Virtual roulette game   

Abstract: A virtual roulette game is provided. An example system models virtual roulette wheel operation and generates a repeating sequence of numbers associated with a rotating roulette wheel. Each roulette number is shown, in turn, across multiple individual player displays, effectively turning the collective displays into a view of the rotating virtual roulette wheel. A player may place many types of wagers on where a number or virtual roulette ball will end up. In one implementation, a player may be designated as the virtual roulette ball. The system may allow multiple virtual roulette balls to change odds or enable additional bets. Color-coded roulette balls may also provide rolled die outcome, so that roulette and dice games may be played simultaneously on the same setup. The player stations of multiple electronic game tables and multiple remote video displays may be collectively coupled to become a single virtual roulette wheel.

Roulette is a casino game in which players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even.

Conventional roulette uses a physical wheel that rotates as a ball rolls along the wheel in the opposite direction and drops into a pocket (slot) when the ball loses momentum. The pocket has a specific number or symbol, which is arrived at randomly since the ball is equally likely to land anywhere around a perimeter of the wheel. Electronic versions of roulette animate the wheel as a video image, either on a single-player video display, or on a large communal display for a group of players, or as an animation of the complete roulette wheel, reproduced many times on numerous individual displays for multiple players.

Roulette wheels may have 37 pockets (French/European single-zero style) or 38 pockets (American double-zero style). Each pocket has a unique color, number, or symbol. The double-zero wheel is used in the U.S., Caribbean countries, and South America, while the single zero-wheel is used in most other places.

SUMMARY

A virtual roulette game is provided. An example system models virtual roulette wheel operation and generates a repeating sequence of numbers associated with a rotating roulette wheel. Each roulette number is shown, in turn, across multiple individual player displays, effectively turning the collective displays into a view of the rotating virtual roulette wheel. A player may place many types of wagers on where a number or virtual roulette ball will end up. In one implementation, a player may be designated as the virtual roulette ball. The system may allow multiple virtual roulette balls to change odds or enable additional bets. Color-coded roulette balls may also provide rolled die outcome, so that roulette and dice games may be played simultaneously on the same setup. The player stations of multiple electronic game tables and multiple remote video displays may be collectively coupled to become a single virtual roulette wheel.

This summary section is not intended to give a full description of virtual roulette games, or to provide a list of features and elements. A detailed description of example embodiments of the electronic gaming system follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of one example system capable of executing an example virtual roulette game.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example computer environment for performing an example virtual roulette game.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example virtual roulette engine shown in FIG. 2, in greater detail.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of example movement of a numerical sequence and an example game piece.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of example display of multiple roulette numbers at each player station.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of example partitioning of virtual roulette wheel numbers across players stations and diverse hardware.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of example movement of a dynamically repeating numerical sequence across a selected sequence of player stations.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of an example roulette game using multiple virtual roulette balls.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of an example implementation designating a player as a virtual roulette ball.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of example dice outcome associated with virtual roulette balls.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a collection of electronic game tables networked to manifest most of a dynamically repeating numerical sequence of a virtual roulette wheel.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of an example method of performing a virtual roulette game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

This disclosure describes virtual roulette games. As shown in FIG. 1, an example system 100 generates an operating model of a virtual roulette wheel 102, including the characteristic repeating sequence of numbers on a typical rotating roulette wheel. Player stations 104, for example on an electronic game table 106, are designated to become a view of at least a section of the virtual roulette wheel 102. Each individual number 108 (and color) on the virtual roulette wheel 102 moves across the designated player stations 104 in turn, simulating the rotating action of the virtual roulette wheel 102. When used, one or more virtual roulette balls 110 also move across the designated player stations 104 in turn. The virtual roulette wheel 102 may be shown in its entirety on a community display 112 viewable by all players.

