Obviousness

US Patent 11756371 (US11756371B1) relates to systems, methods, and media for implementing internet-based wagering with an enhanced roulette game featuring randomly selected increased payouts.

Obviousness Analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103

A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in the field of internet-based wagering games, as of the priority date of February 5, 2018, would have possessed knowledge of traditional roulette, online gaming system architectures, and common game enhancement techniques such as side bets, jackpots, and multipliers.

The independent claims (Claim 1, 11, and 21) of US11756371B1 primarily disclose a system, method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for a roulette game where a hardware processor:

1. Randomly or pseudo-randomly selects one or more positions on the roulette wheel to have an increased payout before the ball lands.
2. Determines that the ball lands in such a pre-selected position.
3. Applies the increased payout to a bet made on that position.
   Independent Claim 11 further specifies presenting a graphical user interface with a roulette board, and Claim 21 covers the computer-readable medium for performing this method.

Prior Art References for Combination

The following prior art references, cited by the examiner, are relevant to an obviousness analysis:

1. US9327186B1 to Interblock D.D. (published May 3, 2016): Titled "Roulette system with side bet and random multiplier event." This patent explicitly discloses a roulette system that includes a "random multiplier event." A "random multiplier event" in the context of roulette would be understood by a PHOSITA to mean that certain positions or outcomes are randomly chosen to have an enhanced payout (multiplier) for a particular spin. For such an event to be meaningful in a wagering game, this random selection would necessarily occur prior to the actual outcome (i.e., before the ball lands) to create anticipation and allow players to react or be informed. The patent further implies the system's ability to detect where the ball lands and apply the appropriate payouts, including any multipliers.
2. US6755741B1 to Rafaeli (published June 29, 2004): Titled "Gambling game system and method for remotely-located players." This patent teaches the implementation of gambling games, including casino games, for remote players over a communication network (e.g., the Internet). It discloses systems and methods for receiving bet information from player devices, managing game play, and distributing payouts in an online environment. It also generally covers the streaming of video content from a live game environment to remote players, and the presentation of user interfaces on player devices.

Obviousness Combination: Interblock (US9327186B1) in view of Rafaeli (US6755741B1)

A PHOSITA would have been motivated to combine the teachings of Interblock (US9327186B1) with those of Rafaeli (US6755741B1) to arrive at the claimed invention.

Motivation for Combination:

• Commercial Motivation: The online wagering industry constantly seeks to enhance player engagement and offer more exciting game variations to attract and retain users. Implementing popular casino game enhancements, such as random multipliers in roulette (as taught by Interblock), into widely accessible internet-based platforms (as taught by Rafaeli) is a clear commercial driver. Offering higher-than-normal payouts through a random multiplier mechanism makes the game more appealing.
• Technical Feasibility: The technical integration of a random multiplier event into an online roulette system would have been straightforward for a PHOSITA in 2018. The core logic of randomly selecting positions for increased payouts and applying them upon a win (from Interblock) could be readily integrated into the existing client-server architecture, betting mechanisms, and payout processing systems described by Rafaeli for online gambling.
• Improving User Experience: Displaying the chosen "random multiplier event" to players (whether on a physical display in a studio, as implied by live casino games, or on a graphical user interface on a player device in an online game) is a routine design choice to inform players and build excitement. This is a natural extension of both the "random multiplier event" and the "remotely-located players" concepts.

Application to Independent Claims:

1. Claim 1 (System for Wagering):

• "a ball; a roulette wheel having a plurality of positions...": This fundamental component is clearly taught by Interblock (US9327186B1) as part of a "roulette system."
• "at least one hardware processor collectively configured to: randomly or pseudo-randomly select a first selected position...to have a first increased payout...prior to the ball landing...": This is directly taught by Interblock's "random multiplier event" in a "roulette system," which inherently involves pre-determining enhanced payouts for specific outcomes.
• "determine that the ball has landed into the first selected position...": A core function of any roulette system, including Interblock's, is to determine the winning position.
• "determine that the first increased payout is applicable to a first bet made on the first selected position... wherein the first increased payout is greater than a first non-selected payout...": This is a direct consequence of Interblock's "random multiplier event."
• Obviousness of online aspect: Rafaeli (US6755741B1) teaches providing "gambling game system and method for remotely-located players" over a network, encompassing player devices and server-side processing for wagering. A PHOSITA would find it obvious to apply Interblock's random multiplier roulette game within the online wagering framework described by Rafaeli to offer an enhanced online roulette experience.

2. Claim 11 (Method for Wagering):

• "causing, by at least one hardware processor, a first graphical user interface to be presented on a first player device, wherein the first graphical user interface includes a roulette board;": Rafaeli (US6755741B1) explicitly teaches systems for "remotely-located players" and displaying game information on player devices. Presenting a graphical user interface with a roulette board is standard for any online roulette game. Highlighting the selected positions (Claim 16) or indicating the "500x" payout (Claim 17) would be routine visual enhancements for such a UI, obvious to a PHOSITA for informing players of the game state.
• The remaining steps (random selection, determining landing, determining payout applicability) are covered by the combination of Interblock and Rafaeli, as explained for Claim 1.

3. Claim 21 (Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Medium):

• This claim covers a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to perform the method of Claim 11. If the method of Claim 11 is obvious based on the combination of Interblock and Rafaeli, then storing the computer executable instructions for performing this method on a non-transitory computer-readable medium would likewise be obvious to a PHOSITA. This is merely a known way of implementing a software-based system or method.

Therefore, the combination of US9327186B1 (Interblock) and US6755741B1 (Rafaeli) would render claims 1, 11, and 21 of US11756371B1 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.