HK1115342A - Device, system and method of gaming - Google Patents

Abstract

Device, system and method of gaming. For example, a method of operating a game includes: based on a received pre-paid amount, assigning to a user a subscription period and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game-related operations that the user is permitted to perform during the subscription period; virtually performing, during the subscription period, game-related operations in response to commands received from the user during the subscription period; after the subscription period elapses, calculating a profit-and-loss balance of the user based on the game-related operations virtually performed for the user during the subscription period; and if the profit-and-loss balance is positive, assigning to the user a prize calculated based on the profit- and-loss balance.

Description

Gaming device, system and method

Cross reference to related applications

The present application claims priority and rights to (1) U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/640,217 entitled "descriptive gambling/Gaming" filed on 3.1.2005 and (2) U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/664,191 entitled "Device, System and Method of investigational Gaming" filed on 23.3.2005, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of investments, particularly the trading of stocks, currencies, precious metals, commodities, and the like; and to the field of gaming, and more particularly to online and offline gaming platforms, devices, and methods.

Background

In the field of investment and trading, investing in securities typically requires an initial investment amount. For example, a person wishing to trade stocks may need to open an account with a stockbroker and deposit an initial amount of money in the account. The deposited amount may then be used to fund the purchase of the security. Typically, traders may access real-time stock trading data via a brokerage firm or by connecting to the system via the internet or other means.

A significant drawback of stock/currency/precious metals/commodity trading is that the trader or client may risk his financial status uncontrolled. For example, a trader or client is not limited in the amount of money he may lose, as his stock or commodity portfolio value may decrease very quickly and significantly. In addition, many traders are not professional investment specialists, and they may make decisions based on wrong considerations or according to wrong recommendations.

Many traders or clients participate in investing for entertainment and consider the investment as a game or a gambling. For reliability they need to limit entertainment to avoid significant losses.

Some companies provide virtual portfolio management, where customers can simulate trading by creating virtual portfolios and tracking virtual revenues or losses. These systems are used as training tools, however, they do not provide any real "action" or entertainment user experience to the user, and do not provide real entertainment value to the customer.

In the field of gambling and gaming, such as casino gambling, players or clients typically place wagers on various games that may depend on chance and/or skill by exchanging money for chips or points or other casino currency. Optionally depending on the player's or client's performance (e.g., win or loss) and betting habits, he may continue playing as long as he can afford to buy points. At any given time, the player may exchange the casino currency back into money.

A significant drawback of casino gambling is that the player or client may risk his financial condition without control. For example, a player or client is not limited in the amount of money he can speculate on, and may not reliably lose all of his possession, and sometimes even exceed his possession (e.g., by borrowing or generating a debt).

Many players or clients access online and offline gaming/gambling sites for entertainment; for reliability, they need to limit entertainment to avoid significant losses.

Disclosure of Invention

Some embodiments of the present invention provide systems, devices and methods for subscription-based games that simulate trading of stocks/currency/precious metals/commodities and allow players to derive real profits from their skills or success.

Some embodiments may include platforms and methods that may enable users to purchase rights to use systems that provide access to transaction data, possibly in real-time, and to simulate transaction/investment processes and operations. The user may play virtually so that the player does not purchase the actual securities, but they may obtain the proceeds/winnings.

In some embodiments, the user's winnings may be calculated based on his performance during the subscription period, such as revenue or loss, or a combination thereof. For example, if the user generates a positive balance (benefit) when he has the right to play due to multiple operations of buying and selling securities, the user may receive this benefit or a portion thereof in the form of money and/or a money equivalent.

In some embodiments, the user may pay a subscription fee to create and manage a virtual portfolio of securities, for example, through an online, mobile, or other interface. During the subscription period, the user may have a virtual balance and may submit a virtual trade order to virtually purchase or sell a security, for example, based on real-time market quotes (or possibly delayed quotes).

At the end of the subscription period, the user may receive a monetary reward that may be a function of the user's performance if the final virtual balance of the virtual portfolio is positive. The monetary reward may, for example, be substantially equal to the user's final virtual balance, or may be based on the user's final virtual balance. In some embodiments, the monetary reward received by a user may be independent of the performance or virtual balance of other users.

In some embodiments, the gaming system may include, for example: an income payment module that receives payment from a user; a game management module that allocates to the user a subscription period and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game related operations that the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period based on the received payment amount; a game module virtually performing game-related operations in response to commands received from a user during a subscription period; an account module that calculates a profit-and-loss balance for the user based on game-related operations performed by the user during the subscription period after the subscription period elapses; and a payout payment module that provides or distributes an incentive to the user that is calculated based on the profit-and-loss balance if the profit-and-loss balance is positive.

Some embodiments may include systems and methods for subscription-based gambling games for implementing games (including, but not limited to, slot machines, video poker, card games, blackjack, roulette, dice games, bingo, skill games, lottery games, pinball games, etc.), gambling, events, activities and/or entertainment that overcome the limitations of existing ground-based and online gambling systems.

