REGULATED GAMING MACHINES AND CASINO GAMES CONFIGURED TO ENABLE SCORED AGGREGATED WAGERS TO DETERMINE PAYTABLES

MACHINES A SOUS ET JEUX DE CASINO REGLEMENTES CONFIGURES POUR PERMETTRE A DES PARIS AGREGES NOTES DE DETERMINER DES TABLEAUX DE SOLDE

English Abstract

A wager-based game may be configured to present a plurality of separate wagering opportunities for player interaction during, an at least partially successful player interaction with any of which generates a wager. An initial value may be associated with each of the plurality of wagering opportunities. A wager may be placed when the received player interaction is determined to have at least partially successfully interacted with at least one of the plurality of wagering opportunities. The initial value associated with each wagering opportunity with which the received player interaction was at least partially successful may be selectively updated to generate respective updated values. A score may then be determined, the score being related to, for example, at least the generated updated values and a number of wagering opportunities with which the received player interaction was at least partially successful and payout schedules may be selected according to the determined score.

French Abstract

Selon l'invention, un jeu basé sur un pari peut être configuré pour présenter une pluralité d'opportunités de pari distinctes pour une interaction de joueur pendant une interaction de joueur au moins partiellement réussie avec l'une quelconque d'entre elles générant un pari. Une valeur initiale peut être associée à chacune de la pluralité d'opportunités de pari. Un pari peut être fait lorsque l'interaction de joueur reçue est déterminée comme ayant interagi au moins partiellement avec succès avec au moins l'une de la pluralité d'opportunités de pari. La valeur initiale associée à chaque opportunité de pari avec laquelle l'interaction de joueur reçue a été au moins partiellement réussie peut être mise à jour de manière sélective pour générer des valeurs mises à jour respectives. Un score peut ensuite être déterminé, le score étant associé, par exemple, au moins aux valeurs mises à jour générées et à un certain nombre d'opportunités de pari avec lesquelles l'interaction de joueur reçue a été au moins partiellement réussie, et des calendriers de paiement peuvent être sélectionnés en fonction du score déterminé.

Claims

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CLAIMS:
1. A computer-implemented method of operating a gaming machine, comprising
accepting, in the gaming machine, funds from a player and enabling the player
to play a wager-
based game using the accepted funds, the wager-based game being configured to
present a plurality of
separate wagering opportunities for player interaction during the game, an at
least partially successful
player interaction with any of which generates a wager;
associating an initial value with each of the plurality of wagering
opportunities;
receiving a player interaction with at least one of the plurality of wagering
opportunities via a
player interface of the gaming machine;
when the received player interaction is determined to have failed to result in
one or more at
least partially successful interactions, foregoing placing a wager; and
when the received player interaction is determined to have at least partially
successfully
interacted with at least one of the plurality of wagering opportunities,
placing a wager and:
selectively updating the initial value associated with each wagering
opportunity with
which the received player interaction was at least partially successful to
generate respective updated
values;
determining a score, the score being related to at least the generated updated
values and
a number of wagering opportunities with which the received player interaction
was at least
partially succes sful;
selecting which of a plurality of payout schedules to access according to the
determined
score; and
determining a reward due to the player using the accessed payout schedule.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising summing
the
generated updated values and wherein the score is related to a sum of the
generated updated values
and the number of wagering opportunities with which the received player
interaction was at least
partially successful.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein placing a wager is
executed
only when the received player interaction is determined to have successfully
interacted with at least
one of the plurality of wagering opportunities.
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4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wager-based game
is
configured as shooting game, wherein the plurality of wagering opportunities
are targets and wherein
a partially successful interaction damages the target and successful
interaction destroys the target.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the
plurality of payout
schedules is different from others of the plurality of payout schedules in
terms of at least one of
volatility, Return-To-Player (RTP) and payout amounts.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting which of a
plurality
of payout schedules to access comprises selecting a payout schedule with a
potentially higher return
to the player when the determined score is higher than when the determined
score is comparatively
lower.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting which of a
plurality
of payout schedules to access comprises selecting a payout schedule with a
potentially higher return
to the player when the determined score is lower than when the determined
score is comparatively
higher.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reward due to
the player is
potentially higher when the score is determined to be higher than when the
score is determined to be
comparatively lower.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reward due to
the player is
potentially higher when the score is determined to be lower than when the
score is determined to be
comparatively higher.
10. An electronic, wager-based gaming device, comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory;
a player interface coupled to the processor; and
a display coupled to the processor
a plurality of processes spawned by the processor, the plurality of processes
comprising
processing logic to:
accept, in the gaming machine, funds from a player and enable the player to
play a wager-based
game using the accepted funds, the wager-based game being configured to
present a plurality of
separate wagering opportunities for player interaction during the game, an at
least partially successful
player interaction with any of which generates a wager;
associate an initial value with each of the plurality of wagering
opportunities;
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receive a player interaction with at least one of the plurality of wagering
opportunities via a
player interface of the gaming machine;
when the received player interaction is determined to have failed to result in
one or more at
least partially successful interactions, forego placing a wager; and
when the received player interaction is determined to have at least partially
successfully
interacted with at least one of the plurality of wagering opportunities, place
a wager and:
selectively update the initial value associated with each wagering opportunity
with
which the received player interaction was at least partially successful to
generate respective updated
values;
determine a score, the score being related to at least the generated updated
values and
a number of wagering opportunities with which the received player interaction
was at least
partially succes sful;
select which of a plurality of payout schedules to access according to the
determined
score; and
determine a reward due to the player using the accessed payout schedule.
11. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, further
comprising processing
logic for summing the generated updated values and wherein the score is
related to a sum of the
generated updated values and the number of wagering opportunities with which
the received player
interaction was at least partially successful.
12. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, wherein the
processing logic for
placing a wager is executed only when the received player interaction is
determined to have
successfully interacted with at least one of the plurality of wagering
opportunities.
13. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, wherein the wager-
based game
is configured as shooting game, wherein the plurality of wagering
opportunities are targets and wherein
a partially successful interaction damages the target and successful
interaction destroys the target.
14. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, wherein each of
the plurality of
payout schedules is different from others of the plurality of payout schedules
in terms of at least one
of volatility, Return-To-Player (RTP) and payout amounts.
15. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, wherein the
processing logic for
selecting which of a plurality of payout schedules to access comprises
processing logic for selecting a
payout schedule with a potentially higher return to the player when the
determined score is higher than
when the determined score is comparatively lower.
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16. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, wherein the
processing logic for
selecting which of a plurality of payout schedules to access comprises
processing logic for selecting a
payout schedule with a potentially higher return to the player when the
determined score is lower than
when the determined score is comparatively higher.
17. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, wherein the
reward due to the
player is potentially higher when the score is determined to be higher than
when the score is determined
to be comparatively lower.
18. The electronic, wager-based gaming device of claim 1, wherein the
reward due to the
player is potentially higher when the score is determined to be lower than
when the score is determined
to be comparatively higher.
19. A computer-implemented method of operating a gaming machine, comprising
accepting, in the gaming machine, funds from a player and enabling the player
to play a wager-
based shooting game using the accepted funds, the wager-based shooting game
being configured to
present a plurality of separate wagering opportunities as targets for the
player to shoot via player
interactions with the gaming machine during the game such that damaging one or
more targets or
destroying one or more targets generates a wager;
associating an initial value with each of the targets;
receiving a player interaction indicative of the player shooting at least one
of the targets via a
player interface of the gaming machine;
when the received player interaction is determined to have failed to damage or
destroy at least
one of the targets, foregoing placing a wager; and
when the received player interaction is determined to have damaged or
destroyed at least one
of the targets, placing a wager and:
selectively updating the initial value associated with each of the targets
with which the
received player interaction was at least partially successful to generate
respective updated values;
determining a score, the score being related to at least the generated updated
values and
a number of targets damaged or destroyed by the received player interaction;
selecting which of a plurality of payout schedules to access according to the
determined
score; and
determining a reward due to the player using the accessed payout schedule.
20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein destroying a
target results in
an update to the initial value of a larger magnitude than damaging the target.

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21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein damaging and
destroying
many targets results in a selection of a payout schedule having higher
potential payouts and wherein
damaging and destroying comparatively fewer targets results in a selection of
a payout schedule having
comparatively lower potential payouts.
56

Description

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REGULATED GAMING MACHINES AND CASINO GAMES
CONFIGURED TO ENABLE SCORED AGGREGATED WAGERS
TO DETERMINE PAYTABLES
BACKGROUND
Some regulated casino games include game play in which players are called upon
to exhibit
some measure of skill, judgment and/or dexterity in achieving one or more of
the game's objectives.
For example, the game's narrative may call on the player to shoot a large
number of zombies or other
enemies. In such games, each time the player takes aim and makes a kill shot,
a wager may be initiated.
Although entertaining, such aim-kill-wager cycle is amenable to greater
variety and more engaging
game play.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0001] Fig. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a gaming network suitable for
implementing
embodiments.
[0002] Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of an electronic gaming system according
to one
embodiment.
[0003] Fig. 3 illustrates a network diagram of gaming network that may be
configured to
implement embodiments described herein.
[0004] Fig. 4 is a block diagram of electronic gaming device, according to an
embodiment.
[0005] Fig. 5 is a block diagram of an intelligent electronic gaming system,
according to one
embodiment.
[0006] Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a mobile gaming device with which an
embodiment may
be practiced.
[0007] Fig. 7 shows a system server suitable for implementing various aspects
of embodiments
described herein.
[0008] Fig. 8 shows a functional block diagram of a gaming system server
according to one
embodiment.
[0009] Fig. 9 shows a block diagram illustrating components of a gaming system
suitable for
implementing an embodiment.
[0010] Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating wagering opportunities.
[0011] Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating aspects of computer-implemented
methods and devices,
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according to embodiments.
[0012] Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating further aspects of computer-
implemented methods and
devices, according to embodiments.
[0013] Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating still further aspects of computer-
implemented methods
and devices, according to embodiments.
[0014] Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating yet further aspects of computer-
implemented methods
and devices, according to embodiments.
[0015] Fig. 15 is a flowchart illustrating aspects of a computer-implemented
method of
operating a regulated gaming machine, according to one embodiment.
[0016] Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating aspects of a computer-implemented
method according
to one embodiment.
[0017] Fig. 17 is a flowchart of a computer-implemented method according to
one
embodiment.
[0018] Fig. 18 is a flowchart of a computer-implemented method according to
one
embodiment.
[0019] Fig. 19 shows a wager-based regulated gaming machine configured
according to
embodiments. Fig. 19 also shows exemplary tangible, non-transitory computer-
readable media having
data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when
executed by the regulated
gaming computing device, cause the regulated gaming computing device to
operate according to an
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Veteran gamblers (e.g., older gambler demographic age 50+) have been
accustomed to
a standard set of video gaming symbols (e.g., A, J, K, Q from playing cards)
which, for example, may
be accompanied with a multitude of additional themed symbols (e.g., fruits,
animals, fantasy creatures,
media personas, etc.) presented on a series of wheels or drums. Newer
technology has made possible
the use of digital display screens that present the reels and symbols in a
digital format. Such existing
slot machine technology, however, is dated and may be unappealing to younger
players. Indeed,
younger gamblers (e.g., also referred to as "gamers"), on the other hand, are
accustomed to home
gaming consoles (Nintendo, XBOX, PlayStation and the like) that provide them
with exquisitely-
rendered immersive 2D & 3D game environments with which they can interact.
These gamers, who
are used to fast paced, energetic, and visually stunning games, feel that the
display method of the
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traditional slot machines are unappealing, which leads to decreased revenue
for casino operators.
[0021] It is desirable, therefore, to offer hybrid arcade/wager-based games or
gambling arcade
games that provide hybrid arcade-style, wager-based gaming techniques, which
find a ready
demographic in younger gamers. However, one significant obstacle regarding
such hybrid arcade-
style, wager-based gaming techniques is that they often rely on complex back
end solutions that require
lengthy and costly processes of regulatory review and approvals in many
different gaming
jurisdictions.
[0022] One possible workaround to this significant obstacle is to
configure/design a hybrid
arcade-style, wager-based game such that it is compliant with currently
approved wager-based gaming
regulatory standards such as, for example, the well-known GLI standards, which
have already been
approved in various gaming jurisdictions. One example of a GLI standard is the
GLI-11 standard
version 3.0, Published Sep. 21, 2016 by Gaming Laboratories International,
LLC, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
[0023] For example, in one embodiment, a hybrid arcade-style, wager-based game
may be
configured to provide an arcade-style gaming interface which enables a player
to participate in an
arcade-style game at the wager-based gaming machine. One or more events and/or
activities performed
by the player (e.g., during play of the arcade-style game) may automatically
trigger a random number
generator (RNG)-based wager that is compliant with applicable gaming
standards, rules and
regulations. Because such wager-based activities comply with currently
existing GLI standard(s)
(and/or other national, regional, local gaming rules and regulations), such
hybrid arcade-style, wager-
based games may not require additional regulatory approval for deployment in
casino venues.
[0024] In one embodiment, a hybrid arcade-style, wager-based game may be
created by
combining a new and different visual game representation with a new and
different method of player
interaction. The hybrid arcade-style, wager-based game may be configured to
provide a perceptually
stimulating experience using a wide variety of human interface devices (HID),
based on the
theme/style of the gambling game at hand. For example, some games may utilize
a gun controller for
first person shooter games, or steering wheels, accelerator and brake pedals
for driving games. These
and other types of games and interactions may be adapted for hybrid
arcade/wager-based gaming.
[0025] For example, the format of the hybrid arcade-style, wager-based game
may also focus
on other types of video and/or arcade-style games such as, for example, non-
linear (e.g., open world)
type video and/or arcade-style games such as, for example, Grand Theft Auto,
linear type video and/or
arcade-style games such as, for example, Half-Life, massively multiplayer
online "MMO" type video
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and/or arcade-style games such as, for example, World of Warcraft, role-
playing game "RPG" type
video and/or arcade-style games such as, for example, Final Fantasy, and/or
others, Such games may
feature a player character that may be moved through the game world via player
input, (e.g., HID),
which allows for an increased sense of excitement through gameplay by
providing a multitude of
player-choice possibilities through a wide-array of path directions.
[0026] In some embodiments, the format of the hybrid arcade-style, wager-based
game may
facilitate a gameplay environment in which multiplayer functionality takes
place. The multiplayer
gameplay may have multiple "enrollment" aspects in which one, for example,
particular player could
be on location at a casino playing a hybrid arcade/wager-based game, while
another (e.g., different)
player could be at a different location, concurrently participating in the
same hybrid arcade/wager-
based game, but without participating in any wagering aspect/portions of
hybrid arcade/wager-based
game. A non-wagering game such as this is commonly known as a "free to play"
game, which the
player is allowed to download and install on their own devices. The player may
then progress through
the game (e.g., which is very similar to its the wager-based counter-part)
without taking part in wager-
based events. Gaming situations such as these may promote a "clicks to bricks"
outcome where a
casino property promotes their games to home users and invites them to develop
familiarity and
expertise on non-wagering versions of the games. Later, those same home
players may be invited to
visit the casinos to play the hybrid arcade/wager version of the games.
[0027] In some embodiments, different players concurrently participating in
the same hybrid
arcade/wager-based game may each separately configure his/her respective
wagering
parameters/amounts, which may be different from the wagering
parameters/amounts configured by
other game player-participants.
[0028] Fig. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a hybrid
arcade/wager-based
gaming system 100 which may be implemented via a computer network. At least a
portion of the
various functions, actions, operations, and activities performed by one or
more component(s) of the
hybrid arcade/wager-based gaming system may be initiated in response to
detection of one or more
conditions, events, and/or other criteria satisfying one or more different
types of minimum threshold
criteria. According to embodiments, at least a portion of the various types of
functions, operations,
actions, and/or other features provided by the hybrid arcade/wager-based
gaming system may be
implemented at one or more client systems(s), at one or more system server(s),
and/or combinations
thereof. According to different embodiments, the present hybrid arcade/wager-
based gaming system
100 may be implemented in hardware and/or combinations of hardware and
software.
[0029] According to one embodiment, a hybrid arcade/wager-based gaming system
100 may
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include local casino system(s) 122, client computer systems 130, mobile
devices 160 and
remote/Internet-based gaming services 190 and other 3rd party entities 150,
coupled to a
computer/communication network 110. The local casino system(s) 122 may include
local casino
gaming system server(s) 120. The local casino system(s) 122 may also include
and class 2 RNG
system(s)/service(s) 124. The Class 2 RNG system(s)/service(s) 124 may be
configured to
dynamically generate and/or provide Class 2 gaming type RNG outcomes to be
used by hybrid
arcade/wager-based Gaming devices as "predetermined" RNG outcome(s). Class 3
RNG
system(s)/service(s) 126 may also be provided to dynamically generate and
provide Class 3 gaming
"predetermined" RNG outcome(s). Local casino system(s) 122 may also include
electronic gaming
machine(s) (EGMs) 128 that may be configured as described herein below.
[0030] Client computer system(s) 130 may also be operable to couple to the
network 110 and
implement various types of functions, operations, actions, and/or other
features such as those described
or referenced herein via, for example, a web browser 132. Similarly, mobile
computing devices 160
(e.g., mobile phones, tablets and the like) may be configured to access the
network 110 and to use a
mobile web browser 162 and/or one or more mobile applications (apps) 166 to
implement some or all
of the functionality described herein. Third party entities 150 may also be
configured to carry out
some or all of the functionality described herein via the network 110.
[0031] Remote/Internet-based gaming service(s) 190 may also be coupled to
network 110 and
may comprise class 2 RNG system(s)/service(s) 194 as described relative to
reference numeral 124,
class 3 RNG system(s)/service(s) 196 as described relative to reference
numeral 126, and remote
database system(s) 180. Remote system(s)/service(s) 170 may be provided, which
may include, for
example, content provider servers/services, media streaming servers/services,
database
storage/access/query servers/services, financial transaction servers/services,
payment gateway
servers/services, electronic commerce servers/services, event
management/scheduling servers/services
and/or other services as needed. Remote/Internet-based gaming service(s) 190
may also include
gaming servers 192.
[0032] According to embodiments, multiple instances or threads of hybrid
arcade/wager-based
gaming may be concurrently implemented and/or initiated via the use of one or
more processors and/or
other combinations of hardware and/or hardware and software. Embodiments may
access and/or utilize
information from one or more associated databases via communication with one
or more local and/or
remote memory devices.
[0033] According to different embodiments, various different types of
encryption/decryption
techniques may be used to facilitate secure communications over the network
110 and/or via other

