Wireless gaming network

• US 20080176619A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bally Gaming International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Matthew F., Petermeier, Norman B., Kelly, Bryan M., Kroeckel, John G., Link, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3297 Fairground games, e.g. Tivoli, coin pusher machines, cranes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The invention provides a prize redemption system for use with one or more game apparatuses. A game is provided on a game apparatus for a player to play in exchange for monetary input, and prize credits are credited to the player based on the game outcome. A prize selection menu is then displayed by the game apparatus, the menu including one or more prizes, where the player may select a prize that has a prize cost within the player'"'"'s prize credit amount. The player is dispensed a specific prize ticket that is redeemable for the selected prize. The game apparatus can also provide specific prizes and tournament games played for a tournament prize contributed to by multiple players. An operator can adjust prizes and payout percentages of the system to achieve a desired profitability for game apparatuses. Prize input is entered into a prize table describing multiple available prizes and also describing payout information that indicates a desired amount of payout that the operator wishes to provide back to players of the game apparatus in terms of the value of the prizes. Prize information, such as prize costs and specific prize win ratios, is automatically determined by the system for each of the prizes in view of the desired profitability of the game apparatus.

Additionally, the invention provides method and article of manufacture for implementing a user profile-driven gaming and prize redeeming system. The user profile-driven gaming and prize redemption system allows for the tailoring of a user'"'"'s experience of playing a computer implemented game on a network gaming system by first receiving an identifier selected from a group of identifiers including a user identifier relating to the user (i.e., player) of the network gaming system, a game identifier relating to a particular game played by the user of the network gaming system, and a site identifier relating to the location (i.e. web site) from which the game is being played. The network gaming system then alters the computer-implemented game played by the user in a manner based upon the selected identifier. The foregoing technique may also be applied to a prize redemption system.

Claims

1. A gaming system that provides game play in exchange for monetary input per game played, the gaming system comprising:

a game server, wherein the game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of gaming units connected to the game server over a network, wherein the gaming units are at least partially connected to the game server using a wireless network;

wherein the gaming system enables one or more games to be downloaded over the network from the game server to one or more gaming units.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming units are at least partially connected to the game server by one or more busses.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming units are at least partially connected to the game server over a network line, phone line, cable line, local area network, wide area network, ISDN line, or data line.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming units are at least partially connected to the game server using wireless receiver/transmitter devices.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming units are at least partially connected to the game server using modems.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming units are at least partially connected to the game server using an intelligent data transmission device.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a gaming unit includes a client machine.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a gaming unit includes a personal computer.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a gaming unit includes a housing that is configured to receive a personal computer.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a gaming unit includes voice recognition technology.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a game server includes an alterable computer readable storage medium.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming units are electrically coupled to the game server over one or more cables or wires, and wherein the gaming units are physically separated from the game server.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming units are electrically coupled to the game server over one or more cables or wires, and wherein the gaming units are physically coupled to the game server.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming system enables real-time game play on the gaming units via the network connection to the game server.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the network includes the Internet, and wherein the game play includes game play at a residence of a player.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming system enables the plurality of gaming units to dispense generic coupons for redemption both inside and outside of a casino environment.

17. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming system enables the plurality of gaming units to periodically award promotional coupons to an eligible player, and wherein a player is eligible to receive the promotional coupons by being logged onto the gaming system network at a time when the promotional coupon is awarded.

18. A gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming system enables the plurality of gaming units to periodically award promotional coupons to an eligible player, and wherein a player is eligible to receive a promotional coupon by being logged onto a casino portal on the gaming system network at a time when the promotional coupon is awarded.

19. A gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more games are executed on the game server and produce game results, and wherein the game results are downloaded to the game units.

20. A gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming system enables shared processor gaming in which a portion of game processing is performed at the game server, and another portion of game processing is performed at the game units.

21. A gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming system enables shared processor gaming in which a portion of game processing is performed at the game server and another portion of game processing is performed at the game units.

22. A back-end server for a gaming system, wherein the gaming system includes a game server and a plurality of gaming units connected to the game server over a network, the back-end server comprising:

a computer readable medium containing one or more games; and

an operating system that is responsive to instructions received from a user interface;

wherein the back-end server enables management of one or more games including downloading one or more games over the network from the game server to one or more gaming units.

23. A server-side user interface for a gaming system, wherein the gaming system includes a game server having one or more games and a plurality of game units connected to the game server over a network, the user interface comprising:

an input device for sending information to the game server; and

a display device for receiving information from the game server, wherein the user interface enables management of one or more games including downloading one or more games over the network from the game server to one or more game units.

24. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize, in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server over a network;

wherein the gaming system enables real-time game play on the game units via the network connection to the game server; and

wherein the gaming system enables normalization of game parameters from different games to facilitate players that are playing games having different parameters to compete against each other in tournament games.

25. A casino gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize, in response to game play, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a game server, wherein the game server stores one or more games in electronic form; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server over a network;

wherein the gaming system enables real-time game play on the game units via the network connection to the game server; and

wherein the game units include touch screen input controls that enable player identification, player verification, player specific account access, and player game play tracking.