US6179710B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic system and method for operating an auxiliary incentive game
Assignee: LNW Gaming Inc
•
Filing: 1999-04-23
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Granted: 2001-01-30
•
Expires: 2019-04-23
Abstract
Abstract The progress of each player in playing an auxiliary incentive game simultaneously with a primary card game is controlled and displayed at a gaming table. A prize display ( 34 ) is attached to the table and the prize display indicates at least one prize available to the player who accumulates a predetermined number of bonus points playing the auxiliary game. A player interface unit ( 30 ) is positioned on the table adjacent to each player. The player interface unit displays the number of bonus points received by the associated player. A dealer interface unit ( 32 ) is positioned on the table adjacent the dealer. The dealer interface unit includes control elements to allow the dealer to display the bonus points awarded to each player on the associated player interface unit and to activate a prize award control element on the player interface unit. The winning player selects a randomly indexed prize indicated on the prize display by manipulating the prize award control element on their player interface unit. A controller ( 36 ) is connected to the prize display and the player and dealer interface units to control the displays and operation of the equipment.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas E. Sawyer
- 👤 Tony A. Cranford
- 👤 R{acute over (e)}al B{acute over (e)}rub{acute over (e)}
- 👤 Marcel Huard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 08:59
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F9/00; A63F9/24; G; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/32; G07F17/3244; A63F3/00; A63F3/00003; A63F3/00157; G07F17/326; G07F17/3267; G07F17/3286; G07F17/3288; A63F11/00; A63F11/0051; A63F2011/0058; A63F2011/0072
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
199 words
A system for controlling and displaying each player's progress in an auxiliary incentive game played simultaneously with a principal or primary casino table game directed by a dealer or croupier and played on a gaming table, the auxiliary game involving each player receiving bonus points during the course of playing the primary game and each player being eligible to receive a prize only after accumulating a predetermined number of bonus points, said system comprising: a bonus point display for displaying the number of bonus points received by each player at the gaming table; a controller connected to the bonus point display and having first means for causing the display to display an incremented number of bonus points received by each player as new bonus points are received by each player, and second means for causing the display to reset and to display a starting number of bonus points in response to the number of bonus points received by the associated player reaching the predetermined number of bonus points; and a random bonus point generator associated with the controller for randomly awarding one of none and at least one bonus point to one of none and at least one player.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
199 words
A system for controlling and displaying each player's progress in an auxiliary incentive game played simultaneously with a principal or primary casino table game directed by a dealer or croupier and played on a gaming table, the auxiliary game involving each player receiving bonus points during the course of playing the primary game and each player being eligible to receive a prize only after accumulating a predetermined number of bonus points, said system comprising: a bonus point display for displaying the number of bonus points received by each player at the gaming table; a controller connected to the bonus point display and having first means for causing the display to display an incremented number of bonus points received by each player as new bonus points are received by each player, and second means for causing the display to reset and to display a starting number of bonus points in response to the number of bonus points received by the associated player reaching the predetermined number of bonus points; and a random bonus point generator associated with the controller for randomly awarding one of none and at least one bonus point to one of none and at least one player.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bonus point display comprises a common display mounted for easy viewing by players at the gaming table, the common display having a display element for each player.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as defined in claim 1 , further comprising: a player participation indicator for providing an indication of whether each player of the primary game has paid an additional wager to participate in the auxiliary game.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
95 words
A system as defined in claim 1 , wherein: the gaming table has predetermined player positions and the bonus point display has display elements associated with each one of the player positions; the controller awards randomly selected bonus points to the player positions when no player is playing at the player positions; the random bonus point generator means randomly also generates a bonus point clear signal; and the controller subtracts one of none, one, some and all of the bonus points accumulated by the player positions when no player is playing at the player positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
111 words
A system as defined in claim 1 , wherein: the gaming table has predetermined player positions and the bonus point display has display elements associated with each one of the player positions; the controller awards randomly selected bonus points to the player positions when the player playing at the player position has not paid to participate in the auxiliary game; the random bonus point generator means randomly also generates a bonus point clear signal; and the controller subtracts one of none, one, some and all of the bonus points accumulated by the player positions when the player playing at the player position has not paid to participate in the auxiliary game.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as defined in claim 1 , further comprising: means for resetting the bonus point display when the associated player leaves the gaming table.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system as defined in claim 6 , further comprising a start-up bonus point generator for randomly determining the start-up number of bonus points displayed on the bonus point display for a new player starting to play at the gaming table.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as defined in claim 1 , further comprising: means associated with the controller for receiving bonus points from another gaming table.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises a monetary value recording medium reader for receiving bonus points from another gaming table.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises means for use by the dealer or croupier for entering a value of bonus points for a player in exchange for a like value bonus point token.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
