Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DOMINO WAGERING EVENT
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
This Application claims priority from US Provisional Patent Application Serial
No. 62/461892, filed 22 February 2017 and titled Domino Wagering Event.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wagering event, particularly
wagering events on gaming tables or electronic wagering systems, and more
particularly on wagering events using domino symbols in the form of physical
or virtual tiles or cards.
2. Background of the Art
Domino games are very popular in various regions of the world. Domino games
are particularly popular in the Caribbean and South and Central American
countries.
Generally, domino games are played with a set of dominos. Each domino is a
tile (generally a rectangular member) marked on one side with markings which
represent value. Each domino has a pair or markings or two values. Generally,
these marking comprise pips (usually circular dots).
The number of dominos used in a particular game may vary. For example, a set
of dominos may comprise a collection of dominos marked with values 0-0
through 6-6. Each domino of the set is unique in that no other domino is
marked
with the same two values. The set of dominos comprises all combinations of
potential values from the minimum to the maximum. Thus, in the set of
dominos including the values 0-0 to 6-6, the set will include 28 dominos
marked
with the following values: 0-0, 0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, 0-5, 0-6, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-
4, 1-
5, 1-6, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-6, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6, 5-5, 5-6
and 6-6.
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In other games, the set of dominos may include dominos marked with values up
to 8-8 or even 12-12.
Beginning the Game by Setting the Heaviest Domino
In some domino games, the rules state that the first play must be made by the
player with the highest double in his hand. Rules for other games state that
the
first play must be made by the player with the heaviest domino, double or
single, as the case may be. Highest Double: After the tiles are shuffled, each
player draws his hand from the stock. The player who draws the highest double
of the set (i.e., double-9 if playing with a double-9 set), plays it as the
lead. If
the highest double was not drawn, the second highest double is played. If the
second highest double was not drawn, the third highest double is played, and
so
on, until a double is played. If none of the players holds a double in his
hand, all
hands are discarded, reshuffled, and new hands are drawn. After the first
player
sets his double, the second play is made by the player to his left and play
continues clockwise.
Heaviest Tile: Follow the instructions above for "Highest Double" with this
exception: Instead of drawing new hands if no player holds a double tile, the
player holding the heaviest single begins play.
Winner of the Last Game: The winner of the last game played may open the
next game. Or, if a game ends in a tie, the player who placed the last tile
plays
the first tile in the next game.
Drawing the Hand
Each player draws the number of tiles specified in the rules for the domino
game being played and then places them in front of himself in such a way that
the other players can't see the pips on his tiles.
After all hands have been drawn, there may be a surplus of tiles left in the
stock.
These tiles should remain face down, and, depending on the rules of the game
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being played, may be bought (See "Passing and Byeing" below.) later in that
game.
Opening the Game
Determine who will make the first play, as explained above in "Order of Play"
and according to the rules of the particular domino game being played. The
player making the first play may be referred to as the setter, the downer, or
the
leader. He should place his tile face up in the middle of the table.
The words set, down, and lead are all used as verbs to refer to the act of
making
the first play of the game. "The set," "the down," and "the lead" are used as
nouns to refer to the first domino played in a game and also the first play of
the
game.
Here is a rule variation that players may agree to employ: Anytime a player
plays a double, whether for the opening of the game or anytime thereafter
during the game, he may immediately play a second tile onto his double before
the next player makes his play.
Passing and Buying
Any player who does not hold a tile in his hand with the correct number of
pips,
and therefore cannot make the next play, must either pass or bye from the
stock,
according to the rules of the game. Some games permit players to skip a play
if
they so choose, even if they hold a playable tile.
Passing is also called knocking and renouncing. The player who is unable to
make a play must announce to the other players, "I pass," and then the next
player takes his turn. If no one is able to make a play, the game ends.
In some games byeing tiles from the stock is allowed. In this case, a player
draws the number of tiles he is permitted to take according to the rules of
that
game, adding them to the tiles he is holding in his hand. Once the player has
drawn a tile he is able to play, he plays that domino.
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There are many domino games that have the rule that all tiles in the stock may
be bought, and there are others which have the rule that some tiles must be
left
in the stock and cannot be bought. In the case of the latter, the number of
pips
on the tiles left in the stock at the end of the game would be added to the
winner's score.
Line of Play
There are many domino games that depend upon matching suits. In these
games, the first player sets his domino, then the player to his left adds his
tile to
one of the free ends, and so on, going clockwise around the table with each
player adding a tile. Players add tiles that have the matching number of pips
with an open end of an already played tile.
As each player matches and plays a tile, a line is formed. This configuration
of
dominoes is called the layout, string, or line of play. In order to prevent
tiles
from falling off the table when the line of play extends too far, dominoes may
be played in any direction. Regardless of the pattern of the line of play, the
open
end of the last domino played remains the same.
Dominoes are joined to the line of play in two ways: I) with the line of play,
lengthwise, the dominoes played end to end; or, 2) across the line of play,
crosswise, the dominoes played across the matching number. In most domino
games, doubles, and only doubles, are played crosswise; singles are played
lengthwise, and the next tile is added after each double played, if the double
is
not a spinner, must be lengthwise.
Spinners
A spinner is a double which can be played on all four sides. Depending on the
rules of the game being played, the double played as the lead is the only
spinner
of the game; or, every double played throughout the game is a spinner. If the
double played is not a spinner, it may be played on only two sides.
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Scoring
In some domino games, part of the score is obtained from the total number of
pips at the ends of the line of play as the game progresses. If only one
domino
has been played, both ends of that domino are ends of the line of play. Thus,
if a
5-5 tile is played, the count would be 10.
If two dominoes have been played, the count depends on whether both tiles are
with the line of play or one tile is with and the other tile is across the
line of
play. For example, if the 3-5 and 5-1 tiles are played, the count is 4 (3+1).
The
matching halves of each of the two dominoes would be joined, end to end, with
the open ends being 3 and 1. If the 3-5 and 5-5 tiles are played, the count is
13
(3+5+5). The double tile, 5-5, would be played across the line of play, and
both
halves of the double would be considered ends of the line of play.
