Granted Patent B2

US 7,938,720 · App. 11/531,222 · Granted May 10, 2011

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A method including:

(a) operating a bingo player station in a first play mode in which a result value for a respective primary game bingo game play initiated through the bingo player station is assigned according to a first pattern list, the first pattern list including a number of first result levels with each first result level corresponding to a respective set of one or more bingo patterns, to one or more first result indicators, and to a respective result value;

(b) in response to detecting a trigger event signal generated by an electronic processing device, switching the bingo player station from the first play mode to a second play mode;

(c) operating the bingo player station in the second play mode in which a result value for a respective primary game bingo game play initiated through the bingo player station is assigned according to a second pattern list which is different from the first pattern list, the second pattern list including a number of second result levels with each second result level corresponding to a respective set of one or more bingo patterns, to one or more second result indicators, and to a respective result value, wherein

(i) the second pattern list includes at least one shared bingo pattern also in the first pattern list,

(ii) the shared bingo pattern corresponds to a result value in the first pattern list associated with a first positive payout to the player, and

(iii) the shared bingo pattern corresponds to a higher result value in the second pattern list associated with a second positive payout to the player, the second positive payout being higher than the first positive payout; and

(d) in response to a return event signal generated by an electronic processing device, switching the bingo player station from the second play mode to the first play mode.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger event includes a series of consecutive winning bingo game plays at the bingo player station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the bingo player station in the first play mode includes producing first play mode graphics at the bingo player station and wherein operating the bingo player station in the second play mode includes producing second play mode graphics at the bingo player station, the second play mode graphics being different from the first play mode graphics, but sharing one or more graphic elements.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein switching from the first play mode to the second play mode includes changing from a first group of graphic symbols for showing a respective outcome for each respective bingo game play to a second group of graphic symbols for showing a respective outcome for each respective bingo game play, the second group of graphic symbols including at least one graphic symbol not included in the first group of graphic symbols.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the return event includes a losing result for a respective bingo game play initiated through the bingo player station while the bingo player station is in the second play mode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of first result levels is equal to the number of second result levels.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of first result levels is unequal to the number of second result levels.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein one first result level included in the first pattern list corresponds to a respective second result level included in the second pattern list to form a corresponding pair of result levels each associated with a common result value, and wherein each result level of the corresponding pair of result levels corresponds to a different set of one or more bingo patterns.

9. A bingo gaming apparatus including:

(a) a display device;

(b) a player input device;

(c) a presentation controller, the presentation controller for (i) applying a first pattern list to assign a result value for a respective primary game bingo game play initiated through the player input device when the bingo gaming apparatus is in a first play mode, the first pattern list including a number of first result levels with each first result level corresponding to a respective set of one or more bingo patterns, to a respective set of one or more first result indicators, and to a respective result value, (ii) applying a second pattern list which is different from the first pattern list to assign a result value for a respective primary game bingo game play initiated through the player input device when the bingo gaming apparatus is in a second play mode, the second pattern list including a number of second result levels with each second result level corresponding to a respective set of one or more bingo patterns, to a respective set of one or more second result indicators, and to a respective result value, wherein the second pattern list includes at least one shared bingo pattern also in the first pattern list, the shared bingo pattern corresponds to a lower positive payout in the first pattern list and a higher positive payout in the second pattern list; and (iii) causing an electronic processing device to selectively switch from the first play mode to the second play mode and from the second play mode back to the first play mode; and

(d) a display controller for directing the display device to produce a respective result indicator for each respective bingo game play initiated through the player input device.

10. The bingo gaming apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first result indicators and the second result indicators each include a set of two or more reel symbols aligned along a payline.

11. The bingo gaming apparatus of claim 9 wherein the presentation controller is implemented with a processing device located remotely from a bingo player station that includes the display device and player input device.

12. The bingo gaming apparatus of claim 9 wherein the presentation controller is implemented with a first processing device located at a bingo player station that includes the display device and player input device.

13. The bingo gaming apparatus of claim 9 wherein the number of first result levels is equal to the number of second result levels.

