Patent Application
20080015004
Reference will now be made in detail to the construction and operation of preferred implementations of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description of the preferred implementations of the present invention is only exemplary of the invention. The present invention is not limited to these implementations, but may be realized by other implementations.
The gaming terminals may be of the traditional cash-in type comprising coins and/or notes acceptors and coins and/or notes dispensers, or alternatively, may be of the cashless type.
In compliance with gaming jurisdictions, gaming terminals contain a set of highly secure persistent meters.
A preferred embodiment makes use of a down-counting timer that is exhausted (time-out) when reaching zero, but the same results may be achieved by making use of up-counting timers that are exhausted (time-out) upon reaching a predetermined value.
Upon initialization of a new game session, the timer is set to the playtime purchased by the patron and the winnings are set to zero. As soon as the patron starts playing, the timer is decremented with a predetermined clock tic, 1/100th of a second for example, and the game session ends when the timer reaches zero. As illustrated in
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment, in case of a win, the interval of time between the last play and the previous play (the intermission) is taken into account as a multiplier when the winnings are credited. For example, for the same matching symbols, if the intermission is 5 seconds the winning amount credited is $100; if the intermission is 15 seconds the winning amount credited is $300.
The patron then selects a gaming terminal at 710 and submits its ID instrument at 714. As shown at 716, the gaming terminal binds to a timer that is initialized with the parameters associated with the ID instrument. The timer may be located on the local gaming terminal or on a computer system accessible via the network. In this example, the timer is set to the value 720,000 assuming a tic timer of 1/100th of a second and the wager factor is set to 100/720000=$0.000139 per 1/100th of a second of intermission. Each time the patron triggers a new game 718, the intermission is captured, as shown at 720. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the wager taken into account for the computation of the outcome in case of a winning at the first game 722. If this is the player's first game (YES branch 724), the wager is a predetermined amount 726, as shown at 726. If this is not the player's first game (NO branch 728), the wager taken into account for the computation of the outcome in case of a winning is a function of the intermission, as shown at 730. The game is executed at 732 and in case of a win, the prize money is credited to a winning account associated with the ID instrument. After a game completion, the game session is ended as shown at 738, if the timer 734 has timed-out as indicated at 736. If the timer has not timed-out (NO branch 740) and the patron wishes to continue to play (does not wish to cash out), the patron may continue to play, as indicated by the NO branch 744. If the patron, however, activates the cash-out signal 742, the method proceeds to 746, whereupon the timer is frozen at 747. The player may select another gaming machine 710 to play or, as shown at 748, may go to the cashier to redeem his winnings and unused time 750.
In a preferred embodiment, the wager variation together with the associated changing prize return while the time elapsed since last game increases, may be dynamically displayed to the patron.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an automated cashier 400 is used by the patron instead of going to a cashier.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gaming terminals are equipped with coins and/or note acceptors and an amount of time to play is purchased directly on the gaming terminal by inserting the corresponding money amount. Any prize money won is paid-out immediately by the coin/note dispenser without interrupting the time game session. Alternatively, prize money is credited without interrupting the time game until timer times-out or the cash-out signal is activated.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the patron may use prepaid card such as smart cards or magnetic card with a secret number to be revealed when scratching. The patron may also use prepaid vouchers comprising machine readable printed codes and optionally verification numbers to be keyed-in.
The time gaming method object of the present invention is suitable for supporting all forms of cashless instruments such as:
a player account;
an anonymous game session account;
a voucher verification account;
a smartcard reconciliation account.
A cashless player account is identified by a unique identifier key assigned to a patron that points to a set of records stored in computer memory containing the patron's personal details and the state of the cashless session. The records may be queried and updated by authorized software using the key, which may be derived from the ID instrument submitted. The state of the cashless session comprises essentially the balance of time-to-play and the total of winnings available to the patron and some auxiliary attributes reflecting the games played, the time stamping of various operations and a flag indicating if available credits have already been paid.
