Free long distance calls on slot machines

• US 7,101,282 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/322,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20030087695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463 12- 13, 463 16- 20, 463 25- 29, 463 40- 43, 379/93.13, 379/114.01, 379/114.08, 379/114.05, 379/114.11, 37911415-11428, 705/1, 705/14, 705/35, 705/41, 902 22- 23, 340/825, 340/825.33, 340/323.R, 340/870.01, 340/870.07, 340/870.16, 725/9, 725/25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 system 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 a telephone service for a period of time.

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

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

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for providing a warning before the period of time expires.

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

6. The system of 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 system of claim 1, further comprising means for terminating the connection when additional currency is not deposited into a gaming device at a predetermined rate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the time period is a function of the amount of currency received.

9. The system of 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 system of claim 9, wherein the connection time is a function of the amount of currency received for any game play.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving currency includes a slot machine.

12. A system comprising:

a gaming device including a currency acceptor for receiving currency; and

a central processor responsive to the receipt of currency by the currency acceptor for enabling a game play via the gaming device, and for enabling a telephone connection for a period of time via a connection device connected to the central processor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the central processor is operative to maintain the telephone connection beyond the period of time when additional currency is used to initiate subsequent game plays.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the connection device further comprises a voice response unit for providing a warning before the period of time expires.

15. The system of 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 system of claim 12, further comprising:

a memory for storing credits when the game play results in a win, wherein the central processor is operative to use the stored credits to maintain the telephone connection.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the central processor terminates the telephone connection when additional currency is not deposited into the gaming device at a predetermined rate.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the time period is a function of the amount of currency received.

19. The system of 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 game play, and wherein the central processor uses the stored and accumulated phone connection time to maintain a telephone connection enabled and used during a subsequent game play.

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

21. A method comprising:

depositing currency into a gaming device;

playing the gaming device;

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

placing a telephone call using the telephone connection.

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

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

24. A method comprising:

providing a gaming device into which a player may deposit currency to initiate a game play; and

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

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

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

27. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

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

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

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises terminating access to the telephone service after the period has expired and the player stops depositing currency into the gaming device.

29. The medium of claim 27, wherein a length of the period of time is a function of the amount of currency received.

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

31. A system comprising:

a currency receiver adapted to receive currency;

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

a connection enabling unit coupled to at least one of the currency receiver and the game play enabling unit, the connection enabling unit being adapted to enable a connection to a telephone service for a 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 system of claim 31, further comprising a telephone device coupled to the connection enabling unit, the telephone device operative to enable a user of a gaming device to establish a telephone call to a party identified by a user-entered telephone number.

33. A method comprising:

receiving currency deposited into a gaming device;

enabling a game play in response to the receipt of currency; and

enabling a connection to a telephone service for a period of time in response to the game play.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the connection to the telephone service is enabled for a period of time that depends on the amount of the received currency.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising providing a warning at a time before the period of time expires that also depends on the amount of the received currency.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the telephone service is geographically limited.

37. A method comprising:

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 period of time in response to the depositing of currency into the gaming machine.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the access to the telephone service is granted for a period of time that depends on the amount of the deposited currency.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising providing a warning at a time before the period of time expires that also depends on the amount of the deposited currency.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the telephone service is geographically limited.

41. A method comprising:

depositing currency into a gaming machine;

playing the gaming machine;

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

placing a telephone call using the telephone connection.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the access to the telephone connection is received for a period of time that depends on the amount of the deposited currency.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising providing a warning at a time before the period of time expires that also depends on the amount of the deposited currency.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the telephone call is geographically limited.

45. A method, comprising:

receiving currency deposited into a gaming machine;

enabling a game play in response to the receipt of currency;

enabling a connection to a service for a period of time in response to the game play; and

maintaining the connection beyond the period of time if a payment for continued use of the service is received.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the service includes a telephone service.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the service includes a premium telephone service.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the premium telephone service is selected from the group consisting of a sports telephone service, an adult entertainment telephone service, a psychic entertainment telephone service, and a chat telephone service.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the service includes an audio service.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the payment for continued use of the service is made via a credit card account.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the payment for continued use of the service is made via a calling card account.

52. A method comprising:

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

granting to the player access to a service for a period of time in response to the depositing of currency into the gaming machine; and

continuing to grant to the player access to the service beyond the period of a time if a payment for continued access of the service is received.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the service includes a telephone service.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the service includes a premium telephone service.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the service includes an audio service.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the payment for continued access of the service is made via a credit card account.

57. The method of claim 52, wherein the payment for continued access of the service is made via a calling card account.

58. A method comprising:

depositing currency into a gaming machine;

playing the gaming machine;

receiving access to a service for a period of time in response to the playing of the gaming machine; and

continuing to receive access to the service beyond the period of time by making a payment for continued access of the service.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the service includes a telephone service.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the service includes a premium telephone service.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein the service includes an audio service.

62. The method of claim 58, wherein the payment for continued access of the service is made via a credit card account.

63. The method of claim 58, wherein the payment for continued access of the service is made via a calling card account.

64. A system comprising:

a gaming device operable to receive currency and enable a game play in response to the receipt of currency; and

a telephone operable to enable a connection to a service in response to the game play.

65. A system comprising:

a gaming device operable to receive currency and enable a game play in response to the receipt of currency;

a telephone operable to enable a connection to a service for a period of time in response to the game play; and

means for maintaining the connection beyond the period of time if a payment for continued use of the service is received.