may return to block 308.
Video Poker
Fig. 6 is an exemplary display 350 that may be shown on the display unit 70
during performance of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in Fig.
4.
Referring to Fig. 6, the display 350 may include video images 352 of a
plurality of
playing cards representing the player's hand, such as five cards. To allow the
player to control the play of the video poker game, a plurality of player-
selectable
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buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Hold" button 354 disposed
directly below each of the playing card images 352, a "Cash Out" button 356, a
"See Pays" button 358, a "Bet One Credit" button 360, a "Bet Max Credits"
button 362, and a "Dea I/Draw" button 364. The display 350 may also include an
area 366 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If
the
display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 354,
356, 358,
360, 362, 364 may form part of the video display 350. Alternatively, one or
more
of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided
separately from the display unit 70.
Fig. 8 is a flowchart of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in
Fig. 4. Referring to Fig. 8, at block 370, the routine may determine whether
the
player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays"
button 358, in which case at block 372 the routine may cause one or more pay
tables
to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 374, the routine may
determine
whether the player has made a bet, such as by pressing the "Bet One Credit"
button
360, in which case at block 376 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the
player may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 378, the
routine may determine whether the player has pressed the "Bet Max Credits"
button
362, in which case at block 380 bet data corresponding to the maximum
allowable
bet may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.
At block 382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new hand to
be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the " Deal/Draw" button 364
was
activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block 384 a video poker
hand
may be "dealt" by causing the display unit 70 to generate the playing card
images
352. After the hand is dealt, at block 386 the routine may determine if any of
the
"Hold" buttons 354 have been activated by the player, in which case data
regarding
which of the playing card images 352 are to be "held" may be stored in the
controller 100 at block 388. If the "Deal/Dra w" button 364 is activated again
as
determined at block 390, each of the playing card images 352 that was not "he
ld"
may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and to be replaced by a
new,
randomly selected, playing card image 352 at block 392.
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At block 394, the routine may determine whether the poker hand represented
by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is a winner. That
determination
may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand
with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the
memory of the controller 100. If there is a winning hand, a payout value
corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 396. After the
block
396 completes execution or if the block 394 determines that the user does not
have a
winning hand, control passes to a block 398. In an alternate example, before
block
398 receives control, control may be passed to the lottery ticket routine 261A
or
261B. At the lottery ticket routine 2.61A or 261B the player may be prompted
and .
given the choice to purchase or redeem lottery tickets as shown in Fig. 16 and
Fig.
17, respectively. After the routine 261A or 261B is completed the control
passes to
block 398. At the block 398 the player's cumulative value or number of credits
may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the
hand
was a winner, the payout value determined at block 396. The cumulative value
or
number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 366 (Fig. 6).
After the execution of the block 398, control passes to a block 400, which
determines if the user desires to quit playing the poker game. If the user
desires to
quit, execution of the routine 210 ends and control returns to the routine
that called
the routine 210 (e.g., the routine 200 of Fig. 4). Alternatively, if the user
desires to
continue playing the poker game, control passes from the block 400 back to the
block 370.
Although the video poker routine 210 is described above in connection with
a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modified to allow
other
versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played,
or
stud poker may be played. Alternatively, multiple poker hands may be
simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single
poker
hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding
which
cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different
poker
hands, with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly
determined.
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Video Blackjack
Fig. 7 is an exemplary display 400 that may be shown on the display unit 70
during performance of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in
Fig.
4. Referring to Fig. 7, the display 400 may include video images 402 of a pair
of
playing cards representing a dealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face
up
and the other card being shown face down, and video images 404 of a pair of
playing cards representing a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up.
The "dealer" may be the gaming unit 20.
To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, a
plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may
include a
"Cash Out" button 406, a "See Pays" button 408, a "Stay" button 410, a "Hit "
button 412, a "Be t One Credit" button 414, and a "Bet Max Credits" button
416.
The display 400 may also include an area 418 in which the number of remaining
credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-
.
sensitive screen, the buttons 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416 may form part of
the
video display 400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided
as
part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
Fig. 9 is a flowchart of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically
in Fig. 4. Referring to Fig. 9, the video blackjack routine 220 may begin at
block
420 where it may determine whether a bet has been made by the player. That may
be determined, for example, by detecting the activation of either the "Bet One
Credit" button 414 or the "Bet Max Credits" button 416. At block 422, bet data
corresponding to the bet made at block 420 may be stored in the memory of the
controller 100. At block 424, a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be
"dealt"
by making the playing card images 402, 404 appear on the display unit 70.