Given the last example, if a tile is now played on the 5-5, assuming it is not
a
spinner, the 5-5 is no longer an end for the purpose of counting. See the
example below. The line of play is 3-5, 5-5, 5-1, and the count is 4 (3+1). If
the
5-5 is not a spinner in this case, the 5-5 is not an end.
In some domino games, a score is made only when the count of the ends of the
line of play are a multiple of 5 or a multiple of 3, for example.
Another scoring method used in many domino games is to take the losing
players' total number of pips by counting the pips on the tiles left in their
hands
at the end of a hand or the game and then adding that number to the winner's
score.
End of the Game
Some domino games end once a certain number of hands have been played or a
player or team makes the necessary points to win. For many other domino
games, the object of the game is to be the first player (or team) to dispose
of all
the dominoes in your hand. These domino games end when a player has played
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all the dominoes in his hand before the other players and announces, "Domino."
Sometimes none of the players are able to make another play. This is called a
blocked game, and, in case the game is blocked and no one is able to make
another play, the game would end.
Some efforts have been made in the literature to introduce wagering events
based on dominos, but without significantly reports of commercial success.
Published US Patent Application Document No. 20040245723 (Davis) discloses
a domino and dice game that includes a series of dominos having counts thereon
which correspond to the possible counts generated by a pair of conventional
cubical dice. The dominos are initially positioned face up, and the dice are
tossed. Dominos having counts corresponding to the resulting count on the
dice,
are turned face down. Play continues by a single player until no
more domino moves are possible, whereupon play transfers to the next player.
Score is according to the number of dots displayed upon the remaining face up
dominos after a turn is completed, with low score winning the round after all
players have played. The present game also includes a playing box, with the
box
having at least one row of dominos pivotally secured thereacross and a dice
tossing area. The playing box may include additional domino rows for doubles
and blank dominos, if desired.
U.S. Patent No. 4,125,263 (Hamilton) describes a game using two sets of
dominos with twenty-eight dominos in each set. The sets are conventional, with
the exception of markings indicating their additive or subtractive nature in
play.
The Hamilton game is played similarly to conventional domino play, but
scoring may be accomplished by adding or subtracting dots of a domino at the
end of a row, according to the additive or subtractive nature of the
specific domino played. Hamilton does not disclose the use of dice to
determine
the manipulation of any of the dominos, nor does he provide a box or structure
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with dominos of varying denominations secured thereto, as is done with the
present domino and dice game invention.
Published US Patent Application Document No. 20080230994 (Taranino)
discloses a wager-based domino game suited for individual play, particularly
as
presented at a gaming machine. In accordance with the game, a player attempts
to play one or more dominos. Various outcomes of game play are defined as
losing. A number of outcomes are defined as winning and have associated
awards, such as defined by a paytable. In one embodiment, winning outcomes
may be awarded in the event a minimum number of dominos are played, or
based upon a summed value of all dominos played. Domino-based bonus events
offer a player additional winnings. The bonus events may be triggered by
particular events of the wager-based domino game.
Published US Patent Application Document No. 20070278738 (Taranino)
discloses a wager-based domino game is suited for individual play,
particularly
as presented at a gaming machine. In accordance with the game, a player
attempts to play one or more dominos. Various outcomes of game play are
defined as losing. A number of outcomes are defined as winning and have
associated awards, such as defined by a paytable. In one embodiment, winning
outcomes may be awarded in the event a minimum number of dominos are
played, or based upon a summed value of all dominos played. Domino-based
bonus events offer a player additional winnings. The bonus events may be
triggered by particular events of the wager-based domino game.
The technology of the present invention may be executed on live table gaming
formats with a dealer and physical tiles or special playing cards on a gaming
table, on a completely electronic (on-line or video slot format) or on a
blended
system with physical cards or tiles and electronic wagering.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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A method of and system for executing a domino tile including wagering event
provides a set of twenty-eight domino tiles or domino playing cards, each of
the
tiles or cards having two value areas on each face. The tile face values in
each
value area range from 0-6. Player positions are dealt four cards or tiles and
a
community card or tile is dealt to a center position. Each of the four cards
is
associated with the community card if there is a common value area, and value
areas that form multiples of five (5) between the four tiles individually
(especially extending away from joined tile value areas) and the community
card or community tile are determined and at least one wager is resolved
against
a paytable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 shows an electronic gaming table on which the gaming method may be
executed.
Figure 1A shows a schematic for an electronic system for enabling play of the
gaming method described herein.
Figure 1B shows another schematic for an electronic system for enabling play
of the gaming method described herein.
Figure 2 shows a complete set of domino tile images on tiles or on playing
cards.
Figure 3 shows three different tiles or cards that can be used in the present
technology, the third card having printed thereon, for when the third tile is
the
single community card, all other single tiles with which that community tile
forms winning combinations for multiple-5 counts and the number of point
counts that specific tile will form with that community tile.
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Figure 4 shows one screen shot of a single community tile, four player hand
tiles, and two $5.00 wagers, one on an underlying game and one on a bonus
event.
Figure 5 shows how and why tiles are arranged to form a play score of 10 using
the community tile and the fourth player tile of Figure 4.
Figure 6 shows a simplified screen from Figures 4 and 5 forming a play score
of
using the community tile and the fourth player tile of Figure 4.
Figure 7 shows a table representing dice combinations for every central die
and
the point values (base 5) that can be formed with other remaining tiles or
cards.
10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
One method of executing the wagering event of the present technology, which
will first be described in terms of a physical wagering event at a gaming
table
using physical domino tiles or physical playing cards with card faces
resembling domino tile faces is first described.
That method may include providing a standard set of twenty-eight (28) tiles or
playing cards each having two value areas on each face. The tile face values
in
each area range from 0-6, and the tiles have two areas with mixed values
equally distributed (as with domino tiles) with face values ranging from 0-0,
0-
1, 0-2...3-6, 4-6, 5-6 and 6-6. There is one tile with each combination of
values, although random outcome frequencies can be adjusted (and payout rates
adjusted) by eliminating some value sets and/or increasing numbers of certain
tiles.
The event is executed by a player position placing a wager on a random
outcome event through player input controls on an electronic wagering system
or by placing chips or coins or currency on a wagering position. The wager is
against conformance between random outcome events with the tiles (or cards)
with events identified in a paytable.
