Method and apparatus for providing a time based award

• US 8,672,747 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Zucker, David F., Suarez, Jose A., Tulley, Stephen C., Gelman, Geoffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US13/686,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 463 11- 13, 463 16- 26, 463/9, 463 39- 43
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A method is provided for providing payments at a gaming device, where the payments may occur at predictable times and are of predictable amounts. In one or more embodiments, a gaming device may provide a guaranteed payment every hour on the hour, so long as a player meets one or more criteria. Criteria may include a total amount wagered, a total number of handle pulls completed, or a total amount of time spent at a gaming device. One or more embodiments provide a method for withholding value from a player in order that the value may delivered later in the form of a guaranteed payment. One or more embodiments provide a method whereby multiple gaming devices may provide payments simultaneously, thereby creating mutually reinforcing sounds and visual displays.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one server configured to communicate with at least one device, said at least one server and said at least one device configured to operate to;

(a) at a first point in time, determine a reference time, wherein at the first point in time, the reference time is different than the first point in time and the determined reference time is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game;

(b) at a second, subsequent point in time having a predetermined relationship to the determined reference time, designate a quantity of credits as available to be collected by a player, wherein;

(i) the quantity of credits has a value greater than zero,

(ii) the quantity of credits is guaranteed to be available to be collected by the player upon the second point in time having the predetermined relationship to the determined reference time, and

(iii) the determination to designate the quantity of credits as available to be collected by the player is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game; and

(c) display the quantity of credits designated as available to be collected by the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server and said at least one device are configured to operate to enable the player to make at least one input to collect the quantity of credits after the second point in time.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server and said at least one device are configured to operate to, at the first point in time, display a first indication of when the quantity of credits will be designated as available.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the quantity of credits is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of wagering credits and a quantity of non-wagering credits.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server and said at least one device are configured to operate to:

(a) at a third point in time, determine another reference time, wherein at the third point in time, the other reference time is different than the third point in time and the determined other reference time is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game;

(b) at a fourth, subsequent point in time having a predetermined relationship to the determined other reference time, designate another quantity of credits as available to be collected by the player; and

(c) display the other quantity of credits designated as available to be collected by the player.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server and said at least one device are configured to operate to determine the reference time based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a determination of a beginning of a next hour, and a determination of a time that is a predetermined number of minutes before a beginning of a next hour.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server include at least one internet server.

8. A method of operating a gaming system through a data network, said method comprising:

(a) at a first point in time, causing a server to determine a reference time, wherein at the first point in time, the reference time is different than the first point in time and the determined reference time is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game;

(b) at a second, subsequent point in time having a predetermined relationship to the determined reference time, causing the server to designate a quantity of credits as available to be collected by a player, wherein;

(i) the quantity of credits has a value greater than zero,

(ii) the quantity of credits is guaranteed to be available to be collected by the player upon the second point in time having the predetermined relationship to the determined reference time, and

(iii) the determination to designate the quantity of credits as available to be collected by the player is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game; and

(c) causing at least one display device to display the quantity of credits designated as available to be collected by the player.

9. The method of claim 8, which includes enabling the player to make at least one input to collect the quantity of credits after the second point in time.

10. The method of claim 8, which includes, at the first point in time, causing the server to cause a display a first indication of when the quantity of credits will be designated as available.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the quantity of credits is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of wagering credits and a quantity of non-wagering credits.

12. The method of claim 8, which includes:

(a) at a third point in time, causing the server to determine another reference time, wherein at the third point in time, the other reference time is different than the third point in time and the determined other reference time is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game;

(b) at a fourth, subsequent point in time having a predetermined relationship to the determined other reference time, causing the server to designate another quantity of credits as available to be collected by the player; and

(c) causing the at least one display device to display the other quantity of credits designated as available to be collected by the player.

13. The method of claim 8, which includes causing the server to determine the reference time based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a determination of a beginning of a next hour, and a determination of a time that is a predetermined number of minutes before a beginning of a next hour.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) at a first point in time, determine a reference time, wherein at the first point in time, the reference time is different than the first point in time and the determined reference time is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game;

(b) at a second, subsequent point in time having a predetermined relationship to the determined reference time, designate a quantity of credits as available to be collected by a player, wherein;

(i) the quantity of credits has a value greater than zero,

(ii) the quantity of credits is guaranteed to be available to be collected by the player upon the second point in time having the predetermined relationship to the determined reference time, and

(iii) the determination to designate the quantity of credits as available to be collected by the player is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game; and

(c) cause at least one display device to display the quantity of credits designated as available to be collected by the player.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to make at least one input to collect the quantity of credits after the second point in time.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor at the first point in time, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display a first indication of when the quantity of credits will be designated as available.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the quantity of credits is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of wagering credits and a quantity of non-wagering credits.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(a) at a third point in time, determine another reference time, wherein at the third point in time, the other reference time is different than the third point in time and the determined other reference time is independent of any randomly generated outcome for any play of any game;

(b) at a fourth, subsequent point in time having a predetermined relationship to the determined other reference time, designate another quantity of credits as available to be collected by the player; and

(c) cause the at least one display device to display the other quantity of credits designated as available to be collected by the player.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the reference time based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a determination of a beginning of a next hour, and a determination of a time that is a predetermined number of minutes before a beginning of a next hour.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor include at least one internet server.