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communication channels. For example, such encryption may utilize random number
generators, SHA-
1 (e.g., Secured Hashing Algorithm), MD2, MD5, DES (e.g., Digital Encryption
Standard), 3DES
(e.g., Triple DES), RC4 (e.g., Rivest Cipher), ARC4 (e.g., related to RC4),
TKIP (e.g., Temporal Key
Integrity Protocol, uses RC4), AES (e.g., Advanced Encryption Standard), RSA,
DSA, DH, NTRU,
and ECC (e.g., elliptic curve cryptography), PKA (e.g., Private Key
Authentication), Device-Unique
Secret Key and other cryptographic key data, SSL and/or others. Other security
features may include
use of well-known hardware-based and/or software-based security components,
and/or any other
known or yet to be devised security and/or hardware and encryption/decryption
processes implemented
in hardware and/or software.
[0034] Embodiments of hybrid arcade/wager-based gaming described herein may be

implemented in hardware and/or a combination of both hardware and software.
Possible
implementations include in an operating system kernel, in a separate user
process, in a library package
bound into network applications, on a specially constructed machine, or on a
network interface card.
In a specific embodiment, various aspects described herein may be implemented
in software such as
an operating system or in an application running on an operating system.
[0035] Alternatively, hardware and/or software embodiments of present hybrid
arcade/wager-
based gaming techniques described herein may be implemented on a general-
purpose programmable
computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in
memory. Such
programmable machine may include, for example, mobile or handheld computing
systems, PDA,
smart phones, notebook computers, tablets, netbooks, desktop computing
systems, system servers,
cloud computing systems, network devices, etc.
[0036] Fig. 2 shows an example block diagram of an electronic gaming system
200 according
to one embodiment. As shown, electronic gaming system 200 may include
electronic gaming devices
(EGD) 251 (e.g., electronic gaming terminals, electronic gaming machines,
wager-based video gaming
machines, etc.), which may be coupled to network 205 via a network link 210.
Network 205 may
include the internet and/or a private network. One or more video streams may
be received at
video/multimedia server 215 from EGDs 251. Video/multimedia server 215 may
also send one or more
video streams to mobile devices 245, 255, EGDs 251, and/or other remote
electronic devices.
Video/multimedia server 215 may send these video streams via network link 210
and network 205.
[0037] Electronic gaming system 200 may include an accounting/transaction
server 220, a
gaming server 225, an authentication server 230, a player tracking server 235,
a voucher server 240,
and a searching server 242. The accounting/transaction server 220 may compile,
track, store, and/or
monitor cash flows, voucher transactions, winning vouchers, losing vouchers,
and/or other transaction
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data for the casino operator and for the players. Transaction data may include
the number of wagers,
the size of these wagers, the date and time for these wagers, the identity of
the players making these
wagers, and the frequency of the wagers. Accounting/transaction server 220 may
also generate tax
information relating to these wagers, generate profit/loss and/or other
reports for predetermined
gaming options, contingent gaming options, predetermined betting structures,
and/or outcome
categories. Gaming server 225 may generate gaming options based on
predetermined betting
structures and/or outcome categories. These gaming options may be
predetermined gaming options,
contingent gaming options, and/or any other gaming option disclosed herein.
The authentication server
230 may determine the validity of vouchers, players identity, and/or an
outcome for a gaming event.
The player tracking server 235 may track a player's betting activity, a
player's preferences such as the
player's preferred language, drinks, font, sound level, and the like. Based on
data obtained by player
tracking server 235, a player may be eligible for gaming rewards (e.g., free
play), promotions, and/or
other awards (e.g., complimentary food, drinks, lodging, concerts, etc.).
Voucher server 240 may
generate a voucher, which may include data relating to gaming options. The
generated vouchers may
be physical (e.g., paper) or digital.
[0038] Searching server 242 may implement a search on one or more gaming
devices to obtain
gaming data. Searching server 242 may implement a messaging function, which
may transmit a
message to a third party (e.g., a player) relating to a search, a search
status update, a game status update,
a wager status update, a confirmation of a wager, a confirmation of a money
transfer, and/or any other
data relating to the player's account. The message can take the form of a text
display on the gaming
device, a pop-up window, a text message, an email, a voice message, a video
message and the like.
Searching server 242 may implement a wagering function, which may be an
automatic wagering
mechanism. These functions of searching server 242 may be integrated into one
or more servers.
Searching server 242 may be configured to, for example, determine which games
paid out the most
money during a time period, which games kept the most money from players
during a time period,
which games are most popular (e.g., top games), which games are least popular,
which games have
the most amount of money wager during a period, which games have the highest
wager volume, which
games are more volatile (e.g., volatility, or deviation from the statistical
norms, of wager volume,
wager amount, pay out, etc.) during a time period, and the like. Search may
also be associated with
location queries, time queries, and/or people queries.
[0039] According to embodiments, the gaming network 300 may include a display
system
server(s) 304 configured manage content (e.g., graphics, images, text, video
fees, etc.) to be displayed
and/or presented at one or more EGDs, dealer displays, administrator displays,
etc. One or more EGD
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multimedia system server(s) 305 may be provided and coupled to network 310 and
configured to
manage content (e.g., graphics, images, text, video fees, audio feeds, etc.),
which, for example, is to
be streamed or provided to one or more EGDs (e.g., or to one or more groups of
EGDs). One or more
messaging system server(s) 306 may be provided and coupled to network 310 and
configured for the
management of messaging and/or other communications among and between the
various systems,
components, devices, EGDs, players, dealers, and administrators of the gaming
network. mobile
system server(s) 308 may manage communications and/or data exchanged with
various types of mobile
devices such as player-managed mobile devices (e.g., smart phones, PDAs,
tablets, mobile computers),
casino-managed mobile devices (e.g., mobile gaming devices), financial system
server(s) 312 may be
configured to track, manage, report and store financial data and financial
transactions relating to one
or more hybrid arcade/wager-based game sessions. According to one embodiment,
a player tracking
system server 314 may include at least one database that tracks each player's
hands, wins/losses, bet
amounts, player preferences, etc., in the network. In one implementation, the
presenting and/or
awarding of promotions, bonuses, rewards, achievements, etc., may be based on
a player's play
patterns, time, games selected, bet amount for each game type, etc. A player
tracking system server
may also help establish a player's preferences, which assists the casino in
their promotional efforts to:
award player comps (e.g., loyalty points); decide which promotion(s) are
appropriate; generate bonuses
and the like. Data tracking & analysis system(s) 318 may be configured to
manage and analyze game
data. In one embodiment, the data tracking & analysis system(s) may be
configured to aggregate
multisite hybrid arcade/wager-based gaming trends, local wins and jackpots.
[0040] Gaming system server(s) 322, 324 may each be dedicated to one or more
specifically
designated type(s) of game(s). Each game server may include game logic to host
one of more virtual
hybrid arcade/wager-based game sessions. At least some game server(s) may also
be configured to
track of the game accounting (e.g., money in, money out) for a virtual hybrid
arcade/wager-based game
being played, and/or for updating the financial system servers 312 at the end
of each game. The game
server(s) 322, 324 may also configured to generate the EGD graphics primitives
(e.g., game virtual
objects and game states), and may further be operable to update EGDs when a
game state change (e.g.,
new card dealt, player upped the ante, player folds/busts, etc.) is detected.
Jurisdictional/regulatory
monitoring & enforcement system(s) 350 may be configured to handle tracking,
monitoring, reporting,
and enforcement of specific regulatory requirements relating to wager-based
gameplay activities in
one or more jurisdictions.
[0041] Authentication & validation system(s) 352 may be configured to
determine and/or
authenticate the identity of the current player at a given EGD. For example,
in one embodiment, the
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current player may be required to perform a log in process at the EGD in order
to access one or more
features. Alternatively, the EGD may be adapted to automatically determine the
identity of the current
player based upon one or more external signals such as, for example, scanning
of a barcode of a player
tracking card, an RFID tag or badge worn by the current player which provides
a wireless signal to the
EGD for determining the identity of the current player. In at least one
implementation, various security
features may be incorporated into the EGD to prevent unauthorized players from
engaging in certain
types of activities at the EGD. In some embodiments, the authentication &
validation system(s) 352
may be configured to authenticate and/or validate various types of hardware
and/or software
components, such as, for example, hardware/software components residing at a
remote EGDs, game
play information, wager information, player information and/or identity, etc.
[0042] Casino venues, shown in Fig. 3 as Casino A 330 and Casino B 340, may
correspond to
a real-world, physical casino located at a particular geographic location. In
some embodiments, a
portion of the multiple different casino venues may be affiliated with one
another (e.g., Harrah's Las
Vegas, Harrah's London). In other embodiments, at least a portion of the
multiple different casino
venues do not share any affiliation with each other.
[0043] EGDs 332, 334, 336, 342, 344, 346 may be configured to enable players
to participate
in game sessions according to embodiments. Different EGDs may be physically
located in one or more
different casino venues and may be connected via a communication network such
as shown at 310 in
Fig. 3, which may include Internet, Cellular, and WAN Network(s). In some
embodiments, EGDs
may be implemented as stationary machines. In some embodiments, at least some
EGDs may be
implemented using mobile devices (e.g., tablets, smartphones, laptops, PC's,
and the like).
[0044] Game history server(s) 364 may be provided. Game history servers 364
may be
configured to track game types and game play history for hybrid arcade/wager-
based games. In some
embodiments, a game history server may also assist the casino manager in case
of disputes between
players and the casino by, for example, providing the ability to "replay"
(e.g., by virtually recreating
the game events) the game in dispute, step by step, based on previously stored
game states. Remote
database system(s) may be coupled to network 310 and selectively accessible
and may be configured
to store and provide access to various types of information and data described
herein. Remote system
server(s)/service(s) may be provided, and configured to provide, for example,
content provider
servers/services media streaming servers/services database
storage/access/query servers/services,
financial transaction servers/services, payment gateway servers/services,
electronic commerce
servers/services, event management/scheduling servers/services and/or other
services. Mobile Game
Device(s) 336, 346 may be configured to provide the services described below
relative to Fig. 6.
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[0045] According to specific embodiments, a variety of different game states
may be used to
characterize the state of current and/or past events which are occurring (e.g.
or have occurred) at a
given EGD. For example, in one embodiment, at any given time in a game, a
valid current game state
may be used to characterize the state of game play (e.g., and/or other related
events, such as, for
example, mode of operation of the EGD, etc.) at that particular time. In at
least one embodiment,
multiple different states may be used to characterize different states or
events which occur at the EGD
at any given time. In one embodiment, when faced with ambiguity of game state,
a single state
embodiment forces a decision such that one valid current game state is chosen.
In a multiple state
embodiment, multiple possible game states may exist simultaneously at any
given time in a game, and
at the end of the game or at any point in the middle of the game, the EGD may
analyze the different
game states and select one of them based on certain criteria. Thus, for
example, when faced with
ambiguity of game state, the multiple state embodiment(s) allow all potential
game states to exist and
move forward, thus deferring the decision of choosing one game state to a
later point in the game. The
multiple game state embodiment(s) may also be more effective in handling
ambiguous data or game
state scenarios.
[0046] A variety of different entities may be used (e.g., either singly or in
combination) to track
the progress of game states which occur at a given gaming EGD. Examples of
such entities may include
a master controller system, display system, gaming system, local game tracking
component(s), remote
game tracking component(s), etc. Examples of various game tracking components
may include, but
are not limited to: automated sensors, manually operated sensors, video
cameras, intelligent playing
card shoes, RFID readers/writers, RFID tagged chips, objects displaying
machine readable
code/patterns, etc.
[0047] Local game tracking components at the EGD may be operable to
automatically monitor
game play activities at the EGD, and/or to automatically identify key events
which may trigger a
transition of game state from one state to another as a game progresses.
Depending upon the type of
game being played at the gaming table, examples of possible key events may
include the start of a new
gaming session; the end of a current gaming session; the start of a virtual
slot wheel spin; a game start
event; a game end event; the detection of an event that triggers the
initiation of wager-based event
(e.g., killing a zombie, carrying out a predetermined action upon encountering
a wagering opportunity,
and the like); the detection of event that triggers the end of a wager-based
event; the detection of event
that triggers the initiation or end of a randomized game play event; an
initial wager period start or end;
a subsequent wager period start or end; or a payout period start or end.
[0048] Fig. 4 shows a block diagram 400 of electronic gaming device 400
according to one

