Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02464852 2004-04-23
VIRTUAL BALL SELECTOR
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of gaming equipment,
and more specifically to a virtual ball mixing system that allows virtual
balls having
numerical or graphical representations thereon, to be chosen in a random
manner that
accurately emulates the methods used in prior art mechanical pneumatic
devices.
Background of the Invention
Games such as Keno and Bingo are well known in prior art. These games
typically include lightweight balls, such as table tennis balls, which are
imprinted with
to numbers and/or letters. Because the balls are lightweight, they can be
mixed in an
enclosed space by one or more jets of air and selected from the mix through
various
means. The ball selections can be used in several ways, depending upon the
rules of
the game being played. In one variation of the game, the game ends when a pre-
determined number of balls have been "drawn". The numbers and/or symbols on
the
15 selected balls are used by players manually (subject to verification) or
automatically,
to determine whether they are a "winner" of the game. The game may have a
winner
if, before the draw, someone selected the winning numbers, as in state lottery
games.
Although the prior art mechanical devices work, they are not without
problems. For example, they are labor intensive. They are also subject to
fraudulent
2o abuse by virtue of the fact that they require human handlers to retrieve
and announce
the selected balls. More important, they are relatively slow to reach a
result, limiting
the number of games that can be completed in an hour and, as a consequence,
limiting
the potential revenue stream.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,007 (Travis), mechanical devices to mix
25 balls through jets of air are noisy and relatively expensive to maintain.
Prior art
electronic devices, such as described in the '007 patent, overcome these
problems, but
do not truly emulate the mechanical apparatus. Instead, they use pseudo-random
number generators to select the "winning" balls and fail to truly emulate the
action of
the mechanical device because they do not use environmental factors, such as
3o collisions, when calculating ball movement.
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For example, the °007 patent uses random number generators to
select the
winning balls and the motion calculations simply display graphics that
represent the
motion of balls moving in an enclosed area. However, it does not use the
motion
calculations to emulate the action of mixing the balls by using one or more
air
streams.
Thus, the prior art sometimes uses graphics software to replicate the visual
imagery of a pneumatic-mechanical ball blowing device that mixes balls by
using one
or more jets of air in cooperation with the random collisions that result from
such
motion. However, they do not emulate the physical interaction of the balls and
the jets
to of air to affect the outcome.
Summary of the Invention
According to the present invention, an electroniic device is programmed to
accurately emulate a pneumatic-mechanical device such as is used to mix
relatively
lightweight balls that are situated in a confined space. rChe program emulates
the use
~5 of jets of air directed at the balls to randomly mix the balls through an
emulation of
the collisions of the balls with each other or the walls of the mixing
chamber. In the
preferred embodiment, the device may be used for games including, but not
limited to,
Lottery, Poker, Bingo or KENO.
In the mechanical apparatus of the prior art, balls are introduced into a
three-
2o dimensional chamber. One or more jets of air flow into the chamber to cause
the balls
to move and to collide with each other. As the balls collide, they are mixed
in a
random orientation. Ultimately, one or more balls are selected and withdrawn
from
the mixing chamber. The numbers and/or symbols on the selected balls are used
by
players, manually (subject to verification) or automatically, to determine
whether they
25 are the "winner" of the game.
The present invention creates a series of virtual objects stored in computer
memory. These virtual objects have attributes associated with them, patterned
after
the actual physical properties of the object being emulated, that include a
circular
shape, dimensions in at least two directions, size, graphics, mass, etc. The
objects are
3o introduced into a virtual mixing chamber, either en masse or sequentially.
In the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the virtual mixing chamber has
height
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and width dimensions and has a depth dimension that is sufficiently small to
prevent
balls from being obscured one by another. The invention also has a method for
viewing and recording of the ball mixing process. This provides a defense
against
fraudulent manipulation of results that was possible with other prior art
devices.
One or more simulated air j ets are used to mix the balls. The air j et(s) may
be
started before, while, or after the balls are introduced into the virtual
mixing chamber.
As the balls encounter the air flow, the balls move generally i.n the
direction of the air
jet as influenced by the simulated effect of gravitational force. Various
factors
determine the direction and speed at which the ball travels through the
virtual mixing
chamber.
