Prize redemption system for games
First Claim
1. A method for providing a redemption system for players of a game apparatus, said method comprising:
- providing a game on said game apparatus for a player to play, wherein said player plays said game in exchange for monetary input from said player to said game apparatus;
providing a number of prize credits for said player based on an outcome of said game, wherein said outcome of said game is influenced by skill of said player;
providing a prize selection menu for said player, said prize selection menu displaying at least one prize selectable by said player; and
receiving an indication of a selection of a prize by said player, said indication resulting from input by player using an input device of said game apparatus, wherein said selected prize is provided to said player after said indication is received.
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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. A prize selection menu is displayed by the game apparatus, the menu including one or more prizes, where the player may select a prize having a prize cost within the player'"'"'s prize credit amount. The player can be dispensed a specific prize ticket from the game apparatus or other unit that is redeemable for the selected prize. The game apparatus can also provide specific prizes and tournament games played for a tournament prize. 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 payout information that indicates a desired amount of payout that the operator wishes to provide back to players. 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.
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Citations
105 Claims
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1. A method for providing a redemption system for players of a game apparatus, said method comprising:
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providing a game on said game apparatus for a player to play, wherein said player plays said game in exchange for monetary input from said player to said game apparatus; providing a number of prize credits for said player based on an outcome of said game, wherein said outcome of said game is influenced by skill of said player; providing a prize selection menu for said player, said prize selection menu displaying at least one prize selectable by said player; and receiving an indication of a selection of a prize by said player, said indication resulting from input by player using an input device of said game apparatus, wherein said selected prize is provided to said player after said indication is received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for providing a redemption system for players of a game apparatus, said method comprising:
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providing a game on said game apparatus for a player to play, wherein said player plays said game in exchange for monetary input from said player to said game apparatus, and wherein said providing a game includes providing an option to said player of playing a single game for prize credits based on a game score and providing an option to said player of playing a tournament game for a tournament prize contributed to by multiple players of said game apparatus; providing a number of prize credits for said player based on an outcome of said game; providing a prize selection menu for said player, wherein said prize selection menu displays at least one prize selectable by said player, and wherein said prize selection menu includes a prize cost for each of said prizes provided in said prize selection menu, and wherein prize credits equal to said prize cost are subtracted from said player'"'"'s prize credits after said player has selected said prize; and receiving an indication of a selection of a prize by said player, said indication resulting from input by player using an input device of said game apparatus, wherein said selected prize is provided to said player after said indication is received. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for providing a redemption system for players of a game apparatus, said method comprising:
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providing a game on said game apparatus for a player to play, wherein said player plays said game in exchange for monetary input from said player to said game apparatus, and wherein said providing a game includes providing a specific prize goal during said game that may be achieved by skill of said player, and wherein if said specific prize goal is achieved, said player receives a specific prize; providing a number of prize credits for said player based on an outcome of said game; providing a prize selection menu for said player, wherein said prize selection menu displays at least one prize selectable by said player, and wherein said prize selection menu includes a prize cost for each of said prizes provided in said prize selection menu, and wherein prize credits equal to said prize cost are subtracted from said player'"'"'s prize credits after said player has selected said prize; and receiving an indication of a selection of a prize by said player, said indication resulting from input by player using an input device of said game apparatus, wherein said selected prize is provided to said player after said indication is received. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method for providing a redemption system for players of a game apparatus, said method comprising:
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providing a game on said game apparatus for a player to play, wherein said player plays said game in exchange for monetary input from said player to said game apparatus, and wherein said game apparatus is included in a system comprising a plurality of game apparatuses coupled together such that players of said plurality of game apparatuses may all choose prizes from a prize database communicated to said plurality of game apparatuses, and wherein said plurality of game apparatuses communicate with a server which includes said prize database; providing a number of prize credits for said player based on an outcome of said game; providing a prize selection menu for said player, wherein said prize selection menu displays at least one prize selectable by said player, and wherein said prize selection menu includes a prize cost for each of said prizes provided in said prize selection menu, and wherein prize credits equal to said prize cost are subtracted from said player'"'"'s prize credits after said player has selected said prize; and receiving an indication of a selection of a prize by said player, said indication resulting from input by player using an input device of said game apparatus, wherein said selected prize is provided to said player after said indication is received.
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21. A method for providing a redemption system for players of a game apparatus, said method comprising:
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providing a game on said game apparatus for a player to play, wherein said player plays said game in exchange for monetary input from said player to said game apparatus; providing a number of prize credits for said player based on an outcome of said game and checking whether a progressive goal was achieved by said player using skill in said game, such that if said progressive goal is achieved, progressive bonus prize credits are awarded to said player, said progressive bonus credits being contributed to by multiple players of said game apparatus; providing a prize selection menu for said player, wherein said prize selection menu displays at least one prize selectable by said player, and wherein said prize selection menu includes a prize cost for each of said prizes provided in said prize selection menu, and wherein prize credits equal to said prize cost are subtracted from said player'"'"'s prize credits after said player has selected said prize; and receiving an indication of a selection of a prize by said player, said indication resulting from input by player using an input device of said game apparatus, wherein said selected prize is provided to said player after said indication is received.