An anonymous game session account is identified by a unique identifier key assigned to a game session that points to a set of records stored in computer memory containing the state of the cashless session. The records may be queried and updated by authorized software using the key that may be derived from the ID instrument submitted. The state of the cashless session comprises essentially the balance of time-to-plat and the total of winnings available to the anonymous older of the ID instrument and some auxiliary attributes reflecting the games played, the time stamping of various operations and a flag indicating if available credits have already been paid.
A voucher verification account is identified by a unique identifier key assigned to a voucher that points to a set of records stored in computer memory containing the state of the cashless session. The records may be queried and updated by authorized software using the key, which may be derived from the voucher submitted. The state of the cashless session comprises essentially the balance of time-to-play and the total of winnings available to the holder of the voucher and verification data, and some auxiliary attributes reflecting the games played, the time stamping of various operations and a flag indicating if available credits have already been paid. In the case of a cash-out at the gaming terminal or alternatively when funds are remitted to a human cashier or an automated cashier, a voucher comprising clear text and machine-readable code representing the monetary value of the credit available and some verification data is dispensed. The clear text may indicate the value of the credit of time-to-play available, or simply said for the holder, “the value of voucher.” In the case of a cash-in at the gaming terminal or alternatively when requesting the redeem of the winnings to a human cashier or an automated cashier, a voucher comprising clear text and machine-readable code representing the monetary value of the winnings available and some verification data is read. The unique identifier key is derived from the verification data upon reading the clear text and/or the machine-readable code. The associated records are then queried in order to authenticate the value of the voucher by comparing the verification data contained in the records with the verification data read from the voucher. It should be apparent to those acquainted with secure transactional techniques that the unique identifier key, or alternatively the verification data, may be a hash or an encrypted signature of all or portion of the clear text and/or the machine-readable code.
A smartcard reconciliation account is identified by a unique identifier key assigned to a smartcard that points to a set of records stored in computer memory. The records therefore are a “slave” mirrored copy of same records containing the state of the cashless session that are maintained in the electronic circuits of the smartcard. The smartcard maintains the “master” copy of the records. The slaved mirrored records may be queried but not updated by authorized software using the key that may be derived from the smartcard submitted. The state of the cashless session comprises essentially the balance of time-to-play and total of winnings available to the holder of the smartcard and some auxiliary attributes reflecting the games played, the time stamping of various operations and a flag indicating if available credits have already been paid. The slaved mirrored records are used to reconcile accounting when the smartcard is used in order to detect possible forgery. Alternatively, the slaved mirrored records are used as a backup repository to pay the holder of the smartcard in case of the failure of the smartcard. When used for backup, the “slave” records may be updated by authorized software using the key that may be derived from the smartcard submitted (embossed code for example).
The ID instrument used to derive the unique identifier key may be submitted in a variety of ways such as typing a user ID and password, keying-in a code on a keypad, presenting a bar-coded voucher, an encoded card, a secure electronic ID device or recognizing biometric features.
The unique identifier keys are commonly called GUI or global unique identifier.
Various profiles 800 may be available for implementing the wager function, as shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a prize matrix such as the exemplary matrix shown in Table 2 may be simply constructed in which the prize money is proportional to the intermission.
For other intermission values, the equation may be: Prize=Prize (Reference)* Intermission, wherein Intermission may be expressed in 1/100th of a second, for example.
In the exemplary table 2 above, the prize reference is set for 1 second. Consequently, in case of a win with 3 aces and an intermission of 2.73 seconds, the prize money is $10*2.73=273.00.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a facility may be provided to enable the player to play games in a synchronized fashion in which games are automatically triggered by some form of psychedelic or ambiance input such as music tempo, microphone input tempo and video tempo. The games are automatically triggered following a manual arming activated by the player.
Frequency filters may be implemented using analog electronic circuits and digital electronic circuits. Alternatively, the signal to filter may be digitized then mathematic functions may be applied in software in order to obtain the desired filtering to modulate or trigger a given device such as a spotlight, an alarm, and an event.
