FI85560C - Facility for games of the bingo type - Google Patents

Description

1 85560

The present invention relates to an apparatus for bingo, roulette and other similar games. For example, 5 bingo games are played in which each player buys or otherwise has access to a certain number of tiles marked with a combination of numbers. The game manager starts the game and randomly draws different numbers. Each player marks the drawn numbers on their tiles. When these 10 marked numbers form a certain pattern, for example a full line, the player has received a bingo and then a game win.

In the bingo game, a computer has been used as an aid, to which the game director gives instructions. The computer can then 15 perform the planning of the game, the random selection of different numbers and the planning of the winnings, so that, for example, the level of winnings set by the authorities is always observed.

Instead, the present invention relates to an apparatus or system for games of this type having a central computer that receives commands from a game controller and comprises one or more units, and independent gaming terminals with a processor and memory operated by the players. 25 A unit of information, such as a plastic card, is used to record the purchases made by each player, such as game tiles or the number of games. There is a card reader / writer on both the mainframe and the players' computers to read and write the card.

The features of the invention are set out in more detail in the appended claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a gaming device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a central processing unit, the preferred embodiment of which comprises two interconnected personal computers 3 and 5, which are of the conventional type 5 and which have a processor, a processing memory, a keyboard, a screen, communication ports and a permanent mass memory. Also connected to the central unit 1 is a conventional printer 9 which writes the desired information on paper. The first computer 10 3 of the unit comprising these two computers is used for cash operations. S is connected to a card reader 7 which reads and writes a plastic card with a write and read memory, for example a "Smartcard".

The second computer 5 controls the game centrally and mainly independently, but also responds to the commands of the game manager 15, which are entered on the keyboard of the control computer. The central processing unit 1 is connected via its communication port to a line controller 16 which amplifies the signal of the network line 11, thus the line 11 leaves the central processing unit 1 and onwards to the terminal unit 13 and from there to the next terminal unit 13, where one terminal unit is placed. These terminals are also complete personal computers and have a processor, cache, keyboard, and communication ports. Each such player terminal 13 is also connected to a plastic card reader / writer 15.

The operation of the system is now generally described when applied to a simple bingo game. When a player is playing for the first time, he receives a non-programmed plastic card. The player pays their bet and gets 30 cards back and comes with a receipt with ID numbers, date, time, bet and balance. This information is also stored in the card's read and write memory and, in addition, is stored in the permanent mass memory of the cash register unit 3, which is, for example, a magnetic disk.

35 The player then goes to the free terminal 13. There 3 85560 he inserts a plastic card into the reader / writer 15 and then starts using the keys on the terminal's keyboard to prepare to play. With the help of the various images displayed on the screen, which are made visible and selected by pressing 5 different keys, the player thus selects the number combinations that suit his tiles. Terminal 13 normally generates these number combinations independently, after which the player accepts or mutates them. When the game starts, a notification will appear on the 13 screens of the terminal, and 10 players will then choose whether he wants to be involved and, if so, how many tiles he will participate in the game. The terminal then decides, based on the player's balance, that the player can play with the number of tiles of his choice.

15 The start of a new game is notified by the host computer 5 that controls the game, which then automatically selects random numbers. These numbers are sent to all player terminals 13. The terminals then mark these numbers on the tile images belonging to the respective terminal. 20 When bingo is obtained on one of the tiles, the relevant terminal 13 notifies the game management unit 5 and the game can be stopped or continued with higher stakes. The correct tile or possibly the correct tiles and also the nu-25 number of the winning terminal or terminals will then be displayed on the screens of all terminals.

’: The player can now take his plastic card out of the card reader / writer 15 and go to the cash register 3 to pick up his winnings. In this case, the card is re-inserted into the reader / writer 7 and the player then receives his winnings 30 as he wishes. The new balance is stored on a plastic card and in non-volatile memory.

The operation of the apparatus will now be described in more detail with particular emphasis on the data 35 to be transferred between the central unit '· *' unit 1 and the player terminals 13.

4,85560

Regarding the communication between the central processing unit 1 and the player terminals 13, the following should be noted in general:

The central processing unit 1 can send notifications simultaneously to all terminals or only to one terminal 5 at a time.

Only one terminal at a time is allowed to answer.

The terminal may only respond if the central unit sends it a query.

Thus, the central processing unit 1 sends commands to all 10 player terminals 13, which answer yes or no, possibly with some notification, which is thus sent to the central processing unit 1.

When the customer receives a new card, identification numbers are written to both the card's read and write memory and the main unit's non-volatile memory, as already mentioned above. In addition, the amount paid by the customer and the customer's balance are written on the card and in the memory.

The player then sits at his seat next to the free terminal 13 and enters his card into the card reader 15 of the terminal 20. In this case, the terminal 13 starts and information about the card is sent to the CPU 1. The CPU 1 responds and sends several notifications to this terminal 13. , read from the centre's mass memory, * * · information about the current game.