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22. A game apparatus providing a prize redemption system for players of said game apparatus, the game apparatus comprising:
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a controller providing a game on said game apparatus for a player to play, wherein a number of prize credits are provided to said player based on an outcome of said game, and wherein said outcome of said game is influenced by skill of said player, and wherein said player plays said game in exchange for monetary input from said player to said game apparatus; a display device coupled to said controller and displaying a prize selection menu for said player after said game is played by said player, said prize selection menu displaying at least one prize selectable by said player; and an input device coupled to said controller and manipulable by said player to input an indication of a selection of a prize in said prize selection menu by said player, wherein said selected prize is provided to said player after said indication is received. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. 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, said plurality of prizes including at least two different goods or services; receiving payout input from said operator which is stored on a 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 a storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for implementing a specific prize game on a game apparatus, the method comprising:
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receiving input game commands from a player of said game apparatus during a game process, said input game commands derived from a skilled manipulation of input devices of said game apparatus by said player during said game process; determining if said player has won a specific prize during said game process by examining a skilled performance of said player during said game process based on said input game commands, wherein a specific prize is awarded to said player only if said player achieves a predetermined goal requiring said skilled performance during said game process, said specific prize being a good or service awarded to players; determining an identity of said specific prize won by said player; and indicating with said game apparatus to said player said identity of said specific prize won by said player. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A game apparatus for allowing a player to win a specific prize during a game process, the game apparatus comprising:
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a game processor for controlling a game process on said game apparatus, said game process providing a specific prize goal during said game process to be achieved by skilled player input, said game processor determines whether said specific prize goal is achieved by said player; an input device for providing said skilled player input to said game processor to influence said game process and to achieve said specific prize goal; an output device for providing feedback to said player in response to commands from said game processor; and a specific prize ticket dispenser for providing a physical specific prize voucher to said player which can be exchanged for a specific prize indicated on said specific prize voucher, said specific prize being a good or service, and wherein said specific prize is one a plurality of different specific prizes available to be won on said game apparatus by said player. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A video game apparatus for awarding a specific prize to a player, said video game apparatus including:
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a display screen for outputting images of a playing field and a pointer that moves relative to said playing field, wherein at least one predefined specific prize area on said playing field is associated with achieving a specific prize goal and at least one other scoring area on said playing field is associated with increasing a game score; an input device coupled to said game processor for allowing a player to input skilled game commands during a game process, said game commands including a command to influence movement of said pointer from moving relative to said playing field; a game processor coupled to said display screen and to said input device, said game processor controlling said game process, updating a game score in accordance with a position of said pointer in relation to said scoring area on said playing field, and determining whether said specific prize goal is achieved during said game process based on a position of said pointer with respect to said specific prize area, wherein a specific prize associated with said specific prize area is won when said specific prize goal is achieved, said specific prize being a particular one of a plurality of types of specific prizes that can be won by said player, and wherein an identity of said specific prize won by said player is displayed on said display screen. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A game system for awarding a specific prize to players of said game system, said game system including:
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(a) a first game apparatus including; (i) a first game processor implementing a game process; (ii) a first input device coupled to said first game processor for inputting game commands from a first player playing said first game apparatus to said first game processor during said game process; and (iii) a first display screen coupled to said first game processor for outputting images in accordance with said game commands from said first player and game commands from a second player not playing said first game apparatus; (b) a second game apparatus including; (i) a second game processor in communication with said first game processor by a communication link, said second game processor implementing said game process; (ii) a second input device coupled to said second game processor for inputting game commands from said second player to said second game processor during said game process; and (iii) a second display screen coupled to said second game processor for outputting images in accordance with said game commands from said first player and said game commands from said second player; and (c) a ticket dispenser coupled to said first game processor for dispensing a specific prize ticket, said specific prize ticket having indicia referring to a specific prize and being exchangeable for said specific prize portrayed by said indicia, said specific prize being based on an outcome of said game process. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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90. A method for providing a prize redemption system, the method comprising:
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receiving monetary input from a player of a game apparatus, said game apparatus providing at least one game during which said player may win a plurality of prize credits; providing a prize selection menu displayed on said game apparatus and receiving input from said player in said prize selection menu to select a local prize for said player based on an amount of said prize credits, said local prize being provided from a gaming environment in which said game apparatus is located; and providing at least a portion of said prize credits to said player if said player does not use said portion of said prize credits to select a prize in said prize selection menu, wherein said prize credits are capable of being sent to a remote prize supplier physically separate from said gaming environment, said remote prize supplier delivering a delivered prize to said player if said player indicates to said prize supplier an identity of said delivered prize and provides a number of prize credits to said prize supplier sufficient to redeem said delivered prize. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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98. A method for providing prizes in a prize redemption system, the method comprising:
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receiving non-monetary prize credits from players of games utilizing said prize redemption system, said games being implemented on game apparatuses which reward said prize credits based on outcomes of said games; receiving an indication of a prize that said player has selected to be redeemed with said prize credits; and providing said selected prize to said player. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105)
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Specification