GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD WHICH ENABLES MULTIPLE PLAYERS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PLAY MULTIPLE INDIVIDUAL GAMES OR GROUP GAMES ON A CENTRAL DISPLAY

• US 20120122564A1
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Kovacs, James K., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Oberberger, Michael M., Wolf, Bryan D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,403,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a gaming system including a central controller, a central display which includes a plurality of display segments and a plurality player stations. The display segments are configured to each separately display one of a plurality of games, to co-act to display a plurality of games, or to co-act to display one game. Each player station is configured to enable a player to play one or more of the games displayed by the display segments. The gaming system enables a plurality of players to play a group game on the central display, a plurality of players to simultaneously play multiple group games on the central display, and a plurality of players to each simultaneously play multiple individual games on the central display.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system including a display device, the display device including a plurality of display segments each configured to display one of a plurality of different games, said method comprising:

(a) during a participation period, for each of a plurality of players at one of a plurality of player stations, for each of the different games, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device of said player station to enable said player to make at least one input to individually wager on a play of said different game;

(b) after termination of the participation period, for each of the different games, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to;

(i) randomly determine a game outcome; and

(ii) independently determine if said randomly determined game outcome is a winning game outcome or a losing game outcome, wherein each of the determined game outcomes can be the winning game outcome or the losing game outcome;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the display device to simultaneously display said plays of the different games on the display segments of the display device, said displayed plays of the different games including the randomly determined game outcomes for said different games; and

(d) for each displayed play of each of the different games, for each player station at which any wager was placed on said play of said different game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one player station display device of said player station to;

(i) display the randomly determined game outcome associated with said wagered on play of said different game; and

(ii) for each player who placed any wager at said player station on said wagered on play of said different game, display an award based on said displayed game outcome and an amount said player wagered on said wagered on play of said different game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a single device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the different games is an interactive game.

4. The method of claim 3, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the player stations to enable a single one of the players to control the interactive game.

5. The method of claim 3, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the player stations to enable a plurality of the players to control the interactive game.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each of the player stations, operate with the at least one input device of said player station to enable the player at said player station to select which of the different games to play and an amount to wager per play.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the display device to display, on the display device, an indication of at least of one of the players who received the winning game outcome.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the different games include a plurality of different types of games.

9. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the display device and the player stations to provide a next participation period and to enable a plurality of the players to each individually wager on subsequent plays of the different games using the at least one input devices of the player stations, wherein the next participation period begins before any awards are displayed at the player stations for the wagered on plays of the different games.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, upon termination of the participation period, operate with the display device to simultaneously display plays of all of the different games on the display segments of the display device.

11. The method of claim 1, which is provided through a data network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data network is an internet.

13. A method of operating a gaming system including a display device, the display device including a plurality of display segments each configured to display one of a plurality of different games, said method comprising:

(a) for each of a plurality of players, for each of the different games, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of player stations, each of the player stations including at least one input device, to enable said player to use the at least one input device of one of the player stations to individually wager on a play of said different game;

(b) upon initiation of a wager on a play of one of the different games, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to begin a participation period for said wagered on play of said different game;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the player stations to enable the other players to use the at least one input devices of the player stations to wager on said wagered on play of said different game during the participation period;

(d) after termination of the participation period, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine a game outcome for said wagered on play of said different game;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the display device to display said determined game outcome on one of the display segments of the display device;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if said displayed game outcome is a winning game outcome, wherein said displayed game outcome can be the winning game outcome or a losing game outcome, wherein the determination of whether said displayed game outcome is the winning game outcome is independent from determinations of whether any other game outcomes of plays of other different games displayed by the display segments are winning game outcomes; and

(g) for each player station at which any wager was placed on said play of said different game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to;

(i) operate with at least one player station display device of said player station to display the determined game outcome associated with said wagered on play of said different game; and

(ii) for each player who placed any wager at said player station on said wagered on play of said different game, provide said player an award based on an amount wagered by said player and said displayed game outcome.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the display device is a single device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the different games are simultaneously displayable by the display segments.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the different games is an interactive game.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the player stations to enable a single one of the players to control the interactive game.

18. The method of claim 16, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the player stations to enable a plurality of the players to control the interactive game.

19. The method of claim 13, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each of the player stations, operate with the at least one input device of said player station to enable the player at said player station to select which of the different games to play and an amount to wager per play.

20. The method of claim 13, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the display device to display, on the display device, at least one winner of at least one of the wagered on plays of the different games.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the different games include a plurality of different types of games.

22. The method of claim 13, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, upon termination of the participation period, operate with the display device to simultaneously display of plays of all of the different games on the display segments of the display device.

23. The method of claim 13, which is provided through a data network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the data network is an internet.

25. A method of operating a gaming system including a display device, the display device including a plurality of display segments each configured to display one of a plurality of different games, said method comprising:

(a) during a participation period, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a first player station to enable a first player at the first player station to use a first input device to;

(i) place a wager on a first payline and a second payline of a designated one of the different games, and

(ii) wager on each of the other different games;

(b) during the participation period, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with a second player station to enable a second player at the second player station to use a second input device to;

(i) place a wager on the first payline and the second payline of the designated one of the games, and

(ii) wager on each of the other different games;

(c) upon termination of the participation period, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the display device to;

(i) display a play of said wagered on designated one of the games on one of the display segments of the display device, said displayed play of said wagered on designated one of the games including a randomly determined game outcome for said play of said wagered on designated one of the games; and

(ii) for each of the other different games, display a play of said other different game on one of the other display segments of the display device, said displayed play of said other different game including a randomly determined game outcome for said play of said other different game;

(d) for each of the first player and the second player, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to independently determine if said displayed game outcome for the displayed play of the designated one of the games is a winning game result or a losing game result, wherein the first player and the second player may each have the winning game result or the losing game result based on whether the first player and the second player wagered on the same or different paylines of the designated one of the games;

(e) if said first player'"'"'s game result is the winning game result, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide the first player a first award based on said displayed game outcome and the wager placed by the first player on the designated one of the games; and

(f) if said second player'"'"'s game result is the winning game result, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide the second player a second award based on said displayed game outcome and the wager placed by the second player on the designated one of the games.

26. The method of claim 25, which is provided through a data network.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the data network is an internet.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

(a) during a participation period, for each of a plurality of players at one of a plurality of player stations, for each of the different games, enabling said player to make at least one input using at least one input device of said player station to individually wager on a play of said different game;

(b) after termination of the participation period, for each of the different games;

(i) randomly determining a game outcome; and

(ii) independently determining if said randomly determined game outcome is a winning game outcome or a losing game outcome, wherein each of the determined game outcomes can be the winning game outcome or the losing game outcome;

(c) causing the display device to simultaneously display said plays of the different games on the display segments of the display device, said displayed plays of the different games including the randomly determined game outcomes for said different games; and

(d) for each displayed play of each of the different games, for each player station at which any wager was placed on said play of said different game;

(i) causing at least one player station display device of said player station to display the randomly determined game outcome associated with said wagered on play of said different game; and

(ii) for each player who placed any wager at said player station on said wagered on play of said different game, causing the at least one player station display device of said player station to display an award based on said displayed game outcome and an amount said player wagered on said wagered on play of said different game.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the display device is a single device.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein at least one of the different games is an interactive game.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method includes enabling a single one of the players to control the interactive game.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method includes enabling a plurality of the players to control the interactive game.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the method includes, for each of the player stations, enabling the player at said player station to use the at least one input device of said player station to select which of the different games to play and an amount to wager per play.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the method includes causing the display device to display an indication of at least of one of the players who received the winning game outcome.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the different games include a plurality of different types of games.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the method includes providing a next participation period and enabling a plurality of the players to each individually wager on subsequent plays of the different games using the at least one input devices of the player stations, wherein the next participation period begins before any awards are displayed at the player stations for the wagered on plays of the different games.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein the method includes, upon termination of the participation period, causing the display device to simultaneously display plays of all of the different games on the display segments of the display device.

38. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

(a) for each of a plurality of players, for each of the different games, enabling said player to use at least one input device of one of a plurality of player stations to individually wager on a play of said different game;

(b) upon initiation of a wager on a play of one of the different games, beginning a participation period for said wagered on play of said different game;

(c) enabling the other players to use the at least one input devices of the player stations to wager on said wagered on play of said different game during the participation period;

(d) after termination of the participation period, randomly determining a game outcome for said wagered on play of said different game;

(e) causing the display device to display said determined game outcome on one of the display segments of the display device;

(f) determining if said displayed game outcome is a winning game outcome, wherein said displayed game outcome can be the winning game outcome or a losing game outcome, wherein the determination of whether said displayed game outcome is the winning game outcome is independent from determinations of whether any other game outcomes of plays of other different games displayed by the display segments are winning game outcomes; and

(g) for each player station at which any wager was placed on said play of said different game;

(i) causing at least one player station display device of said player station to display the determined game outcome associated with said wagered on play of said different game; and

(ii) for each player who placed any wager at said player station on said wagered on play of said different game, providing said player an award based on an amount wagered by said player and said displayed game outcome.

39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the display device is a single device.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein each of the different games are simultaneously displayable by the display segments.

41. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein at least one of the different games is an interactive game.

42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the method includes enabling a single one of the players to control the interactive game.

43. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the method includes enabling a plurality of the players to control the interactive game.

44. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the method includes, for each of the player stations, enabling the player at said player station to use the at least one input device of said player station to select which of the different games to play and an amount to wager per play.

45. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the method includes causing the display device to display at least one winner of at least one of the wagered on plays of the different games.

46. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the different games include a plurality of different types of games.

47. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the method includes, upon termination of the participation period, causing the display device to simultaneously display of plays of all of the different games on the display segments of the display device.

48. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

(a) during a participation period, enabling a first player at a first player station to use a first input device to;

(i) place a wager on a first payline and a second payline of a designated one of the different games, and

(ii) wager on each of the other different games;

(b) during the participation period, enabling a second player at a second player station to use a second input device to;

(i) place a wager on the first payline and the second payline of the designated one of the games, and

(ii) wager on each of the other different games;

(c) upon termination of the participation period, causing the display device to;

(i) display a play of said wagered on designated one of the games on one of the display segments of the display device, said displayed play of said wagered on designated one of the games including a randomly determined game outcome for said play of said wagered on designated one of the games; and

(ii) for each of the other different games, display a play of said other different game on one of the other display segments of the display device, said displayed play of said other different game including a randomly determined game outcome for said play of said other different game;

(d) for each of the first player and the second player, independently determining if said displayed game outcome for the displayed play of the designated one of the games is a winning game result or a losing game result, wherein the first player and the second player may each have the winning game result or the losing game result based on whether the first player and the second player wagered on the same or different paylines of the designated one of the games;

(e) if said first player'"'"'s game result is the winning game result, providing the first player a first award based on said displayed game outcome and the wager placed by the first player on the designated one of the games; and

(f) if said second player'"'"'s game result is the winning game result, providing the second player a second award based on said displayed game outcome and the wager placed by the second player on the designated one of the games.