Methods and system for providing outcomes

• US 9,384,632 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Tulley, Stephen C., Gelman, Geoffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US14/676,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20150206392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/20, 463 25- 30, 463 40- 42, 273/143.R, 273/139, 725/22, 705/14.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• 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

Abstract

Gaming devices may generate outcomes to be sold in printed form. Representations of the outcomes, corresponding payouts, and other information are printed on sheets of paper. Multiple printed outcomes are assembled into books, wrapped, and sold to consumers. Consumers may purchase the books and browse through the printed outcomes at their leisure. When finished with a book, a consumer may submit a portion of the book to the casino that sold the outcomes. The casino may then pay the player based on the payouts associated with the outcomes in the book.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

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

(i) an acceptor, and

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

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

(b) if a triggering event occurs, issue a medium, wherein;

(i) the medium is associated with data representing a display of a determined game outcome, and

(ii) when the medium is subsequently redeemed, via a communication network, the display of the determined game outcome and a game award associated with the determined game outcome are caused to be displayed, wherein prior to being displayed, said display of the determined game outcome has not been displayed to any players, and

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

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the medium stores the data representing the display of the determined game outcome in an electronic form.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the medium is associated with data representing a display of each of a plurality of determined game outcomes.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the medium is available to be acquired after the data is associated with the medium.

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 issue the medium by causing a code associated with the medium to become available.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game outcome includes a wagering game outcome.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an internet.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game award is at least one selected from the group consisting 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 comprising:

a housing;

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

(i) an acceptor, and

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

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

(b) for at least one play of a game;

(i) randomly determine a first game outcome,

(ii) display the randomly determined first game outcome,

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

(iv) display any determined award associated with the displayed first game outcome,

(c) if a triggering event occurs, issue a medium, wherein;

(i) the medium is associated with data representing a display of a determined second game outcome, and

(ii) when the medium is subsequently redeemed, via a communication network, the display of the determined second game outcome and any award associated with the determined second game outcome are caused to be displayed, wherein prior to being displayed, said display of the determined second game outcome has not been displayed to any players, and

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

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the medium stores the data representing the display of the determined second game outcome in an electronic form.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the medium is associated with data representing a display of each of a plurality of determined game outcomes.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the medium is available to be acquired after the data is associated with the medium.

13. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to issue the medium by causing a code associated with the medium to become available.

14. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the second game outcome includes a wagering game outcome.

15. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the communication network is an internet.

16. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein at least one of any award associated with the first game outcome and any award associated with the second game outcome is at least one selected from the group consisting 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. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

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

(i) an acceptor, and

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

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

(b) receive an input of a code associated with a medium, wherein the medium is associated with data representing a graphical display of a determined game outcome,

(c) when the code associated with the medium is received;

(i) access the data associated with the medium,

(ii) display the graphical display of the determined game outcome, wherein prior to being displayed, said graphical display of the determined game outcome has not been displayed to any players, and

(iii) display a game award associated with the determined game outcome, and

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

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the medium stores the data representing the graphical display of the determined game outcome in an electronic form.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the medium is associated with data representing a graphical display of each of a plurality of determined game outcomes.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the medium is available to be acquired after the data is associated with the medium.

21. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the code is selected from the group consisting of:

an alphanumeric character sequence, and a machine-readable code.

22. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the game award is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

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