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embodiment. As shown, electronic gaming device 400 may include a processor
402, a memory 404,
a network interface 422, input devices 428, and a display 426. Processor 402
may generate gaming
options based on predetermined betting structures and/or outcome categories.
Predetermined betting
structures may utilize more than one outcome category to generate via
processor 402 gaming options.
Predetermined betting structures may combine any outcome category with any
other outcome category
to gaming options. The processor 402 may offer a gaming option that is
structured so that the gaming
option relates to more than one EGD. Processor 402 may generate contingent
gaming options and/or
predetermined gaming options. Contingent gaming options 410 may be structures
configured such that
a wager is activated when a triggering event occurs.
[0049] Network interface 422 may be configured to enable the electronic gaming
device 400
to communicate with remote devices/systems such as, for example,
video/multimedia server(s),
accounting/transaction server(s), gaming server(s), authentication server(s),
player tracking server(s),
voucher server(s) over a communication network, such as shown at 110, 205 and
310. Input devices
428 may be or include mechanical buttons, electronic buttons, one or more
touchscreens, microphones,
cameras, optical scanners, or any combination thereof. Input devices 428 may
be utilized to make a
wager, to make an offer to buy or sell a voucher, to determine a voucher's
worth, to cash in a voucher,
to modify (e.g., change sound level, configuration, font, language, etc.)
electronic gaming device 400,
to select a movie or music, to select type of content to be displayed on main
and/or auxiliary screen(s)
of EGD, or any combination thereof.
[0050] Arcade-style game engine 442 may be configured to manage the arcade-
style game play
portion (or entertainment portion) of the hybrid arcade/wager-based game. In
contrast, a wager-based
game engine 444 may be configured to manage the wager-based game event
portion(s) of games
according to embodiments. A Random Number Generator (RNG) Engine 446 may be
provided and
may include software and/or hardware algorithm and/or processes which are used
to generate random
outcomes and may be used by the wager-based game engine to generate wager-
based game event
outcomes.
[0051] Display 426 may show video streams from one or more gaming devices,
gaming objects
from one or more gaming devices, computer generated graphics, predetermined
gaming options, and/or
contingent gaming options. The memory 404 may include various memory modules
440, including a
future betting module 406, a predetermined game options module 408, a
contingent game options
module 410, a confirmation module 412, a validation module 414, a voucher
module 416, a reporting
module 418, a maintenance module 420, a player tracking preferences module
424, a searching module
430, and an account module 432.
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[0052] Future betting module 406 may store data relating to the predetermined
betting
structure. Processor 402 may utilize data in future betting module 406 to
generate predetermined
gaming options and/or contingent gaming options. Any other processor (e.g.,
gaming server 225, any
virtualized gaming server, etc.) may implement the functions of processor 402.
Predetermined game
options module 408 may store data relating to predetermined gaming options,
which may be offered
to a player. The contingent game options module 410 may store data relating to
contingent gaming
options, which may be offered to a player. The confirmation module 412 may
utilize data received
from a voucher, the transaction history of the voucher (e.g., in the case in
which the voucher changed
hands in a secondary market), and/or the identity of the player to confirm the
value of the voucher. In
another example, confirmation module 412 may utilize game event data, along
with voucher data to
confirm the value of the voucher. A validation module 414 may utilize data
received from a voucher
to confirm the validity of the voucher. Voucher module 416 may store data
relating to generated
vouchers, redeemed vouchers, bought vouchers, and/or sold vouchers. Reporting
module 418 may
generate reports related to a performance of electronic gaming device 400,
electronic gaming
system(s), hybrid arcade/wager-based game(s), video streams, gaming objects,
credit device(s) or
identification device(s), for example.
[0053] In one implementation, reporting module 418 may reside on a central
server and may
be configured to aggregate and generate real time statistics on betting
activities at one or more hybrid
arcade/wager-based games at one or more participating casinos. The aggregate
betting statistics may
include trends (e.g., aggregate daily wager volume and wager amount by game
types, by casinos, and
the like), top games with the most payouts, top tables with the most payouts,
top search structures used
by players, most popular hybrid arcade/wager-based game(s) by wager volume,
most searched for
game, hybrid arcade/wager-based game(s) with least payouts, weekly trends,
monthly trends, and other
statistics related to game plays, wagers, people, location, and searches.
[0054] Maintenance module 420 may track any maintenance that is implemented on
electronic
gaming device 400 and/or electronic gaming system 200. Maintenance module 420
may schedule
preventative maintenance and/or request a service call based on a device
error. The player tracking
preferences module 424 may compile and track data associated with a player's
preferences.
[0055] Searching module 430 may include one or more searching structures, one
or more
searching algorithms, and/or any other searching mechanisms. In one example,
the search may end
once one or more triggering events are determined. In another example, the
search may end once data
has been received from a predetermined number (e.g., one, two, ten, one
hundred, all) of the devices.
In another example, the search may be based on a predetermined number of
devices to be searched in
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combination with a predetermined number of search results to be obtained. In
another example, the
searching structures may be based on one or more specific games. In another
example, the searching
structure may be based on a player's preferences, past transactional history,
player input, a hybrid
arcade/wager-based game or game type, a particular EGD, a particular casino, a
particular location
within a casino, game outcomes over a time period, payout over a time period,
and/or any other criteria.
Searching algorithms may be dynamic searching programs, which may be modified
based on one or
more past results, as described previously. In another example, the search
algorithm may generate a
search priority based on the probability of success various events and/or
conditions. In some
embodiments, the search algorithm may utilize any dynamic feedback procedure
to enhance current
and/or future searching results.
[0056] Account module 432 may include data relating to an account balance, a
wager limit, a
number of wagers placed, credit limits, any other player information, and/or
any other account
information. Data from account module 432 may be utilized to determine whether
a wager may be
accepted. For example, when a search has determined a triggering event, the
device and/or system may
determine whether to allow this wager based on one or more of a wager amount,
a number of wagers,
a wager limit, an account balance, and/or any other criteria.
[0057] In at least one embodiment, at least a portion of the modules discussed
in block diagram
400 may reside locally in gaming terminal 400. However, in at least some
embodiments, at least part
of the functions performed by these modules may be implemented in one or more
remote servers. For
instance, modules 406-420 and 424 may each be on a remote server,
communicating with gaming
terminal 400 via a network interface such as Ethernet in a local area network
(LAN) or a wide area
network (WAN) topology. In some implementations, these servers may be physical
servers in a data
center. In some other implementations, these servers may be virtualized. In
yet some other
implementations, the functions performed by these modules may be implemented
as web services. For
example, the predetermined game options module 408 may be implemented in
software as a web
service provider. Gaming terminal 400 would make service requests over the web
for the available
predetermined wager options to be displayed. Regardless of how the modules and
their respective
functions are implemented, the interoperability with the gaming terminal 400
is seamless. In one
implementation, reporting module 418 may reside on a central server and may be
configured to
aggregate and generate real time statistics on betting activities at one or
more hybrid arcade/wager-
based games at one or more participating casinos. The aggregate betting
statistics may include trends
(e.g., aggregate daily wager volume and wager amount by game types, by
casinos, and the like), top
games with the most payouts, top EGDs with the most payouts, top search
structures used by players,
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most popular hybrid arcade/wager-based game(s) by wager volume, most searched
for game(s), EGDs
with least payouts, weekly trends, monthly trends, and other statistics
related to game plays, wagers,
people, location, and searches.
[0058] Fig. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary intelligent multi-player
electronic gaming
system 500 according to one embodiment. Gaming system 500 may be implemented
as a gaming
server or as an electronic gaming machine (e.g., EGM) or electronic gaming
device (e.g., EGD).
[0059] As shown, gaming system 500 may include at least one processor 510, at
least one
interface 506, and memory 516. Additionally, gaming system 500 may include at
least one master
gaming controller 512, a multi-touch sensor and display system 590, a
plurality of peripheral device
components 550, and various other components, devices, systems such as, for
example, arcade-style
game engine(s) 541; wager-based game engine(s) 543; RNG engine(s) 545;
transponders 554; wireless
communication components 556; gaming chip/wager token tracking components 570;
games state
tracking components 574; motion/gesture analysis and interpretation components
584, and audio/video
processors 583 which, for example, may include functionality for detecting,
analyzing and/or
managing various types of audio and/or video information relating to various
activities at the gaming
system. Various interfaces 506b may be provided for communicating with other
devices, components
and systems, as may be tournament manager 575; sensors 560; one or more
cameras 562; one or more
microphones 563; secondary display(s) 535a; input devices 530a; motion/gesture
detection
components 551; and peripheral devices 550.
[0060] The arcade-style game engine(s) 541 may be configured to manage the
arcade-style
game play portion (or entertainment portion) of the hybrid arcade/wager-based
game. Conversely, the
wager-based game engine(s) 543 may be configured to manage the wager-based
game event portion(s)
of the hybrid arcade/wager-based game. RNG engine(s) 545 may include software
and/or hardware
algorithm and/or processes used to generate random outcomes and may be used by
the wager-based
game engine to generate wager-based game event outcomes. Monetary payout
manager 522 may be
configured or designed to include functionality for determining the
appropriate monetary payout(s) (if
any) to be distributed to player(s) based on the outcomes of the wager-based
game events which are
initiated during play of one or more hybrid arcade/wager-based games. The non-
monetary payout
manager 524 may be configured to include functionality for determining the
appropriate non-monetary
payout(s) (if any) to be awarded or distributed to player(s) based on the
outcomes of the wager-based
game events which are initiated during play of one or more hybrid arcade/wager-
based games.
[0061] One or more cameras (e.g., 562) may be used to monitor, stream and/or
record image
content and/or video content relating to persons or objects within each
camera's view. For example, in
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at least one embodiment where the gaming system is implemented as an EGD,
camera 562 may be
used to generate a live, real-time video feed of a player (e.g., or another
person) who is currently
interacting with the EGD. In some embodiments, camera 562 may be used to
verify a user's identity
(e.g., by authenticating detected facial features), and/or may be used to
monitor or tract facial
expressions and/or eye movements of a user or player who is interacting with
the gaming system.
[0062] In at least one embodiment, display system 590 may include EGD
controllers 591;
multipoint sensing device(s) 592 (e.g., multi-touch surface
sensors/components); display device(s)
595; and Input/touch surface 596. According to embodiments, display surface(s)
595 may include one
or more display screens. Master gaming controller 512 may include
authentication/validation
components 544; device drivers 552; logic devices 513, which may include one
or more processors
510; memory 516, which may include configuration software 514, non-volatile
memory 519,
EPROMS 508, RAM 509, associations 518 between indicia and configuration
software, and interfaces
506.
[0063] In at least one embodiment, the peripheral devices 550 may include
power distribution
components 558; non-volatile memory 519a (e.g., and/or other types of memory);
bill acceptor 553;
ticket I/0 555; player tracking I/0 557; meters 559 (e.g., hard and/or soft
meters); meter detect circuitry
559a; processor(s) 510a; interface(s) 506a; display(s) 535; independent
security system 561; door
detect switches 567; candles, etc. 571; input devices 530, for example.
[0064] In one implementation, processor 510 and master gaming controller 512
may be
included in a logic device 513 enclosed in a logic device housing. The
processor 510 may include any
conventional processor or logic device configured to execute software (i.e.,
sequences of computer-
readable instructions to be executed) allowing various tasks such as
communicating with a remote
source via communication interface 506, such as a server that stores
authentication information or
games; converting signals read by an interface to a format corresponding to
that used by software or
memory in the gaming system; accessing memory to configure or reconfigure game
parameters in the
memory according to indicia read from the device; communicating with
interfaces, various peripheral
devices and/or I/0 devices; operating peripheral devices such as, for example,
card readers, paper
ticket readers, etc.; operating various I/0 devices such as, for example,
displays 535 and input devices
530. For instance, the processor 510 may send messages including game play
information to the
displays 535 to inform players of game play/event information, wagering
information, and/or other
desired information.
[0065] In at least one implementation, the gaming system may include card
readers such as
used with credit cards, or other identification code reading devices to allow
or require player

