U.S. patent application number 11/397942 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-02 for method and apparatus for awarding a bonus on a network of electronic gaming devices during a pre-determined time period.
Invention is credited to Cara L. Iddings, Binh Nguyen, Lawrence R. Pitman, Richard J. Schneider.
Application Number | 20060247034 11/397942 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38581745 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060247034 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schneider; Richard J. ; et
al. |
November 2, 2006 |
Method and apparatus for awarding a bonus on a network of
electronic gaming devices during a pre-determined time period
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide a time-based bonus system
that can be pre-configured to award a certain amount of money to
players of networked gaming devices over a certain time period. The
time-based bonus system may include a variety of networked gaming
devices and a method of arranging participation so that each of the
variety of gaming devices has appropriate representation in the
bonus pool. The amount of bonus money in a bonus pool is
pre-determined by a casino or other gaming network operator.
Additionally, the total amount of bonus money in a particular bonus
pool can be divided into multiple smaller bonuses, which can be
distributed to many players over the time period in which the bonus
pool is operating.
Inventors: |
Schneider; Richard J.; (Las
Vegas, NV) ; Iddings; Cara L.; (Las Vegas, NV)
; Pitman; Lawrence R.; (Corvallis, OR) ; Nguyen;
Binh; (Reno, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARGER JOHNSON & MCCOLLOM, P.C.
210 SW MORRISON STREET, SUITE 400
PORTLAND
OR
97204
US
|
Family ID: |
38581745 |
Appl. No.: |
11/397942 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10189041 |
Jul 2, 2002 |
7037195 |
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11397942 |
Apr 3, 2006 |
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60303107 |
Jul 2, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3283 20130101;
G07F 17/3244 20130101; G07F 17/3232 20130101; G07F 17/3269
20130101; G07F 17/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/026 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. In a gaming network including a plurality of gaming devices, a
method of awarding a bonus prize comprising: selecting at least one
gaming device from the plurality of gaming devices to be eligible
for the bonus prize; selecting a participation arrangement for the
selected gaming device; determining a duration of a time period in
which it is possible for the bonus prize to be awarded; dividing
the duration into a plurality of timeslots; selecting one of the
plurality of timeslots as a winning timeslot during which a
pre-determined bonus prize will be made; and awarding the
pre-determined bonus prize after the winning timeslot has been
reached.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein awarding a pre-determined bonus
prize comprises awarding the bonus prize to a player of one of the
plurality of gaming devices.
3. The method claim 1, wherein the plurality of gaming devices
includes at least one gaming device from the group comprising a
spinning reel slot machine, a video poker machine, a computer based
video slot machine, a wireless gaming device, a mobile phone, a
remote device connected through the internet, and a gaming
table.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first plurality of gaming
devices is selected from the plurality of gaming devices, the first
plurality of gaming devices including at least two different types
of gaming devices.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting a participation
arrangement for the selected first plurality of gaming devices
includes adjusting a contribution level of each of the selected
first plurality of gaming devices.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting a participation
arrangement for the selected first plurality of gaming devices
includes adjusting the probabilities that a particular gaming
device will be selected to receive the bonus prize.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting a participation
arrangement for the selected first plurality of gaming devices
includes requiring players on a portion of the selected first
plurality of gaming devices to adjust an amount wagered on each
game.
8. The method of claim 4, wherein the participation arrangement is
calculated based on a coin in rate.
9. The method of claim 4, wherein the participation arrangement is
calculated based on an estimated win calculation.
10. The method of claim 4, wherein the participation arrangement is
at least partly based on at least one of the group comprising
player demographics, player tracking status, and length of time
playing a gaming device.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the
participation arrangement prior to awarding the pre-determined
bonus prize.
12. In a gaming network including a plurality of gaming devices, a
method of preparing to award a bonus prize comprising: authorizing
a user as one eligible to prepare the bonus prize; accepting a
selection of at least one gaming device from the plurality of
gaming devices to be eligible for the bonus prize; accepting a
participation arrangement for the selected gaming device; accepting
a starting time of a bonus prize time period; accepting an ending
time of the bonus prize time period; accepting identification of
one or more bonus prizes; dividing the bonus prize time period into
a number of timeslots; identifying one or more of the number of
timeslots as winning timeslots, the number of winning timeslots
equal to the number of bonus prizes identified; and awarding one of
the bonus prizes after reaching each of the winning timeslots.
13. The method claim 12, wherein the plurality of gaming devices
includes at least one gaming device from the group comprising a
spinning reel slot machine, a video poker machine, a computer based
video slot machine, a wireless gaming device, a mobile phone, a
remote device connected through the internet, and a smart gaming
table.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein a first plurality of gaming
devices is selected from the plurality of gaming devices, the first
plurality of gaming devices including at least two different types
of gaming devices.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein accepting a participation
arrangement for the selected first plurality of gaming devices
includes adjusting a contribution level of each of the selected
first plurality of gaming devices.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein accepting a participation
arrangement for the selected first plurality of gaming devices
includes adjusting the probabilities that a particular gaming
device will be selected to receive the bonus prize.
