Gaming system and method for converting primary game outcomes to secondary game outcomes

• US 10,255,761 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oh, Meng-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay Trent
• Application Number:
  US14/660,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20160275755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Gaming systems and methods for converting primary game outcomes to secondary game outcomes based on the satisfaction of one or more conditions.

Claims

1. A state-based thick client electronic gaming machine comprising:

a housing including a door;

a security switch attached to the door of the housing and configured to detect an opening of the door;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including a payment acceptor, and a cashout device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

responsive to a physical item being received via the payment acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein the physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency,

responsive to a determination that an amount of the credit balance is at least a minimum wager amount, receive, via one of the input devices, an input associated with a placement of a wager amount on a play of a primary game, said amount of the credit balance being decreasable based on the placement of the wager amount,

determine if an award amount of a determined game outcome exceeds a secondary game award amount threshold,

responsive to the award amount of the determined game outcome not exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold;

for the wagered on play of the primary game;

determine, based on a first interface, a primary game presentation associated with the determined game outcome,

responsive to an opening of the door, detected via the security switch, prior to any display of the determined primary game presentation, store a current state of the wagered on play of the primary game,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined primary game presentation in association with the first interface, and cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the determined game outcome, said amount of the credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the determined game outcome, and

not trigger a play of a secondary game in association with a secondary game inactivity condition being satisfied,

for a play of the secondary game triggered responsive to the award amount of the determined game outcome exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold and the secondary game inactivity condition being satisfied;

determine, based on a second, different interface, a secondary game presentation associated with the determined game outcome,

responsive to an opening of the door, detected via the security switch, prior to any display of the determined secondary game presentation, store a current state of the play of the secondary game,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined secondary game presentation in association with the second, different interface, and

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the determined game outcome, said amount of the credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the determined game outcome, and

responsive to a cashout input being received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor responsive to the award amount of the determined game outcome exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold and the secondary game inactivity condition not being satisfied, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for the wagered on play of the primary game:

determine, based on the first interface, the primary game presentation associated with the determined game outcome,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined primary game presentation in association with the first interface, and

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the determined game outcome, said credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the determined game outcome.

3. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the secondary game inactivity condition is satisfied responsive to the secondary game not being triggered in a designated period of time.

4. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the secondary game inactivity condition is satisfied responsive to the secondary game not being triggered in a designated quantity of plays of the primary game.

5. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the determined game outcome includes a predetermined game outcome selected from a plurality of predetermined game outcomes and communicated from a controller.

6. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the selected predetermined game outcome is flagged by the controller and prevented from being subsequently selected.

7. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the award amount of the determined game outcome is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the primary game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

8. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate to;

maintain a game outcome set including a plurality of predetermined game outcomes,

select one of said predetermined game outcomes from the game outcome set,

flag said selected predetermined game outcome, and

output data associated with the selected predetermined game outcome; and

at least one state-based thick client electronic gaming machine including;

a housing including a door;

a security switch attached to the door of the housing and configured to detect an opening of the door;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including a payment acceptor, and a cashout device; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

responsive to a physical item being received via the payment acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein the physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency,

responsive to a determination that an amount of the credit balance is at least a minimum wager amount, receive, via one of the input devices, an input associated with a placement of a wager amount on a play of a primary game, the amount of said credit balance being decreasable based on the placement of the wager amount,

for the play of the primary game, receive the data associated with the selected predetermined game outcome outputted from the at least one controller,

determine if an award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome exceeds a secondary game award amount threshold,

responsive to the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome not exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold;

for the wagered on play of the primary game;

 

determine, based on a first interface, a primary game presentation associated with the selected predetermined game outcome,

 

responsive to an opening of the door, detected via the security switch, prior to any display of the determined primary game presentation, store a current state of the wagered on play of the primary game,

 

cause the at least one display device to display the determined primary game presentation in association with the first interface, and

 

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome, the amount of said credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome, and

not trigger a play of a secondary game in association with a secondary game inactivity condition being satisfied,

for a play of the secondary game triggered responsive to the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold and the secondary game inactivity condition being satisfied;

determine, based on a second, different interface, a secondary game presentation associated with the determined game outcome,

responsive to an opening of the door, detected via the security switch, prior to any display of the determined secondary game presentation, store a current state of the play of the secondary game,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined secondary game presentation in association with the second, different interface, and

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome, the amount of said credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome, and

responsive to a cashout input being received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor responsive to the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold and the secondary game inactivity condition not being satisfied, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for the wagered on play of the primary game:

determine, based on the first interface, the primary game presentation associated with the selected predetermined game outcome,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined primary game presentation in association with the first interface, and

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome, said credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome.

10. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the secondary game inactivity condition is satisfied responsive to the secondary game not being triggered in a designated period of time.

11. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the secondary game inactivity condition is satisfied responsive to the secondary game not being triggered in a designated quantity of plays of the primary game.

12. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the award amount of the selected predetermined game outcome is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the primary game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

13. A state-based thick client electronic gaming machine comprising:

a housing including a door;

a security switch attached to the door of the housing and configured to detect an opening of the door;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including a payment acceptor, and a cashout device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

responsive to a physical item being received via the payment acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein the physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency,

responsive to a determination that an amount of the credit balance is at least a minimum wager amount, receive, via one of the input devices, an input associated with a placement of a wager amount on a play of a primary game, said amount of the credit balance being decreasable based on the placement of the wager amount,

determine if an award amount of a randomly determined game outcome exceeds a secondary game award amount threshold,

responsive to the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome not exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold;

for the wagered on play of the primary game;

determine, based on a first interface, a primary game presentation associated with the randomly determined game outcome,

responsive to an opening of the door, detected via the security switch, prior to any display of the determined primary game presentation, store a current state of the wagered on play of the primary game,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined primary game presentation in association with the first interface, and

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome, said amount of the credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome, and

not trigger a play of a secondary game in association with a secondary game inactivity condition being satisfied,

for a play of the secondary game triggered responsive to the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold and the secondary game inactivity condition being satisfied;

determine, based on a second, different interface, a secondary game presentation associated with the randomly determined game outcome,

responsive to an opening of the door, detected via the security switch, prior to any display of the determined secondary game presentation, store a current state of the play of the secondary game,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined secondary game presentation in association with the second, different interface, and

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome, said amount of the credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome, and

responsive to a cashout input being received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

14. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 13, wherein when executed by the at least one processor responsive to the award amount of the determined game outcome exceeding the secondary game award amount threshold and the secondary game inactivity condition not being satisfied, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for the wagered on play of the primary game:

determine, based on the first interface, the primary game presentation associated with the randomly determined game outcome,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined primary game presentation in association with the first interface, and

cause the at least one display device to display the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome, said credit balance being increasable based on the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome.

15. The state-based thick client electronic gaming system of claim 13, wherein the secondary game inactivity condition is satisfied responsive to the secondary game not being triggered in a designated period of time.

16. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the secondary game inactivity condition is satisfied responsive to the secondary game not being triggered in a designated quantity of plays of the primary game.

17. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 13, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly determine the game outcome.

18. The state-based thick client electronic gaming machine of claim 13, wherein the award amount of the randomly determined game outcome is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the primary game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.