Free long distance calls on slot machines

• US 6,139,431 A
• Filed: 03/21/1997
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/821,437
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/11-13, 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463/30, 463/36, 463/40-42, 364/410.1, 364/412.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/143 R, 379/90-91, 379/106, 379/111-112, 379/114, 379/144, 379/126, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys

Abstract

A gaming machine that provides free long distance telephone calls, or audio entertainment, as a reward for the continued playing of the gaming machine. The player may continue the free long distance phone call, or continue receiving the audio entertainment, as long his play meets a predetermined level of usage criteria.

Claims

1. A gaming machine adapted to provide telephone service, comprising:

means for receiving currency;

means responsive to the receipt of currency for enabling a game play; and

means responsive to the initiation of game play for enabling a connection to the telephone service for a predetermined period of time.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for establishing a connection, said means for establishing a connection letting a user of the gaming machine establish a telephone call to a party identified by a user-entered telephone number.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for enabling the connection includes means for maintaining the connection beyond the predetermined period of time when additional currency is used to initiate subsequent game plays at a predetermined rate.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing a warning before the predetermined period of time expires.

5. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising means to receive a signal indicating that a telephone dial tone has been established.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing credits when the game play results in a win; and

means for using the credits to maintain the connection.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for terminating the connection when additional currency is not deposited into said gaming machine at a predetermined rate.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is a function of the amount of currency received.

9. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing and accumulating connection time when a player does not immediately use the enabled connection for any game play; and

means for using the stored and accumulated connection time to maintain a connection enabled and used during a subsequent game play.

10. The gaming machine according to claim 9, wherein the connection time is a function of the amount of currency received for any game play.

11. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said gaming machine is a slot machine.

12. A slot machine adapted to provide telephone service, comprising:

a currency acceptor for receiving currency; and

a central processing Unit responsive to the receipt of currency by said currency acceptor for enabling a game play via a reel controller, and for enabling a telephone connection for a predetennined period of time via a connection device connected to said central processing unit.

13. The slot machine according to claim 12, wherein said central processing unit also maintains the telephone connection beyond the predetermined period of time when additional currency is used to initiate subsequent game plays at a predetermined rate.

14. The slot machine according to claim 12, wherein said connection device further comprises a voice response unit for providing a warning before the predetermined period time expires.

15. The slot machine according to claim 12, further comprising a communication device connected to the connection device for making a telephone call to use the enabled telephone connection.

16. The slot machine according to claim 12, further comprising:

a memory for storing credits when the game play results in a win, wherein said central processing unit uses the stored credits to maintain the telephone connection.

17. The slot machine according to claim 12, wherein said central processing unit terminates the telephone connection when additional currency is not deposited into said slot machine at a predetermined rate.

18. The slot machine according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined time period is a function of the amount of currency received.

19. The slot machine according to claim 12, further comprising:

a memory for storing and accumulating phone connection time when a player does not immediately use the enabled telephone connection for any game play, and wherein said central processing unit uses the stored and accumulated phone connection time to maintain a telephone connection enabled and used on a subsequent game play.

20. The slot machine according to claim 19, wherein the phone connection time is a function of the amount of currency received for any game play.

21. A method of making a telephone call, comprising the steps of:

depositing currency into a gaming machine;

playing the gaming machine;

receiving access to a telephone connection for a predetermined period of time in response to said playing of the gaming machine; and

placing a telephone call using the telephone connection.

22. The method according to claim 21, further including the step of repeating said depositing and playing steps to continue receiving access to the telephone connection beyond the predetermined period of time.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the telephone connection is terminated after the predetermined period has expired and when said depositing and playing steps are stopped.

24. A method of providing telephone service, comprising the steps of:

providing a gaming machine into which a player deposits currency to initiate a game play; and

granting to the player access to a telephone service for a predetermined period of time in response to the depositing of currency into the gaming machine.

25. The method according to claim 24, further including the step of granting access to the telephone service beyond the predetermined period of time in response to the player repeating the depositing of currency and playing the gaming machine.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of terminating the access to the telephone service after the predetermined period has expired and the player stops depositing currency and playing the gaming machine.

27. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method for operating a gaming machine, said method comprising:

granting a player access to a telephone service for a predetermined period of time after the player deposits currency into the gaming machine; and

granting access to the telephone service beyond the predetermined period of time in response to the player repeating the depositing of currency.

28. The medium according to claim 27, said method further comprising terminating access to the telephone service after the predetermined period has expired and the player stops depositing currency into the gaming machine.

29. The medium according to claim 27, wherein the predetermined amount of time is a function of the amount of currency received.

30. The medium according to claim 27, wherein an allowable geographical calling region for the telephone service is a function of the amount of currency received.

31. A gaming machine adapted to provide telephone service, comprising:

a currency receiver adapted to receive currency;

a game play enabling unit coupled to said currency receiver and adapted to enable game play in response to the receipt of currency by said currency receiver; and

a connection enabling unit coupled to one of said currency receiver and said game play enabling unit, said connection enabling unit being adapted to enable a connection to the telephone service for a predetermined period of time in response to at least one of;

(i) the receipt of currency, (ii) the enabled game play and (iii) a game play result.

32. The gaming machine according to claim 31, further comprising a telephone device coupled to said connection enabling unit, said telephone device letting a user of the gaming machine establish a telephone call to a party identified by a user-entered telephone number.