Player action incentive arrangement for gaming systems

• US 20050221881A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Lind, Jefferson C., O'Connor, Brendan, Enzminger, Joseph R., Loebig, Gary L., Lind, Clifton, Lannert, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,314,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

A processing device measures the time it takes for a player to take some action in a game and bases the award or result in the game for the player at least in part on that measured time. A player receives a more desirable result or outcome for a particular game play in response to a shorter player action time and/or receives a less desirable result or outcome for a particular game play in response to a longer player action time. Providing more desirable results for shorter player action times or less desirable results for longer player action times provides players an incentive that influences them to take the appropriate player actions more quickly.

Claims

1. A method including:

(a) identifying a player action event for a player during a game, the game having at least one potential result that is independent of any player action time in the game;

(b) measuring a player action time for the player, the player action time for the player representing a time required for the player to take an action in response to the player action event; and

(c) determining a final result in the game for the player based at least in part on the player action time for the player.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the player action event for the player includes an input to claim a game ending result in the game.

3. The method of claim 1 further including:

(a) identifying an additional player action event for an additional player in the game;

(b) measuring an additional player action time for the additional player in response to the additional player action event; and

(c) determining the final result in the game for the additional player based at least in part on the additional player action time.

4. The method of claim 3 further including presenting an action incentive to the additional player in response to the additional player action event.

5. The method of claim 1 further including presenting an action incentive to the player, the action incentive being related to the player action event.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the final result in the game includes an opportunity to participate in a bonus game.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the bonus game includes an accumulator game.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the final result includes modifying a preliminary result for the player in the game.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the game is a bingo game.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the final result in the game for the player is based at least in part on a player action time for the player in a different game.

11. An apparatus including:

(a) a processing device, the processing device for (i) collecting a number of game play requests in a game type of having at least one potential result that is independent of any player action time in the game, for (ii) conducting a game for the collected game play requests, and for (iii) determining a final result in the game for a respective player based at least in part on a player action time for the respective player; and

(b) a player station being connected for communication with the processing device for (i) producing a respective game play request in the number of game play requests, for (ii) measuring the player action time for the respective player, the player action time for the respective player representing a time required for the respective player to take an action in response to a player action event, and for (iii) displaying to the respective player the final result for the game.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the player station is also for presenting an action incentive to the respective player in response to the player action event.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the player station includes a player action time measurement arrangement for measuring the player action time for the respective player by (i) identifying a time associated with receiving the data for presenting a graphic at a display for the player station and by (ii) identifying a time associated with an input entered by the respective player at the player station in response to the player action event.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processing device is also for determining a final result in the game for a different player based at least in part on a player action time for the additional player.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein conducting the game for the collected game play request includes matching a series of designations against a respective bingo card representation for each gone play request.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processing device modifies a preliminary result for the player in the game to determine the final result.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processing device determines the final result for the game based at least in part on a different player action time for the respective player in a different game.

18. A program product including:

(a) player action time monitoring code for being executed to (i) identify a player action event for a player during a game, the game having at least one potential result that is independent of any player action time in the game and to (ii) measure a player action time for the player, the player action time for the player representing a time required for the player to take an action in response to the player action event; and

(b) action incentive code for being executed to determine a final result for the game based at least in part on the player action time for the player.

19. The program product of claim 18 wherein the action incentive code is also executed to present an action incentive to the player, the action incentive being related to the player action event.

20. The program product of claim 18 wherein the action incentive code is also executed to modify a preliminary result for the player in the game to determine the final result.