· * - The screen of the player terminal 13 now displays general information and with it and by pressing the keys-30 on the keyboard, in which case more information appears on the screen, the player selects by pressing other keys a certain number ____. tiles whose number combinations are normally generated by a random number generator in the player terminal 13. Once a player has selected a certain number: 35 tiles and possibly related bet values and 5 H 5 560 therefore wants to participate in the game with them, the player terminal checks that the player's total bet does not exceed his balance, after which the player terminal informs CPU 1 the number of tiles and data to the player's plastic card by means of a reader / writer 15, and the player can take part in the game.

The central unit 1 starts the game and then communicates the selected numbers to the player terminals 13, which mark them on the different tiles of the players. If a player receives a combination of the 10 ways in his tile, the terminal 13 immediately notifies the central unit and at the same time notifies the winning combination of numbers and the associated bet. The CPU sends a notification that a winning combination has been found and at the same time notifies this winning combination and the winner-15 terminal. With the corresponding command given by any game terminal, the game operation can be interrupted so that each player can now go to the winning terminal 13 and check the winning combination. The relevant terminal 13 then notifies the Central Unit 1.

20 At the start of the next game, the central processing unit 5 sends information about this game to all activated player terminals 13. The above operations are then repeated.

When the player no longer wants to participate in the game, he removes his plastic card from the card reader 15. The player terminal 25 13 notifies the central unit 1. The player then goes to the cash register 3, where the plastic card is re-inserted · .. into the card reader. to the information contained in the The 30 data stored in the non-volatile memory then have the highest priority. The customer can now pick up their potential winnings or not raise it for any other situation. Information on this is stored both in the memory of the central processing unit 1 and on a plastic card ”· ['with the customer's balance.

35 The following communication cycles may occur between the central 6 85560 unit 1 and one or more terminals 13. 1) The central processing unit 1 sends a certain message to all the terminals 13, and the terminals do not normally respond.

2) The central processing unit 1 sends a certain message to one terminal 13. This terminal unit 13 in turn sends its own notification to the central processing unit 1, which responds by sending a signal sequence to the terminal 13, which means that the notification has been understood.

3) The central processing unit 1 sends a certain message to the designated terminal 13, and this responds with a series of signals indicating that the message has been understood.

4) The central processing unit 1 successively asks each pe wide terminal whether it has any notification to be sent to the central processing unit 1. If the terminal unit 13 has a message, it is sent to the central unit 1, which responds by sending a set of confirmation signals, as described above.

5) In a manner similar to step 4), the central processing unit 1 sequentially asks all the terminals 13 whether they have any notifications to be sent. If they do not currently have any current notification to send, the terminals 13 send a series of stop signals, as described above.

The apparatus is thus arranged in such a way that the central unit 25 cannot in any way instruct the various player terminals 13 to perform certain functions. These player terminals are thus independent and send very little information to the central processing unit 1. Thus, during the game, information about the 30 number combinations in the player's tiles can never be sent to the CPU. This is very important, because otherwise the game manager could, by changing the program on the mainframe, possibly change the selected numbers and promote misplay.

It is clear that the equipment described above can be used in various games with different I: 7 85560 payouts. In this case, the combination of characters, numbers or other combinations selected in a particular player terminal 13 is never sent to the central processing unit 1. For example, in an electronic roulette game, this is of course a considerable advantage.

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Claims (3)

An installation for games, which one or more players simultaneously play against each other and / or against the organizer of the game comprising a central unit (1) intended to be operated by a game manager, a number of player stations (13) intended to be and one is operated by a participant in the game, wherein the central unit communicates with each player station (13), so that information can be transmitted between the central unit and the player stations, characterized in that the central unit (1) and each player station (13) are provided with a read / write unit (15) for portable information carriers, of which it is intended that each player has one, that the central unit (1) is intended to control the game and, on the order of the player, at the command of the game manager update the portable information carrier with direct or indirect information on how many games the holder is entitled to play, and that each player station (13) is arranged to read the portable info the information carrier to find out how: ··: 25 many games the holder has the right to play, to receive commands given by the player to the player station for each game and to modify the information on the information carrier accordingly. System according to claim 1 for gaming of the I. Type in which each player for each game has received or has selected one or more combinations of the character and the central unit (1) and / or the game leader during the game's gang generates one or more characters, which give a profit when given way is found among the player's: 35 selected combinations, characterized by the fact that each player's selected character combinations are stored only in the player's player station (13), that the comparison between the centrally drawn characters 5 and the player's selected character combinations is performed in each player station (13 ), and that the result of the comparison, possibly only on gain, is transmitted to the central unit (1), after which the gain is signaled in this player station (13). An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the only information concerning the player's participation in the game, which can be transmitted from a player station (13) to the central unit (1), consists of identification information for the player, directly or indirectly indicating how much games that the individual player has the right to play, information on the number of games with which the player intends to participate in a game, and any bets associated therewith, information that profits have been paid for the combinations stored in the station (13) , and information on profitable combinations.