Server based gaming system and method for selectively providing one or more different tournaments

• US 7,684,874 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Iddings, Cara L., MacVittie, Michael, Schneider, Richard J., Graham, Jacob Thomas, Manfredi, Vince, Schlottmann, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US11/760,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/9
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3283 wherein the number of active machines is limited

Abstract

A gaming system includes a central server or controller operable to communicate a plurality of different commands to a plurality of gaming machines to provide non-tournament game play and to provide tournament game play on the same gaming machines.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one central controller; and

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine configured to communicate with the at least one central controller, said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to;

(a) enable a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at the gaming machines;

(b) cause a plurality of said gaming machines to provide tournament play of a tournament by sending at least one command to said plurality of gaming machines to switch to tournament play, said tournament having a plurality of tournament game outcomes including at least one non-designated tournament game outcome and at least one designated tournament game outcome, said at least one designated tournament game outcome being the same for each tournament game;

(c) enable each of a plurality of players to play tournament games in the tournament on said plurality of gaming machines;

(d) for each tournament game played, generate one of the tournament game outcomes,

(e) at an end of the tournament, determine which player had the most generations of the at least one designated tournament game outcome, said generations being at least two; and

(f) notify said player that said player wins an award, said notification occurring regardless of the generated non-designated tournament game outcomes.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one central controller is configured to send at least one tournament game program to each of said plurality of gaming machines.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein after said tournament, said at least one central controller is configured to send at least one command to each of said plurality of gaming machines that provided tournament play to provide non-tournament play.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein after said tournament, said at least one central controller is configured to send at least one non-tournament game program to each of said plurality of gaming machines that provided tournament play.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the tournament is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronized tournament, a self-scheduled tournament, and a bonus tournament.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one central controller and the gaming machines are configured to determine player qualification for said tournament based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player card level, a location of one of the gaming machines, a wager amount, a placement of a side wager, an amount won, a jackpot win, a bonus win, a player tracking rank, and a win from another tournament.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said tournament play does not require wagers by the players.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one central controller and said gaming machines are configured at the end of the tournament to determine another player to receive a prize based on results of the tournament game outcomes of the played tournament games of the tournament and to notify said another player that said another player wins said prize.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one designated tournament game outcome is selected from the group consisting of:

a generation of a designated symbol, a designated symbol generation along an active payline, a number of generations of a designated symbol, a number of generations of a designated symbol combination, and a generation of a designated symbol in a designated location.

10. A gaming system comprising:

at least one central controller; and

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine configured to communicate with the at least one central controller, said at least one central controller and said gaming machines configured to enable a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at the gaming machines;

said at least one central controller configured to cause a plurality of said gaming machines to provide tournament play by sending at least one command to said plurality of gaming machines to switch to tournament play to enable play of a tournament, said tournament having a plurality of tournament game outcomes including at least one designated tournament game outcome and at least one non-designated tournament game outcome, said at least one designated tournament game outcome being the same for each tournament game;

said at least one controller and said gaming machine configured to;

(a) enable each of a plurality of tournament players to play tournament games in the tournament on said plurality of gaming machines;

(b) accumulate any occurrences of said designated tournament game outcome for each tournament player;

(c) at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the number of accumulated occurrences of the designated tournament game outcome, said occurrences being at least two; and

(d) notify said tournament winner that the tournament winner wins an award, said notification occurring regardless of any generated non-designated tournament game outcomes, and display an indication of the award to be provided to said tournament winner.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said at least one central controller is configured to send at least one tournament game program to each of said plurality of gaming machines.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein after said tournament, said at least one central controller is configured to send at least one command to each of said plurality of gaming machines that provided tournament play to provide to non-tournament play.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein after said tournament, said at least one central controller is configured to send at least one non-tournament game program to each of said plurality of gaming machines.

14. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the tournament is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronized tournament, a self-scheduled tournament, and a bonus tournament.

15. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the at least one central controller and the gaming machines are configured to determine player qualification for said tournament based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player card level, a location of one of the gaming machines, a wager amount, a placement of a side wager, an amount won, a jackpot win, a bonus win, a player tracking rank, and a win from another tournament.

16. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said tournament play does not require wagers by the players.

17. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said at least one central controller and said gaming machines are configured at the end of the tournament to determine another player to receive a prize based on results of tournament game outcomes of the played tournament games and to notify said another player that said another player wins the prize.

18. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the at least one designated tournament game outcome is selected from the group consisting of:

a generation of a designated symbol, a designated symbol generation along an active payline, a number of generations of a designated symbol, a number of generations of a designated symbol combination, and a generation of a designated symbol in a designated location.