IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,044,667
Granted Patent B2
US 9,044,667 · App. 12/746,408 · Granted Jun 2, 2015

Syllabic roulette game with solmization, and method

Inventors: Donald Fisher (Cary, IL); Melissa S. Langtim (Elgin, IL); Douglas Krich (Cary, IL); Darlene Marie Garmann (Watford City, ND); Stephen Foote (Mount Coolum, AU)
A63F5/02A63F5/0088A63F9/0098A63F2003/00132A63F2009/247
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,044,667
App. No.
12/746,408
Granted
Jun 2, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A roulette game enables single-spin formation of meaningful character strings, which character strings may be coupled to tones for enhancing the gaming experience. The meaningful character strings may be defined by solfege-enabling letter groups, which letter groups may prompt underlying tones in solmization. The syllabic roulette game comprises a roulette wheel, a wager-enabling layout, and a plurality of balls. The wheel comprises alphabetic characters against a rainbow colored backdrop for enabling various payout schemes. A color-coordinated wager support surface is preferably disposed adjacent the roulette wheel for facilitating wager placement.

Claims (38)

1. A syllabic roulette game comprising:

a roulette wheel, the roulette wheel comprising a plurality of evenly spaced radially inward sphere-receiving sectors, a plurality of radially outward sphere-launching rings, and tone-provision means, the tone-provision means for providing auditory tones, each sphere-receiving sector comprising a superior sector surface, the superior sector surfaces each bearing a select alphabetic wheel character, a plurality of select sphere-receiving sectors being cooperably keyed to the tone-provision means for providing a select auditory tone;

a plurality of wager-receiving sections, each wager-receiving section comprising a superior section surface, the superior section surfaces each bearing a select alphabetic wager character, the wheel and wager characters having paired character correspondence;

a plurality of sector-stimulating spheres, the sector-stimulating spheres each being launchable from the sphere-launching rings and receivable in one of the sphere-receiving sectors, the select sphere-receiving sectors cooperably providing the select auditory tone when the sector-stimulating spheres are received therein; and

a jackpot controller,

wherein a combination of alphabetic wheel characters, as identified by a plurality of respective sphere-receiving sectors receiving respective sector-stimulating spheres, correspond to a jackpot event,

wherein upon an occurrence of the jackpot event, each game user that wagered on a spin of the roulette wheel has an opportunity to win a jackpot, and

wherein upon the occurrence of the jackpot event, the jackpot controller is operable to determine a random number that indicates which game user wins the jackpot.

2. The syllabic roulette game of claim 1 wherein the superior sector surfaces and superior section surfaces bear select colorization, the select colorization being selected from the color group consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

3. The syllabic roulette game of claim 2 wherein the superior sector surfaces and superior section surfaces bear Roman alphabetic characters.

4. The syllabic roulette game of claim 3 wherein the select auditory tones are diatonically scaled.

5. The syllabic roulette game of claim 4 wherein the select auditory tones are keyed to a syllabic letter couplet grouping in solmization, the syllabic letter couplet grouping consisting of “DO,” “RE”, “MI”, “FA”, “SO”, “LA”, and “TI.

6. A syllabic roulette game, comprising:

a roulette medium, the roulette medium comprising a plurality of ball-receiving sectors, and a plurality of balls, each ball-receiving sector comprising a superior sector surface, the superior sector surfaces each bearing a select alphabetic wheel character, the balls each being receivable in one of the ball-receiving sectors, the select ball-receiving sectors cooperably enabling word formation when the balls are received therein; and

a jackpot controller,

wherein a specified word formation corresponds to a jackpot event,

wherein upon an occurrence of the jackpot event, each game user that wagered on a spin of the roulette wheel has an opportunity to win a jackpot, and

wherein upon the occurrence of the jackpot event, the jackpot controller is operable to determine a random number that indicates which game user wins the jackpot.

7. The syllabic roulette game of claim 6 wherein the superior sector surfaces bear select colorization, the select colorization being selected from the color group consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, the select coloration for enabling varied payout structures.

8. The syllabic roulette game of claim 7 comprising a plurality of wager-receiving sections, each wager-receiving section comprising a superior section surface, the superior section surfaces each bearing a select alphabetic wager character, the wheel and wager characters having paired character correspondence.

9. The syllabic roulette game of claim 8 wherein the roulette medium comprises tone-provision means, the tone-provision means for providing auditory tones, the select ball-receiving sectors being cooperably keyed to the tone-provision means for providing a select auditory tone, the select ball-receiving sectors cooperably providing the select auditory tone when the balls are received therein.

10. The syllabic roulette game of claim 9 wherein the select ball-receiving sectors bear solfege-enabling characters.

11. The syllabic roulette game of claim 10 wherein the superior sector surfaces and superior section surfaces bear Roman alphabetic characters.

12. The syllabic roulette game of claim 11 wherein the select auditory tones are keyed to a syllabic letter couplet grouping in solmization, the syllabic letter couplet grouping consisting of “DO,” “RE”, “MI”, “FA”, “SO”, “LA”, and “TI”.

13. An electronic gaming apparatus having central processing means, wager inputting means and a visual display unit, said apparatus being configured to perform a game as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12 .

14. The electronic gaming apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the visual display unit is any one of a slot machine, a mobile device, a personal computer, a touch screen monitor, a hand held data input-output device, a cell phone, a tablet, a kiosk, a digital television or a personal digital assistant.

15. The electronic gaming apparatus according to any one of claims 13 or 14 wherein said apparatus includes communication means.

16. The electronic gaming apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said communication means includes the use of any one or more of a wireless connection, an internet connection, a cellular connection, a connection across a local area network or a connection across a wide area network.

17. The electronic gaming device according to any one of claims 13 and 14 to 16 wherein said central processing means is configured so as to selectively cause the visual display unit to display at least one wheel and at least one ball.

18. The electronic gaming device according to claim 17 wherein the at least one wheel and the at least one ball are simulated.

19. The electronic gaming device according to claim 17 wherein the at least one wheel and the at least one ball are real.

20. The electronic gaming device according to any one of claims 13 and 14 to 16 wherein an outcome of a game is at least partially dependent upon an output of a random number generator.

21. The electronic gaming device according to any one of claims 13 , 14 to 16 , and 20 wherein an outcome of a game is at least partially dependent upon at least one real wheel and at least one real ball.

22. An electronically-readable medium containing executable code for instructing an electronic gaming apparatus to perform a game as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12 .

23. The syllabic roulette game of claim 1 wherein the jackpot comprises a progressive jackpot.

24. The syllabic roulette game of claim 6 wherein the jackpot comprises a progressive jackpot.

25. The syllabic roulette game of claim 1 wherein a game user's chance of winning the jackpot based on the determined random number increases the more the game user wagered on the spin of the roulette wheel.

26. The syllabic roulette game of claim 6 wherein a game user's chance of winning the jackpot based on the determined random number increases the more the game user wagered on the spin of the roulette wheel.

Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/US2007/009404 · Apr 17, 2007 · international
Continuity (11)
Continuation In Part 11711374 · Feb 27, 2007
Continuation 11634780 · Dec 5, 2006
Continuation 12746408
Continuation In Part 11711546 · Feb 27, 2007
Continuation In Part 11634780 · Dec 5, 2006
Continuation In Part 12746408
Continuation In Part 11732995 · Apr 5, 2007
Continuation In Part 11634780 · Dec 5, 2006
Continuation In Part 11711374 · Feb 27, 2007
Continuation In Part 11711546 · Feb 27, 2007
Related Publication 20120094734A1 · Apr 19, 2012