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The dealer (or processor if virtual tiles are delivered) provides exactly four
random physical domino symbols (cards or tiles) to each player position, each
having two value areas on each face. Each tile displays values of from 0-6 on
the each of the two areas as in standard domino tiles, to a player position
that
has made the at least one wager and one random virtual domino also having two
value areas of from 0-6 to a center position on the game table.
The dealer (real or virtual) determines specific types of combinations of
tiles in
relationships between the single center tile and the four dealer position
tiles.
The dealer can reference a paytable chart that details all winning
combinations
of individual tiles (using the four player position tiles) with the center
domino
tile. A typical dealer-referenced card for identification of winning tile
combinations is shown in Figure 7.
The payouts are based on potential or actual effects of repositioning at least
one
of the four random virtual dominos so that at least one set of touching values
of
at least one value area in a random virtual domino from the player position
and
at least one value area from the random virtual tile from the center area are
identical, and remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles excluding the
at
least one touching values establishes a collective value of values that are
multiples of a specific value such as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or especially 5 (which
will be
used in all examples discussed).
Using the dealer-referenced card, a processor or dealer evaluates all actual
or
theoretically repositioned tiles to determine if one or more collective values
of
multiples of 5 are formed by remaining value areas excluding the at least one
touching values, and the processor retaining the at least one wager if no
remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles excluding the at least one
touching values establishes a collective value of multiples of 5. The dealer
or
processor awards credit to the processor based on the at least one wager
against
the paytable when the at least one wager if no remaining value areas of all
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repositioned tiles excluding the at least one touching values establishes a
collective value of multiples of 5. If none of the player's cards/tiles match
up
with the community card, the wager is immediately lost.
The paytable may award credit based on at least one degree of correspondence
to the group of correspondence selected from the group consisting of numbers
of remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles excluding the at least one
actual or virtually touching values which established a collective value of
multiples of 5, numbers of remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles
excluding the at least one touching values establishes a collective value of
multiples of 5 and specifically a 10 value, and numbers of remaining value
areas
of all repositioned tiles excluding the at least one touching values
establishes a
collective value of multiples of 5, numbers of specifically 10 and 15, and
totals
of all configurations of repositioned game tiles each equaling a multiple of
5.
Each and every player's tile that matches with the community tile and the
distal
numbers/pips on the tiles create multiples of 5 will pay out according to a
paytable.
An electronically implemented method would include executing a wagering
event on an electronic gaming system comprising a housing, a video display, a
processor, memory, player input controls and a value-in-value-out system for
entering credit into memory which can be used to place wagers through the
player input controls.
The wagering event could include:
a player placing a wagering event through the player input controls
accessing credit stored in memory that has been credited to the electronic
gaming system through the value-in-value out system against a paytable
based upon correspondence of random domino events as compared to the
paytable;
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the processor randomly providing from memory four random
virtual dominos, each having two value areas of from 0-6 on the two
areas, to a player position and one random virtual domino having two
value areas of from 0-6 to a center position on the video display;
the player controls are used to reposition at least one of the four
random virtual dominos so that at least one touching values of at least one
value area in a random virtual domino from the player position and at
least one value area from the random virtual tile from the center area are
identical, and remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles excluding the
at least one touching values establishes a collective value of multiples of
5;
the processor evaluating all repositioned tiles to determine if one or
more collective values of multiples of 5 are formed by remaining value
areas excluding the at least one touching values, and the processor
retaining the at least one wager if no remaining value areas of all
repositioned tiles excluding the at least one touching values establishes a
collective value of multiples of 5; and
the processor awarding credit to the processor based on the at least
one wager against the paytable when the at least one wager if no
remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles excluding the at least one
touching values establishes a collective value of multiples of 5.
The method would also use paytable awards credit based on at least one degree
of correspondence to the group of correspondence selected from the group
consisting of numbers of remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles
excluding the at least one touching values establishes a collective value of
multiples of 5, numbers of remaining value areas of all repositioned tiles
excluding the at least one touching values establishes a collective value of
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multiples of 5 and specifically a 10 value, and numbers of remaining value
areas
of all repositioned tiles excluding the at least one touching values
establishes a
collective value of multiples of 5, numbers of specifically 10 and 15, and
totals
of all configurations of repositioned game tiles each equaling a multiple of
5.
The player input controls may include a touchscreen wherein the four player
position random virtual dominos may be repositioned by touch-and-drag of
individual dominos. The player input controls may also include a dedicated
button on a panel of buttons that signals the processor to reposition
individual
ones of the four player position four random virtual dominos adjacent to the
one
random virtual center domino in a best possible scoring position. The player
input controls may also include a dedicated button on a panel of buttons that
signals the processor to reposition individual ones of the four player
position
four random virtual dominos adjacent to the one random virtual center domino
in various possible scoring positions and the player input control enables a
function to freeze each virtual random virtual domino so repositioned upon
player command.
The electronic version (as indicated above) may also use a system in which the
virtual tiles/cards do not have to be visually rearranged, but the processor
implements the comparison through the dealer (processor) readable (dealer-
referenced) card or paytable. The payouts, as with paylines on video slot
machines, may be paid out without specific marking of events that paid out, or
the player input controls may input for a display of the winning outcomes, or
the processor may automatically display the winning outcomes on the video
display.
Alternative Wagers
Players may make two separate wagers, one for underlying Casino Dominoes
game described above and one for a "Doubles Side Bet." The Doubles side bet
wager is optional. The underlying wagering event referred to herein as "Casino
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Dominoes" game in which each player position or one communal player
position is dealt four random cards from a specialty dominoes playing card
deck
in which twenty-eight cards, each card having a unique one of the twenty-eight
possible combinations of two value area values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The
cards are dealt face up to the player and community card is dealt face up in
the
center of the table. No additional cards will be drawn for the remainder of
the
hand. Players must have at least one value area matching at least one value
area
on the card in the center position (this is called matching one or more of the
four
cards with the community card) and either contacting value areas or non-
contacting value areas must score in multiples of a digit (between 1, 2, 3, 4
and
5) that is preferably five. (either 5, 10, or 15) The scoring method follows
the
rules of a traditional and popular dominoes variation often referred to as
Muggings or All Five.
After all four of the player's cards are assessed against the community card,
any
qualifying cards that scores a value of either 5, 10, or 15 are summed
together to
form the final player point total. If the final player point total is 5 or
greater
according to this assessment, the player wins and is paid according to a
paytable.
Each community card (center position card) has a limited number of cards that
can score with it. The table in Figure 8 shows all of the tiles that produce a
score of 5, 10, or 15 for each of the 28 possible community tiles. Because of
the
limited number of cards that can play with each community card, it is possible
to create a specialty deck with a reference table or dealer reference that
lists
each corresponding card(s) that scores with all 28 cards in the deck. For
example, if the community card is a 4-0, there are three cards that score off
of it
(1-0; 5-4; 6-0). Those three cards are printed in the margins of the 4-0 card
to
make it easier for both the dealer and the player to identify the scoring
cards
(and the value of those winning cards).
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This information (the only matching cards) can be printed into the margins of
each card, so that the game becomes easier to learn and the dealer is much
less
likely to make an error in either the house's or player's advantage.
The doubles wager pays players if at least two or more of the four player-
position cards or tiles are doubles. If all four of the player's tiles are
doubles, a
bonus payout can be achieved if the community card is also a double.
Two separate wagers played with a specialty deck of domino playing cards (or
domino tiles).
Casino Dominoes is a derivation of traditional muggings dominoes where
players try to score points of 5, 10, or 15 using specific scoring rules.
Doubles Side Bet: Based on how many doubles tiles are in the players hand.
Because of the limited number of cards that can play with each community card,
it is possible to create a specialty deck that lists each corresponding
card(s) that
scores with all 28 cards in the deck.
For example, if the community card is a 4-0 there are three cards that score
off
of it (1-0; 5-4; 6-0). The values of those three cards are printed in the
margins
of the 4-0 card to make it easier for both the dealer and the player to
identify the
scoring cards (and the value of those winning cards).
By printing this information into the margins of each card, the game becomes
easier to learn and the dealer is much less likely to make an error in either
the
house's or player's advantage.
The technology may be performed in various electronic modes. Turning
next to FIG. 1, a video gaming machine 2 of the present invention is shown.
Machine 2 includes a main cabinet 4, which generally surrounds the machine
interior (not shown) and is viewable by users. The main cabinet includes a
main
door 8 on the front of the machine, which opens to provide access to the
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of the machine. Attached to the main door are player-input switches or buttons
32, a coin acceptor 28, and a bill validator 30, a coin tray 38, and a display
area
including a mechanical gaming system (or less preferably a separate electronic
game) 40. There may be an overlay of touchscreen functionality on the separate
electronic game 40 or some of the buttons 32 may be functional on the separate
mechanical gaming system 40. That separate mechanical gaming system may
be in a relatively vertical viewing position as shown or in a more horizontal
(table like) display unit. Viewable through the main door is a video display
monitor 34 and an information panel 36. The display monitor 34 will typically
be a cathode ray tube, high resolution flat-panel LCD, LED, plasma screen or
other conventional electronically controlled video monitor. The information
panel 36 may be a back-lit, silk screened glass panel with lettering to
indicate
general game information including, for example, a game denomination (e.g.
$0.25 or $1). The bill validator 30, player-input switches 32, video display
monitor 34, and information panel are devices used to play a game on the game
machine 2. The devices are controlled by circuitry (e.g. the master gaming
controller) housed inside the main cabinet 4 of the machine 2.
Many different types of games, including mechanical slot games, video
slot games, video poker, video blackjack, video pachinko and lottery, may be
provided with gaming machines of this invention. In particular, the gaming
machine 2 may be operable to provide a play of many different instances of
games of chance. The instances may be differentiated according to themes,
sounds, graphics, type of game (e.g., slot game vs. card game), denomination,
number of paylines, maximum jackpot, progressive or non-progressive, bonus
games, etc. The gaming machine 2 may be operable to allow a player to select a
game of chance to play from a plurality of instances available on the gaming
machine. For example, the gaming machine may provide a menu with a list of
the instances of games that are available for play on the gaming machine and a
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player may be able to select from the list a first instance of a game of
chance
that they wish to play.
The various instances of games available for play on the gaming machine
2 may be stored as game software on a mass storage device in the gaming
machine or may be generated on a remote gaming device but then displayed on
the gaming machine. The gaming machine 2 may executed game software, such
as but not limited to video streaming software that allows the game to be
displayed on the gaming machine. When an instance is stored on the gaming
machine 2, it may be loaded from the mass storage device into a RAM for
execution. In some cases, after a selection of an instance, the game software
that
allows the selected instance to be generated may be downloaded from a remote
gaming device, such as another gaming machine.
The gaming machine 2 includes a top box 6, which sits on top of the main
cabinet 4. The top box 6 houses a number of devices, which may be used to add
features to a game being played on the gaming machine 2, including speakers
10, 12, 14, a ticket printer 18 which prints bar-coded tickets 20, a key pad
22 for
entering player tracking information, a florescent display 16 for displaying
player tracking information, a card reader 24 for entering a magnetic striped
card containing player tracking information, and a video display screen 42.
The
ticket printer 18 may be used to print tickets for a cashless ticketing
system.
Further, the top box 6 may house different or additional devices than shown in
the FIG. I. For example, the top box may contain a bonus wheel or a back-lit
silk screened panel which may be used to add bonus features to the game being
played on the gaming machine. As another example, the top box may contain a
display for a progressive jackpot offered on the gaming machine. During a
game, these devices are controlled and powered, in part, by circuitry (e.g. a
master gaming controller) housed within the main cabinet 4 of the machine 2.
