GAMING APPARATUS
Gaming apparatus (1) comprising a processor (3), a memory (5) and an input port, the processor configured to receive from the input port, signals from participant input devices (7) representative of selections from a set of options, each signal includes a value associated with a selection, and the processor configured to determine a total value amount for each particular option and to store in the memory the total value amount for each option and to determine a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
The present invention relates generally to gaming apparatus.
SUMMARYAccording to one aspect of the invention there is provided gaming apparatus comprising a processor,
-
- a memory and an input port,
- the processor configured to receive from the input port, signals from participant input devices representative of selections from a set of options, each signal includes a value associated with a selection, and the processor configured to determine a total value amount for each particular option and to store in the memory the total value amount for each option and to determine a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a gaming system comprising a processor and a memory, and a plurality of participant input devices, the participant input devices configured to communicate with the processor, each input device configured to allow a participant to select at least one option from a set of options, the processor configured to receive signals representative of selections from the participant input devices, each signal including a value associated with a selection, and the processor configured to determine a total value amount for each particular option and to store in the memory the total value amount for each option and to determine a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided machine readable instructions for a processor of a gaming apparatus, which instructions comprise instructions to configure the processor to process signals representative of selections from a set of options, each signal includes a value associated with a selection, and instructions to configure the processor to determine a total value amount for each option, and instructions to determine a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of processing data in a processor of a gaming apparatus, the method comprising receiving signals from participant input devices representative of selections from a set of options, each signal includes a value associated with a selection, and the method further comprising determining a total value amount for each option and storing the total value amounts in a memory, and the method comprising determining a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
Various embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
With reference to
In order for a game event to commence at least two participants must be present at respective terminals 7. Each terminal comprises an output device, for example a visual display unit, and an input device, for example a keyboard and/or suitable navigation device (such as a mouse or the like). By using the input device each participant can indicate to the processor 3 that the participant wishes to commence a gaming event. Each user may be required to present or introduce monetary credential, such as bank notes, coins, tokens or a bank card in order to take part in a game event. To that end each terminal 7 is provided with a suitable payment system such as a coin/token discriminator, note discriminator/reader and/or card reader. Alternatively, each participant may be required to enter predetermined credentials, such as a username and/or password, and/or bank card details, from which the processor 3 can verify that the participant is eligible to participate, and (if appropriate) retrieve a credit limit to which the participant is entitled.
Once the processor 3 has determined that each of the multiple participants is entitled to participate, the processor 3 causes the output device of each terminal 7 to display a graphic user interface (GUI) 100, schematically shown in
As can be seen in
With reference to
In order to place a bet on either the first, second or third dozen of the numbers, one of the sub-regions 113 would be selected by using the cursor 150. In
The sub-regions 118a and 118b allow a participant to select those numbers from 1 to 36 which are even numbers and to select those numbers from 1 to 36 which are odd numbers.
The sub-regions 119a and 119b allow a participant to select the numbers 1 to 18 and 19 to 36, respectively.
It will be appreciated that the selection region 110 is conveniently arranged to allow a participant to select multiple numbers in a single selection step, namely the bet types indicated by letters ‘A’ through ‘I’. It will be appreciated that the bet selection types exemplified by the reference letters ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘E’ relate to mathematical characteristics common to each set of numbers of each type, whereas the bet selection types exemplified by the reference letters ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘H’ and ‘I’, each relate to a sub-set of numbers which have an aspect of their representation in the GUI 100 in common.
So, by using the cursor 150 and the selection region 110, each participant can select a particular bet option. Each participant is then required to enter in the region 120 the value of the stake for his particular selected bet option. Once entered, details of the selection and the stake are entered into the first and second columns of the table 130. The table 130 provides a convenient summary to the participant of bets selected thus far. The participant can then chose to submit his selected bets to the processor 3 in which case a suitable signal is sent to the processor 3. Alternatively, the participant can chose to make one or more further bet selections, using the procedure described above, before submitting those bet selections to the processor 3.
Where a participant has made multiple bet selections these will be shown to the participant in the table 130, so that he has the opportunity to review them before submitting them to the processor 3. Although not shown in
Once the processor 3 has determined that it has received bet selections from a participant, the processor 3 assigns that participant's bet selections to a game event which is currently in progress. Alternatively, if no game events are currently in progress, the processor 3 initiates a new game event, and assigns the received bet selections from multiple participants to that game event. The processor 3 is configured to store in the memory 5, for each game event, a running total of stake values placed on each of the numbers 1 to 36. A participant's particular bet selection(s) are added to the appropriate total stake amounts for the particular numbers selected. Where a participant's bet selection includes one of the multiple option types (eg one of the types designated by letters ‘A’ to ‘I’), the processor splits the stake value equally over each of the numbers covered by the multiple options selected, and then stores the updated value totals in the memory 5. For example, betting eighteen units on red, using sub-region 117a, the processor 3 would divide the stake amount by eighteen, and add the dividend amount to the total stored in the memory 3 relating to each of the red designated numbers. The other multiple option types can be similarly treated by the processor 3 since the processor is aware of which particular sub-set of the numbers 1 to 36 each multiple option type corresponds to.
