CONTROLLING AND REWARDING WAGERING GAME SKILL

• US 20110212766A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: LaSalvia, John F., Ward, Michael C., Jaffe, Joel R, Urban, Bruce E., Bowers, Travis L., Schwartz, Richard T., Mastropietro, Michael W., Schulhof, Scott H., Shimabukuro, Jorge L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,337,300 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 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include presenting a skill-based wagering game on a wagering game machine. The skill-based wagering game can have a limited winnable award amount for the skill-based wagering game. The operations can also include tracking skilled game goals that a player accomplishes during the skill-based wagering game and awarding the player from the limited winnable award amount. The operations can also include determining a surplus amount that was not earned from the limited winnable award amount, and awarding some, or all, of the surplus amount during subsequent activity. In some embodiments, the operations can also include allocating the surplus amount to wagering game pools, distributing the surplus amount as tokens based on triggered activities, and presenting game modifiers that enable players to enhance performance in a skill-based game.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

allocating a winnable award used exclusively for payouts on a wagering game network, wherein any portion of the winnable award can be won during at least some portion of a skill-based wagering game;

presenting the skill-based wagering game;

providing one or more skilled game goals for a player account to accomplish during the at least some portion of the skill-based wagering game;

determining a goal completion amount, of the one or more skilled game goals, that the player account accomplishes;

awarding at least some portion of the winnable award amount to the player account based on the goal completion amount, the at least some portion of the winnable award amount totaling a total earned award amount;

determining a surplus amount that was not won by the player from the winnable award amount, the surplus amount representing the total earned award amount subtracted from the winnable award amount; and

awarding the surplus amount during subsequent activity on the wagering game network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving control signals from one or more control devices on a wagering game machine;

processing control instructions in direct response to the control signals, causing the one or more control elements to immediately interact with game play elements to effectuate one or more physically skilled game goals; and

determining that the player account accomplishes the goal completion amount via the skillful manipulation of the one or more control devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein awarding the surplus amount comprises distributing the surplus amount over a bank of wagering game machines.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein awarding the surplus amount comprises:

determining that a payout percentage of a wagering game machine is below a theoretical payout percentage; and

awarding the surplus amount to the wagering game machine to increase the payout percentage to comply with the theoretical payout percentage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein awarding the surplus amount comprises randomly presenting, during the subsequent activity, one or more of a mystery bonus, a lump sum award, a partial pay award, and an additional feature bonus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the goal completion amount and awarding the at least some portion of the winnable award amount comprises:

determining a skill level for the player account; and

adapting a game difficulty based on the skill level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein awarding the surplus amount comprises:

allocating the surplus amount to a wagering game pool;

determining that a payout percentage of a wagering game machine is below a theoretical payout percentage; and

awarding at least some portion of the pool to a player account that is using the wagering game machine.

8. One or more machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

presenting a skill-based wagering game on a wagering game machine, the skill-based wagering game having a limited winnable award amount, wherein at least some portion of the limited winnable amount can be won during at least some portion of the skill-based wagering game for skillful performance during the skill-based wagering game;

determining a surplus amount that was not won by a player account from the limited winnable award amount in the skill-based wagering game;

processing subsequent activity on the wagering game machine;

determining a trigger activity that occurs during the subsequent activity; and

providing at least some portion of the surplus amount based on the trigger activity.

9. The machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein the trigger activity is based on one or more of skillful activities performed by the player account and random events during the subsequent activity.

10. The machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein said operations of determining the trigger activity and presenting the at least some portion of the surplus amount include operations further comprising:

determining one or more trigger settings that describe the trigger activity and one or more trigger payout values associated with the trigger activity;

determining that the trigger activity occurs during the subsequent activity; and

paying out the at least some portion of the surplus amount, wherein the at least some portion of the surplus amount corresponds in value to the one or more trigger payout values.

11. The machine-readable media of claim 8, said operations further comprising:

generating one or more tokens with values equivalent to the surplus amount;

persisting at least some of the one or more tokens; and

using the one or more tokens to pay out the at least some portion of the surplus amount.

12. A system, comprising:

a wagering game machine comprising

an activity tracking unit configured to

track accomplishments of skill-based goals in a skill-based networked wagering game, the skill-based networked wagering game having a limited award amount used exclusively for payouts, wherein at least some portion of the limited award amount can be awarded during the skill-based networked wagering game, and

award monetary amounts, from the limited award amount, based on skill-based goals achieved by a player account during the skill-based networked wagering game; and

a wagering game server comprising

a winnable award tracking unit configured to

determine an unearned portion of the limited award amount for the skill-based networked wagering game, and

distribute the unearned portion of the limited award amount to one or more of the wagering game machine and additional wagering game machines that are below a theoretical payout percentage.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wagering game machine further comprises a token controller configured to generate, display and award one or more persisted tokens on the wagering game machine, wherein the one or more persisted tokens represent the unearned portion of the limited award amount as graphical symbols.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the skill-based networked wagering game is available on a network where one or more of the player accounts can participate in the skill-based networked wagering game via a network connection.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the activity tracking unit is configured to

determine a completion time by a player account to complete one or more of the skill-based goals in the skill-based networked wagering game;

and

adjust at least some portion of a completion score based on the completion time.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a network game server including

a networked game controller configured to

receive a request from the wagering game machine and one or more client devices to compete in the skill-based networked wagering game, and

provide networked wagering game content to the wagering game machine and one or more client devices, and

a control configuration unit configured to

detect a personal player control device attached to one or more of the wagering game machine and the one or more client devices,

determine compatibility with the networked wagering game content, and provide game control settings.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an account server including

an account controller configured to control information for the player account,

an account store configured to store information for the player account, and

a player skill tracker configured to track one or more of skill points and game modifiers received during the skill-based networked wagering game.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a wagering game module configured to

present a skill-based wagering game on a wagering game machine, the skill-based wagering game having a limited winnable award amount allocated from one or more known award sources that can be won during at least some portion of the skill-based wagering game,

determine a surplus amount that was not won by a player account from the limited winnable award amount in the skill-based wagering game,

generate one or more tokens with values equivalent to the surplus amount,

persist at least some of the one or more tokens, and

use the one or more tokens to pay out some portion of the surplus amount.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the wagering game module is further configured to assign at least some of the one or more tokens to one or more of the wagering game machine, additional wagering game machines, wagering game pools, tournament prize pools, and awards in networked wagering games.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the wagering game module is further configured to pay out the one or more tokens according to triggered activities.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

means for presenting a first wagering game on a wagering game machine;

means for tracking wagering game activity during the first wagering game;

means for awarding one or more game modifiers, based on the wagering game activity, the one or more game modifiers configured to enhance performance during a second wagering game, the second wagering game configured to respond to a wagering game player'"'"'s skillful manipulation of one or more controllable wagering game elements, and the second wagering game having a winnable award amount that can be won during at least some portion of the second wagering game; and

means for activating the one or more game modifiers during the second wagering game to improve performance for the second wagering game.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for tracking the wagering game activity comprises:

means for determining a skill level for the wagering game player; and

means for awarding the one or more game modifiers based on the skill level.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for determining the skill level comprises analyzing one or more of game results, strategy weaknesses, patterns of successful manipulation of the one or more controllable wagering game elements, and completion time.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for presenting a selection interface for a player account to select the game modifier.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for awarding one or more skill points based on activities performed during any one or more of the first wagering game and the second wagering game.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for redeeming the one or more skill points.