A player may place many types of wagers on where a number 108, color, or virtual roulette ball 110 will end up. In one implementation, a player may be designated as the virtual roulette ball. The system also allows multiple virtual roulette balls 110 to be used at once, in order to change the game odds or to enable additional or separate bets on each (e.g., color-coded) virtual roulette ball 110. Color-coded virtual roulette balls 110 may also provide a rolled die outcome, so that roulette and dice games may be selected and played simultaneously on the same setup. The virtual roulette game is not limited to conventional roulette numbers 108 and colors, but may employ other symbols and colors. The player stations 104 of multiple electronic game tables 106 and multiple remote video displays, in different rooms or different locations, may be collectively coupled to participate and become the single virtual roulette wheel 102 for purposes of a game round.

In one implementation, an electronic game table 106 or other game apparatus includes a controller 114 that further includes an example virtual roulette engine 116 to implement the virtual roulette games. In another implementation, a server couples multiple game tables and remote displays to become a view of the virtual roulette wheel 102.

Example Systems

FIG. 2 shows the example controller 114 and example virtual roulette engine 116 of FIG. 1, in greater detail. A typical example controller 114 for an electronic game table 106 has a processor 202, memory 204, data storage 206, and various interfaces 208. Through communicative coupling, for example a network 210, the controller 114 can communicate with and control the various player stations 104, each typically consisting of a user interface and visual display for images and graphics. The controller 114 may includes game instructions and rules 212 for particular different games, shown in FIG. 2 as software loaded into memory 204.

The interfaces 208 can be one or more hardware and software components that drive the visual displays and communicate with the interactive components, e.g., touch screen displays of multiple participant user interfaces 104, 104′, and 104″.

An example virtual roulette system 100, as described herein, generates virtual roulette wheel logic 102 but plays out the action of a virtual roulette wheel 102 by making multiple video displays of one or more electronic game tables 106 act as the roulette wheel. Each video display at a player station 104 may show one roulette wheel “slot” or pocket at a time, i.e., one number 108 from the virtual roulette wheel 102 at any given instant. The multiple video displays become the visual manifestation of a rotating sequence of the numbers on the virtual roulette wheel 102. Thus, in one implementation, the movement of the virtual roulette wheel 102 is shown by numbers 108 on the virtual roulette wheel 102 moving in sequence past each participant\'s video display.

FIG. 3 shows an example virtual roulette engine 116 in greater detail than in FIGS. 1 and 2. The illustrated implementation is only one example configuration for the sake of description, to introduce features and components of an engine that can perform the example virtual roulette games. The illustrated components are only examples. Different configurations or combinations of components than those shown may be used to perform virtual roulette as described. The example virtual roulette engine 116 can be implemented in hardware, or in combinations of hardware and software. Illustrated components are communicatively coupled with each other for communication as needed.

The example virtual roulette engine 116 has a game selector 302 to allow players to choose between different games and different versions of the virtual roulette games. A player station tracker 304 manages which player stations 104 and remote displays to involve in a virtual roulette game. A modeling engine 306 has a roulette kinematics engine 308 and a numerical sequence controller 310. A display engine 312 has a sequence animator 314 and a game piece graphics engine 316. A wagering engine 318 enables the players to bet on an outcome generated by the virtual roulette wheel 102. A random number generator 320 may be used to generate random outcomes in some games. The virtual roulette engine 116 may include various interfaces 322, such as software interfaces and hardware interfaces.

Example Operation

As shown in FIG. 4, only one section 402 of the virtual roulette wheel 102 need be animated at any given time across participating video displays or player stations 104. Thus, the example system 100 generates virtual roulette wheel logic 102 and uses various pieces of gaming equipment to visually manifest at least a segment 402 of the virtual roulette wheel. Multiple video displays each become a window for seeing one number 108 (or, e.g., a few numbers) of the virtual roulette wheel 102 at a time. However, the entire virtual roulette wheel 102 may be shown in miniature on a common display 112 viewable by participating players in a given setting.