Some embodiments may include platforms and methods that may enable users to purchase rights to play various games. Thus, the user's winnings may be calculated based on his game outcome, such as win, loss, bet, or a combination thereof. For example, if the total amount won by the user exceeds the total amount wagered when he has the right to play, the user may receive a balance (balance) in the form of money, rewards (including but not limited to prepaid gift certificates, gift cards, or other types of vouchers), or discounts (e.g., coupons).

Some embodiments may include systems and methods that may enable a user to purchase a subscription that is speculative or plays for a predetermined time period. In other embodiments, the user may purchase a subscription to gamble or play a predetermined number of wagers or games, or a predetermined amount of wagers or games.

Some embodiments may include systems and methods for subscription-based gaming using dedicated gaming consoles, handheld devices, PDAs, pocket PC devices, mobile phones, mobile wireless communication devices, and the like. The user may purchase a subscription that is speculated using, for example, the internet, an intranet, a local area network connection, a USB connection, an IR wireless connection, etc. The game may be executed online or offline.

In some embodiments, the user may purchase points online for non-subscription based offline gambling or gaming.

In some embodiments, a method of operating a game may include, for example: allocating to the user a subscription period based on the received prepaid amount and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game related operations that the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period; virtually performing a game-related operation during the subscription period in response to a command received from the user during the subscription period; calculating a profit-and-loss balance of the user based on game-related operations virtually performed for the user during the subscription period after the subscription period elapses; and if the profit-and-loss balance is positive, allocating a calculated reward based on the profit-and-loss balance to the user.

In some embodiments, for example, calculating the profit-and-loss balance may include: the total amount of losses the user incurred in the subscription period is subtracted from the total amount of winnings the user accumulated in the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, calculating the profit-and-loss balance may include: the total amount wagered by the user in the subscription period is subtracted from the total amount of winnings accumulated by the user in the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, the method may further comprise: receiving a purchase order from a user; and virtually executing the purchase order based on the substantially real-time market quote.

In some embodiments, for example, the method may further comprise: receiving a sales order from a user; and virtually executing the sales order based on the substantially real-time market quote.

In some embodiments, for example, the method may further comprise: the user is allowed to perform a substantially unlimited number of virtual sales and virtual purchases during the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, calculating the profit-and-loss balance may include: for each security purchased by a user during a subscription period, the sales price of the security is subtracted from the purchase price of the security if the user sells the security, and the market price of the security at the end of the subscription period is subtracted from the purchase price of the security if the user does not sell the security.

In some embodiments, for example, the method may further comprise: displaying to the user a virtual game whose outcome relates to chance; receiving a virtual bet amount from a user; incrementing an losing counter by the virtual bet amount; and if the user wins the virtual game, incrementing a win counter by a win amount.

In some embodiments, for example, the method may further comprise: the user is allowed to perform a substantially unlimited number of wagers during the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, a gaming device may include: an income payment module that receives payment from a user; a game management module that allocates to the user a subscription period and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game related operations that the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period based on the received payment amount; a game module virtually performing a game-related operation during a subscription period in response to a command received from a user during the subscription period; an account module that calculates a profit-and-loss balance of the user based on game-related operations virtually performed for the user during the subscription period after the subscription period elapses; and an expenditure payment module that allocates an incentive to the user calculated based on the profit and loss balance if the profit and loss balance is positive.

In some embodiments, for example, the account module calculates the profit-and-loss balance by subtracting a total amount of losses the user incurred in the subscription period from a total amount of winnings the user accumulated in the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, the account module calculates the profit-and-loss balance by subtracting a total amount of wagers that the user incurred in the subscription period from a total amount of winnings that the user accumulated in the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, the game module receives a purchase order from a user and virtually executes the purchase order based on substantially real-time market quotes.

In some embodiments, for example, the gaming module receives a sales order from a user and virtually executes the sales order based on substantially real-time market quotes.

In some embodiments, for example, the gaming module allows the user to perform a substantially unlimited number of virtual sales and virtual purchases during the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, the gaming module allows the user to perform a substantially unlimited number of wagers during the subscription period.

In some embodiments, for example, a gaming system may include: a first payment module that receives payment from a user; a gaming device, comprising: a revenue payment module to retrieve data related to the received payment from the first payment module, a game management module to assign a subscription period to the user based on the received payment amount and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game related operations the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period, a game module to virtually perform the game related operations during the subscription period in response to a command received from the user during the subscription period, and an account module to calculate a profit and loss balance for the user based on the game related operations virtually performed for the user during the subscription period after the subscription period has elapsed; and a second payment module that allocates a calculated reward to the user based on the profit-and-loss balance if the profit-and-loss balance is positive.

In some embodiments, for example, the gaming device is portable and the first and second payment modules are external to the gaming device.

In some embodiments, for example, the first payment module may comprise an online income payment module and the second payment module may comprise an online expense payment module.

In some embodiments, for example, the gaming module will operate offline in a disconnected mode from the first and second payment modules.

Embodiments of the invention may provide various other benefits or advantages.