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Understand that gaming machine 2 is but one example from a wide range
of gaming machine designs on which the present invention may be
implemented. For example, not all suitable gaming machines have top boxes or
player tracking features. Further, some gaming machines have only a single
game display¨mechanical or video, while others are designed for bar tables
and have displays that face upwards. As another example, a game may be
generated in on a host computer and may be displayed on a remote terminal or a
remote gaming device. The remote gaming device may be connected to the host
computer via a network of some type such as a local area network, a wide area
network, an intranet or the Internet. The remote gaming device may be a
portable gaming device such as but not limited to a cell phone, a personal
digital
assistant, and a wireless game player. Images rendered from 3-D gaming
environments may be displayed on portable gaming devices that are used to
play a game of chance. Further a gaming machine or server may include gaming
logic for commanding a remote gaming device to render an image from a virtual
camera in a 3-D gaming environments stored on the remote gaming device and
to display the rendered image on a display located on the remote gaming
device.
Thus, those of skill in the art will understand that the present invention, as
described below, can be deployed on most any gaming machine now available
or hereafter developed.
Some preferred gaming machines are implemented with special features
and/or additional circuitry that differentiates them from general-purpose
computers (e.g., desktop PC's and laptops). Gaming machines are highly
regulated to ensure fairness and, in many cases, gaming machines are operable
to dispense monetary awards of multiple millions of dollars. Therefore, to
satisfy security and regulatory requirements in a gaming environment, hardware
and software architectures may be implemented in gaming machines that differ
significantly from those of general-purpose computers. A description of gaming
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machines relative to general-purpose computing machines and some examples
of the additional (or different) components and features found in gaming
machines are described below.
At first glance, one might think that adapting PC technologies to the
gaming industry would be a simple proposition because both PCs and gaming
machines employ microprocessors that control a variety of devices. However,
because of such reasons as 1) the regulatory requirements that are placed upon
gaming machines, 2) the harsh environment in which gaming machines operate,
3) security requirements and 4) fault tolerance requirements, adapting PC
technologies to a gaming machine can be quite difficult. Further, techniques
and
methods for solving a problem in the PC industry, such as device compatibility
and connectivity issues, might not be adequate in the gaming environment. For
instance, a fault or a weakness tolerated in a PC, such as security holes in
software or frequent crashes, may not be tolerated in a gaming machine because
in a gaming machine these faults can lead to a direct loss of funds from the
gaming machine, such as stolen cash or loss of revenue when the gaming
machine is not operating properly.
For the purposes of illustration, a few differences between PC systems
and gaming systems will be described. A first difference between gaming
machines and common PC based computers systems is that gaming machines
are designed to be state-based systems. In a state-based system, the system
stores and maintains its current state in a non-volatile memory, such that, in
the
event of a power failure or other malfunction the gaming machine will return
to
its current state when the power is restored. For instance, if a player was
shown
an award for a game of chance and, before the award could be provided to the
player the power failed, the gaming machine, upon the restoration of power,
would return to the state where the award is indicated. As anyone who has used
a PC, knows, PCs are not state machines and a majority of data is usually lost
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when a malfunction occurs. This requirement affects the software and hardware
design on a gaming machine.
A second important difference between gaming machines and common
PC based computer systems is that for regulation purposes, the software on the
gaming machine used to generate the game of chance and operate the gaming
machine has been designed to be static and monolithic to prevent cheating by
the operator of gaming machine. For instance, one solution that has been
employed in the gaming industry to prevent cheating and satisfy regulatory
requirements has been to manufacture a gaming machine that can use a
proprietary processor running instructions to generate the game of chance from
an EPROM or other form of non-volatile memory. The coding instructions on
the EPROM are static (non-changeable) and must be approved by a gaming
regulators in a particular jurisdiction and installed in the presence of a
person
representing the gaming jurisdiction. Any changes to any part of the software
required to generate the game of chance, such as adding a new device driver
used by the master gaming controller to operate a device during generation of
the game of chance can require a new EPROM to be burnt, approved by the
gaming jurisdiction and reinstalled on the gaming machine in the presence of a
gaming regulator. Regardless of whether the EPROM solution is used, to gain
approval in most gaming jurisdictions, a gaming machine must demonstrate
sufficient safeguards that prevent an operator or player of a gaming machine
from manipulating hardware and software in a manner that gives them an unfair
and some cases an illegal advantage. The gaming machine should have a means
to determine if the code it will execute is valid. If the code is not valid,
the
gaming machine must have a means to prevent the code from being executed.
The code validation requirements in the gaming industry affect both hardware
and software designs on gaming machines.
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A third important difference between gaming machines and common PC
based computer systems is the number and kinds of peripheral devices used on a
gaming machine are not as great as on PC based computer systems.
Traditionally, in the gaming industry, gaming machines have been relatively
simple in the sense that the number of peripheral devices and the number of
functions the gaming machine has been limited. Further, in operation, the
functionality of gaming machines were relatively constant once the gaming
machine was deployed, i.e., new peripherals devices and new gaming software
were infrequently added to the gaming machine. This differs from a PC where
users will go out and buy different combinations of devices and software from
different manufacturers and connect them to a PC to suit their needs depending
on a desired application. Therefore, the types of devices connected to a PC
may
vary greatly from user to user depending in their individual requirements and
may vary significantly over time.
Although the variety of devices available for a PC may be greater than on
a gaming machine, gaming machines still have unique device requirements that
differ from a PC, such as device security requirements not usually addressed
by
PCs. For instance, monetary devices, such as coin dispensers, bill validators
and
ticket printers and computing devices that are used to govern the input and
output of cash to a gaming machine have security requirements that are not
typically addressed in PCs. Therefore, many PC techniques and methods
developed to facilitate device connectivity and device compatibility do not
address the emphasis placed on security in the gaming industry.
To address some of the issues described above, a number of
hardware/software components and architectures are utilized in gaming
machines that are not typically found in general purpose computing devices,
such as PCs. These hardware/software components and architectures, as
described below in more detail, include but are not limited to watchdog
timers,
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voltage monitoring systems, state-based software architecture and supporting
hardware, specialized communication interfaces, security monitoring and
trusted memory.
A watchdog timer is normally used in gaming machines to provide a
software failure detection mechanism. In a normally operating system, the
operating software periodically accesses control registers in the watchdog
timer
subsystem to "re-trigger" the watchdog. Should the operating software fail to
access the control registers within a preset timeframe, the watchdog timer
will
timeout and generate a system reset. Typical watchdog timer circuits contain a
loadable timeout counter register to allow the operating software to set the
timeout interval within a certain range of time. A differentiating feature of
the
some preferred circuits is that the operating software cannot completely
disable
the function of the watchdog timer. In other words, the watchdog timer always
functions from the time power is applied to the board.