At block 426, the player may be allowed to be "hit," in which case at block
428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making another playing
card
image 404 appear in the display 400. If the player is hit, block 430 may
determine
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if the player has " bust," or exceeded 21. If the player has not bust, blocks
426 and
428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.
If the player decides not to hit, at block 432 the routine may determine
whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in
accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hit if the
dealer's
hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits, at block 434 the dealer's hand may
be
dealt another card by making another playing card image 402 appear in the
display
400. At block 436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If
the
dealer has not bust, blocks 432, 434 may be performed again to allow the
dealer to
be hit again.
If the dealer does not hit, at block 436 the outcome of the blackjack game
and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether
the
player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed 21. If the
player has a
winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be
determined
at block 440. After the~payout value is determined at the block 440, control
passes
to the routine 220 or if the block 438 determines that the player is not a
winner, a
block 442 updates the player's cumulative value or number of credits by
subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the
payout
value determined at block 440. The cumulative value or number of credits may
also
be displayed in the display area 418 (Fig. 7). In one example, before block
442
receives control, control may be passed to the lottery ticket routine 261A or
261B.
At the lottery ticket routine 261A or 261B the player may be prompted and
given
the choice to purchase or redeem lottery tickets as shown in Fig. 16 and Fig.
17,
respectively. After the routine 261A or 261B is completed the control passes
to
block 442.
After the execution of the block 442, control passes to a block 444, which
determines if the user would like to quit playing the blackjack game. If the
user
desires to quit, control passes back to the routine (e.g., the routine 200 of
Fig. 4)
that called the routine 220. Alternatively, if the block 444 determines that
the user
does not desire to quit the blackjack game, control passes from the block 444
back
to the block 420, which restarts the game.
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SIOtS
Fig. 10 is an exemplary display 450 that may be shown on the display unit
70 during performance of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in Fig. 4.
Referring to Fig. 10, the display 450 may include video images 452 of a
plurality of
slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality of reel symbols 454
associated therewith. Although the display 450 shows five reel images 452,
each of
which may have three reel symbols 454 that are visible at a time, other reel
configurations could be utilized.
To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of
player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Cash
Out" button 456, a "See Pays" button 458, a plurality of payline-selection
buttons
460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines
prior to
"spine ing" the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons 462 each of which
allows a
player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected; a "Spin" button
464,
and a "Max Bet" button 466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager
allowable.
Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in Fig.
10. Referring to Fig. 12, at block 470, the routine may determine whether the
player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays"
button 458, in which case at block 472 the routine may cause one or more pay
tables
to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 474, the routine may
determine
whether the player has pressed one of the payline-selection buttons 460, in
which
case at block 476 data corresponding to the number of paylines selected by the
player may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 478, the
routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the bet-selection
buttons 462, in which case at block 480 data corresponding to the amount bet
per
payline may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 482, the
routine may determine whether the player has pressed the "Max Bet" button 466,
in
which case at block 484 bet data (which may include both payline data and bet-
per-
payline data) corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the
memory of the controller 100.
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If the "Spin" button 464 has been activated by the player as determined at
block 486, at block 488 the routine may cause the slot machine reel images 452
to
begin "sp inning" so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning
mechanical slot machine reels. At block 490, the routine may determine the
positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular
symbol
images 454 that will be displayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning. At
block
492, the routine may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displaying
stationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for each stopped
reel
image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the
perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.
The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if
certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reel images 452
of a
particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined at
block
494, the routine may proceed to block 496 where a bonus round may be played.
The bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of
bonus
games could be provided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives
additional
credits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined at block
498.
A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus
round
may be determined at block 500.
After the payout value is determined at the block 500, control passes to a
block 502. In an alternate example, before block 502 receives control, control
may
be passed to the lottery ticket routine 261A or 261B. At the lottery ticket
routine
261A or 261B the player may be prompted and given the choice to purchase or
redeem lottery tickets as shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, respectively. After
the
routine 261A or 261B is completed the control passes to block 502. At block
502,
the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by
subtracting
the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was
a
winner, the payout value determined at block 500.
