Player action incentive arrangement for gaming systems

• US 7,314,411 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Lind, Clifton E., Lind, Jefferson C., Enzminger, Joseph R., O'Connor, Brendan M., Loebig, Gary L., Lannert, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B.
• Application Number:
  US10/982,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20050221881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 463/19
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

A processing device measures the time it takes for a player to take some action in a game and bases the award or result in the game for the player at least in part on that measured time. A player receives a more desirable result or outcome for a particular game play in response to a shorter player action time and/or receives a less desirable result or outcome for a particular game play in response to a longer player action time. Providing more desirable results for shorter player action times or less desirable results for longer player action times provides players an incentive that influences them to take the appropriate player actions more quickly.

Claims

1. A method including:

(a) identifying a player action event for a player during a game, the game requiring a wager and having at least one potential result that is associated with a prize, and the player action event being associated with a period of time for completing a player action;

(b) measuring a player action time for the player, the player action time for the player comprising an amount of time that elapses between the player action event and the point in time that the player completes the player action within the period of time for completing the player action; and

(c) applying the player action time to identify an award for the player from among at least two different potential awards other than no award, the award identified for the player comprising a first one of the potential awards when the player action time is within a first range and comprising a second one of the potential awards when the player action time is within a second range.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the player action includes an input to claim a game ending result associated with a game ending pattern that the player has achieved in the game.

3. The method of claim 1 further including:

(a) identifying an additional player action event for an additional player in the games, the additional player action event being associated with an additional period of time for completing an additional player action;

(b) measuring an additional player action time for the additional player, the additional player action time comprising an amount of time that elapses between the additional player action event and the point in time that the additional player completes the additional player action within the period of time for completing the additional player action; and

(c) applying the additional player action time to identify an award for the additional player from among the at least two different potential awards, the award identified for the additional player comprising the first one of the potential awards when the additional player action time is within the first range and comprising the second one of the potential awards when the additional player action time is within the second range.

4. The method of claim 3 further including producing a display at a player station for the additional player at the time of the additional player action event to notify the additional player of an action incentive.

5. The method of claim 1 further including producing a display at a player station for the player at the time of the player action event to notify the player of an action incentive.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the award identified for the player includes an opportunity to participate in a bonus game.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the player action time to identify the award for the player includes decreasing the value of a preliminary result for the player in the game.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the player action time to identify the award for the player includes increasing the value of a preliminary result for the player in the game.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the game is a bingo game.

10. The method of claim 1 further including identifying the award for the player based at least in part on a player action time for the player in a different game.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring the player action time includes activating a timer.

12. An apparatus including:

(a) a processing device, the processing device for (i) collecting a number of game play requests in a game which requires a wager, which has at least one potential result that is associated with a prize, and which involves for a respective player associated with one of the game play requests a player action event associated with a period of time for completing a player action, for (ii) conducting the game for the collected game play requests, for (iii) identifying a result in the game for the respective player, and for (iv) receiving a player action time for the respective player and applying the player action time to identify an award for the respective player from among at least two different potential awards other than no award, the award identified for the respective player comprising a first one of the potential awards when the player action time for the respective player is within a first range and comprising a second one of the potential awards when the player action time for the respective player is within a second range,; and

(b) a player station being connected for communication with the processing device, the player station for (i) producing the game play request associated with the respective player, for (ii) measuring the player action time for the respective player, the player action time for the respective player comprising an amount of time that elapses between the player action event and the point in time that the respective player completes a player action within the period of time for completing the player action, for (iii) communicating the player action time to the processing device, and for (iv) displaying the award identified for the respective player.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the player station is also for producing a display at the time of the player action event to notify the player of an action incentive.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the player station includes a player action time measurement arrangement for measuring the player action time for the respective player by (i) identifying a time associated with receiving the data for presenting a graphic at a display for the player station and by (ii) identifying a time associated with an input entered by the respective player at the player station in response to the player action event.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processing device is also for determining a result in the game for an additional player based at least in part on a player action time for the additional player.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein conducting the game for the collected game play requests includes matching a series of designations against a respective bingo card representation for each game play request.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processing device applies the award identified for the respective player to modify the result for the respective player and thereby determine a final result.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processing device identifies the award for the respective player based at least in part on a different player action time for the respective player in a different game.

19. A program product including:

(a) player action time monitoring code for being executed to (i) identify a player action event for a player during a game, the game requiring a wager and having at least one potential result that is associated with a prize, and the player action event being associated with a period of time for completing a player action, to (ii) measure a player action time for the player, the player action time for the player comprising an amount of time that elapses between the player action event and the point in time that the player completes the player action within the period of time for completing the player action, and to (iii) communicate the player action time to a processing device for identifying an award for the player; and

(b) action incentive code for being executed to receive the player action time and apply the player action time to identify an award for the player from among at least two different potential awards other than no award, the award identified for the player comprising a first one of the potential awards when the player action time is within a first range and comprising a second one of the potential awards when the player action time is within a second range.

20. The program product of claim 19 wherein the action incentive code is also executed to produce a display at a player station for the player at the time of the player action event to notify the player of an action incentive.

21. The program product of claim 19 wherein the first potential award comprises an amount by which to modify the value of a preliminary result for the play of the game.