Bonus game simulating auctions

• US 7,699,697 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mincey, Jeff, Greenwood, Nick, Deen, Jason, Michael, DePalma, Darrah, Harlan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung; Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/745,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20070207850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A simulated auction bonusing game and method usable with games of chance, where one player terminal triggers a bonus round and is deemed a “seller” in the simulated auction, and all other active player terminals in a bank also participate as simulated “buyers.” The “seller” makes choices of items to sell which are communicated to the “buyers.” The “seller” watches are simulated bids are placed on their items, and “buyers” participate in simulated bidding of items shown on their screens. All the machines are synchronized so that the simulated auction bonus rounds play simultaneously. The seller and all buyers are awarded some winnings, enabling all player'"'"'s terminals that run the simultaneous simulated auction bonus round to win each time the simulated auction bonus game is invoked.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a bonus game to one or more gaming devices in a network of gaming devices, the method comprising:

presenting a primary game on a first gaming device after receiving a wager on the first gaming device;

detecting a triggering event on the first gaming device triggering a first bonus game, wherein the first bonus game is a simulated auction game and the first gaming device is designated as an auctioneer;

transmitting a message to at least one second gaming device in the network in response to the triggering event to initiate a second bonus game if the second gaming device is active, wherein the second bonus game is a simulated auction game and the second gaming device is designated as a bidder;

receiving a response from the second gaming device to initiate the second bonus game;

presenting at least one first object on the first gaming device;

selecting at least one first object for presenting on the second gaming device;

presenting the selected first object on the second gaming device;

coordinating a start of the first bonus game on the first gaming device and the second bonus game on the second gaming device, wherein the at least one first object is auctioned during the first and second bonus games, and wherein the first gaming device manages the first bonus game on the first gaming device and does not interact with the second gaming device during the first bonus game, and the second gaming device manages the second bonus game on the second gaming device and does not interact with any other gaming device during the second bonus game; and

awarding a first and second bonus prize at the end of the first and second bonus games on the first and second gaming devices, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising funding a bonus progressive pool associated with the first gaming device with a portion of the wager placed on the first gaming device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising funding one or more bonus progressive pools on each gaming device with a portion of the wager received on each gaming device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transferring funds between one or more bonus progressive pools from different gaming devices to balance the funds in each bonus progressive pool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is a predetermined game outcome or a predetermined number of games played on a gaming device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second bonus games are simulated auction games, wherein the first gaming device is designated as the auctioneer and the second gaming device is designated as a bidder,

the auction comprises a plurality of objects to be auctioned, and

the first object is one of the plurality of objects to be auctioned.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first bonus game presented on the first gaming device and the second bonus game presented on the second gaming device are different.

8. A method for presenting a bonus game to one or more gaming devices in a network of gaming devices, the method comprising:

receiving a wager on a first gaming device;

funding a bonus progressive pool with a portion of the wager;

sending a message to at least one second gaming device in the network to initiate a second bonus game in response to a first bonus game being initiated on the first gaming device as a result of a triggering event occurring on the first gaming device, wherein the first and second bonus games are simulated auction games, wherein the first gaming device is designated as an auctioneer and the second gaming device is designated as a bidder, and wherein the triggering event is a predetermined game outcome or a predetermined number of games played on the first gaming device;

receiving a response from the second gaming device to initiate the second bonus game;

presenting at least one first object on the first gaming device;

selecting at least one first object for presenting on the second gaming device;

presenting the selected first object on the second gaming device, wherein the selected first object is to be auctioned during the first and second bonus games;

coordinating a start of the first bonus game on the first gaming device and the second bonus game on the second gaming device;

presenting the first bonus game on the first gaming device and a second bonus game on the second gaming device; and

dispensing a first bonus award at the end of the first bonus game on the first gaming device and a second bonus award at the end of the second bonus game on the second gaming device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the bonus progressive pool is dedicated to the first gaming device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the bonus progressive pool is a common pool that is shared between a plurality of networked gaming devices.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising transferring funds between one or more bonus progressive pools from different gaming devices to balance the funds in each bonus progressive pool.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first bonus game is a simulated auction game, wherein the first gaming device is designated as the auctioneer and the second gaming devices is designated as a bidder.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first bonus game and the second bonus game are different.