WO2002007114A1 - A process and system for certifying the fairness of telematic games - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to certify the fairness of telematic games implying the selection, by the player, of elements from a set (I) susceptible to be presented in a plurality of different configurations, a database is created grouping the configurations of said plurality, in association to respective codes (31,..., 3k,..., 3n). The database is conserved under the control of a guarantor. The code identifying the configuration used at the time is presented to the player during the game. The possibility is provided of using in different moments of time (D1, D2) configurations selected from a subset of said plurality of permissible configurations by selectively changing, for instance by means of an algorithm, the subset used.

Description

"A process and system for certifying the fairness of telematic games"

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This invention relates to the problem of certifying the fairness of telematic games implying- the selection, by the player, of elements from a set susceptible to be presented in a plurality of different configurations. "Telematic game" is herein used to indicate any game susceptible to be played by means of electronic instruments, consequently, for example, by means of a video terminal (for example of the dedicated type) , via the Internet, etc.

The playing methods of such games are illustrated in figures from 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings (destined to schematically illustrate the screen pages presented to the player) , particularly with reference to a game similar to poker (figures 1 and 2) and to a game similar to bingo (figures 3 and 4) . Specifically, figures 1 and 2 illustrate how the player is invited to make a selection from a set I of a certain number of cards which, recalled in a portion T of the display screen or monitor, identify the outcome of the game (shown in figure 2) . Naturally, the player is guided to make the subsequent selections according to the known rules of poker.

With reference to this matter, we stress that this invention does not concern how the game is played in any way, also considering that the solution according to this invention lends itself to being used with very different games.

For example, in the case of bingo illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the set I (consisting of a corresponding number of cards in the example of poker illustrated in figures 1 and 2) consists of ninety pieces destined to be associated with numbers from 1 to 90, while the set T is represented by the scorecard bearing the numbers which the player attempts to "guess" by selectively extracting a certain number of pieces from the set I . In the example shown in figures 3 and 4, the selection of a certain piece (susceptible to be physically implemented in different ways, for example by clicking the mouse in the position corresponding to the piece) determines the display of a corresponding number on the selected piece. In a similar way, in the example of poker in figures 1 and 2, the selection of a certain card (which also can be implemented, for example, by clicking the mouse in the position corresponding to the card) corresponding to the selected card which was previously "turned" .

It must be noted that the application field of the solution according to this invention is not limited to games in which the selection action of the player corresponds to revealing a previously concealed element .

In telematic games of the type above (and of games based on similar concepts) , the player may question the fairness of game criteria. Particularly, the player may be led to doubt whether the field where to select from set I actually includes all the elements which are susceptible to making the player win.

This is also because telematic games, especially on the Internet, are often used as an incentive method (also in view of possible winnings) for obtaining personal data - along with the respective authorisation to use such data, according to the laws in force - for inclusion in advertising or promotional material mailing lists, etc. It is consequently important to reassure the player by providing tools for certifying the fairness of the game .

In line of principle, a certain reassurance is the possibility of offering the player the possibility of revealing all elements in set I, where the player made selections during the game, at the end of the game.

This possibility is schematically illustrated in figures 5 and 6, referred to the poker game illustrated in figures 1 and 2, and to the bingo game illustrated in figures 3 and 4, respectively. Particularly, as shown in figure 5, the player can be offered the possibility of revealing all the cards comprised in set I so to verify that the set I actually includes all the cards providing the possibility of winning . In a similar fashion, with reference to bingo, the player can be shown all the pieces included in set I with the respective numbers.

This solution is not completely satisfying. The player may still question fairness, suspecting that the configuration of set I was changed (by means of a program capable of running very rapidly, with modes and times which are practically not perceived by the player) so to present a configuration of set I which is different from that actually available to the player during the game, before displaying the set according to the method described above, according to the methods illustrated in figures 5 and 6.

The objective of this invention is to provide a solution for certifying the fairness of telematic games overcoming the problems above.

According to this invention, this objective is attained, by means of a process which characteristics are recited in the claims which follow. The invention also pertains to the ..respective system. Once again, we emphasise that this invention is susceptible to being applied in an entirely general way to all telematic games implying the selection, by the player, of elements from a set susceptible to appearing as a plurality of different configurations. This invention is thus independent from the specific modalities of the game

This invention will be better explained by the following detailed descriptions with reference to the accompanying figure as non-limiting example, whereas: - figures from 1 to 6 are illustrated above to clearly describe technical problem underlying this invention: note that figures from 1 to 6 also illustrate the possibility of displaying a code according to the method characterising the invention better described below, figure 7 illustrates a general possible configuration of a system according to the invention, and figures from 8 to 11 illustrate the organisational criteria of a database comprised in the system according to this invention in detail . The diagram in figure 7 illustrates that the solution according to this invention is susceptible to be used, for example, in the context of a telematic game comprising one or more user stations 1 by means of which the user/player is connected to a game management unit 2 capable of controlling and piloting the game according to the typical man/machine interaction methods adopted for playing telematic games.

