Adventure sequence activities

• US 9,147,314 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Muir, David Hugh, Nguyen, Binh T.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US11/880,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,990 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• 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 17/3262 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Some implementations of the invention provide methods and devices for various types of adventure sequences that preferably involve, at least in part, wagering games. Such sequences may involve wagering and/or other games at a plurality of gaming devices, tables and/or gaming establishments. Some implementations provide a virtual gaming experience wherein one or more other environments (e.g., environments that include gaming establishments) are simulated at a single location. Accordingly, adventure sequences described herein may comprise stages in one or more virtual environments, stages in one or more real environments or a combination of the two. Virtual players, also referred to herein as player game agents (“PGAs”), may act on behalf of real players. A PGA may be able to play games autonomously, e.g., when the associated player is at a different location and/or is not aware of the PGA'"'"'s current activities. PGAs may be enabled to negotiate on behalf of real players, e.g., for comps, better pay table percentages, etc.

Claims

1. A wager gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of networked wager gaming machines, each wager gaming machine including;

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor,

(ii) a validator, and

(iii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

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 plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and

(ii) establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item, and

(b) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance; and

at least one agent game execution unit including;

at least one network interface; and

at least one logic device configured to;

(a) receive a predetermined activation criterion from a player, wherein the predetermined activation criterion relates to a future activation trigger for an autonomous player gaming agent associated with the player;

(b) determine when the predetermined activation criterion has been met;

(c) activate the autonomous player gaming agent associated with the player upon determining that the predetermined activation criterion has been met;

(d) determine a wager gaming operation for the autonomous player gaming agent;

(e) determine if the autonomous player gaming agent is authorized to perform the determined wager gaming operation, said determination being based on a relative intelligence of the autonomous player gaming agent, wherein a first autonomous player gaming agent of a first intelligence is configured to execute player-defined instructions and a second autonomous player gaming agent of a second, different intelligence is configured to execute player-defined instructions and non-player-defined instructions; and

(f) if the autonomous player gaming agent is authorized to perform the determined wager gaming operation;

(i) enable the determined wager gaming operation; and

(ii) store data associated with the determined wager gaming operation such that the data is at least one of;

accessible by the player and transmittable to the player.

2. The wager gaming system of claim 1, wherein the agent game execution unit includes at least one server.

3. The wager gaming system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined activation criterion includes an activation time.

4. The wager gaming system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined activation criterion includes an indication received via a network interface.

5. The wager gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determined wager gaming operation is based, at least in part, on gaming characteristics of the player.

6. The wager gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determined wager gaming operation is based, at least in part, on a plurality of instructions associated with at least one of:

a game type, a wager amount and a number of games to be played.

7. The wager gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determined wager gaming operation is based, at least in part, on at least one decision made according to artificial intelligence of the autonomous player gaming agent.

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

(a) activating an autonomous player gaming agent upon a determination that at least one predetermined activation criterion has been met;

(b) determining a wager gaming operation for the autonomous player gaming agent;

(c) determining that the autonomous player gaming agent is authorized to perform the determined wager gaming operation, said determination being based on a relative intelligence level of the autonomous player gaming agent, wherein a first autonomous player gaming agent of a first intelligence is configured to execute player-defined instructions and a second autonomous player gaming agent of a second, different intelligence is configured to execute player-defined instructions and non-player-defined instructions; and

(d) if the autonomous player gaming agent is authorized to perform the determined wager gaming operation;

(i) enabling the determined wager gaming operation, wherein a credit balance is associated with the determined wager gaming operation, said credit balance being;

(A) increasable via;

(I) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(II) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(B) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and

(ii) storing data associated with the determined wager gaming operation such that the data is at least one of;

accessible by a person associated with the autonomous player gaming agent or transmittable to the person.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined activation criterion includes an activation time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined activation criterion includes an indication from the person associated with the autonomous player gaming agent.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined wager gaming operation is based, at least in part, on at least one gaming characteristics of the person.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined wager gaming operation is based, at least in part, on a plurality of instructions associated with at least one of:

a game type, a wager amount and a number of games to be played.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined wager gaming operation is based, at least in part, on at least one decision made according to artificial intelligence of the autonomous player gaming agent.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined wager gaming operation involves a specified gaming location.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined wager gaming operation involves a specified casino.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined wager gaming operation involves a specified gaming machine.

17. The method of claim 8, which includes verifying whether at least one predetermined criterion have been satisfied by the autonomous player gaming agent'"'"'s performance of the determined wager gaming operation.

18. The method of claim 8, which includes transmitting, to the person associated with the autonomous player gaming agent, results of the determined wager gaming operation.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the person provided credit for the determined wager gaming operation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the verifying includes a determination of whether wager gaming instructions have been followed.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the verifying includes a determination of an amount wagered.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the verifying includes a determination of a time of a wager gaming session.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the results include data for reproducing at least one game outcome resulting from the determined wager gaming operation.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the results include a summary report for the determined wager gaming operation.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having software stored thereon, the software including instructions for controlling at least one device to perform the following steps:

(a) sending a request for an autonomous player gaming agent to conduct a wager gaming session to a person associated with the autonomous player gaming agent;

(b) receiving an approval indication from the person in response to the request;

(c) determining a wager gaming operation for the autonomous player gaming agent;

(d) determining a relative intelligence of the autonomous player gaming agent, wherein a first autonomous player gaming agent of a first intelligence is configured to execute player-defined instructions and a second autonomous player gaming agent of a second, different intelligence is configured to execute player-defined instructions and non-player-defined instructions;

(e) enabling the autonomous player gaming agent to conduct the wager gaming session according to the indicated wager gaming operation, wherein a credit balance is associated with the indicated wager gaming operation, said credit balance being;

(i) increasable via;

(A) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(B) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; and

(f) storing data associated with the wager gaming session such that the data is at least one of;

accessible by the person and transmittable to the person.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the receiving includes receiving an approval indication from the person.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the request includes a request for an amount of money for the wager gaming session.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the request includes a request to play a specified wagering game.