17. A bonusing system, comprising: a plurality of gaming devices
coupled to a gaming network; and a bonus server coupled to the
gaming network, the bonus server including: a first selector means
for selecting at least one gaming device from the plurality of
gaming devices to be eligible for the bonus prize; a second
selector means for selecting a participation arrangement for the
selected gaming device; a scheduler means for pre-selecting when a
bonus pool is to be active, the bonus pool having a pre-determined
award value in one or more bonus awards, a-time calculator means
for determining the duration in which the bonus pool is to be
active; a divider means for dividing the duration into a plurality
of timeslots; a third selector means for identifying one of the
timeslots as a winning timeslot; and a randomizer means for
selecting a winning gaming device from the plurality of gaming
devices after the winning timeslot has passed.
18. The bonusing system of claim 17, wherein the third selector
means is structured to randomly select one of the timeslots as a
winning timeslot.
19. The bonusing system of claim 17, further comprising an adjustor
means for adjusting the participation arrangement prior to
delivering one of the bonus awards to the winning gaming
device.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein a second selector means for
selecting a participation arrangement for the selected first
plurality of gaming devices includes an adjustor means for
adjusting a contribution level of each of the selected first
plurality of gaming devices.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein a second selector means for
selecting a participation arrangement for the selected first
plurality of gaming devices includes an adjustor means for
adjusting the probabilities that a particular gaming device will be
selected to receive the bonus prize.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of prior
application Ser. No. 10/189,041, filed Jul. 2, 2002, which claims
priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/303,107, filed
Jul. 2, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates to networked gaming devices, and,
more specifically, to a system for providing bonuses for networked
gaming devices independent of winning pay tables of the devices
themselves.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Gaming devices provide an opportunity for a user to play a
variety of popular games on the machines, such as slot-type games,
video adaptations of standard card games such as poker and
blackjack, and many other types of games. Modern gaming devices are
able to forward events that occur on the gaming devices over a
computer network to a central system host or master controller.
Examples of such events include coins or other value being entered
into the machine, button selections and other actions made by the
player, and an amount that the machine credits or pays out to the
player as winnings. When the gaming machines are properly equipped,
the central system can also control at least some portions of the
gaming devices.
[0004] Another system that can be controlled by the central system,
or a process coupled to the central system, is a bonus system for
the gaming devices, and specifically a bonus system that is above
and beyond the standard winning pay tables for the gaming
devices.
[0005] Because there are times in a casino when gaming devices are
not used as much as others, in an effort to make players more
willing to play the games in slow times, it is desirable to be able
to modify the effective payback of the gaming devices.
Specifically, bonus systems are known that pay awards above and
beyond what the gaming devices pay according to their own standard
winning pay tables. Because the bonuses are added to the standard
winnings from a gaming device, the players effectively have a
higher chance of winning more money than when the additional
bonuses are not paid. Therefore, more players are enticed to play
at casinos having gaming devices coupled to a gaming network that
generates the additional bonuses than at casinos that do not use
such bonusing systems.
[0006] A typical way to administer paying an additional bonus is to
accumulate a bonus pool each time one of the participating gaming
devices is played. Once the minimum bonus pool level is reached, it
is distributed--either to the gaming device machine that caused the
minimum pool level to be reached, or to another active gaming
device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,569B2, the teachings of which are
specifically incorporated herein in their entirety, teaches such
bonusing methods. However, because the bonus levels and overall
time period in which bonuses can be paid is dependent on how many
gaming devices are participating in the bonus pool, and dependent
on the rate of usage of such devices, a casino can have difficulty
in clearly explaining to its patrons the actual benefit conferred
on them by participating in their bonusing system.
[0007] Because casinos are interested in providing a full range of
gaming experiences to players, it is also desirable for a casino to
be able to offer such bonusing methods over a variety of gaming
platforms. However, by providing a bonus with a centralized pool
that is available to a variety of gaming platforms, a casino must
also consider contribution schemes that fairly associate bonus
payouts with the share of money contributed by each of the variety
of machines.
[0008] Embodiments of the invention address these and other
deficiencies in the prior art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The description may be best understood by reading the
disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a computer gaming network
on which embodiments of the invention operate.
[0011] FIG. 2 is an example flow diagram illustrating processes
that can be used to set up a particular bonus system.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a chart showing a payout table of an example bonus
pool.
[0013] FIG. 4 is an example flow diagram illustrating processes
that can be used to implement a particular bonus pool.