If a ball collides with another ball or with the boundary of the virtual
mixing
chamber, the combined forces of the collision, the air jet factors and the
simulated
effect of gravitational force produce a new vector of travel for each of the
balls
involved in the collision. As a ball moves closer or further away from the
center of the
air jet(s), it travels in a different vector.
When the balls are sufficiently mixed, one or more balls are allowed or caused
to escape the chamber. These escaped balls represent the numbers and/or
symbols that
are used as prescribed by the rules of each game including but not limited to
determining whether there has been a winning player or winning combination of
2o numbers and/or symbols.
The duration of each game can be selected by the appropriate choice of factors
such as the number of collisions in the mixing phase or simply the passage of
time.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device that
electronically replicates the ball blowing apparatus used to mix and select
balls in a
gaming system.
It is a further object of the present invention to create a documentary record
of
the results of the ball blowing apparatus used to mix and retrieve balls in a
gaming
environment.
Further features and advantages of the present :invention will be appreciated
by
3o reviewing the following drawings and detailed description of the invention.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferred
embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 1 is a flow chart describing the basic procedures of the virtual ball
selection mechanism of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a virtual machine at the initial state of the system,
with
the virtual balls stored in a loading hopper;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mixing state of the system, with the virtual
balls
being mixed in the mixing chamber;
1o FIG. 4 is a plan view of the final state of the system, with the virtual
balls
being selected and placed in the display tray; and
FIG. 5 is a graphical representation of a system wherein the computer and
game are geographically proximate, according to one f;rnbodiment of the
invention;
and
FIG. 6 is a graphical representation of a system wherein the computer and
game are geographically remote, according to one embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
A novel method and apparatus for emulating the mixing of objects, such as
lightweight balls, with virtual air streams will now be described. In the
following
description, for the purposes of explanation, specific component arrangements
and
constructions and other details are set forth in order to provide a more
thorough
understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled
in the art,
however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific
details. In
other instances, well known manufacturing methods and structures have not been
described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention unnecessarily.
Referring first to FIG. l, a flow chart describes the basic steps of the
virtual
ball selection emulation system.
1 ) In a first step 110, the computer system is initialized.
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2) The next step is the emulation staxt-up and initialization step 120. This
step includes choosing numbers or symbols on a card, cards or electronic
device, to
match with the balls drawn.
3) Next is the game start-up and initialization step 130. This step includes
starting any audio-visual effects and initializing the starting sequence of
the balls.
Some randomness can be introduced into the initial starting sequence of the
balls to
introduce a change in the environment variables of the system;
4) A participatory or betting phase is the next step 140 in which the player
supplies money (using coins, currency or a credit transaction) to the machine
and
1o selects (or is provided with) one or more combinations of symbols.
5) A "mixing" step 150, introduces the virtual balls into the virtual mixing
chamber. A virtual air jet impinges upon the balls to achieve a random order
that
emulates the actual effects of a pneumatic mechanical device. Several
different
environment modifications can add more randomness to the process, such as
changing
pressure and direction in the air jets) and varying the mixing time.
6) The step of selecting a winner 160 occurs after the balls are sufficiently
mixed. This is generally done by each virtual ball escaping from the virtual
mixing
chamber when it becomes sufficiently close to a "suction" inlet which
transfers the
selected balls to a display device. The balls that are displayed determine the
winning
2o numbers, letters or other symbols.
7) The final step of play 170 scores the game and pays any winnings as
are necessary.
8) A decision point 180 gives the options of either starting a new game or
ending the emulation.
Steps 4-6 specifically use the virtual ball selector invention to randomize
the
ball selection process and are, therefore, reasonably uniform regardless of
use. Steps 3
and 8 could vary for each type of game wherein the invention is used, so there
are
potentially many different examples of these steps. Also, note that steps 4-7
can be
repeated several times during a game. For example in bingo, the selecting step
160
(step 6) normally involves capturing a single ball. The final game step 170
involves
players marking their cards and potentially calling bingo in the BINGO game
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embodiment. Until the game is ended by a player achieving a winning
combination,
the system returns to the mixing step 150 for further mixing of the remaining
balls,
and the selecting step 160 to capture another ball and so on.
