System and method for operating a matching game in conjunction with a transaction on a gaming machine

• US 8,727,854 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: George, Jeffrey, Sepich, Edward, Soukup, Thomas E., Sutherland, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US11/779,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463 26- 28
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games

Abstract

A matching game is triggered for play by a plurality of players while the players are performing a transaction. A matching rule is established for playing the matching game and a jackpot pool is established for awarding prizes to the players. The players are allowed to initiate a session by logging onto a gaming machine to perform the transaction and the players are identified. A selected set of symbols are established for each player and a match set of symbols are generated. The matching game is triggered in response to a predetermined trigger where only the players in the current session are eligible for the matching game. The match set of symbols are compared against each selected set of symbols. The prize is responsively awarded from the jackpot pool to each player whose selected set of symbols satisfies the matching rule.

Claims

1. A method of operating a matching game for play by a plurality of players which is triggered while the plurality of players are performing a transaction, each player belonging to one of a first player classification and a second player classification, said method comprising the steps of:

storing, on a host computer, a plurality of player tracking accounts associated with each of the players, each player tracking account including a classification status indicative of whether the player belongs to the first player classification or the second player classification;

randomly selecting a first set of symbols associated with each player tracking account, each symbol of the first set of symbols being selected from a predefined set of symbols;

establishing a first accumulator and a second accumulator, the first player classification being associated with the first accumulator, the second player classification being associated with the second accumulator;

establishing a matching rule for playing the matching game, the matching rule being defined to include a predefined quantity of matched symbols;

establishing a first jackpot pool and a second jackpot pool for awarding prizes to the players, the first jackpot pool being associated with the first accumulator, the second jackpot pool being associated with the second accumulator;

allowing the players to initiate a session by logging onto a gaming machine;

identifying the players who have logged onto a gaming machine;

adding a contribution amount to one of the first and second jackpot pools as a function of the classification status of each identified player, the contribution amount associated with the first classification being different from the contribution amount associated with the second classification;

determining, by the host computer, the first set of symbols for each player based on the corresponding player tracking account;

detecting, by the host computer, an occurrence of a predetermined trigger and responsively identifying a subset of players from the plurality of players in the current session;

initiating, by the host computer, the matching game in response to the occurrence of the predetermined trigger;

allowing each player of the subset of players to individually select a replacement symbol from the predefined set of symbols and to replace a symbol of the first set of symbols with the player selected replacement symbol to generate a second set of symbols associated with the corresponding player tracking account;

randomly generating, by the host computer, a match set of symbols from the predefined set of symbols;

comparing, by the host computer, the match set of symbols against the second set of symbols for each player in the subset of players and, for each player, determine a quantity of matched symbols included in the second set of symbols; and

responsively awarding a prize, by the host computer, from the first or second jackpot pools to each player whose second set of symbols satisfies the matching rule including the predefined quantity of matched symbols, as a function of the respective classification status.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of contributing funds to the jackpot pools by the plurality of players.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of initiating the matching game is further defined as the step of initiating the matching game in response to a predetermined time.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said step of initiating the matching game in response to a predetermined time is further defined as the step of initiating the matching game at a randomly determined time.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said step of initiating the matching game in response to a predetermined time is further defined as the step of initiating the matching game at a randomly determined time within a time range.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of indicating to the players that the game will be played in response to a predetermined trigger.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

allowing a player to establish a playing tracking account; and

responsively randomly selecting the first set of symbols associated with the player tracking account when the player establishes the player tracking account.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the first set of symbols to the player;

