Central determination gaming system with a central controller providing a game outcome and a gaming terminal determining a presentation of the provided game outcome

• US 9,922,489 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Michaelson, Richard E., Bansemer, Mark W., Wolf, Bryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIDDLE, JAY TRENT
• Application Number:
  US14/795,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A central determination gaming system with a central controller providing a game outcome to an individual gaming terminal and the gaming terminal determining the presentation of the provided game outcome. In one embodiment of the present invention, a gaming terminal receives a predetermined game outcome from a central controller. The gaming terminal determines a game outcome presentation, (i.e., how the game outcome is displayed or presented to the player) for the provided game outcome by selecting a game outcome presentation seed for the received game outcome. The gaming terminal utilizes the selected game outcome presentation seed to determine a game outcome presentation. The determined game outcome presentation is displayed to the player and the received game outcome is provided to the player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate to;

maintain a game outcome set including a plurality of predetermined game outcomes,

select a predetermined game outcome from the game outcome set,

flag the selected predetermined game outcome as unavailable to be subsequently selected from the game outcome set, and

output the selected predetermined game outcome; and

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

a housing,

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including an acceptor, and a cashout device,

at least one display device supported by the housing,

at least one gaming device processor, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one gaming device processor, cause the at least one gaming device 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,

receive, via one of the plurality of input devices, a wager placed on a play of game, said credit balance being decreasable based on said wager placed,

receive the selected predetermined game outcome outputted from the at least one controller,

after receiving the selected predetermined game outcome, select a game outcome presentation seed from a cache of a plurality of game outcome presentation seeds stored by the at least one memory device, wherein said selected game outcome presentation seed is based on the selected predetermined game outcome,

after and separate from the selection of the game outcome presentation seed, determine a game outcome presentation based on the selected game outcome presentation seed,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined game outcome presentation,

cause the at least one display device to display any award associated with the selected predetermined game outcome, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any award associated with the selected predetermined game outcome, and

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

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gaming devices is remote from the at least one controller.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of different game outcome presentations are each associated with the same predetermined game outcome.

4. A gaming device comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including an acceptor, and

a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by 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,

receive, via one of the input devices, a wager placed on a play of a game, said credit balance being decreasable based on said wager placed,

receive a game outcome from at least one controller,

after receiving the game outcome, select a game outcome presentation seed from a cache of a plurality of dame outcome presentation seeds stored by the at least one memory device, wherein said selected game outcome presentation seed is based on said received game outcome,

after and separate from the selection of the game outcome presentation seed, determine a game outcome presentation based on the selected game outcome presentation seed,

cause the at least one display device to display the determined game outcome presentation,

cause the at least one display device to display any award associated with the received game outcome, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any award associated with the received game outcome, and

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

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the at least one controller is distinct from the at least one processor.

6. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein a plurality of different game outcome presentations are each associated with the same game outcome.

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

receiving a wager placed on a play of a game at a first one of a plurality of gaming devices, wherein a credit balance is decreasable based on the wager placed, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device;

causing at least one controller to;

maintain a game outcome set including a plurality of predetermined game outcomes,

select a predetermined game outcome from the game outcome set,

flag the selected predetermined game outcome as unavailable to be subsequently selected from the game outcome set, and

output the selected predetermined game outcome to the first one of the gaming devices; and

after receiving the selected predetermined game outcome from the at least one controller, causing the first one of the gaming devices to;

select a game outcome presentation seed from a cache of a plurality of game outcome presentation seeds, wherein the selected game outcome presentation seed is based on the selected predetermined game outcome,

after and separate from the selection of the game outcome presentation seed, determine a game outcome presentation based on the selected game outcome presentation seed,

cause a display of the determined game outcome presentation, and

cause a display of any award associated with the selected predetermined game outcome, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any award associated with the selected predetermined game outcome.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a plurality of different game outcome presentations are each associated with the same predetermined game outcome.

9. The method of claim 7, which is provided through a data network.

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

11. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

receiving a wager placed on a play of a game, wherein a credit balance is decreasable based on the wager placed, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device;

receiving a game outcome from at least one controller;

after receiving the game outcome, selecting, by at least one processor, a game outcome presentation seed from a cache of a plurality of game outcome presentation seeds, wherein said selected game outcome presentation seed is based on said received game outcome;

after and separate from the selection of the game outcome presentation seed, determining, by the at least one processor, a game outcome presentation based on the selected game outcome presentation seed;

causing a display, by at least one display device, of the determined game outcome presentation; and

causing a display, by the at least one display device, of any award associated with the received game outcome, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any award associated with the received game outcome.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a plurality of different game outcome presentations are each associated with the same game outcome.

13. The method of claim 11, which is provided through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.