| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080214258 | Wins of Restricted Credits in a Gaming Machine - Disclosed is a gaming system and method designed or configured to provide wins of restricted credits. Restricted credits may be awarded according to the same or a different pay table than cashable credits on the same machine or at the same gaming property. Where separate pay tables are used for restricted and cashable credits, the invention may be implemented with a machine that accepts and pays only restricted credit according to a single, fixed internal payout schedule (“pay table”). Alternatively, the invention may be implemented with a machine that pays restricted credit according to one fixed internal pay table and cashable credit according to another fixed internal pay table. Or, a machine may pay restricted credit according to an external pay table provided by a host system to which the machine is connected. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080254894 | CENTRAL DETERMINATION GAMING SYSTEM WITH A KENO GAME - A central determination gaming system with a keno game. Upon a player initiating a game play at a gaming terminal, the gaming terminal enables the player to select a plurality of symbols. The gaming terminal accesses a standard set of predefined symbols for the specific game played. The gaming terminal bidirectionally maps the player's selected symbols with the standard set of predefined symbols. The gaming terminal receives a predetermined game outcome seed from a central controller. The gaming terminal utilizes the selected game outcome seed to generate a plurality of game symbols. The gaming terminal determines if each of the generated game symbols needs to be modified. If so, the gaming terminal modifies these generated game symbols based on the bidirectionally mapping, presents the modified game symbols to the player and provides the player a game outcome that is determined based on the selected game outcome seed. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090054149 | MULTIPLE MONETARY TYPE GAMING MACHINE WITH CASH CONVERSION FUNCTIONALITY - A gaming machine connected in a gaming network or operating as a stand-alone machine, is capable of accepting two or more currencies for wager game play. The machine operates internally using a native monetary type and converts non-monetary bills to native amounts in the form of restricted or cashable credits. The multiple currency capability of the machine is utilized to encourage the use of restricted credits by adjusting conversion rates, payback tables, and the like. These features, combined with the use of restricted credits, also enable ways to monitor abuse and illegal activity on the gaming machine and implement ways to limit losses by a player. Certain post-conversion processes are used to ensure that the player is returned non-converted amounts. The gaming machine has additional hard and soft meters to process multiple monetary types. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090069073 | GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF PLAYS OF A BACKGROUND GAME RESULTING IN A SINGLE AWARD FOR THE PLAYER - A gaming device, system and method which enables a player to apply a large wager amount to a plurality of plays of a background game in increments or portions. The gaming device apportions or applies the large wager amount to a plurality of plays of a background game. The gaming device displays a play of the primary game to the player that provides a primary game outcome which has an award equal to the amount of the sum of the background game results. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090075714 | MULTI-CARD BINGO PATTERNS AND WILD BALLS - Methods and devices are provided for enhanced bingo play, particularly multi-card play. Multi-card bingo patterns can provide low hit probabilities and correspondingly high payouts, even if the underlying bingo cards have relatively few spots. Some multi-card patterns can only be hit one way. “Wild” bingo balls, which may be placed on any available spot on a bingo card, are also provided. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090075715 | MULTI-CARD BINGO GAME FEATURES - After the main ball drop of a bingo game, a player may be given a free extra bingo number. A probability of awarding a free ball may be determined, at least in part, according to a desired paytable percentage for the bingo game (or vice versa). Some implementations of the invention provide multi-card bingo games. A player may be required to hit a predetermined pattern on more than one bingo card in order to obtain a progressive award. The number of hits in the pattern(s) and/or the number of bingo cards involved may be determined according to a desired progressive award size and/or a desired probability of obtaining the progressive award. Players may have an opportunity to purchase one or more additional bingo numbers after the main ball drop of a bingo game. A player may be provided the option of purchasing a block of more than one additional bingo number after the main ball drop. The player may be offered such a block at a discount, as compared to the price for purchasing the additional bingo numbers individually. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090088252 | GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD CONFIGURED TO CHANGE THE ODDS OF A PLAYER OBTAINING A WINNING GAME OUTCOME OR A DESIGNATED GAME OUTCOME FOR A PLAY OF A GAME WITHOUT CHANGING THE PAYTABLE OF THE GAME - A gaming system and method that enables the odds of obtaining a winning outcome or a designated outcome for a play of a game to change without modifying the paytable of the game. The gaming system makes a first determination using a first processor based on a paytable of a game. The gaming system makes a second determination using a second processor, where the second determination may be based, at least in part, on the wager amount. The gaming system displays a single game outcome to the player and either provides the player with the highest award resulting from the determinations or any awards resulting from the determinations. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090110195 | ENCRYPTED DATA INSTALLATION - A base encryption method may be applied to plain data to form base encrypted data. An installation encryption method may be applied to the base encryption data to provide encrypted installation data. During installation, the encrypted installation data are encrypted to form encrypted storage data for storage on a storage medium such as a hard drive. Preferably, the data are not fully decrypted at any stage of the installation process. The host CPU may be minimally involved (or not involved) in the encryption/decryption process. Some embodiments provide a logic seal (a/k/a a “tell-tale circuit”) that monitors access to a machine. In some such implementations, an encryption/decryption key may be stored in the logic seal. When the logic seal is broken, countermeasures may be taken, e.g., at least some data may be deleted. For example, one or more cryptographic keys may be erased. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090124334 | GAMING SYSTEM, GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A WAGERING SOLITAIRE GAME - The present disclosure provides a method of determining suitable paytables for wagering Solitaire games or type games and a gaming system, gaming device and method for providing such wagering games with such paytables. In one embodiment, the paytable includes the outcomes in the form of ranges of the total numbers of cards which are banked at the time play terminates and the awards associated with each range. In various embodiments, the paytable is constructed such that certain of the awards increase non-linearly as the ranges of numbers of banked cards increase. In other words, in various embodiments, certain awards in the paytable have a different upper ratio to the number of cards banked than other awards in the paytable. In various embodiments, the Solitaire game includes one stage or multiple stages. The present disclosure also provides a paytable for multiple related plays of the Solitaire game. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090143141 | Intelligent Multiplayer Gaming System With Multi-Touch Display - Various techniques are disclosed for facilitating gesture-based interactions with intelligent multi-player electronic gaming systems which include a multi-user, multi-touch input display surface capable of concurrently supporting contact-based and/or non-contact-based gestures performed by one or more users at or near the input display surface. Gestures may include single touch, multi-touch, and/or near-touch gestures. Some gaming system embodiments may include automated hand tracking functionality for identifying and/or tracking the hands of users interacting with the display surface. In some gaming system embodiments, the multi-user, multi-touch input display surface may be implemented using a multi-layered display (MLD) display device which includes multiple layered display screens. Various types of MLD-related display techniques disclosed herein may be advantageously used for facilitating gesture-based user interactions with a MLD-based multi-user, multi-touch input display surface and/or for facilitating various types of activities conducted at the gaming system, including, for example, various types of game-related and/or wager-related activities. According to various embodiments, users interacting with the multi-user, multi-touch input display surface may convey game play instructions, wagering instructions, and/or other types of instructions to the gaming system by performing various types of gestures at or over the multi-user, multi-touch input display surface. In some embodiments, the gaming system may include gesture processing functionality for: detecting users' gestures, identifying the user who performed a detected gesture, recognizing the gesture, interpreting the gesture, mapping the gesture to one or more appropriate function(s), and/or initiating the function(s). In at least some embodiments, such gesture processing may take into account various external factors, conditions, and/or information which, for example, may facilitate proper and/or appropriate gesture recognition, gesture interpretation, and/or gesture-function mapping. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090156303 | Bonusing Architectures in a Gaming Environment - A gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines is provided. The gaming machines may be configured to provide bonus games with persistent. The gaming machines may be configured to allow a player to enroll in bonus game with persistence and generate a record locator, such as printed ticket that allows a record of a state in the bonus game with persistence to be accessed at a later time. A server coupled to the plurality of gaming machines may maintain records of various states in the bonus game with persistence. When a valid record locator is presented at a gaming machine, these records may be checked out and updated via game play at the gaming machine. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090203433 | GAMING MACHINE INCLUDING REDO FEATURE - A wager manipulation feature for a wagering game is provided. The feature may be implemented after the player's wager is set but before game play takes place, after game play takes place or both simultaneously. If before game play, the feature enables the player to undo or nullify the wager, for example, if the player changes his or her mind or enters a wager incorrectly. If after game play, the feature provides a bonus to the player in which the player may nullify a bet after an unsuccessful outcome or increase the bet to enhance a favorable outcome. In any case, the redo feature can be accumulated in one embodiment and stored and/or restored on a gaming device ticket, player tracking card or promotion. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090253498 | Flat Rate Wager-Based Game Play Techniques For Casino Table Game Environments - Various techniques are disclosed for operating, at a live casino gaming table, a table game having a flat rate play session costing a flat rate price. In one embodiment, the flat rate play session may span multiple plays on the gaming table over a pre-established duration. In at least one embodiment, a given gaming table may be operable to simultaneously or concurrently host both flat rate game play and non-flat rate game play to different players at the gaming table. In one embodiment, the gaming table may include an intelligent multi-player electronic gaming system which is operable to identify price parameters, and/or operable to determine a flat rate price of playing a flat rate table game session based on those price parameters. Additional aspects relate to automated start/stop/suspend/end of flat rate table game sessions. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100041459 | MULTI-PLAYER BINGO GAME WITH OPTIONAL PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT WAGER - The invention is directed to methods and gaming units for conducting a wagering game and an associated progressive jackpot. Players may win the wagering game, interim pattern awards and/or progressive jackpot awards by matching predetermined patterns with patterns formed on their unique game array with indicia matching selected indicia. The players may optionally participate and be eligible to win all or a portion of the progressive jackpot. In one embodiment, the player may be eligible for the progressive jackpot by wagering at least a minimum wager amount, and perhaps the maximum bet for the wagering game. In another embodiment, the player may affirmatively elect to be eligible for the progressive jackpot by placing a wager or fee in addition to a wager on the wagering game. Graphics corresponding to the progressive jackpot may be optionally displayed only to players eligible to win the progressive jackpot. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100048282 | GAMING SYSTEM, GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD OF PROVIDING SELECTION GAME WITH INTERDEPENDENT AWARD DISTRIBUTION - The disclosed gaming system, gaming device and method provide a selection game having a plurality of selectable positions and a plurality of awards interdependently distributed or associated with the selectable positions. For one, a plurality, or all the selectable positions, the award associated with such selectable position is interdependent in that such award has a relationship to one or more of the awards associated with the selectable positions bordering such position. In various embodiments, the value of the award associated with such selectable position has a relationship to one or more of the values of the awards associated with the selectable positions bordering such position. Based on these interdependencies, when each of the selectable positions is selected, the award, or value of the award, associated with the position provides certain information which can be subsequently used to make better informed position selections. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100081497 | GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD HAVING PLAYER ACCUMULATED POINTS AND DETERMINING EACH PLAYER'S CHANCES OF WINNING AN AWARD BASED ON THE ACCUMULATED POINTS - The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides and tracks bonus event eligibility points accumulated by players playing the gaming devices in the gaming system. Upon a triggering of a bonus event, the gaming system generates, for each bonus event eligibility point accumulated for each player, a random number from a predefined range of numbers. The gaming system determines which one of the accumulated bonus event eligibility points is the designated bonus event eligibility point, such as by determining which bonus event eligibility point is associated with the highest valued random number generated. The gaming system then enables the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point to participate in the bonus event. In the bonus event, one or more awards are provided to the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100120498 | GAMING SYSTEM, GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD PROVIDING TIERED PROGRESSIVE BONUSING SYSTEM - The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of players with an opportunity to win a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the gaming system. The gaming system accumulates a quantity of progressive event points for each player playing at one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points for a designated player to determine which one or more of the progressive awards the designated player wins. In another embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points to determine the designated player's probability of winning one or more of the progressive awards. Accordingly, the gaming system provides a point-based system in which either a progressive award to win or a probability of winning a progressive award is determined based on the quantities of progressive event points accumulated by the players. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100144415 | MULTI-PLAY POKER GAMING SYSTEM WITH PREDETERMINED GAME OUTCOMES - A gaming system which provides the player a plurality of playing cards to form an initial primary poker hand and also displays one or more other poker hands. The player selects one or more of the initially dealt cards in the primary poker hand to hold or to discard. The held cards are also held in one, more or each of the other simultaneously displayed hands. The gaming device evaluates the held cards and determines which poker game outcomes are possible based on the held cards and the remaining cards in the deck. The gaming device utilizes a stored table of different distributions of poker game outcomes which would result in each payout amount and a table regarding which poker game outcomes are possible based on the player's held cards to determine a distribution of outcomes that provides a total payout equal to the payout of the predetermined game outcome. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100234089 | GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD PROVIDING SLOT GAME HAVING VIRTUAL MAP DRIVEN REEL STOP POSITION DETERMINATIONS - Various embodiments of the disclosed gaming device include a housing which supports a plurality of mechanical reels and a plurality of stop input devices which are configured to provide a Pachisuro-style slot game. Each of the plurality of reels is associated with a different one of the plurality of stop input devices. Each stop input device enables a player to stop the respective reel when the reel is spinning by activating the stop input device. Each reel includes a plurality of stop positions and each stop position includes a symbol. The gaming device also includes a processor and a memory device. For each reel, the processor randomly determines the stop position at which the reel ultimately stops based on a virtual map stored in the memory device for an initiating stop position of that reel which is selected by the player's activation of the stop input device for that reel. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100234091 | GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD PROVIDING SLOT GAME HAVING VIRTUAL MAP DRIVEN REEL STOP POSITION DETERMINATIONS - Various embodiments of the disclosed gaming device include a housing which supports a plurality of mechanical reels and a plurality of stop input devices which are configured to provide a Pachisuro-style slot game. Each of the plurality of reels is associated with a different one of the plurality of stop input devices. Each stop input device enables a player to stop the respective reel when the reel is spinning by activating the stop input device. Each reel includes a plurality of stop positions and each stop position includes a symbol. The gaming device also includes a processor and a memory device. For each reel, the processor randomly determines the stop position at which the reel ultimately stops based on a virtual map stored in the memory device for an initiating stop position of that reel which is selected by the player's activation of the stop input device for that reel. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20110003627 | CENTRAL DETERMINATION GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A PERSISTENCE GAME WITH PREDETERMINED GAME OUTCOMES - A gaming system which provides a persistence game which utilizes predetermined game outcomes. One or more predetermined game outcomes include a persistence game award value. If a predetermined game outcome including such a persistence game award value is selected to be provided to the player in association with a current play of a primary game, the gaming system determines whether to provide this persistence game award value to a player in association with the current play of the primary game, or to store this persistence game award value to be subsequently provided to a player in association with a subsequent play of the primary game. The determination of whether to provide or store the persistence game award value is based on the then current progress of the persistence game (i.e., the current state of an accumulation meter). | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110053676 | Gaming System, Gaming Device and Method for Providing a Player an Opportunity to Win a Designated Award Based on One or More Aspects of the Player's Skill - In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and method disclosed herein maintains a designated award which is associated with a variable score for a skill-based game. In one such embodiment, the gaming system enables a player to play a game, wherein the gaming system forms a score for the player. The player's formed score is based on zero, one or more inputs made by the player during the play of the skill-based game (i.e., which tends to measure one or more aspects of that player's skills). If the player's score does not reach the variable score associated with the designated award, the gaming system modifies the variable score associated with the designated award of that skill-based game. If the player's score reaches or exceeds the variable score associated with the designated award, the gaming system provides the player a designated quantity of opportunities to win the maintained designated award. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110105216 | GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NORMALIZING AVERAGE EXPECTED PAYOUTS TO PLAYERS - The gaming system disclosed herein accounts for game play over a gaming session in determining a bonus game attribute for a triggered bonus game. The gaming system maintains a plurality of different bonus game attributes. Each different bonus game attribute is associated with a different bonus game attribute modification event and an initial probability of that bonus game attribute being selected for a play of a bonus game. For each bonus game attribute modification event that occurs, the gaming system modifies the probability that the associated bonus game attribute will be selected for a play of a bonus game. Upon an occurrence of a bonus game triggering event, the gaming system randomly selects one of the maintained bonus game attributes. The gaming system then displays a bonus game and determines a bonus game award utilizing the selected bonus game attribute. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110111828 | GAMING SYSTEMS, GAMING DEVICES AND METHODS WITH VOLATILITY CONTROL GAMES - Gaming systems, gaming devices and methods that provide games that control volatility. In one embodiment, the gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to select values, or cells associated with values, that are displayed in a particular arrangement. The player selected values are distributed to other values or cells according to one or more predefined rules. In one embodiment, one or more of the player selectable values are progressive award values. At some point during the game, the gaming system randomly picks one of the remaining values that have not been selected and provides an award to the player based at least in part on the selected value. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110111835 | RECONCILING PAYBACK PERCENTAGE OF A GAMING DEVICE WITH TRANSFERABLE RETURN - An electronic gaming machine (EGM) is configured to run a persistence game having one or more recordable persistence states transferable to another EGM. The EGM includes a logic system, a computer readable memory including instructions executable by the logic system for running on the EGM a persistence game having persistence states leading to a persistence award redeemable when persistence criteria are satisfied, each persistence state having a persistence value representing a portion of the persistence award, a verification interface configured for determining whether to initiate play of the persistence game at a previously recorded persistence state, a coin-in meter, a coin-out meter, and a theoretical coin-out meter storing in the memory unawarded persistence values accumulated by the machine from advancing the persistence game during game play among the one or more persistence states, and calculating a value for theoretical coin-out as a sum of the accumulated coin-out value and a difference between the persistence value of a current persistence state and the persistence value of a previous persistence state. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110118011 | GAMING SYSTEMS, GAMING DEVICES AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING PROGRESSIVE AWARDS - The gaming system, gaming device and method disclosed herein determines whether to provide at least one of the plurality of progressive awards to the player based on that player's measured level of skill in: (i) a plurality of plays of a partial skill-based game, (ii) a skill-based progressive award sequence, or (iii) a plurality of plays of a partial skill-based game and a skill-based progressive award sequence. The determination is based on zero, one or more inputs made by the player which tend to measure that player's level of skill in at least one of a partial skill-based game and a skill-based progressive award sequence. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110165937 | UNIVERSAL OPERATING SYSTEM TO HARDWARE PLATFORM INTERFACE FOR GAMING MACHINES - Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine. | 07-07-2011 |