Gaming computer platforms preferably use several power supply voltages
to operate portions of the computer circuitry. These can be generated in a
central power supply or locally on the computer board. If any of these
voltages
falls out of the tolerance limits of the circuitry they power, unpredictable
operation of the computer may result. Though most modem general-purpose
computers include voltage monitoring circuitry, these types of circuits only
report voltage status to the operating software. Out of tolerance voltages can
cause software malfunction, creating a potential uncontrolled condition in the
gaming computer. Gaming machines typically have power supplies with tighter
voltage margins than that required by the operating circuitry. In addition,
the
voltage monitoring circuitry implemented in gaming computers typically has
two thresholds of control. The first threshold generates a software event that
can
be detected by the operating software and an error condition generated. This
threshold is triggered when a power supply voltage falls out of the tolerance
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range of the power supply, but is still within the operating range of the
circuitry.
The second threshold is set when a power supply voltage falls out of the
operating tolerance of the circuitry. In this case, the circuitry generates a
reset,
halting operation of the computer.
The standard method of operation for slot machine game software is to
use a state machine. Different functions of the game (bet, play, result,
points in
the graphical presentation, etc.) may be defined as a state. When a game moves
from one state to another, critical data regarding the game software is stored
in a
custom non-volatile memory subsystem. This is critical to ensure the player's
io wager and credits are preserved and to minimize potential disputes in
the event
of a malfunction on the gaming machine.
In general, the gaming machine does not advance from a first state to a
second state until critical information that allows the first state to be
reconstructed is stored. This feature allows the game to recover operation to
the
current state of play in the event of a malfunction, loss of power, etc. that
occurred just prior to the malfunction. After the state of the gaming machine
is
restored during the play of a game of chance, game play may resume and the
game may be completed in a manner that is no different than if the malfunction
had not occurred. Typically, battery backed RAM devices are used to preserve
this critical data although other types of non-volatile memory devices may be
employed. These memory devices are not used in typical general-purpose
computers.
As described in the preceding paragraph, when a malfunction occurs
during a game of chance, the gaming machine may be restored to a state in the
game of chance just prior to when the malfunction occurred. The restored state
may include metering information and graphical information that was displayed
on the gaming machine in the state prior to the malfunction. For example, when
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the malfunction occurs during the play of a card game after the cards have
been
dealt, the gaming machine may be restored with the cards that were previously
displayed as part of the card game. As another example, a bonus game may be
triggered during the play of a game of chance where a player is required to
make a number of selections on a video display screen. When a malfunction has
occurred after the player has made one or more selections, the gaming machine
may be restored to a state that shows the graphical presentation at the just
prior
to the malfunction including an indication of selections that have already
been
made by the player. In general, the gaming machine may be restored to any
state
in a plurality of states that occur in the game of chance that occurs while
the
game of chance is played or to states that occur between the play of a game of
chance.
Game history information regarding previous games played such as an
amount wagered, the outcome of the game and so forth may also be stored in a
non-volatile memory device. The information stored in the non-volatile memory
may be detailed enough to reconstruct a portion of the graphical presentation
that was previously presented on the gaming machine and the state of the
gaming machine (e.g., credits) at the time the game of chance was played. The
game history information may be utilized in the event of a dispute. For
example,
a player may decide that in a previous game of chance that they did not
receive
credit for an award that they believed they won. The game history information
may be used to reconstruct the state of the gaming machine prior, during
and/or
after the disputed game to demonstrate whether the player was correct or not
in
their assertion.
Another feature of gaming machines, such as gaming computers, is that
they often contain unique interfaces, including serial interfaces, to connect
to
specific subsystems internal and external to the slot machine. The serial
devices
may have electrical interface requirements that differ from the "standard" EIA
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232 serial interfaces provided by general-purpose computers. These interfaces
may include EIA 485, ETA 422, Fiber Optic Serial, optically coupled serial
interfaces, current loop style serial interfaces, etc. In addition, to
conserve serial
interfaces internally in the slot machine, serial devices may be connected in
a
shared, daisy-chain fashion where multiple peripheral devices are connected to
a
single serial channel.
The serial interfaces may be used to transmit information using
communication protocols that are unique to the gaming industry. For example,
the NetplexTM system of IGT is a proprietary communication protocol used for
serial communication between gaming devices. As another example, SAS is a
communication protocol used to transmit information, such as metering
information, from a gaming machine to a remote device. Often SAS is used in
conjunction with a player tracking system.
Gaming machines may alternatively be treated as peripheral devices to a
casino communication controller and connected in a shared daisy chain fashion
to a single serial interface. In both cases, the peripheral devices are
preferably
assigned device addresses. If so, the serial controller circuitry must
implement a
method to generate or detect unique device addresses. General-purpose
computer serial ports are not able to do this.
Security monitoring circuits detect intrusion into a gaming machine by
monitoring security switches attached to access doors in the slot machine
cabinet. Preferably, access violations result in suspension of game play and
can
trigger additional security operations to preserve the current state of game
play.
These circuits also function when power is off by use of a battery backup. In
power-off operation, these circuits continue to monitor the access doors of
the
slot machine. When power is restored, the gaming machine can determine
whether any security violations occurred while power was off, e.g., via
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for reading status registers. This can trigger event log entries and further
data
authentication operations by the slot machine software.
Trusted memory devices are preferably included in a gaming machine
computer to ensure the authenticity of the software that may be stored on less
secure memory subsystems, such as mass storage devices. Trusted memory
devices and controlling circuitry are typically designed to not allow
modification of the code and data stored in the memory device while the
memory device is installed in the slot machine. The code and data stored in
these devices may include authentication algorithms, random number
generators, authentication keys, operating system kernels, etc. The purpose of
these trusted memory devices is to provide gaming regulatory authorities a
root
trusted authority within the computing environment of the slot machine that
can
be tracked and verified as original. This may be accomplished via removal of
the trusted memory device from the slot machine computer and verification of
the secure memory device contents is a separate third party verification
device.