In one implementation, only one virtual roulette wheel number 108 (i.e., one pocket) is animated at a given player station 104 at a time. A virtual roulette ball 110 comes to rest at one of the numbers designating the winning number. A number of different wagers may be associated with 1) which roulette number 108 the virtual roulette ball 110 lands on; 2) which player station 104 the virtual roulette ball 110 lands at; and 3) which player station 104 a given roulette number 108 lands on. In other words, in one implementation, there is a virtual roulette number 108 for the virtual ball 110 to land on; a player station 104 for the virtual ball 110 to land on; and a player station 104 for a given roulette number 108 to land on.

As the individual roulette numbers 108 (colors, or symbols) move in sequence past the player stations 104, there is typically a numerical sequence direction of motion 404 and an animated roulette ball direction of motion 406.

As shown in FIG. 5, in another implementation, each participating video display or player station 104 may show two or more of the roulette wheel numbers 108 (and/or colors, symbols, etc.) at a time, as the roulette wheel numbers 108 move across the participating video displays in sequence. A player, or the house, may choose the scope of the view that each player station 104 has of the virtual roulette wheel 102. In one implementation, a player may see more numbers at a time in relation to betting more, to increase chances of winning. The quantity of roulette numbers 108 to display may also vary by player station 104 even when the player stations 104 are at the same electronic game table 106. For example, in one implementation, the player may wish to wager on three pockets of the virtual roulette wheel 102 at a time, and so the example system 100 opens a segment of the virtual roulette wheel 102 at that player\'s station 104 that shows three pockets at once. If a virtual roulette ball 110 lands in one of the three shown pockets, the player may win a side bet or a bonus bet, in addition to winning or not winning a separate bet on which number 108 the ball lands on.

As shown in FIG. 6, and as introduced above, parts of the virtual roulette wheel 102, such as parts 602, 604, 606, 608, and 610, are manifested in various physical video displays of individual player stations 104 at any one given time. The physical video displays do not have to be at the same electronic game table 106, and do not have to be in any physical order. The virtual roulette logic for individual numbers 108 of a single virtual roulette wheel 102 may be manifested across a number of different electronic game tables 612, 614, 616 each table having multiple player stations 104. The multiple electronic game tables 106 or remote player stations 618, 620 making up the virtual roulette wheel 102 may be physically separated within a room, or even in different rooms.

As shown in FIG. 7, the hardware pieces 618, 620 or game tables recruited to form parts of the virtual roulette wheel 102 do not have to be placed or located in any physical order. The virtual roulette wheel can be manifested on a group of displays that may include the player positions of different types of electronic game tables in addition to a number of remote displays connected to the system by network or Internet. The dynamically repeating number sequence 702 generated by the numerical sequence controller 310 is animated by the sequence animator 314 to move across all participating positions in a sequence of player stations 104 determined by the player station tracker 304. That is, the player station tracker 304 tabulates the participating player stations 104, determines a sequence of these player stations 104, and runs the dynamically repeating numerical sequence 702, which is fixed, across the displays in the determined order. For example, the player station tracker 304 is likely to keep the participating player stations 104 at a given electronic game table 106 in a sequence that matches their physical placement at the table 106. In this manner, the moving numerical sequence 702 can provide an animation of the virtual roulette wheel 102 rotating, because the numbers 108 move between consecutive displays and appear to take on the momentum of a rotating, accelerating, and decelerating roulette wheel. Likewise, the roulette kinematics engine 308 animates the virtual roulette ball(s) 110, when used, across the player stations 104 to provide a visual impression of continuous ball movement.

In one implementation, the roulette kinematics engine 308 models roulette from a real, physical automated roulette wheel. For example, real automated roulette wheels may have an electric motor to turn the rotor. These may decelerate the wheel to a stop once the ball has landed, and the virtual roulette wheel 102 and virtual roulette balls 110 may be modeled in real-time on this real physical behavior. The physical roulette wheel, whether automated or not, can be mapped to one or more electronic game tables 106. Since the roulette numbers are already in a particular fixed sequence, only one slot position needs to be known in order to display a correct number and slot position on every designated player station 104. Determining a slot position may be achieved by sensor or image recognition. Conventional roulette wheels may use a camera and/or sensors to find where a roulette ball lands. Electric motors may spin the rotor at various speeds and can be programmed to slow the rotor to a stop, when desired.

