Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AWARDING A BONUS ON A NETWORK OF
ELECTRONIC GAMING DEVICES DURING A PRE-DETERMINED TIME
PERIOD
TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates to networked gaming devices, and, more specifically,
to a
system for providing bonuses for networked gaming devices independent of
winning pay
tables of the devices themselves.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gaming devices provide an opportunity for a user to play a variety of popular
games
on the machines, such as slot-type games, video adaptations of standard card
games such as
poker and blackjack, and many other types of games. Modern gaming devices are
able to
forward events that occur on the gaming devices over a computer network to a
central system
host or master controller. Examples of such events include coins or other
value being entered
into the machine, button selections and other actions made by the player, and
an amount that
the machine credits or pays out to the player as winnings. When the gaming
machines are
properly equipped, the central system can also control at least some portions
of the gaming
devices.
Another system that can be controlled by the central system, or a process
coupled to
the central system, is a bonus system for the gaming devices, and specifically
a bonus system
that is above and beyond the standard winning pay tables for the gaming
devices.
Because there are times in a casino when gaming devices are not used as much
as
others, in an effort to make players more willing to play the games in slow
times, it is
desirable to be able to modify the effective payback of the gaming devices.
Specifically,
bonus systems are known that pay awards above and beyond what the gaming
devices pay
according to their own standard winning pay tables. Because the bonuses are
added to the
standard winnings from a gaming device, the players effectively have a higher
chance of
winning more money than when the additional bonuses are not paid. Therefore,
more players
are enticed to play at casinos having gaming devices coupled to a gaming
network that
generates the additional bonuses than at casinos that do not use such bonusing
systems.
A typical way to administer paying an additional bonus is to accumulate a
bonus pool
each time one of the participating gaming devices is played. Once the minimum
bonus pool
level is reached, it is distributed--either to the gaming device machine that
caused the
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minimum pool level to be reached, or to another active gaming device. US
Patent 6,375,569B2
teaches such bonusing methods. However, because the bonus levels and overall
time period in
which bonuses can be paid is dependent on how many gaming devices are
participating in the
bonus pool, and dependent on the rate of usage of such devices, a casino can
have difficulty in
clearly explaining to its patrons the actual benefit conferred on them by
participating in their
bonusing system.
Because casinos are interested in providing a full range of gaming experiences
to players,
it is also desirable for a casino to be able to offer such bonusing methods
over a variety of
gaming platforms. However, by providing a bonus with a centralized pool that
is available to a
variety of gaming platforms, a casino must also consider contribution schemes
that fairly
associate bonus payouts with the share of money contributed by each of the
variety of machines.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other deficiencies in the prior
art.
SUMMARY
An illustrative embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method of
awarding a
bonus prize in a gaming network including gaming devices. The method includes
determining,
with at least one computer, a plurality of gaming devices to be eligible for
the bonus prize, and
determining, with the at least one computer, a participation arrangement for
the plurality of
gaming devices. The method further includes determining, with the at least one
computer, a
duration of a time period in which it is possible for the bonus prize to be
awarded. The at least
one computer divides the duration into a plurality of timeslots, and selects
one of the plurality of
timeslots as a winning timeslot during which a pre-determined bonus prize will
be made. The at
least one computer modifies the participation arrangement during the time
period based on an
amount wagered less an amount won for each of the plurality of gaming devices
during the time
period. The at least one computer adjusts the participation arrangement prior
to awarding the
pre-determined bonus prize to account for gaming devices becoming inactive
during the time
period in which it is possible for the bonus prize to be awarded. The at least
one computer
causes, based on the adjusted participation arrangement, the pre-determined
bonus prize to be
awarded after the winning timeslot has been reached.
Another illustrative embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method of
preparing
to award a bonus prize in a gaming network including gaming devices. The
method includes
accepting, with at least one computer, from a user authorized as eligible to
prepare the bonus
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prize, a selection of a plurality of gaming devices to be eligible for the
bonus prize. The at least
one computer accepts from the user a participation arrangement for the
selected plurality of
gaming devices, a starting time of a bonus prize time period, an ending time
of the bonus prize
time period, and identification of one or more bonus prizes. The at least one
computer divides
the bonus prize time period into a number of timeslots, and identifies one or
more of the number
of timeslots as winning timeslots, the number of winning timeslots equal to
the number of bonus
prizes identified. The at least one computer modifies the participation
arrangement during the
time period based on an amount wagered less an amount won for each of the
plurality of gaming
devices during the time period. The at least one computer adjusts the
participation arrangement
prior to awarding the one or more bonus prizes to account for gaming devices
becoming inactive
during the time period in which it is possible for the bonus prizes to be
awarded. The at least one
computer causes one of the bonus prizes to be awarded, based on the adjusted
participation
arrangement, after reaching each of the winning timeslots.