Drawings

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further details, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of operating and using an investment game in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a gaming system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a system for subscription-based gaming, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of components of an electronic cashier according to some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method according to some embodiments of the inventions;

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a system for portable gambling games according to some embodiments of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within the computing system's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

Moreover, use of the words "game," "gambling," etc. refer to ground-based and/or online events, activities, games, sessions, rounds, hands, circles, operations, etc., including, for example, video games, Web games, casino games, card games, dice games, sporting events, and/or any other gaming or gambling event. Additionally, the words "wager," "bid," and the like refer to any type of wager, wager or game venture for random events, whether of monetary or non-monetary value, or other events that determine outcome with a partial chance (e.g., chance alone, or combination of chance and skill).

The platforms, processes, and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purpose computing systems and network devices may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the desired method. The desired structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below. In addition, embodiments of the present invention are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the invention as described herein.

The term "security" as used herein may include, for example: stocks, shares, bonds, mutual funds, commodities, options, spot goods, precious metals, or other tradeable assets or rights.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of operating and using an investment game in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

As shown in block 110, the method may include, for example, logging into a service, system, network, and/or web site that allows participation in the investment game. This may include, for example, downloading and/or installing a client program, creating and/or entering a username and password, or initiating an interface to the investment game (e.g., a web-based interface, or a handheld, mobile, or cellular interface).

As shown at block 115, the method may include, for example, defining a subscription period with respect to the received payment. In one embodiment, a relatively high payment may result in a relatively long subscription period. For example, a payment of $ 10 may result in a subscription period of 30 days, a payment of $ 20 may result in a subscription period of 75 days, and so on.

As shown in block 120, the method may include defining a maximum allowable virtual portfolio size and available securities, for example, based on or in relation to a subscription type. In one embodiment, available types of securities may be defined, such as securities belonging to a particular index (e.g., Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor, etc.), securities traded at a particular exchange (e.g., NASDAQ, NYSE, Forex, etc.), securities belonging to a particular market segment (e.g., high tech, real estate, energy, biotechnology, etc.), stocks, bonds, foreign currencies, mutual funds, commodities, options, and so forth. In another embodiment, the available securities may be defined on a particular basis, such as by defining the availability of Microsoft (MSFT), General Electric (GE), and Yahoo (YAHOO) stocks. In another embodiment, a relatively higher payment may result in more securities being selectable for the virtual portfolio. For example, a payment of $ 20 may result in only 2 securities being selectable for a given subscription period, a payment of $ 50 may allow the selection of 5 securities, and so on. In another embodiment, a relatively high payment may result in a greater number of securities being allowed for trading in each virtual trade (allowed virtual portfolio size). For example, a payment of $ 20 may result in a limit of virtually owning only 20 securities; a payment of $ 50 may allow a limit of virtually owning 50 securities, and so on.

As shown in block 125, the method may include, for example, assigning a trade criteria. In one embodiment, a maximum allowed Stop Loss (Stop Loss) size may be defined. In another embodiment, the initial virtual balance may be defined as zero dollars or another predetermined amount.

As shown in block 130, the method may include, for example, paying a subscription fee. This may include, for example, paying out a predetermined amount of money and receiving or confirming such payment.

As shown in block 135, the method may include, for example, providing quotes for one or more of the available securities. In one embodiment, the offers may include real-time offers or substantially real-time offers; in another embodiment, the quote may include a delayed quote, such as a 15 minute delayed quote, a 20 minute delayed quote, or a 30 minute delayed quote. In one embodiment, quotes for substantially all available securities may be provided; in another embodiment, a user may select a quote for one or more available securities and may provide the selected quote. In another embodiment, the quote may include one, two, three, or more quote levels, including quote price and number of securities offered.

As shown in block 140, the method may include, for example, submitting a virtual trade order for an available security. This may include, for example, submitting a virtual order to purchase or sell available securities according to an amount or quantity provided by the user and/or limited by subscription terms. The virtual trade order may be similar to real world trade orders such as limit orders, market orders, orders with instructions or conditions ("All or nothing (All orphan)", "full or withdrawn (Fill or Kill)", etc.), orders with time limits ("i.e. available for Day)", "available for Week", "up to execution (Good tail Executed)", etc. In one embodiment, only market orders may be submitted, while non-market orders (e.g., limit orders) may not be submitted.

As shown at block 145, the method may include, for example, virtually executing the virtual trade order. This may include, for example, creating or updating records in the virtual portfolio, or indicating that available securities were purchased or sold. For example, a virtual purchase order may be executed by adding the purchased securities to the virtual portfolio and deducting the price of the purchased securities from the virtual balance. Similarly, a virtual sales order may be executed by removing the securities sold from the virtual portfolio and adding the price of the securities sold to the virtual balance.

In one embodiment, a virtual trade fee may optionally be applied to the virtual balance, for example, by deducting a predetermined amount (e.g., $ 7, $ 11, 0.5%, 1%, etc.) from the virtual balance upon virtual execution of the virtual trade order. In one embodiment, only market orders may be virtually executed, while non-market orders (e.g., limit orders) may not be virtually executed.

