Optical readable media & TCP/IP in gaming system

• US 20080176660A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelly, Matthew F., Kelly, Bryan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,235,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3262 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

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

computer readable media, wherein the computer readable media stores game software in the game unit, and wherein computer readable media includes optically readable media.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the optically readable media includes a CD-ROM.

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

a game server;

a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network; and

a network controller, wherein the network controller enables gaming network topology that allows game units to operate in a stand-alone configuration, as an intra-site network, or an inter-site network.

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

a game server;

a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network; and

a progressive controller, wherein the progressive controller enables time based progressive gaming in which a progressive award is incremented by time unit.

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

a game server;

a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network, and wherein the game units are connected to an Internet; and

wherein a first game unit and a second game unit communicate with each other using TCP/IP protocol over the Internet.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein a first game unit is configured to send information in TCP/IP packets to a URL of a second game unit, and wherein the second game unit is configured to send information in TCP/IP packets to a URL of the first game unit.

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

a game server;

a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network, wherein a player may be awarded points in response to game play; and

a game points controller, wherein the game points controller enables game points awarded to a player to be used as currency.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, further comprising:

an additional processor attached to the game unit, wherein the additional processor enables a game process to be implemented in association with the game unit.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, further comprising:

a credit betting selector, wherein the credit betting selector allows a player to bet additional game credits for a game to potentially increase the number of prize credits won for a game.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein each time a player selects a credit selector, game credits applied to a particular game are increased by one credit.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein two game credits applied to a game that normally only requires one game credit, doubles a player'"'"'s prize credits won for a particular game score.