Electronic amusement device and method for propagating a performance adjustment signal

• US 20040127290A1
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Fincham, Magdalena M., Lech, Robert R., Walker, Jay S.
• Application Number:
  US10/653,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

An electronic amusement device and a method for operating the device are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a slot machine receives an initiation signal to initiate game play at the slot machine. The slot machine conducts a game in response to the initiation signal. The slot machine determines whether a propagation criteria has been achieved and outputs a propagation signal, indicating a performance adjustment, to at least one other slot machine. In accordance with a second embodiment, a slot machine that stores a performance level is disclosed. The slot machine receives a propagation signal indicating a performance adjustment, and the slot machine adjusts the performance level accordingly. A slot server and method for operating the server are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving game data from a first gaming device, the game data including an first identifier identifying the first gaming device;

determining whether a propagation criterion has been achieved at the first gaming device;

determining at least one second gaming device identifier, each of the at least one second gaming device identifier corresponding to a respective second gaming device; and

transmitting a propagation signal to each respective second gaming device corresponding to the at least one second gaming device identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a propagation criterion has been achieved comprises:

receiving, from the first gaming device, an indication that the first gaming device has determined that a propagation criterion has been achieved at the first gaming device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a propagation criterion has been achieved comprises:

determining, based on the received game data, whether a propagation criterion has been achieved at the first gaming device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a propagation signal comprises:

transmitting, to each respective second gaming device, an instruction to adjust the performance level of the second gaming device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction comprises:

an indication of the magnitude by which the performance level is to be adjusted.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction comprises:

an indication of a new performance level that a current performance level of each respective second gaming device is to be adjusted to.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction comprises:

a first instruction to a first second gaming device to adjust a current performance level of the first second gaming device to a first adjusted performance level; and

a second instruction to a second second gaming device to adjust a current performance level of the second second gaming device to a second adjusted performance level.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the instruction comprises:

an instruction to adjust at least one of (i) which payout table is being utilized, (ii) which probability table is being utilized, (iii) adjusting at least one acceptable wager amount, and (iv) which available bonuses are activated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one second identifier comprises:

retrieving, from memory, the at least one second identifier that corresponds to the first identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one second identifier comprises:

determining at least one second identifier, each of the at least one second identifier identifying a respective second gaming device that has a predetermined relationship to the first gaming device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the at least one second identifier comprises:

determining at least one second identifier, each of the at least one second identifier identifying a respective second gaming device that is located within a predetermined geographical proximity to the first gaming device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one second identifier comprises:

determining at least one second identifier, each at least one second identifier identifying a respective second gaming device that is currently being played and is located within a predetermined geographical proximity to the first gaming device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one second identifier comprises:

determining at least one second identifier, each of the at least one second identifier identifying a respective second gaming device a recent performance of which satisfies at least one predetermined criterion.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the at least one second gaming device, an instruction to adjust an indication of a performance level of the at least one second gaming device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting an instruction comprises:

transmitting, to the at least one second gaming device, an instruction to adjust at least one of (i) a color displayed by a component associated with the at least one second gaming device, (ii) an amount of steam output by a component associated with the at least one second gaming device, (iii) an appearance of a height of the at least one second gaming device, (iv) an audio signal emitted by a component associated with the at least one second gaming device, and (v) an intensity of a light emitted by a component associated with the at least one second gaming device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a condition for decreasing the performance level of the at least one second gaming device has been satisfied; and

transmitting, to the at least one second gaming device, an instruction to decrease a performance level of the at least one second gaming device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the condition for decreasing the performance level of the at least one second gaming device comprises a passage of a predetermined amount of time from a time at which the propagation signal was transmitted.

18. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving game data from a first gaming device, the game data including a first identifier that identifies the first gaming device;

means for determining whether a propagation criterion has been achieved by the first gaming device;

means for determining at least one second gaming device identifier, each of the at least one second gaming device identifier identifying a respective second gaming device; and

means for transmitting a propagation signal to each second gaming device corresponding to the at least one second gaming device.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions for directing a processor to:

receive game data from a first gaming device, the game data including a first gaming device identifier that identifies the first gaming device;

determine whether a propagation criterion has been achieved by the first gaming device;

determine at least one second gaming device identifier, each of the at least one second gaming device identifier corresponding to a respective second gaming device; and

transmit a propagation signal to each second gaming device corresponding to the at least one second gaming device identifier.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor, and

a storage device that stores a program for directing the processor;

the processor being operative with the program to;

receive game data from a first gaming device, the game data including a first gaming device identifier that identifies the first gaming device;

determine whether a propagation criterion has been achieved by the first gaming device;

determine at least one second gaming device identifier, each of the at least one second gaming device identifier corresponding to a respective second gaming device; and

transmit a propagation signal to each second gaming device corresponding to the at least one second gaming device identifier.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a gaming device, an identifier that identifies a player;

determining a performance level associated with the identifier; and

adjusting a current performance level of the gaming device to be the determined performance level,

wherein the performance level of the gaming device determines at least one of (i) which payout table is utilized for game play by the gaming device, (ii) which probability table is utilized for game play by the gaming device, (iii) at least one wager amount that is accepted by the gaming device, and (iv) which available bonuses are activated by the gaming device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the performance level comprises:

reading the performance level as stored on a player tracking card inserted into the gaming device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the performance level comprises:

determining a performance level stored in association with the identifier in a memory.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the memory comprises a memory of at least one of the gaming device and a server in communication with the gaming device.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a time at which the determined performance level expires; and

adjusting the determined performance level to a second performance level when the time occurs.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second performance level is a default performance level of the gaming device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the second performance level is a performance level that is a predetermined magnitude lower than the determined performance level.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein determining a time comprises:

determining a time at which the determined performance level expires, based on data associated with the identifier.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the data is stored on a player tracking card inserted into the gaming device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the data is stored, in association with the identifier, in a memory of at least one of the gaming device and a server in communication with the gaming device.

31. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions for directing a processor to:

receive, at a gaming device, an identifier that identifies a player;

determine a performance level associated with the identifier; and

adjust a current performance level of the gaming device to be the determined performance level,

wherein the performance level of the gaming device determines at least one of (i) which payout table is utilized for game play by the gaming device, (ii) which probability table is utilized for game play by the gaming device, (iii) at least one wager amount that is accepted by the gaming device, and (iv) which available bonuses are activated by the gaming device.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor, and

a storage device that stores a program for directing the processor;

the processor being operative with the program to;

receive, at a gaming device, an identifier that identifies a player;

determine a performance level associated with the identifier; and

adjust a current performance level of the gaming device to be the determined performance level,

wherein the performance level of the gaming device determines at least one of (i) which payout table is utilized for game play by the gaming device, (ii) which probability table is utilized for game play by the gaming device, (iii) at least one wager amount that is accepted by the gaming device, and (iv) which available bonuses are activated by the gaming device.