In some embodiments, a player may upgrade or edit his subscription attributes from a first type to a second type at any given time during his subscription period, which may include, for example, an increased virtual portfolio size, additional securities available for virtual trading, additional trading options (forex, additional stock exchanges, etc.), additional or other trading conditions (e.g., higher stop loss), additional or extended subscription period durations, and the like. In this case, the player may be required to pay an additional fee to cover the difference between the first subscription type and the second subscription type.

As shown at block 150, the method may include, for example, checking whether the subscription period has elapsed. As indicated by arrow 151, if the result of the check is negative, the method may include, for example, repeating one or more of the operations described above, e.g., the operations of blocks 135, 140, and 145.

Conversely, as indicated by arrow 152, if the check is positive, the method may include determining a final virtual balance, as indicated by block 160. This may include, for example, performing a suitable adjustment operation to, for example, clear the virtual portfolio. In one embodiment, for example, securities that were virtually purchased and not virtually sold may be sold, for example, according to market rates at the time the subscription period elapsed, and their prices may be added to the virtual balance to produce a final virtual balance. In one embodiment, a trading fee may be deducted from the virtual balance once the available securities that were purchased and not sold during the subscription period are cleared. In some embodiments, the initial virtual balance (e.g., if not zero) may be deducted from the virtual balance to produce a final virtual balance. In one embodiment of the present invention,

as shown at block 165, the method may include, for example, checking whether the final virtual balance is positive.

If the final virtual balance is not positive (e.g., negative or zero), as shown at block 171, the method may include providing a notification that the subscription period has elapsed and the final virtual balance is not positive, as shown at block 180.

Conversely, as indicated by arrow 172, if the final virtual balance is positive, the method may include, as indicated at block 190, providing a notification that the subscription period has elapsed and the final virtual balance is positive. In such a case, the method may, for example, further include providing or assigning a reward or award based on the final virtual balance, as shown at block 195. In one embodiment, the reward may be a predetermined monetary payment (e.g., $ 100). In another embodiment, the reward may be a monetary payment substantially equal to the amount of the virtual final balance. In yet another embodiment, the reward may be a monetary payment related to the amount of the virtual final balance, e.g., half of the virtual final balance, two-thirds of the virtual final balance, a predetermined percentage of the virtual final balance, etc. In yet another embodiment, the reward may be a monetary payment calculated by taking into account the final virtual balance, the subscription period, the subscription fee paid, the number of transactions performed, or other parameters. In some embodiments, the reward provided or allocated to the first user may be unrelated to and unaffected by the performance or attributes of one or more other users' performance or one or more other virtual portfolios not operated by the first user.

In yet another embodiment, the reward or portion of the reward may include, for example, an additional subscription period provided to the player. In yet another embodiment, the reward or additional reward may be paid to several users, such as users who demonstrate a more competitive performance, or users who have performed more transactions, or users based on other conditions or criteria that may be defined by a system administrator.

Other suitable operations or sets of operations may be used in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a gaming system 200 according to some embodiments of the invention. System 200 may include, for example, a server 220 and one or more stations, such as station 210. The server 220 may be connected to the station 210 by a link 250, for example, by a wired link, by a wireless communication link, by a wired or wireless network, by the internet, by the world wide web, cellular, etc.

Station 210 may include or may be implemented, for example, as a personal computer, desktop computer, server computer, workstation, tablet computer, mobile computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, mobile phone, cellular phone, handheld device, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, special purpose or multi-purpose computing platform, or other suitable computing device. In some embodiments, station 210 may include, for example, a processor 211, a memory unit 212, a storage unit 213, an input unit 214, and an output unit 215. Station 210 may include other suitable hardware components and/or software components.

The processor 211 may include, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a controller, a chip, a microchip, an Integrated Circuit (IC), or any other suitable multi-purpose or special purpose processor or controller.

The memory unit 212 may include, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SD-RAM), flash memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, cache memory, buffers, short-term memory units, long-term memory units, or other suitable memory units or storage units.

Storage unit 213 may include, for example, a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a Compact Disk (CD) drive, a CD-ROM drive, or other suitable removable or non-removable storage units.

The input unit 214 may include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a stylus, a pointing device, and the like.

Output unit 215 may include, for example, a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor, a plasma monitor, or other suitable monitor or display unit.

Station 210 may be operated by a user to perform one or more operations of the investment game, such as logging in, paying a subscription fee, and submitting a virtual trade order.

Server 220 may include or may be implemented, for example, as a personal computer, desktop computer, server computer, workstation, tablet computer, mobile computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, mobile phone, cellular phone, handheld device, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, dedicated or multi-purpose computing platform, or other suitable computing device. In some embodiments, server 220 may include, for example, a processor 221, a memory unit 222, and a storage unit 223. Server 220 may include other suitable hardware components and/or software components.