determining if the matching game has been initiated; and

allowing the player to individually select a selected set of symbols to replace at least one symbol of the first set if the matching game has not been initiated.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of allowing each player to choose each symbol of the selected second set of symbols.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a time limit for each player to choose the selected set of symbols.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of assigning a randomly selected set of symbols to each player when a time limit to choose the set of symbols has been attained without the player choosing the selected set of symbols.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of allowing each player to elect between choosing the selected set of symbols and being assigned the randomly selected set of symbols.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more jackpot pools includes a primary pool and one or more reserve pools, the method includes the steps of awarding a secondary prize to at least one of the players from one or more reserve pools.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 13, further comprising the steps of contributing funds to the one or more reserve pools by the plurality of players and transferring funds from the one or more reserve pools to one of the jackpot pools after said step of responsively awarding the prize from first and second jackpot pools.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the results of the matching game on a display.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of displaying the results is further defined as the step of displaying the results by at least one of rotating, flipping, and scrolling a list of players eligible for the matching game before displaying a winner of the matching game.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of displaying the results is further defined as the steps of displaying the selected set of symbols and displaying the match set of symbols.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a list of matching games available to the respective player.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the step of allowing the players to select a matching game to play from the list of matching games available to the respective player.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a quantity of symbols included in the matched set is larger than a quantity of symbols included in the second set.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a matching rule is further defined as the step of establishing a matching rule as all of the symbols of the players selected set of symbols must match the match set of symbols.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a matching rule is further defined as the step of establishing a matching rule as a quantity of symbols, which are less than the entire number of the players selected set of symbols, must match the match set of symbols.

23. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of generating a match set of symbols is further defined as the step of generating a match set of symbols in a given order and said step of establishing a selected set of symbols is further defined as the step of establishing a selected set of symbols in a given order for each player and said step of establishing a matching rule is further defined as the step of establishing a matching rule as a quantity of the players selected set of symbols in the given order must match the match set of symbols in the given order.

24. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the subset of players is further determined as a function of predetermined eligibility criteria.

25. A system for operating a matching game for play by a plurality of players which is triggered while the plurality of players are performing a transaction, each player belonging to one of a first player classification and a second player classification, said system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines allowing the players to initiate a session by logging onto one of said gaming machines;

a first accumulator and a second accumulator responsive to play at each of said gaming machines by the plurality of players to establish respective first and second jackpot pools for awarding prizes to the players; and

a host computer in communication with each of said gaming machines and said accumulator with said host computer for storing a plurality of player tracking accounts associated with each of the players, each player tracking account including a classification status indicative of whether the player belongs to the first player classification or the second player classification, the first player classification being associated with the first accumulator, the second player classification being associated with the second accumulator, for randomly selecting a first set of symbols associated with each player tracking account, each symbol of the first set of symbols being selected from a predefined set of symbols, for establishing a matching rule for playing the matching game, the matching rule being defined to include a predefined quantity of matched symbols, the host computer for identifying the players logged on to each of said plurality of gaming machines, for detecting an occurrence of a predetermined trigger, identifying a subset of players from the players in the current session, and initiating the match game in response to the occurrence of the predetermined trigger, for allowing each player of the subset of players to individually select a replacement symbol from the predefined set of symbols and to replace a symbol of the first set of symbols with the player selected replacement symbol to generate a second set of symbols associated with the corresponding player tracking account, for randomly generating a match set of symbols from the predefined set of symbols, comparing the match set of symbols against the second set of symbols for each player in the subset of players and, for each player, determining a quantity of matched symbols included in the second set, and responsively awarding a prize from the first or second jackpot pools to each player whose second set of symbols satisfies the matching rule including the predefined quantity of matched symbols, as a function of the respective classification status.

26. A system, as set forth in claim 25, wherein the accumulators are contained within said host computer.

27. A system, as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a delivery system in communication with said host computer for displaying the results of the matching game on a display.

28. A system, as set forth in claim 27 wherein said delivery system is further defined as being in communication with said host computer for displaying the results of those players whose selected set of symbols satisfy the matching rule.

29. A system, as set forth in claim 27, wherein said delivery system is further defined as being in communication with said host computer for displaying the selected set of symbols for each player and the match set of symbols.

30. A system, as set forth in claim 27, wherein said delivery system is further defined as being in communication with said host computer for displaying a list of the plurality of players playing the matching game and displaying a winner on the list.

31. A system, as set forth in claim 25, wherein the jackpot pools includes a primary pool and one or more reserve pools, the accumulators for transferring funds from the one or more reserve pools to the primary pool.

32. A system, as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a player tracking device in communication with said host computer with said player tracking device including a delivery system for displaying the results of the matching game.