Another illustrative embodiment provides a system of machines including a
plurality of
electronic gaming devices coupled to a gaming network, and a bonus server
computer coupled to
the gaming network. The bonus server computer includes a first selector means
for selecting at
least one gaming device from the plurality of gaming devices to be eligible
for a bonus prize, and
a second selector means for selecting a participation arrangement for the
selected gaming device
and for modifying the participation arrangement during a bonus prize time
based on an amount
wagered less an amount won for each of the plurality of gaming devices during
the bonus prize
time period. The bonus server computer further includes a scheduler means for
pre-selecting
when a bonus pool is to be active, the bonus pool having a pre-determined
award value in one or
more bonus awards, and a time calculator means for determining a duration in
which the bonus
pool is to be active. The bonus server computer further includes a divider
means for dividing the
duration into a plurality of timeslots, and a third selector means for
identifying one of the
timeslots as a winning timeslot. The bonus server computer further includes an
adjustor means
for adjusting the participation arrangement prior to awarding the bonus prize
to account for
gaming devices becoming inactive during the time period in which it is
possible for the bonus
prize to be
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awarded. The bonus server computer further includes a randomizer means for
selecting a
winning gaming device from the eligible gaming devices after the winning
timeslot has passed.
The bonus server further includes means for awarding, based on the adjusted
participation
agreement, the bonus prize to the winning gaming device after the winning
timeslot has passed.
In another illustrative embodiment, a computer-readable medium stores
instructions
which, when executed by at least one computer, cause any one or more of the
methods described
herein to be carried out.
In another illustrative embodiment, a machine includes at least one computer
configured
to cause any one or more of the methods described herein to be carried out.
Other aspects and features of illustrative embodiments will become apparent to
those
skilled in the art upon review of the following description of such
embodiments in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The description may be best understood by reading the disclosure with
reference to the
accompanying drawings.
FIG. I is a schematic diagram of a computer gaming network on which
embodiments of
the invention operate.
FIG. 2 is an example flow diagram illustrating processes that can be used to
set up a
particular bonus system.
FIG. 3 is a chart showing a payout table of an example bonus pool,
FIG. 4 is an example flow diagram illustrating processes that can be used to
implement a
particular bonus pool.
FIGs. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are charts showing winning timeslots selected out of
potential
winning timeslots.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of the invention provide a time-based bonus system that can be pre-
configured to award a certain amount of money to players of networked gaming
devices over a
certain time period. A bonus system includes a number of individual bonus
pools, each of which
can run for a given duration at a particular time on Electronic Gaming
Machines (EGMs). The
amount of bonus money in a bonus pool is pre-determined by a casino or other
gaming network
operator. Additionally, the total amount of bonus money in a particular bonus
pool can be divided
into multiple smaller bonuses, which can be distributed to many players over
the time period in
which the bonus pool is operating.
The time-based bonus system allows a casino to specify in great detail for
each bonus
period: the total amount of a bonus, the ways in which the bonus is divided if
the bones is
divided, the duration of the bonus period, when within the bonus period the
payouts will be
made, which gaming devices that are coupled to the gaming network are eligible
to participate in
the bonus payouts, how the bonus payouts are to be made, and how to signal to
casino patrons
that a bonus payout has been made, among other details, Further, the casino
can schedule when
and how often a particular bonus pool period will occur. For instance the
casino may schedule a
bonus pool to operate every other hour of each weekday. Even further, the
casino may configure
multiple types of bonus pools, each differing in any of the variables listed
above, and schedule
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them in advance for different times of the day, week, and month, and for
special holidays or
promotions.
