Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for monitoring bingo cards using a portable game device. The game device has a central processing unit, a bit-mapped color display and memory containing representations of bingo cards, a series of games to be played and their rules, and the number of cards to be played. The game device may be battery powered and adopt reduced power modes of operation to conserve battery life. An external power supply may be connected to the game device without interrupting a game in progress. The game device may have more than one battery and charge one battery fully before recharging the other batteries. The game device may have a wireless communications port, through which the memory may be loaded. A communications protocol with security elements may be used for loading the memory. The game device may test its circuitry and data in memory before commencing game play.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for monitoring bingo cards using a computer and a keyboard communicating via a wireless communication link. Stored in computer memory are data representing a number of bingo cards and a set of games and winning patterns. Stored in keyboard memory is an identifier of the number of cards in play. The keyboard may be powered by a battery and may have a reduced power operating mode to which it switches itself. The keyboard may charge its batteries to full charge individually. The keyboard may have an external power jack to which an external power supply can be connected without interrupting a game in progress. The keyboard may receive data from an external device via its wireless communication link and load that data into its memory. The keyboard may have in its memory a unique identifier that it transmits to the computer.