Once again, it is important to note that, despite having been developed in view of preferential application to telematic games implemented on telematic networks such as the Internet, the solution according to this invention leads itself to being also used in the context of telematic games entailing the use of stand-alone systems, of the type adopted, for example, for the telematic games available in amusement arcades, venues, . etc . The general organisation criteria of a telematic system of this sort, and the respective playing rules of the respective games, are consequently completely known and do not require detailed description herein, also because these elements are not relevant for understanding and implementing this invention.

In any case, the game is played by a player using the station 1 is controlled by the system 2, envisaging that, according to the particular type of game, the player can make selections from set I which presents a different configuration each time, that is generally random, meaning that the player does not - and must not - know the configuration of set I when it is made available for the game. In the case of poker, the configuration corresponds to the bi-univocal allocation of a respective card to each of the positions in set I, illustrated in figure 1, the player does not know which card is in a certain position, until after selecting and "turning" it. In a corresponding fashion, in the case of bingo, this configuration corresponds to allocating one only number to be used in the game to each of the ninety pieces of set I, also in the case according to a bi-univocal correspondence. They player does not know, until after making a selection, which number is associated to a certain piece in a certain position.

It is consequently understandable that each set I considered is susceptible to being presented in the form of a plurality (of high or extremely high value, for example, in the case of bingo) of possible reciprocally different configurations. It must be noted that each of the positions in the set I can potentially be associated to any one of the cards, or any one of the numeric or symbolic values in the game, the only constraint being (at least with reference to the games illustrated, for example, in figures 1 and 6) in that the same card cannot be associated to two different positions and that the same numeric value cannot be associated to two different pieces/positions. In essence, the solution according to this invention entails the formation of a database (supported by a corresponding storage unit 3, for the known type) comprising a plurality of files 31, ..., 3k, ..., 3n, organised according to the criteria illustrated in figure 9.

In practice, the database is a sort of table in which each row is the association (bi-univocal) between a respective identification code (for example A/0000001, A/0000002, etc.) and a possible configuration of set I. For the sake of simplicity (to favour the creation of the respective file) , the configuration can be identified according to the illustrated criteria (with reference to the game of poker) in the table in figure 8. Ih this table the cards used for the game are sorted in columns according to the suit and identified by progressive numbers. The rows of the table in figure 9 illustrate the organisation of the database 3 and simply contain the arrangement of the respective cards/numbers in set I in lexicographical order. Naturally, this solution (directly applicable also in the case of bingo, where the individual pieces are identified by numbers per se) , is only one of the possible solutions for constructing the database 3. Said database is destined to be deposited or however preserved by a guarantor. The guarantor can be a public or ministerial body, such as, for example, the Italian Ministry of Finance, by means of the organisations in charge of controlling games . Alternatively, the guarantor can be any organisation presenting the^' suitable reliability to be a totally trustful, reliable escrow agent.

In this way, the player knows that each of the configurations made available during the game was established and identified univocally by a respective code, which is preferably displayed on the player's terminal during the game (as schematically represented with numeral 6 in figures from 1 to 6, referring to the preferred form of embodiment described below with reference to figures 10 and 11.

This offers the consequent possibility to the player of recording the code .

In this way, the player is reassured that the configuration of the set I made available during the game (configuration which is susceptible to be completely displayed according to the method illustrated in figures 5 and 6) was actually one of the deposited configurations, identified by the respective code and, consequently, not susceptible to being changed prior to presentation to the player.

In the case of possible objections, the player can also verify from the guarantor that the configuration identified by the code presented during the game actually corresponds to the array displayed after the operations shown in figures 5 and 6.

The verification option can be carried out particularly simply and rapidly by offering the possibility of the player to connect directly, by means of the games terminal 1, to the database 3, which is controlled by the guarantor. Particularly, the verification operation can be carried out in real time, providing that, at the end of the game or of the game phase played by the player, the guarantor automatically sends the data corresponding to the verification operation to the player's terminal 1. This can occur, for example (with reference to the examples illustrated in figures from 1 to 6) by "turning" the game cards, or pieces, by an action controlled by the guarantor and not by effect, for example of software in terminal 1, under the responsibly of who organises and manages the game.

The possibility that, by effect of the viewing operation of the type illustrated in figures 5 and 6, the player can acquire the configuration and derive unjustified benefits (i.e. by informing another player) is excluded by the very high number of possible combinations, related to the fact that the system 2 is capable of proposing an extremely high number of different configurations without the risk of repetition to the same player, or to different players, also in rapid sequence.

