U.S. patent number RE32,480 [Application Number 06/861,244] was granted by the patent office on 1987-08-18 for electronic bingo player.
Invention is credited to Patrick J. Bolan.
United States Patent |
RE32,480 |
Bolan |
August 18, 1987 |
Electronic bingo player
Abstract
An electronic bingo playing apparatus and method involve the use
of a hand held portable computer having a card memory which can
store the content information from a plurality of standard bingo
cards. This information is entered by a keyboard. Letter/number
combinations which are selected during play of the game are also
manually entered by the keyboard. The program memory then directs
the microprocessor to search the stored cards for a match and any
winning patterns of matches. Upon detection of a winning pattern,
the portable computer responds with the winning card number, as
well as the particular winning pattern.
Inventors: |
Bolan; Patrick J. (Omaha,
NE) |
Family
ID: |
26983856 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/861,244 |
Filed: |
May 8, 1986 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
323265 |
Nov 20, 1981 |
04475157 |
Oct 2, 1984 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/19;
273/237 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07C
15/006 (20130101); A63F 3/0645 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
3/06 (20060101); G07C 15/00 (20060101); G06F
19/00 (20060101); A63F 003/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;364/410,411
;273/237,269 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Malzahn; David H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zarley, McKee, Thomte, Voorhees
& Sease
Claims
I claim:
1. An electronic bingo playing apparatus for keeping track of a
plurality of five row/five column conventional bingo cards, said
apparatus comprising a hand held portable computer which
includes,
a keyboard comprising a plurality of data entry keys and
instruction keys,
said data entry keys including ten numerical digit entry keys
.[.and five alphabetic character entry keys corresponding to
respective columns of a bingo card.].,
said instruction keys including a plurality of winning pattern
designation keys,
a card memory operative to temporarily store bingo card content
data and played number data entered by said data entry keys,
a display operative to display numerical information,
said display comprising a five-by-five matrix including a center
display unit and 24 separate numerical display units arranged about
said center display unit,
a microprocessor operative to control data flow from said keys to
said card memory and display and between said card memory and
display, and to perform data manipulations,
and a program memory in which there is stored a software program to
direct microprocessor operation,
said microprocessor being operative in a set-up mode under the
direction of said software program to store in said card memory the
bingo card content data which is entered by said data entry keys,
and to record winning pattern information which is entered by said
instruction keys, and
said microprocessor being operative in play mode under the
direction of said software program to scan the keyboard thereby to
read each letter/number combination which is entered by said data
entry keys, to scan the card memory to identify any matches between
the last entered letter/number combination and the stored card
content data therein, to accumulate said matches and to signal
whether any winning patterns of accumulated matches have been
achieved,
said data entry keys and instruction keys thereby being capable of
entering all of the input information in both the setup and play
modes of the microprocessor.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said card memory comprises a
random access memory.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said program memory comprises a
programmable read only memory.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said microprocessor is of the
type designated by numeral 8085.
5. A method of playing bingo, comprising,
providing a hand held portable computer having the capability of
storing content data for a plurality of bingo cards, scanning the
stored content data to identify matches with letter/number
combinations with are entered during play of the game, accumulating
said matches, and identifying and signaling whether any winning
patterns of accumulated matches have been achieved,
entering into said portable computer bingo card content data for a
plurality of bingo cards by pressing selected .Iadd.numerical digit
.Iaddend.entry keys .[.and five alphabetic character entry keys
corresponding to respective columns of a bingo card.].,
instructing said portable computer as to which patterns will be
regarded as winning combinations of accumulated matches by
depressing a selected number of winning pattern designation keys of
said keyboard,
then sequentially entering into said portable computer by said
numerical digit entry keys .[.and alphabetic character entry
keys.]. each .[.latter/number.]. .Iadd.letter/number
.Iaddend.combination which is selected during play of the game,
and actuating said portable computer to scan the stored content
data to identify any matches with the last entered letter/number
combination, to accumulate said matches, and to signal whether any
winning patterns of accumulated matches have been achieved.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of signaling whether any
winning patterns of accumulated matches have been achieved
comprises displaying the identification code of a winning card
letter/number combinations which achieve the winning pattern.