[0014] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are charts showing winning
timeslots selected out of potential winning timeslots.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Embodiments of the invention provide a time-based bonus
system that can be pre-configured to award a certain amount of
money to players of networked gaming devices over a certain time
period. A bonus system includes a number of individual bonus pools,
each of which can run for a given duration at a particular time on
Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs). The amount of bonus money in a
bonus pool is pre-determined by a casino or other gaming network
operator. Additionally, the total amount of bonus money in a
particular bonus pool can be divided into multiple smaller bonuses,
which can be distributed to many players over the time period in
which the bonus pool is operating.
[0016] The time-based bonus system allows a casino to specify in
great detail for each bonus period: the total amount of a bonus,
the ways in which the bonus is divided if the bonus is divided, the
duration of the bonus period, when within the bonus period the
payouts will be made, which gaming devices that are coupled to the
gaming network are eligible to participate in the bonus payouts,
how the bonus payouts are to be made, and how to signal to casino
patrons that a bonus payout has been made, among other details.
Further, the casino can schedule when and how often a particular
bonus pool period will occur. For instance the casino may schedule
a bonus pool to operate every other hour of each weekday. Even
further, the casino may configure multiple types of bonus pools,
each differing in any of the variables listed above, and schedule
them in advance for different times of the day, week, and month,
and for special holidays or promotions.
[0017] The bonus system according to embodiments of the invention
operates on a gaming computer network. An example modern gaming
network is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is identical to FIG. 1 of U.S.
Pat. No. 6,245,483B1, assigned to the assignee of the present
invention, the teachings of which are incorporated herein in their
entirety. In FIG. 1, indicated generally at 10 is a block diagram
illustrating electronic gaming machines (EGMs), like EGMs 12, 14,
which are interconnected by a computer network. Shown in the gaming
network 10 are three banks of EGMs, indicated generally at 16, 18,
and 20. Each separate EGM is connected via a network connection,
like connection 22, to a bank controller 24. In embodiments of the
invention, each bank controller 24 includes a processor that
facilitates data communication between the EGMs in its associated
bank and the other components on the network. The bank controller
24 also includes audio capabilities, like a CD or DVD ROM drive
coupled to an audio board or sound card for transmitting digitized
sound effects, such as music and the like, to a speaker 26
responsive to commands issued over the network 10 to bank
controller. The bank controller 24 is also connected to an
electronic sign or screen 28 that displays information, such as
scrolling, flashing, or other types of messages that indicate
jackpot amounts and the like, which are visible to players of
machines on bank 16. These message displays 28 are generated and
changed responsive to commands issued over the network 10 to the
bank controller 24. Each of the other banks 18, 20 of EGMs include
associated bank controllers, speakers, and signs as shown, which
operate in substantially the same manner.
[0018] The EGMs may include traditional spinning reel slot
machines, video poker machines, computer based video slot machines,
and similar gaming devices known in the art. The EGMs may further
be terminal based machines, where the actual games including random
number generation and outcome determination is performed at a
remote gaming server 48. In this embodiment, the EGM terminal may
display the results of the game played on the gaming server and
include hardware to accept a wager in the form of cash, cashless
tickets, or other methods of providing a wager.
[0019] In addition, a variety of other gaming platforms may be
connected to the gaming network 10 so as to participate in network
wide bonus systems. As shown in FIG. 1, these types of alternate
gaming platforms may include wireless devices 52 and mobile phones
54, which connect to the gaming network 10 via a wireless receiving
hub 50. The wireless devices 52 may include portable terminals
loaned out to guests by the casino for use in other areas of the
casino, such as a hotel room, a restaurant, an entertainment venue,
or the like. The wireless devices 52 may also include portable
devices such as laptops or PDAs that can communicate directly with
the wireless receiving hub 50. With wireless devices 52 and cell
phones 54, the games themselves may be played on the gaming server
48 to comply with local gaming laws, while the wireless devices 52
or cell phones 54 may act as terminals where a player can observe
the outcome of particular game, place wagers, and interact with the
base game or bonus features.
[0020] The gaming network 10 may also be connected to the internet
through a communication hub 60, and thus allow remote devices 62 to
participate in network wide system bonuses. By allowing remote
devices 62 to participate in a bonus pool, a casino may be able to
offer substantially larger awards because of the increased
contribution from machines that are not on site. These remote
devices 62 may include other gaming machines located outside of the
casino property or may include offsite computers. In addition, the
remote devices 62 may further act as terminal gaming machines, with
the actual play of the games controlled by the gaming server 48,
which may be located in the casino. A casino may also connect smart
gaming tables 76 to the gaming network 10. Smart gaming tables are
disclosed in commonly owned application Ser. No. 11/154,833, which
is herein incorporated by reference. Smart gaming tables 76 may
include traditional gaming tables, such as blackjack, roulette,
craps, poker, and others each outfitted with hardware to enable
players to use a player tracking card during play, and enable the
casino to keep track of player betting patterns and frequency of
play. The outfitted hardware may include a chip recognition system
for recognizing a player identifying chip that may be embedded in a
device carried by a player, such as a player tracking card, a
credit card, a cell phone, or any other type of identifying device.
The smart gaming tables 76 may be organized type or physical
location, where each of these smart gaming tables 76 in a
particular organizational group 74 is connected to table controller
72. The table controller 72, in turn, may be connected to an
Ethernet hub 70 to communicate with the gaming network 10.
[0021] Each of the gaming platforms mentioned above, including the
wireless devices, the remote devices connected through the
internet, and the smart gaming tables may be referred to as an EGM
for reference purposes.
[0022] A network connector, such as an Ethernet hub 30 connects
each of the bank controllers associated with banks 16, 18, 20 of
EGMs to a concentrator 32. Another Ethernet hub 34 connects similar
bank controllers (not shown), each associated with an additional
bank of EGMs (also not shown), to the concentrator 32. The
concentrator 32 functions as a data control switch to route data
from each of the banks to a translator 36. The translator 36
includes a compatibility buffer between the concentrator 32 and a
proprietary accounting system 38. The translator 36 functions to
place all the data gathered from each of the bank controllers into
a format compatible with an accounting system 38. The translator 36
could be implemented by a microcomputer including a microprocessor
and operating system, such as an Intel Pentium microprocessor
running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0.
[0023] Another Ethernet hub 39 is connected to a configuration
workstation 40, a player server 42, and to bonus servers 44, 46.
Hub 39 facilitates data flow to or from workstation 40 and servers
42, 44, 46.
[0024] The configuration workstation 40 has a user interface that
allows portions of the network 10 and the servers 42, 44, 46 to be
set up and modified. The configuration workstation 40 could include
a personal computer having a keyboard, monitor, microprocessor,
memory, an operating system, and a network card coupled to the
Ethernet hub 39.
[0025] The player server 42 includes a microcomputer that is used
to track data of players using the EGMs. Another function of the
player server 42 is to control messages that appear on displays
associated with each EGM. The player server 42 may be embodied in a
microcomputer including, for instance an Intel Pentium Processor,
Microsoft operating system and a network card to couple the server
to the Ethernet hub 39.
[0026] Bonus servers 44, 46 each are embodied by a microcomputer
and are used to control bonus applications or bonus systems on the
gaming network 10. Each bonus system includes a set of rules for
awarding jackpots in excess of those established by the winning pay
tables of each EGM. Some bonus awards may be made randomly, while
others may be made to link to groups of EGMs operating in a
progressive jackpot mode. Examples of such bonuses and networks
used to implement them include those as described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
6,319,125 and 5,655,961, both of which are assigned to the assignee
of the present invention, and the teachings of both of which are
incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes.
[0027] FIG. 2 is an example flow diagram showing processes that can
be used to configure elements of the bonus system for
implementation on the gaming network 10 of FIG. 1. The processes
could be implemented anyplace within the gaming network 10. In some
embodiments the processes shown in FIG. 2 are implemented by
computer programs operating on the configuration workstation 40 of
FIG. 1.
[0028] As mentioned above, a bonus system includes one or more
bonus pools. Generally, in embodiments of the invention, a bonus
pool is one particular instance of a bonusing process that has a
pre-set sum of money to be paid over a pre-set duration that the
pool is operating. The collection of bonus pools, and the
implementation of operating the separate bonus pools makes up the
entire bonusing system.
[0029] A flow 100 begins in a process 110 by a user being
authenticated to access the bonus system setup. Such a process
could be, for example, a logon function of a computer program
operating on the configuration workstation 40. Once authenticated,
in a process 120 the user selects which bonus server 44, 46 will
run the bonus system. As mentioned above, there can be several
separate bonus servers operating on a single gaming network 10.
Process 120 determines which of the bonus servers 44, 46 will be
implementing the particular bonus pools set up in the flow 100.
[0030] The user authenticated in process 110 creates an individual
bonus pool in a process 130 by providing a name for the pool,
determining how much money will be in the pool, and specifying how
many different bonus awards (if more than one) will be part of the
bonus pool. Naming the bonus pool allows the user to easily
identify individual bonus pools within the bonus system. Details of
defining the bonus pool are discussed with reference to FIG. 3
below.
[0031] Next, in a process 140 the user determines which EGMs will
participate in the bonus pool. With reference to FIG. 1, a bonus
pool may include every EGM coupled to the gaming network 10, or
could include only EGMs in a single bank 16, 18, 20. The user could
even select only a few EGMs located in one or more banks 16, 18,
20, or in some circumstances even only a single EGM. Generally, a
casino will want to have many EGMs participating in a particular
bonus pool so that many players are eligible for the bonus. In some
embodiments, pre-defined groups can appear in a process window
operating on the configuration server 40 for easy selection. For
instance, one group displayed may include all of the EGMs in one
bank 16, 18, 20. Or, one group may include all of the EGMs in a
particular location of a casino, no matter which bank the EGMs
belong to. Additionally, one group may include only EGMs that are
currently being played by players using a player tracking card or
other identifying device as discussed above, or may include only
EGMs of a group defined above that are currently being played by
players using an identifying device. If groups of EGMs are
predefined, then the user need only select one of the pre-defined
groups to participate in the bonus pool, rather than individually
selecting each of the EGMs participating in the particular bonus
pool.
[0032] Some embodiments of the bonusing system may be structured to
allow casino activity to be at least partly factored in when
determining eligible EGMs. For example, if a bonus is scheduled to
activate at 6:00 PM on a given day, current casino play levels
could be used in determining which EGMs are to be activated or even
used to determine whether or not to activate the bonus pool
entirely at the scheduled time. This may allow a casino to activate
only certain gaming platforms or locations that may be being played
at a slower rate when the bonus pool is scheduled to begin, or even
to cancel the bonus pool entirely if casino activity reaches a
desired level.
[0033] After selecting which EGMs are participating in the Bonus
Pool in process 140, the system selects a participation arrangement
in process 145. A contribution process may be desirable so that
machines or gaming platforms of different denominations or played
at different wagering levels can fairly participate in the same
bonus pool. Fair participation can include having a contribution
level of a particular machine be proportionate to the odds or
amount of the bonus award. For example, if a first player is
playing all 20 lines of a 20 line nickel video slot machine at one
coin per line at a rate of about 5 games per minute and a second
player is playing $10.00 per hand at a smart black jack table at a
rate of about 1 hand per minute, player one has a coin in rate of
about $5.00 per minute while player two has a coin in rate of about
$10.00 minute. From the perspective of the players, player two is
risking more money on average than player one. Thus, player two may
feel unfairly represented in a cumulative bonus pool that the
gaming platforms of both players are participating in.
[0034] There are many ways to implement a bonus participation
arrangement to compensate for this discrepancy between the
perceived inequality of participation in a cumulative bonus pool.
In some embodiments, a participation arrangement may structured so
that players playing machines at a lower coin in rate may have an
increased contribution to the bonus pool to compensate for the
perceived discrepancy. Thus, in the above example, the video slot
machine played by player one may be contributing two cents to the
bonus pool for every game played (that is ten cents per minute)
while the smart black jack table played by player two may be
contributing five cents for every game played (that is five cents
per minute).
[0035] Another embodiment of the bonus participation arrangement
includes increasing the odds of receiving the bonus prize for
gaming platforms that are contributing more the bonus pool. This
may be accomplished by having a weighted table of probabilities of
each of the gaming platforms receiving the bonus prize. In the
above example, assuming that the video slot machine played by
player one and the smart blackjack table played by player two are
the only two EGMs selected to participate in the Bonus Pool in
process 140, the weighted probability table may include three
slots. Two of the slots may then be assigned to the smart blackjack
table and one slot may be assigned to the video slot machine. The
bonus server 44 may then randomly select the slot to receive the
award from the three-slot table. Thus, player two would have twice
the chance of receiving the bonus award as player one, which is
proportional to the coin in rate of each player (i.e., player two
is wagering twice the amount per minute as compared to player
one).
[0036] Additional embodiments of the bonus participation
arrangement include allowing players on selected EGM gaming
platforms that have a lower coin in rate to participate in the
cumulative pooled bonus upon allocating an extra wager to
participate in the bonus. In the above example, this may be
implemented by requiring player one to place a wager of $1.05 (that
is $1.00 to play the 20 lines at 1 nickel each and $0.05 as a
direct contribution to participate in the bonus, or a total of 21
credits). This extra wager would compensate for the increased
contribution by player two playing at a higher coin in rate.
[0037] The bonus participation arrangement may also be based on a
different measuring tool than a coin in rate. For example, in some
embodiments, game theoretical or estimated win calculations may be
used in determining the bonus participation arrangement. Game
theoretical calculations include calculated probabilities of the
casino's take for a particular gaming platform, and may vary by
type of gaming platform. Estimated win calculations may be based on
the amount the player wagers less the amount the player wins.
Because estimated win calculations may be applied more universally
than theoretical calculations across gaming platforms, a bonus
participation arrangement based on estimated win calculations may
be more easily scalable to include additional gaming platforms and
even future gaming platforms.
[0038] Other measuring tools that may be used alone or in
conjunction with the measuring tools described above may include
player demographics, player tracking status, length of time playing
a machine, and other player measuring tools that are known in the
art. In addition, the bonus participation arrangement may be preset
by the casino, depending, for example on the type and denomination
of EGMs that may be selected, or may be a dynamic arrangement that
is performed in process 145 upon receiving the data of which EGMs
are selected to participate in the Bonus Pool. This participation
arrangement may further be modified during the length of time that
the bonus pool is active to account for EGMs becoming inactive,
active, or having wagering patterns significantly altered during
the bonus pool activation time.
[0039] The present invention, however, is not limited to these
above embodiments; rather other participation arrangements that are
known in the art may be implemented without departing from the
scope of the present invention. Further, the type of participation
arrangement may be set by the system manufacturer during the
manufacturing or installation process. Alternatively, the casino
may set the type of participation arrangement. The casino may
select a particular type of participation arrangement to be
implemented over all future instances of the bonus promotion or may
select the particular type of participation arrangement in setting
up each bonus period. In simply gaming networks, the participation
arrangement may only include acknowledging the contribution level
of each machine.
[0040] In a process 150, the user selects the date and the
beginning and ending times that when the particular bonus pool will
run on the associated EGMs. This information is transmitted to the
particular bonus server 44, 46 that will be implementing the bonus
system. Then, on the appropriate date at the beginning time, the
bonus server 44, 46 implements the particular bonus pool defined by
the flow 100 of FIG. 2. Implementation of the bonus pools of the
bonus system will be described with reference to FIG. 4 below.
[0041] Embodiments of the invention include a default master
scheduling function that allows an authorized user to schedule
which individual bonus pools of the bonus system will be active in
a particular casino at any given time. For instance, bonus pool
"A", which includes all of the EGMs in a casino, may be scheduled
to be in operation between 6:00 am and 7:30 am of a given day.
Then, bonus system "B", which only includes the EGMs from bank 16,
may be scheduled to operate between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm in the
afternoon for that day. In more advanced embodiments of the bonus
scheduling process, a default bonusing schedule can be set up, so
that the bonus system schedule above is repeated each weekday. For
example, bonus pool "A" could be the default to run every weekday
morning and bonus pool "B" could be the default to run every
weekday afternoon. If no schedule changes were made, the default
program would be implemented at the correct time by the bonus
server 44, 46 on the gaming network 10. Otherwise, the default
program could be overridden for a customized schedule. For example,
it may be desirable to run another bonus pool, bonus pool "C", for
a special July 4.sup.th bonus that happened to fall on a
weekday.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows a sample payout table 200 for a bonus pool. In
particular, an information box 210 shows that this is the payout
table for the Bonus Pool A which was defined by a user as described
above with reference to FIG. 2.
[0043] The payout table 200 includes an index number which is used
to indicate what amounts are awarded by the bonus pool A.
Individual indexes are shown as rows in the table 200. Although
there is no theoretical limit on the number of indexes a particular
bonus pool may have, there may be practical limits. The payout
table 200 includes positions for nine indexes.
[0044] Each individual index is divided into "n" different
possibilities of payout amounts. There is no limit to the number
"n" can be, but in some embodiments, "n" is limited to ten
different payout amounts for convenience. In operation, this means
that a particular bonus pool having ten payout award amounts can
pay up to ten separate bonus awards over the time the particular
bonus pool is running on the EGMs.
[0045] Index 0 is defined to have no payouts. Providing this option
allows a manager of the bonusing system to easily disable the bonus
pool by selecting the index 0. Other indexes have payout amounts,
although not all indexes use all "n" payout amounts. For instance,
index "1" has three payout amounts of $1500, and the remaining
payout amounts are each $100. Index "3" only has a single payout
amount of $25,000.
[0046] Some embodiments of the invention assign the individual
awards in a given bonus pool in the order the amounts are entered
into the bonus table 200, while other embodiments assign the
individual awards randomly. For instance, assume that bonus pool
"A" includes ten different payout amounts and index "4" is
selected. In embodiments that award the bonus amounts in the order
shown in the table 200, the first nine bonus awards will be for
$100 each, with the final bonus award of $25,000. In embodiments
that award the bonus amounts randomly, the $25,000 could be any of
the ten bonuses awarded by the bonus pool A.
[0047] Embodiments of the invention allow complete control of how
much total payout money is in a particular bonus pool, and how the
total payout is divided into separate awards, if so divided. An
authorized user is able to add, modify and delete indexes specified
in the pay table 200, with the exception of index "0", which
remains with all payout fields of "0".
[0048] Once the bonus pool is set up and scheduled to operate, the
bonus server 44, 46 that will implement the bonus pool simply waits
until the proper time is reached to begin. Before the bonus award
time begins, the casino may use the message screen 28 and or the
sound apparatus 26 (FIG. 1) coupled to bank controllers 24 to
present audio and video messages to its patrons. Additionally, or
in the alternative, each EGM may include its own audio and video
device to present the messages. The messages can be stored on the
bank controller 24 itself, or may be stored in conjunction with the
particular bonus pool stored on one of the bonus servers 44, 46.
One such message presented at an EGM could be an indication of
whether the particular EGM is one of the EGMs eligible to win a
bonus award. In other words, an indicator message, such as a light
or lighted bezel allows the player to easily determine if the EGM
at which they are playing is eligible to win a bonus award.
[0049] Once the bonus award period begins, the bonus server 44 or
46 implements the bonus system. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing
example processes that can be used by the bonus server 44, 46. A
flow 300 begins at a process 310 that determines the number of
machines that are both active and eligible to participate in the
bonus award. Recall that not all of the EGMs in a gaming network 10
may be selected to participate in the bonus awards, and the list of
eligible EGMs is part of the bonus pool setup. The process 310
determines which of the eligible EGMs are in use. One way to
perform this process is to determine when the last time a coin or
other monetary value was entered into the EGM. If coins were
recently entered, it is likely that a patron is still playing games
on the EGM, and therefore that EGM would be considered "active".
Additionally, in some embodiments, an EGM would only become active
if it was being played by player using a player tracking card or
other identifying device discussed above. This may be useful to
encourage players to enroll in a casino tracking service.
[0050] The process 310 could be a continuing process that is
operational at all times during the bonus period. For instance, a
machine that no one is playing would not be an active game. When a
patron begins to play a game at an EGM, the machine then becomes
active. In embodiments where a player must be using an identifying
device for the EGM to become active, this may this may further
encourage players to quickly enroll in a casino tracking service to
be eligible for a presently active bonus pool. In some embodiments
of the invention, EGMs that are not being actively played at the
beginning of a bonus period can never become an active game, even
if a patron begins playing the EGM. In other embodiments, an EGM
can become active no matter when play begins, even if the bonus
period has already started. These embodiments may allow a player to
play several different EGMs or even several different types of EGMs
during the course of a bonus period without losing eligibility. As
described above, the EGM may have an indicator, such as an
indicator light, message on a screen, or a lighted bezel to
indicate to the player whether the particular EGM is an active game
eligible to participate in the bonus pool.
[0051] In some embodiments, the process 310 creates an active game
list that is stored on the gaming network 10, for instance on the
bonus server 44, 46. As players begin playing EGMs or leave EGMs
that they have been playing, the process 310 actively adds and
removes EGMs from the active game list. This updating can be
performed in real time or very near real time, for example.
[0052] In a process 320 the time duration that the bonus pool is to
be active is retrieved from the scheduling record data stored on
the bonus server 44, 46. Then, in a process 330, the duration is
divided into a number of individual timeslots. For instance, if the
duration of the active bonus pool is one hour, then the process 330
could establish 3600 individual timeslots, having a duration of one
second each.
[0053] Then, referring to the number of payout amounts that were
defined for the particular index (FIG. 3) that is currently
selected for the active bonus pool, a number of winning timeslots
are selected in a process 340. The winning timeslots could be
randomly generated or pre-determined. For instance, with reference
to FIG. 5A, assume, for illustration, that there are 30 individual
timeslots during which the bonus pool is active. Also assume that
index 6 of Bonus Pool A is currently selected, so there are five
payout amounts in the currently selected index. In this example,
the process 340 could assign winning timeslots evenly, i.e. every
six timeslots. Or, with reference to FIG. 5B, the timeslots may be
assigned such that there are more winners near the end of the bonus
pool duration.
[0054] Further, with reference to FIG. 5C, the winning timeslots
could be randomly assigned from all of the timeslots. The
randomizing process could occur on the bonus server 44, 46. As true
with all randomizing processes with more than one selection, a
decision must be made whether to replace a timeslot that was
previously selected as a winning timeslot back in the pool of
potential winning timeslots. If replacement were not used, then
there will be exactly as many winning timeslots as there are bonus
prizes awarded. If for instance there were five bonus prizes
available, then exactly five separate timeslots will be selected as
winning timeslots. If, however, winning timeslots are replaced back
into the pool of potential winning timeslots, then a particular
timeslot may be selected multiple times as a wining timeslot. For
instance, with reference to FIG. 5D, assume there are five bonus
prizes awarded in the bonus pool. Timeslots 4, 6, 11 and 17 are
randomly chosen as winning timeslots and timeslot 17 is randomly
chosen twice as a winning timeslot. In such an occurrence, one
solution would be to award as many bonus prizes as the number of
times the timeslot was chosen. For example, one bonus prize could
be awarded at timeslots 4, 6, and 11, and two bonus prizes awarded
at timeslot 17. However, an easier implementation is to limit the
number of prizes awarded at any given timeslot to one, i.e., do not
replace timeslots randomly chosen as winning timeslots back in to
the pool of potential winning timeslots.
