Method and apparatus for aggregating gaming event participation

• US 6,709,331 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: King Show Games, LLC
• Original Assignee: King Show Games, LLC
• Inventors: Berman, Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHBURN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US09/759,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20020094855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 463/12, 463/13, 463/16-20, 463/25, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/143.R, 273/269
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A method and apparatus is for aggregately playing multiple gaming activity events en masse, where the gaming activity events would otherwise require participation in a successive fashion. An aggregate play mode is initiated, and a number of gaming activity events to be associated with the aggregate play is identified. A random number set is generated for each gaming activity event included in the aggregate play, where each random number set corresponds to an individual payout result for its respective gaming activity event. A collective payout result is provided, which includes all of the individual payout results associated with the aggregate play.

Claims

1. A method for effecting concurrent play of all remaining gaming activity events that would otherwise be carried out successively by a gaming participant, the method comprising:

receiving a participant-initiated request for aggregate play;

determining a credit total accumulated by the gaming participant;

allocating all remaining credits supportable by the credit total to the aggregate play by calculating a number of the gaming activity events supportable by the credit total and generating a random number set for each calculated number of gaming activity events associated with the aggregate play, wherein each random number set corresponds to an individual payout result for its respective gaming activity event; and

providing a collective payout result including all of the individual payout results associated with the aggregate play.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein calculating a number of the gaming activity events supportable by the credit total comprises dividing the credit total by the number of credits required for each of the gaming activity events.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the gaming activity events includes multiple paylines, and wherein calculating a number of the gaming activity events supportable by the credit total comprises dividing the credit total by the number of credits required for each multiple-payline gaming activity event.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising presenting information relating to one or more of the gaming activity events associated with the aggregate play.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein presenting information relating to one or more of the gaming activity events comprises providing a representation of the one or more gaming activity events.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein presenting a representation includes presenting a visual representation of the one or more gaming activity events on a display.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising presenting, prior to providing the collective payout result, the visual representation of the gaming activity events that resulted in winning individual payout results.

8. The method as in claim 4, wherein presenting information comprises presenting gaming activity summary information for selected ones of the gaming activity events, wherein the summary information includes a value corresponding to the individual payout result for each of the selected gaming activity events.

9. The method as in claim 4, further comprising presenting a selectable list of the gaming activity events associated with the aggregate play, and wherein presenting information comprises presenting the information relating to one or more of the gaming activity events selected by the player from the selectable list.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein presenting the information relating to one or more of the gaming activity events selected by the player from the selectable list comprises providing a visual representation of the selected gaming activity events on a display.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein more than one of the selected gaming activity events are visually represented concurrently on the display.

12. The method as in claim 10, wherein the selected gaming activity events are visually represented individually and in sequence on the display.

13. The method as in claim 4, wherein presenting information relating to one or more of the gaming activity events comprises presenting information relating to the gaming activity events that resulted in winning individual payout results.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein presenting information comprises presenting a replay of winning combinations of the individual payout results associated with the aggregate play.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting a replay of winning combinations comprises presenting the replay prior to providing the collective payout result.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting a replay of winning combinations comprises presenting the replay contemporaneously with or after providing the collective payout result.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting a replay of winning combinations comprises presenting a sequential replay of reel spins and reel results for each of the winning combinations of the individual payout results associated with the aggregate play.

18. The method as in claim 4, further comprising presenting the information relating to one or more of the gaming activity events requested by the player to be presented.

19. The method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving player-selected play attributes that identify one or more options associated with play of the gaming activity events.

20. A casino gaming apparatus, comprising:

a user interface to allow a user to initiate an aggregate play mode;

a memory to store a credit total accumulated by the gaming participant;

a processor configured to calculate a number of the gaming activity events supportable by the credit total;

a random number generation module configured to randomly generate an individual payout result for each of the number of gaming activity events supportable by the credit total;

wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a collective payout result mathematically based on all of the individual payout results associated with the aggregate play, and

whereby the user need only initiate the aggregate play mode to cause the casino gaming apparatus to allocate all remaining credits to the aggregate play and provide the collective payout result.

21. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, further comprising a display device, and wherein the processor is further configured to present the collective payout result to the user via the display device.

22. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the random number generation module comprises a programmed portion of the processor.

23. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the random number generation module comprises a random number generator configured to generate the individual payout results for each of the gaming activity events included in the aggregate play in series.

24. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the random number generation module comprises a plurality of random number generators coupled to operate in parallel, and configured to concurrently generate at least some of the individual payout results for the gaming activity events included in the aggregate play.

25. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the casino gaming apparatus is a slot machine, and wherein the random number generation module generates slot symbol combinations from which the individual payout results are derived.

26. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the casino gaming apparatus is video keno machine, and wherein the random number generation module generates number combinations from which the individual payout results are derived.

27. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the casino gaming apparatus is a video poker machine, and wherein the random number generation module generates poker hands, based on predetermined draw/bold rules, from which the individual payout results are derived.

28. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the casino gaming apparatus is a video bingo machine, and wherein the random number generation module generates bingo numbers from which the individual payout results are derived.

29. The casino gaming apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the casino gaming apparatus is a chance-based gaming machine, and wherein the random number generation module generates random numbers used in the chance-based game from which the individual payout results are derived.

30. A method in which a gaming participant participates in gaming activities, comprising:

participating in the gaming activities in a standard mode where each of the gaming activities is conducted in succession;

accumulating a total number of credits through the standard mode of participation of the gaming activity;

initiating a speed play mode to participate in a plurality of the gaming activities concurrently;

designating, by way of input by the gaming participant via a user interface, a number of the plurality of the gaming activities desired for concurrent participation and allowing allocation of a commensurate amount of the total number of credits;

collecting a combined payout based on individual payouts of each of the plurality of the gaming activities subject to concurrent participation; and

allocating the accumulated total number of credits in their entirety to the speed play.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein designating the number of the plurality of the gaming activities desired for concurrent participation comprises calculating a number of the gaming activity events available for allocation to the speed play, based on an expenditure of the accumulated total number of credits.