Once the trusted memory device is verified as authentic, and based on the
approval of the verification algorithms contained in the trusted device, the
gaming machine is allowed to verify the authenticity of additional code and
data
that may be located in the gaming computer assembly, such as code and data
stored on hard disk drives. A few details related to trusted memory devices
that
may be used in the present invention are described in U.S. Patent No.
6,685,567
titled "Process Verification," which is incorporated herein in its entirety
and for
all purposes.
Mass storage devices used in a general purpose computer typically allow
code and data to be read from and written to the mass storage device. In a
gaming machine environment, modification of the gaming code stored on a
mass storage device is strictly controlled and would only be allowed under
specific maintenance type events with electronic and physical enablers
required.
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Though this level of security could be provided by software, gaming computers
that include mass storage devices preferably include hardware level mass
storage data protection circuitry that operates at the circuit level to
monitor
attempts to modify data on the mass storage device and will generate both
software and hardware error triggers should a data modification be attempted
without the proper electronic and physical enablers being present.
A method of hosting an underlying game or side bet wagering event
during a game of tile-based play such as domino-type game may be executed on
an electronic gaming machine, electronic gaming table or blended physical
playing cards with electronic tile input and touchscreen. The electronic
gaming
machine may have a housing, player input control, video display including
touchscreen sensitivity, processor, memory, and a value-in-value-out credit
creation component selected from the group consisting of a) a ticket-in-ticket-
out system having a ticket-reading scanner and ticket printer, and b) a
currency
validation system having a motor drive to advance currency past a scanner.
Returning to the example of FIG. 1, when a user wishes to play the
gaming machine 2, he or she inserts cash through the coin acceptor 28 or bill
validator 30. Additionally, the bill validator may accept a printed ticket
voucher
which may be accepted by the bill validator 30as an indicia of credit when a
cashless ticketing system is used. At the start of the game, the player may
enter
playing tracking information using the card reader 24, the keypad 22, and the
florescent display 16. Further, other game preferences of the player playing
the
game may be read from a card inserted into the card reader. During the game,
the player views game information using the video display 34. Other game and
prize information may also be displayed in the video display screen 42 located
in the top box.
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During the course of a game, a player may be required to make a number
of decisions, which affect the outcome of the game. For example, a player may
vary his or her wager on a particular game, select a prize for a particular
game
selected from a prize server, or make game decisions which affect the outcome
of a particular game. The player may make these choices using the player-input
switches 32, the video display screen 34 or using some other device which
enables a player to input information into the gaming machine. In some
embodiments, the player may be able to access various game services such as
concierge services and entertainment content services using the video display
screen 34 and one more input devices.
During certain game events, the gaming machine 2 may display visual
and auditory effects that can be perceived by the player. These effects add to
the
excitement of a game, which makes a player more likely to continue playing.
Auditory effects include various sounds that are projected by the speakers 10,
12, 14. Visual effects include flashing lights, strobing lights or other
patterns
displayed from lights on the gaming machine 2 or from lights within the
separate mechanical (or electronic) separately, individually wagerable gaming
system 40. After the player has completed a game, the player may receive game
tokens from the coin tray 38 or the ticket 20 from the printer 18, which may
be
used for further games or to redeem a prize. Further, the player may receive a
ticket 20 for food, merchandise, or games from the printer 18.
Another gaming network that may be used to implement some aspects of
the invention is depicted in FIG. 1A. Gaming establishment 1001 could be any
sort of gaming establishment, such as a casino, a card room, an airport, a
store,
etc. In this example, gaming network 1077 includes more than one gaming
establishment, all of which are networked to game server 1022.
Here, gaming machine 1002, and the other gaming machines 1030, 1032, 1034,
and 1036, include a main cabinet 1006 and a top box 1004. The main cabinet
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1006 houses the main gaming elements and can also house peripheral systems,
such as those that utilize dedicated gaming networks. The top box 1004 may
also be used to house these peripheral systems.
The master gaming controller 1008 controls the game play on the gaming
machine 1002 according to instructions and/or game data from game server
1022 or stored within gaming machine 1002 and receives or sends data to
various input/output devices 1011 on the gaming machine 1002. In one
embodiment, master gaming controller 1008 includes processor(s) and other
apparatus of the gaming machines described above. The master gaming
controller 1008 may also communicate with a display 1010.
A particular gaming entity may desire to provide network gaming
services that provide some operational advantage. Thus, dedicated networks
may connect gaming machines to host servers that track the performance of
gaming machines under the control of the entity, such as for accounting
management, electronic fund transfers (EFTs), cashless ticketing, such as
EZPayTM, marketing management, and data tracking, such as player tracking.
Therefore, master gaming controller 1008 may also communicate with EFT
system 1012, EZPayTM system, and player tracking system 1020. The systems
of the gaming machine 1002 communicate the data onto the network 1022 via a
communication board 1018.
It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that embodiments of the
present invention could be implemented on a network with more or fewer
elements than are depicted in FIG. 1A. For example, player tracking system
1020 is not a necessary feature of some implementations of the present
invention. However, player tracking programs may help to sustain a game
player's interest in additional game play during a visit to a gaming
establishment
and may entice a player to visit a gaming establishment to partake in various
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gaming activities. Player tracking programs provide rewards to players that
typically correspond to the player's level of patronage (e.g., to the player's
playing frequency and/or total amount of game plays at a given casino). Player
tracking rewards may be free meals, free lodging and/or free entertainment.
Player tracking information may be combined with other information that is
now readily obtainable by an SBG system.
Moreover, DCU 1024 and translator 1025 are not required for all gaming
establishments 1001. However, due to the sensitive nature of much of the
information on a gaming network (e.g., electronic fund transfers and player
tracking data) the manufacturer of a host system usually employs a particular
networking language having proprietary protocols. For instance, 10-20
different
companies produce player tracking host systems where each host system may
use different protocols. These proprietary protocols are usually considered
highly confidential and not released publicly.
Further, gaming machines are made by many different manufacturers.
