Electronic aid for games of chance

Abstract

A programmable apparatus serving as an aid for assisting a player in the performance of a game of chance is disclosed. The programmable apparatus has prestored quantities that are accessed in response to the player entering numerical quantities. The programmable apparatus compares the entered quantities against prestored values to determine the win/lose status of the game being played.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A programmable apparatus for aiding a player in an interactive manner in the performance of a game of chance comprising: 
 a processor whose actions are directed by a computer program and having a plurality of ports;    a readable memory for storing blocks of data representative of predetermined numbers and also representative of predetermined patterns, said blocks of data being furnished from a media having magnetic coded information which is accessible by means movable relative to said information of said media, wherein said predetermined numbers and patterns are correlated to each other to provide games of chance and are capable of being accessed and manipulated by said processor in response to said computer program;    means connected to one of said ports for providing an interactive dialogue between a player using the apparatus and said processor during the performance of said game of chance, said interactive means allowing the player using the apparatus to enter data associated with said game of chance; and    means connected to one of said ports for providing a display of the stored blocks of data, the data entered by way of said interactive means, and intermediate and final stages of the performance of said game of chance.    
     
     
         2 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1    further comprising; 
 means for providing a communication protocol for said processor to adapt said processor to communicate with another processor.  
 
     
     
         3 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein said readable memory of said programmable apparatus is a non-volatile memory and is re-programmable by way of a serial port of said programmable apparatus.  
     
     
         4 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein said means for providing a communication protocol comprises a modem and means for re-programming said another processor by way of said modem.  
     
     
         5 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1    further comprising; 
 means connected to one of said ports for providing protection of said stored data against unauthorized access.  
 
     
     
         6 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1    further comprising; 
 means connected to one of said ports for providing audio and visual indications in response to said computer program.  
 
     
     
         7 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1    further comprising; 
 a portable power source energizing said programmable apparatus comprising; 
 (i) a battery charger circuit capable of being energized at its input stage by an external power source and providing a d.c. voltage at its output stage;  
 (ii) a plurality of batteries connected across said output stage of said battery charger and arranged to provide a cumulative voltage thereof; and  
 (iii) a d.c. power supply having its input stage connected to and excited by said cumulative voltage and providing a plurality of d.c. voltages at its output stage.  
 
 
     
     
         8 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 7   , wherein said plurality of d.c. voltages at the output stage of said d.c. power supply comprises −17 volts; +5 volts; and +12 volts.  
     
     
         9 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein said readable memory further comprises; 
 means for keeping an account of a cash amount which is debited by a predetermined amount upon the completion of said game of chance and credited by a predetermined amount, whenever said player successfully wins said game of chance as determined by said computer program.    
     
     
         10 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein said data representative of both said predetermined numbers and said predetermined patterns are associated with a game of chance selected from one of bingo and lottery tickets.  
     
     
         11 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 10   , wherein said selected bingo game of chance is one of two types of hard and special cards.  
     
     
         12 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 11   , wherein said bingo game of chance comprises a predetermined pattern selected from the group consisting of X shape, picture frame shape, fill-up shape, U-shape and C-shape.  
     
     
         13 . A computer readable storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code to define a predetermined schedule of Bingo cards, wherein, when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer program code causes the computer to: 
 (a) receive and store blocks of predetermined numbers and blocks of predetermined patterns with said block of numbers and patterns defining said schedule of Bingo cards, each block of numbers and each block of predetermined patterns being respectively correlatable to each other and representative of said defined Bingo cards;    (b) process input requests to said computer so as to retrieve at least one of said defined Bingo cards comprised of a respective block of predetermined numbers and a respective block of a predetermined pattern;    (c) process further input requests to said computer corresponding to input numbers and comparing said input numbers against said numbers and patterns of said defined Bingo games and determining if a match exists therebetween;    (d) process the matched/non-matched numbers against said predetermined patterns and determining if correspondence exists therebetween; and    (e) continuing steps (b), (c), and (d) until said step (b) is requested to respond to another selected defined Bingo card.    
     
     
         14 . A computer readable storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code to define a predetermined schedule of lottery game tickets, wherein, when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer program code causes the computer to: 
 (a) receive and store blocks of predetermined data comprising blocks of predetermined numbers and blocks of predetermined patterns with said blocks of numbers and patterns defining said predetermined schedule of lottery game tickets, each block of numbers and each block of predetermined patterns being respectively correlatable to each other and representative of said defined lottery game tickets;    (b) process input requests to said computer so as to retrieve at least one of said defined lottery game tickets comprised of a respective block of predetermined numbers and of a respective block of a predetermined pattern; and    (c) process input requests to said computer corresponding to input numbers and comparing said input numbers against said numbers and patterns of said defined lottery game ticket and determining if a match exists therebetween.    
     
     
         15 . The computer readable storage medium according to    claim 13   , wherein step (c) further comprises comparing said input numbers against said predetermined numbers of said defined Bingo cards and, if said input numbers match said predetermined numbers except for one number therebetween, causing said computer to display said one unmatched number.  
     
     
         16 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein said readable memory further prestores a computer file containing an assortment of game schedules, each of said game schedules predefining the type, brand, cut and collation of bingo cards to be played upon along with the game patterns against which said bingo cards are to be played.  
     
     
         17 . The programmable apparatus according to    claim 16    further comprising means for editing and updating said prestored game schedules.