The bonus system according to embodiments of the invention operates on a
gaming
computer network. An example modern gaming network is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. I
is identical
to FIG. 1 of US 6,245,483B1, assigned to the assignee of the present
invention. In FIG. 1,
indicated generally at 10 is a block diagram illustrating electronic gaming
machines (EGMs), like
EGMs 12, 14, which are interconnected by a computer network. Shown in the
gaming network
are three banks of EGMs, indicated generally at 16, 18, and 20. Each separate
EGM is
connected via a network connection, like connection 22, to a bank controller
24, In embodiments
10 of the invention, each bank controller 24 includes a processor that
facilitates data communication
between the EGMs in its associated bank and the other components on the
network. The bank
controller 24 also includes audio capabilities, like a CD or DVD ROM drive
coupled to an audio
board or sound card for transmitting digitized sound effects, such as music
and the like, to a
speaker, 26 responsive to commands issued over the network 10 to bank
controller. The bank
controller 24 is also connected to an electronic sign or screen 28 that
displays information, such
as scrolling, flashing, or other types of messages that indicate jackpot
amounts and the like,
which are visible to players of machines on bank 16. These message displays 28
are generated
and changed responsive to commands issued over the network 10 to the bank
controller 24. Each
of the other banks 18, 20 of EGMs include associated bank controllers,
speakers, and signs as
shown, which operate in substantially the same manner.
The EGMs may include traditional spinning reel slot machines, video poker
machines,
computer based video slot machines, and similar gaming devices known in the
art The EGTvls
may further be terminal based machines, where the actual games including
random number
generation and outcome determination is performed at a remote gaming server
48. In this
embodiment, the EOM terminal may display the results of the game played on the
gaming server
and include hardware to accept a wager in the form of cash, cashless tickets,
or other methods of
providing a wager.
In addition, a variety of other gaming platforms may be connected to the
gaming network
10 so as to participate in network wide bonus systems. As shown in FIG.],
these types of
alternate gaming platforms may include wireless devices 52 and mobile phones
54, which
connect to the gaming network 10 via a wireless receiving hub 50. The wireless
devices 52 may
include portable terminals loaned out to guests by the casino for use in other
areas of the casino,
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such as a hotel room, a restaurant, an entertainment venue, or the like. The
wireless devices 52
may also include portable devices such as laptops or PDAs that can communicate
directly with
the wireless receiving hub 50. With wireless devices 52 and cell phones 54,
the games
themselves may be played on the gaming server 48 to comply with local gaming
laws, while the
wireless devices 52 or cell phones 54 may act as terminals where a player can
observe the
outcome of particular game, place wagers, and interact with the base game or
bonus features.
The gaming network 10 may also be connected to the Internet through a
communication
hub 60, and thus allow remote devices 62 to participate in network wide system
bonuses. By
allowing remote devices 62 to participate in a bonus pool, a casino may be
able to offer
substantially larger awards because of the increased contribution from
machines that are not on
site. These remote devices 62 may include other gaming machines located
outside of the casino
property or may include offsite computers. In addition, the remote devices 62
may further act as
terminal gaming machines, with the actual play of the games controlled by the
gaming server 48,
which may be located in the casino.
A casino may also connect smart gaming tables 76 to the gaming network 10.
Smart
gaming tables are disclosed in commonly owned application 11/154,833
(publication no.
US 2005/0266919). Smart gaming tables 76 may include traditional gaming
tables, such as
blackjack, roulette, craps, poker, and others each outfitted with hardware to
enable players to use
a player tracking card during play, and enable the casino to keep track of
player betting patterns
and frequency of play. The outfitted hardware may include a chip recognition
system for
recognizing a player identifying chip that may be embedded in a
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device carried by a player, such as a player tracking card, a credit card, a
cell phone, or any
other type of identifying device. The smart gaming tables 76 may be organized
type or
physical location, where each of these smart gaming tables 76 in a particular
organizational
group 74 is connected to table controller 72. The table controller 72, in
turn, may be
connected to an Ethernet hub 70 to communicate with the gaming network 10.
Each of the gaming platforms mentioned above, including the wireless devices,
the
remote devices connected through the internet, and the smart gaming tables may
be referred
to as an EGM for reference purposes.
A network connector, such as an Ethernet hub 30 connects each of the bank
controllers associated with banks 16, 18, 20 of EGMs to a concentrator 32.
Another Ethernet
hub 34 connects similar bank controllers (not shown), each associated with an
additional
bank of EGMs (also not shown), to the concentrator 32. The concentrator 32
functions as a
data control switch to route data from each of the banks to a translator 36.
The translator 36
includes a compatibility buffer between the concentrator 32 and a proprietary
accounting
system 38. The translator 36 functions to place all the data gathered from
each of the bank
controllers into a format compatible with an accounting system 38. The
translator 36 could
be implemented by a microcomputer including a microprocessor and operating
system, such
as an Intel Pentium microprocessor running Microsoft Windows NT 4Ø
Another Ethernet hub 39 is connected to a configuration workstation 40, a
player
server 42, and to bonus servers 44, 46. Hub 39 facilitates data flow to or
from workstation 40
and servers 42, 44, 46.
