System and method for communicating game session information

• US 20040147308A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gelman, Geoffrey M., Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M., Fincham, Magdalena M., Santisi, Steven M., Walker, Jay S., Gilman, Norman C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• 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 17/3262 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

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a contract is established for a session comprising two or more plays of at least one gaming device. Information about the game play session, such as outcomes generated at the at least one gaming device, is communicated to a player device. The information is presented to a player via the player device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a contract with a player for a session of two of more plays of a gaming device;

after establishing the contract, initiating the session;

determining a symbol that is representative of the session;

determining session information that is based on at least one play of the session; and

displaying the symbol and the session information to the player.

2. The method of claim 1, in which establishing the contract comprises:

determining a contract price for the contract; and

receiving payment of the contract price.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the contract price is a flat rate price.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an amount of funds from the player, the amount of funds for use in executing the contract.

5. The method of claim 1, in which determining the symbol comprises:

receiving an indication of the symbol from the player.

6. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying the symbol and the session information to the player simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the symbol and the session information are not displayed to the player simultaneously.

8. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying the symbol and the session information to the player at the gaming device.

9. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying the symbol and the session information to the player at a second gaming device that is different than the gaming device.

10. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying the symbol and the session information to the player at a player device.

11. The method of claim 10, in which the player device is a television.

12. The method of claim 10, in which the player device is a personal computer.

13. The method of claim 10, in which the player device is a personal digital assistant.

14. The method of claim 10, in which the player device comprises a telephone.

15. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying the symbol as in motion on a display device.

16. The method of claim 1, in which displaying comprises:

displaying the symbol to the player; and

after displaying the symbol, displaying the session information to the player.

17. The method of claim 1, in which the symbol comprises alphanumeric characters.

18. The method of claim 17, in which the symbol comprises less than six alphanumeric characters.

19. The method of claim 17, in which the symbol consists of four alphanumeric characters.

20. The method of claim 17, in which the symbol comprises a sequence of capitalized letters.

21. The method of claim 1, in which the session information comprises a credit balance that is associated with the contract.

22. The method of claim 1, in which the session information comprises an amount won during the session.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a payout amount corresponding to at least one outcome of the session, and

in which the session information comprises the payout amount.

24. A method comprising:

initiating a session of flat rate play of a gaming device in accordance with at least one price parameter;

determining a symbol that is representative of the session of flat rate play; and

determining session information that is associated with the session of flat rate play; and

displaying the symbol and the session information to a player.

25. The method of claim 24, in which the session of flat rate play is for a pre-established number of plays of the gaming device.

26. The method of claim 24, in which the session of flat rate play is for a pre-established number of winning plays of the gaming device.

27. The method of claim 24, in which the session of flat rate play is for a pre-established duration of play of the gaming device.

28. The method of claim 24, in which the flat rate play session comprises a period of game play during which the player need not make funds available for an individual game play.

29. The method of claim 28, in which the period of game play comprises at least two plays of a game.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining at least one player selected price parameter;

determining at least one operator price parameter; and

in which initiating the flat rate play session comprises;

initiating a flat rate play session based on at least one of the at least one player selected price parameter and the at least one operator price parameter.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining at least one player selected price parameter;

determining at least one operator price parameter;

determining a flat rate price based at least on at least one of the at least one player selected price parameter and the at least one operator price parameter; and

receiving an indication of acceptance of the flat rate price, in which initiating the flat rate play session comprises;

initiating the flat rate play session after receiving the indication of acceptance of the flat rate price.

32. The method of claim 31, in which the indication of acceptance of the flat rate price comprises an indication of payment of the flat rate price.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

displaying the flat rate price to the player.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining at least one term of a contract for the flat rate play session based on the at least one price parameter,

the at least one term including a flat rate price for the flat rate play session; and

presenting the at least one term of the contract to the player.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving an acceptance of the at least one term of the contract from the player,

thereby establishing the contract for the flat rate play session with the player; and

receiving from the player a payment of the flat rate price.

36. The method of claim 24, in which the at least one price parameter comprises at least one of:

a number of outcomes,

a number of winning outcomes,

a duration of time, and

a flat rate price package.

37. A method comprising:

establishing a contract with a player for a session of two of more plays of a gaming device;

determining a bankroll for use in executing the contract, the bankroll having a first balance;

generating at least one first outcome in accordance with the contract;

determining a second balance of the bankroll based on the at least one outcome;

determining a first payment to be provided to the player based on the second balance of the bankroll; and

providing the first payment to the player from the bankroll; and

determining a third balance of the bankroll based on the first payment.

38. The method of claim 37, in which determining the third balance comprises:

determining the third balance of the bankroll based on the first payment and the second balance of the bankroll.

39. The method of claim 37, in which providing the first payment to the player comprises:

providing the first payment to the player in accordance with a payment schedule.

40. The method of claim 37, in which determining the first payment comprises:

determining a first percentage that is associated with the contract; and

determining the first payment based on the first percentage and the second balance of the bankroll.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

generating at least one second outcome in accordance with the contract;

determining a fourth balance of the bankroll based on the at least one outcome;

determining a second payment to be provided to the player based on the fourth balance of the bankroll;

providing the second payment to the player; and

determining a fifth balance of the bankroll based on the second payment.

42. The method of claim 41, in which determining the second payment comprises:

determining the second payment based on the first percentage and the fourth balance of the bankroll.

43. The method of claim 41, in which determining the second payment comprises:

determining a second percentage that is different than the first percentage; and

determining the second payment based on the second percentage and the fourth balance of the bankroll.

44. A method comprising:

establishing a contract with at least one player for a game play session,

the game play session comprising at least two plays of at least one gaming device;

generating an outcome at the gaming device in accordance with the contract; and

transmitting an indication of the outcome to a player device.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

receiving payment of a flat rate price for the at least two plays.

46. The method of claim 45, in which receiving payment of the flat rate price comprises:

receiving a first portion of the payment; and

receiving a second portion of the payment.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

determining an amount of interest due, and

in which the second portion of the payment includes the amount of interest due.

48. The method of claim 45, in which receiving payment of the flat rate price comprises:

receiving the payment of the flat rate price in accordance with a payment schedule.

49. The method of claim 44, in which the contract comprises at least one term, the at least one term including an amount of funds to be provided by the at least one player.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

receiving a request to modify the at least one term from at least one of the at least one player.

51. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an agent authorized by the at least one player to modify at least one of the at least one term of the contract; and

receiving a request to modify at least one of the at least one term from the agent.

52. The method of claim 49, in which the at least one term comprises at least one of:

a manner in which an outcome is to be displayed to the at least one player,

a time at which an outcome is to be displayed to the at least one player,

a time at which an indication of an outcome is to be transmitted to the player device, and

an indication of the at least one gaming device.

53. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an outcome generated in accordance with a contract for a game play session,

the game play session comprising at least two plays of a gaming device;

storing the indication of the outcome at a player device;

receiving a request from a player to display the outcome at the player device; and

in response to receiving the request, displaying the outcome at the player device.