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identification in connection with play of the card game and associated
recording of game action. Such
a player identification interface can be implemented in the form of a variety
of magnetic and/or chip-
card card readers commercially available for reading a player-specific
identification information. The
player-specific information can be provided on specially constructed magnetic
cards issued by a
casino, or magnetically coded credit cards or debit cards frequently used with
national credit
organizations such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or banks and other
institutions.
[0066] The gaming system may include other types of participant identification
mechanisms
which may use a fingerprint image, eye blood vessel image reader, or other
suitable biometric
information to confirm identity of the player. Such personalized
identification information could also
be used to confirm credit use of a smart card, transponder, and/or player's
personal player input device
(e.g., UID).
[0067] The gaming system 500 also includes memory 516 which may include, for
example,
volatile memory (e.g., RAM 509), non-volatile memory 519 (e.g., disk memory,
FLASH memory,
EPROMs, etc.), unalterable memory (e.g., EPROMs 508), etc. The memory may be
configured or
designed to store, for example: 1) configuration software 514 such as all the
parameters and settings
for a game playable on the gaming system; 2) associations 518 between
configuration indicia read
from a device with one or more parameters and settings; 3) communication
protocols allowing the
processor 510 to communicate with peripheral devices and I/0 devices 4) a
secondary memory storage
device 515 such as a non-volatile memory device, configured to store gaming
software related
information (e.g., the gaming software related information and memory may be
used to store various
audio files and games not currently being used and invoked in a configuration
or reconfiguration); 5)
communication transport protocols (e.g., such as, for example, TCP/IP, USB,
Firewire, 1EEE1394,
Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11x (e.g., IEEE 802.11 standards), hiperlan/2, HomeRF,
etc.) for allowing the
gaming system to communicate with local and non-local devices using such
protocols; etc. In one
implementation, the master gaming controller 512 communicates using a serial
communication
protocol. A few examples of serial communication protocols that may be used to
communicate with
the master gaming controller include but are not limited to USB, RS-232 and
Netplex (e.g., a
proprietary protocol developed by IGT, Reno, Nev.).
[0068] A plurality of device drivers 552 may be stored in memory 516. Example
of different
types of device drivers may include device drivers for gaming system
components, device drivers for
gaming system components, etc. The device drivers 552 may utilize a
communication protocol of some
type that enables communication with a particular physical device. The device
driver abstracts the
hardware implementation of a device. For example, a device driver may be
written for each type of
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card reader that may be potentially connected to the gaming system. Examples
of communication
protocols used to implement the device drivers include Netplex, USB, Serial,
Ethernet, Firewire, I/0
debouncer, direct memory map, serial, PCI, parallel, RF, Bluetooth.TM., near-
field communications
(e.g., using near-field magnetics), 802.11 (e.g., Wi-Fi), etc. When one type
of a particular device is
exchanged for another type of the particular device, a new device driver may
be loaded from the
memory 516 by the processor 510 to allow communication with the device. For
instance, one type of
card reader in gaming system 500 may be replaced with a second type of card
reader where device
drivers for both card readers are stored in the memory 516.
[0069] The software units stored in the memory 516 may be upgraded as needed.
For instance,
when the memory 516 is a hard drive, new games, game options, various new
parameters, new settings
for existing parameters, new settings for new parameters, device drivers, and
new communication
protocols may be uploaded to the memory from the master gaming controller 512
or from some other
external device. As another example, when the memory 516 includes a CD/DVD
drive including a
CD/DVD designed or configured to store game options, parameters, and settings,
the software stored
in the memory may be upgraded by replacing a second CD/DVD with a second
CD/DVD. In yet
another example, when the memory 516 uses one or more flash memory 519 or
EPROM 508 units
designed or configured to store games, game options, parameters, settings, the
software stored in the
flash and/or EPROM memory units may be upgraded by replacing one or more
memory units with
new memory units which include the upgraded software. One or more of the
memory devices, such as
the hard-drive, may be employed in a game software download process from a
remote software server.
[0070] The gaming system 500 may also include various authentication and/or
validation
components 544 which may be used for authenticating/validating specified
gaming system
components such as, for example, hardware components, software components,
firmware components,
information stored in the gaming system memory 516, etc.
[0071] Sensors 560 may include, for example, optical sensors, pressure
sensors, RF sensors,
Infrared sensors, motion sensors, audio sensors, image sensors, thermal
sensors, biometric sensors, etc.
As mentioned previously, such sensors may be used for a variety of functions
such as, for example:
detecting the presence and/or monetary amount of gaming chips which have been
placed within a
player's wagering zone and/or detecting (e.g., in real time) the presence
and/or monetary amount of
gaming chips which are within the player's personal space, for example. In one
implementation, at
least a portion of the sensors 560 and/or input devices 530 may be implemented
in the form of touch
keys selected from a wide variety of commercially available touch keys used to
provide electrical
control signals. Alternatively, some of the touch keys may be implemented by a
touchscreen display.
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For example, in at least one implementation, the gaming system player may
include input functionality
for enabling players to provide their game play decisions/instructions (e.g.,
and/or other input) to the
EGD using the touch keys and/or other player control sensors/buttons.
Additionally, such input
functionality may also be used for allowing players to provide input to other
devices in the casino
gaming network (e.g., such as, for example, player tracking systems, side
wagering systems, etc.)
[0072] Wireless communication components 556 may include one or more
communication
interfaces having different architectures and utilizing a variety of protocols
such as, for example,
802.11 (e.g., Wi-Fi), 802.15 (e.g., including Bluetooth.TM.), 802.16 (e.g.,
WiMAX), 802.22, Cellular
standards such as CDMA, CDMA2000, WCDMA, Radio Frequency (e.g., RFID),
Infrared, Near Field
Magnetic communication protocols, etc. The communication links may transmit
electrical,
electromagnetic or optical signals which carry digital data streams or analog
signals representing
various types of information. An example of a near-field communication
protocol is the ECMA-340
"Near Field Communication--Interface and Protocol (e.g., NFCIP-1)", published
by ECMA
International (e.g., www.ecma-international.org), herein incorporated by
reference in its entirety for
all purposes. It will be appreciated that other types of Near Field
Communication protocols may be
used including, for example, near field magnetic communication protocols, near
field RF
communication protocols, and/or other wireless protocols which provide the
ability to control with
relative precision (e.g., on the order of centimeters, inches, feet, meters,
etc.) the allowable radius of
communication between at least 5 devices using such wireless communication
protocols.
[0073] Power distribution components 558 may include, for example, components
or devices
which are operable for providing wireless power to other devices. For example,
in one implementation,
the power distribution components 558 may include a magnetic induction system
which is adapted to
provide wireless power to one or more portable UIDs at the gaming system. In
one implementation, a
UID docking region may include a power distribution component which is able to
recharge a UID
placed within the UID docking region without requiring metal-to-metal contact.
[0074] A motion/gesture detection component(s) 551 may be configured or
designed to detect
player movements and/or gestures and/or other input data from the player. In
some implementations,
each gaming system may have its own respective motion/gesture detection
component(s). In other
embodiments, motion/gesture detection component(s) 551 may be implemented as a
separate sub-
system of the gaming system which is not associated with any one specific
gaming system or device.
[0075] Fig. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile gaming device 600 in
accordance
with a specific embodiment. In at least one embodiment, one or more players
may participate in a
game session using mobile gaming devices. In at least some embodiments, the
mobile gaming device
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may be configured or designed to include or provide functionality which is
similar to that of an
electronic gaming device (e.g., EGD) such as that described, for example, in
FIG. 4.
[0076] As shown in Fig. 6, mobile gaming device 600 may include mobile device
application
components (e.g., 660), which, for example, may include UI components 662;
database components
664; processing components 666 and/or other components 668 which, for example,
may include
components for facilitating and/or enabling the mobile gaming device to carry
out the functionality
described herein.
[0077] The mobile gaming device 600 may include mobile device app component(s)
that have
been configured or designed to provide functionality for enabling or
implementing at least a portion
of the functionality of the hybrid arcade/wager-based game techniques at the
mobile gaming device.
[0078] According to embodiments, various aspects, features, and/or
functionalities of the
mobile gaming device may be performed, implemented and/or initiated by
processor(s) 610; device
drivers 642; memory 616; interface(s) 606; power source(s)/distribution 643;
geolocation module 646;
display(s) 635; I/0 devices 630; audio/video devices(s) 639; peripheral
devices 631; motion detection
module 640; user identification/authentication module 647; client app
component(s) 660; other
component(s) 668; UI Component(s) 662; database component(s) 664; processing
component(s) 666;
software/hardware authentication/validation 644; wireless communication
module(s) 645; information
filtering module(s) 649; operating mode selection component 648; speech
processing module 654;
scanner/camera 652 and/or OCR processing engine 656, for example.
[0079] Fig. 7 shows a system server 780 that may be configured according to
embodiments.
The system server 780 may include at least one network device 760, and at
least one storage device
770 (e.g., such as, for example, a direct attached storage device). In one
embodiment, system server
780 may be configured to implement at least some of the hybrid arcade/wager-
based game techniques
described herein. Network device 760 may include a master central processing
unit (e.g., CPU) 762,
interfaces 768, and a bus 767 (e.g., a PCI bus). When acting under the control
of appropriate software
or firmware, the CPU 762 may be responsible for implementing specific
functions associated with the
functions of a desired network device. For example, when configured as a
server, the CPU 762 may
be responsible for analyzing packets; encapsulating packets; forwarding
packets to appropriate
network devices; instantiating various types of virtual machines, virtual
interfaces, virtual storage
volumes, virtual appliances; etc. The CPU 762 preferably accomplishes at least
a portion of these
functions under the control of software including an operating system (e.g.,
Linux), and any
appropriate system software (e.g., such as, for example, AppLogic (e.g., TM)
software).
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[0080] CPU 762 may include one or more processors 763 such as, for example,
one or more
processors from the AMD, Motorola, Intel and/or MIPS families of
microprocessors. In an alternative
embodiment, processor 763 may be specially designed hardware for controlling
the operations of
system server 780. In a specific embodiment, a memory 761 (e.g., such as non-
volatile RAM and/or
ROM) also forms part of CPU 762. However, there are different ways in which
memory could be
coupled to the system. Memory block 761 may be used for a variety of purposes
such as, for example,
caching and/or storing data, programming instructions, etc.
[0081] Interfaces 768 may be typically provided as interface cards.
Alternatively, one or more
of the interfaces 768 may be provided as on-board interface controllers built
into the system
motherboard. Generally, they control the sending and receiving of data packets
over the network and
sometimes support other peripherals used with the system server 780. Among the
interfaces that may
be provided may be FC interfaces, Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces,
cable interfaces, DSL
interfaces, token ring interfaces, InfiniBand interfaces, and the like. In
addition, various very high-
speed interfaces may be provided, such as fast Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit
Ethernet interfaces, ATM
interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS interfaces, FDDI interfaces, ASI interfaces,
DHEI interfaces and the
like. Other interfaces may include one or more wireless interfaces such as,
for example, 802.11 (e.g.,
Wi-Fi) interfaces, 802.15 interfaces (e.g., including Bluetooth.TM.) 802.16
(e.g., WiMAX) interfaces,
802.22 interfaces, Cellular standards such as CDMA interfaces, CDMA2000
interfaces, WCDMA
interfaces, TDMA interfaces, Cellular 3G interfaces, and the like.
[0082] Generally, one or more interfaces may include ports appropriate for
communication
with the appropriate media. In some cases, they may also include an
independent processor and, in
some instances, volatile RAM. The independent processors may control such
communications
intensive tasks as packet switching, media control and management. By
providing separate processors
for the communications intensive tasks, these interfaces allow the master
microprocessor 762 to
efficiently perform routing computations, network diagnostics or security
functions.
[0083] In at least one embodiment, some interfaces may be configured or
designed to allow
the system server 780 to communicate with other network devices associated
with various local area
network (e.g., LANs) and/or wide area networks (e.g., WANs). Other interfaces
may be configured or
designed to allow network device 760 to communicate with one or more direct
attached storage
device(s) 770.
[0084] Regardless of network device's configuration, it may employ one or more
memories or
memory modules (e.g., such as, for example, memory block 765, which, for
example, may include
random access memory (e.g., RAM)) configured to store data, program
instructions, logic and

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processes for the general-purpose network operations and/or other information
relating to the
functionality of the embodiments described herein. The program instructions
may control the operation
of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example. The
memory or memories may
also be configured to store data structures, and/or other specific non-program
information described
herein.
[0085] Because such information and program instructions may be employed to
implement the
systems/methods described herein, one or more embodiments relates to machine
readable media that
include program instructions, state information, etc. for performing various
operations described
herein. Examples of machine-readable storage media include, but are not
limited to, magnetic media
such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-
ROM disks; magneto-
optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices that may be
specially configured to store
and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory devices (e.g., ROM)
and random-access
memory (e.g., RAM). Some embodiments may also be embodied in transmission
media such as, for
example, a carrier wave travelling over an appropriate medium such as
airwaves, optical lines, electric
lines, etc. Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such
as produced by a
compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the
computer using an
interpreter.
[0086] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a functional block diagram of a gaming
system server
in accordance with a specific embodiment. As shown, the gaming system server
800 may a context
interpreter 802 which, for example, may be operable to automatically and/or
dynamically analyze
contextual criteria relating to a detected set of event(s) and/or
condition(s), and automatically
determine or identify one or more contextually appropriate response(s) based
on the contextual
interpretation of the detected event(s)/condition(s). Examples of contextual
criteria which may be
analyzed may include, but are not limited to, for example, location-based
criteria (e.g., geolocation of
mobile gaming device, geolocation of EGD, time-based criteria, identity of
user(s), user profile
information, transaction history information and recent user activities, for
example. Time
synchronization engine 804 may be operable to manage universal time
synchronization (e.g., via NTP
and/or GPS). The search engine 828 may be operable to search for transactions,
logs, game history
information, player information, hybrid arcade/wager-based game information,
etc., which may be
accessed from one or more local and/or remote databases. The gaming system
server 800 may also
include a configuration engine 832 that may be configured to determine and
handle configuration of
various customized configuration parameters for one or more devices,
component(s), system(s), and
process(es). Time interpreter 818 may be operable to automatically and/or
dynamically modify or
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change identifier activation and expiration time(s) based on various criteria
such as, for example, time,
location, transaction status, etc. Authentication/validation component(s) 847
(e.g., password,
software/hardware info, SSL certificates) may be operable to perform various
types of
authentication/validation tasks. The transaction processing engine 822 may be
operable to handle
various types of transaction processing tasks such as, described and/or
referenced herein. An OCR
processing engine 834 may be operable to perform image processing and optical
character recognition
of images such as those captured by a gaming device camera, for example. The
database manager 826
may be configured to handle various types of tasks relating to database
updates, management and
access. In at least one embodiment, the database manager may be operable to
manage game history
databases, player tracking databases and/or other historical record keeping.
Log component(s) 809
may be operable to generate and manage transactions history logs, system
errors, connections from
APIs. Status tracking component(s) 812 may be provided and configured to
automatically and/or
dynamically determine, assign, and/or report updated transaction status
information based, for
example, on a state of the transaction. Gateway component(s) may be operable
to facilitate and manage
communications and transactions with external payment gateways. Web interface
component(s) 808
may be operable to facilitate and manage communications and transactions with
virtual live electronic
gaming device web portal(s). API interface(s) to gaming system server(s) may
be operable to facilitate
and manage communications and transactions with API Interface(s) to the gaming
system server(s).
API Interface(s) to 3rd party system server(s) may be provided, which may be
operable to facilitate
and manage communications and transactions with API interface(s) to 3rd party
system server(s).
[0087] One or more general-purpose processors 810 may be provided. In an
alternative
embodiment, at least one processor may be specially designed hardware for
controlling the operations
of a gaming system. In a specific embodiment, a memory (e.g., such as non-
volatile RAM and/or
ROM) also forms part of CPU. When acting under the control of appropriate
software or firmware, the
CPU may be responsible for implementing specific functions associated with the
functions of a desired
network device. The CPU preferably accomplishes all these functions under the
control of software
including an operating system, and any appropriate applications software.
Memory 816 may be
provided. The memory 816 may include volatile memory (e.g., RAM), non-volatile
memory (e.g.,
disk memory, FLASH memory, EPROMs, etc.), unalterable memory, and/or other
types of memory.
According to different embodiments, one or more memories or memory modules
(e.g., memory
blocks) may be configured or designed to store data, program instructions for
the functional operations
of the mobile gaming system and/or other information. The program instructions
may control the
operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example.
The memory or
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memories may also be configured to store data structures, metadata, identifier
information/images,
and/or information/data relating to other features/functions described herein.
Interface(s) 806 may be
provided such as, for example, wired interfaces and/or wireless interfaces.
Suitable device driver(s)
842 may also be provided, as may be one or more display(s) 835. Messaging
server component(s) 836,
may provide various functions and operations relating to messaging activities
and communications.
Similarly, network server component(s) 837may be configured to provide various
functions and
operations relating to network server activities and communications. User
account/profile manager
component(s) 807 may be provided to manage various aspects of user accounts
and/or profiles.
[0088] Fig. 9 shows a block diagram illustrating components of a gaming system
900 suitable
for implementing various aspects of the embodiments shown and described
herein. In Fig. 9, the
components of a gaming system 900 for providing game software licensing and
downloads are
described functionally. The described functions may be instantiated in
hardware, firmware and/or
software and executed on a suitable device. In the system 900, there may be
many instances of the
same function, such as multiple game play interfaces 911. Nevertheless, in
Fig. 9, only one instance
of each function is shown. The functions of the components may be combined.
For example, a single
device may comprise the game play interface 911 and include trusted memory
devices or sources 909.
[0089] The gaming system 900 may receive inputs from different groups/entities
and output
various services and or information to these groups/entities. For example,
game players 925 primarily
input cash or indicia of credit into the system, make game selections that
trigger software downloads,
and receive entertainment in exchange for their inputs. Game software content
providers provide game
software for the system and may receive compensation for the content they
provide based on licensing
agreements with the gaming machine operators. Gaming machine operators select
game software for
distribution, distribute the game software on the gaming devices in the system
900, receive revenue
for the use of their software and compensate the gaming machine operators. The
gaming regulators
930 provide rules and regulations that are applicable to the gaming system and
receive reports and
other information confirming adherence to these rules.
[0090] The game software license host 901 may be a server connected to a
number of remote
gaming devices that provides licensing services to the remote gaming devices.
For example, the license
host 901 may 1) receive token requests for tokens used to activate software
executed on the remote
gaming devices, 2) send tokens to the remote gaming devices, 3) track token
usage and 4) grant and/or
renew software licenses for software executed on the remote gaming devices.
The token usage may be
used in use-based licensing schemes, such as a pay-per-use scheme.
[0091] In another embodiment, a game usage-tracking host 922 may track the
usage of game
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software on a plurality of devices in communication with the host. The game
usage-tracking host 922
may be in communication with a plurality of game play hosts and gaming
machines. From the game
play hosts and gaming machines, the game usage tracking host 922 may receive
updates of an amount
that each game available for play on the devices may be played and on amount
that may be wagered
per game. This information may be stored in a database and used for billing
according to methods
described in a utility-based licensing agreement.
[0092] The game software host 902 may provide game software downloads, such as
downloads
of game software or game firmware, to various devices in the game system 900.
For example, when
the software to generate the game is not available on the game play interface
911, the game software
host 902 may download software to generate a selected game of chance played on
the game play
interface. Further, the game software host 902 may download new game content
to a plurality of
gaming machines responsive to a request from a gaming machine operator.
[0093] The game software host 902 may also include a game software
configuration-tracking
host 913. The function of the game software configuration-tracking host is to
keep records of software
configurations and/or hardware configurations for a plurality of devices in
communication with the
host (e.g., denominations, number of paylines, paytables, max/min wagers).
[0094] A game play host device 903 may include a host server connected to a
plurality of
remote clients that generates games of chance that are displayed on a
plurality of remote game play
interfaces 911. For example, the game play host device 903 may include a
server that provides central
determination of wager outcomes on a plurality of connected game play
interfaces 911. As another
example, the game play host device 903 may generate games of chance, such as
slot games or wager-
based video games, for display on a remote client. A game player using the
remote client may be able
to select from a number of games that are provided on the client by the host
device 903. The game
play host device 903 may receive game software management services, such as
receiving downloads
of new game software, from the game software host 902 and may receive game
software licensing
services, such as the granting or renewing of software licenses for software
executed on the device
903, from the game license host 901.
[0095] The game play interfaces or other gaming devices in the gaming system
900 may be
portable devices, such as electronic tokens, cell phones, smart cards, tablet
PCs and PDAs. The
portable devices may support wireless communications. The network hardware
architecture 916 may
be enabled to support communications between wireless mobile devices and other
gaming devices in
gaming system. The wireless mobile devices may be used to play games of
chance, such as described
herein.
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[0096] The gaming system 900 may use a number of trusted information sources.
Trusted
information sources 904 may include devices, such as servers, that provide
information used to
authenticate/activate other pieces of information. Cyclic Redundancy Check
(CRC) values used to
authenticate software, license tokens used to allow the use of software or
product activation codes used
to activate software are examples of trusted information that might be
provided from a trusted
information source 904. Trusted information sources may include a memory
device, such as an
EPROM, that includes trusted information used to authenticate other
information. For example, a game
play interface 911 may store a private encryption key in a trusted memory
device that is used in a
private key-public key encryption scheme to authenticate information from
another gaming device.
[0097] Gaming devices storing trusted information might utilize apparatus or
methods to detect
and prevent tampering. For instance, trusted information stored in a trusted
memory device may be
encrypted to prevent its misuse. In addition, the trusted memory device may be
secured behind a locked
door. Further, one or more sensors may be coupled to the memory device to
detect tampering with the
memory device and provide some record of the tampering. In yet another
example, the memory device
storing trusted information might be designed to detect tampering attempts and
clear or erase itself
when an attempt at tampering may be detected.
[0098] The gaming system 900 of example embodiments may include devices 906
that provide
authorization to download software from a second device to a second device and
devices 907 that
provide activation codes or information that allow downloaded software to be
activated. The devices,
906 and 907, may be remote servers and may also be trusted information
sources.
[0099] A device 906 that monitors a plurality of gaming devices to determine
adherence of the
devices to gaming jurisdictional rules 908 may be included in the system 900.
A gaming jurisdictional
rule server may scan software and the configurations of the software on a
number of gaming devices
in communication with the gaming rule server to determine whether the software
on the gaming
devices is valid for use in the gaming jurisdiction where the gaming device is
located. For example,
the gaming rule server may request a digital signature, such as CRCs, of
particular software
components and compare them with an approved digital signature value stored on
the gaming
jurisdictional rule server.
[0100] Further, the gaming jurisdictional rule server may scan the remote
gaming device to
determine whether the software is configured in a manner that is acceptable to
the gaming jurisdiction
where the gaming device is located. For example, a maximum wager limit may
vary from jurisdiction
to jurisdiction and the rule enforcement server may scan a gaming device to
determine its current
software configuration and its location and then compare the configuration on
the gaming device with