The configuration workstation 40 has a user interface that allows portions of
the
network 10 and the servers 42, 44, 46 to be set up and modified. The
configuration
workstation 40 could include a personal computer having a keyboard. monitor,
microprocessor, memory, an operating system, and a network card coupled to the
Ethernet
hub 39.
The player server 42 includes a microcomputer that is used to track data of
players
using the EGMs. Another function of the player server 42 is to control
messages that appear
on displays associated with each EGM. The player server 42 may be embodied in
a
microcomputer including, for instance an Intel Pentium Processor, Microsoft
operating
system and a network card to couple the server to the Ethernet hub 39.
Bonus servers 44, 46 each are embodied by a microcomputer and are used to
control
bonus applications or bonus systems on the gaming network 10. Each bonus
system includes
a set of rules for awarding jackpots in excess of those established by the
winning pay tables
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of each EGIVI. Some bonus awards may be made randomly, while others may be
made to link to
groups of EGMs operating in a progressive jackpot mode. Examples of such
bonuses and
networks used to implement them include those as described in US patents
6,319,125 and
5,655,961, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is an example flow diagram showing processes that can be used to
configure
elements of the bonus system for implementation on the gaming network 10 of
FIG. 1. The
processes could be implemented anyplace within the gaming network 10. In some
embodiments.
the processes shown in FIG. 2 are implemented by computer programs operating
on the
configuration workstation 40 of FIG. 1.
As mentioned above, a bonus system includes one or more bonus pools.
Generally, in
embodiments of the invention, a bonus pool is one particular instance of a
bonus ing process that
has a pre-set sum of money to be paid over a pre-set duration that the pool is
operating. The
collection of bonus pools, and the implementation of operating the separate
bonus pools makes
up the entire bonusing system.
A flow 100 begins in a process 110 by a user being authenticated to access the
bonus
system setup. Such a process could be, for example, a logon function of a
computer program
operating on the configuration workstation 40. Once authenticated, in a
process 120 the user
selects which bonus server 44,46 will run the bonus system. As mentioned
above, there can be
several separate bonus servers operating on a single gaming network 10.
Process 120 determines
which of the bonus servers 44, 46 will be implementing the particular bonus
pools set up in the
flow 100.
The user authenticated in process 110 creates an individual bonus pool in a
process 130
by providing a name for the pool, determining how much money will be in the
pool, and
specifying how many different bonus awards (if more than one) will be part of
the bonus pool.
Naming the bonus pool allows the user to easily identify individual bonus
pools within the bonus
system. Details of defining the bonus pool are discussed with reference to
FIG. 3 below.
Next, in a process 140 the user determines which EGMs will participate in the
bonus
pool. With reference to FIG. 1, a bonus pool may include every EGM coupled to
the gaming
network 10, or could include only EGMs in a single bank 16, 18, 20, The user
could even select
only a few EGMs located in one or more banks 16, 18, 20, or in some
circumstances even only a
single EGM. Generally, a casino will want to have many EGMs participating in a
particular
bonus pool so that many players are eligible for the bonus. In some
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embodiments, pre-defined groups can appear in a process window operating on
the
configuration server 40 for easy selection. For instance, one group displayed
may include all
of the EGMs in one bank 16, 18, 20. Or, one group may include all of the EGMs
in a
particular location of a casino, no matter which bank the EGMs belong to.
Additionally, one
group may include only EGMs that are currently being played by players using a
player
tracking card or other ;identi lying device as discussed abcyve, or may
include onl:y- of a
group defined above that are currently being played by players using an
identifying device. If
groups of EGMs are predefined, then the user need only select one of the pre-
defined groups
to participate in the bonus pool, rather than individually selecting each of
the EGMs
participating in the particular bonus pool.
Some embodiments of the bonusing system may be structured to allow casino
activity
to be at least partly factored in when determining eligible EGMs. For example,
if a bonus is
scheduled to activate at 6:00 PM on a given day, current casino play levels
could be used in
determining which EGMs are to be activated or even used to determine whether
or not to
activate the bonus pool entirely at the scheduled time. This may allow a
casino to activate
only certain gaming platforms or locations that may be being played at a
slower rate when the
bonus pool is scheduled to begin, or even to cancel the bonus pool entirely if
casino activity
reaches a desired level.
