Group games and rewards in wagering systems

• US 9,235,956 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2008
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Allen, Jeffrey L., Gura, Damon E., Hornik, Jeremy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Kang
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, MARCUS D
• Application Number:
  US12/810,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,573 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

Described herein are processes and devices that determine and assign rewards as a group in a wagering game system utilizing social contacts. One of the devices described herein, a wagering game system, determines a first player account associated with a wagering game and looks at the first player account to determine a second player account associated with the first player account as a social network contact. The first player account and the second player account comprise a group of members in a group game or challenge. The wagering game system determines a reward that can be assigned to the group members. The wagering game system determines one or more tasks that must be performed before assigning the reward. The wagering game system presents the one or more tasks to the group members. The wagering game system detects when the tasks are completed and assigns the reward to the group members.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wagering game system, the method comprising:

electronically initiating, via an electronic processing unit of the wagering game system, play of a wagering game presented via an electronic display device of the wagering game system, wherein the wagering game is associated with a player wagering account, wherein the wagering game system includes a value input device attached to a housing of the wagering game system, wherein the value input device is configured to receive a first monetary value for placement of wagers, wherein the wagering game system includes a value output device attached to the housing of the wagering game system, wherein the value output device is configured to provide, in response to user input, a second monetary value related to play of the wagering game, and wherein the play of the wagering game is associated with placement of at least one of the wagers;

automatically accessing, via a network communication interface of the wagering game system, the player wagering account via a network;

automatically selecting, based on analysis by the electronic processing unit of social network contact accounts stored in the player wagering account as social contacts, at least one social contact identifier of one of the social network contact accounts for presentation in place of a game play element of the wagering game in response to electronically determining that the one of the social network contact accounts has a higher percentage of completion of group tasks than others of the social network contact accounts;

electronically providing the at least one social contact identifier for presentation via the electronic display device in place of the game play element of the wagering game;

automatically determining, via the electronic processing unit, that the one of the social network contact accounts is eligible to be a member of a task-performance group according to the automatically selecting the at least one social contact identifier for presentation in place of the game play element of the wagering game;

automatically assigning, via the electronic processing unit, the one of the social network contact accounts and the player wagering account as members of the task-performance group in response to the automatically determining that the one of the social network contact accounts is eligible to be the member of the task-performance group;

automatically determining, via the electronic processing unit, one or more tasks to be performed by any one of the members of the task-performance group; and

electronically providing an indication of the one or more tasks for presentation via the electronic display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically assigning the one of the social network contact accounts and the player wagering account as the members of the task-performance group comprises:

presenting an option to the player wagering account to select the at least one social contact identifier, wherein the option presents the statistics of completion percentages of the past performance of group tasks by the one of the social network contact accounts; and

including the one of the social network contact accounts as the member of the task-performance group in response to selection of the at least one social contact identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tasks are external to the wagering game.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing completion percentage statistics of one or more skill-based tasks that need to be completed beyond a wagering game machine for presentation via one or more of the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the one or more tasks have been completed by at least one of the members of the task-performance group; and

assigning a reward to any one of the members of the task-performance group for completing the one or more tasks, wherein assigning the reward comprises proportioning the reward amongst the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts based on a percentage of the one or more tasks respectively completed by the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one social contact identifier is provided for presentation in place of the game play element based additionally on one or more of similarities to game play history between the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts, and a login locality of the one of the social network contact accounts.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the at least one social contact identifier for presentation as the game play element of the wagering game comprises presenting the at least one social contact identifier as a symbol associated with one or more of a slot reel and a playing card for the wagering game.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the symbol is associated with an outcome for the wagering game.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically determining the one or more tasks to be performed comprises:

electronically accessing, via the network communication interface, an indication of an advertising need; and

automatically generating the one or more tasks related to the advertising need.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the wagering game system is a mobile device and further comprising:

electronically providing an indication of at least one task, from the one or more tasks, for completion beyond the wagering game at a specific geographic location;

electronically detecting, via the mobile device, an indicia of completion of the at least one task;

electronically detecting, via a location tracking unit of the mobile device, that the mobile device is located at the specific geographic location upon the electronically detecting the indicia of completion of the at least one task; and

automatically reporting, via the network communication interface, completion of the at least one task in response to the electronically detecting that the mobile device is located at the specific geographic location upon the electronically detecting the indicia of completion of the at least one task.

