Player driven game download to a gaming machine

• US 9,569,921 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steven G., Davis, Dwayne A., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/843,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20150379813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3204 Player-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A service window may be provided to a gaming machine, such as a video slot machine, video poker machine, or similar electronic device. The service window may include an option to request an available game for download. A request for the game may be received via the service window and the game may be provided to the gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

at least one display device supported by the 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 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) display to a player a game available to be downloaded, said displayed game being;

(i) determined based, at least in part, on at least one online game previously played, over a data network, by the player, and

(ii) displayed in a service window of the at least one display device, said service window being distinct from a game play window available to be concurrently displayed by the at least one display device,

(c) if the game is downloaded and a wager is placed on a play of the game;

(i) randomly determine a game outcome,

(ii) display the randomly determined game outcome in the game play window,

(iii) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(iv) display any determined award associated with the randomly 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.

2. 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 operate with the at least one display device to display to the player a plurality of games available to be downloaded, said plurality of displayed games being displayed in the service window of the at least one display device.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of games available to be downloaded are each determined, at least in part, on the at least one online game previously played, over the data network, by the player.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game available to be downloaded is determined, at least in part, on a plurality of online games previously played, over the data network, by the player.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one online game includes an online wagering game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the service window is associated with a remote server.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any wager placed on the play of the game and any determined award are 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 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) cause at least one display device to display to a player a game available to be downloaded, said displayed game being;

(i) determined based, at least in part, on at least one online game previously played, over a data network, by the player, and

(ii) displayed in a service window of the at least one display device, said service window being distinct from a game play window available to be concurrently displayed by the at least one display device, and

(b) if the game is downloaded and a wager is placed on a play of the game;

(i) randomly determine a game outcome,

(ii) display the randomly determined game outcome in the game play window,

(iii) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(iv) display any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined award amount associated with the randomly determined game outcome, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device.

9. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display to the player a plurality of games available to be downloaded, said plurality of displayed games being displayed in the service window of the at least one display device.

10. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the plurality of games available to be downloaded are each determined, at least in part, on the at least one online game previously played, over the data network, by the player.

11. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the game available to be downloaded is determined, at least in part, on a plurality of online games previously played, over the data network, by the player.

12. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the at least one online game includes an online wagering game.

13. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein at least one of any wager placed on the play of the game and any determined award are 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.

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

(a) causing at least one display device to display to a player a game available to be downloaded, said displayed game being;

(i) determined based, at least in part, on at least one online game previously played, over a first data network, by the player, and

(ii) displayed in a service window of the at least one display device, said service window being distinct from a game play window available to be concurrently displayed by the at least one display device, and

(b) if the game is downloaded and a wager is placed on a play of the game;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to randomly determine a game outcome,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the randomly determined game outcome in the game play window,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined award amount associated with the randomly determined game outcome, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display to the player a plurality of games available to be downloaded, said plurality of displayed games being displayed in the service window of the at least one display device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of games available to be downloaded are each determined, at least in part, on the at least one online game previously played, over the data network, by the player.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the game available to be downloaded is determined, at least in part, on a plurality of online games previously played, over the data network, by the player.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one online game includes an online wagering game.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the service window is associated with a remote server.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of any wager placed on the play of the game and any determined award are 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.

21. The method of claim 14, which is provided through a second data network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second data network is an internet.