After the block 502 completes execution, control passes to a block 504,
which determines whether the user desires to quit playing the slots routine
230. If
the user desires to quit the slots routine 230, control passes back to the
main routine
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that called the slots routine. Alternatively, if the user does not desire to
quit playing
the slots routine 230, control passes from the block 504 back to the block
470.
Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machine
routine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on the display
unit 70,
actual slot machine reels that are capable of being spun may be utilized
instead.
Video Keno
Fig. 11 is an exemplary display 520 that may be shown on the display unit
70 during performance of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in
Fig. 4.
Referring to Fig. 11, the display 520 may include a video image 522 of a
plurality
of numbers that were selected by the player prior to the start of a keno game
and a
video image 524 of a plurality of numbers randomly selected during the keno
game.
The randomly selected numbers may be displayed in a grid pattern.
To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality of
player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Cash
Out"
button .526, a "See Pays" button 528, a "Bet One Credit" button 530, a "Bet
Max
Credits" button 532, a "Select Ticket" button 534, a "Select Number" button
536,
and a "Play" button 538. The display 520 may also include an area 540 in which
the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70
is
provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video
display 520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as
part of
a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
Fig. 13 is a flowchart of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in
Fig. 4. The keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with a single
gaming
unit 20 where a single player is playing a keno game, or the keno routine 240
may
be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players
are
playing a single keno game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts
described
below may be performed either by the controller 100 in each gaming unit or by
one
of the network computer 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 are
operatively
connected.
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Referring to Fig. 13, at block 550, the routine may determine whether the
player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays"
button 528, in which case at block 552 the routine may cause one or more pay
tables
to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 554, the routine may
determine
whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the "Bet One
Credit"
button 530 or the "Bet Max Credits" button 532, in which case at block 556 bet
data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory
of
the controller 100. After the player has made a wager, at block 558 the player
may
select a keno ticket, and at block 560 the ticket may be displayed on the
display 520.
At block 562, the player may select one or more game numbers, which may be
within a range set by the casino. After being selected, the player's game
numbers
may be stored in the memory of the controller 100 at block 564 and may be
included in the image 522 on the display 520 at block 566. After a certain
amount
of time, the keno game may be closed to additional players (where a number of
players are playing a single keno game using multiple gambling units 20).
If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, at block 570
a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either
by
the controller 100 or a central computer operatively connected to the
controller,
such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 572, the randomly
selected
game number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70
of
other gaming units 20 (if any) which are involved in the same keno game. At
block
574, the controller 100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment a
count
which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected at block 570.
At block 576, the controller 100 (or one of the network computers 22, 32)
may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have
been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected
at
block 570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, at block
578 the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether there are
a
sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player
and
the game numbers selected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number
of
matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular
keno rules being used.
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If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determined at
block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payout may depend
on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and
the
game numbers randomly selected at block 570.
After the block 580 determines the payout value, control passes to a change
value block 582. In an alternate example, before block 582 receives control,
control may be passed to the lottery ticket routine 261A or 261B. At the
lottery
ticket routine 261A or 261B the player may be prompted and given the choice to
purchase or redeem lottery tickets as shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17,
respectively.
After the routine 261A or 261B is completed the control passes to block 582.
At
block 582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated
by
subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won,
the
payout value determined at block 580. The cumulative value or number of
credits
may also be displayed in the display area 540 (Fig. 11).
~ After the block 582 completes execution, control passes to a block 584,
which determines if the user desires to quit play of the keno routine 240. If
the user
desires to quit play of the keno routine 240, control returns to the main
routine that
called the keno routine 240. Alternatively, if the user desires to continue
playing
keno, control passes from the block 584 to the block 550
Video Bingo
Fig. 14 is an exemplary display 600 that may be shown on the display unit
70 during performance of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in
Fig.
4. Referring to Fig. 14, the display 600 may include one or more video images
602
of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selected during the game. The
bingo card images 602 may have a grid pattern.
