Method and apparatus for awarding a bonus via a cashless network

• US 20050215316A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Manfredi, Vincent S., Iddings, Cara L., Rowe, Richard E., Schneider, Richard J., Boyd, Scott A., Jordan, R. Jeffrey, Hedrick, Randy, Kastner, Steve
• Application Number:
  US11/081,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215316A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A gaming machine award system acts over a gaming machine network having a plurality of gaming devices coupled thereto. The award system includes a bonus server coupled to the network and having stored thereon a trigger condition. A game play tracker tracks game play across the network of gaming devices and detects an occurrence of the trigger condition. The bonus server sends out a selection signal over the network to a selected gaming machine responsive to the detected trigger condition. A printer associated with the selected gaming machine is structured to generate printed output responsive to receipt of said selection signal. The printed ticket is a cashless instrument that may be redeemed or played per the nature and characteristics of the award given.

Claims

1. A gaming machine award system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices coupled over a network;

a bonus server coupled to the network and having stored thereon a trigger condition;

means for tracking game play across the network of gaming devices and detecting said trigger condition, said bonus server sending out a selection signal over the network to a selected gaming machine responsive to the detected trigger condition;

a printer associated with the selected gaming machine, said printer structured to generate printed output responsive to receipt of said selection signal.

2. The gaming machine award system of claim 1, wherein said printed output is a ticket having printed indicia on the ticket indicating an award and printed electronic identification associated with said printed indicia award in a database coupled to the gaming network.

3. The gaming machine award system of claim 2, further including a ticket reader at each of the gaming devices adapted to read said printed electronic identification and redeem said award at said gaming device.

4. The gaming machine award system of claim 3, further including means adapted to add credits to a player account balance responsive to an insertion of the ticket into the ticket reader.

5. The gaming machine award system of claim 3, wherein the credits are redeemable.

6. The gaming machine award system of claim 3, wherein the credits can be used to reimburse a played wager.

7. The gaming machine award system of claim 3, wherein the credits can be used responsive to a played game.

8. A gaming machine award system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, one of the plurality of gaming devices being selectable as a winning gaming device;

a network connecting the plurality of gaming devices;

a first selector to select said winning gaming device;

a second selector to select a subset of the plurality of gaming devices, not including said winning gaming device, as celebration devices;

a ticket printer coupled to each of the plurality of gaming devices and structured to generate printed output based on a signal received from the first or second selectors;

a transmitter to transmit messages to said subset of the plurality of gaming devices, each message instructing a printer of a recipient gaming devices to generate printed output.

9. The gaming machine award system of claim 8, wherein the printed output resulting from receipt at the gaming device of the transmitter message is a ticket having no printed information representative of the value of the ticket.

10. The gaming machine award system of claim 9, each gaming machine including a ticket identification mechanism in which tickets inserted in the ticket identification mechanism cause a trigger whereby an award associated with the ticket is granted to a player of the machine.

11. A method for printing tickets at gaming devices that are interconnected by a gaming network to a host computer, the method comprising:

storing a trigger condition at a host computer;

tracking game play across the network of the gaming devices;

detecting said trigger condition and sending out a selection signal over the network to a selected gaming machine responsive to the detected trigger condition; and

generating printed output responsive to receipt of said selection signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating printed output comprises generating a ticket at the selected gaming device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein generating printed output comprises generating a winning ticket at the selected gaming device, and generating a celebration ticket at a selected subset of the gaming devices.

14. The gaming machine award system of claim 13, wherein the printed output resulting from receipt at the gaming device of the transmitter message is a ticket having no printed information representative of the value of the ticket.

15. The gaming machine award system of claim 11, further including accepting the printed output at a gaming machine and awarding a bonus associated with said printed output.

16. The gaming machine award system of claim 15, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a player account at the selected gaming machine.

17. The gaming machine award system of claim 15, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a playable-only credits meter at the selected gaming machine.

18. The gaming machine award system of claim 15, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a player account only if the printed output was accepted at the gaming machine within a redeemable time period.

19. The gaming machine award system of claim 18, wherein the redeemable time period includes a preestablished start time that occurs after a time at which the printed matter was generated at the selected gaming machine.

20. The gaming machine award system of claim 11, further including:

generating an ID code associated with the printed matter and printing said ID code on the ticket;

accepting the printed matter at a gaming machine and reading the ID code;

allowing play to occur on the gaming machine for a play session; and

generating a second ticket having an ID code associated with the play session and the first such ID code.