System-level bonus game and related methods

• US 20060111178A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: DiMichele, Carmen, Decoux, William, Juenger, Melissa, Gallaway, Ronald C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,684,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

Bonus gaming systems for monitoring and controlling one or more gaming devices in a gaming system on at least one gaming floor are disclosed herein. The system includes one or more gaming devices interconnected via a network, a player tracking system in communication with the gaming devices, and a bonus gaming system in communication with the gaming devices. The bonus gaming system monitors and controls bonus sessions presented on the gaming devices, wherein the bonus sessions includes a plurality of bonus levels, wherein the bonus levels increase in bonus value in response to duration of game play by a player in order to maintain continued play by the player.

Claims

1. A bonus gaming system for monitoring and controlling one or more gaming devices in a gaming system on at least one gaming floor, the system comprising:

one or more gaming devices interconnected via a network;

a player tracking system in communication with the gaming devices; and

a bonus gaming system in communication with the gaming devices, wherein the bonus gaming system monitors and controls bonus sessions presented on the gaming devices, wherein the bonus sessions include a plurality of bonus levels that increase in bonus value in response to duration of game play by a player in order to maintain continued play by the player.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a back-end graphical user interface in communication with the bonus gaming system, wherein the graphical user interface enables monitoring and configuration of one or more triggering events and bonus parameters of the bonus session for each gaming device.

3. The bonus gaming system of claim 2, wherein the bonus parameters include the location of the gaming devices, denomination of the gaming devices, type of game or games provided on the gaming devices, number of points per bonus level, number of bonus levels, or a combination thereof.

4. The bonus gaming system of claim 2, wherein the triggering event is a particular player status, a predetermined time, a predetermined day, or a combination thereof.

5. The bonus gaming system of claim 1, wherein the player tracking system further comprises a player tracking user interface incorporated into each gaming device.

6. The bonus gaming system of claim 1, further comprises a processing and control system interconnected to the gaming devices via the network, wherein the processing and control system manages and configures one or more gaming parameters of the gaming devices.

7. The bonus gaming system of claim 6, wherein the gaming parameters include game theme, game percentage payout, and game play denominations.

8. A bonus gaming system for monitoring and controlling one or more gaming devices in a gaming system on at least one gaming floor, the system comprising:

one or more gaming devices interconnected via a network;

a player tracking system in communication with the gaming devices, wherein the player tracking system includes a player tracking user interface incorporated into each gaming device; and

a processing and control system interconnected to the gaming devices via the network, wherein the processing and control system manages and configures the bonus sessions presented on the gaming devices, wherein the bonus sessions include a plurality of bonus levels, wherein the bonus levels increase in bonus value in response to a total amount wagered by a player in order to maintain continued play by the player.

9. The bonus gaming system of claim 8, wherein the processing and control system determines the gaming devices participating in the bonus sessions, triggering events for the initiating the bonus sessions, bonus parameters of the bonus sessions, or a combination thereof.

10. The bonus gaming system of claim 9, wherein the triggering event is a particular player status, a predetermined time, a predetermined day, or a combination thereof.

11. The bonus gaming system of claim 9, wherein the bonus parameters include the location of the gaming devices, denomination of the gaming devices, type of game or games provided on the gaming devices, number of points per bonus level, number of bonus levels, or a combination thereof.

12. The bonus gaming system of claim 8, a processing and control system further manages and configures one or more gaming parameters of the gaming devices.

13. The bonus gaming system of claim 8, wherein the gaming parameters include game theme, game percentage payout, and game play denominations.

14. The bonus system of claim 8, further comprising a back-end graphical user interface in communication with the bonus gaming system, wherein the graphical user interface enables monitoring and configuration of one or more triggering events and bonus parameters of the bonus session for each gaming device.

15. A method for managing a bonus game for a gaming system having one or more networked gaming devices, comprising:

obtaining player information from a player;

activating a gaming session on a gaming device;

initiating a bonus session that includes a plurality of bonus levels in response to one or more triggering events being identified;

configuring parameters for the bonus session;

providing bonus session information to the player;

monitoring points accumulated by the player during the gaming session; and

awarding a bonus prize to the player when the player obtains a predetermined number of points to achieve a particular bonus level.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining player information further comprises retrieving information from a player card.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining player information further comprises receiving information provided by the player.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the triggering event is a predetermined time, a predetermined day, a particular gaming device, one or more gaming devices having a particular denomination, one or more gaming device at a particular location on a gaming floor, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the parameters for the bonus session comprises determining point levels for each bonus level.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising adjusting point levels based upon obtained player information.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein notifying the player that the initiation of the bonus session further comprises displaying a multimedia message.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting one or more multimedia messages when each bonus level is achieved.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising triggering a multiplier during the bonus session.