To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a plurality of
player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Cash
Out"
button 604, a "See Pays" button 606, a "Bet One Credit" button 608, a "Bet Max
Credits" button 610, a "Select Card" button 612, and a "Play" button 614. The
display 600 may also include an area 616 in which the number of remaining
credits
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or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-
sensitive
screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 600. Alternatively, one
or
more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is
provided
separately from the display unit 70.
Fig. 15 is a flowchart of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in
Fig. 4. The bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connection with a single
gaming
unit 20 where a single player is playing a bingo game, or the bingo routine
250 may
be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players
are
playing a single bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts
described
below may be performed either by the controller 100 in each gaming unit 20 or
by
one of the network computers 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 are
operatively connected.
Referring to Fig. 15, at block 620, the routine may determine whether the
player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays"
button 606, in which case at block 622 the routine may cause one or more pay
tables
to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 624, the routine may
determine .
whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the "Bet One
Credit"
button 608 or the "Bet Max Credits" button 610, in which case at block 626 bet
data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory
of
the controller 100.
After the player has made a wager, at block 628 the player may select a
bingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select more than
one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player
may select. After play is to commence as determined at block 632, at block 634
a
bingo number may be randomly generated by the controller 100 or a central
computer such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 636, the bingo
number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70 of any
other gaming units 20 involved in the bingo game.
At block 638, the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine
whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo
number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player has bingo as
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determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640 whether the
player
playing that gaming unit 20 was the winner. If so, at block 642 a payout for
the
player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random
numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners
(if
there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on
the
game. After the block 642 completes execution or if the block 640 determines
that
the user has not won, a block 644 updates the player's cumulative value or
number
of credits by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo
game
was won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative value or
number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 616 (Fig. 14). In
an
alternate example, before block 644 receives control, control may be passed to
the
lottery ticket routine 2.61A or 261B. At the lottery ticket routine 261A or
261B the
player may be prompted and given the choice to purchase or redeem lottery
tickets
as shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, respectively. After the routine 261A or 261B
is
completed the control passes to block 644.
Lottery Tickets
Exemplary flow diagrams for the lottery ticket routines mentioned in
conjunction with Figs. 4 and 5 are shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, at reference
numeral 261A and 261B, respectively. The routine 261A begins operation at
block
682, which prompts a user to purchase a lottery ticket. Such a prompt may be
an
on-screen display having text asking the user whether the user desires to
purchase a
lottery ticket or the prompt may be a blinking button, thereby giving the user
a
choice to obtain lottery tickets. In response to the prompt, the user may
indicate
whether he or she desires to purchase lottery tickets.
After block 682 asks if the user desires to purchase lottery tickets, control
passes to block 684, which reads the indication provided by the user in
response to
the prompt. If lottery tickets are desired, control passes from block 684 to
block
686. Block 686 prompts the user to enter the number of lottery tickets
desired.
After the user has entered the number of lottery tickets, control passes to
block 688.
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At the block 688, the gaming machine 20 deducts the value of the tickets
from the users accumulated value. Essentially, block 688 charges the user for
the
tickets that the user purchased by deducting the cost of the tickets from the
user's
winnings. For example, if the user has $100 of accumulated value within the
gaming machine and the user purchases ten lottery tickets at a cost of one
dollar
each, $ I O would be deducted from the $100 accumulated value, thereby leaving
the
user with $90 of accumulated value.
After block 688 has completed execution and the value of the lottery tickets
has been deducted form the player's accumulated value, control passes to block
690.
At block 690 the gaming machine 20 dispenses the number of tickets selected by
the
user at the block 686. The lottery tickets may be printed using the ticket
reader/printer 56 or the tickets may be preprinted and dispensed by the
lottery ticket
dispenser 57 of Fig. 2.
After block 690 has completed execution or the block 684 determines that
the user does not desire to purchase any lottery tickets, control returns to
the block
following the block that called the routine 261A. For example, with respect to
Figs.
4 and 5, control would return to block 262 and 324, respectively.
Another exemplary flow diagram for the lottery tickets routine mentioned in '
conjunction with Figs. 4 and 5 is shown in Fig. 17 at reference numeral 261B.
The
routine 261B begins operation at block 782, which prompts a user to purchase a
lottery ticket. Such a prompt may be an on-screen display having text asking
the
user whether the user desires to purchase a lottery ticket or the prompt may
be a
blinking button, thereby giving the user a choice to obtain lottery tickets.
