Prize redemption system for games
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method for providing a prize redemption system for a game apparatus, said prize redemption system being customizable by an operator, said method comprising:
- receiving a prize list on a game apparatus, said prize list including names of a plurality of prizes available to be won by playing said game apparatus, wherein said game apparatus receives monetary income from players in exchange for use of said game apparatus, and wherein said players may win prize credits by playing said game apparatus;
receiving a cost of each of said prizes on said game apparatus; and
determining on said game apparatus a prize cost to be associated with each of said plurality of prizes, said prize cost being in terms of prize credits and determined in view of a desired profitability of said game apparatus, and wherein a player of said game apparatus may select one of said prizes by exchanging a number of prize credits equal to said prize cost of said selected prize.
9 Assignments
Litigations
2 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
The present 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.
2070 Citations
77 Claims
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1. A method for providing a prize redemption system for a game apparatus, said prize redemption system being customizable by an operator, said method comprising:
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receiving a prize list on a game apparatus, said prize list including names of a plurality of prizes available to be won by playing said game apparatus, wherein said game apparatus receives monetary income from players in exchange for use of said game apparatus, and wherein said players may win prize credits by playing said game apparatus; receiving a cost of each of said prizes on said game apparatus; and determining on said game apparatus a prize cost to be associated with each of said plurality of prizes, said prize cost being in terms of prize credits and determined in view of a desired profitability of said game apparatus, and wherein a player of said game apparatus may select one of said prizes by exchanging a number of prize credits equal to said prize cost of said selected prize. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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4. A method as recited in 3 wherein said prize costs be manually adjusted by said operator, such that said global payout percentage is adjusted by said redemption system based on said manual adjustments.
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15. A method for providing a prize redemption system for a game apparatus, said prize redemption system being customizable by an operator, the method comprising:
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displaying a prize table on a display of said game apparatus; receiving prize input from said operator which is stored on a storage medium of said game apparatus and displayed in said prize table, said prize input describing a plurality of prizes that are to be available in said redemption system to players of said game apparatus, wherein said game apparatus receives monetary income from players in exchange for use of said game apparatus; receiving payout input from said operator which is stored on said storage medium, said payout input indicating a desired amount of payout that said operator wishes to provide back to players of said game apparatus in terms of a monetary value of said plurality of prizes; determining a prize cost for each of said plurality of prizes in terms of said prize credits winnable by playing a game on said game apparatus, wherein said prize cost is determined in accordance with said desired amount of payout and is stored in said storage medium; receiving monetary input from a player on said game apparatus; implementing a game process and receiving input from said player during said game process, wherein said player is provided with a game score based on an outcome of said game process, wherein said player is provided with a number of prize credits based on said game score; displaying a prize selection screen on said display, said prize selection screen portraying a plurality of prizes and a prize cost for each of said prizes; receiving a selection from said player selecting at least one of said prizes, wherein said selected prize has a prize cost less than or equal to said number of prize credits provided to said player; and dispensing a physical indication of said selected prize to said player, wherein said player is able to redeem at least one of said prizes with said dispensed indication. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A game apparatus providing a prize redemption system, the game apparatus comprising:
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a game processor for controlling a game on said game apparatus, said game providing a number of prize credits to a player in connection with said player playing said game; receiving means for receiving monetary input from said player, said receiving means being coupled to said game processor; an input device coupled to said game processor and providing commands to said game from said player; an output display device coupled to said game processor for providing visual feedback for said game; means for providing a prize selection menu on said display device, said prize selection menu presenting a plurality of prizes, each of said prizes having a prize credit cost which has been determined in accordance with a desired payout value of an operator of said game apparatus, wherein said player selects one of said prizes using said input device, said selected prize having a prize credit cost less than or equal to said prize credits awarded to said player; and a prize output device coupled to said game processor for outputting an indication of said selected prize to said player such that said player may use said indication to redeem said selected prize. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for providing a tournament game on a game apparatus, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a tournament game for a player on said game apparatus; (b) receiving monetary input from a player to allow said player to participate in said tournament by playing said tournament game; (c) contributing at least a portion of said monetary input towards a tournament prize; (d) implementing said tournament game, including receiving input from said player during said tournament game, and providing a game score based on an outcome of said tournament game; (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) until said tournament is determined to have concluded; and (f) providing said tournament prize to one or more winning players selected from participants of said tournament. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for providing a prize redemption system for a game apparatus, said prize redemption system being customizable by an operator, said method comprising:
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displaying a prize table on a display; receiving prize input which is stored on a storage medium and displayed in said prize table, said prize input characterizing a plurality of prizes that are to be available in said redemption system to players of said game apparatus, wherein said prize input includes monetary costs of said prizes, and wherein said game apparatus receives monetary income from players in exchange for allowing use of said game apparatus; receiving payout input from said operator which is stored on said storage medium, said payout input indicating a desired amount of payout that said operator wishes to provide back to said players of said game apparatus in terms of a monetary value of said plurality of prizes, wherein said payout input includes a global payout percentage value indicating a desired percentage of said monetary income earned by said game apparatus that said operator wishes to provide back to players in the form of said prizes; and automatically determining prize information for each of said plurality of prizes, said prize information determining how frequently said prizes are to be won by players of said game apparatus, wherein said prize information is determined in accordance with said desired amount of payout and is stored on said storage medium, said prize information including a prize cost for each of said plurality of prizes in terms of prize credits winnable by players playing a game on said game apparatus, wherein said prize cost is determined in accordance with said desired amount of payout and is stored on said storage medium, said prize costs being determined using an average number of prize credits awarded per game played on said game apparatus, wherein said average number of prize credits awarded per game is determined by recording and averaging prize credits won by players over multiple games played on said game apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A method for providing a prize redemption system for a game apparatus, said prize redemption system being customizable by an operator, said method comprising:
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displaying a prize table on a display; receiving prize input which is stored on a storage medium and displayed in said prize table, said prize input characterizing a plurality of prizes that are to be available in said redemption system to players of said game apparatus, wherein said prize input includes monetary costs of said prizes, and wherein said game apparatus receives monetary income from players in exchange for allowing use of said game apparatus; receiving payout input from said operator which is stored on said storage medium, said payout input indicating a desired amount of payout that said operator wishes to provide back to said players of said game apparatus in terms of a monetary value of said plurality of prizes; and automatically determining prize information for each of said plurality of prizes, said prize information determining how frequently said prizes are to be won by players of said game apparatus, wherein said prize information is determined in accordance with said desired amount of payout and is stored on said storage medium, and wherein each of said prizes can be won as a specific prize on said game apparatus, said prize information including a win ratio for each of said plurality of prizes in terms of how many times said particular prize is won as a specific prize on said game apparatus, wherein said win ratio is determined in accordance with said desired amount of payout and is stored on said storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A game apparatus providing a prize redemption system, the game apparatus comprising:
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a game processor for controlling a game on said game apparatus, said game providing a number of prize credits to a player in connection with said player playing said game, said game processor also providing a prize selection menu, said prize selection menu presenting a plurality of prizes, each of said prizes having a prize credit cost which has been determined in accordance with a desired payout value of an operator of said game apparatus, wherein said player selects one of said prizes using said input device, said selected prize having a prize credit cost less than or equal to said prize credits awarded to said player; a monetary input device that receives monetary input from said player, said monetary input device being coupled to said game processor; an input device coupled to said game processor and providing commands to said game from said player; an output display device coupled to said game processor and displaying said prize selection menu and providing visual feedback for said game; and a prize output device coupled to said game processor that outputs an indication of said selected prize to said player such that said player may use said indication to redeem said selected prize. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification