GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD HAVING PLAYER ACCUMULATED POINTS AND DETERMINING EACH PLAYER'S CHANCES OF WINNING AN AWARD BASED ON THE ACCUMULATED POINTS

• US 20100081497A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Satterlie, Eric D., Cuddy, Ryan W., Wolf, Bryan D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,795,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/00 Generating random numbers; Lottery apparatus
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides and tracks bonus event eligibility points accumulated by players playing the gaming devices in the gaming system. Upon a triggering of a bonus event, the gaming system generates, for each bonus event eligibility point accumulated for each player, a random number from a predefined range of numbers. The gaming system determines which one of the accumulated bonus event eligibility points is the designated bonus event eligibility point, such as by determining which bonus event eligibility point is associated with the highest valued random number generated. The gaming system then enables the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point to participate in the bonus event. In the bonus event, one or more awards are provided to the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of said gaming devices including;

at least one processor,

at least one input device,

at least one display device, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager;

(b) if a bonus event eligibility point accumulation event occurs, accumulate at least one bonus event eligibility point;

(c) for each of a designated quantity of accumulated bonus event eligibility points, generate a random number from a predefined range of random numbers; and

(d) if one of any of said generated random numbers is a designated random number;

(i) display a bonus event to the player, and

(ii) display and provide a bonus event award to the player; and

a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller and said plurality of gaming devices configured to operate to determine if a bonus event triggering condition occurs, wherein if the bonus event triggering condition occurs, said controller is configured to operate to determine which of said generated random numbers is the designated random number, wherein said determination is based on a comparison between at least one generated random number for each of any of said gaming devices provided at least one bonus event eligibility point.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said determination of which of said generated random numbers is the designated random number is based on a comparison between each generated random number for each of any of said gaming devices provided at least one bonus event eligibility point.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein one of any of said generated random numbers is the designated random number if said generated random number is one of:

a highest generated random number, a lowest generated random number, a generated random number closest to a mean number, a generated random number closest to a mode number, a generated random number closest to a median number, and a generated random number closest to a randomly generated supplemental number.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if a plurality of said generated random numbers are each determined to be the designated random number, for each random number determined to be the designated random number, the controller randomly generates another random number from the predefined range of random numbers.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if a plurality of said generated random numbers are each determined to be the designated random number, for each generated random number, the controller randomly generates another random number from the predefined range of random numbers.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if a plurality of said generated random numbers are each determined to be the designated random number, each gaming device which generated one of said random numbers determined to be the designated random number randomly generates another random number from the predefined range of random numbers.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if a plurality of said generated random numbers are each determined to be the designated random number, each gaming device which accumulated at least the designated quantity of bonus event eligibility points generates another random number from the predefined range of random numbers for each of said designated quantity of accumulated bonus event eligibility points.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determination that the bonus event triggering condition occurs is based on at least one displayed event in the play of one of the primary games.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determination that the bonus event triggering condition occurs independent of any displayed event in any play of any primary game and independent of any plays of any secondary game of the gaming devices.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the designated quantity of accumulated bonus event eligibility points is one.

11. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager;

(b) if a bonus event eligibility point accumulation event occurs, accumulate at least one bonus event eligibility point;

(c) for each of a designated quantity of accumulated bonus event eligibility points, generate a random number from a predefined range of random numbers;

(d) if a bonus event triggering condition occurs, send data to a central server regarding at least one of said generated random numbers;

(e) receive data from the central server regarding if one of any of said generated random numbers is a designated random number; and

(f) if one of any of said generated random numbers is the designated random number;

(i) display a bonus event to the player, and

(ii) display and provide a bonus event award to the player.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to maintain at least one of said randomly generated numbers as a representative random number and send data regarding said maintained representative random number if the bonus event triggering condition occurs.

13. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein one of any of said generated random numbers is the designated random number if said generated random number is one of:

a highest generated random number, a lowest generated random number, a generated random number closest to a mean number, a generated random number closest to a mode number, a generated random number closest to a median number, and a generated random number closest to a randomly generated supplemental number.

14. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein when executed by the at least one processor after receiving data regarding a determination that one of any of said generated random numbers is one of a plurality of designated random numbers, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to generate another random number from the predefined range of random numbers and send data regarding said generated random number.

15. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein when executed by the at least one processor after receiving data regarding a determination that one of any of said generated random numbers is one of a plurality of designated random numbers, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to generate another random number from the predefined range of random numbers for each of said quantity of accumulated bonus event eligibility points and send data regarding any of said generated random numbers.

16. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine whether the bonus event eligibility point accumulation event occurs based on at least one displayed event in the play of the primary game.

17. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine whether the bonus event eligibility point accumulation event occurs independent of any displayed event in the play of the primary game and independent of any plays of any secondary game.

18. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the bonus event eligibility point accumulation event occurs, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to accumulate at least one bonus event eligibility point in association with the player.

19. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the designated quantity of accumulated bonus event eligibility points is one.

20. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of said gaming devices including;

at least one processor,

at least one input device,

at least one display device, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device; and

a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller and said plurality of gaming devices configured to operate to;

(a) enable a plurality of players of said gaming devices to each place at least one wager to play at least one play of a primary game; and

(b) for each of said gaming devices;

(i) accumulate a quantity of bonus event eligibility points; and

(ii) if a bonus event triggering condition occurs and said gaming device is determined to participate in a bonus event because one of any bonus event eligibility points accumulated in association with said gaming device is determined to be a designated bonus event eligibility point;

(A) display said bonus event to the player, and

(B) display and provide a bonus event award to the player, wherein said determination of if one of any bonus event eligibility points accumulated in association with said gaming device is the designated bonus event eligibility point is based on a comparison between at least one bonus event eligibility point accumulated in association with said gaming device and at least one bonus event eligibility accumulated in association with another one of said gaming devices such that a probability that said gaming device is determined to participate in the bonus event is based, at least in part, on said quantity of bonus event eligibility points accumulated in association with said gaming device.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein if the bonus event triggering condition occurs, for each of said gaming devices, the determination of if one of any bonus event eligibility points accumulated in association with said gaming device is the designated bonus event eligibility point is based on if a random number generated in association with any bonus event eligibility points accumulated in association with said gaming device is determined to be a designated random number.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the designated random number is selected from the group consisting of:

a highest generated random number, a lowest generated random number, a generated random number closest to a mean number, a generated random number closest to a mode number, a generated random number closest to a median number, and a generated random number closest to a randomly generated supplemental number.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein if a plurality of designated bonus event eligibility points are determined, another random number is generated for each determined designated bonus event eligibility point.

24. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein if a plurality of designated bonus event eligibility points are determined, another random number is generated for each bonus event eligibility point.

25. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the determination that the bonus event triggering condition occurs is based on at least one displayed event in the play of one of the primary games.

26. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the determination that the bonus event triggering condition occurs independent of any displayed event in any play of any primary game and independent of any plays of any secondary game of the gaming devices.

27. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein for each of said gaming devices, the controller and said gaming device are configured to operate to accumulate the quantity of bonus event eligibility points in association with the player of said gaming device.

28. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of said gaming devices including;

at least one processor,

at least one input device,

at least one display device, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device; and

a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller and said plurality of gaming devices configured to operate to;

(a) enable a plurality of players of said gaming devices to each play a primary game upon a wager;

(b) for each of said gaming devices, accumulate a quantity of bonus event eligibility points if a bonus event eligibility point accumulation event occurs; and

(c) if a bonus event triggering condition occurs;

(i) for each of said gaming devices, determine and assign a separate range of numbers, wherein said determined range of numbers is based on said quantity of bonus event eligibility points accumulated for said gaming device,

(ii) generate a random number from a total range of numbers which includes each of the determined separate ranges of numbers, and

(iii) for said gaming device assigned the separate range of numbers which includes the generated random number;

(i) display a bonus event to the player, and

(ii) display and provide a bonus event award to the player.

29. The gaming system of claim 28, wherein for each of said gaming devices, the separate range of numbers assigned to said gaming device includes a quantity of numbers equal to said quantity of bonus event eligibility points accumulated for said gaming device.

30. The gaming system of claim 28, wherein the total range of numbers is a predefined range of numbers and for each of said gaming devices, the separate range of numbers assigned to said gaming device is based on the total range of numbers and the quantity of bonus event eligibility points accumulated in association with said gaming device relative to the total quantity of bonus event eligibility points accumulated in association with each of the gaming devices.