The processor 221 may include, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a controller, a chip, a microchip, an Integrated Circuit (IC), or any other suitable multi-purpose or special purpose processor or controller.

The memory unit 222 may include, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SD-RAM), flash memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, cache memory, buffers, short-term memory units, long-term memory units, or other suitable memory units or storage units.

Storage unit 223 may include, for example, a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a Compact Disk (CD) drive, a CD-ROM drive, or other suitable removable or non-removable storage units.

Server 220 may be operated by a user to perform one or more operations of the investment game, such as defining a subscription period, defining available securities, allocating an initial virtual balance, checking whether the subscription period has elapsed, determining a final virtual balance, checking whether the final virtual balance is positive, and providing or allocating a reward or prize based on the final virtual balance.

Server 220 may include one or more modules that may be implemented, for example, as elements of server 220, software components, hardware components, or sub-elements of other components of server 220. Such modules may include, for example, an offer module 231, an account module 232, a combination module 233, a constraint module 234, an order module 235, an execution module 236, a management module 237, an income payment module 238, an expense payment module 239, or other suitable modules.

The quote module 231 may provide quotes for one or more securities. In one embodiment, the offer data may be received by the offer module 231 from an external source, such as a remote offer generator or offer source. In some embodiments, the quotation module 231 may store and/or retrieve real-time quotations, substantially real-time quotations, delayed quotations, and/or historical quotations.

The account module 232 may store parameters for a user's account or for multiple accounts for multiple users. For example, the account module may store: data indicating a username and password of the account, payment of a credit received to the account, a start and end of a subscription period associated with the account, a current balance and a historical balance associated with the account, a history of transactions associated with the account, and the like.

The portfolio module 233 may store data for securities that are virtually held and associated with an account. In one embodiment, the securities that are virtually held may include, for example, securities for which virtual purchase orders were virtually executed, and for which virtual sale orders were not virtually executed.

The constraint module 234 may store data indicating the types of operations that the user may or may not have authority to perform. For example, the powers module 234 may store data indicating the securities available for trading by the user, the minimum or maximum monetary amount that the virtual trade may be allowed, the maximum number of trades allowed for the user within a predetermined time period, the minimum or maximum number of securities for which the virtual trade may be allowed, or other constraints or conditions.

The order module 235 may include an interface capable of receiving the order details submitted by the station 210.

The execution module 236 may, for example, virtually execute an order to trade securities, update the portfolio module 233 upon virtually executing a trade, update the virtual balance upon virtually executing a trade, or perform other execution-related operations.

The management module 237 may, for example, check whether the subscription period has elapsed, determine a final virtual balance, send a notification to the user based on the final virtual balance, or perform other operations related to management of the investment game.

The revenue payment module 238 may, for example, be capable of receiving payment (e.g., subscription fee payment) from the user using one or more payment methods, such as credit card, debit card, check, money order, electronic funds transfer, wire transfer, and the like.

The expense payment module 239 may, for example, be capable of performing payment (e.g., payment of a reward based on the final virtual balance) to the user using one or more payment methods, such as credit card, debit card, check, money order, electronic funds transfer, wire transfer, and the like.

In some embodiments, a player may purchase a right to use a stock trading game and/or website for a predetermined period of time ("subscription period"). During the subscription period, the player may perform a substantially unlimited number of purchasing operations and/or selling operations; optionally, a number requirement or limit (e.g., minimum or maximum) may apply. The buy/sell orders submitted by the player are virtually executed based on substantially real-time transactional data or quotes or slightly delayed transactional data or quotes. Optionally, the bids and asks, as well as the current trade offers, are displayed, for example, substantially in real time or using slightly delayed data.

In some embodiments, the number of shares or items that a player may purchase may be predetermined in the type of subscription the player purchases. For example, the higher the subscription price, the more shares or categories of merchandise the player may be allowed to virtually trade.

Some embodiments may allow for reliable gaming. For example, the subscription price paid by the player may be a fixed fee that the player spends during his subscription period. The player may not lose money (other than paying the subscription price in advance); the player purchases the right to play the investment game for a predetermined period of time without losing funds.

Some embodiments may provide significant entertainment value. For example, a player may make a substantially unlimited number of virtual transactions during his subscription period. The player may predetermine the length of his subscription period and may only pay for the right to play (e.g., virtual trade) during that subscription period. However, the player still has the opportunity to win real money, i.e., non-virtual money.

In some embodiments, the "winning" balance may be calculated based on the revenue and losses virtually generated by the player during his predetermined subscription period. If the profit/loss balance is negative, the player need not pay any payment. If the profit/loss balance is positive, the player may receive a dynamically calculable real (non-virtual) reward, such as a variable reward, a non-predetermined or non-constant reward, a reward according to his profit/loss balance, etc.

Some embodiments may provide a gaming experience and real-life encouragement or compensation that may appeal to players seeking challenges or seeking to develop trading and/or strategy skills. In some embodiments, the gambling component or chance component may be minimal or substantially zero, as the game (e.g., trade) may be skill-based. Some embodiments may guarantee fair play and substantially no manipulation (gaming) because the game incorporates virtual stock trading. Some embodiments may provide a high level of entertainment or excitement, as the game may be based on real-time information and may provide a strongly realistic atmosphere.

