Method and apparatus for enhancing game play through savable game play state

• US 6,811,486 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sierra Design Group (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert Anthony Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II, John M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERUBIN, YVESTE GILBERTE
• Application Number:
  US10/139,300
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 463/16, 463/20-22, 463/29, 463/26, 463/27, 463/14, 463/15, 463/17, 463/18, 463/19, 463/24, 463/42, 463/43, 273/138.1, 273/459
• US Class Current: 463/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

A system and method for maintaining player'"'"'s enhanced game play state in a gaming environment is disclosed. In particular, the player may restore enhanced game play states from previously played games either from the same game device or from another game device, the enhanced game play states typically being enhancements to casino games and including reel nudges, alternate pay table use, and the like.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one game device configured to allow at least one player to play at least one game, where each of said at least one game device further comprises;

a game state manager operably disposed within said game device and in communication with said at least one game, configured to receive savable game state from said at least one game and set savable game state in said at least one game, an input device in operable communication with said game state manager, configured to receive savable game state data, and, an output device in operable communication with said game state manager, configured to output savable game state data; and

,

at least one service station further comprising a player-visible service station display, at least one service station input device operably disposed within said at least one service station, at least one service station output device operably disposed within said at least one service station, and, configured to receive saved game play states, combine game play states, separate game play states, and save game play states.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 where at least one of said at least one service stations is operably embedded in an enclosure, said enclosure further containing at least one of said at least one game devices.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 where said service station display and said at least one game share at least one player-visible display, and where said input device and said at least one service station input device share a physical device, and where said output device and said at least one service station output device share a physical device.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 where said service station input device is configured to receive only vouchers, and where said player-visible display is configured to display natural language translations of vouchers received in said input device.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 where said service station input device is configured to receive electronic data, where said electronic data further comprises savable game state data.

6. The game device of claim 1 where said service station input device is configured to receive a player ID and further configured to retrieve any savable game state data from a database, where said retrievable savable game state data is correlated with said player ID.

7. The gaming system of claim 1 where at least one of said at least one gaming device further comprises at least one game further comprising a primary game and a secondary game, where said primary game is based on one of chance or a fixed pool, and said secondary game is invoked by the occurrence of at least one predetermined event in said primary game, and where said savable game state is derived only from said secondary game.