Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-24
2002-07-16
Harrison, Jessica (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C463S025000, C463S026000, C463S027000, C273S138200, C273S237000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419583
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a gaming system in which a “Large Prize” is made available to a player at a gaming terminal when an additional wager for that Large Prize is made by the player. The additional wager is in addition to the wager required to play the normal game on any particular gaming terminal. Preferably, the win/loss for that additional wager on that particular gaming station is determined based on information transmitted (directly or indirectly) from a central computer, or aggregate of (“suite” of) central computers, to the individual gaming stations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A number of gaming systems include gaming stations or terminals, typically electronic terminals, although partially-mechanical terminals are also possible. Examples of electronic gaming terminals include electronic slot machines, electronic keno machines and the like. In a typical situation, a plurality of such machines are provided and a user activates or initiates play on one or more such machines by an action such as inserting a coin in a coin slot, currency in a bill verifier, inserting a credit card and/or smart card, making a selection by a push button, touch screen, etc., e.g. to make a wager. After play is initiated by a user, the gaming terminal determines whether the user has won or lost, and the terminal outputs this information and/or makes a payoff to the user.
One example of a situation in which win/loss of a large prize is centrally determined or influenced is a so-called progressive (multi-termninal) system. As used herein, a multi-terminal game or multi-terminal prize relates to a system in which a prize is funded from wagers placed at a plurality of different gaming terminals, typically with a central computer system keeping track of the contribution of wagers at various gaming terminals towards funding of the multi-terminal prize. In contrast, a local game or local prize refers to a system or prize in which there is no direct contribution toward a prize awarded at one gaming terminal from wagers placed at a different gaming terminal. In a typical progressive system, once a player has made at least a predetermined minimum wager on the normal, local game, the player is automatically eligible for a progressive prize. I.e. in typical progressive systems, the player does not place a separate wager towards the large prize. Typically, the player cannot place an additional wager on the progressive prize (over and above a wager placed on the normal gaming terminal (local) game), i.e. at least some portion of the wager which creates eligibility for the multi-terminal prize, goes towards the normal (local) game play (e.g. changing eligibility, odds or payout amounts on the local game). Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a gaming apparatus, system and/or method which could, if desired, be readily configured to allow a player to place an additional wager (or to choose to play the normal game without placing an additional wager) to achieve eligibility for a large multi-terminal prize, with no portion of the additional wager going towards (affecting eligibility, odds or payout size) play of the normal (local, single-terminal) game. It would be further advantageous to provide a Large Prize that all players on any gaming terminal of a multi-terminal system playing any game could compete for by placing an additional wager above and beyond the wager required to play that particular game.
Additionally, typical progressive systems have no way of assuring that for each large (multi-terminal) prize, there will be a pre-determined, preferably integral, number of losses (i.e. game plays which are eligible for a multi-terminal prize, but which do not result in a multi-terminal prize win. Accordingly it would be useful to provide a system, apparatus and method which assures a predetermined, preferably integral, number of losses for each multi-terminal prize win, preferably without regard to whether the losses occur before or after (usually both) the multi-terminal prize is won.
It is possible to devise gaming systems which provide a set of pre-determined but randomized, game results with only one (or with a known number) of such outcomes bearing winning outcomes. However, if players are aware that the known number of winning outcomes has been won, players may desist from further wagering, because all remaining outcomes are thought to be losing outcomes. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a gaming system apparatus and method which provides a known. preferably integral, ration of wins to losses, without discouraging players from further, play, once a certain number of prizes has been won.
Furthermnore, a system which provides a fixed number of game outcomes with a single (or predetermined number of) winning outcome(s), can result in wide variations in players′ chances of winning a prize, both as the non-winning outcomes are depleted and as the winning outcomes are depleted. For example, with a fixed number of outcomes and only a single winning outcome, a player's probability of winning drops to zero after the single prize has been won and until the remaining losing prizes have been depleted. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a system which can achieve a predetermined number of losing outcomes for each winning outcome while still achieving substantial fairness to players by avoiding excessive or undue changes in players′ chances of winning a prize as the games progress.
In a system in which information that determines game outcome has its source at a central computer (coupled, directly or indirectly, to a plurality of gaming terminals) provisions are needed for communicating the information from the central computer for use by or with the gaming terminals. When the system involves communication of a relatively large amount of information and/or communication to a relatively large number of gaming terminals, there is a risk that play at individual gaming terminals may be interrupted or slowed down while the terminals (or intermediate components) are awaiting receipt of the information. In some systems avoidance of such slow-downs could require an unduly large communications bandwidth, i.e. which is too costly to make a systerm-practical and/or which could prevent retrofitting existing gaming systems with a central game determination process. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a system in which central outcome-determining information can be feasiblely communicated without undue costs, and substantially without interfering with desirably rapid game play at a gaming terminal, preferably in a manner which can be readily implemented on existing gaming systems (e.g. with existing communication capabilities).
In a centrally-controlled operation, the perception of the user can be important. It is believed that in many situations, the maximum entertainment value of such gaming is achieved when players or users subjectively believe that their manner of play and/or decision to play
ot play at a particular time and/or at a particular station influences the win/loss outcome. For example, players often want to feel that they have a better chance of winning if they play selectively at those places or those times when they “feel lucky”. It is believed that the entertainment value of gaming is reduced if the players believe that, at the time the game is played, the decision as to whether they win or lose has already been made, and/or is centrally made.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system in which the win/loss decision at any individual electronic gaming terminal is determined by a central computer, and yet to increase entertainment value by providing players with a situation in which they perceive that their decision whether and when to play changes the win/loss outcome, or the probabilities thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, a “Large Prize” system is composed of a central computer suite, casino local “Cluster Controller” computers, and gaming terminals. The Cluster Controllers are connected to the Central System, e.g. vi
Crumby Hardy Lee
Pennington Richard
Saffari Ali
Cherubin Yveste
Gerstman George H.
Harrison Jessica
International Game Technology
Shaw Seyfarth
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