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approved parameters for its location.
[0101] A gaming jurisdiction may include rules that describe how game software
may be
downloaded and licensed. The gaming jurisdictional rule server may scan
download transaction
records and licensing records on a gaming device to determine whether the
download and licensing
was carried out in a manner that is acceptable to the gaming jurisdiction in
which the gaming device
is located. In general, the game jurisdictional rule server may be utilized to
confirm compliance to any
gaming rules passed by a gaming jurisdiction when the information needed to
determine rule
compliance is remotely accessible to the server.
[0102] Game software, firmware or hardware residing a particular gaming device
may also be
used to check for compliance with local gaming jurisdictional rules. When a
gaming device is installed
in a particular gaming jurisdiction, a software program including jurisdiction
rule information may be
downloaded to a secure memory location on a gaming machine or the jurisdiction
rule information
may be downloaded as data and utilized by a program on the gaming machine. The
software program
and/or jurisdiction rule information may check the gaming device software and
software
configurations for compliance with local gaming jurisdictional rules. In
another embodiment, the
software program for ensuring compliance and jurisdictional information may be
installed in the
gaming machine prior to its shipping, such as at the factory where the gaming
machine is
manufactured.
[0103] The gaming devices in game system 900 may utilize trusted software
and/or trusted
firmware. Trusted firmware/software is trusted in the sense that is used with
the assumption that it has
not been tampered with. For instance, trusted software/firmware may be used to
authenticate other
game software or processes executing on a gaming device. As an example,
trusted encryption programs
and authentication programs may be stored on an EPROM on the gaming machine or
encoded into a
specialized encryption chip. As another example, trusted game software, e.g.,
game software approved
for use on gaming devices by a local gaming jurisdiction may be required on
gaming devices on the
gaming machine.
[0104] The devices may be connected by a network 916 with different types of
hardware using
different hardware architectures. Game software can be quite large and
frequent downloads can place
a significant burden on a network, which may slow information transfer speeds
on the network. For
game-on-demand services that require frequent downloads of game software in a
network, efficient
downloading is essential for the service to viable. Thus, network efficient
devices 910 may be used to
actively monitor and maintain network efficiency. For instance, software
locators may be used to
locate nearby locations of game software for peer-to-peer transfers of game
software. In another
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example, network traffic may be monitored, and downloads may be actively
rerouted to maintain
network efficiency.
[0105] One or more devices may provide game software and game licensing
related auditing,
billing and reconciliation reports to server 912. For example, a software
licensing billing server may
generate a bill for a gaming device operator based upon a usage of games over
a time period on the
gaming devices owned by the operator. In another example, a software auditing
server may provide
reports on game software downloads to various gaming devices in the gaming
system 900 and current
configurations of the game software on these gaming devices.
[0106] At particular time intervals, the software auditing server 912 may also
request software
configurations from a number of gaming devices in the gaming system. The
server may then reconcile
the software configuration on each gaming device. The software auditing server
912 may store a record
of software configurations on each gaming device at particular times and a
record of software
download transactions that have occurred on the device. By applying each of
the recorded game
software download transactions since a selected time to the software
configuration recorded at the
selected time, a software configuration is obtained. The software auditing
server may compare the
software configuration derived from applying these transactions on a gaming
device with a current
software configuration obtained from the gaming device. After the comparison,
the software-auditing
server may generate a reconciliation report that confirms that the download
transaction records are
consistent with the current software configuration on the device. The report
may also identify any
inconsistencies. In another embodiment, both the gaming device and the
software auditing server may
store a record of the download transactions that have occurred on the gaming
device and the software
auditing server may reconcile these records.
[0107] In an EGM or EGD, a payout schedule for a wager is a randomized
monetary return to
the player. Some alternative industry terms for a payout schedule may include
paytable, payline,
payback percentage or distribution. The phrase "payout schedule" is used and
defined here to avoid
ambiguity that may be inherent in these alternate terms.
[0108] In the simplest terms, a payout schedule can be described as a table of
information.
Each of the table's Entries (rows) may include at least three elements
(columns). One of the elements
for an entry may include some identifying information for a wagering event or
multiple wagering
events. Another element of the entry may include the probability (standard
mathematical definition)
of the Event occurring. The other important element is the payback value for
the wagering event,
should the wagering event occur.
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[0109] The overall Return to the Player (also known as RTP) along with the
payback values in
the table are generally expressed as either (a) a multiple of the wager or (b)
a specific value, such as a
dollar (or other currency) amount. All entries in a payout schedule should be
expressed in the same
terms, as mixing wager multiples and specific values will typically not yield
useful information.
[0110] In other implementations of a payout schedule, these listed values may
not be explicitly
present in the table but may instead be indirectly indicated. For instance, if
two six-sided dice were
used as a lookup into a payout schedule, the probability of a seven (7) being
rolled is higher than any
other number. If seven was indicated in the actual payout schedule, it would
be indirectly related to
the probability of the 7 being rolled (which is 1/6, or 0.1666666...) Those of
skill in the art will
recognize that there are many alternate methods of expressing a probability,
as well as many alternate
methods of specifying a payback value. For instance, rather than specifying
the payback value in terms
of dollars and cents, or as a multiple of a wager, it could be expressed
instead as the value of a "Brand
New Car!" or the value of a progressive prize. For clarity, this description
will assume that probabilities
are real numbers between 0 and 1 inclusive, while payback values will either
be multiples of the wager
(expressed as percentages) or constant values (such as one dollar (Si)).
[0111] Herein, the sum of all probabilities in a payout schedule will equal 1
in a complete
payout schedule. It is acceptable to assume that a paytable has a missing
entry if the sum of all
probabilities is less than 1. This missing entry's probability is equal to one
minus the sum of the
existing probabilities. The payback value of the missing entry is zero. If the
Sum of the probabilities
is greater than one, the payout schedule is invalid.
[0112] To use a payout schedule, a random value must be generated. This random
value must
be used such that each entry in the payout schedule can be identified using
some transformation of the
random value combined with some form of look-up into the payout schedule using
the probability of
each entry. For example, consider the following payout schedule in Table 1:
Event Probability Payback Value
Die Roll = 1 or 2 or 3 .5 SO
Die Roll = 4 .166666... 51
Die Roll = 5 .166666... S2
Die Roll = 6 .166666... S3
Table 1
[0113] The value of a payout schedule is a sum of products. Each entry in the
payout schedule
will have its own entry value. This entry value is simply the product of the
probability and the payback
value. The value of the payout schedule is the sum of all entry values in the
payout schedule. Therefore,
for the payout schedule of Table 1, its value is calculated as shown below:
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(.5 * SO) + (.166666 * Si) + (.166666 * S2) + (.166666 * S3) = S1.0
[0114] In this case, if the wager was Si, and the expected value was Si, the
casino (and the
player) would expect to neither win nor lose money on this game over time.
[0115] Note that random values may have different distributions. Most typical
gaming devices
use a uniform distribution, as a single random number is used to determine
some outcome, such as a
reel stop position, a wheel position, the value of a playing card, etc.
However, some games or gaming
devices may be configured to use a non-uniformly distributed random outcome.
One such non-uniform
random distribution is the Gaussian distribution. A Gaussian distribution
(also known as a Normal
distribution) is obtained whenever the sum of multiple uniformly distributed
random numbers is
calculated. For example, if the sum of two 6-sided dice is used to determine
how much to pay the
player, the outcome of 7 is more common than any other outcome by virtue of
the Gaussian distribution
of the random result of summing two 6-sided dice. The outcome is still
completely random - it's just
not uniformly distributed between 2 and 12. The examples used in this
description will assume the
generation of random numbers that are uniformly distributed unless otherwise
specified. Note,
however, that this does not preclude the use of non-uniform distributions in
alternate embodiments.
[0116] In compliance with virtually all US-based gaming regulations, the
randomized return
must not be based on any previous actions or outcomes. Therefore, a gaming
device is not typically
permitted to alter the outcome of a random number generator because the gaming
device has paid more
or less than some target percentage over time. Therefore, the description and
embodiments herein will
assume the same constraint.
[0117] There are a large number of gambling games that are legal to play in
the United States
that can be reduced to one or more payout schedules. For example, the simple
game of Roulette uses
a uniformly-distributed random value (the ball landing somewhere on the wheel)
along with a set of
rules that denote the payout for each of the various possible outcomes. The
payout for "black" is
usually one-for-one: If you wager Si on "black", and the ball lands on a
"black" number, you will
receive Si for every Si bet (aka 2 to 1 odds) For this wager, there are 18
black numbers, 18 red
numbers, and (hypothetically) 2 green numbers (0 and 00). The frequency of
getting black is 18/38, or
roughly 47.4%, and has a value of 2. The frequency of getting "not-black" is
roughly 52.6% and has a
value of 0. Therefore, the value to the player (the payout schedule value) for
"black" wager on roulette
is:
(2 * 47.4%) + (0 * 52.6%) = 94.8%
[0118] In other words, the casino can expect to win (after many millions of
wagers) 1 - .948 =
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0.052, or 5.2 cents, for every dollar wagered on "black" in Roulette. Note:
Because no units (currency)
was set on the payback values, it can be assumed that they are unit-less and,
therefore, suitable to be
used as a multiplier for the wager.
[0119] A classic slot machine follows a similar schedule. Each possible
combination of
symbols on the screen (or on a payline) has a specific probability of
occurring. That combination also
has a payback value (return to player). This payback value may be zero, or it
may be millions of dollars.
Using the same basic formula that was used in the simple wager of "black" on
Roulette, the overall
payback percentage of a slot machine is determined by summing up the products
of each symbol
combination's probability of occurring and the payback value for that
combination of symbols.
[0120] Over a sufficiently long period of time, the value of a payout schedule
converges to a
constant, designed value (94.8% in the previous Roulette example). For
purposes of calculating the
theoretical return to player (RTP) of a game, regardless of the individual
details comprising a payout
schedule (Roulette vs. Slot Machine vs. other), if the values of two payout
schedules (as calculated
above) are the same, then the theoretical RTP for the wager will be the same.
As such, the use of the
term "value of the payout schedule" is inclusive of every possible way that a
payout schedule can be
constructed.
[0121] For instance, if an example stated: "Carrying out a predetermined
action (e.g.,
collecting a Blue Diamond, eating a Power Pill, etc.) results in the
evaluation of a payout schedule
with a value of 91%, no assumption should be made about how the payout
schedule is constructed. In
one embodiment, the rolling of a die may be used as the value of the payout
schedule. In another
embodiment, a slot machine outcome may be used to determine the value of the
payout schedule. In
yet another embodiment, the spinning of a virtual wheel may be used to
determine the value of the
payout schedule. For example, a randomized lookup into a lookup-table may be
used to establish the
value of the payout schedule.
[0122] Even if two payout schedules have the same value, the payout schedules
may have very
different volatilities. In the simplest terms, a payout schedule with a higher
volatility will require more
wagers to converge to some given confidence interval (standard statistical
definition) around the
payout schedule value than a payout schedule with a lower volatility. In many
(if not most) gambling
games, combining the theoretical payback value with the volatility is a
significant part of the
craftsmanship behind mathematical game design. Unless noted otherwise, the
volatility of a payout
schedule does not affect the use of the term payout schedule- two payout
schedules with the same
value may be considered equivalent in various alternate embodiments and
examples described herein.
Various terms such as counters, tokens, achievements, etc. will all be called
Counters in this

