Gaming system and method for accumulating and redeeming community game tokens

• US 9,098,968 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nelson, Dwayne R., Wolf, Bryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torimiro, Adetokunbo O
• Application Number:
  US14/179,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20150228147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 463/13, 463/19, 463/20, 463/22, 463/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3204 Player-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system which displays a community game to one or more participating players. During the community game, the gaming system accumulates one or more community game tokens for one or more participating players. The gaming system subsequently assigns a value to each community game token redeemed by each participating player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to place a wager amount on a play of a wagering game,

(b) for the play of the wagering game;

(i) determine a wagering game outcome,

(ii) display the determined wagering game outcome,

(iii) determine any wagering game award associated with the displayed wagering game outcome, and

(iv) display any determined wagering game award,

(c) upon an occurrence of a community game triggering event, display a triggered play of a community game,

(d) for a player of the displayed triggered play of the community game;

(i) accumulate a quantity of at least one community game token, wherein when accumulated, each of the quantity of at least one community game token is not associated with any value, and

(ii) determine a community game award, wherein said community game award is determined independent of any community game tokens accumulated for the player,

(e) determine a value associated with each accumulated community game token, wherein said determination is based on the determined community game award and the accumulated quantity of at least one community game token,

(f) display the determined value associated with each accumulated community game token, and

(g) enable the player to redeem the accumulated quantity of at least one community game token for the determined community game award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the community game includes a skill-based community game.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the quantity of accumulated community game tokens is based, at least in part, on at least one quantifiable skill input made by the player in association with the skill-based community game.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the at least one quantifiable skill input is selected from the group consisting of:

at least one quantifiable input of a mental skill, and at least one quantifiable input of a physical skill.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the community game award based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

at least one player attribute associated with the player and at least one game attribute associated with the play of the wagering game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the community game award prior to a conclusion of the triggered community game.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a community display device to display the accumulated quantity of at least one community game token without displaying any value associated with each accumulated community game token.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any determined wagering game award and the determined community game award is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

9. A gaming system server comprising:

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;

(a) receive data representing a wager placed in association with a play of a wagering game,

(b) for the play of the wagering game;

(i) a wagering game outcome,

(ii) cause at least one display device display the determined wagering game outcome,

(iii) determine any wagering game award associated with the displayed wagering game outcome, and

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any determined wagering game award,

(c) upon an occurrence of a community game triggering event, a triggered play of a community game,

(d) for a player of the triggered play of the community game;

(i) accumulate a quantity of at least one community game token, wherein when accumulated, each of the quantity of at least one community game token is not associated with any value, and

(ii) determine a community game award, wherein said community game award is determined independent of any community game tokens accumulated for the player,

(e) determine a value associated with each accumulated community game token, wherein said determination is based on the determined community game award and the accumulated quantity of at least one community game token,

(f) cause the at least one display device to display the determined value associated with each accumulated community game token, and

(g) receive data representing at least one player input to redeem the accumulated quantity of at least one community game token for the determined community game award.

10. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the community game includes a skill-based community game.

11. The gaming system server of claim 10, wherein the quantity of accumulated community game tokens is based, at least in part, on at least one quantifiable skill input made by the player in association with the skill-based community game.

12. The gaming system server of claim 11, wherein the at least one quantifiable skill input is selected from the group consisting of;

at least one quantifiable input of a mental skill, and at least one quantifiable input of a physical skill.

13. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the community game award based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

at least one player attribute associated with the player and at least one game attribute associated with the play of the wagering game.

14. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the community game award prior to a conclusion of the triggered community game.

15. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a community display device to display the accumulated quantity of at least one community game token without displaying any value associated with each accumulated community game token.

16. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein at least one of any determined wagering game award and the determined community game award is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

17. The gaming system server of claim 9, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

18. The gaming system server of claim 17, wherein the data network is an internet.