Free long distance calls on slot machines

• US 20050255921A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Thomas M. Sparico
• Original Assignee: James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Thomas M. Sparico
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M., Walker, Jay S.
• Application Number:
  US11/186,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20050255921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/41
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys

Abstract

A gaming machine that provides free long distance telephone calls, or audio entertainment, as a reward for the continued playing of the gaming machine. The player may continue the free long distance phone call, or continue receiving the audio entertainment, as long his play meets a predetermined level of usage criteria.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A system comprising:

means for receiving currency;

means responsive to the receipt of currency for enabling a game play; and

means, responsive to the initiation of game play, for enabling a connection to a service for a period of time.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the service comprises a telephone service and further comprising means for establishing a connection, the means for establishing a connection letting a user of a gaming device establish a telephone call to a party identified by a user-entered telephone number.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for enabling the connection includes means for maintaining the connection beyond the period of time when additional currency is used to initiate subsequent game plays at a predetermined rate.

36. The system of claim 33, further comprising means for providing a warning before the period of time expires.

37. The system of claim 33, further comprising means to receive a signal indicating that the connection has been established.

38. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

means for storing credits when the game play results in a win; and

means for using the credits to maintain the connection.

39. The system of claim 33, further comprising means for terminating the connection when additional game plays are not initiated at the gaming device at a predetermined rate.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the time period is a function of the amount of currency received.

41. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

means for storing and accumulating connection time when a player does not immediately use the enabled connection for any game play; and

means for using the stored and accumulated connection time to maintain a connection enabled and used during a subsequent game play.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the connection time is a function of the amount of currency received for any game play.

43. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for receiving currency includes a slot machine.

44. A system comprising:

a gaming device including a currency acceptor for receiving currency; and

a central processor responsive to the receipt of currency by the currency acceptor, the central processor being operable to;

initiate, in response to the receipt of currency, a game play via the gaming device, and

enable, in response to the initiation of the game play, a connection to a service for a period of time via a connection device connected to the central processor.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the central processor is operative to maintain the connection to the service beyond the period of time when additional currency is used to initiate subsequent game plays.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the connection device further comprises a voice response unit for providing a warning before the period of time expires.

47. The system of claim 44, further comprising:

a memory for storing credits when the game play results in a win, wherein the central processor is operative to use the stored credits to maintain the connection to the service.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein the central processor terminates the connection when additional game plays are not initiated at the gaming device at a predetermined rate.

49. The system of claim 44, wherein the time period is a function of the amount of currency received.

50. The system of claim 44, further comprising:

a memory for storing and accumulating connection time for the service when a player does not immediately use the enabled connection, and wherein the central processor is operable to use the stored and accumulated connection time to establish and maintain a connection to the service during a subsequent game play.

51. The system of claim 51, wherein the connection time is a function of the amount of currency received for any game play.

52. A method comprising:

providing a gaming device at which a player may initiate a game play by providing a wager; and

granting to the player access to a service for a period of time in response to the initiation of the game play at the gaming device.

53. The method of claim 52, further including granting access to the service beyond the period of time in response to the player initiating another game play at the gaming device.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising terminating the access to the service after the period has expired and the player stops initiating game plays and playing the gaming device.