The output of a selected filter applied to music, speech, surrounding sound, surrounding light, or video images may be used as an external triggering event to start a game. An adjustable level threshold control button may be used for triggering for example. A manual arming by the player may be advantageously provided prior to the triggering by an external event.
Further embodiments of the present invention include adaptations of games of skill played on domestic gaming consoles to casino games of chance giving the impression to the player that his skills may affect the outcome, thus “virtual skill game” term will be used hereafter. Although not currently allowed in all gaming jurisdictions in the United States, auto-triggering or auto-bet is described hereafter in a preferred embodiment of the invention in anticipation that in the context of time gaming, auto-bet will be allowed. Indeed, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a player may pay a certain sum of money to play a gaming machine for a predetermined period of time. That is, a player may activate a game session on a gaming machine with a credit of playing time, the game session enabling the player to play the game(s) offered on the gaming machine for an amount of time determined by the credit of playing time. The game of skill may involve a narrative, a quest, or a predetermined goal (such as winning a race or vanquishing an enemy, for example). Examples of such games are disclosed, for example, in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/738,812 entitled “Multi-Act Style Electronic Game”, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Skill, within the context of the present invention, encompasses feats of manual dexterity, as well as problem solving and other manifestations of intellectual prowess. The term skill, within the context of the present invention may also be extended to encompass how well a player cooperates with others in solving a common task, in a multi-player game. Other embodiments of the present invention are compatible with and may be adapted to function with commercially available gaming console-type games, such as the games available for the game consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo or Electronic Arts, for example. Specific examples include, for example, first person games based upon the popular Super Mario character, the Need For Speed series of games, Packman and others. Other embodiments of the present invention may be natively-developed games that find no counterpart in the games available for game consoles.
According to embodiments of the present invention, such games may be modified to support wagering within the context of, for example, a gaming session of limited duration, as determined by the player's credit of playing time. For example, in the case of Super Mario, the title character may pursue his eternal quest and evade capture, avoid being blown up, being eaten and suffering like perils and indignities. Instead of collecting coins, points, health or lives, as is the usual case with such console games, each or selected challenges faced by the character may define a new wagering opportunity. The amount of the wager may be a fixed amount determined by the game, may be a fixed amount chosen by the player and/or the amount of the wager may be dependent upon the time period that has elapsed since the player's last wager. That is, the wager may be a flat amount (e.g., $5) as selected by the gaming machine or as chosen by the player, or may be, for example, a base amount multiplied by the above-described wager factor (which reflects the wager that is applied per unit of time and which may grow or otherwise change as the time between successive wagers increases) or otherwise affected by the intermission. In the case of flat amount wager (e.g., $5), the funds may be debited from a separate credit account (not the time credit account) that is credited with cash, cashless tickets, bonuses or winnings from a time game. As betting opportunities are triggered by the player's skills at having (e.g.) the Super Mario character kick goodies and evade annihilation. The outcome of these triggered betting opportunities is then subsequently randomly drawn, although the player may have the impression that his skills affect the outcome. In this manner, the player's skill may be perceived as being instrumental in the outcome of the game. Indeed, a more skillful player that tends to be more successful in navigating through the game's different levels and in avoiding the pitfalls that may plague comparatively less skilled players may perceive that his or her chances of winning are rather high. Contrast with, for example, betting games such as one arm bandit fruit games, in which it is generally perceived that skill plays no factor whatsoever in the determination of the outcome. However, for each or selected ones of the game features (bombs, assorted perils) for which console gamers would conventionally accumulate (or subtract) points, games according to embodiments of the present invention enable a wager to be placed. The outcome of the wager (as opposed to the outcome of the game, e.g., winning the race, rescuing a Princess from a castle, reaching a higher game level) is random. That is, the outcome of the wager is determined by one or more random number generators, as is known in the gaming industry. In this manner, games and game machines according to embodiments of the present invention enable casinos and other gaming establishments to leverage the enormous goodwill and accumulated store of skill represented in players of consumer game consoles into exciting betting games (with which the players may already be familiar and proficient in the non-betting variant thereof) and additional revenue streams.
For example, as shown in
The perils and challenges that the player must overcome may be collectively referred to as “winning features.” The player may be exposed to countless such winning features during his or her credit of playing time. The game may be a new game or a new type of game with which the player may not initially be familiar. With richly rendered graphics and sound, engaging interactivity and compelling plot, however, the player may rapidly find him or herself invested in the outcome of the game. Other embodiments of the present invention, however, contemplate the modification of existing console and/or arcade-type games such that a plurality of wagering opportunities arises during the course of game play. Such games may already be familiar to many players. When coupled with the wagering features described herein, such games may become even more popular. Indeed, gaming machines may be configured to play console or arcade-type games aimed at a specific demographic, such as, for example, age. Indeed, the functionality of such old standbys as Pac Man®, Missile Command, Mortal Kombat® or the series of games based upon the Star Wars® universe may be increased by adding wagering opportunities to the game play thereof, as described above.
Enabling an AutoBet feature in which the gaming machine automatically places a wager on the winning feature (the wager being dependent upon, for example, the elapsed time since the last time a wager was placed—that is, dependent upon the intermission) may not be allowed in the relevant gaming jurisdiction. In that case, another embodiment of the present invention may include features that may render the game allowable by local gaming authorities. Indeed, as shown in
It should be noted that, in order to use and/or modify existing console-type or arcade-type games in conjunction with embodiments of the present invention, the proper authorizations and licenses from the owners of the games must be obtained.
Assume now, for example, that the game is a racing game of chance in which the player has paid $100 for two hours of game play. Suitable racing games are disclosed, for example, in co-pending and commonly assigned application Ser. No. 10/389,463, filed Mar. 13, 2003, entitled “Methods and systems for electronic virtual races”, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The player's wagers may be, as detailed above, dependent upon the time elapsed since the last wager. For example, the player may be invited to wager as soon as his vehicle passes the finish line and may be invited to wager as soon as his vehicle posts the fastest lap times or, for example, may be invited to place a wager as soon as his vehicle passes another vehicle. The actual event(s) wagered on may be selected by a random number generator (RNG), as is well known. Therefore, the actual outcome of the game is determined randomly, even though the player may be given the impression that his or her skill affects game play or his or her reward.
Other embodiments of the present invention allow for even greater wagering choices. For example, the game play may involve a narrative, or may include individual events that are loosely coupled to one another to form a narrative or a developing story. Even a car racing game may be structured as a narrative, with lap-by-lap commentary, stats and pit stops. According to embodiments of the present invention, the player may be provided with additional wagering opportunities, even during the time-based gaming described above. Continuing with the car racing game example being developed herewith, the timed game may be configured to stop the main gaming action (in effect, “freezing” the action) for the purpose of offering an additional betting opportunity to the player. Such a separate betting opportunity may, according to an embodiment of the present invention, be contextually driven and may be unrelated to the betting opportunities of the car racing game. Indeed, the additional betting opportunity may be derived from what is currently happening in the game (i.e., the current context of the game). For example, in a racing game in which a wide angle shot of the raceway is displayed on the gaming machine's display(s), the player may be given the opportunity to bet whether a sponsor's blimp will float across the sky over the raceway within a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, the player may be given the opportunity to place a wager on which of a predetermined list of products or services will next be advertised on the sides of the blimp, thereby affording additional revenue streams from product placement spots within a regulated game of chance. In any event, the main game play (in this exemplary case, the car race) may be momentarily interrupted, and the player invited to place a wager. According to other embodiments, game play need not be stopped when an additional wagering opportunity is presented to the player. Such an invitation may take the form of, for example, a pop-up window over the display. Such a pop-up window may request that the player make a choice whether to place a wager or to decline to do so. This may take the form of, for example, player-actuable “Bet” and “No Bet” buttons appearing on the screen. This betting opportunity may also appear for a limited period of time, and a down-counting (for example) timer may also be displayed. Failure to choose whether to place the wager or to affirmatively decline to do so may result in the offer to place the wager being rescinded at, for example, the expiration of the timer. In any event, an affirmative action by the player (e.g., the player pressing the “Bet” button before expiry of the down-counting timer) may be required for a wager on the offered additional betting opportunity to be placed.