After selecting which EGMs are participating in the Bonus Pool in process 140,
the
system selects a participation arrangement in process 145. A contribution
process may be
desirable so that machines or gaming platfomis of different denominations or
played at
different wagering levels can fairly participate in the same bonus pool. Fair
participation can
include having a contribution level of a particular machine be proportionate
to the odds or
amount of the bonus award. For example, if a first player is playing all 20
lines of a 20 line
nickel video slot machine at one coin per line at a rate of about 5 games per
minute and a
second player is playing $10.00 per hand at a smart black jack table at a rate
of about 1 hand
per minute, player one has a coin in rate of about $5.00 per minute while
player two has a
coin in rate of about $10.00 minute. From the perspective of the players,
player two is
risking more money on average than player one. Thus, player two may feel
unfairly
represented in a cumulative bonus pool that the gaming platforms of both
players are
participating in.
There are many ways to implement a bonus participation arrangement to
compensate
for this discrepancy between the perceived inequality of participation in a
cumulative bonus
pool. In some embodiments, a participation arrangement may structured so that
players
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playing machines at a lower coin in rate may have an increased contribution to
the bonus pool
to compensate for the perceived discrepancy. Thus, in the above example, the
video slot
machine played by player one may be contributing two cents to the bonus pool
for every
game played (that is ten cents per minute) while the smart black jack table
played by player
two may be contributing five cents for every game played (that is five cents
per minute).
Another embodinient of di& bonus participation arrangement includes increasing
odds of receiving the bonus prize for gaming platforms that are contributing
more the bonus
pool. This may be accomplished by having a weighted table of probabilities of
each of the
gaming platforms receiving the bonus prize. In the above example, assuming
that the video
slot machine played by player one and the smart blackjack table played by
player two are the
only two EGMs selected to participate in the Bonus Pool in process 140, the
weighted
probability table may include three slots. Two of the slots may then be
assigned to the smart
black jack table and one slot may be assigned to the video slot machine. The
bonus server 44
may then randomly select the slot to receive the award from the three-slot
table. Thus, player
two would have twice the chance of receiving the bonus award as player one,
which is
proportional to the coin in rate of each player (i.e., player two is wagering
twice the amount
per minute as compared to player one).
Additional embodiments of the bonus participation arrangement include allowing
players on selected EGM gaming platfotnis that have a lower coin in rate to
participate in the
cumulative pooled bonus upon allocating an extra wager to participate in the
bonus. In the
above example, this may be implemented by requiring player one to place a
wager of $1.05
(that is $1.00 to play the 20 lines at 1 nickel each and $0.05 as a direct
contribution to
participate in the bonus, or a total of 21 credits). This extra wager would
compensate for the
increased contribution by player two playing at a higher coin in rate.
The bonus participation arrangement may also be based on a different measuring
tool
than a coin in rate. For example, in some embodiments, game theoretical or
estimated win
calculations may be used in determining the bonus participation arrangement.
Game
theoretical calculations include calculated probabilities of the casino's take
for a particular
gaming platform, and may vary by type of gaming platform. Estimated win
calculations may
be based on the amount the player wagers less the amount the player wins.
Because
estimated win calculations may be applied more universally than theoretical
calculations
across gaming platforms, a bonus participation arrangement based on estimated
win
calculations may be more easily scalable to include additional gaming
platforms and even
future gaming platforms.
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Other measuring tools that may be used alone or in conjunction with the
measuring
tools described above may include player demographics, player tracking status,
length of time
playing a machine, and other player measuring tools that are known in the art.
In addition,
the bonus participation arrangement may be preset by the casino, depending,
for example on
the type and denomination of EGMs that may be selected, or may be a dynamic
arrangement
that is performed in process 145 upon receiving the data of which EGMs are
selected to
participate in the Bonus Pool. This participation arrangement may further be
modified during
the length of time that the bonus pool is active to account for EGMs becoming
inactive,
active, or having wagering patterns significantly altered during the bonus
pool activation
time.
The present invention, however, is not limited to these above embodiments;
rather
other participation arrangements that are known in the art may be implemented
without
departing from the scope of the present invention. Further, the type of
participation
arrangement may be set by the system manufacturer during the manufacturing or
installation
process. Alternatively, the casino may set the type of participation
arrangement. The casino
may select a particular type of participation arrangement to be implemented
over all future
instances of the bonus promotion or may select the particular type of
participation
arrangement in setting up each bonus period. In simply gaming networks, the
participation
arrangement may only include acknowledging the contribution level of each
machine.