On the contrary, the very high number of possible different configurations could, at least in line of principle, dilate the dimensions of the database 3, making it rather creation and management cumbersome (both on organisational level and the required processing level) .

For this reason, according to a preferred embodiment illustrated in figures 10 and 11, the system only uses a subset of the set of all potentially admissible different configurations of the set I, in a certain time interval (e.g. one day) .

For example, for exemplary purposes only, supposing that the different possible configurations of the set I are, for example, ten million (from 0000000 to 9999999) , every day a subset using "only" ten thousand different possible configurations are used, consequently changing this subset every day according to the mechanism shown in figures 10 to 11. Particularly, in this example, on day Dl, a first subset of configurations 311, ..., 3kl, ..., 3nl is displayed, which will be changed to another subset, comprising the configurations 312, ..., 3k2, ..., 3n2 the following day (D2) , and so on, over the next days. This method allows, on one hand, to contain the dimensions of the database 3, by additionally increasing the security characteristics of the game, since the set (or, more precisely, the subset) of the different configuration is changed every day. This also envisaging that in a certain time interval, i.e. on a certain day, a certain configuration is only used once, by a single player.

Particularly, the change mechanism can consist in a simple exchange of the configurations (for example, comparing figures 10 and 11, it can be seen how configuration A/0001 of day Dl becomes configuration A/0003 on day D2 , and vice versa), or correspond to a true change of configurations, with the use of entirely different configurations day by day. The change mechanism can be deterministic or pseudo- deterministic, so that, for example, the subset of the configurations destined to be used on a certain day is derived from the subset used on the previous day by means of a mathematical or heuristic generation algorithm. The respective implementation criteria are known techniques and, consequently, do not require a detailed description herein.

Naturally, numerous changes can be implemented to the construction and forms of embodiment of the invention herein envisaged, all comprised within the context of the concept characterising this invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. Process for certifying the fairness of telematic games implying the selection, by the player, of elements from a set (I) susceptible to be presented in a plurality of different configurations, characterised in that it comprises the following operations :

-creation of a database (3) grouping the configurations of said plurality, in association to respective codes (31, ..., 3k, ...,

3n) , and - conservation of said database under the control of a guarantor.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises the operation of presenting (6) the code identifying the configuration at the time assumed by the set (I) from which the player selects said elements, during the game, to the player.

3. Process according either to claim 1 or to claim 2, characterised in that it comprises the operation of using a subset (311, ..., 3kl, ..., 3nl; 312, ..., 3k2, ..., 3n2) of the plurality of different permissible configurations of said set (I) of elements from which the player makes the selection as said plurality of configurations.

4. Process according to claim 3, characterised in that it comprises the operation of using different subsets of said plurality of permissible configurations in different moments of time (Dl, D2) by selectively changing the subset used in time.

5. Process according to claim 4, characterised in that it comprises the operation of generating a new subset (312, ..., 3k2 , ..., 3n2) from the previously used subset (313, ..., 3k3 , ..., 3n3) by means of a generation algorithm.

6. Process according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that in a certain time interval, for example, on a certain day, a certain configuration of said plurality is used only once, by a single player.

7. System for playing telematic games comprising at least a unit (1) permitting a player to select elements from a set (I) which is susceptible to be presented as a plurality of different configurations, characterised in that it comprises a database (3) grouping the configurations of said plurality in association to the respective codes

(31, ..., 3k, ..., 3n) , said database (3) being conserved under the control of a guarantor.

8. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the system comprises viewing means (6) for presenting the code identifying the configuration used at the time by the player to made said selection of elements during the game.

9. System according to either claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that said database (3) is configured to store a subset (311, ..., 3kl, ..., 3nl; 312, ..., 3k2, ..., 3n2) of the plurality of permissible configurations of said set.

10. System according to claim 9, characterised in that said database (3) is configured to selectively change said subset used in time.

11. System according to claim 10, characterised in that said database (3) is configured to generate a new subset (312, ..., 3k2, ..., 3n2) from the previously used subset (313, ..., 3k3, ..., 3n3) by means of a algorithm.

12. System according to any of the claims from 7 to 11, , characterised in that in a certain time interval, for example, on a certain day, a certain configuration of said plurality is used only once, by a single player.

13. System according to any of the claims from 7 to 12, characterised in that said database (3) is configured to be selectively queried by the player (1) at the end of the game.

14. System according to claim 13, characterised in that said database (3) can be queried by the player by means of the game terminal (1) .

15. System according to either claim 13 or claim 14, characterised in that said database (3) is configured to send, ' preferably automatically, or following a player's request, the identification data of the configuration used by the player in the game which has just ended.