81 words
A system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bonus point display comprises a player interface unit associated with each player of the primary game and positioned on the gaming table adjacent to the player of the primary game, each player interface unit including a display element to display the number of bonus points received by the associated player, the second means causing the player interface unit to reset the display element to display the starting number of bonus points.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as defined in claim 11 , wherein the display element comprises an array of ‘n’ luminous indicators, where ‘n’ is the predetermined number of bonus points after which a prize is awarded.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
82 words
A system as defined in claim 11 , further comprising: a prize display including an indication of at least one prize available to each player who accumulates the predetermined number of bonus points, the prize display including at least one light emitting element associated with each indication, the controller being connected to the prize display and further comprising third means for controlling the light emitting elements associated with the indications on the prize display to indicate the prize received by each player.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system as defined in claim 13 , further including: a speaker connected to the controller; and wherein: the controller further includes a tone generator connected to the speaker and operative to produce a predetermined audible sound from the speaker during lighting of the light emitting elements of the prize indications prior to selection of the prize.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as defined in claim 14 , wherein: the controller controls the tone generator to produce an audible sound from the speaker when a bonus point is displayed at each player interface unit.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system as defined in claim 13 , further comprising: a dealer interface unit associated with the dealer of the primary game and positioned on the table adjacent to the dealer, the dealer interface unit including dealer control elements for signaling the controller to display bonus points on the bonus point display.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system as defined in claim 16 , wherein: the dealer interface unit includes a display for displaying game control information to the dealer; and the controller signals the display of the dealer interface unit to display information prompting the dealer to manipulate the dealer control elements in accordance with rules of play of the auxiliary game.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system as defined in claim 16 , wherein: the player interface unit further comprises a player control element manipulated by the associated player to select the prize.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
64 words
A system as defined in claim 18 , wherein: the prize display includes indications of a plurality of different prizes available to each player who accumulates the predetermined number of bonus points; and the controller randomly selects one of the plurality of different prizes in response to the manipulation of the activated player control element of the player interface unit by the associated player.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
53 words
A system as defined in claim 19 , wherein: the controller includes a random generator; the controller causes the random generator to select each of the prizes on a random basis; and the manipulation of the player control element by the associated player signals the random generator to select one of the prizes.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system as defined in claim 20 , wherein: the random generator indexes through each of the different prizes on a random basis; and the time instant when the player control element is manipulated is correlated to the one of the prizes which is indexed by the random generator.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as defined in claim 20 , wherein the controller establishes different odds for the random generator to select each of the prizes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system as defined in claim 22 , wherein: each of the different prizes has a different value; and the controller establishes lesser odds for selecting the greater valued prizes.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
64 words
A system as defined in claim 19 , wherein: the prize display includes a separate indication for each of the different prizes; and the controller signals the prize display to light the light emitting element of each indication of each prize immediately prior to the selection of the prize resulting from the associated player manipulating the player control element of the player interface unit.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system as defined in claim 24 , wherein: the controller signals the prize display to light the light emitting element of each prize indication in a predetermined sequence.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
55 words
A system as defined in claim 25 , wherein: the indications of each prize are positioned on the prize display in a predetermined pattern capable of exhibiting a sequence; and the predetermined sequence of lighting the light emitting elements of each prize indication is correlated to the predetermined pattern of indications on the prize display.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system as defined in claim 26 , wherein: the predetermined pattern is a rotational figure; and the predetermined sequence is a rotational sequence around the rotational figure pattern of indications.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system as defined in claim 25 , further including: a speaker connected to the controller; and wherein: the controller further includes a tone generator connected to the speaker and operative to produce a predetermined audible sound from the speaker during lighting the light emitting elements of each prize indication.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-01-30 | 2004-07-31 | 2005-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-01-30 | 2008-07-31 | 2009-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-07-31 | 2013-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |