Asynchronous persistent group bonus game

• US 8,597,108 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nguyen Gaming LLC
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US12/619,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110117982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 25- 27, 463 39- 43
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

An asynchronous persistent group bonus game system, method and apparatus may have a plurality of gaming machines including a first processor and a bonus server having a second processor. The first processor may be configured to: determine when a bonus game session event is triggered, transmit a bonus game session request to the second processor, and receive an end session notification from the second processor. The second processor may be configured to execute and maintain the always-on asynchronous persistent group bonus game, receive a bonus game session request from at least one of the plurality of gaming machines, instantiate a bonus game session inside the continuous asynchronous persistent group bonus game for the at least one gaming machine, determine when an end session trigger has been triggered for the bonus game session, and transmit an end session notification to the at least one gaming machine if it is determined that the end session condition has been triggered.

Claims

1. An asynchronous persistent group bonus game system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines configured to accept a wager from a player to play a game of chance, each of the plurality of gaming machines including;

at least one input device;

at least one display;

a first processor; and

a bonus server having a second processor, the second processor configured to communicate with each of the plurality of gaming machines via a network,

wherein the first processor is at least configured to;

(a) determine when a bonus game session event is triggered;

(b) transmit a bonus game session request to the second processor;

and

(c) receive an end session notification from the second processor;

wherein the second processor is at least configured to;

(d) execute the asynchronous persistent group bonus game;

(e) receive a bonus game session request from at least one of the plurality of gaming machines;

(f) instantiate a bonus game session in the asynchronous persistent group bonus game for the at least one gaming machine, the asynchronous persistent group bonus game utilizing at least global bonus game data and local bonus data;

(g) determine when an end session condition has been triggered for the bonus game session; and

(h) transmit an end session notification to the at least one gaming machine if it is determined that the end session condition has been triggered,

wherein a plurality of players are able to concurrently play the asynchronous persistent group bonus game.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bonus game session is instantiated in the asynchronous persistent group bonus game subsequent to a second bonus game session being instantiated in the asynchronous persistent group bonus game for a second player.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a local game tracking server configured to communicate with the bonus server and each of the plurality of gaming machines to update and store player data and local game data.

4. The system of claim 3,

wherein the second processor is further configured to:

determine whether the bonus game session resulted in a bonus game award;

transmit a bonus game session award notification to the first processor, the bonus game session away notification includes a credit amount based on the bonus game award; and

wherein the first processor is further configured to;

update the player game data with the credit amount.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

receive a bonus game session condition set from the player;

transmit the bonus game session condition set to the second processor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the instantiating further comprises:

configuring the bonus game session based on the bonus condition set.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor is further configured to:

determine whether a bonus termination event has been triggered for the asynchronous persistent group bonus game;

determine whether the asynchronous persistent group bonus game resulted in a final award;

determine whether at least one player is to be awarded the final award; and

notify the at least one player if it is determined that the at least one player is to be awarded the final award.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the group bonus game session ends prior to termination of the asynchronous persistent group bonus game.

9. A method for playing an asynchronous persistent group bonus game on at least one of a plurality of gaming machines configured to accept a wager from a player to play a game of chance, each of the plurality of gaming machines including at least one processor, the method comprising:

executing, by a bonus game server, at least one asynchronous persistent group bonus game, the bonus game server configured to communicate with the plurality of gaming machines;

determining, by the bonus game server, whether a bonus game session request has been received from at least one of the plurality of gaming machines;

instantiating a bonus game session into the asynchronous persistent group bonus game for the at least one gaming machine, the asynchronous persistent group bonus game utilizing at least global bonus game data and local bonus data;

determining whether an end session condition has been triggered; and

ending the bonus game session when it is determined that the end session condition has been triggered,

wherein the bonus game session ends before termination of the at least one asynchronous persistent group bonus game, and

wherein a plurality of players are able to concurrently play the asynchronous persistent group bonus game.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the instantiating occurs subsequent to instantiation of a second bonus game session into the asynchronous persistent group bonus game for a second player.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the instantiating further comprises:

receiving a bonus game session condition set from the at least one gaming machine, wherein the bonus game session condition set is based upon a player'"'"'s preference when playing the bonus game session; and

configuring the bonus game session based on the bonus game session condition set.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the bonus game condition set includes location information, bonus game session asset information, and team preference information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the ending further comprises:

determining whether the bonus game session resulted in a bonus award;

transmitting a bonus award notification to the at least one gaming machine if it is determined that the bonus game session resulted in a bonus award; and

transmitting an end session notification to the at least one gaming machine.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the ending further comprises determining whether a predetermined time limit expired.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the ending further comprises determining whether a player task has been completed.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether a bonus termination event has been triggered; and

ending the at least one asynchronous persistent group bonus game if it is determined that the bonus termination event occurred.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining further comprises determining whether a predetermined period time limit expired.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determination further comprises determining whether a team goal has been reached.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the asynchronous persistent group bonus game resulted in a final award;

determining at least one player to be awarded the final award; and

notifying the at least one player of the final award.

20. A method for playing an asynchronous persistent group bonus game on at least one of a plurality of gaming machines configured to accept a wager from a player to play a game of chance, each of the plurality of gaming machines including at least one processor, the method comprising:

initiating, by the processor, a primary game of chance on the at least one gaming machine;

determining, by the processor, whether a bonus event is triggered by the primary game of chance;

transmitting a bonus game session request to a bonus server to play a bonus game session;

displaying the bonus game session instantiated in an asynchronous persistent group bonus game on a display if it is determined that the bonus event is triggered, the asynchronous persistent group bonus game utilizing at least global bonus game data and local bonus data; and

receiving an end session notification to notify the player that the bonus game session had ended,

wherein a plurality of players are able to concurrently play the asynchronous persistent group bonus game.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the displaying further comprises displaying a plurality of bonus game sessions instantiated in the asynchronous persistent group bonus game for a plurality of players.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the asynchronous persistent group bonus game is displayed on a central display.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein asynchronous persistent group bonus game is displayed on a display of the at least one gaming machine.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving further comprises:

receiving a bonus award notification if the bonus game session resulted in a bonus award; and

awarding the player bonus credits according to the bonus award.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

creating a bonus game session condition set according to player preferences; and

transmitting the bonus game condition set to a bonus game server to configure the bonus game session according to the bonus game condition set.