7. The method of claim .[.8.]. .Iadd.5 .Iaddend.further comprising
clearing from the portable computer the letter/number combinations
which were entered during the play of a particular game.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed generally to a hand held portable
electronic bingo playing aid and more particularly to the system
for playing bingo wherein the content of a plurality of bingo cards
is stored in a portable computer which is capable of then
identifying and accumulating matches during play of the game and
signaling when a winning pattern of accumulated matches has been
achieved.
Bingo has been a popular public past time for many years and there
are reportedly millions of bingo players in the United States
alone. It has been the art of bingo players over the years to
develop mental and manual systems to enable playing the game with a
greater number of cards. This has been prompted by the fact that a
player's chances of winning a given game can be increased in
proportion to the number of cards he or she is able to keep track
of. The inexperienced player may have to limit himself to two or
three cards to keep up with a game and even experienced players
have a limit to the number of cards which their mental processes
and/or creative systems can keep up with. Elderly players may be
limited to playing a small number of cards because of failing
eyesight, muscular coordination or slowing down of the mental
processes.
Electronic bingo games have previously been proposed wherein
individual electronic cards are electrically connected to a master
control panel whereby the individual electronic cards display by
lights or otherwise the called signals from the control panel.
These systems facilitate play of the game but are operative only in
establishments where the operator is provided with the necessary
control panel and the players have access to a great number of the
electronic cards. Since most bingo halls are not so equipped, the
practical use of these systems is limited.
Accordingly, there is a need for a portable hand held electronic
bingo playing aid which is self-contained and which is operable by
a single player to keep track of a plurality of cards in a setting
where others may be using manual cards and the numbers are called
out in conventional fashion.
A primary object of the invention therefore is to provide an
improved electronic bingo playing aid.
Another object is to provide an electronic bingo playing aid which
is self-contained and operable independent of any electrical
communication with any other devices operated by the game operator
or other players.
Another object is to provide an electronic bingo playing aid which
enables an individual player to easily play a greater number of
cards than he could otherwise keep track of with known mental and
manual systems.
Another object is to provide an electronic bingo playing aid which
constantly checks for winning patterns of matched letter/number
combinations and which immediately alerts the player when a winning
pattern has been achieved.
Finally, a further object is to provide an electronic bingo playing
aid which is easy to operate and economical to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bingo playing system of the present invention utilizes a hand
held portable computer having the capability of storing the
numerical and positional information from a plurality of standard
bingo cards prior to play of the game by entering this data into
the device through a built-in keyboard. During play, called numbers
are manually entered into the device by the same keyboard. The
portable computer then automatically searches the stored cards for
a match and any winning pattern of matches. Upon detection of a
winning pattern, the portable computer signals that a winning
pattern has been achieved, by perhaps displaying the identification
number of the winning card as well as the particular winning
pattern.
The bingo playing system of the present invention aids both the
player and the operator of the game. The player is benefited when
using the portable computer by being able to play any number of
cards as easily as playing one. Furthermore, the player does not
miss a winning bingo pattern which otherwise often happens when
playing many cards. The bingo hall or operator benefits by being
able to sell more cards and thus increasing his profits.
The portable computer of the invention is easy to operate and, in
addition to making the game faster and easier for those now playing
the game, has the potential for attracting those people who seem to
have an addiction to such devices in this mushrooming age of
computers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable computer of the
invention in the hand of a bingo player;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the face of the portable
computer;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of the
portable computer; and
FIG. 4 is an electrical schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment
of the portable computer of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The electronic bingo player of the present invention includes a
hand held portable computer 10 which is shown in FIG. 1 easily held
within the hand 12 of a bingo player. The portable computer
includes a relatively thin flat housing 14 having a top wall 16
which is provided with an opening 18 for exposing a display 20.