In a process 150, the user selects the date and the beginning and ending times
that
when the particular bonus pool will run on the associated EGMs. This
information is
transmitted to the particular bonus server 44, 46 that will be implementing
the bonus system.
Then, on the appropriate date at the beginning time, the bonus server 44, 46
implements the
particular bonus pool defined by the flow 100 of FIG.2. Implementation of the
bonus pools
of the bonus system will be described with reference to FIG. 4 below.
Embodiments of the invention include a default master scheduling function that
allows an authorized user to schedule which individual bonus pools of the
bonus system will
be active in a particular casino at any given time. For instance, bonus pool
"A", which
includes all of the EGMs in a casino, may be scheduled to be in operation
between 6:00am
and 7:30am of a given day. Then, bonus system "B", which only includes the
EGMs from
bank 16, may be scheduled to operate between 4:30 pm and 7:00pm in the
afternoon for that
day. In more advanced embodiments of the bonus scheduling process, a default
bonusing
schedule can be set up, so that the bonus system schedule above is repeated
each weekday.
For example, bonus pool "A" could be the default to run every weekday morning
and bonus
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pool "B" could be the default to run every weekday afternoon. If no schedule
changes were
made, the default program would be implemented at the correct time by the
bonus server 44,
46 on the gaming network 10. Otherwise, the default program could be
overridden for a
customized schedule. For example, it may be desirable to run another bonus
pool, bonus pool
"C", for a special July 4' bonus that happened to fall on a weekday.
FIG. 3 shows a sample payout table 200 for a bonus pool. In particular, an
information box 210 shows that this is the payout table for the Bonus Pool A
which was
defined by a user as described above with reference to FIG. 2.
The payout table 200 includes an index number which is used to indicate what
amounts are awarded by the bonus pool A. Individual indexes are shown as rows
in the table
200. Although there is no theoretical limit on the number of indexes a
particular bonus pool
may have, there may be practical limits. The payout table 200 includes
positions for nine
indexes.
Each individual index is divided into "n" different possibilities of payout
amounts.
There is no limit to the number "n" can be, but in some embodiments, "n" is
limited to ten
different payout amounts for convenience. In operation, this means that a
particular bonus
pool having ten payout award amounts can pay up to ten separate bonus awards
over the time
the particular bonus pool is running on the EGMs.
Index 0 is defined to have no payouts. Providing this option allows a manager
of the
bonusing system to easily disable the bonus pool by selecting the index 0.
Other indexes
have payout amounts, although not all indexes use all "n" payout amounts. For
instance,
index "1" has three payout amounts of $1500, and the remaining payout amounts
are each
$100. Index "3" only has a single payout amount of $25,000.
Some embodiments of the invention assign the individual awards in a given
bonus
pool in the order the amounts are entered into the bonus table 200, while
other embodiments
assign the individual awards randomly. For instance, assume that bonus pool
"A" includes
ten different payout amounts and index "4" is selected. In embodiments that
award the bonus
amounts in the order shown in the table 200, the first nine bonus awards will
be for $100
each, with the final bonus award of $25,000. In embodiments that award the
bonus amounts
randomly, the $25,000 could be any of the ten bonuses awarded by the bonus
pool A.
Embodiments of the invention allow complete control of how much total payout
money is in a particular bonus pool, and how the total payout is divided into
separate awards,
if so divided. An authorized user is able to add, modify and delete indexes
specified in the
pay table 200, with the exception of index "0", which remains with all payout
fields of "0".
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Once the bonus pool is set up and scheduled to operate, the bonus server 44,
46 that
will implement the bonus pool simply waits until the proper time is reached to
begin. Before
the bonus award time begins, the casino may use the message screen 28 and or
the sound
apparatus 26 (FIG. 1) coupled to bank controllers 24 to present audio and
video messages to
its patrons. Additionally, or in the alternative, each EGM may include its own
audio and
video device to present the messages. The messages can be stored on the bank
controller 24
itself, or may be stored in conjunction with the particular bonus pool stored
on one of the
bonus servers 44, 46. One such message presented at an EGM could be an
indication of
whether the particular EGM is one of the EGMs eligible to win a bonus award.
In other
words, an indicator message, such as a light or lighted bezel allows the
player to easily
determine if the EGM at which they are playing is eligible to win a bonus
award.