As shown in FIG. 8, the example system 100 may use multiple virtual roulette balls 802. The roulette kinematics engine 308 may give these multiple virtual roulette balls 802 the same rotation direction around the virtual roulette wheel 102, or may each be given a respective or different direction of rotation. A given virtual roulette ball 110 may be animated as visually originating on a dealer display or a common display 112 before moving along the displays of the designated player stations 104. 14. Multiple virtual roulette balls 110 may be color-coded, and separate wagers placed on each color-coded roulette ball.

When the virtual roulette ball 110 settles into a given wheel slot according to customary roulette, this does not necessarily have to be visible at any player stations 104, although it can be. A player may see which slot a virtual roulette ball 110 is in on, during the next pass by their screen (or on a community screen 112). Once a virtual roulette ball 110 has dropped, the wheel may start slowing down, eventually coming to a stop. This may allow for some additional roulette bets. A player may bet red or black on the virtual roulette ball 110 landing at their player station 104, in addition to betting red or black on the virtual roulette ball 110 landing at a selected number 108. Or, a player may bet that their favorite number 108 will show up on their player station 104. In one implementation, a player may bet that a specific number 108 will show up one left or one right of their player station 104 (i.e., a neighbor bet). A player may also bet that a selected number will land on one of the six (or other number) player stations 104 at the player\'s local table 106. As above, the player may also bet that the virtual roulette ball 110 will land on the player\'s own player station 104. In one implementation, the entire roulette action is paused the instant the virtual roulette ball 110 drops into a slot, and the player bets are paid out on the number 108 and virtual roulette ball 110 positions at that instant (instead of slowing to a stop once the ball settles). In one implementation, the roulette kinematics engine 308 causes at least one virtual roulette ball 110 to always drop onto one of the participating player stations when the virtual roulette wheel 102 comes to rest (rather than having the ball drop onto a slot that is not being displayed).

These roulette actions and wagers also apply to variations of roulette that use symbols instead of numbers on the virtual roulette wheel 102.

In one implementation, players may wager to determine the number of virtual roulette balls 110 to be used, to increase chances of winning. In one implementation, a player may intervene for a particular virtual roulette ball 110 to change rotation direction around the virtual roulette wheel 102. In another implementation, a player may intervene to cause one or more of the virtual roulette balls to collide and reverse momentum, bouncing off each other. In yet another implementation, a player may intervene to give a particular virtual roulette ball 110 a boost, re-accelerating the virtual roulette ball 110 to a higher speed from which to decelerate.

As shown in FIG. 9, a given player 902 or player position 104 can be elected as the virtual roulette ball 110. In this scenario, the virtual roulette wheel 102 is animated to move through all participating player displays 104. A certain player 902 is designated as “the ball.” When the virtual roulette wheel 102 comes to rest, a particular pocket or roulette number 108 that stops at the designated player 902 becomes the winning number. In this scenario, the designated player 902 is not necessarily the winner, but just the elected marker determining a winning pocket (number or symbol) when the virtual roulette wheel 102 stops spinning. Other players may win by having wagered on the pocket (number or symbol) that comes to rest at their neighbor\'s display, when the neighbor is designated as the virtual ball, for example.

Likewise, in one implementation, one or more virtual roulette balls 110 are used in a round of play, and one or more players 902 are elected as “extra” roulette balls, for various bets.

