METHOD FOR PROVIDING NETWORK GAMING SYSTEM

• US 20120077575A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agincourt Gaming LLC
• Inventors: Kelly, Matthew F., Kelly, Bryan M., Petermeier, Norman B., Kroeckel, John G., Link, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,454,432 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 17/3244 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A method for providing a network gaming system is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a request at a server from a user for credits, wherein the credits are usable within the network gaming system; depositing the credits into an account of the user; receiving a second request for an object available within the network gaming system; and debiting the account of the user by an amount equal to a value assigned to the object.

Claims

1. A method for providing a network gaming system, comprising:

receiving a request at a server from a user for the purchase of credits in exchange for legal currency, wherein the credits are usable within the network gaming system;

depositing the credits into an account of the user;

receiving a second request for an object available within the network gaming system;

debiting the account of the user by an amount equal to a value assigned to the object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the credits represent a type of universal currency that can be used in the context of the network gaming system.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising debiting or crediting the account of the user based on a gameplay of the user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the gameplay comprises the user playing a plurality of games and wherein a database server keeps track of the credits in the account of the user based on a plurality of outcomes of the plurality of games.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the server and the database server are the same.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the database server is located on one or more of a plurality of game apparatuses connected to a wide area network.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving at the server a third request to provide a selection of awards available in the network gaming system;

responsive to said third request, sending the selection of awards to the user from the server;

receiving at the server an award selection from the user;

responsive to receiving the award selection, providing an award to the user based on the award selection; and

debiting the account of the user by an amount associated with the award.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the object is an award.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the award can be used by the user in connection with playing a game within the network gaming system.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising transferring a selected number of credits from the user to a second user upon receiving a request by the user.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the user'"'"'s account comprises a plurality of types of credits.

12. A method for providing a network gaming system comprising the following steps:

receiving a first request wherein said first request contains information identifying a user that initiated the first request;

transmitting a game client to a game apparatus of the user responsive to receiving the first request;

debiting or crediting an account of the user based on a gameplay of the user;

transmitting to the game apparatus a selection of a plurality of objects available to the user in the network gaming system;

receiving a second request for one of the plurality of objects available within the network gaming system; and

debiting the account of the user by an amount equal to a value assigned to the object,

wherein the foregoing steps are performed by one or more servers and wherein at least one of the one or more servers is configured for connection to the game apparatus through a wide area network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more servers comprises a game server and a database server and wherein the account of the user is stored on the database server and the step transmitting a game client is performed, at least in part, by the game server.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more servers further comprises a web server for interacting with the game client during the gameplay.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a third request at the one or more servers for the purchase of credits in exchange for legal currency and depositing the credits into an account of the user stored on the one or more servers, wherein the credits are usable within the network gaming system.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising transmitting from the one or more servers a plurality of variables to the game client for use by the game client to tailor a game environment to the user.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of variables comprises an advertising variable for controlling the advertisements that are displayed to the user.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of variables are determined by the one or more servers based on a profile of the user stored on the one or more servers.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a game identifier at the one or more servers that identifies one of a plurality of games available for download by the user.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a site identifier at the one or more servers that identifies a site that is supporting a game.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the game client comprises a communicator module that is capable of causing a connection with the one or more servers periodically for synchronization.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the selection of a plurality of objects available to the user in the network gaming system is based on one or more identifiers received by the one or more servers.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein a one or more features associated with the gameplay is determined based on one or more identifiers received by the one or more servers.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the one or more features comprises a game interface displayed to the user.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the game interface is selected based on the website through which the user accessed the one or more servers.

26. A method for providing a network gaming system, comprising:

receiving a request at a server from a user for credits, wherein the credits are usable within the network gaming system;

depositing the credits into an account of the user;

receiving a second request for an object available within the network gaming system;

debiting the account of the user by an amount equal to a value assigned to the object.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the credits represent a type of universal currency that can be used in the context of the network gaming system.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising debiting or crediting the account of the user based on a gameplay of the user.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the gameplay comprises the user playing a plurality of games and wherein a database server keeps track of the credits in the account of the user based on a plurality of outcomes of the plurality of games.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

receiving at the server a third request to provide a selection of awards available in the network gaming system;

responsive to said third request, sending the selection of awards to the user from the server;

receiving at the server an award selection from the user;

responsive to receiving the award selection, providing an award to the user based on the award selection; and

debiting the account of the user by an amount associated with the award.