In some embodiments, various suitable components may be used in place of or in addition to the components described herein. For example, in some embodiments, a gaming system may include: an income payment module that receives payment from a user; a game management module that allocates to the user a subscription period and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game related operations that the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period based on the received payment amount; a game module virtually performing game-related operations in response to commands received from a user during a subscription period; an account module that calculates a profit-and-loss balance for the user based on game-related operations performed by the user during the subscription period after the subscription period elapses; and a payout payment module that provides or distributes an incentive to the user that is calculated based on the profit-and-loss balance if the profit-and-loss balance is positive.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a system 300 for subscription-based gaming, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system 300 may include a main menu bar 310, the main menu bar 310 including a display 312 of total winnings during the subscription period and a display 314 of total wagers during the subscription period. When the number presented on display 314 is greater than the number presented on display 312, it is an indication that the user of system 300 is winning, and thus is eligible to receive a balance between the values shown on display 314 and display 312 in the form of money, an award (including but not limited to a prepaid gift certificate, gift card, and/or other type of voucher or coupon) or a discount on the purchase.

In addition, menu bar 310 may include game controls 316, which game controls 316 enable a user of system 300 to activate different games operable by system 300. The system 300 may also include a display 320 of games activated and played by the user. The game activated on display 320 may be, for example, a display of a vending machine. Additional controls that may be included in system 300 are, for example: a cashier button 330 whose function will be described in detail below, an upgrade button 332 that enables the user to upgrade or edit his subscription as will be described in detail below. Additional controls such as a promotion button, an information button, a help button, etc. may be included.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates components of an electronic cashier according to an embodiment of the invention. For example, after clicking or selecting the cashier button 330 of fig. 3, the user may be requested to select the format of the subscription that he is interested in. For example, the user may be requested to define a subscription period (block 402). The subscription period may last, for example, between one minute and several months or years. The user may be requested to define the fee he is willing to pay for the subscription (block 404). The fee may result in the size of the maximum or fixed wager that the user may play (block 406). In some embodiments, the subscription period and/or its fee may be defined by the user, and the size of the maximum or fixed wager may be determined based on the selection made by the user. In another embodiment, the subscription period and/or the size of the maximum allowed wager may be defined or selected by the user, and the subscription price may be defined or adjusted based on the selection made by the user.

In addition, additional features related to the gambling game may also be determined. For example, it may be determined that: a minimum bet requirement, after which the user may require a win (block 408); and/or the number of games allowed; and/or progressive game options (block 410).

The user may pay for the selected subscription (block 412). For example, for a one week period with a subscription fee of $ 50, progressive game options such as Jackpot may not be displayed to the user. For longer periods, e.g., two weeks, with higher subscription fees, e.g., $ 200, progressive game options, such as jackpots, may be displayed to the user.

In some embodiments, the user may upgrade, update, renew, modify, or edit his subscription properties or features. When upgrading a subscription, the user may be informed of the current subscription terms, such as the date his current subscription started, the current subscription period, the expiration date of the subscription period, and the user's total subscription period. In addition, the user may be notified of his maximum allowed or fixed bet size. The user may then upgrade or modify the reserved items (e.g., extend) and/or upgrade (e.g., increase) his wager size and/or make more games and/or progressive game options available. Other modifications may also be performed.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. After entering the game lobby (block 500), the user may purchase a subscription to play for a predetermined period of time (block 510A) or to play a predetermined number of bets (block 510B). If the time period is predetermined, the maximum number of bets may be unlimited (block 520A); if the number of bets is predetermined, the time period for the client game may be unlimited (block 520B).

Fig. 6 schematically illustrates a system 600 for a portable gambling game according to another embodiment of the invention. The system 600 may include a dedicated gaming device, PDA, pocket PC device, handheld device, mobile phone, mobile wireless communication device, or other portable electronic device with built-in gaming software (shown as component 640). System 600 illustrates subscription-based gambling games, but conventional gambling games may also use system 600.

The system 600 may include a main menu bar 610, the main menu bar 610 including a display 612 of total winnings during the subscription period and a display 614 of total wagers during the subscription period. When the number shown on display 614 is greater than the number shown on display 612, it indicates that the user of system 600 is winning, and thus that he is entitled to receive the balance between the values of display 614 and display 612 in the form of money, rewards (including but not limited to prepaid gift certificates, gift cards, and/or other types of vouchers or coupons), or discounts to purchase goods.

In addition, menu bar 610 may include game controls 616, which game controls 616 enable a user of system 600 to activate different games that may be executed by system 600. The system 600 may also include a display 620 of games activated and played by the user. The game activated on display 620 may be, for example, a display of a vending machine. Additional controls that may be included in the system 600 are a cashier button 330 and/or an upgrade button 332 that enables the user to upgrade or edit his subscription. Additional controls such as a promotion button, an information button, a help button, etc. may be included.

