Game of chance utilizing social network contact attributes

• US 9,183,700 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Allen, Jeffrey L., Guinn, Andrew C., Gura, Damon E., Kyte, Robert L., Lang, Harry C., Robbins, Richard B., Smith, Pamela S., Stankovic, Danijel
• Primary Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US14/171,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 21, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The disclosure includes a game of chance in which profile data for social contacts in a social networking system is used to determine whether a player wins or loses the game of chance. An indication that a first player desires to be included in a game provided on a social network system is stored. The game randomly selects a subset of a plurality of social contacts of a second player. In response to determining that the first player is included in the randomly selected subset of the plurality of social contacts, an award is provided to the first player.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, in a machine-readable medium communicably coupled to one or more processors, an indication that a first social contact of a plurality of social contacts desires to be included in an electronic game of chance provided on a computerized social network system;

randomly selecting, based on an output of a random element generator, a subset of the plurality of social contacts;

presenting graphical objects representing the subset of the plurality of social contacts on a display during operation of the electronic game of chance by a player;

determining, by the one or more processors, that a profile attribute of each of the subset of the plurality of social contacts stored in the machine-readable medium matches a profile attribute of the player stored in the machine-readable medium;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the first social contact is included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts; and

in response to determining, by the one or more processors, that the profile attribute of each of the social contacts in the subset of the plurality of social contacts stored in the machine-readable medium matches the profile attribute of the player stored in the machine-readable medium and that the first social contact is included in the subset, electronically communicating, via a network interface, an award to the first social contact.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the subset of the plurality of social contacts resulted in a winning outcome for the player.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising providing a report to the first social contact indicating that the first social contact was included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical objects representing the subset of the plurality of social contacts comprise reel elements for reels of a slots based game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of social contacts are associated with the player.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the award includes one or more of points, access to an online game, access to a feature of a game, access to a bonus game, a discount on a good or service, a virtual trophy, a virtual medal, or a virtual badge.

7. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors;

a machine readable medium communicably coupled to the one or more processors, the machine readable medium to store a plurality of social contacts and an indication that a first social contact desires to be included in an electronic game of chance and executable by the one or more processors from the memory;

a network interface communicably coupled to the one or more processors; and

a display communicably coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the electronic game of chance is configured to;

randomly select, based on an output of a random element generator, a subset of the plurality of social contacts of a player;

present graphical objects representing the subset of the plurality of social contacts on the display;

determine that a profile attribute of each of the subset of the plurality of social contacts stored in the machine readable medium matches a profile attribute of the player stored in the machine readable medium;

determine that the first social contact is included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts; and

electronically communicate via the network interface an award to the first social contact in response to determining, by the one or more processors, that the profile attribute of each of the social contacts in the subset of the plurality of social contacts stored in the machine readable medium matches the profile attribute of the player stored in the machine readable medium and that the first social contact is included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts presented on the display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic game of chance is further configured to determine that the subset of the plurality of social contacts resulted in a winning outcome for the player.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is configured to provide a report to the first social contact indicating that the first social contact was included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic game of chance is a slots based game and wherein the graphical objects comprise reel elements for reels of the slots based game.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of social contacts are associated with the player.

12. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine executable instructions, that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations for an electronic game of chance, the operations comprising:

storing an indication that a first social contact desires to be included in the electronic game of chance;

randomly selecting, based on an output of a random element generator, a subset of a plurality of social contacts of a player;

presenting graphical objects representing the subset of the plurality of social contacts on a display during operation of the electronic game of chance by the player;

determining that a profile attribute of each of the subset of the plurality of social contacts matches a profile attribute of the player;

determining that the first social contact is included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts; and

electronically communicate via a network interface an award to the first social contact in response to determining, by the one or more processors, that the profile attribute of each of the social contacts in the subset of the plurality of social contacts matches the profile attribute of the player and that the first social contact is included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the subset of the plurality of social contacts resulted in a winning outcome for the player.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise providing a report to the first social contact indicating that the first social contact was included in the subset of the plurality of social contacts.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the graphical objects representing the subset of the plurality of social contacts comprise reel elements for reels of a slots based game.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of social contacts are associated with the player.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the award includes one or more of points, access to an online game, access to a feature of a game, access to a bonus game, a discount on a good or service, a virtual trophy, a virtual medal, or a virtual badge.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of social contacts share an interest, and wherein the award is selected in accordance with the interest.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the award comprises points and wherein the operations further comprise adding the points to an account associated with the first social contact.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a fee from the first social contact; and

in response to receiving the fee, making the first social contact eligible for inclusion in the subset of the plurality of social contacts.