Electronic amusement device and method for propagating a performance adjustment signal

• US 6,648,762 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Lech, Robert R., Walker, Jay S., Mik, Magdalena
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US10/007,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/26, 463/27, 463/28
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

An electronic amusement device and a method for operating the device are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a slot machine receives an initiation signal to initiate game play at the slot machine. The slot machine conducts a game in response to the initiation signal. The slot machine determines whether a propagation criteria has been achieved and outputs a propagation signal, indicating a performance adjustment, to at least one other slot machine. In accordance with a second embodiment, a slot machine that stores a performance level is disclosed. The slot machine receives a propagation signal indicating a performance adjustment, and the slot machine adjusts the performance level accordingly. A slot server and method for operating the server are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for directing a slot machine to process an indication of adjusted performance, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a first performance level;

receiving a propagation signal, the propagation signal being responsive to an adjustment of a second performance level of another slot machine and the propagation signal representing an instruction to adjust performance by at least one of (i) adjusting an amount of at least one payout;

(ii) adjusting a frequency of at least one payout;

(iii) adjusting a probability of at least one payout;

(iv) adjusting a wager amount; and

(v) activating certain bonuses; and

adjusting the first performance level based on the instruction, thereby determining an adjusted first performance level.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of adjusting includes increasing the first performance level.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of indicating at least one of the first performance level and the adjusted first performance level.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

receiving an initiation signal to initiate a game play; and

conducting a game play in response to the initiation signal,

wherein the step of adjusting the first performance level is based on the steps of inducting a game play and receiving a propagation signal.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

receiving an initiation signal to initiate a game play;

conducting a game play in response to the initiation signal, thereby determining an outcome; and

determining a payout amount based on the outcome and at least one of the first performance level and the adjusted first performance level.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

receiving an initiation signal to initiate a game play, determining a probability of an outcome based on at least one of the first performance level and the adjusted first performance level; and

conducting a game play in response to the initiation signal, thereby determining the outcome in accordance with the probability.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining a cost of play based on at least one of the performance level and the adjusted first performance level.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of indicating comprises:

displaying an indication of the at least one of the first performance level and the adjusted performance level to a player.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving comprises:

receiving a propagation signal from another slot machine, the propagation signal being responsive to an adjustment of a second performance level oft e other slot machine and the propagation signal representing an instruction to adjust performance by at least one of (i) adjusting an amount of at least one payout;

(ii) adjusting a frequency of at least one payout;

(iii) adjusting a probability of at least one payout;

(iv) adjusting a wager amount; and

(v) activating certain bonuses.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving comprises:

receiving a propagation signal from a server, the propagation signal being responsive to an adjustment of a second performance level of another slot machine and the propagation signal representing an instruction to adjust performance by at least one of (i) adjusting an amount of at least one payout;

(ii) adjusting a frequency of at least one payout;

(iii) adjusting a probability of at least one payout;

(iv) adjusting a wager amount; and

(v) activating certain bonuses.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the propagation signal further represents an indication of the adjusted first performance level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the propagation signal further represents an indication of a magnitude by which to adjust performance.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting comprises:

adjusting the first performance level based on the instruction by

accessing a memory to retrieve the adjusted fir t performance level.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first performance level corresponds to a first payout table and the adjusted first performance level corresponds to a second payout table, and further comprising the step of:

utilizing the second payout table to determine a payout for a game play conducted while the adjusted first performance level is in effect.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying an indication of the second payout table.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first performance level corresponds to a first probability table and the adjusted first performance level corresponds to a second probability table, and further comprising the step of:

utilizing the second probability table to determine an outcome of a game play conducted while the first adjusted performance level is in effect.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a processor, and

a storage device that stores a program for directing the processor;

the processor being operative with the program to;

perform the method of claim 1.

18. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions for directing a processor to:

perform the method of claim 1.