Gaming system and method enabling player participation in selection of seed for random number generator

• US 9,257,012 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Weber, Reid M., Oberberger, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US13/957,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20130316792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system which utilizes a random number generator where the process of selecting one or more seeds for the random number generator includes participation of a player. In one embodiment, the player picks one of a plurality of displayed selections at a gaming device. Each selection is associated with a different external steeling source of data not controlled by the gaming system. A gaming system gathers, the data torn the external seeding sources associated with the different seeds. The gaming system uses the data gathered from the seeding source associated with the player'"'"'s picked selection to determine one or more seeds. The determined seeds are used to initialize a random number generator, which generates one or more numbers and at least in part determine the outcome of the game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one display device;

at least one input device; and

at least one memory device that 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) obtain external seeding source data from one or more external seeding sources not controlled by the gaming machine;

(b) display a plurality of selections, each of the displayed selections being associated with-one of the one or more external seeding sources;

(c) receive, from a player, a pick of one of the displayed selections;

(d) determine a seed for play of a game based on the external seeding source data obtained from the external seeding source associated with the picked selection;

(e) determine an outcome for said play of the game using the determined seed;

(f) determine any awards for said play of the game based on the determined outcome; and

(g) display any determined awards.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive the pick of one of the selections at a beginning of a gaming session that includes said play of the game.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to enable the player to pick a different one of the displayed selections during the gaming session.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to, for each of the displayed selections, indicate the external seeding source with which said displayed selection is associated.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the outcome for said play of the game using the determined seed by:

(i) inputting the determined seed into a random number generator to generate a random number for said play of the game; and

(ii) using the generated random number to determine the outcome for said play of the game.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to obtain the external seeding source data from a seed source server.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein the seed source server obtains the external seeding source data from the one or more external seeding sources.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to periodically obtain the external seeding source data.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the external seeding sources associated with the displayed selections are less than all of the one or more external seeding sources.

10. A method of operating a gaming machine, said method comprising:

(a) causing at feast one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to obtain external seeding source data from one or more external seeding sources not controlled by the gaming machine;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display a plurality of selections, each of the displayed selections being associated with one of the one or more external seeding sources;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device to receive, from a player, a pick of one of the displayed selections;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a seed for play of a game based on the external seeding source data obtained from the external seeding source associated with the picked selection;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an outcome for said play of the game using the determined seed;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any awards for said play of the game based on the determined outcome; and

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display any determined awards.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one input device to receive the pick of one of the selections at a beginning of a gaming session that includes said play of the game.

12. The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one input device to enable the player to pick a different one of the displayed selections during the gaming session.

13. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to, for each of the displayed selections, indicate the external seeding source with which said displayed selection is associated.

14. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the outcome for said play of the game using the determined seed by:

(i) inputting, the determined seed into a random number generator to generate a random number for said play of the game; and

(ii) using the generated random number to determine the outcome for said play of the game.

15. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to obtain the external seeding source data from a seed source server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the seed source server obtains the external seeding source data from the one or more external seeding sources.

17. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to periodically obtain the external seeding source data.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the external seeding sources associated with the displayed selections are less than all of the one or more external seeding sources.

19. The method of claim 10, which is provided through a data network.

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