Once the bonus award period begins, the bonus server 44 or 46 implements the
bonus
system. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing example processes that can be used by
the bonus
server 44, 46. A flow 300 begins at a process 310 that determines the number
of machines
that are both active and eligible to participate in the bonus award. Recall
that not all of the
EGMs in a gaming network 10 may be selected to participate in the bonus
awards, and the list
of eligible EGMs is part of the bonus pool setup. The process 310 determines
which of the
eligible EGMs are in use. One way to perform this process is to determine when
the last time
a coin or other monetary value was entered into the EGM. If coins were
recently entered, it is
likely that a patron is still playing games on the EGM, and therefore that EGM
would be
considered "active". Additionally, in some embodiments, an EGM would only
become
active if it was being played by player using a player tracking card or other
identifying device
discussed above. This may be useful to encourage players to enroll in a casino
tracking
service.
The process 310 could be a continuing process that is operational at all times
during
the bonus period. For instance, a machine that no one is playing would not be
an active
game. When a patron begins to play a game at an EGM, the machine then becomes
active.
In embodiments where a player must be using an identifying device for the EGM
to become
active, this may this may further encourage players to quickly enroll in a
casino tracking
service to be eligible for a presently active bonus pool. In some embodiments
of the
invention, EGMs that are not being actively played at the beginning of a bonus
period can
never become an active game, even if a patron begins playing the EGM. In other
embodiments, an EGM can become active no matter when play begins, even if the
bonus
period has already started. These embodiments may allow a player to play
several different
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EGMs or even several different types of EGMs during the course of a bonus
period without
losing eligibility. As described above, the EGM may have an indicator, such as
an indicator
light, message on a screen, or a lighted bezel to indicate to the player
whether the particular
EGM is an active game eligible to participate in the bonus pool.
In some embodiments, the process 310 creates an active game list that is
stored on the
gaming network 10, for instance on the bonus server 44, 46. As players begin
playing EGMs
or leave EGMs that they have been playing, the process 310 actively adds and
removes
EGMs from the active game list. This updating can be performed in real time or
very near
real time, for example.
In a process 320 the time duration that the bonus pool is to be active is
retrieved from
the scheduling record data stored on the bonus server 44, 46. Then, in a
process 330, the
duration is divided into a number of individual timeslots. For instance, if
the duration of the
active bonus pool is one hour, then the process 330 could establish 3600
individual timeslots,
having a duration of one second each.
Then, referring to the number of payout amounts that were defined for the
particular
index (FIG. 3) that is currently selected for the active bonus pool, a number
of winning
timeslots are selected in a process 340. The winning timeslots could be
randomly generated
or pre-determined. For instance, with reference to FIG. 5A, assume, for
illustration, that
there are 30 individual timeslots during which the bonus pool is active. Also
assume that
index 6 of Bonus Pool A is currently selected, so there are five payout
amounts in the
currently selected index. In this example, the process 340 could assign
winning timeslots
evenly, i.e. every six timeslots. Or, with reference to FIG. 5B, the timeslots
may be assigned
such that there are more winners near the end of the bonus pool duration.
Further, with reference to FIG. 5C, the winning timeslots could be randomly
assigned
from all of the timeslots. The randomizing process could occur on the bonus
server 44, 46.
As true with all randomizing processes with more than one selection, a
decision must be
made whether to replace a timeslot that was previously selected as a winning
timeslot back in
the pool of potential winning timeslots. If replacement were not used, then
there will be
exactly as many winning timeslots as there are bonus prizes awarded. If for
instance there
were five bonus prizes available, then exactly five separate timeslots will be
selected as
winning timeslots. If, however, winning timeslots are replaced back into the
pool of potential
winning timeslots, then a particular timeslot may be selected multiple times
as a wining
timeslot For instance, with reference to FIG. 5D, assume there are five bonus
prizes
awarded in the bonus pool. Timeslots 4, 6, 11 and 17 are randomly chosen as
winning
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timeslots and timeslot 17 is randomly chosen twice as a winning timeslot. In
such an
occurrence, one solution would be to award as many bonus prizes as the number
of times the
timeslot was chosen. For example, one bonus prize could be awarded at
timeslots 4, 6, and
11, and two bonus prizes awarded at timeslot 17. However, an easier
implementation is to
limit the number of prizes awarded at any given timeslot to one, i.e., do not
replace timeslots
randomly chosen as winning timeslots back in to the pool of potential winning
timeslots.
As shown in the above examples, process 340 may select any of the timeslots
created
in process 330 as winning timeslots.
Returning back to FIG. 4, the bonus server 44, 46 then waits for a winning
timeslot.