7. A wagering game system comprising:

one or more processors;

a network communication interface configured to communicate via a network;

a housing;

a value input device attached to the housing, said value input device configured to receive first monetary value for placement of wagers on a wagering game;

a value output device attached to the housing, said value output device configured to provide second monetary value related to play of the wagering game;

an electronic display device; and

one or more memory units configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the wagering game system to perform operations to

electronically initiate play of the wagering game in a wagering game session, wherein the play of the wagering game is associated with placement of at least one of the wagers, and wherein the wagering game session is associated with a player wagering account,

automatically access, via the network communication interface, the player wagering account via the network;

automatically select, based on analysis by at least one of the one or more processors of social network contact accounts stored in the player wagering account as social contacts, at least one social contact identifier of one of the social network contact accounts for presentation via the electronic display device as a game play element of the wagering game in response to electronically determining that the one of the social network contact accounts has a higher percentage of completion of skill-based group tasks than others of the social network contact accounts,

automatically integrate into the wagering game, as the game play element, the at least one social contact identifier,

automatically determine that the one of the social network contact accounts is eligible to be a member of a group according to integration of the at least one social contact identifier into the wagering game,

automatically assign the one of the social network contact accounts and the player wagering account as members of the group in response to determination that the one of the social network contact accounts is eligible to be the member of the group, and

provide a set of skill-based group tasks for performance by the group.

8. The wagering game system of claim 7, wherein the one or more memory units are further configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, further cause the wagering game system perform one or more operations to

detect completion of the set of skill-based group tasks;

store completion percentage statistics of the set of skill-based group tasks by one or more of the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts; and

use the completion percentage statistics for automatic selection of the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts for an additional group.

16. The wagering game system of claim 7, wherein the one or more memory units are further configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, further cause the wagering game system to perform one or more operations to

provide, for presentation, an option to select the one of the social network contact accounts, wherein the option presents completion percentage statistics regarding past performance of the one of the social network contact accounts for one or more additional skill-based group tasks.

17. The wagering game system of claim 7, wherein the one or more memory units are further configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, further cause the wagering game system to perform one or more operations to provide, for presentation, completion percentage statistics regarding a type of the set of skill-based group tasks previously performed by the one of the social network contact accounts.

18. The wagering game system of claim 7, wherein the one or more memory units are further configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, further cause the wagering game system to perform one or more operations to present an indication of one or more additional groups competing against the player wagering account for the set of skill-based group tasks, wherein the indication of the one or more additional groups includes statistical percentage information about past competitions between the player wagering account and one or more additional members of the one of more additional groups.

9. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors of a wagering game system cause the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

initiating a wagering game;

electronically providing, via a network communication interface of the wagering game system, one or more group tasks for presentation via an electronic display device of the wagering game system in association with a wagering game session for the wagering game, wherein the wagering game session is associated with a player wagering account, wherein the wagering game system includes a value input device attached to a housing of the wagering game system, wherein the value input device is configured to receive first monetary value for placement of wagers, wherein the wagering game system includes a value output device attached to the housing of the wagering game system, and wherein the value output device is configured provide, in response to user input, a second monetary value related to play of the wagering game;

automatically accessing via the network communication interface of the wagering game system, the player wagering account via a network;

automatically selecting, based on analysis by the set of one or more processors of social network contact accounts stored in the player wagering account as social contacts, at least one social contact identifier of one of the social network contact accounts for presentation as part of a game play element of the wagering game for the wagering game session in response to electronically determining that the one of the social network contact accounts has a higher percentage of completion of group tasks than others of the social network contact accounts;

automatically determining, via the set of one or more processors, that the at least one social contact identifier, for the one of the social network contact accounts, is presented as part of the game play element of the wagering game, wherein the social network contact accounts are referenced in the player wagering account by the at least one social contact identifier;

automatically determining, via the set of one or more processors, that the one of the social network contact accounts, is eligible to perform the one or more group tasks in cooperation with the player wagering account based on the at least one social contact identifier being presented as the game play element of the wagering game, wherein the one or more group tasks are separate from the wagering game;

automatically assigning, via the set of one or more processors, the one of the social network contact accounts and the player wagering account as members of a task-performance group in response to the automatically determining that the one of the social network contact accounts is eligible to perform the one or more group tasks; and

electronically providing an indication of the one or more group tasks for presentation via the electronic display device.

10. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise presenting one or more options to the player wagering account to select one or more of group task types and reward types.

11. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise presenting completion percentage statistics of the one or more group tasks in any one of the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts.

12. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further include

determining that the one or more group tasks have been completed cooperatively by the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts;

and

assigning a reward to one or more of the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts, wherein the assigning the reward comprises proportioning the reward amongst the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts based on a percentage of the one or more group tasks respectively completed by the player wagering account and the one of the social network contact accounts.

13. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise presenting one or more of a group reward indicator and a group member display.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the at least one social contact identifier is selected for presentation as the game play element based on completion percentage statistics of past performance of skill-based group tasks by the social network contact accounts.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise storing an indication of selection by the player wagering account of the one of the social network contact accounts for use to automatically form an additional group for subsequent performance of additional group tasks.