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Personal game device and methodPersonal game device and method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070225067, Personal game device and method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application claims the priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/785,743, filed Mar. 24, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]In an embodiment, the present invention is directed to a portable electronic game device programmed for playing poker, particularly "No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em" against a plurality of virtual opponents or players that each have predefined characteristics, the device having a personal computer interface, a memory accumulator for cumulatively storing earned points, and a means of communication with a hosted website or remote server computer that tracks unique identifiers for the game device and its associated player and allows the player to compete with other players for prizes based on the total accumulated points earned by the individual player or to obtain universal rankings. In another embodiment, invention also relates to methods of using such a portable game device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]Poker was invented over a century ago, but its popularity has experienced recent dramatic growth, largely due to innovations in game playing technology. Broadcasts of poker tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour have huge audiences. The invention of miniature cameras has turned the game into a spectator sport in which viewers can follow the action and drama of the game. The introduction of online poker has made the game available to anyone with access to a personal computer and an Internet connection. [0004]Traditionally poker has been played in casinos, card rooms, clubs, and homes throughout the country. While such games are popular, there are a number of drawbacks. One problem for commercial gaming establishments is that the game is player versus player, as opposed to player versus the house. This means that the house must collect a percentage of the pot to make a profit. Because each hand can take a considerable amount of time, given the number of betting rounds and the time inherent in bluffing, attempting to read other players, and so on, the profit margin for the house is limited. In addition, many would-be customers are simply too intimidated to play against other players, especially in light of the fact that the other players may be professional card players with considerable experience. What is needed is a game that may be based on poker but that does not require a player to play directly against another human player. It is further desirable that player actions such as increasing the bet and folding the hand can be performed without time consuming bluffing and attempting to read other players, to provide acceptable turnaround time per hand. It is further desirable that the game is not intimidating to new or inexperienced players. It is further desirable that the game maintain some elements of successive betting and have a method of play and payout structure that maintains player interest. [0005]Gambling enterprises such as casinos have benefited from several recent inventions. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0239546 ("the '546 Publication") discloses a player-tracking unit that provides a display and a player-tracking controller designed or configured to provide a web browser on the display. The player-tracking unit may include input devices for receiving selections associated with the web browser. 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 or total amount of games played. Rewards may be free meals, free lodging, or free entertainment. These player-tracking and accounting systems are used in most casinos. The player-tracking account server is designed to store player-tracking account information, such as information regarding a player's previous game play, and to calculate player-tracking points based on a player's game play that may be used as basis for providing rewards to the player. Such programs allow a casino to identify and reward customers based upon their previous game play history. The '546 Publication provides player-tracking units with web browsers configured to provide web content through a display on the player-tracking unit. By providing access to web content from a player-tracking unit, content providers, such as gaming establishments having a website, etc., can provide static or dynamic content efficiently at one website. If changes are made to the website, all of these users will receive the updated information without the content provider needing to update various channels of communication. The '546 Publication does not disclose a stand-alone game device that can accumulate game points for later uploading or an interactive website. Also, the '546 Publication does not disclose prize competitions based on points accumulated by playing the game. [0006]U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0208989 ("the '989 Publication") discloses methods of and systems for playing tournament-style games, such as the World Series of Poker. The '989 Publication provides a wagering game of skill is provided wherein a game player is eligible to play the wagering game of skill through the use of an alternative method of entry ("AMOE"). The wagering game of skill may be available to be played on a communication network or by submitting an entry by mail or over the Internet. The AMOE entry may be used by a player to enter a game against the house or against other players. An entry to play against other players may include entry into a tournament where the house retains part of all paid entry fees; the retained house fees may be used to pay the entrance fee at a full or reduced rate for AMOE entries in the tournament. Components of the system include payment methods, payout methods, and game engines, all of which may be implemented by using software, hardware, and firmware, including application-specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"). [0007]U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0070178 ("the '178 Publication") discloses an electronic poker tournament system for providing gaming tournaments in a computer-networked environment comprising several servers and a database. The gaming system adjusts to several styles of poker. Instead of programming a single style or various styles of poker, the system reads its tournament settings from a script file and reads its poker rules from a data file. The server is a software process that perpetually runs on the system hardware. The functions of the lounge server include orchestrating and managing various tournaments and ring games including the merging of tables and tracking participating players, spawning table servers when appropriate for tournaments, sending and receiving messages to and from the lounge client to receive player input and provide the player with updated information, and reading from and writing to the database to obtain or store necessary information on players, ring games, or tournaments. The lounge server may send messages to table servers to direct the servers to modify game parameters such as changing the type of game or the betting limits of the game. Each player who wants to participate in the system must have their own lounge client, as players do not directly interact with the lounge server. When a player is ready to participate, he loads up his lounge client. The lounge client automatically connects to the lounge server. A database tracks a player's user name and contains player specific information such as the player's real name, credit card information, a postal mailing address, the number of chips, recent usage of the system, and game specific information such as the last five hands that the player has played. [0008]U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0102047 is directed to a system and method for playing a team gaming tournament that allows players to form teams of one or more players in order to allow a team's performance in a gaming tournament to be dependent on both the performance of each individual member of the team as well as the number of players on each team. The method includes permitting a plurality of users to enter a game, forming teams, sending user input to the server, and calculating a placement finish for each team in the gaming tournament in conformity with a predetermined formula having dependence on both a number of users and a performance of each user. For example, the gaming tournament may be managed by a live or Internet casino and is a poker