For use in other games, the system may perfor~~n these steps in a similar, but
slightly different, manner, depending upon the rules of each particular game.
[System initialization] The invention described herein is a computer-based
method and means to achieve a random result by mixing a series of objects by
emulating the mechanical, pneumatic air blower device used in prior art.
Because the
system of the present invention is computer based, the first step in the
method of the
to invention is system initialization 110. If the system involves a wide area
network, the
system must initiate these steps for each remote site linked to the network.
The next step in the process is emulation start-up and initialization step
120.
This second step includes initialization of the data objects used in the
application
program, such as a game environment. This requires assigning attributes to the
virtual
objects represented in the emulation and distributing playing cards or markers
for the
game that is using the system in the event that the game being played is a
game of
chance. As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the virtual apparatus used in the invention
includes a
holding chamber 10 in which the balls are initially placed. The holding
chamber 10 is
coupled to a mixing chamber 20. The mixing chamber 20, which incorporates an
air
2o stream 22 having an outlet through which air is passed into the mixing
chamber 20, is
coupled to a ball retrieval system that includes a vacuum inlet 24 to draw
balls from
the mixing chamber 20 into a tray, pipe or other display receptacle 30 in
which the
selected balls 12 come to rest. The display receptacle 30 displays the numbers
or
symbols on the selected balls 12, which represent the winning combination of
numbers or symbols.
In a gaming environment, one of the first steps in the game after game start-
up
and initialization 130 but prior to the mixing step 150 its to place a bet.
Thus, the first
step in the gaming process 140, as implemented in the preferred embodiment, is
to
make a wager. This may be accomplished through a coin or currency collection
3o mechanism or through a credit system in which the player establishes a
credit lane
(either though the use of credit cards or through a predetermined arrangement
with the
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operator which provides a line of credit). Because the present invention uses
a
computer, the credit balance may be maintained in the computer.
As noted, in the present invention the entire process is performed through
computer emulation. Thus, the balls 12 used by the present invention are
virtual balls
which are simulated within a computer to have the physical attributes of real
balls.
The mixing chamber as well as the other seemingly physical devices and objects
of
the system are also emulated in the computer, as described below.
[Mixing Process)
The mixing step 1 ~0 begins with the transfer from the hopper 10 of the
virtual
1o balls 12 into a virtual mixing chamber 20. Each virtual ball 12 is, in
fact, nothing
more than a data item or object in a computer system. The normal attributes of
a ball,
as used in a mechanical gaming system, are assigned to each virtual ball.
These
attributes include the location of the object within the virtual mixing
chamber 20, the
intake holding area of hopper 10, the dimensions of the display device 30, and
information associated with the abject, such as size, mass, color and/or
numerical
and/or graphical design properties. During the mixing process, other
attributes are
established, such as initial speed or velocity and direction of travel
(vector).
The virtual mixing chamber 20 is also a data item in the computer system and
also has properties associated with it. These properties include size, shape,
air intake
2o and outlet locations) and a ball retrieval and introduction system. The air
jet 22 is
also a data item within the computer and has properties that include volume of
flow,
direction of flow, force of flow, etc.
Randomness factors can be introduced into each of these variables so that the
values for each attribute vary during the mixing process. By way of example,
the
volume of flow can change an arbitrary number of times and within a randomly
chosen variable limit during the course of the game. Likewise, the direction,
duration
and force of air flow can also vary during the mixing process. Other variables
that can
affect the positioning of the balls include a "starting point", the mass of
each ball, the
gravitational force, an initial direction and a (horizontal) width. Some of
these
3o variables can be varied throughout the course of the game, and others can
be varied
from game to game, to increase the randomness of the final result of each
game.