In
response to the prompt, the user may indicate whether he or she desires to
purchase
lottery tickets.
After block 782 asks if the user desires to purchase lottery tickets, control
passes to block 784, which reads the indication provided by the user in
response to
the prompt. If lottery tickets are desired, control passes from block 784 to
block
786. Block 786 prompts the user to enter the number of lottery tickets
desired. The
number of lottery tickets the user may obtain may depend on the amount of
value
the user has accumulated on the gaming 20, but the user may also be able to
obtain
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additional lottery tickets by adding value to the gaming unit 20, to cover the
lottery
tickets in excess of the value available on the gaming unit 20. For example,
the
user may desire to obtain $50.00 worth of lottery tickets, but only $40.00 of
credit
are available. The user may then place an additional $10.00 worth of value
into the
gaming unit 20 to obtain in combination with the $40.00 of credit, enough
value to
obtain the $50.00 worth of lottery tickets. Once the user has entered the
number of
lottery tickets desired at block 786, control passed to block 788 and asks if
the user
would like to enter the lottery numbers for the desired lottery tickets. If
the user
chooses to enter the lottery numbers, control will than pass to block 790. At
block
790, the user may enter the desired lottery numbers into the gaming unit 20
via
many different means, including but not limited to, a touchscreen pad, a
number
pad, or the like. The user may, however already have preselected lottery
numbers
stored on a card, such as a credit card or a player tracking card, which may
be read
by the card reader 58 of Fig. 2. After the user has entered the number of
lottery
tickets and any preferred lottery numbers, control passes to block 792.
If the user chooses not enter the lottery numbers at block 788, control will
then pass to block 794, where the controller 100 will either be programmed to
obtain the lottery numbers from the lottery system 46 or the controller will
be
programmed to . self generate the lottery numbers. If the controller 100 is
programmed to generate the lottery numbers control is passed to block 796. At
block 796 the controller 100 may generate one or more sets of random or
pseudorandom lottery numbers for each of the lottery tickets. If the
controller 100
is programmed to obtain the lottery numbers from the lottery system 46,
control is
passed to block 798. At block 798, the amounts and types of data communicated
between the gaming unit 20 and the lottery system 46 may vary greatly. The
different states and casinos may have certain gaming regulations or systems in
place, thereby dictating the amounts and types of data that may be
communicated
between a given gaming unit 20 and the lottery system 46. For example, the
lottery
system 46 may randomly generate lottery numbers when prompted by the gaming
unit 20. The gaming unit 20 may, however, store one or more sets of lottery
numbers as provided by the lottery system 46, and utilize those stored numbers
as
needed. Likewise, there may be one or more intermediate devices or systems
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through which the lottery numbers may travel and/or be stored. The lottery
numbers, for example, may be communicated and stored on a network server or
host system, such as the network computer 22, where the lottery numbers may be
stored until needed by the gaming unit 20.
At the block 792, the gaming unit 20 deducts the value of the tickets from
the users accumulated value. Essentially, block 792 charges the user for the
tickets
that the user purchased by deducting the cost of the tickets from the user' s
' winnings. For example, if the user has $100 of accumulated value within the
gaming machine and the user purchases ten lottery tickets at a cost of one
dollar
each, $10 would be deducted from the $100 accumulated value, thereby leaving
the
user with $90 of accumulated value.
After block 792 has deducted the value of the tickets from the user's
accumulated value, control passes to block 800. At block 800, the gaming unit
20
dispenses the number of tickets selected by the user at block 786. The
dispensed
tickets include lottery numbers that are generated by the user, the gaming
unit 20 or
the lottery system 46. The lottery tickets may be printed using the ticker
reader/printer 56 or the tickets may be preprinted and dispensed by the
Lottery ticket
dispenser 58 of Fig. 2.
After block 800 the gaming unit communicates with the lottery system 46 at
block 802. Once the lottery numbers are generated, whether by the user, the
lottery
system 46, or the gaming unit 20, the gaming unit 20 may send lottery
information,
such as the lottery numbers played, the amount of money wagered, ticket
identification, and the like, to the lottery system 46 to be recorded. The
gaming
unit 20 may, however, retain. all the lottery information until a specified
time, at
which the gaming unit 20 may release all the information to the lottery system
46.