System 600 may have internet, intranet, and/or local area network communication capabilities (shown as component 150) using one or more technologies or protocols including, but not limited to, USB, IR, wireless, cellular port, etc. For example, the system 600 may connect to the internet to allow a user to purchase a subscription period; thus, the system 600 may be configured or programmed to allow a user to use the system 600 offline during a subscription period. At the end of the subscription period, system 600 may again connect to the internet to upload his profit/loss balance ("cash out") to determine whether he is entitled to a reward, to calculate a reward based on his final profit/loss balance, and to provide or distribute the reward or award to the user. The system 600 may include, for example, one or more chance-based games, skill-based games, chance/skill combination-based games, investment platforms, trading platforms, and the like.

In some embodiments, the user may purchase a subscription using an internet connection; after purchasing a subscription, the user may perform wagering online or offline using the system 600. Optionally, the system 600 may be connected to the internet again at the end of the subscription period to upload the profit/loss or win/loss balance from the system 600 to a remote processing center, for example, which may send the user a reward based on the user's final balance accumulated in the system 600.

In some embodiments, the system 600 may be used by a user in conjunction with a subscription that allows the user to play for a predetermined period of time during which the user may play a substantially unlimited number of games, wagers, or bets, or may perform a substantially unlimited number of transactional operations. In other embodiments, the system 600 may be used by a user in conjunction with a subscription that allows the user to perform a predetermined number of transactional operations, for example, during a substantially unlimited period of time, a subscription that allows the user to play a predetermined number of games or wagers.

In some embodiments, the total winnings or proceeds accumulated by the user during the subscription period through the game and/or gambling and/or virtual transaction may be referred to as total proceeds; and the total loss or bet that the user suffers during the subscription period through the game and/or gambling and/or virtual transaction may be referred to as the total loss. The difference obtained by subtracting the total loss from the total profit may be referred to as the balance. Once the subscription period has elapsed, if the balance is negative or zero, the user may not receive a reward and may not need to pay any additional compensation; for example, the user may not need to pay a monetary amount equal to the balance, and may not need to pay a monetary amount calculated based on the balance. Conversely, if the balance is positive, the user may be eligible to receive a reward, which may be, for example, substantially equal to the balance, calculated as a predetermined percentage of the balance (e.g., 90%, 80%, 75%, 70%, 66%, 50%, 25%, etc.), or calculated using a function that takes into account the balance (e.g., by subtracting a predetermined value from the balance, by multiplying the balance by a predetermined factor, etc.).

In some embodiments, one or more tables, lookup tables, data structures, and/or lists may be used by the system and/or may optionally be presented to or used by a user. Table 1 shows an exemplary table of subscription fee values, fixed bet sizes, minimum bet requirements or points, and shows whether certain gaming operations are permitted to the user, where the subscription period is one week:

subscription period

Subscription fees

Fixed size of bet

Minimum bet requirement/points

Progressive Jackpot allow?

1 week	$30	0.05	600	Whether or not
					$50	0.10	1,000	Whether or not
	$100	0.25	2,000	Whether or not
					$150	0.50	3,000	Whether or not
	$200	1.00	4,000	In part
					$250	2.00	5,000	In part
	$300	2.50	6,000	Is that
					$500	5.00	10,000	Is that

TABLE 1

Table 2 shows an exemplary table of subscription fee values, fixed bet sizes, minimum bet requirements, or points, and shows whether certain gaming operations are permitted to the user, where the subscription period is two weeks:

subscription period	Subscription fees	Fixed size of bet	Minimum bet requirement/points	Progressive Jackpot allow?
					2 weeks	$40	0.05	800	Whether or not
$60	0.10	1,200	Whether or not
				$125		0.25	2,500	Whether or not
$200	0.50	4,000	In part
				$300		1.00	6,000	In part
$500	2.00	10,000	In part
				$600		2.50	12,000	Is that
$750	5.00	15,000	Is that

TABLE 2

In some embodiments, the user may be limited in their ability to extend, update, upgrade, or modify his subscription attributes, such as his subscription period. For example, a week's subscription may be extended at the latest by the first 3 days before the subscription period has elapsed; a two week subscription may be extended at the latest by the first 5 days of the subscription period; a one month subscription may be extended at the latest by the first 9 days before the subscription period has elapsed; a two month booking may be extended at the latest by the first 15 days before the booking period has elapsed; and so on. In some embodiments, during a period of time in which the user may not be able to extend his subscription (e.g., near the end of the subscription period), the user may be allowed to modify other attributes related to the subscription, such as modifying, upgrading, or increasing his wager size.

Some embodiments of the invention may be implemented by software, by hardware, or by any combination of software and/or hardware as may be suitable for specific applications or in accordance with specific design requirements. Embodiments of the invention may include units and/or sub-units, which may be separate of each other or combined together, in whole or in part, and may be implemented using specific, multi-purpose or general processors or controllers, or devices as are known in the art. Some embodiments of the invention may include buffers, registers, stacks, storage units and/or memory units, for temporary or long-term storage of data, or to facilitate the operation of a particular embodiment.