CA 02464852 2004-04-23
In an actual air stream, the air is fastest in the center and slows towards
the
edges. The width of the jet defines the point at which the air stream no
longer has any
influence. However, the higher velocity of the center of the stream creates a
"low
pressure" area which, in the physical world, tends-to keep a ball centered in
the air
column. In much the same manner, the (vertical) length of the air jet 22
affects the
results. The air is fastest at its 'starting point (bottom) and moves
increasingly slower
as it moves away from the starting point. The force of the air jet 22 (vector
length)
extends from the starting point to the point at which the air stream no longer
has any
influence on the balls. Finally, the maximum velocity is the speed of the air
at its
to starting point. The speed at all other locations is scaled down from this
maximum
velocity.
Now referring to FIG. 2, as noted above, a game begins when the virtual balls
12 are introduced from the intake holding area 10, sequentially or en masse
into the
virtual mixing chamber 20, i.e. the virtual ball's location properties are
modified as it
is introduced into the game, to identify it as being within the virtual
chamber 20. In
the preferred embodiment, numbers and/or symbols are randomly assigned to each
virtual ball 12 immediately before its introduction into the virtual mixing
chamber 20.
Also in the preferred embodiment, a virtual air jet 22 is initiated within
virtual
the mixing chamber 20 to start the mixing process after all of the virtual
balls 12 are
in the virtual mixing chamber 20. In another embodiment, the virtual balls 12
are
sequentially introduced into the mixing chamber 20 after the air j et 22 has
started. In
the latter embodiment, the virtual balls 12 are immediately affected by the
air jet{s) 22
upon introduction into the mixing chamber 20.
Now referring also to FIG. 3, in any embodiment, the mixing process has
certain characteristics. First, the system must determine the time "ts~" at
which the
next "significant event" will occur, based on the positions and velocities of
all objects
in the system. A significant event is one of:
a) A collision between two balls or between a ball and a wall of the
mixing chamber;
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b) External forces acting on the balls with the external forces including
gravity and the air stream. The forces are applied at discrete intervals that
are
sufficiently small to emulate real-time mixing action;
c) Rendering a frame of the animation for malysis and data manipulation,
i.e. applying the various environmental variables to each virtual ball 12 at
each
interval and calculating the next location of each virtual ball 12.
Next, the system advances to the next time "tse" by independently moving each
object at its current velocity and duration for a discrete time period. This
produces
new positions for all objects. If the next significant event that happens at
time "tse" is a
1o collision, i.e. one or more vectors intersect or a vector length would take
it beyond the
boundaries of the virtual mixing chamber 20, the collision is processed. This
produces
new velocities for the objects involved in the collision. If the significant
event that
happens at time "tse" is "rendering a frame of the animation", the frame is
prepared.
This step has no effect on any objects in the system. Finally, external forces
are
applied to each virtual ball 12 at its new position. Each force is
independently applied
to each object, producing new velocities and vectors for all objects.
The virtual air jet 22 is located at the base of the virtual chamber 20 and
causes
the virtual balls 12 to be elevated from the floor of the virtual chamber 20.
In the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is only one virtual air
jet 22.
2o However, this is not a limiting factor of the invention. While all of the
virtual balls 12
are elevated from the chamber 20 floor by the introduction of the stream of
air from
the air jet 22, each virtual ball 12 travels on a different vector and to a
different
location within the mixing chamber 20. The ultimate location of the ball 12
will be
based upon its starting point and its direction and distance from the center
of the air jet
22. The force of the air jet 22 upon each ball takes the ball to a different
location
within the mixing chamber 20. As the virtual balls 10 collide with each other
and/or
the boundaries of the virtual mixing chamber, each virtual ball changes
direction and
velocity, further randomizing the mix.
As was noted above, altering the environment of the virtual mixing chamber
3o 20 can change the results of the mixing process. In alternative embodiments
of the
invention, varying the direction of the air jet 22, the force of the air jet
22 and the
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duration of the mixing time further randomize the mix. Each such modification
within
the environment of the virtual mixing chamber 20 produces variations in the
results of
the mixing process and assists in assuring a truly random result.
[The Retrieval Process]
Referring next also to FIG. 4, the next step of the mixing process is the ball
selection and retrieval step 160 wherein a virtual ball 12 is retrieved from
the virtual
mixing chamber 20 to provide a winning number or symbol or a portion thereof.