Likewise, there may be one or more intermediate devices or systems through
which
the lottery information may travel and/or be stored. The lottery information,
for
example, may be communicated after and/or during every lottery transaction to
a
network server or host system, such as the network computer 22, where the
lottery
information may be stored until a specified time, or from where the lottery
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information may be communicated to the lottery system 46, or another
intermediate
device.
After block 802 has completed execution or the block 784 determines that
the user does not desire to purchase any lottery tickets, control returns to
the block
following the block that called the routine 261B. For example, with respect to
Figs.
4 and 5, control would return to block 262 and 324, respectively.
Additionally or alternatively to obtaining lottery tickets from the gaming
unit
20 during and/or after game play, the player may redeem the value of a winning
lottery ticket through the gaming unit 20 before, during and/or after game
play.
The player, for example, may be in possession of a lottery ticket prior to
playing
the gaming unit 20. The player may or may not know whether the lottery ticket
is a
winner and may, therefore, have a desire to determine the winning status of
the
lottery ticket. As shown in Fig. 18, routine 900 enables the player to redeem
the
value of a lottery ticket. In this example, block 902 may prompt the player to
insert
the lottery ticket into the gaming unit 20. The prompt to the player may be a
sign
or screen indicating that the gaming unit 20 is able to redeem tickets, or the
prompt
may be any other audio and/or visual indication. The player, at block 904, may
then insert the lottery ticket into the gaming unit 20. More specifically, the
player
may insert the lottery ticket into a device capable of reading the lottery
ticket, such
as the ticket reader/printer 56 or the lottery ticket dispenser 57.
At block 906 the gaming unit 20 may validate the ticket to determine, among
other information, that the ticket is a valid ticket and/or that the ticket
has not
already been redeemed. The ticket may be validated by reading ticket
identifying
information, such as a barcode, from the lottery ticket and rectifying that
information with data from the lottery system 46. If the ticket does not pass
validation, the gaming unit 20, at block 908, may then eject the lottery
ticket from
the gaming unit 20 and the routine may end. If, however the ticket validates
at
block 906, the gaming unit 20 will determine at block 910 whether the lottery
ticket
is a winner. Alternatively, the gaming unit 20 may validate the ticket after
it has
been determined whether the lottery ticket is a winner. If at diamond 912 the
lottery
ticket is not a winner, control may be given to block 914 where the user may
be
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informed of the loosing status of the lottery ticket. The gaming unit 20 may
prompt
the user with the loosing status via the display 70 or through alternate
means, such
as speakers, a print out ticket, etc. Once the user has been informed of the
loosing
status, control may be given to block 908 to eject the lottery ticket from the
gaming
unit 20.
If at diamond 912 the lottery ticket is a winner, control may be given to
block 916 where the user may be informed of the winning status of the lottery
ticket. The information may include, but is not limited to, how the lottery
ticket is a
winner and how much value is won. The gaming unit 20 may prompt the user with
the winning status via the display 70 or through alternate means, such as
speakers, a
print out ticket, etc. Once the user has been informed of the winning status,
control
may be pass to block 918 to give the user options on how to redeem the value
of the
lottery ticket. If at diamond 920 the user chooses to redeem the winnings in
the
form of credit in,the gaming unit 20, control may pass to block 922 to add the
value
of the lottery ticket winnings to the credits of the gaming unit 20.
Therefore, if the
user was already playing the gaming unit 20 prior to checking whether the
lottery
ticket is a winner, the value of the lottery ticket may be added to the user's
already
established credit. If, however, the user was not playing the gaming unit 20
prior to
checking whether the lottery ticket is a winner, the value of the lottery
ticket may be
the players initial credit in the gaming unit 20. Control may then pass to
block 924
where the player may then proceed to play the gaming unit 20 as outlined in
routines 200 and 300 of Figs. 4 and 5, respectively.
If at diamond 920 the user chooses to redeem the winnings in a form other
than in credit for the gaming unit 20, control may pass to block 926 to
dispense the
value of the lottery ticket to the user. At block 926 the user may redeem the
value
of the lottery ticket in many forms, including, but not limited to, cash,
vouchers, or
credit, such as to a card or an account via an electronic fund transfer (EFT)
or the
like.
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