gaming tournament. [0009]U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,952 discloses a remote gaming system whereby a player can gamble against a wagering establishment or lottery from a remote location on a personal computer or portable computer device where it is unnecessary to establish an on-line connection with a host computer associated with the wagering establishment. The gaming computer has associated gaming software for providing at least one wagering opportunity and enabling the player to obtain gambling credit and cash-out any resulting winnings. The host computer enables the player to purchase and redeem gambling credit at the remote location in one embodiment of the invention using cryptographic protocols such as through a series of authenticatable message exchanges between the player and the wagering establishment, the gaming computer and the host computer directly on-line. The gaming computer can also have a detachable tamper-resistant or tamper-evident credit module associated therewith or for use with a personal computer being provided to the player with preinstalled or preloaded gambling credit. The gaming system also enables participation in future events of which the outcome is uncertain such as, for example, a lottery whereby the player makes selections on a gaming computer at a remote location. Software can be provided that instructs the gaming computer to read unique magnetic characteristics of the specific data storage media on which gaming software is made available for installation, for the purpose of creating a unique authenticatable message to be read and authenticated by the wagering establishment to reveal any unauthorized duplication of, or tampering with, data on that disk or data storage media. [0010]There lacks, however, a portable electronic game device programmed for playing poker, particularly "No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em" against a plurality of virtual opponents or players that each have predefined characteristics, the device having a personal computer interface, a memory accumulator for cumulatively storing earned points, and a means of communication with a hosted website or remote server computer that tracks unique identifiers for the game device and its associated player and allows the player to compete with other players for prizes based on the total accumulated points earned by the individual player or to obtain universal rankings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011]In an embodiment, the present invention is directed to a portable game device programmed for playing No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em, with a communications interface (e.g., a serial or USB interface), a plurality of virtual "players" having predefined characteristics, and a memory accumulator for cumulatively storing points, wherein the serial or USB port is optionally accessible to a hosted website, and wherein the website tracks unique identifiers for the game device and its associated player/subscriber, and allows the player/subscriber to compete with other subscribers for prizes based on the total accumulated points earned by the individual player/subscriber, and to obtain universal rankings. In certain aspects, the present invention does not enable the user to compete directly with other human players in a poker game, but rather provides defined virtual players that play the game against the user, in order to determine the points accumulated by the user. The present invention also provides for resetting the stakes of the various virtual players based on the accumulated points of the user. The communications interface of the game device of the present invention is used for transferring points accumulated on the game device to a server, and it is generally not used for communication with master gaming controllers or for tracking players' patronage for the purpose of determining rewards. The game device is programmed for multiple virtual players with whom the user competes to accumulate points, which may be accumulated from one session to the next. In an embodiment, accumulated points are used as a basis for setting the stakes of a new session. The invention also provides a website or server accessible over the Internet, or similar communication means, for registering player award points. [0012]Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013]FIG. 1 is an example game device of the invention. [0014]FIG. 2 illustrates a scheme by which players use a game device to accumulate points and to communicate with a server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0015]Referring to FIG. 1, an example game device 4 is shaped like a map of the State of Texas, and it is configured to allow the player to play Texas No-Limit Hold 'Em poker, although in principle the device could be configured to allow play of any of a variety of poker games. Such poker varieties, which are within the scope of the present invention, are described in detail in Robert's Rules of Poker, which is incorporated herein by reference. [0016]In Texas Hold 'Em, each player is dealt two hole cards face down. Five community cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table, which also may be called the board. The player who makes the best five-card poker hand with any combination of his hole cards and the five community cards wins the round. In a conventional Texas Hold 'Em game, a disc or other marker is used to indicate which player is the dealer for the round. In electronic game device 4 of the invention the dealer is similarly identified. [0017]Before the cards are dealt, the two players to the left of the dealer post forced bets called blinds. The player immediately to the left of the dealer posts a bet called the small blind, which is usually equal to half of the minimum bet. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which is equal to the minimum bet. The hole cards are dealt to each player face down and the player to the left of the big blind starts the betting. In the first round of betting, each player has three options: call, raise or fold. To call, the player must place a bet that is equal to the last bet placed. For the first player in the round, this would be equal to the minimum bet. A player may choose to raise his bet by an additional amount, which the other players will then have to call. If a player's hole cards are not favorable, the player may simply choose to fold and sit out the round. [0018]After all the players have finished the first round of betting, the first three community cards are dealt face up on the board. This is called the flop. The second and all subsequent betting rounds start with the first player to the dealer's left, and players now have the option to check. By checking, the player indicates interest in the pot without placing a bet. Any player may choose to place a bet, which the other players must then call. Players can still raise, if a bet has been made, or fold if their hand is not favorable. After all remaining players have bet (or folded) the flop, the fourth community card is dealt face-up. This is the turn card. The minimum bet doubles in the last two rounds of betting in Limit Texas Hold 'Em, while in No Limit Texas Hold 'Em the minimum bet is usually the amount equal to the big blind. After the turn betting round, the fifth and final community card is dealt. This is the river card. A final round of betting ensues, and each player turns their hole cards face up in the order in which they bet. Players can muck their hole cards (throw them in the used card pile) if an opponent has shown a better hand. The highest hand that can be made with any combination of the player's hole cards and the five community cards wins the pot. If two or more players have the same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand (the kicker) is used to break a tie. If there is no kicker card, then the pot is split between them. The dealer button is then passed clockwise to the next player and another round of play begins. Continue reading about Personal game device and method... Full patent description for Personal game device and method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Personal game device and method patent application. Patent Applications in related categories: 20090286595 - Gaming system and method of gaming - A method of gaming includes providing a player with allocation units to be utilised in a game to set at least one attribute value affecting an outcome of the game. The at least one attribute value of the game is set based on an allocation of the allocation units and ... ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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