Method and apparatus for optimizing the rate of play of a gaming device

• US 9,865,139 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Zucker, David F., Suarez, Jose A., Tulley, Stephen C., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Santisi, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIDDLE, JAY TRENT
• Application Number:
  US14/450,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20140342804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The invention includes a system and method for determining and achieving an optimized rate of play of a gaming device for a given player. The system monitors play at a gaming device, determines whether adjustments to parameters that effect the potential maximum rate of play should be made, and makes the appropriate adjustments. Monitoring play includes measuring such things as force applied to input buttons and tracking unnecessary button presses at inappropriate times (i.e., while the reels are still spinning). Parameters that effect the potential maximum rate of play include reel resolution time, length of bonus displays, payout rate, and the like.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

a plurality of input devices including an acceptor;

at least one display device; 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;

responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

for a first play of a game;

initiate, at a first point in time, a spin of a plurality of reels,

cause the at least one display device to display the plurality of reels spinning,

stop, at a second, subsequent point in time, the plurality of reels from spinning to display a first plurality of symbols along a payline, wherein the second, subsequent point in time is determined in association with a player input received, via the at least one input device, while the plurality of reels are spinning,

determine any award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, and

cause the at least one display device to display any determined award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any determined award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline,

for a second, subsequent play of the game;

cause the at least one display device to display, for a period of time, the plurality of reels spinning, wherein said period of time is based on an amount of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time,

stop, after the period of time, the plurality of reels from spinning to display a second plurality of symbols along the payline,

determine any award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, and

cause the at least one display device to display any determined award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any determined award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, and

responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein different amounts of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time are associated with different periods of time the plurality of reels spin for the second, subsequent play of the game.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein:

a first amount of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time is associated with a first period of time the plurality of reels spin for the second, subsequent play of the game, and

a second, greater amount of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time is associated with a second, greater period of time the plurality of reels spin for the second, subsequent play of the game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline and any award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline is selected from the group of:

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

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

responsive to a physical item being received via an acceptor, establishing a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

for a first play of a game;

causing at least one processor to initiate, at a first point in time, a spin of a plurality of reels,

causing a display by at least one display device of the plurality of reels spinning,

causing the at least one processor to stop, at a second, subsequent point in time, the plurality of reels from spinning to display a first plurality of symbols along a payline, wherein the second, subsequent point in time is determined in association with received data associated with a player input made while the plurality of reels are spinning,

causing the at least one processor to determine any award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, and

causing a display by the at least one display device of any determined award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any determined award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, for a second, subsequent play of the game;

causing a display by the at least one display device, for a period of time, of the plurality of reels spinning, wherein said period of time is based on an amount of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time,

causing the at least one processor to stop, after the period of time, the plurality of reels from spinning to display a second plurality of symbols along the payline,

causing the at least one processor to determine any award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, and

causing a display by the at least one display device of any determined award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any determined award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline, and

responsive to a cashout input being received, causing an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein different amounts of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time are associated with different periods of time the plurality of reels spin for the second, subsequent play of the game.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

a first amount of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time is associated with a first period of time the plurality of reels spin for the second, subsequent play of the game, and

a second, greater amount of time between the first point in time and the second, subsequent point in time is associated with a second, greater period of time the plurality of reels spin for the second, subsequent play of the game.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of any award associated with the first plurality of symbols displayed along the payline and any award associated with the second plurality of symbols displayed along the payline is selected from the group of:

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

9. The method of claim 5, which is executed through a data network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data network is an internet.