A keyboard, indicated generally at 22, is situated on top wall 16
adjacent display 20 and includes a plurality of data entry keys 24
and a plurality of instruction keys 26, as more clearly illustrated
in FIG. 2. The data entry keys 24 include ten numerical digit entry
keys 28 and five alphabetic character entry keys 30 bearing the
letters of the word "Bingo" and corresponding to the columns of
display 20. The instruction keys 26 include a card number key 32, a
plurality of winning pattern designation keys 34 and three
functional keys including a clear key 36, correct key 38 and an
enter key 40.
The display 20 includes a center display unit 42 surrounded by a
five-by-five matrix of 24 seven-segment display units arranged to
correspond to the positions of a standard bingo card. The center
display unit 42 is capable of displaying the identification number
of a given card and may additionally be provided with four signal
lights 44 for indicating the player's progress toward acquiring a
winning pattern, as explained hereinbelow.
The portable computer 10 will first be described with reference to
the block diagram of FIG. 3. The heart of the device is the
microprocessor 46 which controls data flow to and from all other
parts of the device, does calculations and data manipulations. A
card memory 48 serves to temporarily store the content data for a
plurality of bingo cards during the play of a game, which
information is input through the keyboard 22. Display 20 serves to
show all information entered from the keyboard 22 for verification
purposes and displays winning card and winning pattern information.
Finally, the program memory 50 holds the software program which
directs the action of microprocessor 46.
Referring to the electrical schematic diagram of FIG. 4, the
microprocessor 46 begins operating in a set-up mode under the
direction of the program memory 50 when the power is turned on by a
conventional on-off switch, not shown. The microprocessor 46 first
senses the condition of all keyboard switches by accepting data
from each of two 8-bit input ports 52 and 54. The first
instructions from the microprocessor 46 would thus be for IORD and
A8, whereupon the And gate 56 produces an output which causes the
switches of input port 52 to be read. The individual switches 58 of
input port 52 are provided with pull up resistors 60 and normally
have a high output of 1. When the corresponding key of keyboard 22
is pushed, a switch 58 is closed with the result that the output
voltage goes low to zero. As the microprocessor 46 scans the
output, any low signal is detected and that information is directed
to the display for verification of the entered data.
The microprocessor 46 controls the display 20 by directing data
from the input port 52 or card memory 48 to a data output port 62.
The microprocessor also loads a number into the display destination
port 64. This number determines which display unit 43 will show the
information. For example, if numerical digit keys 28 are pushed to
enter the number 13, the digits 1 and 3 are latched into the output
port 62 and converted to 7-segment form by the decoders 66 and 68
for communication to the appropriate 7-segment display 43.
Selection of the proper display is accomplished by the latched
output port 64 which receives a signal from program memory 50 as to
the proper display according to whichever keys 24 were pressed. The
operator can then visually check the number that was pressed and
then press either the correct or enter button to either change or
enter that information. The entered information is stored in the
card memory 48.
Once the content data for all of the bingo cards which are to be
played is entered into the card memory 48, the microprocessor 46,
under the direction of program memory 50 is switched to the play
mode. The microprocessor first issues instructions of IORD and A8
and IORD and A9 to sequentially scan all of the keyboard switches
58. Until any input keys are pressed, the microprocessor can be
said to be idling in a program loop. When the output of one of the
switches 58 goes low, that information is read, and displayed as
described above for verification and then entered into the card
memory 48 upon pressing the enter key 40. A search is then made of
card memory 48 to determine if the inputted number matches a number
on any of the stored cards. If a match is found, it is recorded in
the card memory 48 and a search is made of all accumulated matches
to determine if a winning pattern has occurred. If no winning
pattern has occurred, the microprocessor again monitors the
keyboard 22 in wait for the next key press.
The patterns which are to be recognized as winning patterns for any
given game are selected at the end of the set-up mode by pressing
the appropriate pattern keys 34. These include the conventional
vertical, horizontal and diagonal patterns as well as the "X",
square, full card, Vee, inverted Vee and four corners.