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description.
[0123] Herein, the phrase "wagering event" means a wager instance that is
generated as a result
of a player interacting with a wagering opportunity, or any wagering
opportunity within a game that is
recognized by the game as a wagering event. Wagering opportunities may include
hardware-based
actions such as: pressing a button, pulling a trigger, touching the screen,
etc. Wagering opportunities
may also include, but are not limited to, virtual events (events that occur
virtually within a video game),
such as touching or attempting to touch any game object with a player-
controlled avatar (humanoid,
vehicle, held weapon or fist, etc.) or having the player's avatar come within
a certain proximity of the
game object, firing a projectile at any game object (either requiring the
projectile to hit or simply be
fired, or alternately having the projectile aimed such that it eventually
comes within a certain proximity
to a game object), making a selection or a move or as the result of making a
selection or a move (such
as placing an "X" on a Tic-Tac-Toe board, moving your piece in a Monopoly
game, sliding a tile or
gem in a Match-3 game, etc.), and in general taking any action within a game
or allowing any
interaction to occur within a game, at any point in time or during or after
any duration of time. For any
of these opportunities, if a wager has been made prior to, simultaneous with
or subsequent to their
occurrence, and directly or indirectly because of their occurrence, the
combination of the wager and
the occurrence becomes known as a wagering event. There may be a myriad of
possible wagering
opportunities within a game. Part of the game's design will be determining
which (and when)
opportunities may be wagered upon, thereby defining the difference between a
wagering opportunity
and a wagering event. Some events may not be or include a wagering opportunity
until some specific
time or upon the occurrence of some other predicate event(s).
[0124] According to one embodiment, some wagering events may occur less
frequently, may
be associated with a greater time delay within the game, may require a greater
degree of dexterity or
cleverness and/or may generally be more subjectively difficult to accomplish.
Some wagering events
may be associated with more than one such attribute. Naturally, such wagering
events may have a
higher perceived value to a player than wagering events that are associated,
for example, with a higher
frequency of occurring and/or that require a comparatively lesser degree of
dexterity, cleverness and/or
that are comparatively easier to accomplish.
[0125] In any event, regardless of such attributes that may be associated with
one or more
wagering events, the game must be considered "fair". A primary tenet regarding
fairness is that the
rules of the game must be completely described to the player, such that the
player may make an
informed decision whether or not to play the game based on how the game is
played. This rule applies
to all known regulated gaming jurisdictions. The gaming embodiments shown and
described herein
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are fair and it is assumed that the rules of the game are clearly described to
the player.
[0126] Also, the game must never pay out so much money that the casino (or
other gaming
establishment) will consistently lose money to a player that, through luck
and/or consistently skillful
actions, accomplishes many or all of the wagering events. While it is
acceptable, for a player that
consistently accomplishes most or all wagering events that are subjectively
more valuable, to win more
money (including more than he or she put into the gaming machine) than another
player that
accomplishes none or a limited number of such subjectively more valuable
wagering events, the game
must be designed in such a manner as to guarantee that the winnings over time,
for any player, will not
cause the casino to lose money. The embodiments shown and described herein
allow for the game
designer to guarantee that no player, however, lucky, clever, dexterous or
skillful, cannot win more
than 100% of his or her wagers over a significantly long period of time and
over many iterations of
the game. This proposition may be called, in short-hand, the Unacceptably High
Payback Rule.
[0127] Frequently within a game, there will be wagering events that may be
subjectively
perceived as being more valuable, harder to accomplish, that occur less
frequently (collectively,
"harder" wagering events) and there will be wagering events that may be
subjectively perceived as
being comparatively less valuable, easier to accomplish, that occur more
frequently (collectively,
"easier" wagering events). For example, in the classic matching game
BejeweledTM, matching 3 gems
is considered to be easier than matching 4 gems. Also, opportunities to match
3 gems may occur more
frequently than do opportunities to match a greater number of gems (4, 5, 6,
or 7, for example). In a
first-person shooter game, a head shot (smaller target, more difficult to hit)
may be considered to be
harder and a body shot (larger target, comparatively easier to hit) may be
considered to be easier.
Because of basic human nature, players typically expect larger rewards for
harder activities.
[0128] According to one embodiment, one way to address this desire for a
larger reward is to
assign a different and higher-valued payout schedule to harder wagering
events. Such a paradigm
allows for a consistently greater return to the skilled player and for an
occasionally greater return for
the lucky player. Other embodiments are configured to enhance such a paradigm
to both enhance all
players' experiences and to protect the casino.
[0129] According to one embodiment, each individual wager, placed through the
gaming
machine receiving some player interaction when the player encounters a
wagering event, should never
have an expected RTP that falls below a specified minimum (such as 75% in
Nevada), regardless of
game state or game history. According to another embodiment, the overall RTP,
over the life of the
game, should not exceed some specified maximum, most likely mathematically
capped at 100%, even
if the player were to successfully and consistently accomplish all available
skillful actions required
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during wagering events. It is to be understood that, over the short term, any
player may be rewarded
more than his or her wagers. However, even if the luckiest and most skilled
player in the world were
to play a game machine or configured according to one or more of the
embodiments shown and
described herein for an extended period of time, that player would never be
rewarded a return that cost
the casino (or other operator) money.
[0130] Notwithstanding, according to one embodiment, the expected RTP of an
individual
wagering event within a game may be larger for a harder wagering event than
the expected RTP for a
comparatively easier wagering event within the same game. It is these harder
(and/or less-frequently
occurring) wagering events that are associated with a better (for the player)
RTP, that keep the player
engaged in the game at hand, and that heighten his or her excitement during
game play. Engaging
gameplay is usually an indicator of higher revenue in the gaming industry.
Some (easier and/or
frequently occurring) wagering events may have an expected RTP of (for
example) 75%, while other
(harder, and/or less frequently occurring) wagering event may have an expected
RTP of, for example,
85% (or even higher than 100%, in certain circumstances) associated therewith.
[0131] Consider the exemplary payout schedule table shown in Table 2:
Payout probability Range RTP (calculated)
0 80% 0.79 0
2 10% 80..89 .20
5% 90..94 .25
5% 96..99 .550
Total RTP (Sum): .95 (95%)
Table 2
[0132] In this example, a random number is generated and scaled to a value
between 0 and 99
(0..99). Using the "Range" column, the scaled number (0..99) is used to
determine the payout amount
to award the player. The "RTP (calculated)" column for each row is simply the
product of the Payout
and the probability for that row. The sum of the values in this RTP column
represents the overall total
RTP for the entire payout schedule.
[0133] According to some embodiments, lower RTP payout schedules may be
enabled for
some wagering opportunities and/or less successful players while comparatively
higher RTP payout
schedules may be enabled for other wagering opportunities and/or comparatively
more successful
players. In some embodiments, lower RTP payout schedules may be enabled for
wagering
opportunities that occur often or that the player is statistically more likely
to accomplish (i.e., easier
wagering opportunities) while higher RTP payout schedules may be enabled for
one or more wagering
opportunities that occur comparatively less frequently and/or that the player
is less likely to
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successfully accomplish (i.e., harder wagering opportunities). For example,
lower RTP payout
schedules may be enabled for easier wagering opportunities while higher RTP
payout schedules may
be enabled for harder wagering opportunities. Easier and harder wagering
opportunities may be
measured, subjectively or objectively, by the amount of game play time
required to reach them,
cleverness of the player, by the amount of manual dexterity of the player, by
the reaction time or speed
of the player and/or by any other metric that results in a statistical
differential between the rate of
unsuccessfully completing a predetermined action or actions upon encountering
a predetermined
wagering opportunity and the rate of successfully completing the action or
actions upon encountering
the same predetermined wagering opportunity during game play. Indeed, the
player may accept a
lower rate of return for accomplishing tasks he or she (and/or the game
designer) perceives as easier
in exchange for a comparatively higher rate of return for accomplishing tasks
he or she (and/or the
game designer) perceives as being harder, wagering opportunities that conclude
a chapter of the game's
narrative or that are thematically significant to the game.
[0134] Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating wagering opportunities, as would be
rendered on a
display of a regulated gaming device, such as shown at 1600 in Fig. 16. As
shown in Fig. 10, in playing
a wager game on such a regulated gaming machine or other computing device, the
player may
encounter a number of in-game assets configured as wagering opportunities. In
this example, the
wagering opportunities are configured as monsters, but such wagering
opportunities may take any
form. In Fig. 10, monsters, as shown at 1002, 1004, 1006, are rendered on one
or more displays of the
regulated gaming machine or other general-purpose computing device configured
by software into a
regulated gaming device. In this example, one of the goals of the game may be
to shoot monsters,
perhaps in combination with the achievement of other ones of the game's stated
objectives. In Fig.
10, each of the monsters 1002, 1004 and 1006 represents a separate, individual
wagering opportunity
with which the player may interact. Such interactions, as suggested in Fig.
10, may include shooting
the monsters, as indicated by the blasts 1003, 1005, 1007 and 1009. As also
shown in Fig. 10, the
player shot monster 1002 at time ti, shot monster 1004 at time t2 and t3, and
shot monster 1006 at
time t4. Shot 1003 was well-aimed and was effective in killing the monsters
1002, as was shot 1009
that killed the monster 1006. It took two shots 1005 and 1007, at times t2 and
t3, respectively, to bring
monster 1004 down. Therefore, as one of the objectives of this exemplary game
is to shoot monsters,
shots 1003 and 1009 may be considered to be successful interactions with the
wagering opportunities
rendered as monsters 1002 and 1006. Shots 1005 and 1007 may collectively be
considered to be
successful interactions with wagering opportunity 1004, and/or the later-in-
time shot 1005 alone may
be considered to be the successful interaction, as the monster died after that
particular interaction, as
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the game designer desires. Each of these successful interactions with wagering
opportunities may
generate a separate, individual wager. As a result, the player is awarded a
reward for each of these
successful interactions that generated a wager. The reward to the player may
be determined according
to a selected individual wager profile. The individual wager profile may
include one or more paytables,
define one or more RTPs, and may generally define the manner in which the
player is rewarded for
interacting with a particular, single wagering opportunity. The selected
individual single wager profile
may vary the reward awarded to the player according to the type of wagering
opportunity, the timing
of the player interaction therewith, the level of the game, the difficulty of
the interaction, any bonuses
or multipliers in effect at the time of the successful interaction, whether
this particular interaction is of
import to the unfolding narrative of the game and/or any other aspect,
characteristic or variable the
game designer wishes. However computed and/or selected, the individual wager
profile may
determine the manner in which the player may be rewarded (not necessarily
monetarily or only
monetarily) by successfully interacting with a single wagering opportunity.
[0135] Fig. 11 illustrates aspects of a computer-implemented method and
regulated gaming
machine, according to one embodiment. According to one embodiment, the
regulated gaming machine
may accept funds from a player and may enable the player to play a wager-based
game using the
accepted funds. As described above, the wager-based game may be configured to
present a plurality
of in-game assets for player interaction during the game. At least some of
these in-game assets may
be configured as a separate wagering opportunity, a successful player
interaction with which generates
a wager. After game play is enabled, the regulated gaming machine may receive
player inputs via one
or more player or user interfaces (buttons, steering wheel, the firing trigger
of a weapon, a joystick and
the like). At least some of these player inputs may be interactions with
wagering opportunities.
Unsuccessful interactions may include those player interactions with a
wagering opportunity that do
not result in the generation of a wager. Conversely, a successful interaction
with a wagering
opportunity may include those interactions that cause a wager to be generated.
According to one
embodiment, a computer-implemented method may include determining when a
received player
interaction successfully interacts with a single one of the plurality of
wagering opportunities and may
also include determining when the received player interaction successfully
interacts with a plurality of
individual ones of the plurality of wagering opportunities. When the received
player interaction is
determined to have successfully interacted with a single one of the plurality
of wagering opportunities,
an individual wager may be placed and the player may be rewarded according to
a selected individual
wager profile. In contrast, when the received player interaction is determined
to have successfully
interacted with a plurality of individual ones of the plurality of wagering
opportunities, the wager

