Amusement game incentive points system

• US 6,699,124 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner Bros Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Midway Amusement Games, LLC (Midway Games Inc.)
• Inventors: Suchocki, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUECHNER, PATRICK M
• Application Number:
  US09/836,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20020151364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/40-43, 700/90-92, 705/11, 705/14, 705/15
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks

Abstract

A system for providing incentives to promoters for recommending games to players of games is provided. The system comprises one or more game machines located at one or more game sites. Each of the game machines are adapted to receive input from a player of a game indicative of an identity of a promoter of a game. The system further comprises a database adapted to store information indicative of the identity of a promoter.

Claims

1. A system for providing incentives to promoters for recommending games to players of games, the system comprising:

a plurality of game machines for playing games, the game machines being located at a plurality of game sites wherein one or more promoters are located at each game site, each game machine being adapted to prompt a player for input indicative of an identity of a promoter of a game and to receive input from the player indicative of the identity of the promoter of the game, the plurality of game machines being adapted for electronic communication including communicating information indicative of the identity of a promoter;

a game server communicatively coupled to the plurality of game machines, the game server being adapted to electronically communicate with the game machines, the game server is adapted to receive the information indicative of the identity of a promoter inputted to a game machine by a player; and

a database communicatively coupled to the game server, the database being adapted to store the information indicative of the identity of a promoter inputted to a game machine by a player.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of the game machine are adapted to receive promoter registration information from the game promoters, the sever receiving the promoter registration information inputted to the game machines by game promoters.

3. A system for providing incentives to promoters for recommending games to players of games, the system comprising:

a plurality of game machines located at a plurality of game sites, each of the game machines being adapted to prompt a player of a game for input indicative of an identity of a promoter of a game and to receive input from a player of a game indicative of an identity of a promoter of a game, one or more promoters being located at each game site; and

a database communicatively linked the gaming machines, the database being adapted to store information indicative of the identity of a promoter.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the database is further adapted to store additional information selected from the group consisting of the time at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the date on which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the site at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, and the type of game played by a player that inputs the identity of a promoter.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein each of the game machines include a display and a promoter selection element, the promoter selection element being adapted to permit the player to scroll through a listing of promoters displayed on the display and to select a promoter from the listing.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the database is housed within one of the game machines.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the database is remotely located from the game machines and linked thereto via a computer network.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the game machines comprise amusement game machines.

9. The system of claim 3 wherein the game machines comprise casino game machines.

10. The system of claim 3 further comprising one or more central processing units adapted to rank each of the promoters according to one or more criteria.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the criteria are selected from a group consisting of game machine site, geographic region, game machine type, game machine site type, the time at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the date at which a player input the identity of a promoter, the frequency at which the identity of a particular promoter is input, and the game played by a player that input the identity of a promoter.

12. The system of claim 3 wherein the game machines are adapted for electronic communication including communicating the information indicative of the identity of a promoter, and wherein the system further comprises one or more servers adapted to electronically communicate with each game machine, the one or more servers being adapted to receive information indicative of the identity of a promoter and to store the information in the database.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the game machines are adapted for electronic communication over the Internet, and wherein the one or more servers are web servers that are adapted for electronic communication via the Internet and adapted to locate and communicate with the game machines via the Internet.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more servers are adapted to award one or more points to a promoter upon the one or more servers receiving the information indicative of the identity of a promoter.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the database is adapted to store the one or more points awarded to a promoter of a game.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the one or more servers are adapted to rank promoters based on the total number of points awarded to each promoter.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the one or more severs are adapted to award one or more points to a promoter according to one or more criteria.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the criteria are selected from a group consisting of game machine site, geographic region, game machine type, game machine site type, the time at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the date at which a player input the identity of a promoter, the frequency at which the identity of a particular promoter is input, and the game played by a player that input the identity of a promoter.

19. A method for use in providing incentives to promoters for promoting games to players of game machines located at a plurality of different game sites, the method comprising:

registering a promoter located at a game site;

prompting a player for input indicative of an identity of a promoter of a game;

receiving input from the player of the game indicative of an identity of a promoter of the game; and

recording the identity of a promoter input by the player of the game.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving input further comprises selecting a promoter from a list of promoters displayed on a display of the game machine.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein recording further comprises recording additional information selected from the group consisting of the time at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the date on which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the site at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, and the type of amusement game played by a player that inputs the identity of a promoter.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein recording the identity of a promoter includes storing the identity of a promoter in a database housed within the game machine.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein recording the identify of a promoter includes storing the identity of a promoter in a database linked to the game machine via a computer network.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein recording further comprises recording additional information selected from the group consisting of the time at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the date on which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the site at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, and the type of game played by a player that inputs the identity of a promoter.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving input further comprises receiving input from a player of an amusement game.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving input further comprises receiving input from a player of a casino game.

27. The method of claim 19 further comprising awarding an award to promoters according to the ranking, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of points, cash or prizes.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein awarding points further comprises awarding point according to one or more criteria selected from a group consisting of game machine site, geographic region, game machine type, game machine site type, the time at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the date at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, and the game played by a player that inputs the identity of a promoter.

29. The method of claim 19 further comprising electronically communicating the identity of a promoter received from a player to a server of a network linked to the game machine.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein electronically communicating further comprises electronically communicating over the Internet.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein recording the identity of a promoter comprises storing the identity of a promoter in a database of the network.

32. The method of claim 19 further comprising awarding one or more points to a promoter each time input is received indicative of the identity of that promoter.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising storing the number of points awarded to each promoter in a database of the network.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising ranking the promoters based on the number of points awarded to each promoter.

35. The method of claim 19 further comprising ranking each of the promoters according to one or more criteria.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the criteria are selected from a group consisting of game machine site, geographic region, game machine type, game machine site type, the time at which a player inputs the identity of a promoter, the date at which a player input the identity of a promoter, the frequency at which the identity of a particular promoter is input, and the game played by a player that input the identity of a promoter.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising awarding an award to one or more promoters according to the ranking, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of points, cash, or prizes.