Method and apparatus for gaming machines with a tournament play bonus feature
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A gaming system comprising:
- a processor; and
a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
(a) determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament, the at least one first qualification based on primary game play separate from play of the first tournament;
(b) determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, the at least one second qualification criterion being based on primary game play separate from play of the second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different;
(c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event;
(i) determine a first plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion;
(ii) qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament;
(iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the first tournament using one of a first plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the first plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and
(iv) provide the first tournament; and
(d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event;
(i) determine a second plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion;
(ii) qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament;
(iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the second tournament using one of a second plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the second plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and
(iv) provide the second tournament.
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Abstract
A gaming method and device includes a game, at least one non-qualifying outcome in the game, and at least one qualifying outcome in the game, wherein a player qualifies for a multi-player tournament to be held in the future when the player achieves the at least one qualifying outcome.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to; (a) determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament, the at least one first qualification based on primary game play separate from play of the first tournament; (b) determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, the at least one second qualification criterion being based on primary game play separate from play of the second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different; (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event; (i) determine a first plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament; (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the first tournament using one of a first plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the first plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and(iv) provide the first tournament; and (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) determine a second plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament; (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the second tournament using one of a second plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the second plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and(iv) provide the second tournament. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) causing a processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament, the at least one first qualification based on primary game play separate from play of the first tournament; (b) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, the at least one second qualification being based on primary game play separate from play of the second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different; (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event; (i) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a first plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion; (ii) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament; (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enabling said player to participate in the first tournament using one of a first plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the first plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and(iv) providing the first tournament; and (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a second plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion; (ii) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament using one of a second plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the second plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device;(iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enabling said player to participate in the second tournament; and (iv) providing the second tournament. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A gaming system comprising:
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a central controller; and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including; a housing, a display device supported by the housing, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device, wherein the central controller operates with the plurality of gaming machines to; (a) determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament, the at least one first qualification being based on primary game play separate from play of the first tournament; (b) determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, the at least one second qualification being based on primary game play separate from play of the second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different; (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event; (i) determine a first plurality of players of a first plurality of the gaming machines based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament; (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the first tournament using said player'"'"'s gaming machine; and (iv) provide the first tournament; and (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) determine a second plurality of players of a second plurality of the gaming machines based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament; (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the second tournament using said player'"'"'s gaming machine; and (iv) provide the second tournament. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A gaming system comprising:
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a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to; (a) determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament; (b) determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different; (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event; (i) determine a first plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament; (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the first tournament using one of a first plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the first plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and(iv) provide the first tournament; and (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) determine a second plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament; (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the second tournament using one of a second plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the second plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and(iv) provide the second tournament, wherein at least one of the first triggering event and the second triggering event occurs based on at least one selected from the group consisting of;
expiration of a predetermined period of time;
a predetermined schedule;
a designated quantity of players choosing to participate in one of the tournaments; and
a random determination.
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22. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) causing a processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament; (b) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different; (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event; (i) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a first plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion; (ii) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament; (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enabling said player to participate in the first tournament using one of a first plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the first plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and(iv) providing the first tournament; and (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a second plurality of players based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion; (ii) causing the processor to execute the plurality of instructions to qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament; (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enabling said player to participate in the second tournament using one of a second plurality of different gaming machines, each gaming machine of the first plurality of gaming machines including;
a housing, a display device supported by the housing and configured to display the first tournament, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device; and(iv) providing the second tournament, wherein at least one of the first triggering event and the second triggering event occurs based on at least one selected from the group consisting of;
expiration of a predetermined period of time;
a predetermined schedule;
a designated quantity of players choosing to participate in one of the tournaments; and
a random determination.
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23. A gaming system comprising:
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a central controller; and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including; a housing, a display device supported by the housing, an acceptor supported by the housing and configured to receive and identify a physical item that indicates a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance, a cashout device supported by the housing and actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance, a processor, and a memory device, wherein the central controller operates with the plurality of gaming machines to; (a) determine at least one first qualification criterion for a first tournament; (b) determine at least one second qualification criterion for a second tournament, wherein the at least one first qualification criterion and the at least one second qualification criterion are different and the first tournament and the second tournament are different; (c) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event; (i) determine a first plurality of players of a first plurality of the gaming machines based at least in part on the at least one first qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the first plurality of players to play in the first tournament; (iii) for each of the first plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the first tournament using said player'"'"'s gaming machine; and (iv) provide the first tournament; and (d) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) determine a second plurality of players of a second plurality of the gaming machines based at least in part on the at least one second qualification criterion; (ii) qualify each of the second plurality of players to play in the second tournament; (iii) for each of the second plurality of qualified players, enable said player to participate in the second tournament using said player'"'"'s gaming machine; and (iv) provide the second tournament, wherein at least one of the first triggering event and the second triggering event occurs based on at least one selected from the group consisting of;
expiration of a predetermined period of time;
a predetermined schedule;
a designated quantity of players choosing to participate in one of the tournaments; and
a random determination.
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Specification