14. The bingo gaming apparatus of claim 9 wherein the number of first result levels is unequal to the number of second result levels.

15. The bingo gaming apparatus of claim 11 wherein one first result level included in the first pattern list corresponds to a respective second result level included in the second pattern list to form a corresponding pair of result levels each associated with a common result value, and wherein each result level of the corresponding pair of result levels corresponds to a different set of one or more bingo patterns.

16. A program product embodied in one or more computer readable media, the program product including:

(a) first play mode program code executable to cause a bingo player station to operate in a first play mode in which a result value for each respective primary game bingo game play initiated through the bingo player station is assigned according to a first pattern list, the first pattern list including a number of first result levels with each first result level corresponding to a respective set of one or more bingo patterns, to a respective set of one or more first result indicators, and to a respective result value;

(b) second play mode program code executable to cause the bingo player station to operate in a second play mode in which a result value for each respective primary game bingo game play initiated through the bingo player station is assigned according to a second pattern list which is different from the first pattern list, the second pattern list including a number of second result levels with each second result level corresponding to a respective set of one or more bingo patterns, to a respective set of one or more second result indicators, and to a respective result value, wherein the second pattern list includes at least one shared bingo pattern also in the first pattern list, the shared bingo pattern corresponds to a lower positive payout in the first pattern list and a higher positive payout in the second pattern list; and

(c) play mode control program code executable to cause the bingo player station to switch from the first play mode to the second play mode in response to a trigger event signal and to cause the bingo player station to switch from the second play mode to the first play mode in response to a return event signal, wherein the trigger event signal and return event signal are initiated by an electronic processing device and respectively indicate a trigger event and a return event at the bingo player station.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein the first result indicators and the second result indicators each include a set of two or more reel symbols aligned along a payline.

18. The program product of claim 16 wherein the number of first result levels is equal to the number of second result levels.

19. The program product of claim 16 wherein the number of first result levels is unequal to the number of second result levels.

20. The program product of claim 17 wherein one first result level included in the first pattern list corresponds to a respective second result level included in the second pattern list to form a corresponding pair of result levels each associated with a common result value, and wherein each result level of the corresponding pair of result levels corresponds to a different set of one or more bingo patterns.

21. A gaming method including the steps of:

receiving a first wager to initiate a wagering game;

determining a first game outcome using coding executed by a processor, the first game outcome being one of a set of possible first game outcomes of a first game, the set of possible first game outcomes of a first game, the set of possible first game outcomes corresponding to a first distribution of possible awards;

determining a second game outcome associated with a corresponding award of the first game outcome, the second game being one of a set of possible game outcomes of a second game, the second game being different from the first game, wherein

(i) the set of possible game outcomes of the second game includes at least one shared pattern also in the set of possible game outcomes of the first game,

(ii) the shared pattern corresponds to a positive award to the player in the set of possible game outcomes of the first game, and

(iii) the shared pattern corresponds to a higher positive award to the player in the set of possible game outcomes of the second game than in the set of possible game outcomes of the first game;

generating a game presentation of the second game viewable by a first player;

awarding the player with the corresponding award; and,

receiving a subsequent wager to subsequently initiate the wagering game;

determining a subsequent corresponding award associated with a subsequent first game outcome wherein the set of possible first game outcomes are associated with a second distribution of possible awards different from the first distribution of possible awards.

22. A gaming method as in claim 21 , the step of subsequently initiating the wagering game including:

determining a subsequent first game outcome;

determining a subsequent second game outcome associated with the subsequent corresponding award associated with the subsequent first game outcome;

generating a subsequent game presentation of the second game that is viewable by the first or another player; and

awarding the player with the subsequent corresponding award.

23. A gaming method as in claim 21 , the step of determining a first game outcome includes the step of determining the outcome of a bingo game, the first game comprising a bingo game.

24. A gaming method as in claim 23 , the step of determining the outcome of a set of reels, the second game comprising a reel game using either a set of electromechanical reels or a set of simulated video reels.

25. A gaming method as in claim 23 , the step of determining the outcome of a wheel and indicator, the second game comprising a wheel game.

Assignments (17)