Some embodiments of the invention may be implemented, for example, using a machine-readable medium or article which may store an instruction or a set of instructions that, if executed by a machine, may cause the machine to perform a method and/or operations in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Such a machine may include, for example, any suitable processing platform, computing device, processing device, computing system, processing system, computer, processor, or the like, and may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware and/or software. The machine-readable medium or article may include, for example, any suitable type of memory unit, memory device, memory article, memory medium, storage device, storage article, storage medium and/or storage unit, for example, memory, removable or non-removable media, erasable or non-erasable media, writeable or re-writeable media, digital or analog media, hard disk, floppy disk, compact disk read Only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk recordable (CD-R), compact disk Rewriteable (CD-RW), optical disk, magnetic media, various types of Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), a tape, a cassette, or the like. The instructions may include any suitable type of code, for example, source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, or the like, and may be implemented using any suitable high-level, low-level, object-oriented, visual, compiled and/or interpreted programming language, e.g., C, C + +, Java, BASIC, Pascal, Cobol, assembly language, machine code, or the like.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. A method of operating a game, the method comprising:

allocating a subscription period to a user based on a received prepaid amount and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game related operations that the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period;

virtually performing game-related operations during the subscription period in response to commands received from the user during the subscription period;

calculating a profit-and-loss balance for the user based on the game-related operations virtually performed for the user during the subscription period after the subscription period has elapsed; and is

If the profit-and-loss balance is positive, allocating a calculated reward to the user based on the profit-and-loss balance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the profit-and-loss balance comprises:

subtracting a total amount of losses incurred by the user in the subscription period from a total amount of winnings accumulated by the user in the subscription period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the profit-and-loss balance comprises:

subtracting a total amount wagered by the user in the subscription period from a total amount of winnings accumulated by the user in the subscription period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a purchase order from the user; and is

Virtually executing the purchase order based on substantially real-time market quotes.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a sales order from the user; and is

Virtually executing the sales order based on substantially real-time market quotes.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

allowing the user to perform a substantially unlimited number of virtual sales and virtual purchases during the subscription period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the profit-and-loss balance comprises:

for each security purchased by the user during the subscription period,

if the user sells the security, the sales price of the security is subtracted from the purchase price of the security, and

if the user does not sell the security, the market price of the security at the end of the subscription period is subtracted from the purchase price of the security.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying to the user a virtual game whose outcome relates to chance;

receiving a virtual bet amount from the user;

incrementing an losing counter by the virtual bet amount; and is

If the user wins the virtual game, a win counter is incremented by a win amount.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

allowing the user to perform a substantially unlimited number of wagers during the subscription period.

10. A gaming device, comprising:

an income payment module that receives payment from the user;

a game management module that allocates a subscription period to the user based on the received payment amount and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game related operations the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period;

a game module to virtually perform game-related operations during the subscription period in response to commands received from the user during the subscription period;

an account module that calculates a profit-and-loss balance for the user based on the game-related operations virtually performed for the user during the subscription period after the subscription period has elapsed; and

a payout payment module that allocates an incentive to the user that is calculated based on the profit-and-loss balance if the profit-and-loss balance is positive.

11. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the account module calculates the profit-and-loss balance by subtracting a total amount of losses the user incurred in the subscription period from a total amount of winnings the user accumulated in the subscription period.

12. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the account module is to calculate the profit-and-loss balance by subtracting a total amount wagered by the user in the subscription period from a total amount of winnings accumulated by the user in the subscription period.

13. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the gaming module receives a purchase order from the user and virtually executes the purchase order based on substantially real-time market quotes.

14. The gaming device of claim 13, wherein the gaming module receives a sales order from the user and virtually executes the sales order based on substantially real-time market quotes.

15. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the gaming module allows the user to perform a substantially unlimited number of virtual sales and virtual purchases during the subscription period.

16. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein the gaming module allows the user to perform a substantially unlimited number of wagers during the subscription period.

17. A gaming system, comprising:

a first payment module that receives payment from a user;

a gaming device, comprising:

a revenue payment module that retrieves data related to the received payment from the first payment module;

a game management module that allocates to the user a subscription period based on the received payment amount and a substantially unlimited amount of virtual game-related operations that the user is allowed to perform during the subscription period;

a game module that virtually performs game-related operations during the subscription period in response to commands received from the user during the subscription period;

an account module that calculates a profit-and-loss balance for the user based on game-related operations virtually performed for the user during the subscription period after the subscription period has elapsed; and

and

a second payment module that allocates a reward to the user calculated based on the profit-and-loss balance if the profit-and-loss balance is positive.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the gaming device is portable, and wherein the first and second payment modules are external to the gaming device.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the first payment module comprises an online revenue payment module, and wherein the second payment module comprises an online debit payment module.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the gaming module is to operate offline in a disconnected mode from the first and second payment modules.