[0055] As shown in the above examples, process 340 may select any
of the timeslots created in process 330 as winning timeslots.
[0056] Returning back to FIG. 4, the bonus server 44, 46 then waits
for a winning timeslot. A process 350 continues to loop until a
winning timeslot is reached. When a winning timeslot is reached,
the payout amount from the particular index of the active bonus
pool is awarded to a random one of the eligible EGMs in a process
360, as is known in the art. In practice, for instance, the process
360 may select a random one of the EGMs from the "active EGM list",
which, as described above is updated in realtime. That way the
bonus system is relatively sure that there is a player actively
playing the winning EGM. In one example system, after a winning EGM
is selected, the bonus award is not distributed until after a
player starts a new game on the EGM. The start of the game must
occur within the selected EGM within a short time, for example a
few seconds, otherwise another EGM is selected as the winning
EGM.
[0057] There are many ways to actually award the bonus in the
process 360, as is known in the art. For instance, the bonus may be
sent to the winning EGM in the form of credits placed on the EGM.
Or, the bonus server 44 could automatically lock the winning EGM
and deliver the bonus award in a handpay. Additionally, if the
player of the winning EGM is known by the player server 42 (FIG. 1)
by the player of that EGM having previously identified himself or
herself, then the player's account could be automatically credited
without ever placing the credits on the EGM.
[0058] The bonus award itself need not be limited to money or
credits, but could be any type of award. For example, a vacation
could be awarded to a player, as could merchandise such as a car.
Other types of awards could include complementary services like a
free meal or free lodging.
[0059] As mentioned above, the payout awards made in the process
360 may be made in the order they appear in the payout table 200 of
FIG. 3, or could appear in another order, such as a random order.
Alternatively, the awards may be sorted by the bonus server 44, 46
prior to distribution. For example, the awards could be made so
that the each successive bonus is larger than the one previous. In
a further embodiment, the bonus system could present a choice of
bonus prizes to the winner and allow the player to choose a desired
bonus, such as by pressing a button or selecting from a list of
prizes displayed on a touch screen on the EGM. Such a selection
system would not be desirable if the bonus awards were only for
cash or credits, as the players would always choose the highest
amounts. But, such an embodiment could allow the winning player to
choose between a new car or a free vacation, for example.
[0060] In still other embodiments, the bonus system could present
to the winning player a list of all available bonus prizes
remaining in the bonus pool and then randomly select one of the
prizes as the player's winning prize. Therefore, it is possible to
implement a bonus system that randomly selects a timeslot as a
winning timeslot, randomly selects an EGM as a winning EGM, and
randomly selects one of a group of pre-selected or pre-determined
prizes as the bonus awarded to the winning player.
[0061] Finally, a process 370 performs a check to determine if the
last payment amount in a bonus pool has been awarded; if so, then
the flow 300 ends and the bonus pool is no longer active.
[0062] With regard to FIG. 4, the individual processes 300 need not
be performed in the order set out in the diagram. For instance, the
process 310, which determined which EGMs were active, may in fact
take place directly before, or as a part of process 360, which
awards the bonus payment. Additionally, at least some of the
processes in the flow 300 can be performed prior to the bonus
period starting in the casino. For instance, once the length of the
bonus period and which index is being used in the assigned bonus
pool are known, the bonus server 44, 46 can calculate the winning
timeslots even before the bonus period begins.
[0063] Although a sample gaming network has been described herein,
the bonusing system is operable on different types of systems. One
of the benefits to such bonusing systems is that they can be
scheduled in advance of the bonusing time itself, thus allowing
carefully selected parameters and details to be designed into the
bonusing system. Additionally, because the parameters are
definable, they can be easily explained to patrons. For example, in
embodiments of the invention, it is relatively easy to promote a
bonusing system in which $50,000 will be awarded between 1:00 pm
and 3:00 pm of a given day. This enables a casino to advertise the
particular benefits to the player without causing customer
confusion.
[0064] Implementation of the bonusing system is straightforward in
light of the above description. As always, implementation details
are left to the system designer. There are many ways to implement
the bonusing system, and the ones described herein are only a few
of the many methods that can be used. The procedures used for the
bonus awards may be implemented in any way, with any components.
Inclusion of description or illustration of a function in either
the gaming device or the gaming network controller is not
dispositive that the function is located in or must be performed
there. The bonusing system works even when not all of the elements
shown in the gaming network of FIG. 1 are present. For instance, in
some embodiments of the invention, the bank controllers 24 are not
strictly necessary, and the system could operate without them.
[0065] Thus, although particular embodiments for a bonusing system
have been discussed, it is not intended that such specific
references be considered as limitations upon the scope of this
invention, but rather the scope is determined by the following
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *