VIRAL BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION USING MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20140094316A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Binh T. Nguyen
• Original Assignee: Binh T. Nguyen
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,176,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

Gaming machines and systems are configured to distribute of viral events, such as viral gaming events, amongst devices. The devices can present the viral events. The devices can, for example, be gaming machines and/or mobile devices. According to one embodiment, once a viral event is triggered, it is presented at one or more first devices at a first time. The viral event spreads to other devices, such as one or more second devices where it can be presented at a later time. The viral event may continue to spread to numerous other devices. Feedback or metrics may be used to control the devices to which the viral event spreads and/or the rate of spread.

Claims

1. A system for distributing a viral benefit to a mobile device, comprising:

a first plurality of mobile devices, each of the first plurality of mobile devices having a display to display a first viral benefit;

a second plurality of mobile devices, each of the second plurality of mobile devices having a display to display a second viral benefit; and

a viral event server, configured to;

determine whether to initiate a viral event;

determine a type of first viral benefit to distribute to one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the viral event is initiated;

distribute the first viral benefit to one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices;

determine whether to distribute the second viral benefit to one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices; and

transmit the second viral benefit to the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the second viral benefit to one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices is to be distributed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first viral benefit to one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices is distributed at a time T1 and the second viral benefit is transmitted to the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices at a time T2, and wherein time T2 is a time later than time T1.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the viral event server is further configured to:

determine a pre-defined propagation pattern; and

transmit the second viral benefit to each of the one or more second plurality of mobile devices based on the pre-defined propagation pattern.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the pre-defined propagation pattern is based on a location of the one or more second plurality of mobile devices proximate to one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices.

5. The system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the pre-defined propagation pattern is based on a random selection of a plurality of mobile devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the viral event server is further configured to transmit a first viral benefit notification to each of the one or more first plurality of mobile devices prior to distribution of the first viral benefit to one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the viral event server is further configured to transmit a second viral benefit notification to each of the one or more second plurality of mobile devices prior to transmission of the second viral benefit to one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the viral event server is further configured to:

determine whether to distribute a third viral benefit to one or more of a third plurality of mobile devices; and

transmit the third viral benefit to the one or more of the third plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the third viral benefit to one or more of the third plurality of mobile devices is to be distributed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting of the third viral benefit to one or more of the third plurality of mobile devices occurs at a time T3, time T3 occurring later than time T1.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the second viral benefit to the one or more second mobile devices is triggered by a gaming viral event at one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices.

11. A method for distributing a viral benefit to a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, at a server, whether to initiate a viral event;

determining, at the server, a first viral benefit to distribute to one or more of a first plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the viral event is initiated;

distributing the first viral benefit to one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices so that the first viral benefit is able to be displayed by each of the one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices;

determining whether to distribute a second viral benefit to one or more of a second plurality of mobile devices; and

transmitting the second viral benefit to the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the second viral benefit to one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices is to be distributed so that the second viral benefit is able to be displayed by each of the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein distributing of the viral benefit to the one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices occurs at a time T1 and the transmitting the second viral benefit to the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices occurs at a time T2, time T2 occurring at a time later than time T1.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether to initiate the viral event further comprises determining whether a viral gaming event is initiated on one of the first plurality of mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein subsequent to determining the first viral benefit, transmitting a first viral benefit notification to each of the one or more first plurality of mobile devices.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein subsequent to determining whether to distribute a second viral benefit, transmitting a second viral benefit notification to each of the one or more second plurality of mobile devices.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein distributing of the second viral benefit to each of the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices is based on a random selection of a plurality of mobile devices.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether to distribute the second viral benefit to one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices is based on a proximity location of the one or more second plurality of mobile devices to the one or more first plurality of mobile devices.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether to distribute a third viral benefit to one or more of a third plurality of mobile devices; and

transmitting the third viral benefit to the one or more of the third plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the third viral benefit to one or more of the third plurality of mobile devices is to be distributed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting of the third viral benefit to one or more of the third plurality of mobile devices occurs at a time T3, time T3 occurring later than time T1.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the distributing of the third viral benefit to each of the one or more of the third plurality of mobile devices is based on a random selection of the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the first viral benefit is different from the second viral benefit.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting of the second viral benefit to the one or more second mobile devices is triggered by an event at one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices.

23. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for distributing a viral benefit to a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, at a server, whether to initiate a viral event;

determining, at the server, a first viral benefit to distribute to one or more of a first plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the viral event is initiated;

distributing the viral benefit to one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices so that the first viral benefit is able to be displayed by each of the one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices;

determining whether to distribute a second viral benefit to one or more of a second plurality of mobile devices; and

transmitting the second viral benefit to the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices if it is determined that the second viral benefit to one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices is to be distributed so that the second viral benefit is able to be displayed by each of the one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices,

wherein transmitting of the second viral benefit to the one or more second mobile devices is triggered by an event at one or more of the first plurality of mobile devices.