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Pulltab/bingo controllerRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), In A Chance Application, Lot Match Or Lot Combination (e.g., Roulette, Lottery, Etc.), Plural Lots (e.g., Keno, Etc.), Plural Matches Create Pattern (e.g., Bingo, Etc.)Pulltab/bingo controller description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060046827, Pulltab/bingo controller. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to game playing methods for gaming machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing Class II games, such as pulltab games, lottery games and bingo games, on a gaming machine. [0002] Playing games of chance on gaming machines, such as slot machines and video poker machines, has proven to be a very popular form of entertainment. After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine indicates a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award of some type depending on the outcome of the game. A game outcome presentation may utilize many different visual and audio components such as flashing lights, music, sounds and graphics. The visual and audio components of the game outcome presentation may be used to draw a player's attention to various game features and to heighten the player's interest in additional game play. [0003] A traditional pulltab game includes scratch-off and peel-off types of gaming involving a card that has an outcome printed on it. The game consists of displaying the outcome. A pulltab game has a finite number of outcomes (a "pool"), all at the same price, predetermined to attain an established payout (e.g., 3 $1000 winners, 5 $500 winners and 10 $100 winners). The outcome is fixed and does not depend on any action by the player. Pulltab games are, in principle, similar to lottery games. Therefore, as used herein, the terms "pulltab," "pulltab game," etc., will include lottery games. [0004] Electronic Class II games, such as bingo and pulltab games, may be played in connection with a gaming machine. Electronic pulltab games are centrally determined. An electronic pulltab system involves a pool of game determinations, stored in the memory of a central server, which may be under the control of a gaming authority. A gaming terminal asks for one of those game determinations and the central system sends it. The gaming terminal displays a game outcome corresponding to the game determination, typically simulating game play (spinning reels and/or wheels, poker cards drawn, etc.), in order to create excitement and maintain the player's interest. Thus, the game determination is "used" and is marked as unavailable/deleted. The next time someone plays the game, he or she gets a game determination from a smaller set of possible game determinations. [0005] However, there are certain legal requirements for playing Class II games on gaming machines and these requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, some jurisdictions may require that a game determination be recorded on a portable physical medium, such as a ticket, for input to the gaming machine and/or that a cashout ticket indicate a game outcome (e.g., a representation of a poker hand) in human-readable form. In Iowa, for example, there is a requirement that there be a physical cashout ticket for a pulltab game. If a player desires to play an electronic pulltab game in Iowa, the player must normally buy a ticket at counter/kiosk, take it to a gaming machine and put it in a ticket reader of the gaming machine to allow the gaming machine to simulate playing a game according to the outcome specified on the ticket. One drawback is the potential for a ticket to be damaged or lost before the player may play it. There is no way to recreate the ticket for the player. Another drawback is the possibly of a player attempting to forge a winning ticket. This is usually addressed with by adding special printing techniques to encode secure information on the tickets, but these techniques raise the cost of printing the ticket. [0006] There are also hardware requirements for implementing Class II games on gaming machines, particularly for implementing automated cashless "ticket in, ticket out" ("TITO") systems. In addition to the gaming machines themselves, automated cashless TITO systems would require separate ticket printing kiosks, cashout kiosks, clerk validation terminals and a pulltab/bingo central controller. Such systems are new to Class II gaming and are not fully integrated with, e.g., pulltab gaming systems. TITO systems would be desirable for small and large gaming establishments. For smaller gaming establishments (i.e., those having a relatively small number of gaming machines as compared to a typical casino), automated cashless TITO systems would be particularly advantageous because of the time saved for, e.g., a convenience store operator to perform other tasks. However, prior art devices for implementing such systems would represent a significant monetary investment. Therefore, smaller gaming establishments may not have enough gaming machines to offset the cost of prior art systems. It would be desirable to provide more efficient methods and devices for Class II gaming on gaming machines, particularly with respect to TITO systems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention provides a gaming network device that maintains pools of game determinations and provides ticket authorization and validation services. In some embodiments of the invention, the network device electronically