Method and apparatus for identifying a winner in a bingo game

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for identifying a winner in a bingo game. Players may obtain bingo cards from point-of-sale (POS) terminals that physically prints bingo cards for players in an embodiment where the player appears in person to purchase tickets, or from point-of-sale (POS) terminals that permit players to play bingo in an on-line environment. A game processor maintains a linked list identifying each card in play containing each possible value. Each entry in a linked list includes a pointer to the next element in the linked list. Each bingo card is represented as a bitmap containing an entry corresponding to each square on the bingo card. Each entry in the linked list also identifies the particular square on the bingo card containing the corresponding value, thereby allowing the appropriate entry in the corresponding bitmap to be identified. As each number is drawn, the game processor utilizes the linked list to identify all of the bingo cards in play having the drawn number. As each card containing the drawn number is identified, the corresponding entry in the bitmap is marked. Each possible winning pattern in a bingo game is likewise represented as a bitmap. If a bit in the winning bitmap is set to a value of 1, then the corresponding square must be set on a player's bingo card in order to match the pattern. Winning players are identified by comparing the card bitmap to each of the possible winning bitmaps. If all the 1's that are set in any bitmap for a winning pattern are also set in the card bitmap, then the card is a winning card.

1 . A computer-implemented method of determining winners of a large-scale bingo game, the method comprising: 
 (a) drawing bingo numbers until at least one winning card exists; and    (b) identifying bonus cards that have less than a predetermined number of drawn bingo numbers.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of drawn bingo numbers is one.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (b) comprises analyzing entries in card bitmaps.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (b) comprises identifying cards that include no bingo numbers that that have been drawn during a predetermined length of time.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (b) comprises identifying cards that include no bingo numbers that that have been drawn during the drawing of a second predetermined number of. drawn bingo numbers.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 (c) identifying cards that are both the at least one winning card in (a) and the bonus cards in (b).    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , further including: 
 (d) awarding a prize to cardholders of the cards identified in (c) that is of greater value than a prize awarded to cardholders of the at least one winning card in (a).    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further including: 
 awarding a prize to cardholders of the cards identified in (b) that is of less value than a prize awarded to cardholders of the at least one winning card in (a).    
   
   
       9 . A computer-implemented method of determining winners of a large-scale bingo game, the method comprising: 
 (a) determining a bingo card bonus coordinate position;    (b) analyzing bingo card records that each identify values assigned to the coordinate position; and    (c) determining which bingo card records include a predetermined value in the coordinate position.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the predetermined value corresponds to a drawn number.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the bingo card records comprise card maps.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , further including awarding a prize to contestants having bingo cards that include the predetermined value.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , further including awarding a bonus prize to contestants having bingo cards that include winning patterns and the predetermined value.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the coordinate position is determined before a corresponding bingo game.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the coordinate position is determined by a contestant before a corresponding bingo game.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the coordinate position is determined after a corresponding bingo game.