Methods and system for providing paper-based outcomes

• US 8,043,152 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tulley, Stephen C., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US10/885,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,667 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/20, 463 25- 30, 463 40- 42, 273/143.R, 273/139, 725/22, 705/14.5
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• 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

Gaming devices may generate outcomes to be sold in printed form. Representations of the outcomes, corresponding payouts, and other information are printed on sheets of paper. Multiple printed outcomes are assembled into books, wrapped, and sold to consumers. Consumers may purchase the books and browse through the printed outcomes at their leisure. When finished with a book, a consumer may submit a portion of the book to the casino that sold the outcomes. The casino may then pay the player based on the payouts associated with the outcomes in the book.

Claims

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

causing a plurality of wagering game outcomes to be determined via a processor of a first device, wherein each wagering game outcome of the plurality of wagering game outcomes is determined based on at least one randomly determined number;

causing the first device to transmit data associated with the determined wagering game outcomes to a second device, said second device being different from the first device;

causing the second device to cause a storage of data representing a graphical display of each respective wagering game outcome of the plurality of wagering game outcomes in an electronic form on a medium readable by a processor of a third device, said third device being different from both the first device and the second device; and

after storing the data on the medium, causing the medium to be available to be acquired by a player to view the graphical displays of the wagering game outcomes via the third device, wherein prior to being viewed via the third device, said graphical displays of the determined wagering game outcomes of the medium have not been viewed by any players.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the plurality of wagering game outcomes to be determined comprises:

causing the plurality of wagering game outcomes to be determined in response to a triggering event other than an initiation of a wagering game play by the player.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the triggering event is a signal from the processor of the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sum of payouts for the plurality of wagering game outcomes; and

authorizing a payment based on the sum of payouts to the player upon receiving a proof of purchase of the medium.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a unique identifier with the plurality of wagering game outcomes, the unique identifier being associated with an amount to be paid to the player upon the player providing proof of purchase of the plurality of wagering game outcomes.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the medium to be available to be purchased on a casino premises to enable the player to view the graphical displays of the wagering game outcomes at a location remote from the casino premises.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wagering game outcomes are determined at a speed significantly higher than a speed at which the plurality of wagering game outcomes are discernable by a player of a gaming device.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the medium to be packaged to be purchased.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the wagering game outcomes to be determined comprises causing a gaming device to randomly generate the wagering game outcomes.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the second device to:

access a file of graphics associated with the wagering game outcomes,

select one or more graphics that corresponds to one of the plurality of wagering game outcomes; and

store the one or more graphics on the medium as a representation of the wagering game outcome.

11. A gaming system comprising:

at least one gaming device; and

a controller configured to communicate with the at least one gaming device, wherein the controller is configured to operate to;

(a) cause the at least one gaming device to, without any player request for a wagering game outcome;

(i) generate a plurality of wagering game outcomes which are not associated with any players prior to being generated, and

(ii) transmit data associated with the plurality of wagering game outcomes to the controller;

(b) cause the plurality of wagering game outcomes to be associated with an identifier; and

(c) store a graphical display of each of the plurality of wagering game outcomes in electronic form on a medium readable by a third device not in communication with the controller, wherein prior to being read by the third device and after storing the graphical displays on the medium, said graphical displays of the generated wagering game outcomes of the medium have not been displayed to any players.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to operate to transmit data associated with the plurality of wagering game outcomes to a fourth device configured to store the wagering game outcomes in electronic form on the medium.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the third device is a device remote from the at least one gaming device and the controller.

14. A gaming system comprising:

at least one gaming device; and

a controller configured to communicate with the at least one gaming device, the controller configured to operate, without any player request for a wagering game outcome, to;

(a) cause the at least one gaming device to;

(i) generate a plurality of wagering game outcomes which are not associated with any players prior to being generated, and

(ii) transmit data associated with the plurality of wagering game outcomes to the controller;

(b) cause the plurality of wagering game outcomes to be associated with an identifier; and

(c) cause a plurality of graphical displays of the plurality of wagering game outcomes to be stored in electronic form on a medium readable by a third device not in communication with the controller, wherein the plurality of wagering game outcomes are stored after a last of the plurality of wagering game outcomes is generated and prior to being read by the third device, said graphical displays of the generated wagering game outcomes of the medium have not been displayed to any players.

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

receiving a plurality of wagering game outcomes generated by a gaming device, each of the wagering game outcomes having been generated in response to an event other than a player request to generate a wagering game outcome; and

storing information in electronic form on a medium readable by a processor of another device, wherein insertion of the medium causes the processor of the other device to execute a program to display the stored information, the stored information including;

(i) a graphical display of each of the plurality of wagering game outcomes, and

(ii) an indication of a sum of payouts associated with the plurality of wagering game outcomes,

wherein prior to being displayed by the other device and after storing the information on the medium, said graphical displays of the generated wagering game outcomes of the medium have not been displayed to any players.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of wagering game outcomes are stored on the medium in a manner that renders it discernable by a player upon purchase of the medium.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the sum of the payouts associated with the plurality of wagering game outcomes is an amount to be provided to the player upon receiving a proof of purchase of the medium.

18. The method of claim 15, which includes storing an indication of a price for the medium, the price being based on the wagering game outcomes.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of wagering game outcomes are received after a last of the plurality of outcomes is generated by the gaming device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing the indication of the wagering game outcomes in a memory.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining an identifier associated with the plurality of wagering game outcomes, the identifier being associated with the sum of payouts.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

outputting the identifier.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein outputting the identifier comprises printing a piece of paper indicating the identifier.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the identifier is represented by a series of characters being at least one of letters and numbers.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein outputting the identifier comprises outputting the identifier in machine-readable form.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein machine-readable form comprises a bar code.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving the identifier; and

receiving a proof of purchase of the medium.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining the sum of payouts associated with the identifier; and

authorizing a provision of an amount of currency based on the sum of payouts, based on the received identifier and the received proof of purchase.