Gaming system, gaming device and method for determining an outcome of a secondary game based on one or more events which occur in association with a primary game

• US 8,777,733 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Sutich, Alexandria Estella Ponte, Peterson, Lance R., Baerlocher, Anthiony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US13/720,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 463 10- 13, 463 16- 23, 463/25, 463 40- 43, 463/28, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein includes an accumulation sequence and a competition sequence. In one embodiment, the gaming system includes competitor points which determine (i) a competitor'"'"'s eligibility to participate in the competition sequence and (ii) the competitor'"'"'s relative probability of success in the competition sequence. In this embodiment, a competitor (which is either representative of an actual player or a virtual, gaming system controlled player) accumulates competitor points during one or more point accumulation sequences which occur in association with designated events. For a subsequent competition sequence, the gaming system determines if a competitor will participate in the triggered competition sequence based on the competitor'"'"'s accumulated competitor points. For the subsequent competition sequence, the gaming system further determines the competitor'"'"'s relative probability of success in the competition sequence based on the competitor'"'"'s accumulated competitor points.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming device including at least one input device; and

at least one controller configured to;

(a) associate one of a plurality of different competitors with a player,

(b) when the player is located remote from any gaming establishment;

(i) cause a display of the associated competitor and at least one parameter of the associated competitor, and

(ii) enable the player to make at least one input to modify the at least one parameter of the associated competitor, and

(c) when the player is subsequently located at the gaming device at a gaming establishment, cause the gaming device to display the associated competitor and the at least one modified parameter of the associated competitor.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when the player is subsequently located at the gaming device at the gaming establishment, the at least one controller is configured to enable the player to make at least one input to modify the at least one modified parameter of the associated competitor.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the gaming device to display the associated competitor and the at least one modified parameter of the associated competitor in association with a play of a game when the player is subsequently located at the gaming device at the gaming establishment.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when the player is located remote from any gaming establishment, the at least one controller is configured to cause a display of a plurality of parameters of the associated competitor, and enable the player to make a plurality of inputs to modify the plurality of parameters of the associated competitor.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein when the player is subsequently located at the gaming device at the gaming establishment, the at least one controller is configured to cause the gaming device to display the associated competitor and the plurality of modified parameters of the associated competitor.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to enable the player to purchase at least one modification of the at least one parameter of the associated competitor.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the at least one modification is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

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

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one modification to the at least one parameter of the associated competitor is unavailable until at least one event occurs.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said input made by the player is received through a data network.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein said data network is an internet.

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

(a) causing the at least one controller to associate one of a plurality of different competitors with a player,

(b) when the player is located remote from any gaming establishment;

(i) causing a display of the associated competitor and at least one parameter of the associated competitor, and

(ii) enabling the player to make at least one input to modify the at least one parameter of the associated competitor, and

(c) when the player is subsequently located at a gaming device at a gaming establishment, causing the gaming device to display the associated competitor and the at least one modified parameter of the associated competitor.

12. The method of claim 11, which includes, when the player is subsequently located at the gaming device at the gaming establishment, enabling the player to make at least one input to modify the at least one modified parameter of the associated competitor.

13. The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one controller to cause the gaming device to display the associated competitor and the at least one modified parameter of the associated competitor in association with a play of a game when the player is subsequently located at the gaming device at the gaming establishment.

14. The method of claim 11, which includes, when the player is located remote from any gaming establishment, causing the at least one controller to cause a display of a plurality of parameters of the associated competitor, and enable the player to make a plurality of inputs to modify the plurality of parameters of the associated competitor.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes, when the player is subsequently located at the gaming device at the gaming establishment, causing the at least one controller to cause the gaming device to display the associated competitor and the plurality of modified parameters of the associated competitor.

16. The method of claim 11, which includes enabling the player to purchase at least one modification of the at least one parameter of the associated competitor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one modification is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

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

18. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one modification to the at least one parameter of the associated competitor is unavailable until at least one event occurs.

19. The method of claim 11, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.