Gaming methods and systems

• US 20060234791A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Wolf, Bryan, Paulsen, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

Disclosed are central determination methods and systems in which pools and sub-pools of outcomes can be distributed among various units of the central determination system. The methods and systems are applicable to Class II and, in some implementations, Class III gaming configurations. The methods and systems disclosed herein can be implemented in a gaming machine network, wherein one of the gaming machines distributes game outcomes to other gaming machines in the network. The gaming machines can be oriented in a peer-to-peer configuration, a central storage medium configuration, a stand alone configuration, an autonomous gaming machine configuration, and other network configurations. Methods are disclosed for managing the distribution of outcomes among the gaming machines in the various networks.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming machines coupled to a data network, the plurality of gaming machines including a distributing gaming machine having a finite pool of outcomes stored on a storage medium accessible by the distributing gaming machine, the distributing gaming machine coupled to distribute game outcomes from the finite pool of outcomes over the data network, and a plurality of receiving gaming machines each coupled to receive one or more of the distributed outcomes over the data network, the distributing and receiving gaming machines operable for game play to consume the outcomes.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a recording unit coupled to maintain a record of the outcomes distributed to the gaming machines and the outcomes remaining in the finite pool.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the distributed outcomes received on one of the gaming machines defines a sub-pool of the finite pool of outcomes.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each outcome includes an indication of a winning or losing game outcome.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each outcome includes an award amount.

6. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming machines coupled to a data network, a finite pool of outcomes distributed among the gaming machines and stored on storage mediums accessible by the gaming machines, ones of the gaming machines coupled to receive one or more of the distributed outcomes from others of the gaming machines over the data network and send one or more of the distributed outcomes to the other gaming machines over the data network, and operable for game play to consume the distributed outcomes.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, further comprising a recording unit coupled to maintain a record of the outcomes distributed to the gaming machines and the outcomes remaining in the finite pool.

8. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein each storage medium is in communication with a respective one of the gaming machines.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein each storage medium stores one or more of the distributed outcomes as a sub-pool of outcomes.

10. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein each outcome includes an indication of a winning or losing game outcome.

11. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein each sub-pool contains a unique subset of the outcomes.

12. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the outcomes are stored redundantly on ones of the storage mediums.

13. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the outcomes in each sub-pool are predefined as winning or losing game outcomes.

14. A gaming system comprising:

a processor readable storage medium coupled to a data network, the storage medium storing a finite pool of outcomes;

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the data network, each gaming machine coupled to access and retrieve one or more of the outcomes from the finite pool over the data network, the gaming machines operable for game play to consume the outcomes.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, further comprising a recording unit coupled to maintain a record of the outcomes retrieved by the gaming machines and the outcomes remaining in the finite pool.

16. The gaming system of claim 14, further comprising a distributing computer coupled to the data network to populate the storage medium with the finite pool of outcomes.

17. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the gaming machine is coupled to retrieve the one or more outcomes from the finite pool responsive to a game play request message received on the gaming machine.

18. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the gaming machine is coupled to retrieve the one or more outcomes from the finite pool independent of a game play request message received on the gaming machine.

19. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming machines coupled to a data network, the plurality of gaming machines including a distributing gaming machine having an outcome generator unit coupled to generate a plurality of pools of outcomes stored on a storage medium accessible by the distributing gaming machine, the distributing gaming machine coupled to distribute the pools of game outcomes over the data network, and a plurality of receiving gaming machines each coupled to receive one or more of the distributed pools over the data network, the distributing and receiving gaming machines operable for game play to consume the outcomes from the distributed pools.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein each outcome includes a payback amount.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the distributing gaming machine further includes a payback monitoring unit coupled to monitor payback amounts for the distributed pools of outcomes.

22. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein each outcome includes an indication of a winning or losing game outcome.

23. A gaming system comprising:

a recording unit coupled to a data network, the recording unit coupled to record outcomes consumed from a finite pool of outcomes stored on a processor readable storage medium;

a plurality of gaming machines coupled to the data network, at least one of the gaming machines having an outcome generator coupled to generate one or more game outcomes in response to a game play request received from a player, each gaming machine coupled to notify the recording unit of the generated game outcomes;

wherein the recording unit is coupled to record the generated game outcomes as the outcomes consumed from the finite pool.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the recording unit is further coupled to maintain a record of the game outcomes remaining in the finite pool stored at the storage medium.

25. The gaming system of claim 23, further comprising a notice unit coupled to send a notice message to the gaming machines upon the consuming of a winning or losing outcome defined by one or more of the generated game outcomes.

26. A method for managing distribution of outcomes in a gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines coupled to a data network, a finite pool of outcomes distributed among the gaming machines, each outcome having a status of consumed or unconsumed, one of the gaming machines coupled to receive one or more of the distributed outcomes from others of the gaming machines over the data network, a further one of the gaming machines coupled to send one or more of the distributed outcomes to the one gaming machine over the data network, and operable for game play to consume the distributed outcomes, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a threshold for one or more of the gaming machines, each threshold representing a minimum number of unconsumed outcomes for the respective gaming machine;

determining when a number of unconsumed outcomes distributed to one of the gaming machines is less than the threshold defined for the one gaming machine;

sending an outcome request message, when the number of unconsumed outcomes distributed to the one gaming machine is less than the threshold;

retrieving, responsive to the outcome request message, a further one of the distributed outcomes; and

sending the retrieved outcome to the one gaming machine.