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generated as a result may be characterized as an aggregate wager and the
player may be rewarded
according to a selected aggregate wager profile.
[0136] In Fig. 11, the player interaction is shown at 1102 and this
interaction is determined to
have successfully interacted with a number of in-game assets configured as
wagering opportunities.
Here, the wagering opportunities with which the player interacted are monsters
1104. 1106, 1108 and
1110. The player interaction, as shown in Fig. 11, is a large blast 1102 whose
radius encompassed a
number of monsters, each of whom was mortally wounded. For example, the blast
1102 may have
occurred because the player tossed a fragmentation or concussion grenade or
detonated a Claymore
mine into a group of monsters incautiously gathered together to plot their
next move and the blast
radius was such that fully four such monsters were killed. Therefore, the
player interaction 1102 is
determined to have successfully interacted with a plurality of wagering
opportunities. The player
interaction having been determined to have successfully interacted with a
plurality of wagering
opportunities, the player would be, according to one embodiment, rewarded with
an award determined
according to a selected aggregate wagering opportunity.
[0137] The player interaction 1102 is shown as having occurred at time ti. It
is also noted that
the player interaction need not be or consist of a single input by the player
and received by the regulated
gaming machine. Indeed, an aggregate wagering opportunity may come into
existence as a result of a
number of individual, discrete player interactions that collectively
successfully interacted with a
number of wagering opportunities. For example, wagering opportunities may have
been hit by a
number of individual blast occurring close in time to one another. The game
designer may decide how
close (in time or space) a number of player interactions that affect a
plurality of wagering opportunities
must be in order for an aggregate wager to be placed. In Fig. 11, a single
player interaction was
received at time ti, and was rendered as a blast 1102. This blast 1102
successfully interacted with all
four monsters 1104, 1106, 1108 and 1110 shown. The monsters need not be all
killed at the same
time. That is, the interaction with the plurality of wagering opportunities
need not be determined to
have been successful with each of the affected wagering opportunities at the
same time, as some
monsters may take more time to die than others and/or for any other reason.
Suffice it to say, with
regard for Fig. 11, that one or more player interactions were received,
determined to have been
successful with respect to more wagering opportunities, and that any necessary
preconditions to the
generation of aggregate wager have been satisfied. In Fig. 11, the player
would then be awarded a
reward determined according to a selected one of a plurality (in one
embodiment) of aggregate wager
profiles. According to one embodiment, the selected aggregate wager profile
may be such that the
reward is equal to the sum of the rewards the player would have received had
he or she individually
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successfully interacted with each of the wagering opportunities 1104, 1106,
1108 and 1110 ¨ for
example, by randomly indexing into a paytable four times, once for each of the
wagering opportunities.
However, according to another embodiment, the selected aggregate wager profile
may define the
reward due to the player differently; that is, not necessarily as the sum of
the individual rewards the
player would have earned had he or she successfully interacted individually
with each of the monsters.
[0138] For example, a computer-implemented method according to one embodiment
may
configure the selected individual wager profile (e.g., for wagering
opportunities of a given type) to
have a first RTP and may configure the selected aggregate wager profile (e.g.,
for wagering
opportunities of a given type) to have a second RTP that is different from the
first RTP. For instance,
the selected aggregate wager profile may be configured to award the player a
reward that is greater
than the sum of rewards the player would have been awarded had the player
interaction been
determined to have successfully interacted with the plurality of wagering
opportunities. Conversely,
the selected aggregate wager profile may be configured to award the player a
reward that is less than
the sum of rewards the player would have been awarded had the player
individually and successfully
interacted with each of the plurality of wagering opportunities.
[0139] Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating further aspects of computer-
implemented methods and
devices, according to embodiments. As shown at Fig. 12, not all wagering
opportunities that
collectively give rise to an aggregate wager need be of the same type. In Fig.
12, there are three
wagering opportunities of the monster type; namely 1204, 1206 and 1214, one
wagering opportunity
of the UFO type; namely 1208 and one wagering opportunity of the death-blimp
type; namely 1212.
As also shown at Fig. 12, the player need not successfully interact with all
of the wagering
opportunities that collectively give rise to an aggregate wager at exactly the
same time. Indeed, the
laser blaster 1202 may have been fired 6 times in quick succession or the
weapon 1202 may be a pan-
focal proton blaster, having the ability to independently target a plurality
of wagering opportunities at
the same time with one trigger pull. Therefore, the manner in which an
aggregate wager may arise is
flexible, and limited only by the game designer's imagination and the
requirements that the underlying
math model be simultaneously profitable for the casino operator and enjoyable
for the player.
[0140] In the example of Fig. 12, the player interaction(s) was/were
determined to have been
successful and to have met the condition(s) necessary for the generation of an
aggregate wager. This
determination leads to the selection of an aggregate wager profile that will
determine the manner in
which the player is rewarded. In one embodiment, the selected aggregate wager
profile may be
configured to award a random symbol for each of the plurality of wagering
opportunities that gave rise
to the aggregate wager. In Fig. 12, the random symbols are stars, diamonds,
circles and moons (not
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shown). However, any other symbols may be used. For example, the symbols might
include gems,
such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Returning to Fig. 12, the
successful interaction
with monsters 1204, 1206 and with death blimp 1212 gave rise to star symbols,
successful interaction
with UFO 1208 and with monster 1210 gave rise to diamonds and successful
interaction with monster
1214 gave rise to a circle. According to one embodiment, the present computer-
implemented method
may further comprise rewarding the player according to a selected aggregate
wager profile that
determines the reward due to the player using a symbols paytable and/or
according to the symbols
awarded, as also shown in Fig. 12.
[0141] In the exemplary implementation shown in Fig. 12, the reward due to the
player is
determined according to the most symbols of a same kind awarded, and according
to a multiplier table.
As shown in Fig. 12, the most symbols awarded are stars and three such stars
were awarded. Indexing
into table 1216, three stars is worth S5 in this illustrative and non-limiting
example. A multiplier table
1218 may also be used to determine the reward to be given to the player. In
this example, the multiplier
is determined according to the number of successful player interactions in the
generated aggregate
wager. In Fig. 12, the aggregate wager is based upon successful interactions
with wagering
opportunities 1204, 1206, 1208, 1210, 1212 and 1214 or six wagering
opportunities. Multiplier table
indicates that six successful interactions earns a multiplier of X6.
Therefore, in this example, the
aggregate wager profile selected as a result of the player interaction(s)
successfully interacting with 6
wagering opportunities defines a player reward of S5 x 6 or S30. Other player
profiles based upon
other factors may be devised and implemented, as those of skill in this art
may realize.
[0142] Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating still further aspects of computer-
implemented methods
and devices, according to embodiments. As shown therein, upon successfully
interacting with a
number of wagering opportunities such that an aggregate wager arises, the
aggregate wager profile
that is selected need not only reward the player with money or some other form
of in-game credits.
Indeed, in addition to such monetary reward and/or in-game credits or entirely
or partially in place of
such monetary reward and/or in-game credits, the selected aggregate wager
profile may award most
anything that will contribute to the player's enjoyment of the game,
irrespective of any skill or abilities
displayed by the player. For example and as shown in Fig. 13, the aggregate
wager profile may include
rewarding the player with more time in the game, more life or more ammunition,
for example. Other
advantages may be conferred by the selected aggregate wager profile, such as
navigation aids (maps
and the like), different kinds of weapons, a musical fanfare or a social media
post, for example.
Another aggregate wager profile may unlock some special ability for a limited
period of time, may
enable a minigame to be played, may run some special video sequence or may
carry out any action, in
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addition to or in place of monetary awards, that will enhance the player's
enjoyment of the game and
keep him or her playing the game. Without limitations, a minigame, according
to embodiments, may
include any side game that is thematically or narratively separate from the
main game, often of limited
duration and scope. Such minigames may provide welcome and temporary
occasional diversions for
the player.
[0143] Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating yet further aspects of computer-
implemented methods
and devices, according to embodiments. As shown, the player interaction
resulted in successful
interactions with six individual wagering opportunities at more or less the
same time. In is useful to
recall that each of these wagering opportunities, if successfully interacted
with individually, would
have caused a like number of individual single wagers, each of which resulting
in a reward to the
player determined by a single wager profile or by a selected one of a
plurality of single wager profiles.
Those same wagering opportunities, according to one embodiment, when
interacted with successfully
at or about the same time (or by satisfying some other condition(s)), result
in an aggregate wager being
placed, the reward for which may be determined, according to one embodiment,
by accessing a selected
aggregate wager profile. It is also noted that instead of accessing one of a
plurality of aggregate wager
profiles, a single dynamic aggregate wager profile may be accessed to
determine the reward (if any)
due to the player for successfully interacting, simultaneously or near
simultaneously, with a plurality
wagering opportunities. The dynamism in question may relate to the state of
the game, the current
level, the type of wagering opportunities with which the player successfully
interacted, and/or any
other relevant condition(s), all such being, as required, fully disclosed to
the player.
[0144] Returning to Fig. 14, instead of symbols, dollar (or other currency)
signs may appear
over some or all of the monsters (or other wagering opportunities). In the
illustrative example of Fig.
14, the following amounts appeared over the wagering opportunities encompassed
by the aggregate
wagering opportunity: Si, S2, S5, S10, S25 and S50. One or more mathematical
operator(s) may be
applied to these amounts by the selected aggregate wager profile and the
resultant amount awarded to
the player. Alternatively, player anticipation and excitement may be
heightened by presenting the
player with, for example, spinning wheels related to the wagering
opportunities, to delay the final
reveal of the amount awarded. In Fig. 14, two spinning wheels are shown at
1402 and 1404. Spinning
wheel 1402 includes sections indicating a dollar amount (for example,
representing the amounts
revealed over each monster). In practice, there may be many more S2 sections
than S50 sections, so
as to maintain a desired RTP. Other mechanisms for maintaining the desired RTP
may be deployed.
The second spinning wheel is a multiplier wheel which may or may not include
multipliers related to
the number of wagering opportunities encompassed by the aggregate wager. In
the implementation of
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Fig. 14, six monsters were killed by the player interaction(s) that gave rise
to the aggregate wager.
Therefore, the multiplier wheel includes at least six multipliers, from lx to
6x. The wheels may
represent other wagering opportunities indicia or may be entirely unrelated
thereto. In Fig. 14,
spinning wheel 1402 stopped at S5 and the spinning wheel 1404 stopped at a
multiplier of 4x. In this
case, application of the selected aggregate wager profile results in reward to
the player of S5 x 4 or
S20.
[0145] Fig. 15 is a flowchart illustrating aspects of a computer-implemented
method of
operating a regulated gaming machine, according to one embodiment. As shown
therein at block
B151, computer-implemented method of operating a regulated gaming machine may
comprise
providing a wager-based game configured to present a plurality of in-game
assets for player interaction
during the game. As shown, each or at least some of these in-game assets may
be configured as a
separate wagering opportunity, a successful player interaction with any of
which generates an
individual wager. Block B152 calls for accepting, in the regulated gaming
machine, funds from a
player and block B153 calls for enabling the player to play a wager-based game
using the accepted
funds. Once game play is enabled, a (one or more) player interaction(s) may be
received via a player
interface of the regulated gaming machine, as shown at B154. At B155, one
embodiment calls for
determining when the received player interaction successfully interacts with
one of the plurality of
wagering opportunities and determining when the received player interaction
successfully interacts
with a plurality of individual ones of the plurality of wagering
opportunities. Depending upon the
result of such determination, an individual wager or an aggregate wager may be
placed. As shown at
B156, when the received player interaction is determined to have successfully
interacted with a single
one of the plurality of wagering opportunities, an individual wager may be
placed and the player
rewarded according to a selected individual wager profile. Conversely, upon
determining, as shown
at B157, that the received player interaction(s) resulted in successfully
interactions with a plurality of
individual ones of the plurality of wagering opportunities, an aggregate wager
may be placed and the
player rewarded according to a selected aggregate wager profile.
[0146] According to further embodiments, the selected individual wager profile
may be
different from the selected aggregate wager profile. For example, the selected
individual wager profile
may be configured to have a first RTP and the selected aggregate wager profile
to have a second RTP
that is different from the first RTP. The selected aggregate wager profile,
according to one
embodiment, may be configured to award the player a reward that is greater
than the sum of rewards
the player would have been awarded had the player interaction been determined
to have successfully
interacted individually with each of the plurality of wagering opportunities.
Alternatively, the selected

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aggregate wager profile may be configured to award the player a reward that is
less than a sum of
rewards the player would have been awarded had the player individually and
successfully interacted
with each of the plurality of wagering opportunities. In one embodiment, the
selected aggregate wager
profile may be configured to award a random symbol for each of the plurality
of wagering opportunities
that gave rise to the aggregate wager as shown in Figs. 12 and 14 and the
player may be rewarded
according to the symbols awarded and/or a symbols paytable. In one embodiment,
the selected
aggregate wager profile may be configured to enable a selected minigame or to
show some video
sequence, for example, and the player may be rewarded for successfully
interacting with the selected
minigame or for simply watching the video sequence. Indeed, the game designer
may decide to what
degree, if any, the player's skill affects the outcome of the game and/or the
amounts awarded, subject
to jurisdictional controls and regulations. Indeed, the generation of an
aggregate wager, according to
embodiments, may occur without any regard to the player's skills or lack
thereof. There may be
instances, for example, where an aggregate wager is placed as a direct result
of the player choosing
the right weapon for the job, skillfully interacting with wagering
opportunities or making a
consequential choice in the game's narrative, for example. The game also may
be configured to
generate an aggregate wager independently of any player's interaction or
independently of any skillful
action by the player, in order to randomly and infrequently reward the player
¨ a potentially powerful
reinforcement and incentive to the player to keep playing the game.
[0147] As discussed herein, the player interaction in block B154 may be a
single player
interaction. Alternatively, the player interaction received in block B154 may
comprise a plurality of
individual player interactions. The game designer may decide when and if
separate and individually-
received player interactions with wagering opportunities will give rise to an
aggregate wager. For
example, if multiple, and close-in-time player interactions are received, such
may give rise to an
aggregate wager. Other conditions may be coded-in, to group individual
successful player interactions
and give rise to an aggregate wager. According to one embodiment, the selected
aggregate wager
profile may comprise multipliers and the method may further comprise
determining the reward for the
aggregate wager according to or at least using a selected multiplier. The
value of the multiplier may
be determined, for example, by counting the number of the plurality of
wagering opportunities with
which the received player interaction successfully interacted ¨ or in any
other manner. In one
embodiment, a random value (for example, within a predetermined range) may be
assigned to each of
the plurality of wagering opportunities with which the received player
interaction successfully
interacted, as shown in Fig. 14. Thereafter, the selected aggregate wager
profile may be configured to
award the player a reward determined according to at least one of one of the
assigned random values
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and a selected multiplier. For reference purposes, the syntax of an expression
of the form "at least one
of A and B" encompasses A separately, B separately, as well as both A and B.
In one embodiment,
the received player interaction may be a single player interaction or includes
more than one player
interaction that successfully interacts with a single one of the plurality of
wagering opportunities or
with the plurality of wagering opportunities, respectively.
[0148] Fig. 16 is a diagram that illustrates further aspects of one
embodiment. Fig. 16
continues the theme of a zombie first-person-shooter game, in which the goal
is to kill as many zombies
(destroy as many targets) as possible. Each of the zombies may be a wagering
opportunity, a successful
or partially successful interaction therewith causes a wager to be generated.
As shown therein, a player
may initiate, via a player interface, a player interaction that affects more
than one wagering opportunity
¨ in this case, more than one zombie. This player interaction in Fig. 16 is
shown as the bomb 1610,
thrown in the middle of an incautiously-grouped number of zombies. In this
scenario, shrapnel from
the bomb 1610 hits zombie 1602 in the leg, damaging it but not killing it.
Zombie 1604 is hit four
times, once in each limb. This kills the zombie 1604. Zombie 1606 suffers both
a shrapnel strike to
the chest and to the head, both of which are fatal. Zombie or target 1606 is
destroyed or killed, as
shown. Lastly, zombie 1602 is hit twice; once in the leg and once in what
passes for a forearm. Zombie
1608, therefore, is damaged, but not killed. According to various
implementations, the damage done
to the targets (in this case, the zombies 1602, 1604, 1606 and 1608) may be
related to the distance
thereof from the bomb 1610, the effective yield of the bomb, may be random or
otherwise, as the game
designer wishes.
[0149] According to one embodiment, an initial value may have been associated
with each of
the targets. Such initial value may be set at zero or any other number. For
example, the initial value
may be thought of as a "damage" value. Initially, before the fateful player
interaction, the damage
value may be zero. As shown in Fig. 16, after the regulated gaming machine has
received a player
interaction indicative of the player tossing bomb 1610 in the middle of the
gathered zombies, the
damage values may be updated: zombie 1602 suffers light damage and its initial
value is updated from
0 to an updated value of 5. Similarly, zombie 1608 is hit twice and its
initial damage value is updated
to 10. Both zombies 1604 and 1606 are destroyed/killed and their damage values
may be set to a
maximum, such as 50, for example. Alternatively or in addition, as shown in
Fig. 16, the number of
destroyed and/or killed targets may be counted and used as a score multiplier,
for example.
[0150] According to one embodiment, when the received player interaction is
determined to
have failed to damage or destroy at least one of the targets, no wager is
placed, as the received player
interactions was wholly ineffective. However, when the received player
interaction is determined to
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have damaged or destroyed at least one of the targets, a wager may be placed.
The game designer may
decide whether a wager is placed whenever at least one target is damaged or a
wager is only placed
when at least one target is destroyed, whether or not other targets suffered
only non-lethal damage. In
the illustrative example shown in Fig. 16, two zombies are killed and two
others are damaged. As
shown at 1612, a score may then be determined that is based, in one
embodiment, upon the number of
targets destroyed and/or the determined score. Fig. 16 shows one possible
computation of the score:
the score is determined by multiplying the sum of the updated (damage) values
multiplied by the
number of targets destroyed, which acts as a multiplier. The score in Fig. 16
is, therefore, 2 x (5 + 10)
or 30. Any other computation of the score may be implemented as those of skill
in this art may
recognize. For example, killing a zombie may update an initial value from 0 to
50, whereas each shot
or shrapnel strike may cause the initial value to be updated from 0 to 5. In
the example of Fig. 16,
using such a scoring scheme, the determined value would be 2(50) + (5+10) or
115. If a multiplier of
2 (two zombies killed) is applied, that updated value climbs to 230.
[0151] According to one embodiment, the determined score may be used to select
which of a
plurality of payout schedules to access in determining the player's reward. In
this manner, the
determined score may be used to index through a plurality of payout schedules.
As shown in Fig. 16,
the illustrative determined score of 30 may be used to select one of a
plurality of payout schedules.
According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of payout schedules may be
associated with a
predetermined range of scores. As shown, one of the payout schedules is
associated with scores
between 1 and 14, another payout schedule is associated with scores between 15
and 29, yet another
with scores between 30 and 44 and still another with scores between 45 and 59
and so on. As shown
in Fig. 16, payout schedules associated with lower score ranges have lower
potential payouts than
payout schedules associated with comparatively higher score ranges ¨ although
the reverse or some
other ranging scheme may be implemented. For example, the payout schedule
associated with the 1-
14 range may have an RTP of 87%, while the payout schedule associated with the
45-59 score range
may have an RTP of 94%. The player may then be rewarded using the accessed
payout schedule,
knowing that the more damage, injuries, death and mayhem the player sows in
the zombie community,
the higher the potential payouts will be.
[0152] It is noted that a first-person-shooter (FPS) is but one possible
implementation. In this
implementation, the score may be proportional to the amount of damage and/or
destruction suffered
by the targets (in whatever form those targets take). In that case, the
initial value may be set to zero
or some other number and subsequent damage may result in increases to that
initial value. The initial
value may also be thought of as an initial health value and subsequent damage
or destruction may
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cause that initial health value to be updated downward. Player interactions
may also be received that
increase the initial value, depending upon the game. Moreover, although the
initial value is shown in
Fig. 16 as being updated by the sum of damages, any other mathematical
operator(s) may be used in
determining the resultant score used by the payout schedule selection process.
Of course, had the
received player interaction been successful or partially successful with one
zombie wagering
opportunity, an individual wager (as opposed to an aggregate wager shown and
described relative to
Fig. 16) would still be made, as described earlier.
[0153] According to one embodiment, the wagering opportunities / targets
described herein
need not be solely provided within the context of a FPS game. Indeed, the
wagering opportunities
may be tiles to be matched, gems collected on a racetrack in a driving game
and/or any other
thematically-relevant game asset within the wager-based game. In other
embodiments, the initial value
may be zero and the initial value may be updated by adding health points
thereto, as the game
protagonist wanders and collects beneficial potions and elixirs. A score may
then be determined using
the updated initial values and a number of goals achieved, for example, which
determined score may
be used to select one of a plurality of payout schedules that are used, along
with a random number, to
determine the payout to the player.
[0154] Fig. 17 is a flowchart of a computer-implemented method of operating a
gaming
machine, according to one embodiment. As shown therein, block B171 calls for
accepting, in the
gaming machine, funds from a player and enabling the player to play a wager-
based game using the
accepted funds. The wager-based game may be configured, as shown and described
herein, to present
a plurality of separate wagering opportunities for player interaction during
the game, such that a
partially or fully successful player interaction with any of which generates a
wager. As shown at B172,
an initial value may be associated with each of the plurality of wagering
opportunities. During game
play, the gaming machine may then receive a player interaction (or several
such player interactions
collectively referred to in the singular) with one or more of the plurality of
wagering opportunities via
a player interface of the gaming machine, as shown at B173. As shown at B174,
when the received
player interaction is determined to have failed to result in one or more
partially or fully successful
interactions, no wager may be placed. It is noted that the game designer will
adapt what constitutes a
partially successful interaction and a fully successful interaction according
to the particular game being
developed.
[0155] On the other hand, as shown at B175, when the received player
interaction is
determined to have at least partially successfully interacted with one or more
of the plurality of
wagering opportunities, a wager may be placed. If only one wagering
opportunity is at least partially
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successfully interacted with, a single wager may be placed. If more than one
wagering opportunity is
at least partially successfully interacted with, a single, aggregate, wager
may be placed, as detailed
below.
[0156] As shown at B176, the initial value associated with each wagering
opportunity with
which the received player interaction was at least partially successful may be
selectively updated to
generate respective updated values. A score may then be determined as shown at
B177. According to
one embodiment, the score may be related to the generated updated values, a
number of wagering
opportunities with which the received player interaction was at least
partially successful and/or
optionally other factors. Block B178 calls for selecting which of a plurality
of payout schedules to
access according to the determined score, as best shown in Fig. 16. Lastly,
B178 calls for determining
a reward due to the player using the accessed payout schedule. It is to be
noted that, according to one
embodiment, in the event that a target wagering opportunity (e.g., zombies in
Fig. 16) was only
damaged and not destroyed, the updated value may become the initial value for
purposes of future
player interactions therewith. In this manner, damage may be cumulative and
the initial value
associated therewith may reflect prior player interactions and previously-
sustained damage. There
may also be cases in which the value associated with a target wagering
opportunity may reset after
each player interaction, as the game designer wishes. Moreover, the initial
value associated with a
wagering opportunity may be updated up or down during game play, independently
or indirectly of
player interactions.
[0157] According to an embodiment, the generated updated values may be (for
example)
summed and the score may be related to the sum of the generated updated values
and the number of
wagering opportunities with which the received player interaction was at least
partially successful. In
one embodiment, placing a wager is executed only when the received player
interaction is determined
to have successfully interacted with one or more of the plurality of wagering
opportunities. The wager-
based game may be configured as shooting game, such that the plurality of
wagering opportunities are
targets and such that a partially successful interaction damages (e.g.,
wounds) the target and successful
interaction destroys (e.g., kills) the target. Each of the plurality of payout
schedules may be different
from others of the plurality of payout schedules in terms of volatility and/or
RTP and/or payout
amounts. In one embodiment, selecting which of a plurality of payout schedules
to access may
comprise selecting a payout schedule with a potentially higher return to the
player when the determined
score is higher than would be selected were the determined score be
comparatively lower. According
to one embodiment, selecting which of a plurality of payout schedules to
access comprises selecting a
payout schedule with a potentially higher return to the player when the
determined score is lower than

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when the determined score is comparatively higher. The reward due to the
player may be potentially
higher when the score is determined to be higher than when the score is
determined to be comparatively
lower. In another embodiment, the reward due to the player may be potentially
higher when the score
is determined to be lower than when the score is determined to be
comparatively higher.
[0158] Another embodiment is an electronic, wager-based gaming device (or a
generic
computing device configured by software and/or hardware as a wager-based,
regulated gaming
device). The device may include, as shown at Fig. 19, a memory, a processor
coupled to the memory,
a player interface coupled to the processor and a display coupled to the
processor. A plurality of
processes may be spawned by the processor, and such processes may comprise
processing logic to
accept, in the gaming machine, funds from a player and enable the player to
play a wager-based game
using the accepted funds. The wager-based game may be configured to present a
plurality of separate
wagering opportunities for player interaction during the game, such that a
partially successful player
interaction or a fully successful player interaction (as such may be defined
within he game) with any
of which generates a wager. The processing logic may also associate an initial
value with each of the
plurality of wagering opportunities and receive a player interaction with at
least one of the plurality of
wagering opportunities via a player interface of the gaming machine. When the
received player
interaction is determined to have failed to result in one or more at least
partially successful interactions,
no wager is placed. However, when the received player interaction is
determined to have at least
partially successfully interacted with at least one of the plurality of
wagering opportunities, a wager
may be placed. The initial value associated with each wagering opportunity
with which the received
player interaction was at least partially successful may then be selectively
updated to generate
respective updated values. A score may be determined, the score being related
to, for example, the
generated updated values, a number of wagering opportunities with which the
received player
interaction was at least partially successful and/or other factors. Which of a
plurality of payout
schedules to access may then be selected according to the determined score and
the reward due to the
player may then be determined using the accessed payout schedule. The device
may also comprise
processing logic for summing the generated updated values and for determining
the score based on a
sum of the generated updated values and the number of wagering opportunities
with which the received
player interaction was at least partially successful, among other
possibilities. In one embodiment, the
processing logic for placing a wager may only be executed when the received
player interaction is
determined to have successfully interacted with one or more of the plurality
of wagering opportunities.
The wager-based game may be configured as shooting game, such that the
plurality of wagering
opportunities are targets and wherein a partially successful interaction
damages the target and
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successful interaction destroys the target. Herein the term "target" does not
necessarily refer to a
bullseye, but includes within its scope most any in-game asset with which the
player interacts.
[0159] According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of payout schedules
may be
different from others of the plurality of payout schedules in terms of at
least one of volatility, RTP and
payout amounts. The processing logic for selecting which of a plurality of
payout schedules to access
may further comprise processing logic for selecting a payout schedule with a
potentially higher return
to the player when the determined score is higher than when the determined
score is comparatively
lower. Conversely, the processing logic for selecting which of a plurality of
payout schedules to access
may comprise processing logic for selecting a payout schedule with a
potentially higher return to the
player when the determined score is lower than when the determined score is
comparatively higher.
In one embodiment, the reward due to the player may be potentially higher when
the score is
determined to be higher than when the score is determined to be comparatively
lower. In another
embodiment, the reward due to the player may be potentially higher when the
score is determined to
be lower than when the score is determined to be comparatively higher.
[0160] Fig. 18 is a flowchart of yet another embodiment of the present
computer-implemented
method of operating a gaming machine or other generic computing device
configured by hardware
and/or software to be and function as a regulated, wager-based gaming machine,
as allowed in the
gaming jurisdiction in question. As shown at B181, funds may be accepted, in
or by the gaming
machine, from a player and the player may be enabled to play a wager-based
shooting game using the
accepted funds. In this embodiment, the wager-based shooting game may be
configured to present a
plurality of separate wagering opportunities as targets for the player to
shoot/blow up or otherwise kill
or injure via player interactions with the gaming machine during the game,
such that damaging one or
more targets or destroying one or more targets generates a wager. An initial
value may be associated
with each of the targets, as shown at B182. As called for by B183, a player
interaction or several such
player interactions may then be received, which is/are indicative of the
player shooting one or more of
the targets via a player interface of the gaming machine. According to one
embodiment, when the
received player interaction is determined to have failed to damage or destroy
at least one of the targets,
no wager may be placed. However, when the received player interaction is
determined to have
damaged or destroyed at least one of the targets, a wager may be placed, as
shown at B185 and as
detailed below. The initial value associated with each of the targets with
which the received player
interaction was at least partially successful may be selectively updated to
generate respective updated
values, as shown at B186. The score may then be determined, the score being
related to at least the
generated updated values and a number of targets damaged or destroyed by the
received player
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interaction ¨ among other possibilities. The payout schedule to access may
then be selected according
to the determined score as shown at B188 and the reward due to the player may
be determined, with
reference to the accessed payout schedule, as shown at B189.
[0161] According to one embodiment, destroying a target may result in an
update to the initial
value of a larger magnitude than damaging the target. Damaging and destroying
many targets may
result in a selection of a payout schedule (or several payout schedules)
having higher potential payouts
and damaging and destroying comparatively fewer targets may result in a
selection of a payout
schedule having comparatively lower potential payouts.
[0162] Fig. 19 shows a wager-based regulated gaming machine configured
according to
embodiments. Fig. 19 also shows exemplary tangible, non-transitory computer-
readable media having
data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when
executed by the regulated
gaming computing device, cause the regulated gaming computing device to
operate according to an
embodiment.
[0163] Another embodiment is a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable
medium as shown
at 1918 in Fig. 19. This tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium may
have data stored
thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a
regulated gaming computing
device, cause the regulated gaming to carry out the above shown and described
methods. Other
examples of such tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media are shown at
references 1904,
1905, 1906 and 1910 in Fig. 19. In another embodiment, the tangible, non-
transitory computer-
readable medium may be part of a remote server coupled to a computer network
and executing
computer-readable instructions configured to carry out one or more aspects of
the embodiments
described and shown herein.
[0164] In greater detail, Fig. 19 shows a wager-based regulated gaming machine
configured
according to embodiments and configured to execute the computer-implemented
methods shown and
described herein. According to one embodiment, an electronic, wager-based
gaming device 1900 may
comprise a memory 1904, 1905, 1906, 1910, at least one processor 1908, a
display 1920 and a user
interface 1922. A plurality of processes may be spawned by the processor,
which plurality of processes
may comprise processing logic to carry out the functionality shown and
described relative to Figs. 10-
18 and as described and shown elsewhere in this disclosure. Fig. 19 also shows
exemplary tangible,
non-transitory computer-readable media 1918, 1904, 1905 or 1906 having data
stored thereon
representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by the regulated
gaming computing
device, cause the regulated gaming computing device to determine rewards due
to a player playing a
wager-based game according to embodiments.
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[0165] Discussing now Fig. 19 in greater detail, reference number 1900 is a
regulated gaming
machine, also referenced herein as an electronic gaming device (EGD) and
electronic gaming machine
(EGM). The regulated gaming machine 1900 may comprise direct access data
storage devices such as
magnetic disks 1904, non-volatile semiconductor memories (EEPROM, Flash, etc.)
1906, a hybrid
data storage device 1905 comprising both magnetic disks 1904 and non-volatile
semiconductor
memories, one or more microprocessors 1908 and volatile memory 1910. The
regulated gaming
machine 1900 may also comprise a network interface 1913, configured to
communicate over network
1914 with remote servers, storage services and the like (and even remote
players, subject to applicable
laws and regulations). References 1904, 1905 and 1906 are examples of
tangible, non-transitory
computer-readable media having data stored thereon representing sequences of
instructions which,
when executed by a regulated gaming computing device, cause the regulated
gaming computing device
to provide wager-based games and determine rewards due to a player playing
such wager-based game
as described and shown herein, particularly at Figs. 10-18. Some of these
instructions may be stored
locally in the gaming machine 1900, while others of these instructions may be
stored (and/or executed)
remotely and communicated to the gaming machine 1900 over the network 1914. In
other
embodiments, all these instructions may be stored locally in the gaming
machine 1900, while in still
other embodiments, all of these instructions are stored and executed remotely,
based on player
interactions at the gaming machine 1900, and the results communicated to the
gaming machine 1900.
In another embodiment, the instructions may be stored on another form of a
tangible, non-transitory
computer readable medium, such as shown at 1918. For example, reference 1918
may be implemented
as an optical disk, which may constitute a suitable data carrier to load the
instructions stored thereon
onto the gaming machine 1900, thereby re-configuring the gaming machine to one
configured to carry
out one or more of the embodiments described and shown herein. In other
implementations, reference
1918 may be embodied as an encrypted persistent memory such as a Flash drive.
Other
implementations are possible.
[0166] In the foregoing description, numerous specific details are set forth
in order to provide
a thorough understanding of one or more aspects and/or features of the
exemplary embodiments. It
will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that one or more aspects
and/or features described
herein may be omitted in favor of others or omitted all together. In some
instances, the description of
well-known process steps and/or structures are omitted for clarity or for the
sake of brevity.
[0167] Herein, devices or processes that are described as being in
communication with each
other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless
expressly specified otherwise.
In addition, devices or processes that are disclosed to be in communication
with one another may
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communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.
[0168] Further, although constituent steps of methods have been described in a
sequential
order, such methods may be configured to work in alternate orders. In other
words, any sequence or
order of steps that may be described herein does not, in and of itself,
indicate a requirement that the
steps be performed in that order. The steps of described processes may be
performed in an order that
differs from the order described herein. Further, some steps may be performed
simultaneously despite
being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one
step is described after
the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a
drawing does not imply that
the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications
thereto, does not imply that
the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to one or more of
the invention(s), and does not
imply that the illustrated process is preferred over other processes.
[0169] When a single device or article is described, it will be readily
apparent that more than
one device/article (e.g., whether or not they cooperate) may be used in place
of a single device/article.
Similarly, where more than one device or article is described (e.g., whether
or not they cooperate), it
will be readily apparent that a single device/article may be used in place of
the more than one device
or article. The functionality and/or the features of a device may be
alternatively embodied by one or
more other devices that are not explicitly described as having such
functionality/features. Herein, any
expression having syntax of the form of "at least one of A and B" includes
within its scope "A only"
or "B only" or "both A and B".
[0170] Lastly, while certain embodiments of the disclosure have been
described, these
embodiments have been presented by way of example only and are not intended to
limit the scope of
the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods, devices and systems described
herein may be embodied in
a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and
changes in the form of the
methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the
spirit of the disclosure.
The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms
or modifications as
would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. For example, those
skilled in the art will
appreciate that in various embodiments, the actual physical and logical
structures may differ from
those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain steps
described in the example
above may be removed, others may be added. Also, the features and attributes
of the specific
embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form
additional embodiments, all
of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the present
disclosure provides
certain preferred embodiments and applications, other embodiments that are
apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art, including embodiments which do not provide all the
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set forth herein, are also within the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly,
the scope of the present
disclosure is intended to be defined only by reference to the appended claims.
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Representative Drawing