In
the preferred embodiment, a virtual door 24 will open i.n the virtual mixing
chamber
20 (while the air stream is still agitating the balls) and the system will
wait for a
1o virtual ball 12 to pass sufficiently close to the door 24 for the ball 12
to be "sucked
out" of the mixing chamber 20 and into the retrieval tube or other display
receptacle
30.
The door 24 could be located somewhere around the edge of the virtual mixing
chamber 20 or it could be located within the virtual mixing chamber 20
(allowing a
15 ball to exit the virtual mixing chamber 20 via the normally restricted 3rd
dimension).
If just one ball 12 is required, the door 24 will close as soon as the first
ball 12 has
exited the virtual mixing chamber 20. If more than one ball 12 is needed, the
door 24
will remain open until the appropriate number of balls 12 has been sucked out
of the
virtual mixing chamber 20.
20 Alternatively, the balls can be allowed to come to rest at the bottom of
the
mixing chamber by switching off the air supply, and a ball can be selected by
a
simulated mechanical picking device such as is seen in prior art.
In an alternative embodiment, inserting an additional random delay before
opening the door 24 varies the environment of the retrieval process. This is
not strictly
25 necessary if the selection process is triggered automatically, but it may
be important if
a human operator triggers the selection process.
When a virtual ball 12 has been removed from the virtual mixing chamber 20,
it is placed into a retrieval tube or other display receptacle 30. The
retrieved balls 12,
with identifying indicia, are displayed in the display device 3.
30 [Paying Out Winnings]
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The final step of actual play 170 is to determine if there are any winners
and, if
there are, determining the amount of any winnings for the game. This is done
by
comparing the indicia of the retrieved balls with the selections made by the
player or
otherwise at the outset of the game. The comparison may be performed manually
by
the player (by daubing or otherwise marking the cards) or automatically by the
computer system or individual input device. If a player has selected the
combination
that is displayed in the display device, or, according to the rules of the
game, is
eligible for a prize, than a prize may be claimed by the player or a winner is
announced and the winnings can be either disbursed in coins and/or currency or
credited to account of the player.
At the decision step 180, a new game can be started immediately thereafter,
following the steps as outlined above or the program can be terminated.
[Networking]
As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
virtual ball blowing machine is located at one node of a network. The
remaining
nodes have input and output devices attached to the network. Input devices
allow
users to receive playing cards and place wagers on the game. Output devices
allow
users to watch the game as it is being played and the results at the
conclusion of the
game. In an alternative embodiment, the machine is used in a non-networking
mode
whereby the input and the output devices are physically located in close
proximity to
each other and the machine may be in close proximity or in a remote location.
[Hardware/Apparatus Description]
The invention has several possible hardware configurations and
implementation details will be familiar to those skilled in computer network
systems.
In one configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, the invention is used for gaming at
a central
facility, such as the traditional "Bingo Hall" which uses the mechanical
version of the
ball selection mechanism. This embodiment of the invention requires at least
the
virtual ball blower and a display device such as a large screen, a voice
annunciation
unit or printed output. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the virtual
ball
blower is located at one location and one or more output devices are located
at another
site. For example, the computer which generates the virtual ball blower may be
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located in an office while one or more output display devices are located in
one or
more gaming halls.
In another embodiment, the computer generating the virtual ball blower is
again located in a central location and one or more output display devices are
located
in multiple gaming halls. In another embodiment, the computer generating the
virtual
ball blower is located in a central location and the satellite nodes are
individual
gaming stations geographically separated from the virtual ball blower and from
each
other.
The description of the present invention has been made with respect to
specific
l0 arrangements and constructions of a computer based method for mixing a
series of
objects by emulating a mechanical air blower device used in prior art. It will
be
apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing description is for
illustrative
purposes only, and that various changes and modifications can be made to the
present
invention without departing from the overall spirit and scope of the present
invention.
The full extent of the present invention is defined and limited only by the
following
claims.
Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus described
in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art
that
variations and modifications rnay be made without departing from the
invention. The
2~ invention includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the
scope of the
appended claims.
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