Apparatus and method for mapping multiple bingo game results to a common display
View Patent ↗Apparatus and methods are described for presenting multiple bingo game results on a common display. A bingo game player may participate in a number of bingo games and obtain results for each of those games. These bingo game results are combined to amount to a cumulative result, and a common graphic display is produced that is representative of the cumulative result. The common graphic display is then shown to the player on the display device of a particular electronic player station.
1. A method of providing bingo results through an electronic player station in an electronic bingo system, the method including:
(a) receiving a game play request entered through the player station by a player, the game play request placing two or more bingo card representations in play in the bingo gaming system;
(b) with an arrangement of one or more processors associated with the player station, identifying a respective bingo game result for each of the two or more bingo card representations;
(c) with the arrangement of one or more processors, combining the respective bingo game results for the two or more bingo card representations to produce a cumulative result for the two or more bingo card representations;
(d) with the arrangement of one or more processors, selecting a game presentation corresponding to the cumulative result, the game presentation being selected from a set of two or more alternative game presentations which each represent a value of the cumulative result; and
(e) with the arrangement of one or more processors, controlling an electronic display device associated with the player station to produce the selected game presentation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected game presentation comprises a reel-type display including more than one reel and further including more than one pay line which shows a winning symbol combination.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the reel-type display includes three reels with nine symbol locations through which are defined multiple pay lines.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the more than one pay line which shows a winning symbol combination includes at least one symbol location common to two or more of the more than one pay line showing a winning symbol combination.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reel-type display includes a number of pay lines showing winning symbol combinations less than the number of respective bingo game results.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the game presentation is selected randomly from the set of two or more alternative game presentations.
7. An apparatus including:
(a) a player input arrangement associated with a player station, the player input arrangement adapted to receive one or more player inputs to place a number of bingo card representations for a play at the player station;
(b) a bingo game processor adapted to identify a respective bingo game result for each of the number of bingo card representations, and to produce a cumulative result value comprising the total of the respective individual bingo game results for each of the number of bingo card representations;
(c) a result display engine adapted to select a reel-type display from a number of alternative reel-type displays corresponding to the cumulative result value, the reel-type display including more than one winning pay line combination; and
(d) a display device associated with the player station, the display device adapted to present the selected reel-type display as the outcome for the play at the player station.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 further including a display controller, the display controller for receiving a display definition from the result display engine and for determining the graphic images associated with a particular reel-type display based on the received display definition.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the result display engine selects the reel-type display randomly from the number of alternative reel-type displays.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the reel-type display selected by the result display engine includes three reels which define a matrix through which eight pay lines are defined.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the selected reel-type display includes a winning pay line symbol combination for each respective bingo card representation in the number of bingo card representations which achieved a winning result.
12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the selected reel-type display includes a number of winning pay line symbol combinations less than the quantity of respective bingo card representations in the number of bingo card representations which achieved a winning result.
13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the selected reel-type display is represented by a display code which the result display engine selects from a set of display codes.