US 9,792,771 B2Granted

Bingo gaming system and method

OwnerZaki Khalinventor

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Abstract

A system or method for providing a bingo game in which a pattern of player indicia on a player card is matched to house indicia selected during the game. The system or method includes providing a first player card of a plurality of player cards that each include a plurality of player indicia and a pattern that includes at least a portion of the player indicia, using a device to randomly select a plurality of house indicia, determining whether a triggering criterion is met during the bingo game, and awarding a prize for each player card that achieves a partial pattern match with the selected house indicia upon the determination that the triggering criterion has been met. The partial pattern match is achieved by matching the selected house indicia with a predetermined number of player indicia, but not all of the player indicia, within the pattern.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A machine-implemented method for implementing a bingo game in which player indicia on a player card are matched to house indicia selected during the bingo game, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from at least one player playing an electronic bingo device comprising a bingo device controller, a wager accepting device configured to accept an item having associated monetary value to increase a credit balance associated with said electronic bingo device, and at least one electronic display, an input to purchase at least one player bingo card from said credit balance associated with said player's electronic bingo device;
transmitting, from a bingo game server to said electronic bingo device, information regarding said at least one player bingo card purchased by said at least one player, each of said player bingo cards having a plurality of spaces with associated player indicia;
designating, by said bingo game server, a predetermined winning combination comprising a number of spaces corresponding to said spaces of said at least one player bingo card;
displaying each of said player's bingo cards by said at least one electronic display of the player's bingo device;
generating, via said bingo game server, a plurality of house indicia;
transmitting information regarding said plurality of house indicia to said electronic bingo device;
displaying said plurality of house indicia via said at least one electronic display of said electronic bingo device;
determining, at said bingo game server, whether a triggering criterion is met during the bingo game;
determining, at said bingo game server, each player bingo card which achieved a near winning number of matches upon a determination that said triggering criterion is met, said near winning number of matches comprising matching the selected house indicia with the player indicia associated with a predetermined minimum number of any of the spaces of, but not all of the spaces of, said predetermined winning combination, regardless of the location of the spaces of the predetermined winning combination which are matched;
and
awarding a first prize for each player card which achieved a near winning number of matches.

8 more elements

A bingo gaming system comprising:

at least one electronic bingo device playable by a player, said electronic bingo device comprising a bingo device controller, a wager accepting device configured to accept an item having associated monetary value to increase a credit balance associated with said bingo device, and at least one electronic display, and at least one input device for a player of said electronic bingo device to purchase, using credit from said credit balance, at least one player bingo card;
a bingo game server in communication with said at least one electronic bingo device;
said bingo game server configured to transmit to said at least one electronic bingo device, information regarding said player bingo cards purchased by said player thereof, each of said player bingo cards having a plurality of spaces with associated player indicia;
said at least one electronic bingo device configured to display said player's bingo cards by said at least one electronic display of the player's electronic bingo device;
said bingo server configured to generate a plurality of house indicia and transmit information regarding said plurality of house indicia to said at least one electronic bingo device;
said at least one electronic bingo device configured to display said house indicia via said at least one electronic display thereof;
said bingo server configured to determine whether a triggering criterion is met during the bingo game;
said bingo server configured to determine each player card which achieved a near winning number of matches upon a determination that said triggering criterion is met, said near winning number of matches comprising matching the selected house indicia with the player indicia associated with a predetermined minimum number of any of the spaces of, but not all of the spaces of, a predetermined winning combination, regardless of the location of the spaces of the predetermined winning combination which are matched;
and
said bingo server configured to cause said at least two electronic bingo devices to award a first prize for each player card which achieved a near winning number of matches.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/084,114Filed 19 Nov 2013 · continuation in part
Priority: 24 Aug 2009
Published: US 2014/0080567 A120 Mar 2014
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G07F 17/329
Type of games: regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
A63F 3/062
Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games: bingo games, e.g. Bingo card games
A63F 3/0645
Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games: electric lottos or bingo games
G07F 17/3276
Games involving multiple players: wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Family

Application61/236,352Us provisional application · filed 24 Aug 2009
Application12/862,318Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Aug 2010
Application12/862,304Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Aug 2010
US 2014/0080567 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Mar 2014
US 8,715,057 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,740,686 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2011/0045889 A1Published application
US 2011/0045890 A1Published application
US 9,792,771 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.