Assuming the additional wager has been placed, game play may be resumed from the point at which it was previously interrupted. That is, the car race may resume as of the point at which it was interrupted to bring this additional wagering opportunity to the player. Moments later, during the on-going race, the player may view the randomly generated outcome of his or her additional wager. Continuing with the example developed herein, a blimp may cross the sky above the raceway (which would be a win for the player if the player had wagered on the blimp appearing in the sky) or, for example, a formation of supersonic fighter aircraft may streak across the sky above the raceway instead, signaling that the player has lost this particular additional betting opportunity (because the player bet that a blimp would float across the sky, and not fighter aircraft). Alternatively, the blimp may appear and display an advertisement of the product or service. If the displayed advertisement features the wagered product or service, the player wins this particular additional betting opportunity.
As shown in
As shown in
As discussed above and as shown relative to
The additional wagering opportunity shown in the second display 1504 may persist for a predetermined period of time. In that case, an additional wagering opportunity timer 1604 may countdown the remaining time during which the player may make up his or her mind whether to participate or decline to participate in this additional betting opportunity. Alternatively still the additional betting opportunity may persist for as long as the event or condition in the primary game warrants it. That is, in the case of video poker, the additional wagering opportunity to bet on whether the face value of the cards will exceed 25 may be withdrawn only after one or more cards are turned over. Alternatively, the additional betting opportunity may be updated according to the face value of the card that was turned face up. Likewise, in the case of a car race, the additional wagering opportunity that the next car to pass the player's car will be blue would no longer be available when the color of the next passing car is revealed to the player. Therefore, the timing of the appearance, the nature of and the disappearance of the additional wagering opportunity may be contextually driven by what is currently happening in the primary game, in the gaming machine or dependent upon events or conditions prevailing external to the player's gaming machine, to the extent allowed under prevailing gaming regulations.
The context that drives the offering of one or more additional wagering opportunities need not be a single event that occurs within the primary game, such as the video poker game shown in
As shown in
In narrative based games of chance, richly rendered virtual environments are presented to the player. Such rich environments offer a wide variety of additional wagering opportunities, as most any happening or artifact in the environment may be used as the basis of an additional wagering opportunity. For example, in a medieval dragon-slaying game of chance, the player might be invited to place a wager on whether the dragon's fire breath will incinerate a bunny rabbit shown frolicking nearby—decidedly not a major thematic element in the valiant Prince's dragon slaying quest. The frequency of additional wagering opportunities offered to the player may be selected such they do not unduly fragment the primary game play. According to further embodiments, the frequency with which such additional wagering opportunities present themselves to the player may be adaptive. That is, if the player consistently chooses not to avail him or herself of the offered additional wagering opportunities, such opportunities may present themselves at increasingly infrequent intervals, and may eventually not be presented to the player any more, if it is determined that the player is not interested in pursuing such additional wagering opportunities, preferring to concentrate on the primary game play, as evidenced by the player's past behavior.
According to further embodiments, the primary game timer (see step 734) may be halted for the duration necessary to offer and act upon the additional wagering opportunity, so as not to affect the value of the intermission. According to other embodiments, the primary game timer 734 is unaffected by the detour the player takes by availing him or herself of the offered additional wagering opportunity or opportunities, which does, by definition, affect the intermission and the wager, which is a function of the intermission (see step 740) in the current cashless time game session.
As shown in
While the foregoing detailed description has described preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention. Those of skill in this art will recognize other alternative embodiments and all such embodiments are deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention should be limited only by the claims as set forth below.