When one or more winning match patterns are detected, the
microprocessor outputs the identification number of the appropriate
card from the card memory 48 to the center display unit 42 of
display 20 through the appropriate output ports 62 and 64 and
decoders 66, 68 and 70. The display to actually show the data is
selected by the decoder 70. Likewise, the numbers of the winning
pattern itself are also displayed in the appropriate display units
43. Note that the output information is constantly sequentially
displayed on the 7-segment displays 43 but the cycling is
accomplished so fast that it appears that the various output
displays are being activated simultaneously. This is referred to as
multiplexing.
Operation of the portable computer 10 of the present invention is
thus quite simple. A player purchases as many bingo cards as he or
she wants to play and then enters the letters and numbers appearing
on those cards into the computer by first pressing the card number
key 32 and then the identification number appearing on the center
square of the card. The player then presses the letter "B" and
enters all numbers in this column and continues this process for
the columns "I", "N", "G", and "O". The player continues in this
manner for each of the cards to be played after first pressing the
card number key 30 and entering the content data either in the
chronological order of the cards or by an identification or serial
number on the cards.
After entering all of the cards to be played, the player must then
press the appropriate pattern keys 34 which will be recognized in
the particular game as a winning pattern.
Then when a number is called by the caller such as "N-40", the
player presses the button for the letter "N" and the buttons for
the numerals 4 and 0. The machine searches the card memory for this
letter/number combination and records it when found. The process
continues until a BINGO is reached at which time the center square,
the free square, will light and show the number of the card on
which the BINGO appears. That card number will be displayed in the
center display unit 42 and the letter/numerical combinations of the
winning pattern will be displayed in the appropriate display units
43. At this time the house employee will call back the numbers to
confirm BINGO and also check the card of the player to be certain
that he or she actually has a card containing the same numbers and
placement. Thus it will be required that the player keep the cards
entered into the machine in front of him while those cards are
being played.
The four signal lights 44 add excitement to the game by alerting
the player when he gets close to a BINGO. For example, all four red
lights 44 would be on at the beginning of the game since
theoretically only four numbers are needed with the center square
being free. These red lights would go out one by one as the player
gets closer, with one light indicating that only one number is
needed for BINGO.
It is important that the machine be provided with the capability of
clearing individual game number entries without erasing the content
data of the stored cards to enable an operation equivalent to
clearing the markers or plastic chips without losing the card
content information from the memory. This is accomplished by
pressing the clear key 36 which causes the microprocessor 46 to
dump all letter/number combinations and accumulated matches of the
previous game but to retain the content data for the cards being
played. But for this feature, a player would have to reload the
content data between games, a procedure which would likely require
more time than is usually available.
Certain additional features of the invention are shown in
electrical schematic diagram of FIG. 4. The input port 54, card
memory 48, program memory 50, output port 62, and display port 64
are all accessed by respective And gates 54A, 48A, 48B, 50A, 62A
and 64A, each of which produces an output only when both inputs are
energized. Note the inverter 72 on the A10 input And gate 50A. If
A10 is active, it inputs to the And gates 48A and 48B and if it is
inactive, it inputs to the And gate 50A.
Microprocessor 46 may be of the type designated by numeral 8085.
Other microprocessors could also be suitable although the schematic
circuit would have to be modified to accommodate alternate units.
The card memory 48 may be a 1 K memory which is easily capable of
storing all of the information for at least 16 standard bingo
cards.
Whereas a preferred embodiment has been shown and described herein,
it will be understood that many modifications, alterations and
variations may be made within the intended broad scope of the
appended claims. For example, the portable computer may be provided
with means for cancelling any given card so that another could be
entered in its place. Another feature may be to have a method of
transferring the content data of the entered cards to a temporary
memory thus allowing certain special games to be entered and played
and then recalling the primary cards when the special is over.
Thus there has been shown and described a portable hand held
electronic bingo player which accomplishes at least all of the
stated objects.
* * * * *