Methods and system for providing outcomes

• US 9,558,627 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2016
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• 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:
  US15/194,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20160307408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 218 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 plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device;

at least one display device;

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, 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 data representing a graphical display of a determined wagering 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 wagering game outcome, wherein prior to being displayed, said graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome has not been displayed to any players, and

(iii) display a wagering game award associated with the determined wagering 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.

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

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the medium is associated with data representing a graphical display of each of a plurality of determined wagering 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 the wagering game outcome is determined in response to a triggering event other than an initiation of a wagering game play.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the code is selected from the group consisting of:

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

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the wagering 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.

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

(a) establishing a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with a physical item received via an acceptor,

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

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

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to access the data associated with the medium,

(ii) causing at least one display device to display the graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome, wherein prior to being displayed, said graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome has not been displayed to any players, and

(iii) causing the at least one display device to display a wagering game award associated with the determined wagering game outcome, and

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

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the medium stores the data representing the graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome in an electronic form.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the medium is associated with data representing a graphical display of each of a plurality of determined wagering game outcomes.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the medium is available to be acquired after the data is associated with the medium.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the wagering game outcome is determined in response to a triggering event other than an initiation of a wagering game play.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the code is selected from the group consisting of:

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

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the wagering 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.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

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

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

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

(i) access the data associated with the gaming medium,

(ii) cause at least one display device to display the graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome, wherein prior to being displayed, said graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome has not been displayed to any players, and

(iii) cause the at least one display device to display a wagering game award associated with the determined wagering game outcome, and

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

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the gaming medium stores the data representing the graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome in an electronic form.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the gaming medium is associated with data representing a graphical display of each of a plurality of determined wagering game outcomes.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the gaming medium is available to be acquired after the data is associated with the gaming medium.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wagering game outcome is determined in response to a triggering event other than an initiation of a wagering game play.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the code is selected from the group consisting of:

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

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wagering 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.

22. A gaming system server comprising:

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;

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

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

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

(i) access the data associated with the gaming medium,

(ii) cause at least one display device to display the graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome, wherein prior to being displayed, said graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome has not been displayed to any players, and

(iii) cause the at least one display device to display a wagering game award associated with the determined wagering game outcome, and

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

23. The gaming system server of claim 22, wherein the medium stores the data representing the graphical display of the determined wagering game outcome in an electronic form.

24. The gaming system server of claim 22, wherein the medium is associated with data representing a graphical display of each of a plurality of determined wagering game outcomes.

25. The gaming system server of claim 22, wherein the medium is available to be acquired after the data is associated with the medium.

26. The gaming system server of claim 22, wherein the wagering game outcome is determined in response to a triggering event other than an initiation of a wagering game play.

27. The gaming system server of claim 22, wherein the code is selected from the group consisting of:

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

28. The gaming system server of claim 22, wherein the wagering 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.