FIG. 10 shows virtual roulette balls 110 that also provide a dice outcome 1002. In one implementation, the game piece graphics engine 316 may visually render the virtual roulette balls 110 themselves as dice 1002 instead of spheres, tumbling around the roulette track (not shown). Thus, in one implementation, each virtual ball 110 is also a virtual die or is displayed as a die. Each roulette spin or result also provides a dice roll or result. For example, three dice (i.e., balls) can be used on the same virtual roulette wheel 102, resulting in three roulette outcomes and a three die roll result. In this scenario, a player may bet on a roulette outcome or can choose to bet on a second game, such as Sickbo (or other dice game) with respective bet layout. Or the player may select a combination thereof. The player can select which game to play at their player station 104. The virtual dice, or virtual balls, can be of different colors, allowing the player to select which color roulette ball to bet on (thereby keeping the roulette bet odds the same as in a traditional game). Or, the dice (or balls) may be of the same color and the player places one bet, the additional dice or balls increasing the player\'s chance of winning (but likely lowering payback odds).

FIG. 11 shows six example electronic game tables 106, each having six player stations 104. This provides a scenario in which almost every number on the virtual roulette wheel 102 can be displayed at once, and the roulette wheel numbers 108 move around the entire array of tables. As introduced above, the player station tracker 304 can recruit any number of electronic game tables and other remote displays, with 1-6 tables being an ideal configuration for completing a manifestation of the virtual roulette wheel 102. If there are more than six tables, some of the player stations can have blank spaces on some of the player stations 104 or share/repeat numbers on some of the player stations.

When multiple electronic game tables 106 are used, each table can be identified graphically on the wheel as a six-slot section of the virtual roulette wheel 102. A player can select which section to play by sitting at a certain table. For example, a player may prefer table “five” because it correlates to section “5” of the virtual roulette wheel 102 where the player\'s favorite number always seems to land.

Likewise, in one implementation, each player may choose which view or “ticker” of the virtual roulette wheel 102 to play on their player station 104. This is similar to spin-the-wheel games in which each player has a respective ticker or arrow. Each player may play a different arrow. In one implementation, the virtual roulette wheel 102 can have a ticker or numbered arrow for each slot. The player can select, for example, arrow “26” to be the arrow displayed at the player\'s station 104.

An electronic game table 106 representing a “section” of the virtual roulette wheel 102 can be identified by a poster, community display 112, table information, etc. This can enable a player to sit at their “lucky section” of the roulette wheel.

Example Method

FIG. 12 shows an example method 1200 of virtual roulette. Operations are shown as individual blocks. The example method 1200 may be executed by combinations of hardware and software, for example, by the virtual roulette engine 116.

At block 1202, virtual roulette wheel operation is modeled. Logical instructions suitable for running on a processor simulate the kinematic motion of a roulette wheel and ball(s), and the dynamically repeating numerical sequence characteristic of a rotating roulette wheel. Various physical effects of roulette and the animation of roulette numbers and visual across multiple player station displays may be modeled mathematically for simulation of a roulette wheel and roulette balls in real time.

At block 1204, player stations are designated.

At block 1206, a different part or section of the modeled virtual roulette wheel is displayed at each of the designated player stations.

At block 1208, the different parts or sections of the virtual roulette wheel are animated across the player stations, in a sequence.

This example electronic or computer method 1200 models a virtual roulette wheel operation including generating a dynamically repeating sequence of numbers associated with the virtual roulette wheel. The example method 1200 designates player stations for wagering on the virtual roulette wheel operation, each player station having a respective video display. Player stations may be designated by the player deciding to place a wager. The example method displays, in turn, different parts of the dynamically repeating sequence of numbers of the virtual roulette wheel on each of the designated player stations in turn. That is, the designated displays become different (e.g., adjacent) views of a segment of the virtual roulette wheel, showing the numbers associated with the virtual roulette wheel pass by in sequence. A single number on the virtual roulette wheel may pass by each designated player station in order. Wagers are accepted from the designated player stations, and when the virtual roulette wheel operation triggers a payout, the example method calculates the payout based on the wager.

Conclusion

Although exemplary systems have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claimed systems, methods, and structures.