Method and device implementing a player configurable gaming machine

• US 7,326,116 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E., O'Donovan, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Banta; Travis R.
• Application Number:
  US10/865,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20040224753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463/29, 463 40- 43, 463/37
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A player configurable video gaming machine in which a player may select one or more configuration inputs to play a previously configured default game or to create a new game configuration. Additionally, each game configuration may be saved to be implemented in various gaming machines.

Claims

1. A method for providing and selecting a pre-configured game on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of default games of different types in a memory device accessible to the gaming machine, each default game having pre-configured game parameters defining a default configuration of the default game, the pre-configured game parameters stored in a memory location accessible to the gaming machine;

obtaining player game configuration data, the data including one or more inputs of game characteristics desired by the player;

comparing the one or more inputs of game characteristics desired by the player with the pre-configured game parameters of the plurality of default games;

selecting, based on the comparison, one or more of the plurality of default games of different types having pre-configured game parameters most closely associated with the game characteristics desired by the player;

displaying a list of the selected default games on a display;

receiving an indication from a player representative of a chosen default game from the displayed list of selected default games;

receiving a wager from the player;

displaying a video image representative of the chosen default game;

executing the chosen default game according to the default configuration of the chosen default game;

determining a game outcome associated with the executed default game represented by the video image; and

determining a value payout associated with the game outcome.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory location is remote to the video gaming machine.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the player game configuration data comprises at least one of a wagering denomination, a number of paylines, a frequency of payout, a jackpot size, a game theme, a bonus game, and a play speed.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising grouping the player game configuration data.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, comprising grouping the player game configuration data into filtering configuration changes, substantive configuration changes, and cosmetic configuration changes.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising receiving the player game configuration data from a player operating the video gaming machine.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising receiving the player game configuration data from the memory device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising receiving the player game configuration data from the memory location.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising saving a game configuration.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising saving the game configuration in a memory storage space associated with the video gaming machine.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising saving the game configuration on a recordable medium.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising saving the game configuration in the memory location.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

pre-configuring a video game before entering a gaming establishment where the video gaming machine is located; and

storing the pre-configured video game in the central memory storage location.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

tracking player game configurations at a gaming establishment where the video gaming machine is located;

recording the player game configurations; and

suggesting one or more of the plurality of default games stored in memory most closely associated with the game configuration data and the recorded player game configurations.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising configuring the chosen game according to the player game configuration data.