Method and apparatus for enabling a player to simultaneously control game play on multiple gaming devices

• US 7,901,294 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Tedesco, Robert C., Patterson, Michael W., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US11/361,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20060160614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463/30, 463/42, 463/27
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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

In accordance with at least one embodiment, a gaming system is operable to determine a first gaming device being operated by a player and select a second gaming device to be controlled, via the first gaming device, by the player. In some embodiments, the gaming system is further operable to configure the second gaming device to be controlled via an interface of the first gaming device.

Claims

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

enabling a player to wager on a first play of a first game of a first gaming device;

enabling the player to provide at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device to;

(a) select a second, different gaming device,

(b) cause the second gaming device to accept control from the first gaming device, said accepted control being based on said at least one non-wager input, and

(c) control a first play of a second game of the second gaming device, said controlled first play of the second game of the second gaming device being in association with the at least one non-wager input provided at the first gaming device;

providing any first award based on the first play of the first game;

providing any second award based on the first play of the second game;

determining any third award based on at least one element of the first play of the first game of the first gaming device and at least one element of the first play of the second game of the second, different gaming device; and

providing any determined third award.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes determining at least one game outcome for the first play of the first game and for the first play of the second game.

3. The method of claim 2, which includes causing at least one display device to display the at least one game outcome on both the first gaming device and the second gaming device.

4. The method of claim 3, which includes causing the at least one display device to display a first portion of the at least one game outcome on the first gaming device and displaying a second portion of the at least one game outcome on the second gaming device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one game outcome is determined by a server in communication with the first gaming device and the second gaming device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to provide at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device includes enabling the player to provide a non-wager input at the first gaming device to request a game outcome of the first play of the second game from the second gaming device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to provide at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device includes sending a signal to the second gaming device to cause a display of a game outcome of the first play of the second game.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first gaming device determines the game outcome of the first play of the second game.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to provide at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device includes sending a signal to the second gaming device to cause the second gaming device to randomly generate a game outcome of the first play of the second game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gaming device includes a plurality of peripheral components, and wherein causing the second gaming device to accept control includes deactivating at least one of the plurality of peripheral components.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to provide at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device to select the second gaming device includes causing a signal to be sent from the first gaming device to the second gaming device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the signal to be sent from the first gaming device to the second gaming device includes routing the signal to the second gaming device with a gaming server.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the signal to be sent from the first gaming device to the second gaming device includes sending the signal through a peer-to-peer network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to provide at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device includes enabling the player to provide the at least one non-wager input based on a game program of the first gaming device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to provide at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device includes enabling the player to provide the at least one non-wager input based on a user interface associated with the first gaming device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface enables the player to provide the at least one non-wager input to control the first gaming device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface enables the player to provide the at least one non-wager input to control the first gaming device and the second gaming device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a graphical user interface and a pushbutton.

19. The method of claim 1, which includes randomly determining a first game outcome of the first play of the first game and randomly determining a first game outcome of the first play of the second game.

20. The method of claim 19, which includes determining any third award based on a combination of the first game outcome and the second game outcome.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein any third award is a bonus award, and which includes providing any third award as a predetermined function of the first game outcome and the second game outcome.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the player to provide the at least one non-wager input at the first gaming device to select the second gaming device includes making a random determination and based, at least in part, on the random determination, selecting the second gaming device from among a plurality of gaming devices.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gaming device is positioned adjacent to the first gaming device.

24. A method of controlling a plurality of gaming devices in a gaming network, said method comprising:

configuring each of a plurality of separate gaming devices to accept control from a first gaming device, said first gaming device being distinct from any of said plurality of separate gaming devices;

causing the first gaming device to provide any first award based on a first play of a first game;

causing the first gaming device to send a control signal to at least one of the separate gaming devices, said control signal causing at least one of the separate gaming devices to provide any second award based on a first play of a second game;

determining any third award based on at least one element of the first play of the first game of the first gaming device and at least one element of the first play of the second game of the separate gaming device; and

causing the first gaming device to provide any third award.

25. The method of claim 24, further including determining a first game outcome for the first play of the first game and determining a second game outcome for the first play of the second game.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein causing the first gaming device to send the control signal to at least one of the separate gaming devices includes causing the first gaming device to send the control signal to request a game outcome from each of the plurality of separate gaming devices.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein causing the first gaming device to send the control signal to at least one of the separate gaming devices includes causing the first gaming device to send a plurality of control signals to cause each of the plurality of separate gaming devices to display one of a plurality of game outcomes.

28. The method of claim 27, which includes causing the first gaming device to determine the plurality of game outcomes.

29. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

enabling a player to wager on a first play of a first game of a first gaming device;

causing a different second gaming device to be selected for control by the player;

enabling the player to provide at least one input using an interface of the first gaming device to wager on a first play of a second game of the different second gaming device;

providing any first award based on the first play of the first game;

providing any second award based on the first play of the second game;

determining any third award based on at least one element of the first play of the first game of the first gaming device and at least one element of the first play of the second game of the selected different second gaming device; and

providing any determined third award.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein causing the different second gaming device to be selected for control comprises determining one of a plurality of gaming devices based on the at least one input provided by the player using the interface of the first gaming device.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein causing the different second gaming device to be selected for control comprises receiving an indication of at least one desired characteristic of the different second gaming device and automatically selecting the different second gaming device based on the at least one desired characteristic.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving the wager on the first play of the second game at the first gaming device.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing the second award to the player at the first gaming device.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising displaying an outcome of the first play of the second game on a display of the first gaming device.

35. The method of claim 29, which includes establishing a communication link between the first gaming device and the different second gaming device to enable the first gaming device to send a signal indicative of the at least one input to the different second gaming device.

36. The method of claim 29, which includes causing the first gaming device to send a first signal indicative of the at least one input to a gaming server, and which further includes causing the gaming server to send a second signal indicative of the first signal to the different second gaming device.