A process 350 continues to loop until a winning timeslot is reached. When a
winning
timeslot is reached, the payout amount from the particular index of the active
bonus pool is
awarded to a random one of the eligible EGMs in a process 360, as is known in
the art. In
practice, for instance, the process 360 may select a random one of the EGMs
from the "active
EGM list", which, as described above is updated in realtime. That way the
bonus system is
relatively sure that there is a player actively playing the winning EGM. In
one example
system, after a winning EGM is selected, the bonus award is not distributed
until after a
player starts a new game on the EGM. The start of the game must occur within
the selected
EGM within a short time, for example a few seconds, otherwise another EGM is
selected as
the winning EGM.
There are many ways to actually award the bonus in the process 360, as is
known in
the art. For instance, the bonus may be sent to the winning EGM in the form of
credits
placed on the EGM. Or, the bonus server 44 could automatically lock the
winning EGM and
deliver the bonus award in a handpay. Additionally, if the player of the
winning EGM is
known by the player server 42 (FIG. 1) by the player of that EGM having
previously
identified himself or herself, then the player's account could be
automatically credited
without ever placing the credits on the EGM.
The bonus award itself need not be limited to money or credits, but could be
any type
of award, For example, a vacation could be awarded to a player, as could
merchandise such
as a car. Other types of awards could include complementary services like a
free meal or free
lodging.
As mentioned above, the payout awards made in the process 360 may be made in
the
order they appear in the payout table 200 of FIG. 3, or could appear in
another order, such as
a random order. Alternatively, the awards may be sorted by the bonus server
44, 46 prior to
distribution. For example, the awards could be made so that the each
successive bonus is
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larger than the one previous. In a further embodiment, the bonus system could
present a
choice of bonus prizes to the winner and allow the player to choose a desired
bonus, such as
by pressing a button or selecting from a list of prizes displayed on a touch
screen on the
EGM. Such a selection system would not be desirable if the bonus awards were
only for cash
or credits, as the players would always choose the highest amounts. But, such
an
embodiment could allow the winning player to choose between a new car or a
free vacation,
for example.
In still other embodiments, the bonus system could present to the winning
player a list
of all available bonus prizes remaining in the bonus pool and then randomly
select one of the
to prizes as the player's winning prize. Therefore, it is possible to
implement a bonus system
that randomly selects a timeslot as a winning timeslot, randomly selects an
EGM as a
winning EGM, and randomly selects one of a group of pre-selected or pre-
determined prizes
as the bonus awarded to the winning player.
Finally, a process 370 performs a check to determine if the last payment
amount in a
bonus pool has been awarded; if so, then the flow 300 ends and the bonus pool
is no longer
active.
With regard to FIG. 4, the individual processes 300 need not be performed in
the
order set out in the diagram. For instance, the process 310, which determined
which EGMs
were active, may in fact take place directly before, or as a part of process
360, which awards
the bonus payment. Additionally, at least some of the processes in the flow
300 can be
performed prior to the bonus period starting in the casino. For instance, once
the length of
the bonus period and which index is being used in the assigned bonus pool are
known, the
bonus server 44, 46 can calculate the winning timeslots even before the bonus
period begins.
Although a sample gaming network has been described herein, the bonusing
system is
operable on different types of systems. One of the benefits to such bonusing
systems is that
they can be scheduled in advance of the bonusing time itself, thus allowing
carefully selected
parameters and details to be designed into the bonusing system. Additionally,
because the
parameters are definable, they can be easily explained to patrons. For
example, in
embodiments of the invention, it is relatively easy to promote a bonusing
system in which
$50,000 will be awarded between 1:00pm and 3:00pm of a given day. This enables
a casino
to advertise the particular benefits to the player without causing customer
confusion.
Implementation of the bonusing system is straightforward in light of the above
description. As always, implementation details are left to the system
designer. There are
many ways to implement the bonusing system, and the ones described herein are
only a few
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of the many methods that can be used. The procedures used for the bonus awards
may be
implemented in any way, with any components. Inclusion of description or
illustration of a
function in either the gaming device or the gaming network controller is not
dispositive that
the function is located in or must be performed there. The bonusing system
works even when
not all of the elements shown in the gaming network of FIG. 1 are present. For
instance, in
some embodiments of the invention, the bank controllers 24 are not strictly
necessary, and the
system could operate without them.
Thus, although particular embodiments for a bonusing system have been
discussed, it
is not intended that such specific references be considered as limitations
upon the scope of
this invention, but rather the scope is determined by the following claims and
their
equivalents.
