Methods and apparatus for facilitating a flat rate play session and for extending same

• US 7,862,424 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M., Fincham, Magdalena M., Tedesco, Robert C., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCULLOCH JR, WILLIAM H
• Application Number:
  US11/254,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20060035701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/25
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for operating a gaming device having a flat rate play session costing a flat rate price. The flat rate play session spans multiple plays on the gaming device over a pre-established duration. The gaming device identifies price parameters and determines the flat rate price of playing the gaming device based on those price parameters. In one embodiment, identifying price parameters includes receiving player selected price parameters. In another embodiment, price parameters further incorporate operator selected price parameters. Should the player decide to pay the flat rate price, the player simply deposits the necessary funds into the gaming device or makes a credit account available for the gaming device to debit. Once the player initiates play, the gaming device tracks the duration remaining in the flat rate play session and stops the play when the given period has elapsed. During the play, payouts are made either directly to the player in the form of coins or indirectly in the form of credits to the player'"'"'s credit account.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

causing the gaming device to display an indication of at least one flat rate price package, each flat rate price package defining at least one predetermined price parameter applicable during at least one flat rate play session, each flat rate play session including a plurality of plays of a wagering game, wherein each play of the wagering game is associated with (i) a wager amount and (ii) a non-zero probability of resulting in an award greater than zero;

receiving a selection at the gaming device of one of the at least one flat rate price package, thereby determining a selected flat rate play session;

after said selection of one of the at least one flat rate price package, receiving a payment at the gaming device corresponding to a session price associated with the selected flat rate play session, the session price being based on the at least one predetermined price parameter of the selected flat rate play session and being less than a cumulative total of the wager amounts associated with each of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session;

enabling play of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session in exchange for receiving the session price without requiring a player to risk any further funds associated with the plurality of plays of the wagering game other than the session price; and

causing the gaming device to provide any payout for the selected flat rate play session based on each of the plurality of plays of the wagering game which result in an award greater than zero.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one price parameter includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an amount wagered per play, a jackpot structure, a flat rate play session duration, a time of day, a day of a week, a day of a year, a gaming device availability measurement, and a type of gaming device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one price parameter is set by an entity other than the player prior to causing the gaming device to display the indication of the at least one flat rate price package.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the gaming device to display the indication of the at least one flat rate price package includes causing the gaming device to display a graphic representation of the at least one flat rate price package in a video display area of the gaming device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the gaming device to display the indication of the at least one flat rate price package includes causing the gaming device to display an association of at least one physical button with the at least one flat rate price package.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection at the gaming device includes receiving an input via at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a touch-sensitive video display area and a physical button.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling play of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session includes causing the gaming device to conduct the plurality of plays of the wagering game for a duration defined by the selected flat rate play session in exchange for receiving the session price without requiring the player to risk any further funds associated with any of said plurality of plays.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one flat rate price package includes a different session price, each different session price being based on at least one price parameter of the flat rate price package to which that price corresponds, the at least one price parameter selected from the group consisting of:

(i) an interval between plays of the wagering game;

(ii) a duration of the flat rate play session;

(iii) an amount wagered per play of the wagering game; and

(iv) a pay combination status.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the gaming device an indication from the player that the player desires to initiate flat rate play;

accessing a memory of the gaming device to determine the at least one flat rate price package available for selection by the player; and

causing the gaming device to display the indication of the at least one flat rate price packaged determined by accessing the memory.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a duration associated with the selected flat rate play session has elapsed; and

after determining that the duration associated with the selected flat rate play session has elapsed, terminating the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to display an offer for an extension of the selected flat rate play session; and

if the determination is to display the offer for the extension of the selected flat rate play session, causing the gaming device to display the offer for the extension of the selected flat rate play session.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether to display the offer for the extension of the selected flat rate play session comprises determining that the player requested the offer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether to display the offer for the extension of the selected flat rate play session comprises determining that the player qualifies for the offer.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining at least one parameter associated with the extension of the selected flat rate play session, the at least one parameter defining, at least in part, an amount of consideration to be provided by the player in exchange for the extension.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether at least one designated event occurred during play of the flat rate play session; and

if the determination is that the at least one designated event occurred during play of the flat rate play session, customizing the offer for the extension of the selected flat rate play session based on the at least one designated event.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined price parameter includes at least one duration of at least one flat rate play session.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the at least one duration is a predetermined period of time, each predetermined period of time spanning a plurality of plays of the wagering game.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one predetermined period of time comprises a predetermined quantity of units of time.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein each unit of time is a quantity of minutes.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected flat rate play session is associated with one of the at least one duration, and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to decrement the duration associated with the selected flat rate play session during play of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session.

16. A gaming device comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to;

display an indication of at least one flat rate price package, each of the at least one flat rate price package defining at least one predetermined price parameter applicable during at least one flat rate play session, each flat rate play session including a plurality of plays of the wagering game, wherein each play of the wagering game is associated with (i) a wager amount and (ii) a non-zero probability of resulting in an award greater than zero;

enable a player to input a selection of one of the at least one flat rate price package, thereby determining a selected flat rate play session;

after enabling the player to input the selection of one of the at least one flat rate price package, enable the player to provide a payment corresponding to a session price associated with the selected flat rate play session, the session price being based on the at least one predetermined price parameter of the selected flat rate play session and being less than a cumulative total of the wager amounts associated with each of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session;

enable play of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session in exchange for receiving the session price without requiring a player to risk any further funds associated with the plurality of plays of the wagering game other than the session price; and

provide any payout for the selected flat rate play session based on each of the plurality of plays of the wagering game which result in an award greater than zero.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, which is a video poker device, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a plurality of plays of a video poker game on the video poker device.

18. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the at least one display device includes a video display area associated with a touch screen controller and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor operate with the video display area and the touch screen controller to display the indication of the at least one flat rate price package and to receive the selection of the at least one flat rate price package.

26. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the at least one predetermined price parameter includes at least one duration of at least one flat rate play session.

27. The gaming device of claim 26, wherein each of the at least one duration is a predetermined period of time, each predetermined period of time spanning a plurality of plays of the wagering game.

28. The gaming device of claim 27, wherein at least one predetermined period of time comprises a predetermined quantity of units of time.

29. The gaming device of claim 28, wherein each unit of time is a quantity of minutes.

30. The gaming device of claim 29, wherein the selected flat rate play session is associated with one of the at least one duration, and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to decrement the duration associated with the selected flat rate play session during play of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

cause a gaming device to display an indication of at least one flat rate price package, each flat rate price package defining at least one predetermined price parameter applicable during at least one flat rate play session, each flat rate play session including a plurality of plays of a wagering game, wherein each play of the wagering game is associated with (i) a wager amount and (ii) a non-zero probability of resulting in an award greater than zero;

enable a player to input a selection of one of the at least one flat rate price package, thereby determining a selected flat rate play session;

after enabling the player to input the selection of one of the at least one flat rate price package, enable the player to provide a payment corresponding to a session price associated with the selected flat rate play session, the session price being based on the at least one predetermined price parameter of the selected flat rate play session and being less than a cumulative total of the wager amounts associated with each of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session;

enable play of the plurality of plays of the wagering game of the selected flat rate play session in exchange for receiving the session price without requiring a player to risk any further funds associated with the plurality of plays of the wagering game other than the session price; and

cause the gaming device to provide any payout for the selected flat rate play session based on each of the plurality of plays of the wagering game which result in an award greater than zero.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is disposed within the gaming device.