Once the processor 3 has determined that bet selections have been received from multiple participants, the processor performs calculations to determine whether there is any one particular stake value total (for a particular number) which is the lowest take value total. If the processor 3 determines that there is such a single lowest stake value total, then a win event is declared. When receiving the bet selections of the participants, the processor 3 receives an identifier which identifies which participants have selected which numbers and the stake placed on those options. The processor 3 causes this information to be stored in the memory 5. Once the processor 3 has determined that a win event has occurred it will determine the identifiers of, the, or those, participants who placed bets on the winning number. The processor 3 calculates the amount won by the, or each, participant based on the stake placed and odds for the type of bet placed. The processor 3 then communicates to the, or each, winning participant that he has won, and the amount that he has won.
In an alternative scenario, after the processor 3 has determined (updated) the stake value total associated with each number, it may determine that there is no single lowest total because two or more of the stake value totals are of the same amount. In this situation the processor 3 cannot determine a win and so adds one or more additional bet selections to the game event. The processor 3 then determines whether there is then a single lowest stake value total for a particular number. This process is repeated until a win event can be determined. However, a value relating predetermined maximum number of participants that can participate in one game event is stored in the memory 5. If the processor 3 determines that by adding a further bet selection of a participant to a particular game event that that maximum number would be exceeded, the processor 3 cancels the game event and transfers the bet selections of that game event to other game events which the processor 3 is hosting.
In practice, the processor 3 is configured to be capable of hosting a plurality of game events concurrently. Bet selections received from different participants are caused to be stored in the memory 5, and the processor 3 uses a substantially random selection process to assign each bet selection to a particular one of the game events which it is hosting.
Conveniently, even though participants may be remote from the server equipment 11, they can each participate in one or more gaming events.
It will be appreciated that machine-readable instructions in the form of a signal, data structure or recorded on a data carrier, may be loaded onto either of the processors 3 or 13 in order to configure the data processor 3 or 13 to be able to implement the required process steps to host a game event.
Claims
1. Gaming apparatus comprising:
- a processors;
- a memory and an input port;
- the processor configured to receive from the input port, signals from participant input devices representative of selections from a set of options, each signal includes a value associated with a selection, and the processor configured to determine a total value amount for each particular option and to store in the memory the total value amount for each option and to determine a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
2. The gaming apparatus of claim 1 in which the data processor is configured to determine which participant or participants has/have selected the winning option
3. The gaming apparatus of claim 2 in which the data processor is configured to store, in the memory, an association between an identifier for each participant and the respective option(s) selected by that participant.
4. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process signals which are representative of a multiple option selection, and the processor configured to assign a part of the associated value to the respective total value amounts of each of the options included in the multiple option selection.
5. The gaming apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to handle signals representative of a multiple option selection in which each option included in the multiple option selection has a characteristic which is common to those options.
6. The gaming apparatus of claim 5 in which the characteristic is at least one of (i) a mathematical characteristic and (ii) a parameter relating to a visual representation of the options.
7. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to assign a participant to a game event subsequent to a signal having been received by the data processor which signal is representative of a selection made by that participant.
8. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to add participants' selections to a game event until a winning option is determined for the game event.
9. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to host multiple game events concurrently.
10. The gaming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to assign a participant's selection to a game event on a substantially random basis.
11. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cancel a game event if no winning option is able to be determined for a predetermined maximum number of participants.
12. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to issue a signal to a participant input device representative of a game event in which the participant will be participating, the signal being issued subsequent to receipt by the processor of the signal representative of the participant's selection.
13. A gaming system comprising:
- a processor and a memory, and a plurality of participant input devices, the participant input devices configured to communicate with the processor, each input device configured to allow a participant to select at least one option from a set of options, the processor configured to receive signals representative of selections from the participant input devices, each signal including a value associated with a selection, and the processor configured to determine a total value amount for each particular option and to store in the memory the total value amount for each option and to determine a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
14. A data carrier having machine readable instructions recorded thereon for a processor of a gaming apparatus, which instructions comprise instructions to configure the processor to process signals representative of selections from a set of options, each signal includes a value associated with a selection, and instructions to configure the processor to determine a total value amount for each option, and instructions to determine a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
15. A method of processing data in a processor of a gaming apparatus, the method comprising receiving signals from participant input devices representative of selections from a set of options, each signal includes a value associated with a selection, and the method further comprising determining a total value amount for each option and storing the total value amounts in a memory, and the method comprising determining a winning option which is the option with the lowest total value amount.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 7, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 7, 2010
Inventor: Jon Shoreman (London)
Application Number: 12/168,810
International Classification: A63F 9/24 (20060101);