The communication protocols on the gaming machine are typically hard-wired
into the gaming machine and each gaming machine manufacturer may utilize a
different proprietary communication protocol. A gaming machine manufacturer
may also produce host systems, in which case their gaming machines are
compatible with their own host systems. However, in a heterogeneous gaming
environment, gaming machines from different manufacturers, each with its own
communication protocol, may be connected to host systems from other
manufacturers, each with another communication protocol. Therefore,
communication compatibility issues regarding the protocols used by the gaming
machines in the system and protocols used by the host systems must be
considered.
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A network device that links a gaming establishment with another gaming
establishment and/or a central system will sometimes be referred to herein as
a
"site controller." Here, site controller 1042 provides this function for
gaming
establishment 1001. Site controller 1042 is connected to a central system
and/or
other gaming establishments via one or more networks, which may be public or
private networks. Among other things, site controller 1042 communicates with
game server 1022 to obtain game data, such as ball drop data, bingo card data,
etc.
In the present illustration, gaming machines 1002, 1030, 1032, 1034 and
1036 are connected to a dedicated gaming network 1022. In general, the DCU
1024 functions as an intermediary between the different gaming machines on
the network 1022 and the site controller 1042. In general, the DCU 1024
receives data transmitted from the gaming machines and sends the data to the
site controller 1042 over a transmission path 1026. In some instances, when
the
hardware interface used by the gaming machine is not compatible with site
controller 1042, a translator 1025 may be used to convert serial data from the
DCU 1024 to a format accepted by site controller 1042. The translator may
provide this conversion service to a plurality of DCUs.
Further, in some dedicated gaming networks, the DCU 1024 can receive
data transmitted from site controller 1042 for communication to the gaming
machines on the gaming network. The received data may be, for example,
communicated synchronously to the gaming machines on the gaming network.
Here, CVT 1052 provides cashless and cashout gaming services to the
gaming machines in gaming establishment 1001. Broadly speaking, CVT 1052
authorizes and validates cashless gaming machine instruments (also referred to
herein as "tickets" or "vouchers"), including but not limited to tickets for
causing a gaming machine to display a game result and cash-out tickets.
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Moreover, CVT 1052 authorizes the exchange of a cashout ticket for cash.
These processes will be described in detail below. In one example, when a
player attempts to redeem a cash-out ticket for cash at cashout kiosk 1044,
cash
out kiosk 1044 reads validation data from the cashout ticket and transmits the
validation data to CVT 1052 for validation. The tickets may be printed by
gaming machines, by cashout kiosk 1044, by a stand-alone printer, by CVT
1052, etc. Some gaming establishments will not have a cashout kiosk 1044.
Instead, a cashout ticket could be redeemed for cash by a cashier (e.g. of a
convenience store), by a gaming machine or by a specially configured CVT.
FIG. 1B illustrates an example of a network device that may be
configured for implementing some methods of the present invention. Network
device 1160 includes a master central processing unit (CPU) 1162, interfaces
1168, and a bus 1167 (e.g., a PCI bus). Generally, interfaces 1168 include
ports
1169 appropriate for communication with the appropriate media. In some
embodiments, one or more of interfaces 1168 includes at least one independent
processor and, in some instances, volatile RAM. The independent processors
may be, for example, ASICs or any other appropriate processors. According to
some such embodiments, these independent processors perform at least some of
the functions of the logic described herein. In some embodiments, one or more
of interfaces 1168 control such communications-intensive tasks as encryption,
decryption, compression, decompression, packetization, media control and
management. By providing separate processors for the communications-
intensive tasks, interfaces 1168 allow the master microprocessor 1162
efficiently to perform other functions such as routing computations, network
diagnostics, security functions, etc.
The interfaces 1168 are typically provided as interface cards (sometimes
referred to as "linecards"). Generally, interfaces 1168 control the sending
and
receiving of data packets over the network and sometimes support other
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peripherals used with the network device 1160. Among the interfaces that may
be provided are FC interfaces, Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces,
cable
interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, and the like. In addition,
various very high-speed interfaces may be provided, such as fast Ethernet
interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, ATM interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS
interfaces, FDDI interfaces, ASI interfaces, DHEI interfaces and the like.
When acting under the control of appropriate software or firmware, in
some implementations of the invention CPU 1162 may be responsible for
implementing specific functions associated with the functions of a desired
network device. According to some embodiments, CPU 1162 accomplishes all
these functions under the control of software including an operating system
and
any appropriate applications software.
CPU 1162 may include one or more processors 1163 such as a processor
from the Motorola family of microprocessors or the MIPS family of
microprocessors. In an alternative embodiment, processor 1163 is specially
designed hardware for controlling the operations of network device 1160. In a
specific embodiment, a memory 1161 (such as non-volatile RAM and/or ROM)
also forms part of CPU 1162. However, there are many different ways in which
memory could be coupled to the system. Memory block 1161 may be used for a
variety of purposes such as, for example, caching and/or storing data,
programming instructions, etc.
Regardless of network device's configuration, it may employ one or more
memories or memory modules (such as, for example, memory block 1165)
configured to store data, program instructions for the general-purpose network
operations and/or other information relating to the functionality of the
techniques described herein. The program instructions may control the
operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example.
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Because such information and program instructions may be employed to
implement the systems/methods described herein, the present invention relates
to machine-readable media that include program instructions, state
information,
etc. for performing various operations described herein. Examples of machine-
s readable media include, but are not limited to, magnetic media such as
hard
disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROM disks;
magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that are specially configured to
store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory devices
(ROM) and random access memory (RAM). The invention may also be
embodied in a carrier wave traveling over an appropriate medium such as
airwaves, optical lines, electric lines, etc. Examples of program instructions
include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files
containing higher-level code that may be executed by the computer using an
interpreter.
Although the system shown in FIG. 1B illustrates one specific network
device of the present invention, it is by no means the only network device
architecture on which the present invention can be implemented. For example,
an architecture having a single processor that handles communications as well
as routing computations, etc. is often used. Further, other types of
interfaces and
media could also be used with the network device. The communication path
between interfaces may be bus based (as shown in FIG. 1B) or switch fabric
based (such as a cross-bar).
Other variations can be added to the underlying execution of the wagering
event.
34
CA 3011840 2018-07-19
