Dynamic tournament gaming method and system

• US 6,287,202 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1996
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Gaming, Inc. (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Barnett, Michael, Giacalone, Louis David Jr., Pascal, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/672,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 364/410, 364/411, 364/412, 463/1, 463/42, 463/29, 463/30, 463/40, 463/43, 463/16-20, 340/323.R, 273/292, 273/293, 700/91-93
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/08 Constructional details or arrangements, e.g. housing, wiring, connections, cabinets, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

Dynamic tournament gaming method and system, including the provision of a plurality of gaming terminals selectively interlinkable together with a host terminal so that current players of the terminals desiring to participate in group tournament play can be notified of the opportunity and provided with the choice to play or not. If a current player chooses to play, he so signifies, enters his entry fee into the terminal, and awaits start of the event. Upon start of the tournament by the host terminal, the player will play the tournament game over and over as fast as possible to accumulate as many points as possible during a particular pre-announced tournament period. The host terminal will continuously monitor the terminals of all play participants, dynamically record play status, and control termination of the game period. It will also conduct an accounting of the results, issue win results notification, and perhaps provide remote pay-out of game winnings.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a gaming tounarnent in which a plurality of players participate concurrently in play on individual gaming terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of gaming terminals together to form a network of gaming terminals, wherein each gaming terminal is operative to execute a game of chance having equivalent win probability characteristics and each terminal is operative to receive and transmit the data required to control the play and report the results;

determining which of the plurality of networked gaming terminals are enabled to participate in the gaming tournament;

determining that a predetermined start time for the tournament has been reached and that there are not at least a predetermined number of participating terminals;

designating a number of unattended terminals to participate in the tournament so that the predetermined number of participating terminals is met;

simultaneously starting tournament play at each of the participating terminals, including any unattended terminals;

once started, permitting the players to concurrently and continuously play the game one or more times at each of the participating gaming terminals;

simultaneously ending tournament play at each of the participating terminals, the players at each of the participating terminals having concurrently and continuously played the game over the same time interval;

collecting from each of the gaming terminals the accumulated score during the same time interval to determine the highest score; and

identifying the terminal whose player accumulated the highest score.

2. A method of conducting a gaming tournament as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining which of the plurality of networked gaming terminals are enabled to participate in the gaming tournament includes the steps of:

displaying at the terminal the entry fee the player must pay to enter the tournament;

receiving a report from some or all of the terminals that players at those terminals have paid the entry fee; and

determining from the reports which terminals are enabled to participate in the gaming tournament.

3. A method of conducting a gaming tournament as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of permitting tournament play for a predetermined period of time before ending the tournament play.

4. A method of conducting a gaming tournament as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of permitting tournament play until one of the players accumulates a predetermined winning score before ending the tournament play.

5. A method of conducting a gaming tournament as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of during the tournament play, continually collecting scores from all of the participating gaming terminals and broadcasting a ranked list of scores to the terminals.

6. A method of conducting a gaming tournament as recited in claim 1, wherein an unattended terminal participating in the tournament plays on behalf of the house and, if such unattended terminal wins the tournament, the house keeps the winnings.

7. A method of conducting a gaming tournament as recited in claim 1, wherein an unattended terminal is a virtual terminal.

8. A method of conducting a gaming tournament as recited in claim 1, wherein an unattended terminal is a real terminal.

9. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals that are connected to a master terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

sending promotional information to gaming terminals available for tournament play, wherein only those terminals having the same game type and percentaging model are available for tournament play;

collecting buy-ins from the gaming terminals available for tournament play;

committing, to tournament play the gaming terminals from which buy-ins are collected;

determining that a predetermined start time for the tournament has been reached and that there are not at least a predetermined number of participating terminals;

designating a number of unattended terminals to participate in the tournament so that the predetermined number of participating terminals is met;

starting the tournament at the same time at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals;

playing the game at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals;

ending the tournament at the same time at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals so that the game is continuously played at each of the committed gaming terminals and each of the unattended terminals over the same time interval;

determining the winners; and

sending pay messages to the winning terminals.

10. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein the end of the time interval occurs at a predetermined time.

11. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein the end of the time interval occurs when one of the players has reached a predetermined winning level of play.

12. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein, prior to starting the tournament, the gaming terminals are available for non-tournament play.

13. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, further including the step of, after the start of the tournament, displaying the progress of each player to the plurality of players at the committed gaming terminals during the tournament play.

14. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of sending promotional information to the available gaming terminals includes the step of sending advertising messages to the terminals to entice a player to play in a tournament at the available gaming terminal.

15. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of sending promotional information to the available gaming terminals includes the step of playing an invitation movie to entice a player to play in the tournament at the available gaming terminal.

16. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of sending promotional information to the available gaming terminals includes the step of playing a pre-programmed announcement that a tournament is to begin at a specified time.

17. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of sending promotional information to the available gaming terminals includes the step of playing a pre-programmed announcement that a tournament is about to begin and an explanation of how the tournament is conducted.

18. A method of conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals, as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of sending promotional information to the available gaming terminals includes the step of playing a pre-programmed announcement that a tournament is about to begin and the buy-in amount required to participate.

19. A system for conducting a gaming tournament in which a plurality of players participate in play on individual gaming terminals that are connected to a master terminal, the system comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals;

a master terminal; and

a communications network for connecting the master terminal to the plurality of gaming terminals;

wherein the master terminal is operative to send promotional information to the gaming terminals available for tournament play, only those terminals having the same game type and percentaging model being available for tournament play, and

wherein the master terminal is further operative to collect buy-ins from the gaming terminals available for tournament plays enable the gaming terminals from which buy-ins are collected to participate in tournament play, determine that a predetermined start time for the tournament has been reached and that there are not at least a predetermined number of participating terminals, designate a number of unattended terminals to participate in the tournament so that the predetermined number of participating terminals is met and to permit the continuous playing of the games over the same time interval for each of the participating gaming terminals.