distributes the game determinations to gaming machines. In other embodiments, the network device prints tickets, or authorizes the printing of tickets, that indicate game determinations and the tickets are input to gaming machines to display corresponding game outcomes. Preferably, the network device also determines whether to approve cashout requests. In some embodiments, the network device may be implemented in a gaming machine or a cashout kiosk. [0008] Some embodiments of the invention provide a network device. The network device is configured to perform the following tasks: maintain a pool of game determinations from a game server, each game determination corresponding to a game outcome for a Class II game of chance; distribute game determinations from the pool; receive cash out requests corresponding to game outcomes; and determine whether the cash out requests are valid. The pool of game determinations may be stored in a storage device. One or more logic devices control the maintenance and distribution of game determinations, as well as determining whether the cash out requests are valid. [0009] The network device may be configured to transmit game determinations to a gaming machine. The network device may cause a ticket to be printed, indicating a first game determination and/or a first game outcome. The ticket may indicate at least one of a second game outcome and a second game determination. The ticket may indicate the first game outcome in human-readable form. The ticket may include instructions for causing a gaming machine to display a game outcome. [0010] The logic device(s) may also determine whether the pool has been depleted to a threshold level; and obtain additional game determinations, as needed, from the game server. In some implementations, the network device can simulate a game of chance corresponding to a game determination. [0011] The network device may store first information regarding the game outcomes and compare second information in the cash out requests with the first information. The network device may include a dispenser for dispensing cash for valid cash out requests. [0012] Some implementations of the invention provide a gaming network, including a clerk validation terminal and a gaming machine. The clerk validation terminal is configured to maintain a pool of game determinations from a game server, each game determination corresponding to a game outcome; distribute game determinations from the pool; receive cash out requests corresponding to game outcomes; and determine whether the cash out requests are valid. The game outcomes may be distributed in tangible forms (e.g., on tickets or other physical media) or electronic forms (e.g., via a network or via portable memory devices). The gaming machine receives game determinations and simulates games of chance corresponding to the game determinations. The gaming machine may receive the gaming determinations in tangible form, e.g., via a ticket reader such as a bill validator, or in electronic form, e.g., via a port, a scanner, an RFID reader, etc. [0013] Alternative aspects of the invention provide a gaming method. The gaming method includes the following steps: maintaining a local pool of game determinations in a network device of a gaming establishment; communicating with a local network device to obtain a game determination; issuing a game ticket that includes the game determination to a player in the gaming establishment; displaying a game outcome corresponding to the game determination; and printing a cash out ticket indicating the game outcome. The game ticket may be valid for a plurality of games. The cash out ticket may indicate a plurality of game outcomes. [0014] The game determination may be indicated by an RNG seed. The method may include the step of providing the player an opportunity to win a bonus and/or a progressive jackpot. The method may involve validating the cash out ticket, e.g., by the local network device. In some implementations, a winning cash out ticket may be used to play additional games. [0015] These and other features and advantages of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the associated drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a number of gaming machines with player tracking units connected to servers providing player tracking services. [0017] FIG. 2A is a flow chart that outlines some methods of the present invention. [0018] FIG. 2B is a flow chart that outlines other methods of the present invention. [0019] FIG. 3 is a gaming machine that may be used to implement some aspects of the invention. [0020] FIG. 4A illustrates one embodiment of a game ticket that may be used to implement some aspects of the present invention. [0021] FIG. 4B illustrates one embodiment of a cashout ticket that may be used to implement some aspects of the present invention. Continue reading about Pulltab/bingo controller... Full patent description for Pulltab/bingo controller Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Pulltab/bingo controller patent application. ###  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. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Pulltab/bingo controller or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Automobile racing suspension system Next Patent Application: Gaming device and method featuring an award occurring on non-winning outcomes Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Pulltab/bingo controller patent info. 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